A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures

CHAP. XV.

That is, he shall for it be counted unclean. The issue here spoken of which rendered men unclean is that which we call the running of the reins. Now because this disease men have in a different manner (for sometime their seed being of a thin substance runs continually from them, and sometimes again being of a thicker substance it slows not so freely forth, bu • stops in the passage, and so putrifies the place through which it should pass) in both these cases they are declared to be unclean. Now though by this legal pollution they were taught the filthiness of all sin whatsoever, yet more especially I conceive it was to signify that original corruption and filthiness of our nature, which is conveyed unto us in our first conception, by that very seed and substance whereof we are made.

These laws following show the contagion of si • ne, which defileth not only men themselves, but everything besides which a wicked man hath to do with: for unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, Tit. 1. 15.

That is, of wood, or any other such strong matter, as silver, copper, brass, &c.

This is not meant of the issue forespoken of, nor when a man lieth with a woman, whereof verse. 18. but of the seed of the healthful, issuing by reason of nightly dreams, or any such accident, whereof see Deut. 23. 10.

To wit, everyone that is of years of discretion, and so fit to be ordered by this law. For it is not likely that infants that lay in the arms and sucked on the breasts of their mothers, when they were in this condition, were rendered unclean thereby.

To wit, ignorantly: for if he did it presumptuously, not pollution but cutting off was his punishment, Levite. 20. 18. And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness, he hath discovered her fountain, and he hath uncovered the fountain of her blood, and both of them shall b • cut off from among the people. Yet some conceive that this place is only meant of lying in the same bed with a woman, and not of carnal copulation.

CHAP. XVI.

That is, upon that occasion, lest they should again endanger themselves, by entering into the most holy place, as before by offering strange fire; and so also within a short time after that happened: for it doth not follow that because the Lord upon that occasion gave this ensuing charge, therefore the laws set down in the former chapters are transposed, and were not given in any interim of time before this.

That is, not whensoever he pleaseth, but only once a year, as I have appointed, Exod. 30. 10. namely to minister: at other times both he and his sons might and did enter at the taking down of the tabernacle, but not to minister. And this was thus appointed, first, to teach them to have a most reverend respect of God's presence; and secondly, that hereby more evidently might be represented that one particular sacrifice of the son of God once offered, as the Apostle hath noted, Heb. 9. 7, 8. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, &c. The holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing; and again, verse. • 1, 12. Christ being come an high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, &c. by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

This is added as a reason why the high priest might not enter into the most holy place whenever he pleased, but only once a year, which was on the tenth day of the seventh month, and that in the manner as is here appointed, to wit, because the Lord would there appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat. The conceit of the Papists, That God appeared there in an human shape upon the mercy-seat, hath no ground for it in the text: Nor do we anywhere read that God did ever so appear in the tabernacle either to the high priest or to Moses himself. All that is he • e said is, that God would by a cloud upon the mercy-seat testify his presence; which whether it were the cloud raised by the smoke of the incense, which the high priest was now to bring with him, or any other cloud always abiding upon the mercy-seat, we need not inquire. Sufficient it is that we know hereby that God did testify his presence, and doubtless in some glorious manner, upon the mercy-seat, and therefore the high priest might not when he would go in thither, but only once a year, and then with the smoke of incense ascending from his censer that might darken the glory of that forementioned sight of God's presence for the safety of the high priest.

Namely for himself, verse. 6. But withal we may observe that besides the fire-sacrifices here expressed, he offered also on this day two lambes for the daily burnt-offering, Numb. 28. 3. and one bullock, one ram, and seven lambes for a burnt-offering, and one he-goat for a sin-offering (besides the goat mentioned verse. 5.) as is particularly expressed, Numb. 29. 7, 8, 11. Here these only are expressed which concerned the solemnity of his going into the most holy place: the other were sacrifices appointed for the day, and offered in the remainder of the day, when the solemnities which • ad respect to his entering into the most holy place were wholly finished.

Some Expositors conceive that these holy linen garments here spoken of were those mentioned Exod. 28. 39. which the high priest wore under his other rich attire, and that together with these here mentioned all his other garments are to be understood also. But because it is expressly said, verse. 23. that when Aaron returned out of the most holy place into the tabernacle of the congregation, he should put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and should leave them there; therefore I rather conceive with others that these were other plain linen garments, like those that were made for the inferior priests, Exod. 39. 27, 28. And that the high priest did wear these only when he went into the most holy place, as being reserved for this peculiar service, and did therefore put them off again, when he came out from thence, as it is said verse 23. Yet was not this thus ordered, because this day of expiation, when the priest went into the holy of holies, was a fasting day, verse 29, 30. and therefore it was not fit that he should wear now his glorious garments: for after he was come back out of the most holy place, and had put off these linen garments, verse 23. he put on his other glorious attire, and wore them in the remaining service of the day. But other reasons are given for this by Expositors more probably: as 1. that it was to teach the people thereby that his rich attire was only for their sakes, that in them they might behold him as representing the person of the Messiah, richly adorned with all righteousness and grace, and not that God was delighted with such rich garments; and so he left them off when he went into the place of God's special presence; and 2. that in this plain attire he might be a figure of the base estate of Christ upon earth, and how he should without worldly glory perform the work of our redemption.

In what time and manner this was done, see verse. 11.

Which signified, that God would accept no sacrifice but what was of his own choosing; and that in the work of our redemption by Christ nothing should be done but what God's hand and his counsel had determined, Act. 4. 28.

Here we see what the high priest was to carry along with him when he went within the veil; to wit, 1. a censer-full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, that is, from the altar of incense; and 2. his hands full, that is, two handful of sweet incense beaten small to burn upon the coals as soon as ever he entered within the veil; and 3. the blood of the sin-offerings: for though that be not mentioned here, yet that he carried the blood along with him is evident, verse 14, & 15. both of the bullock his own sin-offering, and the goat the people's sin-offering.

As the way was prepared into the most holy place by the cloud before the blood was sprinkled▪ so Christ before he entered with his own blood into the most holy place of heaven prepared his way by prayer▪ John 17. And this also signified that the incense of Christ's prayers and mediation should ascend into heaven before God for his Church, Heb. 9. 24. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. So also Revel. 8. 3, 4. And another ang • l came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne: And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the Saints, ascended up before God out of the angels hand.

Whereby they were taught how formidable the majesty of God was, and with what reverence we ought to present ourselves before him.

We must not conceive that he came forth out of the most holy place to kill this goat of the sin-offering for the people, for the blood of this goat (as it is said here) was also sprinkled before the mercy-seat, and had he gone in once with the blood of his own sin-offering, and then came out and killed this goat for a sin-offering for the people, and gone in again to sprinkle the blood of that before the mercy-seat, then had he gone in twice on this day within the veil, which is expressly against that of the Apostle, Heb. 9. 7. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people. These words therefore, then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering, do only intend that he killed the bullock first for himself, verse. 11. and then this goat for the people; for both of them were killed before he entered into the most holy place.

As being defiled, though not in itself, yet in regard of the people's guilt, partly by reason of any unwitting approaching to the sanctuary, when they were not legally clean; and partly by reason of all other their sins: whereby appears the horror of sin: for though the people never went into the holy place, much less into the most holy, yet were the altar, ark, and Sanctuary defiled in the sight of God by their sins, and could not be cleansed without blood. So our sins do defile God's Church and most holy ordinances, and do, ascend into heaven itself, whereinto we can have no entrance but by blood. See Heb. 9. 7, 11, 12.

That is, neither of the priests nor people; neither in the holy place nor in the court of the tabernacle: for else why is it said, no man, since the people at no time used to come into the holy place. The reasons of this were two: 1. As by way of chastisement▪ and for their humiliation, they were all excluded from the places and holy things till they were purged from the uncleanness which they had contracted by their sins; 2. Hereby was signified that our high priest Christ should without help of any other perfect the work of our reconciliation with God.

That is, the altar of incense. See Exod. 30. 10.

This is the only unbloody sacrifice which was appointed in the Law; yet was it not, if it be well considered, wholly without blood: For this and the goat which was killed was indeed but one sacrifice, the one representing Christ dying for our sins, the other Christ rising again for our justification, Rom. 4. 25. the one the price paid for our redemption, the other the effect thereof, that God laying our sins upon Christ had removed our sins far away from us. See Psal. 103. 12. As far as the East is from the West, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

That is, a man who for ability of body, knowledge of the way, and sufficiency for this service was chosen and in readiness as appointed hereunto.

That so the place might signify, that by Christ sin is removed far away even from all mankind that will believe in him. Besides, it might signify that Christ was not only put to death for our sakes, but also forsaken in a manner of God, cast off and left in a forlorn and comfortless condition.

To wit, because he had touched the goat upon which the sins of the people were laid. The Hebrews say that this washing was not (as at other times) in the laver of brass, but in some vessel which stood in the Sanctuary, which seems probable, because after this done he is said to come forth that he might offer the burnt-offerings in the court.

The garments which he was now to put on were his ordinary high priests garments. See the note above upon ver. 4. And the burnt-offerings here appointed to be offered by him were the rams mentioned ver. 3. and ver. 5.

Being unclean till the evening is not here mentioned, as I conceive, because it was usually evening ere they returned from these services; or else in these cases they might presently come into the camp to bring back word that▪ they had done what was enjoined.

To wit, by fasting and abstinence from all fleshly delights, as also by the duties of inward humiliation and contrition, and therefore was this day called their fast, Sailing was now dangerous because the fast was now already past, Act. 27. 9. And this we must know was the very same day wherein all those things before mentioned in this chapter were done by the high priest for the expiation of the sins of the people, and was therefore called the day of atonement, Levite. 23. 27. Indeed the solemnity of the day began the evening foregoing the tenth day, and therefore it is said Levite. 23. 32. Ye shall afflict your souls on the ninth day of the month at even: but the tenth day it was that was allotted for this service. On this day the Jubile was also proclaimed, of which see chap. 20. 8, 9. As likewise for the extraordinary sacrifices of this day, see Numb. 29. 7, 11.

CHAP. XVII.

Namely with an intent of offering it as a sacrifice to the Lord: It is not meant of oxen, lambes, or goats killed for their own private uses, but only of killing these beasts for an offering to the Lord, as is expressed in the following words, ver. 4. And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle, &c. For herein lay the sin, that they should dare to kill a sacrifice, and not bring it to the priest to be killed by him at the door of the tabernacle; by forbidding whereof Israel was taught, 1. to serve God in Christ only, who is the true tabernacle, Heb. 9. 11. in whom God dwelleth among men, and through whom all our services are made acceptable to God: John 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me; and 2. that no service is acceptable to him but what is performed in his Church and amongst his people.

That is, his sacrifice shall be no more accepted of God then if he slew a man (according to that of the Prophet, Isai. 66. 3. He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man) or rather, he shall be reputed and proceeded against as a murderer, he shall be esteemed as one that hath shed blood, & so shall be cut off from among his people. And this happily was the rather ordained, because the blood of their sacrifices was, as I may say, the ransom of their persons that had sinned, and so shedding of such blood otherwise then God had appointed should be accounted as if they had shed the blood of a man; so strictly were they tied in those times to one place for the killing and offering of all their sacrifices. Indeed we read of many of the Worthies of God that did after this offer up sacrifices in other places, as Samuel in Mispeh, 1. Sam. 7. 9. and in Gilgal, 1. Sam. 11. 15. and in Bethlehem, 1. Sam. 11. 2. And David in the floor of Ornan, 2. Sam. 24. 18. and Elias in mount Carmel, 1. King. 18. 22. but that was by extraordinary dispensation from God; ordinarily they were tied to bring their sacrifices to the tabernacle, whereas now again under the Gospel we have liberty everywhere to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God. John, 4. 21, 24. The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet in Jerusalem worship the Father. God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth. So also Mal. 1. 11. From the rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering, &c.

That is, which they have been accustomed to offer anywhere in the open fields. This is added to show why the Lord had appointed the man to be so severely punished that should kill or offer any sacrifice anywhere but in the tabernacle, namely that by the severity of this law they might the better be restrained from the liberty of offering sacrifices in all places, whereto they had heretofore been accustomed, and that without sin, and might be strictly tied to bring all their sacrifices, where ever they dwelt, to the door of the tabernacle unto the priest; yea even their peace-offerings, which are particularly mentioned in the last clause of this verse: 1. because these were most usual, and were a kind of feast to the offerer, whence there was most danger lest they should take liberty to kill and make feasts of these sacrifices in their private dwellings; and 2. because naming of the less doth the more strongly imply the greater: if they might not offer peace-offerings (which are only said to be holy) where ever they pleas •• , much less burnt-offerings which are everywhere said to be most holy, and therefore are set in the first place, Josh. 22. 26, 27. Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice, but that it may be a witness between us and you, &c.

This which follows is added also to imply why the Lord tied them so strictly to one place for their offering up of sacrifices, namely, that by this means they might be kept in that one uniform way of God's worship which he had appointed, and not bring in everyone their own superstitious devices, which is the next step to idolatry: for that is the meaning of these words, that by being bound to one place the priest would now order all things according to God's direction; and so they should be a sweet • avour acceptable to the Lord, whereas otherwise being adulterated with men's inventions they would be an abomination unto him.

That is, by the means above named this evil shall be prevented, They shall no more offer to devils. The Hebrew word signifies rough and rugged as hairy goats, because in such shapes the devils sometimes appeared like Satyrs, Isaiah 34. 14. And indeed to devils did all those Jews and Gentiles sacrifice that sacrificed not by faith in Christ, and in such sort and place as God approved of, Deut. 32▪ 17. They sacrificed to devils not to God, to gods whom they knew not, new gods, &c. 1. Cor. 10. 20. But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, not to God, &c. Now so the Israelites had done both in Egypt, Ezek. 23. 8. Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt, &c. and also now lately in the wilderness, Exod. 32. when they sacrificed to that idol the golden calf, and in other their secret idolatries, Act. 7. 41. And they made a calf in those day • s and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the work of their own hands: Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets; O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? and therefore are they said to sacrifice to devils, as Jeroboams idols are also called devils, 2. 〈◊〉 11. 15. And he appointed him priests for the high places, and for the devils, &c. and Antichrists likewise, Revel. 9. 20. And the rest of the men which were not killed by those plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, &c.

Here the former law is extended to stranger • s also, namely, such as were turned to the religion and church of the Israelites; and withal this also is expressed, that as the sacrifice might not be killed, ver. 3. so neither might it be offered without the Sanctuary though it were killed therein.

To wit, though by partiality or other means he escape the hand of the magistrate. See the notes upon Gen. 9. 4.

That is, I have set it apart for a better employment then for food, and therefore in reference to that spiritual employment it must not be eaten at all.

It is particularly pressed in this place, that even when by hunting or otherwise they did catch any beast or fowl that might be eaten, that is, that might lawfully be eaten, though at such times men used to be in great haste and to take great liberty to themselves, they must let out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust, before they eat the flesh thereof, and much more when at more leisure they killed any beast at home for their own particular use. Now this covering of the blood with dust was enjoined, not only to make sure that it might not be eaten, but also happily, first, to show a reverent regard of the life of the beast, by burying the blood, which was the seat of the life, with a kind of • onour (for bu • iall is honorable, Eccles. 6. 3. An untimely birth is better then he that lives many years, and wen he dieth hath no burial) and secondly, to imply the lawfulness of killing the creatures in this manner for the covering of t • eir blood might signify that it should not be imputed unto them, as appears by those places where the not covering of the blood implies the contrary, as Job 16. 18. O earth cover thou not my blood! and Ezek. 24. 7. 8. For her blood is in the midst of her, she set it upon the top of a rock, she pour • d it not upon the gr • und to cover it with dust, that it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance, &c.

This must be understood of him that did eat any such thing ignorantly, in which case he was also to bring those sacrifices appointed Levite. 5. For he that willingly offended herein was liable to a greater punishment, &c. And the strangers here mentioned are such as were converted to the faith, and joined to the Church of Israel, for other strangers in Israel might eat these things. See that place Deut. 14. 21. Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself; thou shalt give it unto the stranger, &c.

CHAP. XVIII.

That is, you must not think their doings a warrant for you whom I have chosen as a peculiar people to myself: the rule is general, but the intent is thence to infer the necessity of their obeying these particular laws concerning unlawful marriages that do immediately follow. And withal a reason is implied of the giving these laws, to wit, le • t the Israelites should be corrupted by that they had seen in Egypt, and should see in Canaan.

This is in itself the voice of the law, and propounded to them a way of righteousness and life, which man by reason of his frailty and co • ruption was never able to attain, as S. Paul saith alluding to this place, Rom. 10. 5. Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man that doth th • se things shall live by them. But therefore we must know that God did not propound this to the Israelites, as intending that they should thereby be justified and saved or not at all, but much as Christ propounded it to that rich man, Matth. 19. 17. If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments: namely, first, to discover unto them how weak and unable they were to obtain life in this way, and so to beat them off from all confidence in their own works; secondly, to make them know that this obedience which God required of them was a due debt, and must be paid either by them or by their surety; thirdly, to bring them hereupon to look out after a Mediator, and so the law was a schoolmaster to bring them unto Christ that they might be justified by faith; and fourthly, as including a promise of life even to the evangelical desire and endeavor of believers to keep all the laws and commandments of God.

That is, to lie with them carnally, yea though it be under pretence of marriage; yet withal whatever immodest carriage is contrary to the respect we ought to bear to such as are thus nearly allied to us is also by consequence forbidden too. But by near kin is only meant such near kindred as are afterwards particularly expressed: for else how should we know how far this prohibition were to reach?

Some by discovering the nakedness of the father here understand that the daughter should not lie with the father: but I find the act of uncovering still ascribed to the male; and indeed it were a very improper speech to use the phrase concerning the woman. The words therefore are rather to be understood thus: In the beginning of this verse the law is given that man should not lie neither with his fathers wife (for that is meant here by the fathers nakedness) nor with his own mother; in the next clause of this verse the reason of the last is given, because it was a thi • g odious in nature to uncover the nakedness of a man's own mother, she is thy mother, &c. In the next verse the first is confirmed, he must not lie with his fathers wife, because it is his fathers nakedness, which doth evidently explain this. The husband and the wife are both one flesh, and therefore whoever uncovereth the nakedness of his fathers wife doth all one as if he did uncover his fathers nakedness.

