Altar See Dilheirus Disput Philolog Tom. 2. p. 253. Ver. 6. Verse 6 And he shall flay the Burnt-offering Next followed the taking off the Skin which God ordered to be given to the Priests VII 8. Though the Heathen burnt Skin and all in some places as Bochart observes out of Plutarch and Lucian in the fore-named place Hieroz P. I. L. II. p. 324. But whose work it was to flay the Beast is not here expressed The Jews say it belonged not to the Priests to do this but to the Man himself who brought the Beast to be offered For to show in brief what belonged to the owners of the Sacrifice and what to the Priests it may be fit to note out of Abarbanel that each of them had five things to do The Owner of the Sacrifice laid his hand upon it killed flayed cut it up and washt the inwards And then the Priest received the Blood in a Vessel sprinkled the Blood put fire on the Altar ordered the Wood on the fire and ordered the pieces of the Sacrifice upon the Wood. And that the Beast might more easily be flayed there were eight Stone Pillars as the Jews tells us in Middoth cap. 3. and Beams laid over them in each of which there were three Iron hooks fixed That the greater Beasts might hang upon the highest the lesser upon the middlemost and the least of all on the lowest and so be more commodiously stript of their Skins Concerning this Excoriation both Homer and Virgil speak as the afore-named Dilheirus hath observed in the same Book p. 255. And cut it into pieces This followed the Excoriation among the Gentiles also as the same Author shows And it was done with such accuracy that Homer saith they dissected the Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence some great Men have thought St. Paul borrowed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to express the Care the Ministers of the Gospel should have in dividing rightly the Word of Truth 2 Tim. II. 15. These pieces were not the very same in Bullocks and Goats that they were in Sheep as will appear afterwards and therefore the greater care was to be used in the cutting of them especially when besides those parts which were offered to God the Priests and the People were to have their share also Ver. 7. Verse 7 And the sons of Aaron the Priest shall put fire upon the Altar This as I said before was one of the works of the Priests who did not put fire daily upon the Altar for being once kindled they were to keep it always burning VI. 13. but stirred it up and blowed the Coals Which is meant by giving fire as the Phrase is in the Hebrew that is disposing it so that it might burn quick Yet if the fire was taken off from the Altar as when they removed the Camp IV Numb 14. none might lay it on again but the Priest Or if it were extinct as it was in the days of Ahaz who shut up the door of the House of God which was not opened till Hezekiah reigned 2 Chron. XXVIII 24. XXIX 34. none but they might kindle it again And lay the wood in order upon the fire This the Priests did every Morning and every Night that the fire might be preserved from going out And when the time of the Morning and Evening Sacrifice came they brought new Wood and laid it in such order upon the fire that it might the better consume the parts of the Sacrifice that were laid thereon Ver. 8. Verse 8 And the Priests Aarons sons shall lay the parts the head and the fat The Hebrew word Peder doth not simply signifie the Fat for which they have another word cheleb but that Fat which is separated from the rest of the Flesh So it is to be understood here and in III. 9. IV. 35. Which being gathered together and thrown into the fire fed the flame and made it burn more fiercely by which means the other parts into which the Sacrifice was divided were the more easily and the sooner consumed Particularly St. Hierom takes it for that Fat which adhered to the Liver and both Solomon Jarchi and David Kimchi observe that this Peder was thrown upon the Head of the Sacrifice when it was cast into the fire just in the place where the Head was cut off from the Body because otherwise the Gore which issued from it might have extinguished the flame See XXIX Exod. 17. In order upon the wood c. That they might lye upon the Wood so as to have the same situation in the Altar that they had in the Beast when it was alive So Maimonides in Maase Korban cap. 6. Verse 9. Verse 9 But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water These Parts were not to be burnt upon the Altar till they were well cleansed by washing them in Water For which end there was a private Room afterward in the Court of the Temple as now it is likely there was in the Tabernacle called the Washing Room as we find in Codex Middoth cap. 5. sect 2. There they having washed them privately and freed the Inwards from their filth they brought them into the Court where there were new Marble Tables between the Pillars before-mentioned v. 6. and there they were washed more exactly as we read in the same Book cap. 3. sect 5. Where Const. l'Empereur observes out of R. Hobadia the reason why they used to lay the Flesh upon such Tables was Because Marble made it cold and stiff and preserved it from stinking in very hot weather And the Priest shall burn all on the Altar From whence this Sacrifice is called ischeh an Offering made by fire from isch which signifies fire because it was altogether consumed in the fire and no part of it left so much as for the Priest to eat of it Of a sweet savour unto the LORD i. e. Most acceptable For it is a form of Speech taken from Men who are delighted with the good Scent and Taste of Meat and Drink But none can reasonably imagine it was the meer Sacrifice that was pleasing unto God but as Conrad Pellicanus well notes the Devotion Faith Obedience and Sincerity of their Minds who made the Oblation Ver. 10. Verse 10 And if his offering be of the flocks namely of the sheep or of the goats c. If a Man were not able to bring a Bullock for a Burnt-sacrifice which could not be so well spared being of great use in Agriculture he might bring one of these Creatures which were of less value only perfect in their kind as it here follows He shall bring it a male without blemish See XII Exod 5. What the Blemishes were that made any Animal unfit to be offered on the Altar Moses tells us in this Book XXII 22 23 24. where he mentions twelve which shall be there considered Ver. 11. Verse 11 And he shall kill it on the side of the Altar
Mr. Selden L. III. de Synedr cap. 11. n. 6. where he likewise observes that Chiskuni is of opinion that such of the Family of the Priests as were both excluded from their Ministry in the Sanctuary and from wearing the holy Garments by reason of some defect in their Bodies were permitted to perform this Office of carrying away the Ashes And carry forth the Ashes without the Camp into a clean place See IV. 12. The fore-mentioned Rasi will have it that they needed not to take away all the Ashes every day but only a shovel full which they laid beside the Altar And when the hollow place of the Altar was so full that there was no room to lay on the Wood they were bound to empty it and carry all the Ashes away Ver. 12. Verse 12 And the fire upon the Altar shall be burning in it it shall not be put out This Precept is repeated again in the next Verse as it was mentioned once before v. 9. For which there is a just reason as Abarbanel makes account For in the ninth Verse he requires that the Wood for the Evening Sacrifice should be so ordered and attended that the fire might be kept in till the Morning And then here in this Verse he requires there should such care be used in taking away the Ashes that the fire might still remain and not be extinguished After which speaking of the Morning Sacrifice in the latter part of this Verse he requires in the next v. 13. that such a quantity of Wood should be laid on the Altar when they offered it that the fire might be kept in till the Evening Sacrifice or that if there were any extraordinary Sacrifices brought besides the daily Burnt-offering the Priests should still add more Wood that the fire might not be put out by that means but be able to devour them And the Priest shall burn wood on it every morning c. The Hebrew word for Wood being in the Plural Number R. Levi of Barcelona concludes there were more bundles than one brought in every day And from this place and I. 7. he gathers there were three The first of which he calls the great heap with which the daily Sacrifice and the rest for which there was occasion were offered of which he thinks Moses speaks in the ninth Verse of this Chapter The second was lesser which was laid at the side of the other that they might have Coals for the burning Incense and this he thinks intended here And the third was meerly to keep in the fire perpetually of which he thinks Moses speaks in the next Verse The Misna also tells us that there being seven Gates to the great Court of the Sanctuary three on the North and as many on the South and one at the East the first on the South-side was called the Gate of burning because at that Gate they brought in the Wood which was to preserve the fire perpetually on the Altar See Codex Middoth cap. 1. sect 4. And he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace-offerings This fat of the Peace-offerings was to be burnt together with the Burnt-offering and not separate from it by which means the Burnt-offering was the sooner consumed and more room was made for other occasional Sacrifices Ver. 13. Verse 13 And the fire shall be ever burning upon the Altar This fire was not kindled by the Priests but by God himself who sent it from Heaven to consume the first Sacrifice that was offered by Aaron IX ult From which time they were bound to take care that it never went out that so their Sacrifices might be constantly offered by Celestial fire because it was the continuation of that fire which came from Heaven by a continual addition of Fewel whereby it was preserved And so it continued as the Jews affirm till the Captivity of Babylon and after it as some of them would have us believe who fancy it was preserved in a Pit by the care of some religious Priests till their return though against the common Tradition among them which is That there was no sacred fire in the second Temple for they reckon this among the five things which were wanting there and had been in the first And as for the constant continuance of this fire there was care taken that wood should be laid up in the Temple for the maintenance of it so in order thereunto there was a certain set time when the People were obliged to carry wood thither which made a kind of Festival called by Josephus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. II. de Bello Judaico cap. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. it being the Feast of the Wood-carrying when it was the custom for all to bring up Wood for the Altar that there might be no want of Fewel for the fire which was never to go out It shall never go out This was a thing so famous that it was imitated among the Gentiles who thought it ominous to have their Sacred fire go out and therefore appointed Persons on purpose to watch it and keep it perpetually burning as appears by the Vestal Virgins at Rome whose great business it was to look after the Eternal fire as they called it imagining the extinction of it purported 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the destruction of the City as Dionysius Halicarn speaks This Institution is ascribed both by him and by Plutarch unto Romulus into whose History many things were translated by the ancient Pagans out of these Sacred Records of Moses as the Learned Huetius hath made probable in his Demonstratio Evangel Propos IV. cap. 9. n. 8. The Greeks also preserved such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inextinguishable fire at Delph and the Persians in like manner and many other People as Bochartus hath shown in his Hierozoicon P. I. L. II. cap. 35. and Dilheirus before him in a special Dissertation as he calls it de Catozelia Gentilium cap. 11. where he hath heaped up a great deal to this purpose and among other things hath this conjecture that the Grecian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Roman Vesta had their Names from the Hebrew word Esch or the Chaldean Escha which signifie fire The conjecture of David Chytraeus also is no less ingenious who derives those Names from Eschgal the fire of the LORD Ver. 14. Verse 14 And this is the law of the meat-offering He doth not speak of the Offerings which accompanied the daily Burnt-offerings but of those which were offered alone mentioned in the second Chapter Where directions are given of what they should consist and also how much the Priest should have for his portion but here are some things added concerning the place where they should be eaten by the Priests and concerning those Meat-offerings which were peculiarly to be offered for themselves The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD before the Altar Or rather upon the Altar for so the Hebrew phrase on the face of the Altar signifies Or else