That is, thou shalt not marry not lie with thy sister, whether she be the daughter of thy father and mother both, or the daughter of thy mother only (for here the Lord speaks only of sisters by the same venter, of sisters by a mother in law he speak • verse. 11.) Whether she be born at home or abroad, that is, whether the sister be lawfully born at home in marriage, or unlawfully abroad by fornication: for his fathers and mothers bastard that is begotten out of marriage is his sister, and therefore he might not uncover her nakedness.

And so other of further descent: how much more then his next daughter, though she be not named?

That is, the daughter of thy father, not the daughter of thy mother. See above verse. 9.

To wit, except in that special case, when a man deceasing without children his nex • broth • r by an express exception of the law, Deut. 25. was to marry the wife of the deceased, and to raise up • ee • unto his brother, as Onan the so • ne of Judah did, Gen. 38. 8.

This is all one with one wife to another, as it is translated in the margin of our Bibles, as Ezek. 1. 9. the wings of the beast are said to touch a woman to her sister (as it is directly in the Hebrew words) that is, one another. Though the ordinary exposition be that this is meant of sisters, that man having married any woman must not afterward marry her sister to vex her, &c. yet these reasons so far sway me, that I cannot but understand it of any two women: First, because incest with sisters is above forbidden, verse. 9. 11. Secondly, because polygamy is nowhere else forbidden if not here, unless to the King, Deut. 17. 16. Thirdly, because the following words cannot, unless extremely forced, be brought to agree with that exposition of sisters; for would not the marriage of her husband with another woman vex her as much as with her sister? happily more. And why is it added in her life? as if it were lawful for a man to marry his wives sister after his wives decease: those things win me to think that it is meant of any two women.

To wit, though she be thy lawful wife.

Molech was an idol worshipped by the Ammonites and other heathen, called also Moloch, Amos 5. 26. But ye have born the tabernacle of your Moloch: and is thought of some to be the star Saturn, the highest; or the Sun, the chief of the Planets, thence called the star of your God, Amos 5. 26. And it is derived of Melech, which signifies a Prince or King. It is thought by many to b • the same idol that is ordinarily in Scripture called Baal, which they gather by comparing together 2. Kings 23. 10. And he defiled Topheth which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech. Jer. 19. 5. They built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt-offerings unto Baal, &c. chap. 7. 31. And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons & their daughters in the fire, &c. & chap. 32. 35. Now to this idol they caused their children to pass through the fire two ways: for some burned them to death, or at least killed them, and then burnt them on their altars: for so it is said of Ahaz, 2. Chron. 28. 3. He burnt incense in the valley of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire. &c. and of the Israelites in general, Psal. 106. 37, 38. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood. But some only made them to go through between two fires, as a sign of their consecration. This sin is here forbidden amongst whoredoms and incests, because as all idolatry is spiritual fornication, so this especially, because their seed was here given away unlawfully, which i • therefore called a going a whoring after Molech, Levite. 20. 3, 5. But though this idol be here named, yet under this the like wicked service to any idol is forbidden.

This is added as a reason why in the foregoing law they were forbidden to let their seed pass thorough the fire to Molech, to wit, because it would be a vild profanation of God's holy name, and that first, in regard it would be an horrible vilifying of the Lord God to forsake him, and yield such • onour to such a base idol-god; and secondly, because horrible wickedness in a people called by his name, that is, called the people and servants of God, would be a dishonor to God, and would cause the name of God to be blasphemed even among the Gentiles.

That is, with all these incestuous mixtures the Canaanites defiled themselves, and so provoked me to cast them out of the land; and therefore take you heed that you do not provoke me by the same sins. Now hereby it is manifest that all the several sorts of incest before mentioned are sins against the law and light of nature▪ because the Lord abhorred the heathen that had no other law, and punished them so severely for these very sins.

The mention of God's statutes here doth intimate what a shame it would be for them that had the light of the word, to walk in these evil courses, whereinto the heathen fell because they lived in darkness.

CHAP. XIX.

Because the mother is usually most despised, the Lord enjoins the fear of the mother in the first place.

Because the commandment for sanctifying God's Sabbaths is directed to the fathers and mothers of the family, who are to take care that children and servants profane not God's holy day, therefore the charge for fearing mother and father is here prefixed bfore this of sanctifying the Sabbath: The meaning is, that children and servants must have such an awful fear of their superiors as willingly to be guided by them according to God's word in the matter of sanctifying God's Sabbaths, and not to resist them in it.

That is, if it were a peace-offering for a vow or a freewill-offering; otherwise if it were for a thanksgiving, it was to be eaten the same day, Levite. 7. 15. And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offering • for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered, he shall not leave any of it until the morning. And so that which was left of the one was to be burnt the second day, and that which was left of the other upon the third; which must needs make them more willing to call the poor to eat with them of their peace-offerings, because the remainders might not be reserved for themselves but were to be burnt.

Though all lying be here forbidden, yet principally all lying whereby men are defrauded of their right, either in buying or selling, or otherwise.

Next after the Law against all false dealing in defrauding this is here inserted, because by perj • ry men use to help forward their false dealing.

To wit, nether by perjury nor vain swearing.

Under these particulars of cursing the deaf, and laying a stumbling-block before the blind, there is also forbidden all other injuries done to men in confidence that the parties injured shall not be able to know who wronged them, and so not have power to defend or right themselves; yea even the putting of stumbling-blocks before the consciences of men, and that because the Lord will plead the cause of those that are thus wronged, which is implied in the last words, but shalt fear the Lord thy God: as if he had said, Let the fear of God in these cases restrain thee, though the deaf and blind need not be feared.

Though the doing of anything against the life of our neighbor is here forbidden, yet the evil principally here forbidden is the standing up in courts of Justice to take away a man's life, either as a false accuser, or a false witness: and the rather is this subjoined to the foregoing Law, Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-b • arer among thy people, because tale-bearing doth usually tend, as in Doeg's example we may see, to derprive men of their lives, according to that of the Prophet, Ezek. 22. 9. In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood.

That is, when any man hath wronged you in anything, you shall not go away and closely nourish hatred in your hearts against them, or secretly carry tales of them to others, and in the mean season never open your mouths to them that did the wrong; but quite contrary, you shall in a brotherly manner rebuke them for the evil they have done, that so you may reclaim them from those evil ways. This I conceive is the drift of this precept: yet withal it may imply that he that doth not rebuke his brother when he sees him do amiss, doth indeed hate him and not love him, and that because he suffers him to run on in his sin, and seeks not his amendment.

This clause, as thyself, doth not denote an exact and perfect equality of love, but a certain proportion of likeness: it doth not bind men to love their neighbor with the same degree of love, but 1. that they should no more desire or seek the hurt of their neighbor then of themselves; 2. that they should endeavor to do all good to their neighbor as to themselves; and 3. that they should love their neighbor in the same manner, heartily, sincerely, constantly as they love themselves. This expression therefore is not unlike that, Joh. 17. 21. where our Savior prayed that all true believers might be one with him and his father, as thou father art in me, and I in thee, which doth not impart the same union, but only a likeness of union.

This is repeated and prefixed here, to show that the ordinances following must not be neglected though seeming slight, because even these also were God's statutes.

Of this Law there may be two reasons: one natural, to teach his people not in vanity or curiosity of mind to alter the shape or nature of the creatures, or seem to make more then God created; another mystical, to teach them how God did hate both mixture of persons, I mean the children of God with infidels, as also all mixtures of religions, and of man's devices with God's ordinances, and whatsoever hypocrisy or corruption of manners is contrary to that sincerity and simplicity which God requires in his children; and this also was intended in the following prohibitions, against sowing their fields with mingled seed.

And so consequently the man also, as being both equally guilty: And indeed, in the Hebrew, there shall be a whipping, which may have reference to both: because she was a bondwoman a lighter punishment is inflicted; for had she been either born or been made free, both should have been put to death, Deut. 22. 23▪ 34. Thus still the Lord debaseth bond-servants, to teach his children to hate the bondage of sin.

Both for himself and the servant with whom he committed uncleanness, if she were an Israelite. But because the man only is appointed to bring a trespass-offering, this seems to imply the former Law was meant of heathen bondwomen, which might not bring an offering.

The first-fruit that grew upon young trees newly planted was for the first three years to be accounted as uncircumcised, and not to be eaten, that is, they were to be cut or plucked off betimes, and cast away as an unclean thing▪ even as the fore-skins of men in circumcision were cut off and cast away as unclean. And though herein they were taught to benefit themselves in way of husbandry, because if a young tree be suffered to bear fruit too soon, neither will the fruit ever be good, nor will the tree endure so long, this overearly fruit drawing away the nourishment which should make the root and tree strong; yet chiefly I conceive it was thus ordained for religious respects, as 1. because the first-fr • it was to be consecrate to God, to whom it was fit the best should be given; and at the best they use not to be till after three or four years bearing: and 2. to show that through the contagion of sin all things are rendered unclean to us, Tit. 1. 15. To them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, so that we have no right to eat of them till by Christ, the seed promised in the circumcision, they be r • stored as pure to us again, and until they be sanctified by the word of God and prayer, 1. Tim. 4. 5.

That is, they shall be given the priests as first-fruits. See Numb. 18. 12, 13.

That is, abundantly. For this last clause hath reference to the whole foregoing Law concerning the first fruit of trees, to wit, that if they did pluck off and cast away the fruit for three years as uncircumcised and unclean, and give the fruit of the fourth year to the Lord, and then on the fifth year and not till then gather fruit and eat it themselves, the Lord would cause the land to yield the fruit thereof in such abundance, as in other things, so also in the fruit of their trees, that they should have no cause to repent themselves that in obedience to God's command they had deprived themselves of the fruit of the first four years.

It is not easy t • determine what is meant by rounding the corners of their heads and marring the corners of their beards. Some conceive that by rounding the corners of their heads, was meant the polling of their heads with round curled locks, after a nice and effeminate manner: and by marring the corners of their beards, the shaving away their beards, as if they affected to be like women: and so they conceive the drift of this Law in both particulars is to forbid all effeminate delicacy and quaintnesse in the trimming of their heads, and shaving of their beards, after the manner and custom of the heathen. Again others hold that by rounding the corners of their heads, and marring the corners of their beards, is meant the cutting off the locks of their heads, and the hair of their beards, that they might offer them to Idol-God's, as most certain it is the heathen used to do. But last of all others determine that hereby is meant the shaving off the hair of their heads and beards when they were in mourning and extreme heaviness: And inde • d this was a custom amongst the heathen: whence is that, Isai. 15. 2. Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off; and that Jerem. 48. 37. Every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped. And the more probable this opinion seems, because the heathenish customs here forbidden are joined together with those in the following verse of cutting their flesh, &c. when they mourned for the dead, chap 21. 5. They shall not make baldness upon their head, nether shall they shave off the corners of their beard, nor make any cutting in their flesh.

As the heathen used to disfigure themselves both by cutting and shaving their hair, espe • ially in their mourning; so also they used to cut and lance themselves, Jer. 16 6. 2. Reg. 18. 28. and to imprint marks upon their flesh, cutting themselves and then filling up the place with ink or some other colou • , that the marks thereof might remain: all which customs God here forbids his people to take up, both because they were the desperate effects of immoderate mourning, as also because they were the customs of idolaters, le • t conforming themselves to idolaters in these things, they should also grow to a con • ormity with them in their idolatrous worshipping of false God's.

That is, ye shall esteem of it as of the house which I have chosen to be my dwelling-place, that accordingly you may be car • full to come thither with an inward awe and fear of my presence; and not to approach to it in your uncleanness, or any other way to pollute it. To the commandment of sanctifying God's Sabbaths this of reverencing his Sanctuary is joined, because the Sabbaths were the chief times whereon they re • orted to the Sanctuary.

Under this all honor d • e to them is included.

Concerning the Ephah, see chap. 5. 11. and concerning the Hin, see Exod. 29. 40. And know we must that under these the most usual measures all other measures are comprehended.

CHAP. XX.

Here the punishments are appointed for the transgression of though • e Laws delivered • n the former chapter.

That is, if any ma • shall sacrifice his children to that idol Molech, and his sin be not known, or cannot be sufficiently proved against him in a judicial way, or that you neglect to punish him, and through con • ivence forbear to proceed against him according to the former Law, then will I set myself against that man to destroy him and cut him off. And the reason is added, Because he hath given of his seed unto Molech to defile my Sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. Now these that sacrificed their children to Molech are said to defile God's Sanctuary. 1. Because generally the Land was defiled, and so the Sanctuary being in the midst of them was polluted by this, as by other their • inns, from which it was therefore purged upon the day of expiation, chap 16. 16. 2. Because it was a horrible profanation of God's Sanctuary, that men defiled with such abominable • inns▪ as idolatry and blood-shed, and that too of their own children, should yet come into God's Sanctuary: 3. Because it was a vild debasing and contempt of God's Sanctuary, that they should forsake that to go and sacrifice in the valley of Tophet to that idol Molech. Why they are said also to profane God's holy name, is noted before, chap. 18. 21.

That is, his po • terity or kindred. The word in the original is sometime translated kindred, Gen. 24. 38. But thou shalt go unto my fathers house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son: Sometimes it is meant of the whole people of Israel, because they came all from one stock, as Jer. 8. 3. And death shall be chosen rather then life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family; and Micah 2. 3. There • ore thus saith the Lord, Be • old against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks. It is here used, because they of his own family and kinder • d were most likely to be partial and to follow his example; but all are here threatened, that either by solicitation, or defending and excusing them, or by not accusing them, that is winking at their sin, shall further their escaping deserved punishment, as likewise all that should tread in his steps, and go awhoring after Molech as he had done.

That is, if you do not punish him according to that Law before given, Exod. 22. 18. Tho • shalt not suffer a witch to live.

This word, for, hath reference to the foregoing exhortation, sancti • ie yourselves and be ye holy, &c. and it must be extended also to all the par • icular penal statutes, that follow in this chapter: as if it had been said, For if you do not sanctify yourselves, and keep my statutes, behold thus and thus, as you shall now hear, have I in all those following particulars appointed you to be punished. The Law that is first here delivered is for the putting of him to death that curseth his father or his mother, which is not meant of every wayward word, but of such reviling speeches as they might plainly perceive proceeded from a manifest contempt of their parents, of which see Exod. 21. 17. By what manner of death they were to die, it is not expressed: Some conceive that because stoning is appointed both in the beginning and end of the chapter, as may be seen ver. 2. and ver. 27. therefore in all other places of this chapter where no other kind of death is expressed this of stoning is intended. But however in this particular of children that cursed their parents, we may the rather think it was so, because elsewhere this kind of death is appointed for rebellious children, Deut. 21. 20, 21.

That is, he is the cause of his own death: which is added to show that however men may think this Law too severe, yet he hath deserved this punishment, and must therefore undergo it.

Namely by stoning, as it may probably be gathered from these places, Deut. 22. 22, 23, 24. If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her: Then ye shall bring them both unto the gate of the city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die: and so also Deut. 16. 38, 40. and John 8. 4, 5. The words of this Law are only express for the adultery of the wife, and so they are also, Deut. 22. 23, 24. Nor do we anywhere read, that the husband breaking the covenant of marriage, by lying with a single woman, was punished with death: and that because the adultery of the wife in some degrees is more injurious to the hus • and, by causing him to father a bastard brood.

That is, the man, and both mother and daughter married to him, if both consented to this wickedness; or either of them indifferently, whether mother or daughter, that is taken to the other. And the severity of the punishment was to show the • ainousnesse of the sin.

Both to show how horrible and detestable that fact was, as likewise that the • ight of such a beast (being unfit for other employments also, for no man would willingly keep such an one) might not bring to remembrance so filthy a sin.

That is, both the woman and the man before spoken of that are found guilty of this unnatural sin of beastiality.

In this law concerning the punishment of incest between the brother & the sister, there is mention made of their seeing one▪another's nakedness, whereby either nothing else is intended but what in other Laws is called uncovering their nakedness; or else because this might happen, this is added to show the heinousness of the sin, and how justly it is appointed to be punished with death. The manner of their death is not expressed (and therefore happily that was left to the Magistrate, or else it was stoning, as is noted before upon ver. 9.) only it is said, they shall be cut off in the sight of their people, whereby is intended that they were immediately to be put to death, and that openly, for a warning to others; and that if the Magistrate should forbear to cut them off, then the Lord himself would do it.

That is, if he doth it wittingly: for if he did it unwittingly he was only rendered unclean thereby, and was to be purified, and to make an atonement for himself according to the direction of other Laws.

That is, they shall be cut off: for the puni • hment of incest being expressed in other places, here it suffices to express their guiltiness.

That is, they shall presently be put to death. Here the phrase is thus carried, to show that one reason why the Lord appointed such to be cut off was, that the Land might not be filled with the issue of such unclean mixture.

CHAP. XXI.

That is, none of the inferior priests shall by reason of mourning for the dead defile themselves, to wit, by touching their dead bodies, or being in the house where their dead bodies were, or coming nigh them, a • d so consequently being present at their funerals, &c. And several reasons may be given why this was forbidden: 1. that they might not too frequently be thereby disabled from attending the work of their pry •• lie office; 2. that hereby it might be seen, that there was a higher degree o • holiness required in the priests then in the rest of the people; 3. that they might be the clearer types of the Messias, who should be so exactly holy; 4. that their ref • aining to mourn might be a real in •• ruction to the people of the hope of the resurrection; and 5. to teach us what purity is required in those that are by Christ made priests unto God, Rev. 1. 6.

Amongst others here expressed for whom the priests might defile themselves, the brother is one. But why then were Eleazar and Ithamar the sons of Aaron forbidden to bewail the death of Nadab and Abihu their brethren, Lev. 10. 6. Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes le • t you die, &c. I answer, that charge was extraordinary and peculiar: 1. Because hereby they were required to testify their submission to that severe proceeding of the Lord against their brethren; and 2. Because they were newly that day entered upon the execution of their priestly office, for which it was not therefore fit they should disable themselves by defiling themselves with the dead, there being no other priests at that time to do the work in their stead.

That i • , his own sister by father or mother, if unmarried; but if she were married, he might not be a mourner at her burial to defile himself thereby, because she was then transplanted into another family.