XL Exod. 34 35. openly showed it self to them all v. 23. and declared his Grace and Favour towards them by consuming their Sacrifice as an acceptable Oblation to him v. 24. Whereby a particular Honour also was done unto Aaron who was hereby most illustriously owned to be God's High-Priest and all other Persons deterred from pretending to his Office Ver. 7. Verse 7 And Moses said unto Aaron Go unto the Altar and offer thy sin-offering and thy burnt-offering One of them after the other in the order wherein they were directed viz. his Sin-offering first to make his Burnt-offering accepted Make an atonement for thy self and for the people First for himself as the Apostle observes VII Hebr. 27. that then he might be capable to offer for the Sins of the People This was the great imperfection of the Aaronical Priests that they were Sinners like other Men by reason whereof they were bound as for the people so also for themselves to offer for sins V Hebr. 3. And offer the offering of the people and make an atonement for them After he had offered both the Sin-offering v. 8. and the Burnt-offering v. 13. for himself then he was to begin to offer for the People For his own Sins being expiated and his Burnt-offering being accepted he was fit to procure Remission and Acceptance for them Ver. 8. Verse 8 Aaron therefore went unto the Altar That he might be ready to perform his part of the Service which was to sprinkle the Blood after he had first of all offered the Morning Sacrifice See v. 17. And slew the Calf of the sin-offering which was for himself Ordered it to be slain for this was no part of the Priests work as I showed upon the first Chapter v. 5. Ver. 9. Verse 9 And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him They received it in Basons as it run from the Calf when it was killed See I. 5. and brought it unto him who stood at the Altar to receive it and do what follows And he dipt his finger in the blood The fore-finger of the right hand which had been sanctified to this Ministry by putting the Blood of the Sacrifice of Consecration upon the thumb of the right hand VIII 23 24. whereby we grasp all things and cannot hold them strongly nor perform any thing well if that be wanting And put it upon the horns of the Altar c. See IV. 25. Ver. 10. Verse 10 But the fat and the kidneys and the caul above the liver See IV. 8 9. He burnt upon the Altar as the LORD commanded Moses Laid or disposed them upon the Altar to be burnt by the heavenly fire v. 24. as most understand it And the LXX justifie this Opinion who though they here translate it He offered it on the Altar yet v. 13. where there is the same phrase they expresly translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he laid the Burnt-offering upon the Altar and again v. 17. in the same manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he laid it upon the Altar besides the burnt-sacrifice of the morning For common fire it is supposed was no longer to be used when Aaron's Sacrifice began as it had been all along before But there is no certainty in this and we may as well take the words in their proper sense that Aaron burnt this and the following Sacrifice as Moses had done before VIII 14 21 28. until the Burnt-offering for the People came to be offered which God consumed by fire from himself and then followed those other Sacrifices mentioned v. 17 18. For all these Sacrifices for Aaron and for the People could not be laid upon the Altar at once but one after another in the order here directed and consequently this Sacrifice here mentioned was actually burnt upon the Altar to make way for those which followed it Ver. 11. Verse 11 And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp See VIII 17. Ver. 12. Verse 12 And he slew the burnt-offering and Aaron's sons presented to him the blood c. See I. 5. Ver. 13 14. Verse 13 14. And they presented the burnt-offering unto him with the pieces thereof c. All that is contained in these two Verses is explained in the first Chapter v. 8 9. where the Law about burnt-offerings is delivered Ver. 15. Verse 15 And he brought the peoples sin-offering c. Having offered all that was necessary for himself now he became fit to make Supplication for the People And offered it for sin as the first In the same manner as he offered the foregoing Sin-offering for himself v. 8 c. Ver. 16. Verse 16 And he brought the burnt-offering Here being no express mention of burning it some from thence conclude that this was the Offering which alone was consumed by fire from the LORD See v. 24. And offered it according to the manner Laid it upon the Altar as Moses had directed in the first Chapter of this Book Ver. 17. And he brought the meat-offering c. Which attended upon Burnt-offerings XV Numb 2 3 4 c. Beside the burnt-offering of the morning This shows that Aaron began his Priestly Function with the Morning Sacrifice which preceded all other and was never omitted for the sake of any other Sacrifice that was to follow it and it had always a Meat-offering waiting upon it XXIX Exod. 39 40. Ver. 18 19. Verse 18 19. He slew also the Bullock and the Ram for a sacrifice of peace-offerings These two Verses are explained in the third Chapter which treats of such kind of Offerings Ver. 20. Verse 20 And he put the fat upon the beasts c. That it might by elevation and waving be presented unto the LORD and then burnt upon the Altar See VII 30. Ver. 21. Verse 21 And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave-offering before the LORD The Fat being burnt upon the Altar as God's portion these were the portion of the Priests who feasted upon God's Meat for they were solemnly presented unto him before they had them See VII 34. Ver. 22. Verse 22 And Aaron lifted up his hands towards the people Imploring the Divine Blessing upon the People which he afterwards pronounced At this day they that are of the Family of Aaron going up the steps which lead to the place where the Book of the Law is kept lift up their hands as high as their heads and pronounce a Blessing in their Synagogues upon the Assembly And they say the ancient Custom was which is still observed not only to lift up and spread their hands but then to joyn them together by the thumbs and the two fore-fingers dividing the other from them in that Figure which is represented by an eminently learned Person J. Wagenseil in his Commentary upon Sota cap. 7. p. 672. and 1132. And blessed them We read of no order for this but natural Reason taught them from the beginning that the Priestly Office consisted in praying
for the People and Blessing them We find an Example of it in XIV Gen. 18 19. And not long after Aaron's Consecration Moses delivered from God a form of words wherein the Priests should bless the People VI Numb 24. And at this day there is nothing done among the Jews with such Solemnity and in which they place so much Sanctity as this For when the Blessing is pronounced in their Synagogues they all cover their Faces believing they would be struck blind if they should look up because the Divine Majesty at that time sits upon the hands of the Priest So the same Wagenseil observes in the place above-named which shows not only how laborious they have been to maintain in the Peoples minds an opinion that God is still as much present with them in their Synagogues as he was anciently in the Tabernacle and Temple but how high a value they set upon the Divine Blessing pronounced by his Ministers And came down from offering the sin-offering and the burnt-offering and peace-offerings He pronounced the Blessing before he came down from the Altar which stood upon raised Ground though there were no steps to it XX Exod. 26. that all the People might the better see what was done while he offered all these Sacrifices for them and lift up his hands to implore God's Blessing upon them Ver. 23. Verse 23 And Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle of the Congregation The Sacrifice being ended it is likely Moses went with Aaron into the Sanctuary to instruct him how to sprinkle the Blood and to burn Incense and order the Shew-bread and such like things as were to be done only in the Holy Place And came out and blessed the people I suppose that all the Sacrifices before-mentioned might be offered after the Morning Sacrifice v. 17. which took up a great deal of time before they were all compleated After which Moses and Aaron went into the Sanctuary and stayed there till the time of the Evening Sacrifice and then came out and dismissed the People with a new Blessing when the Evening Sacrifice was finished And the Glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people That Glory which filled the Tabernacle XL Exod. 34 35. now appeared without either at the door of it or upon it in the sight of all the People as Moses had foretold v. 6. Ver. 24. Verse 24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD Either out of the Sanctuary from the Holy of Holies or from that Glory which now appeared unto them and sent out flashes of fire which burnt up the Sacrifice In either of these senses it may be said to come from the face of the LORD as the Hebrew phrase is And consumed upon the Altar the burnt-offering and the fat It seems to me most natural and easie to take this Burnt-offering and its Fat for the Evening Sacrifice which concluding the work of this day God gave a special Token of his acceptance of all the other Sacrifices by consuming this and likewise publickly testified his approbation of all the fore-mentioned Rites of the Ministry of Aaron whose Authority was hereby established in a miraculous manner To confirm this it may be noted that as the place which God chose for his Worship and Service was afterward designed in the time of David after the very same manner 1 Chron. XXI 26. So it was at the time of the Evening Sacrifice as may be gathered from 2 Sam. XXIV 15. where it is said the Pestilence continued from Morning to the time appointed that is to the Evening and then David saw the Angel who commanded Gad to bid him set up the Altar in the Threshing-floor of Araunah where God answering him by fire from Heaven it made him say This is the House of God and this is the Altar of Burnt-offering 1 Chron. XX. II. 1. And when Solomon built the Temple in that very place it was thus consecrated by fire coming from Heaven and consuming the Burnt-sacrifice as well as by the Glory of the LORD filling the House 2 Chron. VII 1 2 3. And it is very probable also that this was at the time of the Evening Sacrifice for the former part of the day had been spent in bringing the Ark into the House of the LORD and in Solomon's Prayer as we read in the two foregoing Chapters Certain it is that the Authority of Elijah to restore God's true Religion and Worship was thus justified 1 Kings XVIII 38 39. and it was at the time of the offering the Evening Sacrifice v. 36. From whence that Prayer of the Psalmist CXLI Psal 2. Let the lifting up of my hands be as the evening sacrifice All this was so notorious that Julian himself acknowledges that fire came down from Heaven in the time of Moses and again in the days of Elijah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consuming the Sacrifices as we find his words related by St. Cyril L. X. contra Julianum And this gave such a Divine Authority to the Jewish Religion that it is no wonder to find that the Pagans indeavoured to get credit to their Religion by the like reports of fire from an invisible Power consuming their Sacrifices which perhaps was sometimes really done by the Prince of the Power of the Air as the Apostle calls the Devil However that be there are several Instances of this in Pausanias Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Valerius Maximus and Pliny But Servius may serve instead of all who upon those words of Virgil in Aeneid XII faedera fulmine sancit saith that anciently they did not kindle fires upon their Altars sed ignem divinum precibus eliciebant c. but they procured by their Prayers Divine fire which inflamed their Altars And Solinus saith cap. 11. that the flame sprung out of the Wood by a Divine Power Si Deus adest si sacrum probatur Sarmenta licet viridia ignem sponte concipiunt c. If God be present if the Sacrifice be acceptable the Faggots though green kindle of themselves and without any one to set them on fire a flame is raised by the Deity to whom the Sacrifice is offered Thus there rose up fire out of the rock and consumed Gideon's Sacrifice VI Judg. 21. They that would see more of this out of Pagan Writers may consult J. Dilherrus Dissert Special de Cacozelia Gentil cap. 11. But especially Huetius in his Alnetanae Quaestiones L. II. cap. 12. n. 21. But whether this Fire which now came from before the LORD consumed Aaron's Sacrifice instantly or only set it into a flame which consumed it leisurely in the sight of all the People cannot certainly be determined The Jews seem to suppose the latter the heavenly fire being now kindled which continued ever after by a constant supply of Fewel whereby it was kept perpetually burning as is ordained VI. 12 13. See Note on that place Where to me it seems very observable that this Law of keeping in the fire perpetually is ordered to