Some read this place as it is in the margin of our Bibles, But being a husband among his people he shall not defile himself for his wife, &c. and then the sense must be, that though the priests might defile themselves for those their nearest kindred, mentioned in the former verses, yet they might not defile themselves for their wives. But the wife being nearer to the husband then the nearest of his kindred can be, it is hard to say why the priests should be allowed to defile themselves for their near kindred and not for their wives: and far more probably we may conceive that by allowing them to mourn for their near kindred, their defiling themselves for their wives is implied as far more necessary; which also we may the rather think, because to Ezekiel, being a priest, this is given in charge as a strange and unusual thing, that he should not mourn for his wife when she died, Ezek. 24. 16, &c. and hence it is that few approve of this translation. But reading it then, as it is in the text of our Bibles, But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself, all the difficulty lies in knowing what is meant here by being a chief man among his people: concerning which I find three several opinions of Expositors. For first, some understand it of the high priest, that being a chief man, that is, the high priest, he might not defile himself, no not for his nearest kindred; which they say is afterwards more fully expressed verse. 10. But because the laws against the high priests mourning are afterwards set down by themselves, I think it very improbable that this should be meant of the high priest. Secondly, some understand by a chief man here the master or chief man of the house or family, where there is a dead corps to be buried; and so take the meaning of the words to be this, That no priest should defile himself for any but for his near kindred before mentioned, no though he were the chief man or master of the family where they died. And thirdly, some by a chief man understand any of the priests, and conceive the meaning of this place to be, that though none of the people were allowed to defile themselves for the dead so as to profane themselves, that is, after the profane manner of the heathen, according to that Law, chap. 19. 18. yet the priest especially might not do it, being a chief man among his people. So that according to this interpretation, the emphasis of this prohibition lies in these words, to profane himself. The inferior priests might defile themselves for their nearest kindred, but yet not so as to profane themselves, to wit, after the manner of the heathen, by making baldness upon their heads, &c. as it is expressed in the following verse: though none of the people might do this, yet not the priest especially, being a chief man among his people.

That is, when they did mourn for their kindred. See chap 19. 28.

See the note upon chap 13. 11. The word and here is not in the original: so that by the bread of their God is meant both the sacrifices burnt upon the altar, and the heave-offerings, which were the priests portion: and they are so called, partly because they were offered upon the altar, the table of the Lord, Mal. 11. 12. and partly because they were eaten by the priests of the Lord.

That is, neither a common whore, nor a woman whose chastity had been violated, though she did not as a common whore prostitute herself. Some also conceive that under this word, profane, all those were forbidden to be taken in marriage by the priests, that were for any other cause of ill name and basely esteemed, as a bastard, or one that was of light behavior; yea it seems that they might not marry a widow, unless she were a priests widow: For so it is expressly said, Ezek. 44. 22. They shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before. Now all this was to maintain in the people an high opinion of the dignity of the priesthood, and that they might be the fitter to be types of Christ.

That is, divorced, • nd not for the cause of adultery, which to the Israelites was permitted under Moses Law, Deut. 24. 1, 2. but it was for the hardness of their hearts, as our Savior saith, Matth. 19. 8.

That is, thou Moses, thou shalt command him thus to be sanctified, Ex • d. 19. 10. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto th • people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, &c. or else it is an Apostrophe to the people, that they should, as much as in them lay, take care that the priests did thus carry themselves as holy persons.

Other persons were not put to death for simple fornication, neither the man nor woman, Exod. 22. 16, 17. And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of Virgins: only the priests daughter, because of the dishonor done to her fathers house, is appointed here to be burnt; and it may well be thought by the rule of Analogy the same punishment was to be inflicted on the priests wife, if not his sons, when guilty of the same sin.

Either therefore the uncovering of the head was it seems then an expression of mourning, though afterward a contrary custom was used, to wit, when they mourned to cover their heads; or else that which is forbidden the high priest here is, that he should not take off his miter to the end he might put on a covering on his head after the fashion of mourners, as it is noted before, chap. 10. 6.

That is, he shall not go out of the Sanctuary to mourn for his nearest dead friends, because this forsaking of the Sanctuary and the service thereof would be a kind of vilifying of God's Sanctuary and service; and if he should return again from his dead friends into the Sanctuary, this would be a manifest defiling and profaning of the Sanctuary.

That is, because being the anointed high priest, and so advanced above the rest of the priests, he may not do that which the other priests may do. The oil of anointing poured upon the high priests head is here called the crown of the anointing oil, both because by that anointing he was separated to a place of special dignity above his brethren, and also because therein he was a type of Christ's royal priesthood; yet withal happily this phrase may be used with respect had to the plate of pure gold, fastened to the miter, which was upon the high priests head when he was anointed, and is called the holy crown, Exod. 29. 6, 7. Thou shalt put the miter upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the miter: then shalt thou take the anointing oil and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.

And so the high priests wife was a figure of the church, which is to be chaste, pure, holy, 2. Cor 11. 2. I have espo • sed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Rev. 14. 4. These are they which were not defiled with women: for they are virgins: These are they which follow the lamb whithersoever he goeth.

That is, of the Israelites, not of any other nation, though a virgin, Ezek. 44. 22. They shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before. Some would have a virgin of his own people to be a virgin of his own tribe; but it is evident that the high priest was not bound to marry to none but to the tribe of Levi, for Jehoshubeath the daughter of King Jehoram was the wife of J • hoi • da, 2. Chron. 22. 1.

That is, he shall not by marrying any of these here forbidden render his sons unfit for the priestly office. So that this is added to imply one reason why the priests might not marry any of these before mentioned, to wit, because any blemish in his wife would tend to the reproach and dishonor of his children born of her, and so make them unfit to succeed their father, or to execute the priests office.

This law, whereby all Aaron's posterity that had any blemish in their bodies were excluded from the priests office, was first, to signify the perfection of Christ, of whom the priests were types, who had not indeed the least blemish of sin in him; and secondly, to signify how perfectly pure all the Saints should be through Christ, of whom it is said, Rev. 14. 5. that they are without fault before the throne of God; and thirdly, how pure all those should be that are employed in sacred functions from anything that might be a blemish to their profession and ministry.

Herein the blemished priests had a privilege above the unclean, who might not eat of the holy things, Levite. 22. 3. What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue, he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean.

That is, into that part of the Sanctuary wherein the veil was that hanged before the ark, to wit, to dress the lamps, or to order the shewbread, &c.

CHAP. XXII.

That is, that they wholly abstain from meddling with them, or eating of them, to wit, whilst any legal uncleanness is upon them, as is expressed verse. 3. And by the holy things of the children of Israel are meant all their oblations, whereof the priests were to eat, yea even their first-fruits, Numb. 18. 13. only of the tithes it seems they might eat, even whilst they were unclean. In the former c • apter the Lord shown what natural and personal blemishes made the priests unfit for his service; here he shows now what accidental pollutions should make them for the time unfit for the same service: for however it might seem needless to enjoin the priests to separate themselves in the time of their uncleanness, since it was before forbidden the people not to pollute God's holy things by intermeddling with them at such times, Levite. 7. 20. But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings that pertain unto the Lord, having his uncleanness upon him, even the soul shall be cut off from his people; yet because men honored above others use to abuse their advancements, as if they had • privilege to sin, lest the priests should pretend such a privilege, this is also particularly forbidden them.

This concerneth women also, Aaron's daughters, who might eat of some of the holy things, yet not when they were unclean.

That is, they shall abstain from eating of the things before spoken of.

That is, none but those of Aaron's posterity, though Israelites or Levites: yet an exception is added in the next verse, to wit, that any servants the priests had bought with their money, might eat of these things, whether Israelite (who was yet to go out after seven years service) or servants bought forever from other nations.

And withal offer a ram for his sin against God, chap. 5. 15. If a soul commit a trespass and sin through ignorance in the holy things of the Lord, then he shall bring for his trespass unto the Lord a ram without blemish, &c. But here only satisfaction is made to the priests.

That is, the priests; to wit, by eating them when they are unclean.

That is, the priests shall not, by suffering the people to eat of the holy things, expose them to the guilt of such a sin, and the punishment that will follow thereon.

In this precept three things are required in all burnt-offerings, whether they were brought by Israelites born, or proselytes (who though they were strangers born, yet embracing the religion of the Israelites were admitted to offer sacrifices, as being engrafted, as it were, into God's Israel) and whether they were brought for a vow or a freewill-offering: to wit, first, that they must be of the beeves, or sheep, or goats; secondly, that they must always be males: in other sacrifices a female was sometimes accepted, but never in burnt-offerings; and thirdly, that they must be without blemish, of all which see the notes upon the first chapter of this book.

Here direction is given for their peace-off • rings, to wit, that whether they were brought for a vow or for a freewill-offering▪ they must be first of the flocks or herds, beeves or sheep or goats; and secondly, that they must be perfect and without blemish, that is, as some distinguish them, perfect in regard of the inwards, and outwardly without blemish. Yet in peace-offerings that were not for a vow, but for a freewill-offering, though no blemish was allowed, yet something was allowed that was after a sort a blemish, as appears in the exception that follows, verse. 23. to wit, a bullock or a lamb or kid, that had anything superfluous or lacking in his parts; for this is not meant of such cattle as were any way monstrous, that had of any part too many or too few, as five legs, or three ears, or but one eye; but it is meant of such as had any part too long or too short, over big or over little, not according to th • ordinary proportion of nature, as is usually in other catel of that kind: and this though it were some kind of defect, yet it was not accounted a blemish, and so it was allowed in peace-offerings that were brought for a freewill-offering, not in peace-offerings that were brought for a vow.

No not in freewill-offerings.

Some understand this of strangers that were proselytes; le •• (say they) any man should think that such blemished sacrifices, as are before spoken of might serve for proselytes, express mention is made, that from their hands they should not be excepted. Some again by strangers will have such meant, as were neither of the seed, nor the religion of the Israelites, uncircumcised strangers; and these expound this law three several ways: to wit, first, that though such blemished sacrifices were bought from the hand of strangers uncircumcised with their money, yet they might not offer them to God, because they were blemished, and so their corruption was in them, that is, they were corrupted and polluted, and so were not fit for sacrifices; or secondly, that if a stranger, that is, any of the h • athen uncircumcised would bring any sacrifice to be offered for them, and brought any of those fore-mentio • ed blemished sacrifices, it should not be accepted; or thirdly, that from the hand of any pagan they should not offer the bread of their God, that is, his sacri •• ces of any of these, that is, of any of the cattle before mentioned whether blemished or without blemish, and that because they are blemished and polluted, even because they are brought by the uncircumcised. But neither of these two last Expositions seem to me probable. Not the first of them, because I nowhere find that the heathen were allowed to bring any sacrifices at all, and therefore it was needless to forbid the taking of a blemished sacrifice from them: Nor the last, because thi • law doth only speak of sacrifices that should be accepted from the Israelites (and not for heathens) as the last clause doth evidently show, they shall not be accepted for you.

The same is enjoined concerning their firstborn cattle, Exod. 22. 30. Because till they were eight days old they were not fit to be eaten by men; therefore till then the Lord would not allow them to be brought for sacrifices.

To wit, that being taught mercy in killing of beasts for sacrifices, they might learn much more to show mercy to men, and also how they should labor after perfect purity when they came to offer sacrifices to God.

See chap. 17. 15.

CHAP. XXIII.

That is, these are the feasts which you my people shall cause to be proclaimed as holy convocations, to wit, by the priests; for it is generally held that the priests did by sounding of the trumpets proclaim these festivals. The Lord having before given direction for sacrifices, now gives order for festival times whereon many sacrifices were usually offered.

That is, no work appertaining to their earthly businesses or employments: upon other festival days, they were not tied so strictly, except only the day of Expiation; for upon other festival days the restraint is, ye shall do no servile work therein, as we may see verse. 7, 8, 21, &c. but upon the Sabbath and the day of Expiation, verse. 28. the Law runs, ye shall do no work therein: and the difference betwixt these is commonly held to be this, that on the other festivals they were forbidden all servile work, that is, all work appertaining to their worldly callings, wherein usually on other days their servants were employed, but were allowed any work in providing food for the day; and so indeed that which was forbidden on the first day of unleavened bread in the seventh verse of this chapter under the name of servile work, In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation, ye shall do no servile work therein, is expressed thus, Exod. 12. 16. And in the first day there shall be an holy conv •• ation: no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, and that only may be done of you. But on the Sabbath day, and day of atonement, they were restrained from all bodily labor, yea even that of providing or dressing their food, as is evident Exod. 16. 23. and Exod. 35. 3. where they were forbidden to kindle a fire, or to dress that which they should eat on the Sabbath day: yet did not the Jews understand this law so, as to restrain them from those works which were necessarily to be done, and therefore they used to water their catel, as our Savior faith, Luke 13. 15. on the Sabbath day, and if need were would pull out of a pit either ox or asse that were fallen into it, Luke 14. 5.

That is, to be observed in all your dwellings. The other feasts were especially to be kept before the Sanctuary, whither all the men of Israel were to assemble, Exod. 23. 14. Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year; and verse. 17. Three times in the year all thy males are to appear before the Lord God. Deut. 16. 5, 6. Thou mayest not sacrifice the Passover within any of the gates which the Lord thy God hath given thee. But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there shalt thou sacrifice the Passover; and verse. 16. Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose: But the Sabbaths were to be sanctified in all places where they dwelt, to which purpose their Synagogues were built, Acts 15. 21. Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day.

See the first note upon verse. 3.

What the sacrifices were that were to be offered on each of these seven days of unleavened bread, we may see Numb. 28. 18, 24.

That is, and shalt address thyself to reap the harvest thereof: for the sheaf of the first-fruits of this harvest, which they were here enjoined to bring unto the priest, was to be the first corn they cut down when they began to put the sicle to the corn, as it is expressed Deut. 16. 9. Nor might they reap their harvest, till this sheaf of first-fruits was brought unto the Lord.

That is, on the sixteenth day of the first month called Nisan, the second of the seven days of unleavened bread: Upon the fourteenth day of that month the Passover was kept; the fifteenth day was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, which day was a Sabbath of rest, verse. 7. and is called, the feast, Numb. 28. 17. and this is the Sabbath here meant: for on the morrow after, being the sixteenth day of that month, the sheaf of the first-fruits was by the care of the Magistrate, in the name of all the people, brought unto the priest, and this sheaf was of barley, for that was first ripe in the land of Canaan, Ruth. 2. 23. She kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley-harvest and of wheat-harvest; and Exod. 9. 31, 32. The barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled; but the wheat and the rie were not smitten, for they were not grown up, to wit, at the feast of the Passover, but wheat-harvest was after, at Pentecost or the feast of weeks, as we may see Exod. 34. 22. where the feast of Pentecost, or the feast of weeks is also called the feast of the first-fruits of wheat-harvest.

To wit, besides the daily morning and evening sacrifice, which upon no occasion were intermitted, and besides the sacrifices appointed for every of the seven days of this solemn feast of unleavened bread, Numb. 28. 23, 24. For this was appointed peculiarly to accompany this sheaf of the first-fruits, and it figured Christ by whom those first-fruits were sanctified.

To wit, two tenth deals of an Ephah, that is, two Omers, and this was double to the usual proportion in all other sacrifices of lambs, which was but one tenth deal, Numb. 15. 4. He that offereth his offering unto the Lord, shall bring a meat-offering of a tenth deal of flower; the reason whereof may be, because this was a gratulatory sacrifice for the fruits of the earth.

Here direction is given how they should know on what day they were to keep the next great feast after that of unleavened bread, to wit the feast of weeks, or Pentecost, namely, that they were to number from the morrow after the Sabbath, that is, from the sixteenth day of the month Nisan (as is before said in the note upon verse. 11.) which was the very day that they brought the sheaf of the wave-offering, seven complete Sabbaths, that is seven complete weeks, which was nine and forty days, and that then on the morrow after the seventh Sabbath, that is, after the seventh week, which was the fiftieth day, they were to keep the feast of weeks or Pentecost, and to offer a new meat-offering unto the Lord: which shows the reason why this feast was called the feast of weeks, namely, because it was seven weeks after the Passover, or the beginning of the feast of unleavened bread; as also why it was afterward called in the New Testament, Pentecost, Acts 2. 1. to wit, from the Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which signifieth fifty, because it was fifty days after the first and great day of unleavened bread: for they began to number these fifty days from the morrow after that Sabbath inclusively, which was the second day of unleavened bread, the day whereon the sheaf of first-fruits was offered.

That is, on the feast of Pentecost you shall bring this offering, which was to be offered as the first-fruits of their wheat-harvest, as the sheaf offered at the Passover, mentioned verse. 10. was brought as the first-fruits of their barley-harvest: now it is expressed, that these two wave-loaves were to be brought out of their habitations, either to signify that these two loaves were to be made of the new wheat of their own land, not of foreign corn or bought of strangers; or else to signify that though there were but one sheaf of first-fruits offered at the Passover in the name of all the people, yet now every family was to bring two wave-loaves of first-fruits out of their several habitations. But indeed because the sacrifices mentioned in the following verse, that were offered together with these loaves, were not brought severally by every family, but provided at the common charge, and offered in the name of the whole Church; and because that it is said expressly verse. 20. that these two loaves of the first-fuits were waved by the priest together with the peace-offerings▪ which could not be if every family in Israel brought two loaves, therefore I only think that the only reason why it is said, Ye shall bring two wave-loaves out of your habitations, was to signify that the loaves were to be made of the wheat of their own land.

Thusthere is a difference made betwixt the meat-offerings which were in part burnt upon the altar, and were therefore ever without leaven, Levite. 2. 11. and these of the first-fruits, which where wholly for the priests food, and therefore allowed to be leavened.

In Numb. 28. 27. there is appointed two bullocks and one ram, here one bullock and two rams; the reason of this difference we may conceive was this: Those were as the peculiar sacrifices of that feast-day, these are a further addition in respect of the two loaves, as a particular testimony of their thankfulness for the fruits of the earth, and of their faith in Christ, by whom they were restored to the use of the creatures, and their sacrifices of praise made acceptable to God.

Lev. 4. 14. a bullock is prescribed for a sin-offering of the people, and nothing was to be eaten thereof, it was to be burnt without the camp: But this was for some special sin of the congregation, whereas the sacrifice here appointed was in general for all their sins, and was therefore in the kind of a common sacrifice, whence a goat is appointed, and the priest to have the remainder.