be put in execution at the Evening Sacrifice v. 9. of that Chapter Which is a sufficient Reason to incline one to think that the Celestial Fire now came as I have supposed at the Evening Sacrifice and consumed the Burnt-offering Which when all the people saw they shouted They fled not from it as Men affrighted but shouted for joy or as Abarbanel's phrase is they lifted up their voices with singing and prayed to God or rather praised him Just as they did when the Fire came down at the Consecration of Solomon's Temple When the people saw it they praised the LORD saying for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever 2 Chron. VII 3. And fell on their faces Worshipped God with humble Thankfulness who hereby testified his Presence among them and his gracious Acceptance of them For thus he had of old showed his Respect to Abel IV Gen. 4. and to Noah VII 20. and to their Father Abraham whose Sacrifice was thus accepted in the Evening when the Sun went down XV Gen. 17. And there was great reason that both Priests and People should rejoyce at this sight For as the Author of the Book Cosri discourses Pars III. sect 53. if a Man look only at the foregoing part of the Work of this day the killing of the Sacrifices the Blood running about their hands their slaying of them washing the Entrails rinsing the Pieces of the Flesh sprinkling the Blood laying the Wood in order kindling the Fire they would rather set his Mind further off from God than draw it near to him till after all these things performed orderly he saw the Fire coming down from Heaven testifying God's gracious acceptance of the Sacrifice or felt another Spirit excited in him beyond any thing he was acquainted withal before or had Divine Dreams or Heroical Motions which he believed were the Effects of what he had been doing c. And no doubt all good Men in future Ages felt their Minds raised by the thoughts that the Sacrifices they offered were as acceptable to God as that offered at this time being consumed in some sort by the same Fire which burnt continually on this Altar and after this day was never extinguished till the Captivity Which seems to be the Original of that Expression of the People in their Prayer for their King That God would remember all his Offerings and accept turn to ashes it is in the Hebrew his burnt Sacrifice XXI Psal 3. Such acceptable Sacrifices St. Cyril tells Julian we Christians still offer but infinitely better being Spiritual and Intellectual and consequently nearer to the Divine Nature and that by Fire sent from Heaven viz. the Holy Ghost of whom this Fire was but a Figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illustrating the Church and inabling the Members of it to offer continually the sweet smelling Sacrifices of Faith and Hope and Charity and Righteousness Temperance Obedience perpetual Doxologies and all other Vertues L. X. contr Jul. CHAP. X. Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron His two eldest Sons VI Exod. 23. Took either of them his Censer Here are two of their Errors expressed in these words if Abarbanel conjecture aright who supposes this to have hapned on the last day of their Consecration when Fire came down from Heaven First That they adventured without any order from God to go and burn Incense in the Sanctuary For though this did not belong to the Office of the High-Priest alone yet upon this Solemn Day Aaron only was commanded to perform the whole Service as upon the Day of Expiation IX 7. And this account Bochartus gives of their Offence that sine vocatione thus obtulerunt they offered Incense without any call to it Hierozoic P. I. L. II. cap. 49. p. 557. And secondly both of them went about this Work whereas the Incense was to be offered only by one and not by two at a time Procopius Gazaeus adds a third Error that they attempt this out of the due season for it which was only in the Morning and Evening And put fire thereon As the Priests were required to offer no strange Incense XXX Exod. 9. so in all reason they were to think it was not to be offered with strange fire but only with a Coal from that Altar where there was a fire kindled by God himself And offered strange fire before the LORD Here are two sins more if Abarbanel take it right that they brought Fire from another place without the Sanctuary and did not take it from the Altar and then that they attempted to go into the most holy place which he thinks is signified by these words before the LORD The first of these is the Opinion also of Aben-Ezra and other learned Men among the Jews who by strange fire understand fire that did not go out from before the LORD IX 24. that is was not taken from the Altar of Burnt-offering where Fire from Heaven lately consumed their Oblations And so R. Bechai They imagined that the Fire on the Altar of Burnt-offerings was only for consuming Sacrifices and therefore they fetcht some from without for the burning Incense But as to the second thing it doth not seem to me probable for Aaron himself had not yet gone into the Holy of Holies Which he commanded them not This they did saith Aben-Ezra from their own proper Motion and Opinion without any Authority from God for whose order they should have waited if his Mind was not already sufficiently declared as it was fully afterwards XVI 12. How two such excellent Men as these who had had the honour to be called up to God when he appeared on Mount Sinai and to have a sight of him and to eat and drink in his Presence XXIV Exod. 1 9 10 c. came to be so rash and to fall so unadvisedly into so great an Error as this here mentioned cannot be certainly resolved But it seems to me highly probable that at the Feast upon the Peace-offerings they had eaten and drunk too liberally which made them forget themselves and fall into this gross mistake For I can see no other reason why that Command v. 8. of not drinking Wine or strong Drink when the Priests were to go into the Sanctuary is annexed unto this story of their Death and Burial but only this which I have now alledged that their Miscarriage arose from drinking too much Wine before this Office was to be performed Ver. 2. Verse 2 And there went out fire from the LORD As they were entring into the Sanctuary or as they stood at the Golden Altar ready to offer Incense Fire came out from the most Holy Place where the Glory of the LORD was and struck them dead And devoured them It did not reduce their Bodies to Ashes nor so much as burn their Clothes v. 5. but they were killed as Men sometimes are with Lightning which penetrates into the Vital Parts and puts a sudden end to their Life That 's meant
offend against this Precept if before they went into the Sanctuary they drank no more than the fourth part of a Log which contained an Egg-shell and an half If they exceeded this measure then their Ministry they say was profaned and they were liable to death by the hand of Heaven See R. Levi of Barcelona Praecept CLVIII who hath many Niceties about this matter as hath also Maimonides mentioned by the learned Dr. Outram in his Book de Sacrificiis Lib. I. cap. 6. n. 9. Lest ye die As their Brethren did See upon v. 1. where I observed it to be very probable that they were burnt with Fire from the LORD upon this account They that think it worth their while may see after what manner the Cabbalists make out this and what Reflections they make upon it in Theod. Hackspan's Cabala Judaica n. 144 145. It shall be a statute for ever throughout your Generations And such a Law there was in some Heathen Countries that no Magistrate all the year he was in Office nor any Judge while he was in Action and Employment should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so much as taste a drop of Wine So Plato tells us with which Eusebius compares this Law of Moses Lib. XII Praepar Evang. cap. 25. And Chaeremon the Stoick describing in Porphery's Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. IV. the Diet of the Egyptian Priests tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some of them drunk no Wine at all and others very little Ver. 10. Verse 10 That ye may put a difference between holy and unholy between clean and unclean Here is the ground and reason of this Precept that they might have their Wits about them as we speak and preserve their Minds from being clouded as Nabad's and Abihu's were who put no difference between holy Fire and common and so be able both to put a difference as the first words may be translated between holy and unholy c. and also to teach the People all the Statutes which God had delivered to them as it follows in the next Verse And here it must be observed that as some days and places were more holy than others so were some parts of the Sacrifices also which they might not eat themselves but were reserved for the Altar Some Beasts also were clean and others so unclean that they might neither be offered in Sacrifice nor eaten at their common Tables XI 47. Some Men and Women also were so unclean that they were not to be admitted into their ordinary Conversation much less into the Sanctuary Chap. XII XIII Of all which the Priests were the Judges and therefore had need to be perfectly sober that they might make an accurate difference between one thing and another And for such a like reason it was the Egyptian Priests were so abstemious in drinking Wine because they looked upon it as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an impediment to the finding out of Truth So Chaeremon speaks in the forementioned Book Ver. 11. Verse 11 And that ye may teach the Children of Israel all the Statutes c. Which concern the Rites and Ceremonies of God's Worship Ver. 12. Verse 12 And Moses spake unto Aaron and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar his sons that were left This was still spoken on the same day a little after what he had said to them v. 6 7. Take the meat-offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire c. He seems to have been afraid that Aaron's grief for the loss of his Sons might have so disturbed his Mind as to have made him negligent in some part of his duty or that Eleazar and Ithamar through mistake or forgetfulness might have offended against some of the Laws lately delivered about Sacrifices which therefore he here repeats that they might be exactly observed And in the first place that they should eat what remained of the meat-offering as was commanded VI. 16. Where it is required also as it is here to be eaten without leaven and beside the Altar in the Court of the Tabernacle of the Congregation as it is there expressed For it is most holy See there VI. 17. Ver. 13. Verse 13 And ye shall eat it in the holy place This he repeats because they might possibly have forgotten it or not sufficiently attended to the difference between things most holy and things only holy The former of which the Priests alone might eat and that only in the holy place the other all their Family might eat as he saith in the next Verse in any place that was clean Because it is thy due and thy sons due c. No body might eat it but holy Persons for so God directed Chapt. II. 3. VI. 16 17 18. VII 9 10. Ver. 14. Verse 14 The wave-breast and the heave-shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place They were not bound to eat these in the Court of the Tabernacle as in the former case v. 13. but in any part of the Camp that was not defiled Thou and thy sons and thy daughters with thee These being those which the Jews call lighter holy things might be eaten by the whole Family as was before observed For they be thy due and thy sons due which are given you out of the sacrifice of peace-offerings of the Children of Israel They were bestowed upon them by an express Grant VII 34. where though only his Sons be mentioned as they are here yet it is plain all of their Family who were clean might eat of these things See upon VII 19. Ver. 15. Verse 15 The heave-shoulder and the wave-breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat to wave it for a wave-offering before the LORD This also he inculcates again which had been said before VII 29 30. that they must take care first to wave these things before the LORD and to burn the Fat upon the Altar for till this was done they had no right to eat these things And it shall be thine and thy sons with thee When they had been presented to the LORD of the whole Earth and he had received his part these became theirs by an express Grant from him VII 32 33 34. By a statute for ever As long as such kind of Sacrifices should last Ver. 16. Verse 16 And Moses diligently sought the Goat of the sin-offering Which had been offered for the People IX 15. And behold it was burnt This justified Moses his suspicion and fear that some mistake might have been committed in other matters because he found upon a diligent inquisition that they had burnt upon the Altar those parts of the sin-offering which they ought to have eaten themselves VI. 26 29. In which it was the easier for them to mistake without diligent observation of Moses his directions because the sin-offering which had been offered for Aaron himself was just before wholly burnt without the Camp IX 11. and so were all the Sin-offerings for the High-Priest and for the whole Congregation
them carried the two rows of Bread six Cakes apiece and the other two carried each of them a golden Dish in which the Frankincense was set upon the Bread See Dr. Lightfoot of the Temple Service Chap. 14. sect 5. Being taken from the Children of Israel At whose charge they were provided though prepared by the Levites See X Nehem. 32 33. By an everlasting Covenant By vertue of that Command which they had all agreed to observe which required the Shew-bread to be set before the LORD alway XXIV Exod. 3. XXV 30. Ver. 9. Verse 9 And it shall be Aaron 's and his sons Who as God's Servants eat of the Bread which came from his Table And they shall eat it in the holy place For the most holy things could be eaten no where else See VI. 26 29. For it is most holy unto him See Chap. II. of this Book v. 3. Of the offerings of the LORD made by fire It need not seem strange that this Bread which was not burnt upon the Altar as Meat-offerings were should be reckoned among the Offerings made by fire for as the Altar where those Meat-offerings were burnt is called God's Table I Mal. 12. so this Table where the Shew-bread stood was really God's Altar Insomuch that the Bread which was set upon it before him was lookt upon as offered upon him and the Frankincense set upon the Bread as a part of it being really burnt it may be called an Offering made by fire Thus the Gentiles also as an excellent Person of our own hath observed thought Tables rightly dedicated unto their Gods to supply the place of Altars So Macrobius saith Lib. III. Saturnal cap. 11. it evidently appeared by Papyrian's Law That arae vicem praestare posse mensam dicatam a Table consecrated might serve instead of an Altar Of which he gives an instance in the Temple of Juno Populonia and then proceeds to give a reason for it because Altars and Tables eodem die quo aedes ipsae dedicari solent were wont to be dedicated on the same day with the Temples themselves From whence it was that a Table hoc ritu dedicata dedicated in this manner was of the same use in the Temple with an Altar See Dr. Owtram de Sacrificiis Lib. I. cap. 8. n. 7. By a perpetual statute As long as these Sacrifices lasted Ver. 10. Verse 10 And the son of an Israelitish woman whose father was an Egyptian went out among the Children of Israel In the Hebrew the words run thus And there went out the son of an Israelitish woman and he was the son of an Egyptian man in the midst of or among the Children of Israel Which last words signifie that though his Father was an Egyptian by birth yet he was become a Proselyte by Religion And was one of those it is probable who went along with the Israelites when God brought them out of Egypt XII Exod. 38. So R. Solomon Jarchi interprets this phrase Among the Children of Israel Hence saith he we learn that he was a Proselyte of Righteousness And Aben-Ezra to the same purpose He was received into the number of the Jews See a great many more in Mr. Selden Lib. II. de Synedriis cap. 1. numb 2. where he observes That it is the common Opinion of the Jews this Man was the Son of him whom Moses kill'd in Egypt II Exod. 12. And this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the Camp When God was delivering the foregoing Laws unto Moses this Case seems to have hapned And the Jews say the Controversie between these two was this The former looking upon himself as having a good right to it by his Mother came and endeavoured to set up a Tent among the Children of Dan in that place where their Tribe had pitched their Tents which was opposed by one of that Tribe who told him the right of his Mother would do him no service unless his Father had been an Israelite for the Law was II Numb 2. that every Man of the Children of Israel should pitch by his own Standard with the Ensign of their Father's House Which Law though given afterward yet they suppose was the Rule before by which this Man was condemned by those that heard the Cause to be in the wrong Ver. 11. Verse 11 And the Israelitish womans son blasphemed the Name of the LORD and cursed Sentence being given against him he uttered blasphemous words against God himself perhaps renounced the LORD and also cursed those Judges that had condemned him The Jews commonly think that this Blasphemy was his pronouncing the peculiar Name of God which he heard at Mount Sinai when the Law was given But this is a meer fancy for there were some reproachful words utter'd against God as well as against the Judges as appears from v. 15. And they themselves acknowledge that a Proselyte was guilty of death whether he cursed by the proper Name of God or any other as Mr. Selden shows Lib. II. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 12. Pellicanus thinks it probable that this Man mockt at the foregoing Laws which were delivered about the Worship of God and contemned God himself when he was told by whose Authority they were enacted And they brought him unto Moses If the occasion of their strife was such as the Jews imagine then Mr. Selden thinks it highly probable that the Cause had been heard and judged by some of the lesser Courts established by Jethro's advice XVIII Exod. 21 22. where the Blasphemy had been so plainly proved that he was convicted of it but they doubting about the Punishment of so high a Crime referred the consideration of that to Moses as the Supream Judge And his mothers name was Shelomith the daughter of Dibri of the Tribe of Dan. I see no reason of mentioning the name of the Woman from whom he was descended but that all might be satisfied of the Truth of this History Ver. 12. Verse 12 And they put him inward Committed him to Prison that he might be secured till his Punishment was declared That the mind of the LORD might be shewed them In the Hebrew the words are That it might be expounded to them viz. by Moses according to the mouth of the LORD that is as the LORD should declare to him And so Onkelos renders them Till the matter was expounded to them according to the sentance of the word of the LORD For it is noted here by a famous Commentator among the Jews as Mr. Selden observes in the place before mentioned Lib. II. de Synedr c. 1. that God was consulted about this matter because they did not know whether he was to die for this crime or whether his judgment was to be expected from the hand of Heaven or otherwise Whence Jarchi says they did not know whether he was guilty of death or not And so Theodoret Q. XXXIII in Lev. There was no Law as yet about this matter But there was
Neither mixed with Bread nor alone by themselves For Honey was a kind of Leaven and it is certain was used by the Heathen in their Religious Rites As appears not only from Maimonides who tells us in the place forenamed that they chose sweet things for their offerings and anointed their Sacrifices with Honey but from a great number of other Authors who make mention of it Particularly Plato who saith in his VI de Legibus that anciently Men did not Sacrifice living Creatures but only fine Flour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Fruits moistned with Honey And so Phylarchus tells us in Athenaeus his Deipnos L. XV. that the Greeks sacrificed Honey to the Sun which was the great God among the Gentiles but poured no Wine upon his Altars Which Polemon in Suidas calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sober Sacrifice because there was no Wine in it but Honey and Water mixed together Nay there was scarce any God among the Heathen to whom Honey was not offered as Bochartus hath shown at large in his Hierozoicon P. II. L. IV. c. 12. But one Testimony may serve for all which is from Pausanias in his Eliaca where having reckoned up at least fifty Altars in the Temple of Jupiter Olympius unto several Deities and some of them common to them all he saith They sacrificed upon every one of them once a Month after an ancient manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Frankincense and Wheat mingled with Honey Which being so common and ancient a thing among the Gentiles in their Idolatrous Worship was the reason it is likely that God forbad it to be used in his Sacrifices And under the name of Honey the Jews think Figs and Dates and all other sweet Fruits are comprehended For the famous Composition among the Egyptians called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was burnt every day Morning and Evening on their Altars consisted of such things as well as of Myrrh Calamus and Cardamum So Plutarch tells us in his Book de Iside Osir and mentions Honey in the first place with Wine and Raisins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ver. 12. Verse 12 As for the oblation of the first-fruits ye shall offer them unto the LORD but they shall not be burnt on the Altar for a sweet savour There were several sorts of First-fruits as I observed XXIII Exod. 19. That which is here spoken of was of the Corn unground only a little parcht at the fire which was to be presented unto God but not burnt on the Altar because they belong'd to the Priests Ver. 13. Verse 13 And every oblation of thy meat-offering shalt thou season with salt All the fore-named Mincha's which were Korbans as they are often here called were to be thus seasoned because Salt was a thing never wanting at any Table and all Meat is unsavoury without it Neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the Covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat-offerings It is called the Salt of the Covenant of God as some think because required by this Law which they covenanted with God to observe as much as to offer Sacrifices which were not acceptable without Salt as appears from the Repetition of it three times in this one Verse But there is a plainer reason than this which is That the Sacrifices being God's Feasts and they that did partake of them being his Guests who did in a manner eat and drink with him at his Table the Salt that was cast upon all Sacrifices as appears by the words following is called the Salt of the Covenant to signifie that as Men were wont to make Covenants by eating and drinking together where Salt is never wanting at their Tables but a necessary Appendix at every Feast so God by these Sacrifices and the Feasts upon them did ratifie and confirm his Covenant with those that did partake of them For Salt as is commonly observed being a constant concomitant of all Feasts and Covenants being made by eating and drinking at the same Table where Salt was ever used thence Salt it self was counted by the Ancients to be the Symbol of Friendship and proverbially used among the Greeks to express it By which other places may be explained about which some have bestowed vain labour XVIII Numb 19. 2 Chron. XIII 5. where the same words are used but inverted it being called a Covenant of Salt instead of the Salt of the Covenant because Covenants as I said were established by eating together where Salt is never wanting With all thine Offerings thou shalt offer salt Not only with the Minchas or Meat-offerings mentioned in this Chapter but with all other Sacrifices whatsoever Which is so solemnly enjoyned as Maimonides says in the place before-named because the Heathen did not use any Salt in their Sacrifices Which is not unreasonable to think since Honey with which Salt doth not well agree was in such constant use among them And therefore saith he God prohibited us to offer Leaven or Honey and commanded us with great seriousness to use Salt in all our Sacrifices That is as R. Levi of Barcelona explains it Praecept CXVI the Flesh of all Sacrifices was to be salted and the Meal of all Minchas For which he gives these two Reasons because nothing is grateful to the Palate without Salt which also preserves things from Corruption as the Sacrifices did their Souls from perishing Abarbanel saith the same And therefore whatsoever the Custom might be in ancient time among the Heathen in after Ages they learnt from Moses to use it in all their Sacrifices As appears from Pliny and Ovid and many other Authors the first of which says That Salt was so necessary that no Sacrifices were offered sine mola Salsa which every one knows the Greeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And among the Jews this Salt was not brought by him that offered the Sacrifice but was provided at the Publick Charge there being a Chamber in the Court of the Temple as we read in Middoth cap. 5. sect 2. called The Chamber of Salt Which was one of the three Rooms on the North-side of the Court as there were three other on the South-side for other uses where the Flesh of the Sacrifices were powdered as the Mincha's were seasoned at the very Altar And this was so necessary that though a Sacrifice was not lookt upon as null if the Priest neglected to salt it yet the want of it in the Mincha's as the Hebrew Doctors say made them void because it is here so expresly required in this Verse Thou shalt not suffer the Salt of the Covenant of thy God to be lacking in thy Meat-offering And whosoever offered any Sacrifice without Salt or with Honey or Leaven was beaten as Mr. Selden observes L. II. de Synedr cap. 13. Ver. 14. Verse 14 And if thou offer a Meat-offering of thy first-fruits unto the LORD thou shalt offer for thy Meat-offering c. This is very
the Altar of the burnt-offering Where after the building of the Temple there were two holes one on the West-side of the Altar the other on the South as the Jews tell us in Middoth cap. 3. sect 2. by which it was conveyed into a Canal under Ground through which it ran into the Brook Kidron And there was only this difference they say about these two holes that the Blood of the Sin-offering any part of which was carried into the most holy place was poured out only into that on the West-side of the Foundation of the Altar And if we may believe the Jews the Gardiners bought this Blood of those that were the Treasurers of the Temple to inrich their Ground with it as Constantine l'Empereur there observes And while they were in the Wilderness and all the time they had only a moveable Tabernacle it is most likely there were Receptacles made under Ground with Conveyances to some distant place where it sank into the Earth or was covered with Dust as other Blood is commanded to be XVII 13. For Maimonides thinks the pouring out the Blood so that it might not remain in one place which is constantly and strictly required by the Law was in opposition to an idolatrous Custom of the old Zabij who made a collection of the Blood in a Vessel or in a little Pit about which they sat and ate the Flesh imagining their Gods feasted upon the Blood as I noted before out of Maimonides More Nevoch P. III. cap. 46. Which is at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation For there was the place of it as hath been often observed XL Exod. 6. Ver. 8. Verse 8 And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin-offering c. All that follows in this and the two next Verses v. 9 10. is the same that was ordered to be done about Peace-offerings as appears from v. 10. See therefore the foregoing Chapter v. 3 4 5. Ver. 11. Verse 11 And the skin of the bullock and all his flesh with his head and with his legs and his inwards c. This Sacrifice was so laborious to work in them a greater detestation of sin which was aggravated by the quality of the Person that committed it And Nachmanides hath an observation which in some parts of it at least is very remarkable That all a Man doth being performed in Words in Works or Thoughts God commanded them when they brought an Offering for Sin that they should lay their hand on it which had respect to the Works they had done and make Confession over it which had respect to their Words and burn the Inwards and Kidneys which are the Organs of Thoughts and Desires the Legs also had a respect to a Man's hands and feet by which he doth all his work and the Blood that was sprinkled on the Altar signified his own Blood So that while a Man did all these things he was put in mind how he had sinned against God both in Soul and Body and deserved to have his Blood shed and his Body burnt unless the Mercy of the Creator had accepted a Price of Redemption for him viz. a Sacrifice whose Blood was for his Blood and its Life for his Life and the principal Members of the Sacrifice for the Members of his Body By which it appears that the best sort of Jews had a sense that the Sacrifices for Sin were offered to God in their stead as a Ransom for them And so we Christians are to understand the Sacrifice which Christ made of himself who gave himself a Ransom for us all as the Apostle speaks I Tim. 2. 6. and our LORD saith the same XX Matth. 