Whereas ordinarily the priest had but the breast and the right shoulder of the peace-offerings, Lev. 7. 32, 33. &c. The breast shall be Aaron's and his sons: And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest of the sacrifices of your peace-offerings, &c. Here he had all, because this was offered in general for all the congregation, and so no particular man had right to eat thereof, therefore it belonged to the priest wholly.

This was the feast-day of Pentecost, or of Weeks, whereon the two loaves and the sacrifices before mentioned were offered unto the Lord; and it was instituted partly as a memorial of their coming out of Egypt, Deut. 16. 10, 12. Thou shalt keep the feast of Weeks unto the Lord thy God, according as he hath blessed thee. And thou shalt remember thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and shalt observe and do these sta • utes; and of the giving of the Law at this time of the year at mount Sinai, Exod. 19. 11. and partly by way of thankfulness for the fruitfulness of the Land. One thing prefigured might be the giving of the Law of Christ by the Apostles, when the holy Ghost came down upon them, the first-fruits of the Spirit, in the likeness of cloven tongues, Act 2. 1, 2, 3. whereupon they went forth to reap that which the Prophets had sown, John 4.

Speaking of the feasts in the harvest, he repeateth this Law concerning the poor▪ whose relief he joins with his own service.

For Ecclesiastical businesses God hath appointed the month Nisan or Abib to be the fi • st mone • h of the year to the Is •• elites, which answer •• to part of our March and April, and that in remembrance of their coming then out of Egypt, Exod. 12. 2. and so the seventh month from that was this here spoken of, which they called Tisri, and agreeth in part with our September, and had been formerly the first month of their year; yea and so still con • inued for civil affairs, and therefore the year of Jubile begun still at this month, and so was on this month proclaimed, chap. 25. 9. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the Jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, &c. Now the first day of this month God here appoints them to keep a Sabbath, that is, a solemn feast-day; and it was called the feast of trumpets, because it was • olemnized with blowing of trumpets. Indeed the first day of every month, which was their new Moon, they kept as an holy day, a day of special solemnity, and thereon the priests did blow with their silver trumpets over their sacrifices, Numb. 10. 10. In the beginnings of your months ye shall blow with your trumpets over your burnt-offerings, &c. But the first day of this seventh month was kept as a far more solemn festival, and that with blowing of trumpets in way of rejoicing, as it may probably be thought, throughout all the cities of Israel. And the end of this festival was, 1. to be a memorial that this was the first day, the beginning of their New year for civil afairs, whereon it was therefore fitting that they should with rejoicing acknowledge the blessings enjoyed in the foregoing year; 2. to be a memorial to them when they were come into Canaan of the several victories which God had given them over their enemies, where the priests with the holy trumpets did sound an alarm. See Numb. 31. 6. 3. That it might be a preparation for the following day of atonement, their solemn fast-day on the tenth day of this month, that so by the sounding of the trumpets they might be put in mind to wake out of the sleep of sin, and with trembling fasting and prayer to turn unto the Lord: and 4. to put them in mind of the special holiness of this month; for as the seventh day of every week was a Sabbath, and every seventh year was kept holy as a Sabbatical year; so the Lord would have the seventh month of every year to be holy in some singular manner above the rest of the months: and therefore though it was not wholly spent in sacred festivities, yet there were more holy-days in this month then in all the year besides, to wit, the feast of trumpets, the feast of expiation, and the feast of tabernacles.

What the sacrifices appointed for this feast of trumpets were, see Numb. 29. 2▪ 6.

See that note upon Lev. 16. 29. and Numb. 29. 7. where the several sacrifices of this day are also described.

It was called the feast of tabernacles, or, of booths, because when the Israelites came up to Jerusalem to keep this feast, during the feast they dwelt not in houses, but only in booths, or arbours made of boughs, it is afterwards more fully expressed, ver. 40. and it was kept, 1. in remembranc • of God's shadowing protection over them for forty years together, both summer and winter, in their travelling through the wilderness, whilst they dwelt in tents and booths, and were not yet come to their place of rest, as is expressed ver. 43. (and hereby it is evident that they never kept this feast till they were settled in the land of Canaan, because they kept it in remembrance of their dwelling in booths whilst they wandered through the wilderness) 2. to testify there thankfulness to God for the fruits of the earth▪ which this month they gathered in, Deut. 16. 13, 14. Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles, seven days after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine; and thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, &c. and 3. as a figure both of Christ's incarnation, who coming into the world about this time of the year to dwell in the tabernacle of our flesh, was made flesh, & dwelt (or pitched his tent) amongst us, John 1. 14. and also of our condition, who are strangers and pilgrims here on earth, Heb. 11. 13. dwelling in earthly tabernacles which must be di • solved, until our labors being ended we come at length to a place of rest, that dwelling of God eternal in the heavens, 2. Cor. 5. 1. and should therefore with thankfulness remember how God's hand is continually over us to protect us in our pilgrimage; of which spiritual keeping the feast of tabernacles Zacharias speaketh, Zach. 14. 16, 19. As for the time allotted to the keeping of this feast, to wit, seven days, this complete number signified that all the days of our pilgrimage in this frail tabernacle of our bodies should be consecrated as holy to the Lord.

What sacrifices were appointed for this feast, and in what manner they were to be offered, see Numb. 29. 13, 38.

Though this eighth day was a part of the feast of tabernacles, or at least belonged thereto, and therefore is called the last and great day of the feast, John 7. 37. yet most properly the first seven days were only counted as the days of the feast of tabernacles, as is before said, ver. 34. The fifteenth day shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord, and that because they dwell in tabernacles or booths only during those first seven days, but on the eighth day they met together in the Temple to keep there an holy assembly, as it were in remembrance of their being settled in peace, in the land of Canaan, after their long travels through the wilderness: and so this eighth day was rather an appendix to the feast of tabernacles, then any part properly of the feast itself.

Amongst the several sacrifices appointed for these feasts, one is called peculiarly a sacrifice, which comprehend both sin-offerings and peace-offerings.

That is, beside the weekly Sabbaths and the sacrifices thereto belonging. Two things are implied in these words: 1. that as God required the keeping of these solemn • easts, so also especially the sanctifying of the Sabbath; 2. that when any of these feast-days lighted on a Sabbath, they must not think to make the Sabbath sacrifices serve for these festivals.

By gifts are meant the firstborn cattle and first-fruits, and all other contributions and gifts which of their own free will they were wont to give to the priests; by vows are meant vowed sacrifices; the drift of this is to prevent any covetous thoughts which might arise in their minds of thinking with such gifts or vowed sacrifices to supply the extraordinary sacrifices of these festivals: for these God requires over and above their gifts and vows and freewill-offerings; if they offered ever a whit the less because of the sacrifices of these feasts, they should be judged as men that dealt fraudul • ntly with God.

Now he proceeds to set down more particularly how that feast of tabernacles was to be solemnized, whereof he had begun to speak ver. 34. and first by mentioning that this feast was to be kept when they had gathered in the fruit of the land, he puts them in mind that they might be the better at leisure to keep this extraordinary Sabbath, and withal implies that one main end of it was to return thanks for the fruit of the land which they had now gathered: where also by the fruit of the land, is meant not their corn, which was gathered long before, in the time of Pent • cost; but the latter fruit of their vines and olives, &c. whereupon this feast is called the feast of ingathering, Exod. 23. 16.

That is, upon the first day of the feast of tabernacles, which was the fifteenth day of the seventh month, ver. 34. This day it seems they made their booths, or tabernacles, some upon the roofs of their houses, some in the streets and courts of Jerusalem, &c. as is largely • xpressed, Neh. 8. 15, 16. Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive-branches, and pine-branches, &c. to make booths as it is written; so that the boughs they are here appointed to take were it seems to make or at least to adorn the booths they were to dwell in: yet withal that is not unlikely which the Jews say, that they carried boughs and branches also in their hands in sign of joy. And to make their booths the more beautiful, and that all things might represent a glad and joyful time, they are appointed to choose the boughs of the goodliest trees, such as are the olive, pine, myrtle, mentioned, Neh. 8. 15. and the boughs of thick trees (for the thicker they were the more glorious show they made, and the fitter they were to make booths or arbours for a shadow and shelter) and willows of the brook, to intimate a land well watered, which might be of use to bind the other boughs, &c. and also to be either in the hand or on the booths, ornaments and signs of joy, and that especially for the fruitfulness of the land wherein God had planted them, whereof these several boughs of goodly trees were a • evident sign.

S • e Exod. 12. 37.

CHAP. XXIV.

This which is given here in charge to the Israelites, is for the continual supply both of lamp oil and shewbread, to wit, that as they brought them at first, so they must still be supplied by them: either therefore these things were provided by the civil magistrate out of the common s • ock, or else rather • hey were provided, as were also the daily sacrifices, and whatsoever else was offered in the name of the whole people, out of the treasury of the temple; into which therefore towards the supply of these things both the Princes and people did ordinarily cast in what they were willing to give. So it is noted of Hezekiah, 2. Chron. 31. 3. He appointed also the Kings portion of his substance for the burnt-offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt-offerings, and the burnt-offerings for the Sabbaths, for the new Moons, and for the set feasts; and of the people, Luke 21. 1. He saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury, and a certain poor widow casting in thither t • o mites.

Or his sons by his appointment. See the note upon Exod. 25. 37.

These were the cakes of shewbread, concerning which see the note upon Exod. 25. 23. The flour was provided at the common charge (as is before said upon ver. 1.) and brought to the priests, but the cakes were made and baked by the Levites of the family of Kohath, as is evident 1. Chron. 9. 32. where it is said that some of the sons of the Kohathites were over the show-bread, to prepare it every Sabbath.

The common opinion is, that those twelve cakes of shewbread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, were not set one by another, but six one upon another, and six one upon another. But because this way it cannot so properly be said that they were set in two orders or rows, and because in the following verse there is order given for the putting of frankincense upon each row, I rather think that they were set in order along the table, six in one row and six in another.

For the incense was burned upon the altar, when they took away the bread, and was beforehand laid upon the bread, as a sign that God would through Christ remember his people with thoughts of favor and gracious acceptance.

That is, after it had stood a week upon the table before the Lord.

Because of the incense which was burnt, the bread was reputed most holy, as if it had been of the offerings made by fire.

Thus by the providence of God in the party thus blaspheming, and thus punished for it, as is here related, they were taught, 1. How the curse of God doth usually follow the issue of such unlawful mixtures, as was this of an Egyptian with a • Israelite; 2. How severe God must needs be against this sin in his own genuine people, who would not suffer it unpunished in one that was the son of a stranger by the fathers side. The inserting of this story in this place makes it more then probable, that it was done whilst they were yet in the desert of Sinai, even whilst the Lord was giving these Laws to Moses which are before mentioned, as is expressed in the next chapter, ver. 1. Whether the Egyptian had this son by Shelomith in marriage, or by fornication, we cannot say: but that this their son the blasphemer had embraced the religion of the Israelites, it is very likely, both because he came away with them out of Egypt, and also because he is here said to have gone out amongst the children of Israel, which implies more then his going in their company, namely, that he went out amongst them as one of them.

This of his striving is expressed, to let us know that a blasphemer, though provoked, is not therefore to be excused.

His sin I conceive was not rash, vain, and unadvised mentioning God's name either in swearing, cursing the man with whom he was to contend, or otherwise; but of an higher nature (though even these are blasphemy) even some execration or reproachful speeches uttered in his fury directly against God: as if for instance we should suppose this, that in the heat of contention the Israelite upbraiding him with his idolatrous father, and denying him to be a true member of the Church of God he should thereupon speak scornfully and opprobriously of the God of Israel, slighting the privilege of being one of his people. Some such blasphemy I conceive this was, and that because the Law which God gave them upon this occasion speaks of cursing God, ver. 15. Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin; not cursing in God's name, but directly and expressly of cursing God.

According to the order mentioned Exod. 18. 26. The hard causes they brought unto Moses.

That is, those that heard him were to come forth, and laying their hands upon his head to give in evidence against him, and so thereupon he was to be condemned, and the congregation was to stone him. Now this ceremony of the witnesses laying their hands upon his head was 1. to signify, that they did charge this sin upon him, and approve of the punishment that was to be inflicted for it; 2. that having witnessed nothing but the truth, they were free from his death, but his blood must be upon his own head; 3. to imply that he was to be sacrificed as it were to the justice of God: for as those that brought any sacrifice to the tabernacle, were to lay their hand upon the head of the sacrifice, thereby signifying their desire and faith, that the death of that sacrifice might and should satisfy the justice of God in their behalf; so here the laying of the witnesses hands upon the head of the blasphemer did signify their desire that God would accept of his punishment as a sacrifice offered to the satisfying of his justice, and not punish the land and people for it.

These Laws were given to the Israelites, upon the occasion of the foregoing story of the blasphemer that was stoned. Evident it is that these are two distinct Laws, Whosoever shall curse his God shall bear his sin, and, He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death; and yet hard it is to say wherein the difference lies between cursing and blaspheming the name of the Lord. But the best resolution of this doubt, I conceive, is this, that by cursing God is meant when a man shall directly and purposely speak reproachfully of God, and by blaspheming the name of the Lord, is meant when men do so profanely mention the name of God, either in cursing or otherwise, that what they say of God tends much to the reproach and dishonor of God, though they do not directly speak against God.

The people must all have their hands in the execution, 1. to prove their zeal in revenging the dishonor done to God, and his Laws; 2. that themselves might learn to fear those sins which with their own hands they had punished in others.

This Law is here inserted upon the occasion of the blasphemers striving with the Israelite, ver. 10. and to show that God was tender, as of his own honor, so of the safety of his people.

CHAP. XXV.

That is, every seventh year the land shall lie at rest, ye shall neither plow it nor sow it, &c. Concerning this Sabbatical year, and the grounds thereof, see the notes upon Exod. 23. 11. This year also they did forbear exacting their debts of those that were indebted to them, because that year there was no tillage nor harvest to make money of: of which see also the notes upon Deut. 15. 1. It is also commonly held by Expositors that this year all Hebrew servants were set free, of which see Exod. 21. 2. for of this I find no clear ground in the Scriptures, but rather the contrary. When the first Sabbatical year was kept by the Israelites it is hard to determine, and yet sure we are that it was not till they came into the land of Canaan. The most probable opinion is, that it was the fourteenth year of Joshua's government: for if the land was first divided among the Israelites in the seventh year of Joshua, as may be gathered from Caleb's age, Josh. 14. 10. then the seventh year after that, when they had tilled the land, and reaped the crop of it six years, was doubtless their first Sabbatical year.

That is, as in other years, by a peculiar right and interest, but in common as others did, only taking what might serve for food.

Here direction is given for the year of Jubile, so called, as it is most generally held, from an Hebrew word Jovel, which signifies a ram, because it was proclaimed with trumpets or cornets made of rams horns. A great question there is amongst Expositors, nor is it easily to be resolved, concerning the numbering of this year of Jubile, as likewise at what time of the year it did begin. Some conceive that the fourtyninth year, which was the last of the seven times seven years, was the year of Jubile: and whereas it is said, ver 10. Ye shall hallow the fifti • th year, they say it is called the fiftieth year by reckoning from the year before inclusively, and so conceive that the year of Jubile did always concur with the seventh Sabbatical year. But against this manner of accounting the year Jubile, there may be serall strong objections made, which cannot well be answered: as 1. that the Jews do constantly reckon otherwise, making the Jubile every fiftieth year, not concurring with the Sabbatical year: 2. that according to this manner of accounting every year of Jubile was then to be counted twice, as the last of one fifty years, and the first of another; and besides, in the computation for the first fifty years, there was no Jubile before to be included: and 3. that it had been superfluous to forbid, as ver 11. all sowing and reaping in the year of Jubile, if it had always concurred with the seventh Sabbatical year, since all such works had then been unlawful, even in regard that it was a seventh year. And therefore I conceive that the more probable opinion is that, which is commonly held by Expositors, namely, that they did reckon seven times seven years, which was nine and forty years, and then the next year after, to wit, the fiftieth year, was the year of Jubile: and this year was not reckoned in the Sabbath of years following, but the one and fiftieth year was the first of the next seven years; for else they should not have sowed and reaped six years in this week of years.

That is, on the tenth day of the seventh month in the year following the seventh Sabbath of years thou shalt throughout all the land with the sound of a trumpet or cornet proclaim that to be the year of Jubile. It was proclaimed on the seventh month, because it was the first month of the civil year, and so then the year of Jubile began: and it was proclaimed on the tenth day of that month, which was the day of atonement, and a public fast-day for all the people, 1. to show that our freedom from the spiritual bondage, wherein we lie by nature, is through the atonement made by Christ's death, according to that of the Apostle, Heb. 2. 12, 15. For as much then as the children ar • partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage: and 2. to teach us that the way to attain spiritual joy and comfort (whereof the Jubile was a sign) is to humble and afflict our souls, as the Jews on this day did: and 3. to teach us that if we expect mercy from God in the pardon of our sins (which was assured to them on this day of expiation) we ought to show mercy to our brethren, as they did this day by releasing their servants, and restoring to every man their possessions again. A great dispute there is amongst Expositors, when the year of Jubile began: Some hold that though it were proclaimed on the seventh month, the month Tisri, yet it began not till the spring following, in the month Nisan: but this is no way probable; for the time of sowing was about the seventh month, and it is not likely they sowed that which because of the following Jubile they might not reap. I make no question therefore but the year of Jubile began on this seventh month, but whether it began on the first day of this month, as the Jews generally hold, or not till the tenth day, is somewhat questionable; yet the last seems to me most probable, because it may seem strange, that it should begin ten days before it was proclaimed.