28. X Mark 45. Such Sacrifices the Heathens themselves had which they called Lustralia from the word lustrare which signifies to expiate among the Romans and that by paying a price For the ancient Poet Ennius as our excellent Mr. Thorndike hath observed translating into Latin a Greek Tragedy called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being taken out of Homer where he speaks of Priamus ransoming of Hector's Corps from Achilles intituled it Hectoris lustra which shows this is the Latin of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ransom or redemption and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in the New Testament to deliver by paying a ransom See his Epilogue Book II. Chapt. 27. Ver. 12. Verse 12 Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the Camp It was not dissected as the Peace-offerings were because no Body was to partake of any part of it being a Sacrifice for the Priests own sin And therefore it was to be carried though not by himself but some other Person to be burnt without the Camp to express the abominabless of the Sin This Rite and the carrying the Blood within the Tabernacle to be sprinkled before the LORD were used only in these two Cases of the Sin of the High-Priest and of all the People For of other Sin-offerings the Priests might eat VI. 26. but of this being for himself he was not to taste at all because he was in a state of Guilt Into a clean place where the ashes are poured out On the East-part of the Tabernacle there was a place for the Ashes to be thrown into when they were taken from the Altar which afterward were carried into a clean place without the Camp And so they were carried out after the Temple was built at Jerusalem at the East-gate of the City into a Valley which lay between Jerusalem and Mount Olivet And burn him on the wood with fire Not upon an Altar but in a fire made with Wood upon the Ground to show the odiousness of the sin as Maimonides thinks For as the whole Burnt-sacrifices were burnt on the Altar because they were an Offering of sweet smelling savour unto God so this was burnt without the Camp upon the Ground to show that the odour of it was ungrateful and abominable More Nevochim P. III. cap. 46. where he also observes that the burning of the Beast intirely being the destruction of it so that nothing of it remained it signified in like manner the utter deletion of Sin so that it should be remembred no more And the Bullock being burnt without the Camp I take it to denote that the People should not suffer for the sin of the Priest which was abolished together with his Sacrifice The same Maimonides hath another observation upon the Title Zebachim that there were three places constituted for the burning of holy things The first was in the Sanctuary as every one knows the second was in the Mount of the House as they called the place round about the Court of the Sanctuary where if any blemish hapned to a Bullock or a Goat they were brought out of the Sanctuary and burnt in a place called Bira and the third was in this place of the Ashes without the City Where the ashes are poured out there shall he be burnt This is repeated
compensate the loss which the right Owner might have sustained by wanting the use of his Goods so long as the other had detained them in his hand by adding a full fifth part of the Principal as an amends for the wrong Yet if he had really forgotten that he had found such a thing as he was charg'd withal at the time he denied it upon Oath he was not bound to pay the fifth part more nor to offer the Expiatory Sacrifice though he really was possessed of the thing as Mr. Selden observes L. II. de Synedr cap. 11. p. 506. And give it unto him to whom it appertaineth If he had stolen from a Man the smallest piece of Money which the Jews call Peruta and had forsworn it they fancy he was bound to restore it to the Owner himself though he lived as far off as Media and it would not suffice to give it to his Son or his Attorney whom he had left to act for him Yet they are something humorsom in these Absurdities for they do not tye a Man to go so far to pay the fifth part though in a case where it was more than a Peruta See Bava kama cap. 9. sect 5 6. In the day of his trespass-offering Or in the day of his trespass that is as soon as he acknowledgeth his guilt as this word I showed v. 4. is to be interpreted And this agrees with what our blessed Saviour requires V Matth. 23. Ver. 6. Verse 6 And he shall bring his trespass-offering unto the LORD a Ram without a blemish This the Hebrews call an Offering for a certain guilt as that V. 15. was for a dubious With thy estimation c. R. Levi Barzelon interprets it a Ram worth two Shekels Praecept CXXIV Ver. 7. Verse 7 And the Priest shall make an atonement for him c. The Offender was not to think he was cleared by making Restitution and adding the fifth part whereby his Neighbour might well be satisfied but withal this Sacrifice was necessary for his Expiation without which no Satisfaction was made to the Divine Majesty The Jews themselves also think that this was prescribed to make them more sensible of their Sin and to render it more odious unto them as the same Author observes Ver. 8. Verse 8 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Here the Hebrews begin a new Section of the Law as well as a new Chapter as we call it for the first seven Verses plainly belong to the Matter of the foregoing Chapter And it is reasonable to think that the following Precepts were given at a distinct time from the former See IV. 1. being about a different Matter For having declared what Offerings the People should bring to the LORD he now gives instructions to the Priests how they should manage the several Offerings that were brought Ver. 9. Verse 9 Command Aaron and his sons saying As before he bad Moses speak unto the Children of Israel I Lev. 2. IV. 2. because the Laws he then gave concerned them So now he bids him command Aaron and his sons what to do and acquaints them with the Laws that is the Rites they should observe in offering the several Sacrifices before directed to be made This is the Law of the burnt-offering He mentions that first which was first delivered and was the principal Offering being purely in honour of God whereas the other was occasioned by Mens sins or the Benefits he had bestowed on them It is the burnt-offering He explains what Burnt-offering he chiefly means viz. the daily Sacrifice which was the principal Burnt-offering according to which all other Offerings of that kind were to be regulated Because of the burning upon the Altar all night unto the morning Or for the burning upon the Altar c. This was the reason of its name because it was burning on the Altar from the Evening at which the Jews began their day till the Morning For which purpose the Priests watched all Night and put the Sacrifice upon the Altar piece by piece that it might be consumed by a slow and gentle fire As for the Morning Sacrifice it is not here mentioned because it was consumed with a quicker fire that there might be room for other Sacrifices that were commonly offered after it as appears from v. 12. and were only offered in the Morning not at Night But if there were no other Sacrifices to succeed it in the Morning then it is very likely that it was also kept burning till the Evening Sacrifice that God's Altar might always have Meat upon it And the fire of the Altar shall be burning in it Or For the fire of the Altar c. So it should be translated unless we translate the last word not in it but by it And the fire of the Altar shall be burning i.e. be fed or maintained by it Ver. 10. Verse 10 And the Priest shall put on his linen garment Mentioned XXVIII Exod. 40. And his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh To cover his Secret Parts as appears from XXVIII Exod 42. And take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt-offering c. Or rather When the fire hath consumed the burnt-offering on the Altar For the word ascher which we here translate which signifies also when and is so translated by us IV. 22. Or else the sense must be The ashes into which the fire hath consumed the Burnt-offering Or to make good our present translation a few words must be added in this manner The ashes of the Wood which the fire hath consumed with the Burnt-offering And he shall put them besides the Altar On the East-part of it as far as might be from the most holy place See I. 16. For this was most sutable to the Glory of the House of God saith R. Levi of Barcelona and the fire would burn better when the Altar was cleared from the Ashes Ver. 11. Verse 11 And he shall put off his garments Those before-named and put on other garments It is a question among the Jews whether he mean his common Raiment or some other Garments not holy and yet not quite common but of a middle nature It is most likely that the carrying the Ashes out of the Tabernacle being not an holy action as they were not to perform it in their Priestly i. e. Sacred Garments wherein they took them from the Altar so they did it in the common Habit which they wore when they did not minister Yet Rasi thinks this was not absolutely necessary but only fitting and seemly it being indecent to do this Work in the same Garments wherein they served at the Altar And the Ashes having been upon the Altar there are those as I said who fancy this was not a Work fit to be performed in their common Garments and therefore have devised an Habit of less dignity than those Garments wherein they Ministred which they used when they carried out the Ashes Thus Maimonides himself and others mentioned by
here by devoured them took away their Breath in a moment From which Expression the Hebrew Doctors conclude that when any body was condemned to be burnt it was not to be consumed to Ashes but only exanimated by the Fire because this is called devouring or burning here in this place See Gamera Sanhedrim cap. 7. n. 1. And they died before the LORD Fell down dead in the House of God Which may seem too great a Severity till it be considered how reasonable and necessary it was to inflict a heavy Punishment upon the first Transgressors of a Law concerning a Matter of great moment to deter others from the like Offence Many instances of which there are in Scripture Some observed by St. Chrysostom upon VI Psal 2. where he gives this account why the Man who gathered a few sticks upon the Sabbath-day was adjudged to be stoned as Blasphemers were because it was a very heinous thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as soon as a Law was enacted immediately to break it which made it necessary it should be thus severely punished to strike such a Terror into others that they might not dare to do the like Which was the reason he observes of the sudden Death of Ananias and Sapphira mentioned Acts V. Isidore of Peleusium hath made the same observation Lib. I. Epist. 181 and goes so far back as to our first Parents who were dreadfully punished for a seemingly small Offence because they were the first Transgressors The same others have observed of the punishment of Cain who committed the first Murder of the filthiness of Sodom of the Idolatry of the Golden Calf the Covetousness and Sacriledge of Achan the Disobedience of Saul the first King of Israel the sudden Death of Vzzah who was the first that presumed to touch the Ark of God Ver. 3. Verse 3 And Moses said unto Aaron To satisfie him in the Justice and Wisdom of this dreadful stroke at which he could not but be extreamly afflicted This is that the LORD spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me To come nigh unto God is in the holy Language to perform the Office of a Priest XIX Exod. 22. XVI Numb 5. who having the honour of attending upon the Service of the Divine Majesty were bound to approach into his Presence with the greatest Reverence We do not read indeed those very words which Moses here recites in the foregoing Books But as many things were spoken to them which are not recorded so the sense of these words are in the place forenamed XIX Exod. 22. and the reason of them in XXIX Exod. 43 44. where the Tabernacle being said to be sanctified by the Divine Glory and the Priests being sanctified to minister unto him therein which was seven days a doing as we read here VIII 35. they were plainly taught to draw nigh to God with a holy Fear and to do nothing rashly nor without order from him For God being peculiarly known by the Name of the Holy One i. e. who hath incomparable Perfections such as no other Being hath he justly required to be accordingly worshipped sutable to his most surpassing Greatness by peculiar Rites of his own prescribing in a different manner from all other Beings It was for instance below his Emenency or rather Supereminent Majesty to have common Fire such as they imployed in their Kitchins used for the burning Sacrifice upon his Altar And in like manner all other parts of his Service were in reason to be performed after such a fashion as might signifie their sense of the peculiar Excellencies of the Divine Nature who therefore sent Fire from Heaven as only fit to burn perpetually upon his Altar And before all the people will I be glorified This may be thought to be but a solemn Repetition of what was spoken before as the manner is in these Books to deliver the same thing twice in different words Or the meaning is if they who draw nigh to me will not sanctifie me I will vindicate my own honour by such Punishments as shall openly declare to all that I am the Holy One. Thus God is said to be honoured upon Pharaoh by drowning him in the Red-sea XIV Exod. 4. And Aaron held his peace Silently adored the Justice of the Holy One and did not complain of his Severity For this doth not seem to be the effect meerly of great Grief but of great Reverence to the Divine Majesty Ver. 4. Verse 4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron It appears from VI Exod. 18. that Vzziel the Father of Mishael and Elzaphan v. 22. was the younger Brother of Amram the Father of Aaron and consequently Aaron's Uncle And said unto them Come near and carry your brethren All near Kindred are called Brethren in Scripture And these Cosin Germans of theirs are appointed to carry them out because Aaron's other Sons were now attending upon God in their Ministration upon the Day of their Consecration But without this special order these two Persons could not have been admitted to come near into the very Sanctuary being not of the Family of Priests though of Kin to him From before the Sanctuary See v. 2. Out of the Camp For anciently they buried not in their Cities but in the Fields adjacent to them XXIII Gen. 9 17. and so they did in after times XXVII Matth. 7. and VIII Luke 27. where the Tombs are plainly intimated to be without the City Ver. 5. Verse 5 So they went near There being two Accents upon the Hebrew word for draw near the Cabbalists from thence observe I know not upon what grounds that these Men did not come into the very Sanctuary where the dead Bodies lay but drew them out with long Poles and those of Iron being afraid of the Fire wherewith Nadab and Abihu had been killed or rather fearing to go into the Sanctuary or too near it See Hackspan's Cabala Judaica n. 58. And carried them out in their Coats c. Their Linen Vestments wherein they ministred which having touched dead Bodies were no more fit to be used in the Divine Service As Moses had said As he had directed in his order which he gave them Ver. 6. Verse 6 And Moses said unto Aaron and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar his sons These two were all the Sons that Aaron had now remaining from whom came two great Families of the Priests which in the days of David we find very numerous though more of the House of Eleazar than of the other when they were by him divided into XXIV Classes and had their Courses of waiting appointed them 1 Chron. XXIV 4 c. Vncover not your heads The Hebrew Doctors interpret it quite contrary Let not the head of your hair grow so long that is as to cover their Faces which was the custom of Mourners 2 Sam. XV. 30. XIX 4. and many other places And thus Onkelos and the Arabick Version set forth by