That is, ye shall set it apart to be an holy year, and shall proclaim liberty throughout all the land, to wit, to your brethren that had been sold to you for servants, who shall hereupon be set at liberty. Now the year of Jubile was called an holy year, because it was separated from the ordinary employments of other years in tilling and sowing their land, &c. that they might be at more leisure to spend it in holy employments, and that it might be to them a year of holy rejoicing before the Lord; and withal because it was to be a type of that evangelical Jubile at the coming of Christ, when by the trumpet of the Gospel, first sounded by the Baptist, and after by Christ and his Apostles, there should be great joy proclaimed unto all nations; whence it is that the time of the Gospel is called the year of God's redeemed, Esa. 63. 4. and the acceptable year of the Lord, Esa. 61. 2. the accepted time, and the day of salvation, 2. Cor. 6. 2. One of the main privileges of this year was that which is here mentioned, that all their servants were set at liberty. Ordinarily when their brethren were sold to them for servants, they were to serve them six years; but if the year of Jubile came after the first or second year, they were presently set free: yea even those that at other ordinary times did refuse to be set free, and so had their ears bored through, and were by the Law thereupon to serve forever, Exod. 21. 16. were yet set free at the year of Jubile. And herein was the year of Jubile, a notable type of the evangelical Jubile at the coming of Christ, when all God's redeemed ones were set free from the bondage of the Law, Satan, sin, and death, Joh. 8. 36. If the son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

This was another privilege of the year of Jubile, That when that year came all the land that had been sold returned to the owners that had sold it, or to their heirs: for no man might sell his land forever, ver. 23. but only for so many years as were behind from the sale to the year of Jubile, and then the owners entered upon the land again. And this was the reason why Naboth would not sell his vineyard to Ahab, to wit, forever. 1. King. 21. 3. The Lord forbid it me, saith he, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. Now the reasons of this Law were, 1. that it might prevent the confusion of the tribes by the alienation of their several portions in the land of Canaan from one to another; 2. that it might be a bar in the way of the rich, that they might not hope to swallow up the inheritance of their poor brethren, and so to enlarge their own; 3. that it might be a perpetual memorial to them that God had planted them in the land, because they might not sell it, the Lord challenging the land to be still his by a peculiar right, and willing them only to esteem themselves as sojourners therein with him, whence it is called the Lord's land, Hos. 9. 3. They shall not dwell in the Lord's land; and Isaiah. 8. 8. The stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel. And fourthly, That it might be a figure of our recovering by Christ, at the evangelical Jubile, that heavenly inheritance which we had lost by sin; and that the heavenly Canaan which God had prepared for his in Christ c • nnot be utterly alienated from them but is surely confirmed in his blood, and reserved in heaven for them, so that though by their sins they may for a time deprive themselves of the comfortable use of this their inheritance in the Church, yet they shall return thereto at the great Jubile of Christ's second appearing, when the trumpet of God shall sound, 1. Thess. 4. 16, 17. The Lord hims • lf shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we be forever with the Lord.

And not out of the barn. The meaning is, that they might not gather and lay up the increase that grew of the land in the year of Jubile, but what they did eat hereof in common together with others, they must take it immediately out of the field.

That is, the seller shall not exact more of him that buys then the use of the land is truly worth from the time of the sale to the year of Jubile, nor shall the buyer seek to get the land for less then it is truly worth, taking advantage of the necessity of him that is forced to sell.

An objection is here made and answered, concerning the rest of the Sabbatical year enjoined verse. 4. The objection is, how they should live the seventh year if they should therein neither sow nor reap: And the answer is, verse. 21, 22. That God would command such a blessing upon the sixth year, that it should bring forth fruit for three years, that is, from the sixth to the ninth, not for three years complete, but for part of three years, (as Christ is said to have been three days in th • grave, because he was in the grave part of three days (for the increase of the sixth year served them, first, for part of the sixth year; to wit, from barley-harvest that year, which was about the Passover, till the seventh month, when the Sabbatical year began; secondly, for all the Sabbatical year; thirdly, for the eighth year, till both barley and wheat harvest of that they had sown that year was fully gathered and made ready for use, which was not till the ninth year was wellnigh come: and thus the increase of the sixth year served for three years. Now for the year of Jubile (concerning which they had more reason to doubt, because then they did neither sow nor reap for two years toge • her, to wit the fourtyninth year, which was the seventh Sabbatical year, and the fiftieth, which was the year of Jubile) by what is said concerning the seventh year, •• e like must be conceived concerning that too, namely that then God would give such a blessing to the sixth year, that the increase thereof should serve for four years, that is, for part of four years.

See the note upon verse. 10.

This kinsman that was allowed to redeem the possession which his poor brother had sold was a figure of Christ, who being near to us, and allied in the flesh, is called our God, that is, our redeemer or deliverer, Isaiah. 59. 20. and our brother, Heb. 2. 11. He is not ashamed to call them brethrew: and he it is that hath redeemed us, and our heavenly inheritance unto us, in our low depressed and poor estate, Hos. 13. 14. I will ransom them from the power of the gr • ve, and will redeem them from death. 2. Cor. 8. 9. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

In two particulars the Law here given for the sale of houses in walled towns differs from that before given for the sale of their land: first, whereas they might redeem their land at all times, their houses in walled towns they might not redeem unless they did it within a year; secondly, whereas their lands did always return to the first owners at the year of Jubile, their houses in walled towns did not return to those that sold them at the year of Jubile, but if the owners redeemed them not within a year they were alie • ated from them forever. Of which differences these reasons are probably given: First, because • pon these houses, if not redeemed within so short a time, much cost might be bestowed by him that had bought them, for the altering, repairing or enlarging of them; and therefore it was not fit they should be redeemed as lands were: and on the other side in many years they might be much decayed, and so not be restored in the same condition they were in, when they were sold, as lands might: Secondly, because the perpetual alienating of these houses in walled cities did not make such confusion in the tribes, as the alienating of their lands, since it cannot be thought that in populous cities, only men of one and the same tribe inhabited: Thirdly, because men might better part with their houses then their ground, that should yield them food and sustenance, yea these houses might be burthensome to the owners becoming poor, rather then useful.

That is, the houses in villages, to wit, because the lands could not be without farmhouses, stables, &c.

Therefore as the Israelites had liberty to redeem their possessions of lands, and enjoyed the privilege of receiving them back again at the year of Jubile; so it was fit the Levites should have the same privileges concerning their houses in the cities allotted them, because they had no other possession in the land.

The field of the suburbs (of which see Numb. 35. 4, 5.) appointed for the keeping of their cattle might not be sold at all, left wanting that necessary help, they should be forced to leave their dwellings, to the great damage of the whole people, God having thus dispersed them in several cities in every tribe, that they might watch over the souls of the people. This continued during the polity of the Jews, what was after done see Acts 4. 36, 37. Joses a Levite, having land sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the Apostles feet.

That is, of thy poor decayed brother, whether he be an Israelite born, or a stranger that is become a proselyte; for to both these they are commanded to lend in the foregoing verse, and therefore from both these they are here forbidden to take usury or increase.

That is, thou shalt not compel him to serve forever, nor use him basely and hardly, but as a brother.

The ordinary time of their service was but for six years, Exod. 21. 2. but in some cases their ears were bored, and they were to serve forever, Exod. 21. 6. But in the first, if not in both these cases, the Jubile was to put an end unto their service, and they were to be set free. And as their serving forever had an end at the year of Jubile, so also all their other legal ordinances, which were ordained to continue forever, had their period at the evangelical Jubile, of which this was a type.

And so also his wife, Exod. 21. 3. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married then his wife shall go out with him.

That is, those servants which you buy, that are of other nations; for these, yea though they were proselytes, were not set at liberty at the year of Jubile.

Namely first, they must not be put to such vile works and base employments as their bondmen of the Gentiles: secondly, they must not be held in perpetual bondage, but must go out free,, they, their wives, and children, at the year of Jubile; thirdly, they must not be sold to others for bondmen as the Gentiles were: these things are meant here by ruling over them with rigor; for cruelly they might not deal with their bondmen that were of the Gentiles.

CHAP. XXVI.

That is, you shall have such plentiful harvests, that before you can have threshed out your corn, the vintage shall come; and such rich vintages, that before they be ended, it shall be time to sow your seed, &c.

That is, ye shall live in peace, and shall not be destroyed by the sword of your enemies. But yet some Expositors hold that this phrase is here used of the sword going through the land, because armies of soldiers are wont to destroy countries, not only by fighting against them, but also by going through them.

That is, you shall have such store of old corn, even when your new corn is gathered in, that you shall not need presently to be spending the new, but may still live upon the old store; and yet withal your new harvests shall be so plentiful, that of necessity you must empty your barns of old corn that you may have room to lay up the new.

These words, I will appoint over you, imply the unresistablenesse of the judgment, because those diseases should come with power and authority from God upon them, and so should consume their eyes, &c. as indeed such diseases being in extremity do oft weaken and darken the sight.

That is, I will break your exceeding great strength wherein you are wont to pride yourselves.

That is, though you spend your strength with excessive toiling and moyling in plowing and manuring your ground, all will be to no purpose, for still your land shall not yield her increase.

This is mentioned as a sign or effect of the great scarcity of bread that should be in the land, that one oven should contain the bread of many families. Bread is here called the staff of bread, because it strengtheneth man's heart, Psal. 104. 15. because it is the chief prop and support of man's life: So that by breaking the staff of bread is meant the depriving them of this stay of their life by bringing famine and penury upon them, as it is evident in other places, Moreover he called for a famine upon the land, he brake the whole staff of bread, Psal. 105. 16. and Ezek. 4. 16. Son of man, behold I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem that they may want bread and water▪ and of this judgment this is mentioned as a notable effect, that ten women, that is, many families, should bake their bread in one oven; for ten in the Scripture doth often signify many, as is formerly shown upon Gen. 31. 7.

This is reckoned as another great sign of scarcity and want, that t • e baker should deliver them their bread by weight. So it is said, Ezek. 4. 16. I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they shall eat bread by weight and with care, and they shall drink water by measure; and therefore of him, whom S. John saw riding upon a black horse, which was famine, Rev. 5. 6. it is said that he had a pair of balances in his hand, to wit, to measure out bread to men, because it should be so scarce.

To wit, either because of the small quantity, or for want of God's blessing upon the little which they have: for so some expound the staff of bread, the strength which by the command of God it hath to nourish our bodies.

That is, upon your idols now mangled and broken to pieces; for their broken images are here called the carcases of their idols, not because they had life before they were broken to pieces, but by way of derision, to let them see, first, what goodly gods they had worshipped▪ that should in that day lie tumbled in a heap together with their dead carcases; and secondly, to intimate that these their idols were as abominable to God as dead stinking carcases are unto men.

The tabernacle is called a Sanctuary, Exod. 25. 8. and so is the temple also 1. Chron▪ 22. 19. and each of them, for the several distinct places in them▪ the outward court, the holy and most holy place, was called plurally Sanctua • ies, Jer. 51. 51. For strangers are come into the Sanctuaries of the Lord's house. And besides the Synagogues may be in this word Sanctuaries comprehended als • .

As resting from •• llage, from which she should have rested on the Sabbaths, but could not be permitted because of their covetousness; as also from bearing such wicked wretches, under the burden of whom whilst the earth lay groaning, it could not enjoy her Sabbaths as she ought: for where there is not a resting from sin the Sabbaths are not truly kept.

CHAP. XXVII.

The Lord having given them laws hitherto concerning the necessary duties of his service, concludeth now with this concerning vows and voluntary services, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the Lord by thy estimation. That is, when any man shall after a singular manner separate anything by vow from common use for the Lord's service, the persons (supposing it be some person▪ whether man or woman that is vowed) shall be for the Lord according to thy estimation, that is, they shall be thenceforth the Lord's, and accordingly either they shall be set apart to the Lord's service, or else they shall be redeemed according to thy estimation, to wit, according to that value which the priests, by the direction which thou Moses shalt now give, shall set upon them: for it was Moses to whom the Lord now spake, but it was the priest that did value that which was vowed, as is evident ver. 12. though according to that direction which Moses by God's command did now prescribe them. Now for these vows of persons, we must know that they were usually made in time of some affliction or distress; as when married persons had no child▪ they did sometimes vow that if the Lord would give them a child, they would give themselves or that their child unto the Lord, which was Hannah's vow, 1. •• m. 1. 11. and so in times of sickness, or any other distress, they were wont to vow unto the Lord delivering them, that they would give such and such persons, themselves or their children, over whom they had power, unto the Lord. And if it be questioned, after what manner and to what use they were vowed unto the Lord: To this some Expositors answer, That in case it was a Levite that was vowed, he was then bound by that vow to serve • lwayes in the tabernacle or temple (whereas otherwise he should have served there only in his course) and such an one they say could not be redeemed. But if the person vowed were of any other tribe, they were only vowed to such service of the tabernacle, as they not being of the tribe of Levi were capable of, as for drawing of water, or hewing of wood, which the Gibeonites afterwards did, Josh. 9. 27. or if they were women, for spinning for making the priests garments, and providing those things that were necessary for the repair of the tabernacle, and other such like services, which accordingly they did perform, or else paid the price of their redemption here prescribed. But others again hold that the aim and intention of these personal vows, was only that they should pay the price of their redemption to the priests, which was employed either for the maintenance of the priests, Numb. 18. 14. or else for the reparations of the Sanctuary, 2. Kings 12. 4, 5.

He begins with this age, because it comprehends the chief of man's time for ability of body and mind.

As here, so again also verse. 5, 6, 7. still a smaller sum is appointed for the redemption of a female vowed unto the Lord, then for the redemption of a male, and that not so much because of the dignity of the man above the woman, as because the labor and service of a man is counted usually of much more value then the ministry and service of a woman.

These that were vowed to God so young, could not be vowed by themselves, but by their parents, who might as well vow them to God, as sell them to be servants to others, and therefore they were bound by their parents vow, and were to be redeemed. Now though the service of those that were vowed to God in their childhood may seem to be more worth, by reason the time of their service was likely to be longer, then those that were vowed at thirty and forty years old; yet is there here a lesser ransom appointed for the redemption of children then for those of far more years, and that because they were valued not according to the years they might live, which were uncertain, but according to their present estate and condition.

Under this age there was no valuation at all, see Numb. 13. 40, 47. and 18. 16. yet some conceive that by those of a month old, are meant all that were in their first month, even from the first month birth unto a month fully complete.

The party vowed unto the Lord together with the party vowing, as when the father vowed his son or daughter: and it is left to the discreet charity of the priest to s ••• reasonable rate upon him according to his ability.

That is, a clean beast without blemish.

To wit, by way of penalty, and because both were in a manner consecrated to God; and such things as are once consecrated to God must not return to the owner again.

This which is said of unclean beasts, to wit, that if any such be vowed, they must be redeemed at such a price as the priest shall value them, &c. may be meant of blemished beasts, otherwise fit for sacrifice; or rather generally of unclean beasts, that might not be offered in sacrifice: only some will have the dog excepted, because of that place, Deut. 23. 18. yea, according to this law, Expositors conceive they were bound to do in all other moveable goods that were vowed, to wit, that the priests having set a price upon them, the party that vowed them might redeem them; and that otherwise the priests might sell them, or dispose of them as they thought fit.

As is enjoined in the case of purloining holy things, chap. 5. 16. And he shall ma • e amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy things, and shall add the fifth part thereto. So in this case of vows, when he that voweth will not stand to his promise, the Lord layeth on him this penalty for his inconstancy and lightness of mind, that men might learn to be stable-minded, even in such voluntary vows, and not think to have any interest in that which is once by a vow given to God.

That is, by a vow, which men were wont to do, as desiring to obtain from God a safe healthful and prosperous habitation in them.

Why this was enjoined, see the note before upon verse. 13. The priests did usually value those things that were vowed at a reasonable rate, and therefore they might the better pay a fifth part more then the price set upon them. But if they did not redeem their houses at the year of Jubile, the priests had the perpetual possession of them, and this made them the more careful and willing to redeem them.

That is, if a man shall vow unto the Lord some part of a field that came by inheritance (for direction is afterwards given, verse. 22. for fields purchased of others, wherein only they should have right unto the year of Jubile) the priest then was to set an estimation upon it according to the quantity of seed that would sow the land so vowed, and that price the owner of the land was to pay to the priest if he would redeem it, and a fifth part over and above. This vowing of some part of their land unto the Lord was usually done, in expectation of having their fields yield the greater increase▪ and the price here set for the redemption of such land was, that they were to pay according to the rate of fifty shekels for so much land as required an homer of barley seed to sow it, as for instance, if an homer would sow it, then they were to pay fifty shekels of silver for the redemption of it; if it required two homers to sow it, then they were to pay a hundred shekels; if three homers, then a hundred and fifty shekels, &c. and again, if half an homer would sow it, then they were to pay twenty five shekels, and so ratably they paid for all land they had vowed according to the quantity of seed that would sow it. Indeed it is questioned amongst Expositors whether this sum set for the redemption of such land was but once paid, or whether so much was paid yearly till the year of Jubile came. This last many do hold, and that because they judge that fifty shekels was not a valuable consideration (unless it were paid yearly till the Jubile came) for so much land as required an homer of seed to sow it. But doubtless in rating the land that was vowed there was a favorable respect had to the owner, neither did the Lord intend i • should be rated according to the exact worth of the land; and therefore also the same price is here set down upon all land, whereas we know that an acre of some land may be worth four times as much of other land. So that to me it seems most probable that the sum here set was not paid yearly, but only once, when the land was redeemed.

That is, if a man do vow a fi • ld unto God immediately after the year of Jubile is past, in the first of the fifty years that must run to another Jubile, according to thy estimation it shall stand▪ that is, that estimation of his land shall stand before mentioned, to wit, he shall pay for the redeeming of • t fifty shekels for every omer it will take in barleyseed answerable to the fifty years from Jubile to Jubile. But if he sanctify his field after the Jubile, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, that is, the priest shall then demand of him for the redemption of his land proportionably according to the years that are behind unto the year of Jubile; as for instance, if there remain but thirty years unto the year of Jubile, the land that requires an omer of seed to sow it shall then be valued but at thirty shekels, & if there remain but twenty five years to Jubile, it shall then be valued but at twenty five shekels, and so proportionably still according as the land is more or less.

See the notes upon verse. 19. and verse. 15.