which is for himself c. This former part of the Verse is word for word the same with v. 6. which shows that offering there as we translate it was nothing else but bringing it to be offered or presenting it before the LORD to be a Sacrifice for himself and for his Family But now his bringing it was that it might be killed immediately as it follows in the latter part of this Verse And shall make an atonement for himself and his house By killing it as the next words tell us And shall kill the Bullock of the sin-offering which is for himself He was first to offer for himself before he could acceptably offer for the People as the Apostle observes V Hebr. 3. IX 7. And as the Jews tell us in Massechet Joma cap. 4. sect 2. he again put his hand upon the head of the Bullock and made the Confession and Supplication before-mentioned upon v. 6. And when he had done then he killed the Bullock with his own hands For though all other Sacrifices might be killed by any person yet the High-Priest himself was bound to kill this as they say in the same place of the Misna sect 3. And having received the Blood of the Bullock in a Bason he delivered it to another Priest to keep it in continual agitation till he had offered Incense in the holy place that so it might not grow thick and be clotted but be kept liquid and thin fit to be sprinkled before the Mercy-seat Ver. 12. Verse 12 And he shall take a Censer full of burning coals of fire Which he held in his right hand From the Altar before the LORD From the brazen Altar where the Bullock was slain for Coals were burning before God no where else but there And his hands full of sweet Incense beaten small With his left hand he took as much of the Incense mentioned XXX Exod. 34 36. as his hand would hold besides the Incense which he burnt every Morning and Evening which was a whole pound and put it into a Cup. And bring it within the vail With both these the Censer of Coals and the Cup of Incense the former in his right hand the other in his left he went within the Vail which divided the holy place from the most holy And set down the Censer and then as it follows in the next Verse see there threw the Incense upon the burning Coals This the Hebrew Doctors take to have been so difficult a work that in the Gemara upon Joma cap. 1. they say some of the elder Priests were sent to him before-hand to show him how he should fill his hand with the Incense And the Misna there says that they adjured him in these words We are the Legates of the great Sanhedrim and thou art our Legate and theirs we adjure thee we adjure thee by him whose name dwells in this House that thou change not any one thing of all that we have said unto thee And so they parted with tears on both sides The reason of which solemn Adjuration they say was That the Sadduces affirmed he might burn the Incense without the Vail and so enter into the most holy place directly contrary to this Text which required him to do it within where no body could see what the High-Priest did and consequently could not tell whether he performed the Service there aright Therefore they took this Oath of him in the latter Ages of their State when some of the Faction of the Sadducees were thrust into the Priesthood as Mr. Selden probably conjectures Lib. III. de Synedriis cap. 11. n. 2. This was the first time of the High-Priests going into the Holy of Holies on this great Day Ver. 13. Verse 13 And he shall put the Incense upon the fire before the LORD He entred as the Misna saith in Joma cap. 5. with his Face towards the South and so went side-ways for he might not look upon the Ark where the Divine Glory was till he came to the Staves of the Ark where he set down the Censer and put on the Incense And having filled the House with a Cloud of Smoak he went out backward out of reverence to the Divine Majesty into the holy place without the Vail Where when he was come he made this short Prayer May it please thee O LORD God that this year may be hot and also wet that the Scepter may not depart from the Family of Judah nor thy People Israel want food and that the Prayer of the wicked may not be heard And then he presently went out of the Sanctuary and showed himself to the People that they might not suspect he had done amiss and miscarried in his Office For so they say it sometimes hapned that the High-Priest having violated these holy Rites appointed by God was struck dead in the holy place The Incense which was burnt every day in the holy place at the Golden Altar representing the Prayers of the Saints as St. John teaches us VIII Rev. 3 4. this Incense which was burnt in the Holy of Holies may well be thought to represent the Prayers of the High-Priest himself which he made upon this occasion as our blessed Saviour did before he offered the great Sacrifice of himself XVII John of which more hereafter with the Blood of which he now appears in the Heavens before God for us That the Cloud of the Incense may cover the Mercy-seat that is upon the Testimony So that nothing of it might be seen it being the place of the Residence of the Divine Majesty XXV Exod. 21 22. whose Glory was inaccessible That he die not By gazing on the Divine Glory See v. 2. and XXXIII Exod. 20. Ver. 14. Verse 14 And he shall take of the blood of the Bullock Having done what is commanded in the foregoing Verses he came out of the Sanctuary and went to the Priest whom he left at the Altar of Burnt-offering stirring the Blood in the Bason which he delivered to him as I observed v. 11. And taking it from him went with it the second time within the Vail and standing where he did before when he burnt the Incense sprinkled it as is directed in the words following And sprinkle it with his singer The very root or essence of a Sacrifice as the Maxim of the Jews is lies in the sprinkling of the Blood Vpon the Mercy-seat One would think by this Translation that he sprinkled the Mercy-Seat it self with some of the Blood But all the Jews understand it quite otherwise and indeed the Hebrew words are Al pene over against the Face i. e. as they interpret it in the Misna before-mentioned cap. 5. towards the Mercy-Seat And so it follows in the next words and before the Mercy-seat shall he sprinkle Only this difference there was in the sprinkling that this Particle al they think imported that he was to make the first sprinkling here mentioned toward the top of the Mercy-Seat The Vulgar Latin wholly omits this part of
and become more one with them than they were with the Egyptians but was of great force to procure kindness to those who did not live by their Laws I am the LORD your God Who have done so much for you when you were meer Strangers that you should not stick to be kind to those who are in the like Condition Ver. 35. Verse 35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment The Hebrews refer this word judgment to all the following particulars and think that Moses uses it here to show of what moment this Law is which he calls doing judgment So that he who measures or weighs hath the Office of a Judge and if he commit any fraud in his Measures or Weights he is a corrupter of Judgment and is called wicked abominable accursed They are the words of R. Levi Barcelonita Praecept CCLX where he adds that such Men are the cause of five Mischiefs which are imputed to unjust Judges who defile the Land prophane the Name of God remove the Presence of the Divine Majesty bring a Sword upon the People and at last carry them captive out of their own Country And therefore great Punishments have been enacted in all Countries against this Crime as destructive to Human Society Particularly Justinian ordained that such Offenders should be beaten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sorely as impious People In mete-yard By which they measured Lands Cloath and such like things for Middah as Fosterus observes is the Measure of continued quantity viz. in things dry In weight By which they paid and received Money in those days and sold Brass and Iron and things of like nature Or in measure The Hebrew word Mesurah from whence seems to come the Latin Mensura and our English word Measure denotes the Measure of Discrete Quantity as we speak as of Corn and of all continued Fluid Quantity as of Wine and Oil. And the forenamed R. Levi will have it to signifie the very least of such Measures about which saith he the Law concerns it self that Men should be exact in them as well as in the greatest And so Hesychius here notes that Moses provides against all Injustice in small things as well as in great for what the possession of a Field or a House is to a wealthy Man that the measure of Wine or Corn or the weight of Bread is to the Poor who have daily need of such things for the support of their Life Ver. 36. Verse 36 Just balances just weights This Verse only positively requires strict justice in those things wherein the former Verse forbad all deceit And these two words refer to things sold by weight A just Ephah and a just Hin shall ye have These two words Ephah and Hin comprehend all sorts of Measures of things whether wet or dry And that they might have such just Weights and Measures among them the Standard of them was kept in the Sanctuary by which all were to be governed as appears from 1 Chron. XXIII 29. See XXX Exod. 13. The Jewish Doctors also say that it was a Constitution of their wise Men for the preventing all Fraud in these matters that no Weights Balances or Measures should be made of any Metal as of Iron Lead Tin c. which were obnoxious to rust or might be bent or easily impaired but of Marble Stone or Glass which were less liable to be abused For these Constitutions Moses was so famous that his Name was celebrated on the account of them in other Nations Nay Lucius Ampelius a rude kind of Writer but who had collected much out of better Authors saith that Mochus was the Inventer of Scales and Weights and that his memory is preserved in the Constellation called Libra Now if for Mochus we read Moschos it is the very name of Moses in Hebrew viz. Moscheh who is called so by other Authors as the learned Huetius observes in his Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. cap. 7. n. 16. I am the LORD your God which brought you out of the Land of Egypt This is the general reason for their Obedience which is repeated in this Chapter above a dozen times Sometimes more briefly I am the LORD and sometimes a little larger I am the LORD your God and here with this addition which brought you out of the Land of Egypt Whereby he in a special manner demonstrates himself both to be their LORD faithful to his promise VI Exod. 3. and their God who obliged them to his Service by the most singular benefit Ver. 37. Verse 37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes and all my judgments and do them These words Statutes and Judgments comprehend all the Laws of God some of which were Prohibitions which they were to mark and observe diligently so as to abstain from such things and others Precepts or Commands which they were to practise and do according to them I am the LORD No more need be said to engage your Obedience in every thing than this that I am your Soveraign and the Soveraign of the whole World CHAP. XX. Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying Sometime after the delivery of the Laws mentioned in the two foregoing Chapters the chief of them were inforced with the addition of Penalties which are set down in this Chapter Ver. 2. Verse 2 Again thou shalt say to the Children of Israel Repeat what I said before XVIII 21. and add this which follows unto it Whosoever he be of the Children of Israel or of the stranger that sojourneth among you The Proselytes who had embraced their Religion were no less concerned in this Law than the Native Israelites See XVII 8 10 c. That giveth any of his seed unto Molech This looks like the Prohibition before given XVIII 21. and R. Levi gives this reason of its repitition because it was a piece of Idolatrous Worship so usual in those days when the Law was delivered that there needed great indeavours to preserve them from it Praecept CCVIII And Maimonides also observes as I noted upon XVIII 21. that Idolaters used to fright People into this Worship by telling them their Children would dye if they did not make them pass through the fire and thereby devote them to their Gods But upon due consideration of these words it may appear probable that there is something more in them than in the former importing a higher degree of this sin For to give their Children to Molech seems to be no less than to offer them in Sacrifices So Christ giving himself for us constantly signifies in the New Testament which was a more horrid thing than meerly making them pass through the fire which did them no hurt And therefore this Crime is here forbidden under the Penalty of Death whereas in the XVIIIth Chapter no punishment is threatned Certain it is Children were really burnt upon the Altars of the ancient Pagans especially in times of great Distress when they hoped to pacisie the Anger of their Gods by offering to
the Father before the Mother with such like things he may consult Simeon de Muis in his Varia Sacra p. 356 c. Ver. 3. Verse 3 And for his sister a virgin I see no reason why it should be restrained to his whole Sister both by Fathers and Mothers side as some of the Hebrew Doctors would have it for that his half Sister by either of them was nigh unto him as it here follows it appears by the Law about incestuous Marriages XVIII 9. Which hath had no husband To take care of her Funeral which her Brother therefore though a Priest might It is commonly observed that there is no mention here of his Wife But Maimonides with great reason thinks it was lawful for him to mourn for her but it was needless to mention her who by the Law of God was dearer to him than Father or Mother And there is this Argument for it that Ezekiel who was a Priest is forbidden by a special command to mourn for his Wife which otherwise he would have done XXIV 16 c. Ver. 4. Verse 4 But he shall not defile himself being a chief man among his people But though he might defile himself for such very near Relations yet he might not for the greatest Man in the Nation who was not so near of kin to him This seems to me to be the easiest and the most natural sense of this Verse by adding the particle lamed which in the two foregoing Verses is put before Mother Father Son Daughter Brother and Sister to Baal i. e. chief man as we translate it nothing being more usual than to omit such a particle which yet must be understood when it hath been often before-mentioned And thus the Vulgar Latin understands it And the sense is the same if we take it as our Translation seems to intend it But he shall not desile himself for any other being a chief man c. As for the Marginal Translation I can see no ground for it and there must be a greater Supplement by adding for his wife which one cannot well think is here forbidden as I observed on the foregoing Verse They also who translate it A chief Ruler shall not defile himself c. have still less reason the whole Discourse in this place being concerning the Priests To profane himself He himself in Sacred Offices being the greatest Person would have been prophaned i. e. rendred a common Man if he had mourned for any but those whom Nature had very closely linkt him unto Ver. 5. Verse 5 They shall not make baldness upon their head neither shall they shave off the corners of their beard nor make any cuttings in their flesh Though they were allowed to mourn for some persons yet for none after this manner that is according to the Custom of certain Places in Chaldaea as Aben-Ezra glosses upon these words And he might have added also of the Egyptians among whose Ceremonies we find this in after times and it 's likely had been very ancient For Jul. Firmicus tells us in the beginning of his Book That in their Annual Lamentations of Osiris they were wont to shave their heads that they might bewail the miserable misfortune of their King by depriving themselves of the ornament of hair c. And he adds that they did tear their flesh and cut open the scars of their old wounds c. where Johan Wouver observes the same out of several other Authors And Plutarch in his Book of Superstition saith they generally used in mourning to be shaven whereas the Hebrews let their hair grow See X. 6. XIX 27. Ver. 6. Verse 6 They shall be holy unto their God Attend to their Office unto which they are peculiarly consecrated and not without great necessity be at any time unfitted for it And not profane the name of their God By doing as the common People did or rendring themselves uncapable to Minister unto the LORD as they were when they were any way defiled For the Offering of the LORD made by fire They attend upon his Altar where the Burnt-offerings Peace-offerings and all the rest were offered And the bread of their God do they offer The word And is not in the Hebrew and the sense will be clearer if it be left out The offering of the LORD made by fire being called The bread of their God i. e. his Meat or Food For the Altar was his Table and what was burnt thereon was in the Nature of his Provision which in the Scripture Language is comprehended under the name of Bread So Solomon Jarchi saith whatsoever may be eaten is called bread See III. 11. Thus Fruit is called Bread XI Jer. 19. and Milk XXVII Prov. 27. and Honey 1 Sam. XIV 28. And therefore no wonder the Sacrifices are here called by that name and by Malachi his Meat or Food III. 12. Which phrase is used as the Author of Sepher Cosri well observes to keep up the Notion that God dwelt gloriously and kept House among them Pars II. cap. 26. Ver. 7. Verse 7 They shall not take a wife that is a whore All incestuous Marriages were as much forbidden Priests as any other Men. But besides here are three sorts of Persons whom it was unlawful for a common Priest to marry though there was no Kindred between them The first is a Whore whereby the Hebrew Doctors understand not only one that was a common Prostitute but one that was not an Israelite or an Israelitish Woman with whom a Man had lain whom it was unlawful for her to marry Which comprehends not only all such as are forbidden in the XVIIIth Chapter of this Book but those also in XXIII Deut. 2 3. See Selden de Successionibus Lib. II. cap. 2. 3. and Vxor Hebraica Lib. I. cap. 7. Lib. III. cap. 23. Or profane A Woman was accounted so as he shows in the same place who was either descended from such a Person as is before-mentioned or who was born of such a Conjunction as is here forbidden to a Priest And there are those who think it may be understood of one that had been consecrated to a false Deity whom she served with the use of her Body which she exposed to the Worshippers of that Deity Who though she afterwards repented and became good yet a Priest was not to marry her no more than an ordinary Whore But the simplest meaning of these three seems to be that they should not marry one that had prostituted her Body or that had been any way vitiated though against her will or was of suspected Chastity or as it follows was devorced from her Husband Neither shall they take a Woman put away from her Husband For commonly Women were put away for some fault as Abarbanel notes and were presumed not to be such as a Priest should desire To the same purpose Procopius Gazaeus A Priest saith he should not only fly from manifest Evils as Fornication but decline whatsoever may blemish his Fame now
Vows i. e. they vowed a Sacrifice to God for they could not Sacrifice on Ship-board when he had brought them to a safe Port. And so Cicero speaks of certain Mariners who being tossed in a Tempest vowed if they gained their Haven Ei Deo qui ibi esset se vitulum immolaturos They would offer a Calf to the God of that place And Homer in like manner brings in the Mother of Telemachus vowing perfect Hecatombs unto all the Gods if she might obtain her desire Odyss XVII v. 59. Or a free-will-offering This also was a Peace-offering for obtaining Blessings not when they were in distress I suppose but in general to procure God's favour to them and theirs In Beeves or Sheep And likewise Goats for all these were allowed in Peace-offerings III. 1 6 12. It shall be perfect to be accepted That was accounted perfect which wanted none of its parts nor had any defect in any of them The Heathen themselves did not think any other would be accepted and therefore made a careful choice of their Sacrifices as appears by those words of Virgil Lib. IV. AEneid v. 57. Mactant lectas de more bidentes Which he calls elsewhere eximij singled out as most excellent Lib. IV. Georg. v. 550. Quatuor eximios praestanti corpore tauros And that they might be such there was probatio victimarum a proof made of Sacrifices as Pliny speaks Lib. VIII cap. 45. where he saith such as were lame or had one leg shorter than the other were rejected Which probation was to be made by those that brought the Sacrifices but if they did not do their duty the Priest upon examination refused to admit them to be offered There shall be no blemish therein This is an explication of what he means by perfect Which Solon who seems to have taken the Rites of Religion from Moses called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the explication of which word Hesychius after several other expressions concludes with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which neither hath any part more or less than it should have Julius Pollux who reports this of Solon hath a great number of other words to express the perfection required in Sacrifices which were to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. I. cap. 1. some of which are of the same signification and serve only to show how compleat their Sacrifices were to be Ver. 22. Verse 22 Blind or broken c. In this and the following Verses he mentions XII blemishes which render any Beast unfit for Sacrifice And the first is blind under which the Hebrews comprehend that which the Latins call Cocles a Beast that hath but one eye Or broken In the Bones of the Thighs or the Legs Or maimed Most take it for that which the Latins call mutilum that which lacketh any part The LXX took it more particularly for that which had its Tongue cut out The Hebrew Doctors for that whose Eye-brows or Lips were slit or cut off Which is nearer to the Hebrew word charuts than the Vulgar which translates it only a Scar. Or having a wen. The Hebrews generally understand by the word jabbeleth that which the Latins call Verruca a Wart or hard Knob rising in the flesh which is better than the Vulgar who translates it papulas which properly signifies Pimples Pushes or Wheals But I think our Translation cannot be mended a Wen being a more manifest deformity and more common in Beasts than the other Or Scurvy This is that which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Itch. Or scabbed Some take this word to signifie the same with the Latin impetigo i. e. a Ring-worm or Tetter which spreads in the skin with a dry Scab though others take it for that which they call Porrigo for which I know no English word unless it be the mangy The Hebrews take it for the Porrigo AEgyptiaca as Bochart observes a Scabby Disease of this kind frequent among the Egyptians Ye shall not offer these unto the LORD Not so much as present them to be offered in Sacrifice Nor make an offering by fire of them upon the Altar unto the LORD Much less burn them upon the Altar for the LORD will not accept such Sacrifices Ver. 23. Verse 23 Either a Bullock or a Lamb that hath any thing superfluous This word we had before which we translate superfluous XXI 18. but it properly signifies the inequality and disproportion that there is between those parts that are pairs as the Eyes or Legs and particularly when one of them exceeds its just bigness ex gr when one Leg is longer than it should be Or lacking in his parts This word signifies just the quite contrary to the other when one part is less and more contracted than it should be one Leg supposed shorter than ordinary So all the Hebrews understand these words particularly Onkelos and Jonathan That mayest thou offer for a free-will-offering A very learned Person of our own takes these words for an Exception to the foregoing general Rule that such defects as these two should not hinder the acceptation of a Beast for a Free-will-offering though not for a Vow And it must be acknowledged that is the most plain and simple sense But the Jews as he observes particularly R. Solomon Jarchi expound them otherwise and will not have this Offering to signifie the Sacrifice of such things at the Altar but the giving them to the Priest for some Sacred use to be sold for instance for the reparation of the Temple for which they were accepted See Dr. Owtram Lib. I. de Sacrificiis cap. 9. n. 2. But for a vow it shall not be accepted Free-will-offerings were much different from Vows there being no obligation upon them to offer the former as there was to offer the latter and a less perfect Creature would be accepted in the one case though not in the other Ver. 24. Verse 24 Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised or crushed or broken or cut That is as the Hebrews interpret it and so do the LXX and the Vulgar any Beast whose Testicles were compressed or bruised c. For these four ways they used to castrate a Lamb for instance and make it a Wether and so they did with Kids and Calves as Bochart observes out of Aristotle and others in his Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. II. cap. 46. Neither shall you make any offering thereof in your land The word Offering is not in the Hebrew and this passage may be thus exactly translated Neither in your Land shall ye make or do So the LXX the sense of which the Vulgar expresses by adding the word this i.e. the fore-named castration either by compression or contusion or any other way For Josephus saith it was unlawful among them to geld any Creature which was prohibited to keep them from doing so with Men which they were taught to be abominable And these words suggested as much being thus translated Neither in your Land shall it be done