The meaning of the first clause is clear, namely, that if the party that had vowed some part of his land unto the Lord, refuse to redeem it, to wit, when the priest had set a price upon it, it should be taken as if he had voluntarily given the poss • ssion thereof wholly unto God, and then afterward he might not recall it, but it was wholly separated from him. But the meaning of the second clause, or if he have sold the field to another man, is more questionable: for many Expositors understand the party selling to be the priest, or the treasurer of the priests at least: if it be meant of the owner that vowed the land, that then by his selling the land is meant only his permitting it to be sold by the priests, and therefore many Interpreters translate this second clause thus, or if the field be sold to another man, and so they conceive the meaning of this second clause to be, that if the field were once sold to another man, because the owner refused to redeem it, the owner might not afterwards redeem it, and so it should be forever alienated from him. But considering that these two • lauses are joined together by that copulative particle Or, And if he will not redeem the field, or if he have sold the field to another man, it is hard to understand the s •• st clause of him that vowed the land, and the second of the priests; and therefore other Expositors do better understand this second clause, as well as the first, of the party that had vowed the land to the Lord, to wit, that if he refused to redeem the land, or if af • er he had vowed it to God, he never sought to perform his vow, but sacrilegiously robbed God by selling his land to some other man, in either of these cases he should not ever after that have power to redeem his land; though when he had sold it, the man that had bought it should enjoy it to the year of Jubile, yet then it should return not to the seller, but to the priest, who should enjoy it as the Lord's by a former vow, It shall not be redeemed anymore, saith the text, and verse. 21. The possesion thereof shall be the priests. But yet first, becau • e it is expressly said, that the priests should have no inheritance in the land▪ Numb. 18. 20. And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part amongst them; secondly, because there was su • h care taken by the law of God that the land belonging to one tribe should not forever be alienated and passed over to another tribe, therefore many Expositors hold▪ that though the possession of such lands as were vowed to God, came to the pry • ts in the year of Jubile, because they were not redeemed, yet the priests were bound a • every Jubile, when they returned to them, to sell them again to some of the tribe to which the land belonged, yea to the next kinsman of the first owner if he would buy them, and that the priests might not keep them in their own hands.

See the note upon verse. 28.

Here in the redemption of lands, which were not of a man's inheritance, but purchased of another, there is no addition of the fifth part required, as before, verse. 19. because the party vowing it was himself but a termer in it or a leassee unto the year of Jubile, and so had no more advantage by repossessing it then another should have by buying it, if he refused it.

That is, no man shall vow to give unto the Lord the male firstling of an ox, sheep or goat, and that because their male firstlings were already the Lord's in that regard as they were firstlings. But might they then vow any other male firstlings? Doubtless no: for all such firstborn whatsoever were the Lord's, Numb. 8. 17. All the first-born of the children of Israel are mine saith the Lord, both man and beast: But because the first-born of sheep and such other catel, as used to be sacrificed, could not be redeemed, Numb. 18. 17. and so could never be vowed unto the Lord, whereas all other first-born might be redeemed, and after that might again be consecrated to the Lord by a vow, yea before they were redeemed they might be vowed with respect to the time after redemption, as Samuel Hannah's first-born son was vowed, 1. Sam. 1. 11. therefore the firstlings of oxen and sheep are here particularly mentioned, because they were never capable of being vowed unto the Lord.

That is, if any shall vow an unclean beast, then he may redeem it; and if he will redeem it, it shall be redeemed according to thy estimation, &c. for this is not spoken of redeeming the first-born of unclean beasts, but of unclean beasts that were vowed, as before verse. 11. which is evident in that here is enjoined the adding of a fifth part over and above the price of the cattle redeemed, which is nowhere enjoined for the redeeming of the first-born.

That is, nothing that is anathematized, so it is in the Greek: nothing destroyed or wholly cut off, as the Hebrew word signifieth. Things devoted, I conceive, were such things as were consecrated and set apart absolutely unto God withou • power of redemption, and that not by an ordinary vow, but with a curse of destruction denounced and desired upon any whosoever it be, that shall divert that to any private use. Hence the offerings of the temple, mentioned Luke 21. 5. are there called anathemata.

Three several ways this clause of the law concerning devoted things is understood by Expositors: first, some understand it only of beasts, yea principally of unclean beasts, devoted of men, that is, devoted by men, conceiving that this is added to satisfy a doubt, namely, that if things devoted might not be sold, what then shall be done with those devoted unclean beasts which were not fit for the Lord's use? to which they say an answer is here given, namely, that however they might not be sold, but must be put to death. Again secondly, some understand it generally of all devoted things, whether men or beasts or lands, &c. and these by the last clause, wherein it is said, that such things shall surely be put to death, understand a final separating such things from all civil use unto the Lord, either by death or otherwise, to wit, that such things were either to be put to death, or else that they were to be irrecoverably cut off from all civil use, which in a metaphorical phrase is a kind of death, such things being civilly dead (as we use to say) in regard of the former owner. But thirdly, some understand it only of men that are devoted: for men, they say, are here mentioned, not as the persons devoting, but as the persons devoted; and therefore it is not translated, None devoted, which shall be devoted by men, but, None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, or from amongst men, shall be redeemed, that is, no men that are devoted shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death. And this seems the most probable Exposition, and most agreeable with our translation. Only then it must be understood of such as were devoted unto destruction, which was done sometimes by a special and extraordinary vow, and so the Canaanites were devoted, Numb. 21. 2. Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then will I utterly destroy their cities; or else by God's special command, and so the inhabitants of Jericho were devoted, Josh. 6. 17. and the Amalekites, 1. Sam. 15. 3. for if we extend it to the devoting of men to God's service, then that last clause, they shall surely be put to death, cannot be meant otherwise then in that metaphorical sense before spoken of, namely that such were to be wholly given up forever to the Lord, as men dead unto the world, and so Samuel, they say, was devoted to the Lord.

There are two sorts of tithes in the Law, the first which was given to the Levites, Numb. 18. 21. the second which (after the payment of the former tithe) was separated and carried up to Jerusalem, and there eaten by the owners, Deut. 12. 6, 7, 11. this may be meant of both, though principally of the first, as is methinks evident by that general expression, all the tithe of the land, &c.

Which was to make su •• that the Levites should lose nothing by the cunning of the owners buying: the second tithe might be turned into money, Deut. 14. 23. but for the Lord's use, not their own private commodity.

This phrase hath respect unto the manner of tithing, which was thus; as they went out of the fold or barn one by one, the tithing man with his rod numbered them, and the tenth, as it casually passed by, whether good or bad, male or female, was marked out for the tithe.

CHAP. I.

This third book of Moses is called Numbers, because therein are related two several numbrings of the people, the one here in the first entrance of this book, the other afterwards, chap. 26. besides many other numbrings, as of the offerings of the Princes, and of the several stages of the Israelites in their journeyings towards the land of Canaan, &c. In these first words he tells us the place and time when they were numbered, to wit, in the wilderness of Sinai, and that on the first day of the second month in the second year after their return out of Egypt: In the beginning of the third month of the first year they came first into the wilderness of Sinai, Exod. 19. 1. upon the very first day of the first month of the second year the tabernacle was erected, Exod. 40. 17. and now on the first day of the second month of this year this command was given for the numbering of the people: whereby it is evident that all those things, which are related in the foregoing book of Leviticus, were done within the compass of one month, to wit, the first month of this second year. And if we consider also that the Israelites went not out of the wilderness of Sinai till the twentieth day of this month, into which they enterd the first day of the third month of the first year, it is manifest that they were in this wilderness a full year within a few days. Now whereas it is said also here that God gave Moses this command for the numbering of the people in the tabernacle of the congregation, hence some Expositors infer that God did not speak now to him, out of the door of the tabernacle, as many times he did, but within the tabernacle from off the mercy seat, as it is expressly said he did, chap. 7. 8, 9.

In Exodus and Leviticus Laws were given fo • God's worship and service; and here now the Lord settles the church and common-wealth in order. They had been once numbered the year before, the first year after their coming out of Egypt, when every man paid a ransom for his soul, whereby their redemption by Christ was figured, Exod. 30. 11, 12. Now another muster is enjoined: 1. that they might be still put in mind both of God's faithfulness in performing his promise, that especially of multiplying them so exceedingly, as also of his power and providence in maintaining such a huge multitude of people in such a desert place: 2. that the distinct knowledge of their numbers might be an encouragement to the people, being now to go forward against their enemies: 3. that as they numbered them they might withal rank them in order according to their tribes and families, to the end they might travel along in good array without tumult and confusion: 4. to intimate how tenderly careful God was over them, and what precious account he made of them: for those things men highly es • eem, and for which they are solicitously careful, they are often numbering, as we see in the shepherds often numbering their sheep, and the rich man's telling over his coin: yea 5. some add another reason, to wit, that they might gather of every man that was numbered that poll-money enjoined to be paid at their numbering for the service of the tabernacle, Exod. 30. 12. When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their numbers, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord. But, as there it is noted, it is questionable whether that were commanded as a perpetual Law that was always to be observed.

So that it is ma •• fest, that neither women nor children were numbered, nor any that were not full twenty years old; the reason whereof was, because only those were numbered that were fit for the war: yet others would have another reason added besides, to wit, that none might presume to take the full number of those of whom God had said • hat they should be innumerable, according to that, 1. Chron. 27. 23. But David • ook not the number of them from • wenty years old and under, because the Lord had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heaven.

Those therefore that were by age, sickness, or any o • her infirmity disabled for the war, were not numbered amongst the rest of the people.

To wit, to see that the work was carried fairly without any wrong done to any of the tribes. We cannot say whether these hereafter named were the heads and princes of the tribes before, and only here by name appointed to this work, both to avoid contention about it, and withal that their names might be honored in the memorial of the work; or whether they were now chosen of God to have the preeminence, and • o be the heads of each tribe. Indeed some Expositors do conclude for certain that • hey were the heads of each tribe before, and that because they take it for granted that that which is related concerning these men by name, chap. 7. to wit, that as princes of • ach tribe they brought their • everall offering • for the service of the tabernacle, was done a month before this numbering of the people, to wit, in the first month of the second year, on the day the altar was anointed, which they gather from the 1. verse of the 7. chapter of this book. But whether this may be thence so certainly concluded, see the note upon the place.

Numbers 7. 48. it is written Ammiud.

Who is called, chap. 2. 14▪ Reüel, because the Hebrew letters are like one another, and often changed.

Reuben's number was l • ss • then any of the sons of Jacob (except Gad, Asher, and Benjamin) which may be esteemed as an effect of that curse denounced by Jacob, G • n. 49. 3▪ 4. that he should lose the privilege of his birthright, the excellency of dignity and the excellenc •• of power▪ because he went up to his fathers bed.

Gad is here reckoned in the third place, because this tribe was joined with Reuben's and Simeon's on the South quarter of the host, Numbers 2. 10, 14. and so it is in the rest.

Judah's number was almost twelve thousand more then the greatest tribe, which may well be esteemed a part of the dignity which together with a part of the birth-right was conferred upon him, out of whose tribe the Messiah was to come, Gen. 49. 8, 9, 10.

Ephraim's number is above eight thousand more then Manasseh's (and yet the Philistines slew many of this tribe in Egypt, for which their father Ephraim mourned many days, 1. Chron. 7. 20, 21, 22.) Thus Jacob's prophecy is in part fulfilled, his younger brother Ephraim shall be greater then he, Gen. 47. 19.

Benjamins number is of all the sons of Jacob the least (though at the first his children were moe then any of his brethren, Gen. 46. 21.) and after his tribe was almost rooted out, Judge. 20. no marvel therefore though it be called, Psal. 68. 28. Benjamin the little.

When all the tribes were first numbered the year before, there were also found just as here, six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty; at least, if there were some small difference, it was under fifty (such small numbers being indeed usually not set down in the Scriptures) yet then it is most probable that the tribe of Levi was numbered, which are here lest out. And if so, thence it must needs follow that there were then at their first numbering so many young men of nine • een years of age that now were twenty years old, as made up the number of the Levites, that they might see they should lose nothing by whatsoever was employed in God's service.

His numbering of the tribe of Levi by themselves, not amongst the rest, some might think did proceed from an ambitious desire to exalt •• s own tribe; and therefore he makes express mention that it was done by God's special command, and that to show that God had exempted them both from wars and all other secular employments, and separated them only to attend upon the service of the tabernacle; and besides because consequently their number was to be taken after another manner, to wit, from a month old and upward, chap. 3. 15.

That is, whosoever is not of the tribe of Levi▪ and this the Lord enjoined, both to bring them to the more reverend esteem of God's holy things, and withal to make them ever mindful of this, that there was no drawing nigh unto God without a Mediator.

CHAP. II.

The people being all numbered as God had appointed in the former chapter, in this chapter the Lord gives direction for the ordering of every tribe when they pitched their tents, and when they marched forward; for to prevent confusion in their marching some order was necessary, and to cut off all matters of contention, the Lord himself appoints unto every tribe their several place.

For the understanding of this we must know 1. that every tribe was to have a particular ensign, or banner, called here the ensign of their fathers house, and so where that was displayed all of that tribe were to pitch their tents together, as in one body: 2. that the camp being divided into four quarters, in each quarter there was to be three tribes, who besides their several ensigns had one standard in common for them all, which the chief of the three tribes carried, and so every man of the children of Israel was ordered to pitch by his own standard: 3. that being thus divided orderly into four quarters, they were appointed to pitch their tents about the tabernacle of the congregation, to wit, three tribes in one quarter in the East, and three tribes in another quarter in the West, and so three likewise on the South, and three on the North, and then the tabernacle was in the midst of them. So hereby they were taught that God would dwell amongst them as his people, to provide for them▪ to protect and defend them, &c. and withal they were taught to have God still in their mind, and so to fear him always and worship him as they ought to do: and 4. that though the tribes did thus pitch their tents round about the tabernacle, yet it was, as the text saith, a far off, that is, there was a good distance betwixt them and the tabernacle: how far off it was we cannot say, yet it may be probably guessed, that it was two thousand cubits, which is an English mile, because we find that such a distance was between the ark and the people when they passed over Jordan, Josh. 3. 4. And thus we may conceive what a glorious sight it was to behold the tribes thus orderly ranked in their several places, and that it was no wonder though Balaam was stricken with admiration to behold it, Numb. 24. 5, 6. How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob' and thy tabernacl • s, O Israel! as the valleys are they spread forth by the rivers side, &c.

Thus the tribe of Judah, out of which Christ was to come, hath the preeminence and goes foremost as Captain of the rest; and is therein a type of Christ, the lion of the tribe of Judah, who also is Michael, that with his Angels fighteth against the Dragon and goeth before his heavenly armies, Rev. 12. 7. Thus Judah hath the dignity of the first-born, which was taken from Reuben; neither can Reuben wi • hstand it, because God hath so ordered it.

And with him Zebulun, ver. 7. both younger brothers to Judah, that they might the more willingly be under his regiment.

Thus the greatest number were in the first quarter, for the more safety of the Sanctuary, and all Israel, almost thirty thousand mo • then in any other quarter.

That is, when the camp removes, these tribes before mentioned, to wit, Judah a • d Issachar and Zebulun, which went together in one regiment under Judah's standard, were to advance forward in the first place: whereby it is evident that when they journeyed from one place to another they did not march in that order as their tents were pitched about the tabernacle when they stayed in any place; but first those of Judah's standard advanced forward in the forefront, then immediately behind followed those of Reuben's standard, ver. 16. then next behind them came the regiment under the standard of Ephraim, ver. 24. and then in the last place came those that belonged to the standard of Dan, ver. 31. only the Levites went some of them betwixt the regiment of Judah and the regiment of Reuben, as is expressed, chap. 10. 17. and other next after Reuben's regiment just in the midst of their armies, having six tribes before them and six behind them.

The South was to them that were ranked now with their faces Eastward on their right hand, and so the right wing is given unto Reuben, because he was the firstborn though he lost his birthright, Gen 49. which Judah and Joseph had shared between them.

Who was his next brother, and that by Leah his mother. Now his other brother by Leah being already disposed of, who was fitter to be joined with him then Gad, the first-born of Zilpah Leah's handmaid?

See chap. 1. 14.

It is expressly said, chap. 10. 17. that in their journeyings, when the camp removed from one place to another, the sons of Gershon and the so • nes of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle, that is, the boards and coverings of the tabernacle, next after Judah's regiment, between Judah's and Reuben's regiment, and then afterwards the Kohathites, only bearing the Sanctuary, went just in the midst of the camp, having six tribes before them, and six behind them. This therefore that is said here, that the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp, must either be understood only of the Kohathites, who carried the Sanctuary, even all the holy things, just in the midst of the camp; or else by the midst of the camp, must not be meant precisely the just midst of the camp, but only that they went between the regiments of the other tribes, some immediately after the regiment of Judah, and the rest next after the regiment of Reuben, and so these last only were precisely in the midst of the camp.

Unto Josephs sons a double privilege is here given, because he was to have a part of Reuben's birthright, as it is expressly said 1. Chron. 5. 1, 2. for first the posterity of his two sons are made two several tribes, which might have been an occasion of much contention, had not God thus expressly ordered it; and 2. unto them the West quarter is given for their pitching of their tents, and that I conceive • as the second place of honor in the camp: for in the same regard is the West quarter amongst the Levites given to the posterity of Gershon the eldest son of Levi, chap. 3. 23. and so as amongst them Moses and Aaron and the priests pitched immediately before the tabernacle, and then the Gershonites, that were of Levies eldest son, just behind the tabernacle, so in the ordering of the other tribes, Judah's regiment pitched before the tabernacle, and the sons of Joseph behind it. And besides, when they journeyed, they went in the forefront of those tribes that followed the tabernacle, and so both when they marched, and when they pitched their tents, they had the tabernacle still in their faces, as if appointed to take special care of it; whereto some Expositors conceive the Psalmist alludes in that expression, Psal. 80. 2. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Man • sseh stir up thy strength and come and save us. For with the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh in this regigiment and quarter Benjamin is here joined, ver. 22. and so all Rachel's posterity encamped together. But yet Ephraim, Josephs younger son, is appointed to be standard bearer in the camp before his elder brother Manasseh, according to Jacob's prophecy of Ephraim's superiority, Gen. 48. 19, 20. where he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

This was the smallest number of all the armies.

He was the first-born of the handmaids children, and Jacob's fifth son, Gen. 30. 6. and by prophecy he was to judge • his people as one of the tribes of Israel, Gen. 49. 16. So God appointed him the standard in the left wing: with him are joined the other two remaining sons of the handmaids, to wit, Asher, ver. 27. and Naphtali, ver. 29.

CHAP. III.

That is, these mentioned and numbered in the sequel of this chapter are of the stock whence Aaron and Moses d • scended, to wit, of the tribe of Levi: for by the generations of such and such persons, in the Scripture, is meant sometimes their ancestors, sometimes their children and posterity, and sometimes their whole kindred and family, as here it is taken. Yet even the children of Aaron and Moses are numbered amongst the rest: for though there be no mention made of Moses sons, as there is of Aaron's, ver. 2. yet even Moses sons are included amongst the Kohathites, of which family Moses was, ver. 28. And therefore is A • ron in this place prefixed before Moses, because in this regard Aaron's sons, as being priests, had the preeminence of Moses posterity, who were but ordinary Levites. As for that clause, in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in mount Sinai, that I conceive is purposely added, because some of these here mentioned, though they were living when the Lord spake with Moses in mount Sinai, yet they were now dead, in the second month of the second year, when this command was given for the numbering of the people, namely Nadab and Abihu, mentioned ver. 2.

Aaron and his sons entered upon the office of the priesthood in the first month of the second year after their going out of Egypt, as it is evident, Levite. 10. but it seems the Levites were not set apart to enter upon their office till they were now numbered, and appointed how they should pitch their tents about the tabernacle, and what the several charge should be of each family of them, which was in the second month of the second year, chap. 1. 1. But yet that they should be set apart to this employment instead of the first-born was promised them before, when they were appointed to slay those that had worshipped the golden calf, as is before noted upon Ex • d. 32. 29. How this may be reconciled with that in Deut. 10. 8. see in the notes upon that place.

That is, they shall pitch their tents round about the tabernacle, that they may be near at hand to be subservient and helpful unto Aaron in the several duties of God's worship, and the service of the tabernacle, which God hath given in charge to Aaron, and which God hath given in charge to the whole congregation.

That is, that wherewith the children of Israel must have stood charged, but that the Levites are separated to take it upon them in Israel's behalf.

That is, though the Levites are given unto Aaron and his sons for his help, that they may minister unto him and be assistants in those things which are fit for them▪ yet with those things that belong peculia • lie to the priests office even the Levites themselves must not upon pain of death intermeddle, nor must the priests turn over the work of the Sanctuary to the Levites, so to ease themselves; they must wait themselves upon their office, and have the chief hand in those holy employments, the Levites are only appointed to be subservient and helpful unto them.

See the note upon chap. 1. 48.

Male children were not reputed wholly purified from their uncleanness till they were a month old, Levite. 12. 4. and then were the first-born brought and presented before the Lord, Luke 2. 22. and then were they redeemed, chap. 8. 16. Now therefore from that age were the Levites numbered, who were given unto God instead of the first-born. And besides, there would not have been anything near so many of the Levites as there were of the first-born, if the Levites had not been numbered from a month old.

Thus the rearward (the second place of honor to that in the forefront, where Moses and Aaron with the priests encamped) is given to the Gershonites, as descended of Levies eldest son; but the most holy things were not committed to their charge, the reason whereof, see ver. 31.

Thus the Gershonites had under their charge 1. the tabernacle; not the boards of the tabernacle (for they were under Meraries charge, ver. 36.) but the tabernacle mentioned Exod. 26. 1. made of ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet, &c. 2. the tenth which was that made of eleven curtains of goats hair, Exod. 26. 11. 3. the covering▪ that is the coverings, both that of rams skins and that of badgers skins; for both were the Gershonites charge, Numb. 4. 25. and 4. the hangings for the door of the tabernacle.

There were therefore of these Kohathites eleven thousand more then were of the Gershonites, ver. 22.

Thus God of his free grace honored the house from which Moses was descended, to wit, that of the Kohathites, with the charge of all the most holy things, the rather also because the priests, who were to make use of these holy things in the service of God, were of the same house. But withal to clear Moses from an ambitious and partial preferring those of his own stock, the Lord gave no dignity to his sons above their brethren, but they were ranged amongst the ordinary Levites, as we may see 1. Chron. 23. 14. As for the hanging here mentioned amongst the most holy things under the Kohathites charge, it was the veil which hung between the holy and the most holy place, wherein the Ark was wrapped up when the Kohathites carried it, chap. 4. 5.

Hence he is called that hath this charge the second priest, 2. Kings 25. 18. Thus Eleazar being high priest in Aaron's room, Phinehas Eleazars son was governor over the Levites, 1. Chron. 9. 20.

And because these things were heavy, there were twice as many waggons and oxen allowed to them as to the Gershonites' Numb. 7. 8.

See the foregoing note upon ver. 8.

To wit, the first-born of the Levites being deducted. If we sum up together the particular numbers before mentioned, to wit, seven thousand and five hundred of the Gershonites, ver. 22. eight thousand and six hundred of the Kohathites, ver. 28. and six thousand and two hundred of the Merarites, ver. 34. we shall find that all the males from a month old and upward were not twenty and two thousand, as is here said, but twenty and two thousand and three hundred: and therefore it seems the three hundred here left out in the general sum were the first-born amongst the Levites, who being the Lord's in that regard as they were the first-born, were not therefore to be reckoned amongst those that were to be given to the Lord instead of the first-born of the other tribes: and the main reason why the number of the Levites was now taken, was to show how they were taken in exchange for the Israelites first-born. Indeed it may seem strange that there should be but three hundred first-born males amongst so many thousand Levites: But for that we must know, that in all probability only those were reckoned for first-born, that were first-born males since their coming out of Egypt, when God did first challenge the first-born to be his in remembrance of his slaying all the first-born amongst the Egyptians. And whereas it may also seem strange that there should be of the whole tribe of Levi numbered from a month old and upward but two and twenty thousand and three • hundred, whereas the least of the other tribes being numbered but from twenty years old and upward had two and thirty thousand and two hundred, to wit, the tribe of Manasseh, chap. 2. 21. we must consider that this was doubtless by the special providence of God, that he might have the whole tribe of Levi instead of the first-born: for if the tribe of Levi had been as numerous as the other tribes, there would have been far more of them then the first-born were, and so they could not have been taken instead of the first-born. But what became, may some say, of the Levites male-children that were under a month, and so not now numbered amongst those that were to be taken for the first-born? I answer doubtless the whole tribe was consecrated to the Lord, and therefore we may probably conceive that either by the special providence of God there was none at present under that age, or else those few that were under that age were taken in exchange for so many of the first-born of the Israelites that were afterwards born, who should otherwise have paid for their redemption.

That is, instead of the first-born males that were now at present amongst them: for all the first-born that came after this both of man and beast were to be redeemed▪ or given to the priest, chap. 18▪ 15▪ Every thing that openeth the matrice in all • lesh which they bring unto the 〈◊〉 ••• there it be of men or beasts, shall be thine, &c.

As the Levites are taken for the first-born of the Israelites; so the Levites cattle were taken in exchange for the first-born of the Israelites cattle: yet we must not think therefore that the Levites cattle were offered in sacrifice as the first-born of the cattle afterwards were, but it sufficed that the Levites had them, who were God's peculiar portion, and appointed to receive in his name what was to be given to him.

All the Levites being numbered were twenty and two thousand, and now the first-born being numbered were twenty and two thousand two hundred seventy and three; wherein God's special providence appeareth, that the number of the first-born should be so near the number of the Levites taken in their stead, to wit, but two hundred seventy and three more then the Levites were.

There being two hundred seventy and three of the first-born more then there were of the Levites, it is ordered that these should pay for their redemption five shekels a piece by the poll, which was the price they afterwards paid for the redemption of the first-born, Numb. 18. 15. Now whereas it may seem unequal that some of the first-born should pay redemption-money and others should pay none, because the Levites were taken in their stead; to this it is answered by Expositors, that either this was decided by lot, who should pay and who should not pay, and then there was no wrong done; or else that the money that was to be raised for the redemption of these two hundred seventy and three was paid in common by them all.

Because the Levites were given to him, verse. 9. and when the Levites failed, this money was in their stead.

CHAP. IV.

In the former chapter all the Levites of a month old and upward were numbered, because all were numbered that were to be taken instead of the first-born, and so to be accounted as those that were set apart as holy to the Lord; but here only those that were thirty years old and upward are numbered, to wit, those that were to be employed in carrying the tabernacle and the holy things thereof. Indeed in the eighth chapter of this book, verse. 24. it is said that the Levites should enter upon their service at five and twenty years old: to which some answer out of the Hebrew traditions, that at five and twenty years they were admitted to be instructed and trained up to the service of the tabernacle, but did not actually enter upon the service till they were thirty years old. But I conceive the truer answer is, either that they entered upon the service of the tabernacle at five and twenty years, but not upon this of removing and carrying the tabernacle and the holy things therein (of which at present Moses only speaks) until they were thirty years old, because a good settled strength of body was required to that service; or else that the chief charge and care of the service of the tabernacle l • y upon those only that were thirty years old, only when they were but five and twenty years they were admitted to assist and help their brethren upon whom the ch • rg • lay, in those things that they should set them to do. And therefore we find that this numbering of the Levites for the service of the tabernacle from thirty years old continued even in David's time, 1. Chron. 23. 3. Now the Levites wer • numbered from the age of thirty years end upward; the Lord teaching us by this maturity of years at first required in the Levites, that the ministers of God, attending upon holy things, the chari • t of Israel and the horsemen thereof, 2. Kings 2. 12. should be no novices or young scholars, but ripe in knowledge and of solid judgment; and therefore we see that both the Baptist and Christ were full thirty years old ere they entered upon their office and ministry, Luke • . • 2, 23. And for the same cause it was that none were now numbered that were above fifty years: for because at that age strength useth to decay, and natural infirmities to grow upon men, therefore they were then exempted from the harder service of the tabernacle (and so were not now numbered amongst those that were to carry the tabernacle) yet still they were to minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, chap. 8. 26. that is, they were still to be assistant as overseers, to see that the work was done: that charge lay upon them still though they were exempted from all laborious service in their own persons; and besides they were still to be employed in teaching and instructing the people. As for the description which we have here of those that were to be numbered, all that enter into the host to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation, we must know first, that the meaning is not, that those that were now numbered from thirty years old and upward▪ &c. were all that were at any time employed in the service of the tabernacle (for I say it is evident chap. 8. 24. that from twenty and five years old and upward they went in to wai • upon the service of the tabernacle, though happily as subservient only to those of thirty years old and upward, upon whom the charge of the work chiefly lay) but the meaning is, that those that were now numbered were all such as did enter into the host to do the work of the tab • rnacle of the congregation; and s • condly, that the company of the Levites that did the service of the tabernacle are here called an host, because they had their several orders, and offices, and places under the command of their heads and governors, and were not admitted into the service if th • y were crazy or lame, or any way unfit for these holy imploym • nts.

To preven • confusion and ambition • very family hath their service seve • ally appointed.

That is, the v • il which hung between the holy and the most holy place, called by the Apostle th • second veil, Heb. 9. 3. Herewith the ark was covered whilst the tabernacle stood, Exod. 40. 3. Thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the veil; and herein it was wrapped up and covered now when the tabernacle was to be taken down and removed, and that by t •• priests, the •• un • s of A • ron: so that hereby it is also evident, that though • gh the high priests alone w • nt into th • most holy place where the ark was, and that too but once 〈◊〉 year, Heb. 9. 7. to wit whilst the tabernacle was standing to do service there; yet when the tabernacle was to be taken down▪ the in • eriour priests might freely go in thither, to wit, having first taken away the veil, because then there was no difference betwixt the holy and the most holy place; and the Lord, no doubt, at those times withdrew the cloud upon the mercy- • eat, Levite. 16. 2. which was the sign of God's presence there; yea and the Levites too afterwards, when the holy things were covered, to remove the ark from thence, as seems to be implied verse. 16.

This covering of badger skins was not that where-with the tabernacle was on the outside cove •• d (for that was amongst the carriage of the Gershonites, verse. 25.) but it was a smaller case or covering of these skins laid over the ark to keep it dry when the Levites carried it: and therefore we see there was such a covering fitted for the table, verse. 8. and so also for the rest of the holy things, verse. 10, 11, &c. and these with the clothes of blue and scarlet, used in the covering of these things, were those • loathes of service mentioned Exod. 31. 10.

It is said of the staves belonging to the ark, Exod. 25. 15. The staves shall be in the rings of the ark, they shall not be taken from it; and hereupon it becomes questionable how it can be said here, that the priests should put in the staves thereof, if the staves were to remain always in the rings, and were upon no occasion to be taken out. Some Expositors to remove this seeming contradiction hold that the staves here spoken of were not the staves of the ark, mentioned Exod. 25. but certain other staves that were put through the covering of the ark▪ and wherewith they carried the ark being thus covered. But because they are called here • he staves thereof, and where afterwards Moses speaks of the candlestick which had no staves belonging to it, there another expr • ssion is used for the carrying of it, verse. 10. And shall put it upon a bar; therefore I conceive this place is meant of the very staves that were made together with the ark▪ and covered over with gold as the ark was; and that two other ways this doubt may be more probably resolved: to wit first, that though the staves of the ark were never to be taken out of the rings while • t the tabernacle was standing▪ of which that law is meant. Exod. 25. 15. yet when the tabernacle was taken down, and the holy things to be removed, then they might and must necessarily take o • t the staves till the coverings were put upon it, and then were to put them in again, as here is enjoined, for the carrying of it; or secondly, that this which is here said of putting in the staves thereof, is meant of putting in the end of the staves under the covering, to wit, that because the staves were a part of the ark▪ and covered over with gold as the ark was, therefore not so much as the ends of the staves that stuck out were to be le • t bare to the injury of the weather, nor might be seen or touched by the Levites when they came to carry it, but were therefore to be carefully put in under the covering; and to that end happily the cases or covering of the ark were so made that there were places to put in the ends of the slaves, and so the Levites did not touch so much as the staves uncovered.

That is, the shewbread▪ here called the continual bread, because it was to be continually upon the table before the Lord, Exod. 25. • 0.) shall not be taken off from the table▪ when it is thus covered and wrapped up▪ but shall be left still upon the table, even when the Levites remove it from one place to another. And hereby it is evident that they had loaves of shewbread standing upon the table all the time of their travelling through the wilderness: for though they were chi • fly fed with manna all the time▪ Exod. 16. 35. The chil • ren of Israel did eat manna forty years, till they came to a land inhabited; yet it may be probably enough conceived that they had too some small supply of corn to make bread from the neighbouring countries, whereof however they would be sure to provide every week the loaves of shewbread that were to stand upon the holy table.

In giving direction how the altar of burnt-offerings was to be wrapped up and covered every time they took down the tabernacle, and were to go forward to some other place, here is order taken that first they should take away the ashes, whereby to me it seems not so probable, which most Expositors hold, that the Israelites never offered any sacrifices in the time of their travelling through the wilderness after they were once gone from mount Sinai: for why then should they be here enjoined to take the ashes from off the altar when ever they removed the tabernacle? happily they did not indeed for want of store of cattle so constantly observe all the sacrifices enjoined as they did afterwards when they came into the land of Canaan: But that God should c • use them at mount Sinai to build such a goodly tabernacle, and then set apart a whole tribe to the service of the tabernacle, and destroy Nadab and Abihu for not being exact in that service, to render the priests thereby more careful and wary, a • d yet that after this for above eight and thirty years together they should never offer any sacrifices, s • ems to me ve • y improbable. And as for that place. Amos 5. 25. Hav • ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? the meaning is not that all those forty years they never offered sacrifices nor offerings (for at Sinai it is evident they did) but that they did even in those times adulterate the worship that he had enjoined them: so that it cannot be concluded, I conceive, that they did never sacrifice in their passing through the wilderness. But what became of the fire when they cleared the altar of the ashes, and put the coverings upon it? I answer▪ though • gh it be not expressed how it was done, yet that it was put into some pot or other v • ssel▪ and • o preserved still with supply of wood, cannot well be questioned; because they were not to use any strange fire in their sacrifices, but only that which was kindled f • om heaven, Levite. 9. 24. which therefore they were appointed continually to keep burning, Levite. 6. 12. The fire in the altar shall be burning in it, it shall not be put out.

Here direction is given for the carriage of all the holy things of the Sanctuary before mentioned, to wit, that being so covered, so soon as the camp b • gan to remove, the Levites that were the posterity of Kohath should come and take them up, and carry them in their place, only with this caution added▪ but they shall not touch any holy thing lest they die. And thus the charge of the Kohathite • , a • it was more honorable then that of the other Levites, because they had the cha • ge of the most holy things; so it was more burthensome, because they b • re it not in carts as the other Levites did theirs, but on their shoulders; and withal more perillou • , which must needs much take away the envy of this honor. The a • k ind •• d was oft • n car • yed by the priests themselves, as it is evident, Deut. • 1. 9. Mo •• s wro • e this Law, and delivered it to the priests the sons of Lev▪ which bare the Ark of the covenant of the Lord; for though this service was imposed upon the Levites as subservient to the priests, yet the pry •• s were no • excluded, who did therefore upon special occasions carry it themselves, as when they passed over Jordan, Josh. 3. 6. & when they compassed the walls of Jericho, Josh. 6. 6. But ordinarily this service was performed by the Levites, especi • lly till the number of the priests was increased, they carried it as they did all other the holy thing • of the Sanctuary. The bra • en laver, I know, is not here mentioned amongst the holy things which they were to carry; but the reason of this may be, because only those things are named which were covered by the priests, but this laver could receive no hu • t by the wer, and therefore was not covered.

Two things are here affirmed concerning the charge or office of Eleazar, the eldest son of Aaron, to wit, in this service of removing the • abernacle: namely 1. that to him pertained the oil for the light, and the sw • et • n •• nse, and the daily meat-offering, and the anointing oil, that is, that he himself was to carry these things; for if his charge had been only to oversee the carrying o • these things by the Kohathites, why should these things be particularly mentioned, since the overseeing of them in all their carriages belonged to him: and then 2. that to him appertained the oversight of all the tabernacle▪ &c, that is, he was to oversee the Kohathit • s concerning the carrying of these things, and to appoint everyone to their several burdens. And thus as the Kohathites had the honor of carrying the most holy things, so Eleazar, the eldest son of Aaron▪ was appointed to have the over •• ght of them, as Ithamar his younger brother had the over • ight of the Gershonites, ver. 28. and the Merarites, ver. 33.

To wit, the four several coverings wherewith the tabernacle was covered, that is, 1. the ten curious curtains, mentioned here in the second place, though they were the first coverings, and were called as here the tabernacle of the congregation, Exod. 26. 1▪ and 2. the eleven curt • ins of goats hair, which were laid over that, named here in the first place▪ and called the cur • ains of the tabernacle: 3. the covering which was of rams skinn • s died red: and then 4. the covering of badgers skins, which lay uppermost of all.

Whereas the sockets, pillars, pi ••• s▪ cords, and other instrument • co •• itted to their charge were many, and • ight some of them at least seem of le ••• importan • e, therefore the Lord • ppointed that of these there should be a note kept, and so • ccordingly th • y should be delivered by name▪ lest any should be to seek wh • n the tabernacle was to be • et up again. Her • by also was signi • ied how careful God is of the least member of his church, and so also of all his or • inance • ▪ John 10. 3.

Usually in all families the younger and aged • ort, if reckoned togeth • r, are more then the middle aged: and so it was in the other families of the Levites: of the G • r • honites there was little more then a third part fit to serve in the tabernacl • , • nd of the Kohathites there was not a third par • ▪ and yet the Merarites are more then half able men for God's service; a most remarkable proof of the wisdom and providence of God. Because the greatest burden was impos • d upon the Merarites, therefore God giveth them more able men then any of the other families, and yet the general number of these were less then any of the other two.

Note how few there were of the Levites in comparison of the other tribes: O • Judah there were seventy and four thousand and • ix hundred able men for the outward wa • fare in the host of Israel, Numb. 1. 27. but of the Levites there were but eight thousand five hundred and fourscore men fit for their service.

CHAP. V.

To wit, the lepers and those that had running issues, till they were cured and cleansed, and those that were unclean by the dead, till after certain days they were purified according to the Law. More concerning this • e • in the note upon Levite. 13. 46.

That is, when they shall commit any sin •• ereinto by reason of human frailty men are subject to fall, to wit, in regard of any wrong done to their neighbor, which is a • inne highly displeasing to God, they shall then confess and make satisfaction as is here appointed. Because the purloining of the goods of our brethren, and all other such acts of injustice, are • inns that do more especially • ind • r the well ordering of camps, therefore doth the Lord in this place urge this 〈◊〉 Law against these kind of offenses▪ that the camp of Israel now set in ord • r might neither be defiled nor disordered thereby.

That is, he shall, by way of rec • mp • ncing the wrong he hath done to his neighbor, not only restore fully the whole principal he hath defrauded him of, but also give him more • ver and above the fifth part of so much as he had detained from him, which was • njoyned both by way of satisfying the party wronged as concerning the want of his goods whilst they were detained, and also by way of a penalty on the party off • n • ing. Neither doth this contradict thos • Laws, Exod. 22. where the thief that had • t • llen f • om his neighbor is appointed to restore double what he had taken away, yea in some ca • e • fourfold and fivefold: for those Laws were for such against whom the crime was proved by witnesses in a legal way, but this is for those that did voluntarily confess the wrong they had done, in which case the Lord impo • eth a lighter penalty, to wit, only a fifth part over and above the principal.

In these words one direction is only implied, to wit, that if the party were dead to whom the wrong was done, then the recompense must be made to his heir or next kinsman; and then another is expressed, to wit, that if there be no such kinsman to be found, then must the trespass be recompensed unto the Lord, even to the priest, because in all trespasses done to our neighbors God is also injured, and the priests the Lord had appointed to be his receivers. But now this the Hebrews understand only of trespasses done to strangers: for there is no man in Isra • l, they say, without an heir or kinsman, either child, or brother, or other of his blood.

This is here added by way of amplification, to show why in the verse before he had said, that the trespass shall be recompensed to the Lord, even to the priest; for, • aith he, it is no otherwise ordered in this then in other things, my priests I have appointed to receive in my name whatever is due to me; every offering, or every heave-offering, &c. shall be his, that is whatever is of all the holy things only heaved or offered unto the Lord, and not burnt in my service upon mine altar, the priest shall have it.

That is, not only those meat-offerings, and those parts of the peace-offerings which were waved and heaved before the Lord, but generally all the hallowed things▪ such as were the first-fruits and things vowed, &c. were appointed for the priest: as if he should have said, in a word, whatsoever any man giveth the priest as due to God, it shall be the priests; for to him God hath given it. See this more fully expressed, Ezek. 44. 30.

This is the order which God took for the try • ll of • wife, whether guilty or not guilty, of whom her husband was jealous: and prescribed it was at this time happily, when God was now setting all things in order concerning the camp, both to prevent the defiling of the camp by such filthiness, by keeping wives in awe with the fear of this trial; and likewise to prevent the inconveniencies that might arise by the jealousies of men, where the dwellings of f • milies were not so several as in towns and cities. For though it be a sin in a husband unjustly to suspect his wi • e, yet God allowed the husband to bring his wife to this trial, because of the hardness of their hearts, lest the wife should be subject to a greater mischief for want of this trial, to wit, of being cast off, or • lain, or otherwise oppressed by her husband in the rage of his jealousy. But why was there not the • ame Law for the trial of the husband, if his wi • e were jealous of him? I answer, there are several reasons given for this by Expositors: as 1. because women are naturally more prone to be jealous and suspicious then men, and therefore not so fit to enjoy this liberty; 2. because women by reason of their subjection to their husbands were n •• so fit to call their husbands to such a trial; 3. because the adultery of the wife is more mischievous then the adultery of the husband, in regard that thereby the husband is made often to father another man's issue, & to leave his estate & inheritance to children that are not his; & lastly, because wives in their jealousy had not so much power to oppress and wrong their husbands as the husbands had to wrong their wives.

The priest was in his office a figure of Christ, by whom God will judge the s •• rets of men, Rom. 2. 16. and the tabernacle was the • igne of God's pre • ence amongst them. The jealous husband was therefore to bring his wife unto the priest, and the priest, ver. 16. was to bring her near, to set her before the Lord, to wit, at the door of the tabernacle, that so perceiving herself set as it were before God's tribunal, the very fear of God's all-se • eing ey • , and the shame that would fall upon her in the • ight of all the congregation now gazing upon her, might s • are her from submitting herself to this trial if indeed she were guilty.

The general drift of this offering no doubt was, that it might be a testimony that she willingly proffered herself to b • tried by the Lord, to whom she presented this offering, whether she were guilty or no: yet because the • ame quantity is pres • ribed here that is prescribed for the trespass-offering, Levite. 5. 11. namely the tenth part of an ephah, I conceive it was also brought by way of atonement for her other sins, as desiring that the Lord in his mercy, for his Christ's sake, passing by her other trespasses, would in this particular deal with her according to her deserts: And indeed he that will in regard of his innocence in any one particular appeal to God's judgment with David, Psal. 7. 8. Judgeme, O Lord, according to my righteousness, &c. must yet for the general course of his life • ay with David, Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy • ight shall no man living be justified. Other meat-offerings were of fine wheat flour, this of barley meal; others had oil and frankincense, Levite. 2. this no • e; no doubt both the course offering and the forbidding of oil and • ncense ( • ignes of joy and gladness of heart) were to express the poor • ad and doleful condition of this suspected woman.

That is, it is an offering whereby she yiel • ed herself to be judged by the Lord, if guilty of that iniquity whereof her husband was jealous, and did desire the Lord to show that he did remember it; and therefore nothing implying sweetness or joy was to be put to this offering.

This holy water was either that water of separation, w • ich was used for purifying, chap. 19. or rather water taken out of the holy laver, con • ecrated to holy u • es. No doubt the holiness of these things thus used was to strike the greater terror into her, that if guilty • he might not dar • to add perjury to her other • inne: for the abuse of holy things by the light of nature we know is a foul • inne, and perilous. As for the earthen vessel, the baseness of the vessel tended also to express the h • miliation of the woman, and the • adnesse of the business now in hand. Besides, because it was employed in bringing uncleanness to light, if any were, it may be probably thought that God would have no monument to remain of it, but appointed it to be broken after this work was ended, as in other cases, Levite. 6. 28. and 11. 33. and 15. 12.

It was fit the drink should be distasteful, to put her in mind of the bitter curse that would follow upon her drinking if • he were guilty: and to this end dust is put into it. But be • ides, it was also first, because dust in all uses was a • igne of baseness, sorrow and afflictions, as Job 2. 12. Psal. 1. 7, 5. Psal. 22. 15. Lam. 3. 29. and so was fit to imply both the foul and unclean • inne which was in question, the a • fliction of the woman suspected, and the sorrow she would bring upon herself if guilty: and secondly, because dust was the food of the cursed serpent, Gen. 3. 14. and so might signify, that if she had harkened to his temptations • he should be partaker of his curse. Withall it was holy dust▪dust of the • loore of the tabernacle (as the ground whereon Moses • tood, Exod. 3. 5. was holy g • ound) that it might be the more terrible, and teach her to fear judgment from the Lord.

The uncovering of the head was a sign of sorrow, Levite. 21. 10. And he that is the high priest among his brethr • n, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, shall not uncover his head nor rend his clothes; and to have her head bare in such an assembly was a shame, 1. Cor. 11. 6. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn; but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. The covering of this woman's head was therefore pulled off by the priest, first, to show the sad and woeful condition this woman was now in; secondly, by the shame hereof to make other women careful so to carry themselves that they might not give any occasion of suspicion to their husbands; thirdly, and chi • fly, to signify, that it was in vain any longer to hide her sin, if she were guilty, because God would now lay • er open, and discover to the eyes of all Israel whether or no she were faul • y.

It is called the bitter water, from the effe • t, because it caused the curse: to express • which the better it was no doubt made unpleasing to the taste by the dust put • nto it.

That • s, the Lord make thee such a fearful example of his wrath and indignation by causing thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell, that in time to come when any of thy people would use a fearful curse or imprecation upon any, they may therein make mention of thee, desiring that such plagues and mis • ries might fall upon them • s fell upon such a woman, that being guilty of adultery did yet drink the water of jealousy. The like • xpression we have, Jer. 29. 22.

And so God should punish her in •• ose very parts which had been abused in the service of • inne.

This word of consent is doubled, to show the fervency of her zeal, the innocence of her cause, the uprightness of her conscience, and the purity of her heart.

That is, he shall write them in a scroll of parchment, and then wash and scrape them off into the water. And this, I conceive, was done, to assure the woman that the curse threat • ed should surely fall upon her, if she were guilty; and that because though there were no nat • r ll cause why this water thus • ingled with dust should have such a •• range operation, yet the word written should cause the water to work this effect. And therefore as sure as she saw the writing of that scroll washed off into the cup, so sure she mig • t be that the • urse from the word should, as I may say, pass into the water, and in that water should pass into her bowels.

To wi • , after she had offered the jealous-offering; for it is evident in the following verse, that first the priest did take out of her hand and offer her meat-offering for her, verse. 25, 26. and then afterwards he made her to drink the bitter water, verse. 27.

See • he note upon Levite. 22.

That is, the drinking this water shall no wi • e hurt her, insomuch that she • hall be as capable of bringing forth children as ever she was before; whereas the guilty woman should by drinking the water be utterly disabled forever conceiving with child by reason of those • ad effects it should work in he • body, the innocent woman should be free from all such inconveniencies, and should conceive and bring forth children as formerly. This may well be taken to be most probably the full meaning of the words; yet the most of Expositors judge that there is far more intended thereby, to wit, that there is a promise here made to the innocent wi • e as by way of recompense from the Lord for the shame she should undergo by being so unjustly suspected, to wit, that upon the drinking of this water she should not fail to conceive and bring forth children to her husband that was then bound to receive her to favor again, yea though before she had been barren.

That is, whereas if the husband should nouri • h jealous thoughts in his mind concerning his wife, and thereupon either cast her off, or any way oppress her, this would be sin to him; if on the other side he should take this legal way to find out whether his wife were faulty or no, he should be guiltless whatever the event should be: if upon the drinking the water, her belly should swell and her thighs rot, her miseries should no way be impu • ed to him, but must lie upon his wife, who by her uncleanness and impudent denial of it had drawn this judgment upon herself; and on the other side, if the woman upon •• is trial should be found innocent, the husband must not be liable to any censure • or it, because he only used the liberty given him of God for the discovery of the tr • th, the blame, if any, must lie upon the wife who had given occasion of suspicion to her h • sband, and so still • aith the text, the woman shall bear her iniquity. And indeed i • is most probable that husbands were not admitted to bring their wives to this trial unless they could show that their wives had given some cause of jealousy, though they could not prove them guilty of adultery, in which case no wonder at all it is though the husband were judged guiltless in bringing his wife to this trial, and all the fault laid upon the wife, what ever the event of the trial was.

CHAP. VI.

Having ordered those things that concerned his people in general the Lord now takes order for those who desired to be more nearly and closely bound to God by a special vow, to wit, what they should do who desired by vow to separate themselves from the ordinary course of men, that they might the more freely and wholly dedicate themselves to God, that is, to a more strict and pure course of serving of God then other men used, and were therefore called Nazarites, that js, men or women separate from others and bound to a peculiar profession or course of life. These God here allows, first, that their example might allure others to strict holiness, these being the miroirs of their times, and admired amongst the people, Lam. 4. 7. Her Nazarites were purer then snow, they were whiter then milk; and secondly, that they might be types and shadows of Christ, who was indeed the true Nazarite, even holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners, Heb. 7. 26. and was therefore by the providence of God (though upon another ground, namely his dwelling in Nazareth) called a Nazaren or a Nazarite, Matth. 2. 23. But withal God prescribes laws to these men and women to prevent the excess of superstition.

Because the Nazarites were to give themselves wholly to the service of God during the time of their separation, therefore as the priests were forbidden the drinking of wine or strong drink when they were to go into the tabernacle of the congregation, Levite. 10. 9, so were the Nazarites also; yea the drinking or eating of anything that came of the vine, vinegar, or raisons, &c. thereby also to signify their full and pe • fect renouncing of all worldly pleasures, or anything tending thereto, and how exactly careful we ought to be not only to avoid all evil, but also to abstain from all appearance of evil, 1. Thess. 5. 22. But yet still we must note that both this and the other laws following these Nazarites were bound to observe only during the days of their separation, as is expressed verse. 4. 5, 6. There were indeed some Nazarites perpetual during their whole life, such as were Samuel, 1. Sam. 1. 28. and Samson, Judge. 13. 7. and these were Nazarites by commandment, not vow. But these Nazarites, concerning whom these laws are given, were such as did of their own accord take upon them the vow of a Nazarite for some certain days, some for a longer time, some for a shorter, as they pleased themselves.

To wit, that his hair being kept thus uncut might be a memorial to him of his separation and consecration unto the Lord, and therefore in the next words it follows, Untill the days be fulfilled in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy: for indeed the chief thing that God required of these Nazarites was inward and spiritual holiness, these outward ceremonies being but only signs and remembrances of that, and without that nothing but mere vanity. That this law is to be understood only of men, and not of women Nazarites (of whom mention was also made in the beginning of the chapter) we may easily conceive, because their hair was always kept uncut, and so could not be to them a memorial of their consecration. But for men Nazarites this was enjoined as a memorial of their consecration, and that for these reasons, as may be probably conceived: First, that it might be a sign of their cleanness from pollutions: for when the Nazarites casually defiled, verse. 9. or the Leper, Levite. 14. 8. 9. were cleansed from theirimpurity, their hair was shaven off; and therefore the Nazarites keeping his hair from shaving was a sign that he had kept himself from being defiled: Secondly, that it might be a sign of their special subjection to God, as the woman's long hair is a sign of her subjection to her husband, 1. Cor. 11. 5, 10. Thirdly, that the neglect of trimming their hair might be a sign of the neglect of the outward adorning of the • r bodies, and how wholly they were intent upon the service of God and the adorning of their souls, that they were mortified to all worldly delights, and only taken up with spiritual and heavenly things.

Namely by touching, mourning for, or burying them: wherein as much exactness was required of the Nazarite as was required of the high priest, Levite. 21. 11. and thus by avoiding these legal impurities they were taught what exactness of spirit • all purity and holiness God required of them: for this refraining from the dead (in whom the image as it were of God's curse for sin was to be seen, for the wages of sin is death, Rom. 6. 23.) figured our abstaining from sinful and dead works, that we may keep ourselves unspotted of the world, pure and undefiled before God, Jam. 1. 27. Besides, this taught them to moderate their affections and sorrow for their earthly friends, that they might be holy to their father in heaven.

That is, because the sign of his consecration is upon his head, to wit, his long hair.

The hair of the Nazarites was as it were a holy thing consecrate to God, as being the sign sanctified or set apart to be a memorial of that strict vow of singular holiness, whereby he had bound himself: this being therefore defiled, it was to be shaven off, that new hair might come in the room; whereby was signified how strict God is in exacting purity in those that consecrate themselves to his service. And this must be done on the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day: for this last clause, on the seventh day shall he shave it, is added by way of explaining the clause before, in the day of his cleansing; for the seventh day was the usual day of cleansing for those that were defiled by the dead, as we may see, chap. 10. 11, 12.

Though it were no fault in the Nazarite that a man should die very suddenly by him, yet because it was contrary to the Law that enjoined the Nazarite not to come nigh any dead body, therefore he was to bring a sin-offering for his cleansing.

That is, he shall begin anew to consecrate unto God the very same number of days which before his defiling he had vowed unto God.

By this trespass-offering (which also figured Christ) he was prepared for the observations of his renewed vow; because all grace and ability to do good is of God obtained by Christ Jesus our Lord.

That is, this that follows is the Law that must be observed by the Nazarite, when he hath fulfilled his vow, and is to be discharged thereof in an orderly manner. Which Law, it is conceived, the Apostle Paul was persuaded to observe, to decline the offense of the Jews, Acts 21. 26.

Those offerings the Nazarite was to offer when he had fulfilled the days of his separation, and was now to be freed from his vow, 1. by way of thankfulness to God, as acknowledging that it was through his grace that he had been enabled to fulfill his Nazarites vow; and 2. to make atonement thereby for his sins committed under his vow, thereby also confessing that, notwithstanding his strictest endeavors after holiness, he had failed many ways if God in Christ should not be merciful to him.