contra Julianum condemned these Sacrifices of Beasts as hateful to their Gods who they fancied were pleased only with those that were made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Fruits of the Earth and of Frankincense But they might have learnt from Moses if they had pleased Julian and Porphyry being acquainted with his Books that these things were alike acceptable God having respect to the Mind of him that offered not to his Gifts Ver. 3. Verse 3 And the remnant of the meat-offering shall be Aarons and his sons To be eaten by them But that Meat-offering which was offered for the Priests themselves was to be wholly burnt and no part eaten VI. 22 23. It is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire Nothing is more known then the distinction which the Jews make between things most holy and the lighter holy things as their phrase is which I took notice of before The most holy were such as none whatsoever might eat of or none but the Priests and the Sons of Priests and that only in the Sanctuary and no where else See VI. 16 26. Such were all whole Burnt-offerings all the Sin-offerings and all the Peace-offerings for the whole Congregation The lighter holy things were such as might be eaten by those who were not Priests in any place within the City of Jerusalem to which their Camp now answered and such were all the Peace-offerings of particular Persons the Paschal Lamb the Tenth and the Firstlings of Cattle Ver. 4. Verse 4 And if thou bring an oblation of a meat-offering baken in the oven This is the first sort of baked Mincha's for the preparing of which there was an Oven in the Court of the Tabernacle as afterward there was in the Court of the Temple 1 Chron. XXIII 28 29. XLVI Ezek. 20. It shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil or unleavened wafers anointed with oil If the Cakes were thick then the Oil was kneaded together with them But if they were thin like a Wafer then it was only spread upon it before it was baked See XXIX Exod. 2. or as some will have it after it came out of the Oven Concerning its being unleavened see below v. 11. Ver. 5. Verse 5 And if thy oblation be a meat-offering baken in a pan Or in a flat Plate as we translate it in the Margin For Maimonides says this was the difference between Macabath which is the Hebrew word in this place and Marchesheth that the former was a Pan or Plate without any Rim about it and the other had one as our Frying-pans have And so Abarbinel in his Preface to this Book observes out of Jarchi that there was a Vessel in the Temple which was only flat and broad but had no rising on the sides of it So that the Oil being poured upon it when it was set on the fire ran down and increased the Flame and made the Cake hard It shall be of fine flour unleavened mingled with oil This sort of Cake seems to have been both kneaded with Oil and to have had Oil also poured upon it after it was laid upon the Plate Ver. 6. Verse 6 Thou shalt part it in pieces c. This according to Abarbinel was done as it lay baking upon the Plate Or if this Division was made after it was taken off the reason was the same because part of it was to be given to God and the rest to the Priests And pour oil thereon Upon the pieces that they might by this new Addition of fresh Oil be made more savoury It is a meat-offering And therefore to be eaten with Oil v. 1. Ver. 7. Verse 7 And if thy oblation be a meat-offering baken in the frying-pan This Vessel was not flat but deep as Abarbinel observes See v. 5. because that which was baked in it was moist and fluid It shall be made of fine flour with oil The Oil was not kneaded with this sort of Mincha but put into the Pan so that it mixed with the Flour which might be shaken and moved up and down as things are which are baken in Liquors So Abarbinels words are in his Preface to this Book Ver. 8. Verse 8 And thou shalt bring the meat-offering that is made of these things unto the LORD c. This relates to all the bake Meat-offerings before-mentioned which were to be brought to the LORD at his House and there presented to the Priest who was to bring them to the Altar when they were prepared as before directed See v. 1 2. And this variety of Mincha's was allowed that the Table of the LORD i. e. the Altar might be furnished and his Ministers that waited on him entertained with all sorts of Provisions Ver. 9. Verse 9 And the Priest shall take from the meat-offering a memorial thereof A part of the Cake of whatsoever sort it was was separated from the rest for the LORD's portion to whom it was offered as an acknowledgment of his Supream Dominion over them and in commemoration of his goodness to them And shall burn it upon the Altar Before the other parts were eaten by the Priests as was directed before about the fine Flour v. 2. It is an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the LORD See v. 2. Ver. 10. Verse 10 And that which is left of the meat-offering shall be Aarons and his sons c. All this Verse hath been explained v. 3. Ver. 11. Verse 11 No meat-offering which ye shall bring unto the LORD shall be made with leaven These words which ye shall bring unto the LORD seem to have a peculiar emphasis in this place importing that no Meat-offering part of which was offered upon God's Altar should be leavened For no part of that leavened Bread which was offered in Eucharistical Sacrifices VII 13. nor the two Loaves offered in the Feast of Pentecost which some mistake for an Exception to this Precept were offered upon the Altar but given intirely to the Priests as their portion Made with leaven There are many Moral Reasons given both by Jewish and Christian Writers why none of the Cakes before-mentioned should have any Leaven in them which I shall not here set down There is some probability in their Opinion who think this was ordered to refresh their Memory by putting them in mind of their Deliverance out of Egypt But Maimonides seems to me to have given the best account of this in his More Nevochim P. III. cap. 46. where he saith God prohibited this to root out the Idolatrous Customs in those days as he found in the Books of the Zabij who offered to their Gods no Bread but leavened Next to this the Account which Abarbanel gives of it is not to be disregarded who thinks it was forbidden because it would have made delay if they had waited at the Tabernacle till the fermentation was perfected For ye shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering of the LORD made by fire
Action but with acknowledgment of those Mercies which were the occasion of it So Conradus Pellicanus well glosses upon I. 4. which may be best applied to the use of this Rite in Peace-offerings Laying on of Hands signifies Devotion and Faith with acknowledgment of the Divine Benefits for which we cannot offer any thing of our own but rather return and restore to him what we have received that we may understand giving of Thanks to be the greatest of our Sacrifices And kill it See ch I. v. 5. At the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation These being the lesser holy things as the Jews call them were not offered as the whole Burnt-offerings and Sin-offerings were on the North-side of the Altar See ch I. v. 11. but any where else near to the Entrance of the Tabernacle which was in the East where the others were thrown out and therefore a less holy place Only in laying on of hands every Man was bound wheresoever the Sacrifice was killed to turn his Face Westward toward the Sanctuary because then as I said he made certain Prayers and Acknowledgments to the Divine Majesty which was always to be done in that posture And Aarons sons the Priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the Altar round about See ch I. v. 5. Ver. 3. Verse 3 And he shall offer One of the Priests then in waiting at the Altar Of the sacrifice of the peace-offerings c. After the Sacrifice was flayed and cut up as is directed I. 6. The fat that covereth the inwards That is the Omentum as the Latins call it and hath much fat in it See XXIX Exod. 13. And all the fat that is upon the inwards All the Fat which adheres to the Mesentery and other Entrails Ver. 4. Verse 4 And the two kidneys and the fat that is on them The Kidneys are noted by Aristotle to have more Fat about them than any of the other Bowels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. III. de Animal cap. 9. Being so covered with it that in dissecting of a Body the Kidneys at first sight are not to be perceived as Anatomists observe particularly our own Country-man Dr. Highmore Which is by the flanks The Hebrew word Cesilim signifies the Loyns as Bochart hath demonstrated in his Hierozoicon P. I. L. II. c. 45. which have collops of fat upon them as Eliphaz speaks XV Job 27. and thence are easily inflamed XXXVIII Psal 7. And the caul above the liver The Hebrew word jothereth signifies the greatest Lobe of the Liver See XXIX Exod. 13. It shall he take away Separate from the rest of the Flesh to be offered on the Altar For all the Fat here mentioned was God's portion of the Sacrifice the Priest had the Breast and the right Shoulder and he that brought the Offering had the rest as will appear more fully VII 15 c. 31. 32 c. Ver. 5. Verse 5 And Aarons sons Some of those that Minister that day Shall burn it on the Altar upon the burnt-sacrifice By the Burnt-sacrifice seems here to be meant the daily Sacrifice which was burnt every Morning after which this was to be offered but not before it Which is upon the wood that is on the fire The same wood upon which the Burnt-sacrifice had been offered would serve to burn this Fat Which being intirely consumed as the Holocausts were it is called in the following words an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the LORD See ch 1. v. 9. That is God was pleased graciously to accept of their pious Acknowledgments the Offerings of these Inwards being as if he that brought them had said I will pour out my Soul unto the LORD in Thanks and Praise for the Benefits he had received So Abarbanel explains it in his Preface to this Book Ver. 6. Verse 6 And if his offering c. be of the flock i.e. Of Sheep or Goats which are both comprehended under the word Flock as was noted before ch 1. v. 2. Male or Female See v. 1. Where I observed a difference between these Sacrifices and whole Burnt-offerings in this respect that either Male or Female were accepted for Peace-offerings but Male alone for the other To which may be added that Birds were allowed for whole Burnt-offerings I. 14 15 c. but not for Peace-offerings which were only of the Herd or Flock i. e. of Bullocks Sheep or Goats The reason seems to be plain because Peace-offerings being to be divided between God the Priest and him that brought them the portion of each would have been so small that it would have made the Feast upon it so very meagre and jejune that it would have been contemptible He shall offer it without blemish It was at his choice whether he would bring it from the Herd or the Flock but in its kind it was to be perfect See chap. I. 3 9. Ver. 7. Verse 7 If he offer a lamb for his offering Though a Bird was not accepted for a Peace-offering yet a Lamb was though not of such value as a fat Sheep or a Goat Then shall he offer it before the LORD This seems to be meant of the Man's presenting it to be offered at the Altar Ver. 8. Verse 8 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering c. This whole Verse is only a direction to do with a Peace-offering of a Lamb or Sheep as they were to do with that of a Bullock v. 2. Ver. 9. Verse 9 And he shall offer of the Sacrifice of the Peace-offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD As was directed in the Offering of a Bullock v. 3. The fat thereof and the whole rump The whole Fat being to be offered as was ordered also before he enumerates the particulars because in this was more Fat than in other Sacrifices of this kind For the whole Rump of a Sheep was to be offered to God though not of a Bullock nor a Goat And the reason was because in those Countries the Tails of their Sheep are so vastly big that as Golius and others assure us the least of them weigh ten or twelve pound and some exceed forty pound weight and they are so very fat that they melt the Fat and keep it to butter their Rice and for other uses as Bochartus observes in his Hierozoicon P. I. L. II. cap. 45. It shall he take off hard by the back-bone The Hebrew word Atzah which we translate the Back-bone denotes that part which is next to the Tail or Rump and therefore must signifie that which Galen calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is a Bone at the extremity of the broad Bone called Os Sacrum confisting of three Cartalaginous parts as he describes it And the fat that covereth the inwards and all the fat that is upon the inwards See v. 3. Ver. 10. Verse 10 And the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them c. This Verse is explained above v. 4. Ver. 11. Verse 11 And the
some thought to be so because it had a likeness to it And the leprosie cover all the skin of him that hath the plagne i. e. Seemeth to have it From his head even to his foot wheresoever the Priest looketh An irruption in every part of his Body which was spread all over with Scabs Ver. 13. Verse 13 He shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague This sort of breaking out from top to toe as we speak was not to be lookt upon as the Plague of Leprosie being rather a relief to the Body than a disease It is all turned white he is clean There was no danger in this irruption Nature having only discharged those putrid salt Humours which were in the Blood Just as those among us who have the Measels and Small Pox are likely to do well when they come out every where but not when they stick in the Skin Ver. 14. Verse 14 But when raw flesh appeareth in him he shall be unclean When the sound Flesh appeared speckled with the fore-mentioned Spots it was an evident token that it was a settled Leprosie Nature being not able to throw out the ill Humor into the Skin but working inward into the Flesh Ver. 15. Verse 15 And the Priest shall see the raw flesh and pronounce him to be unclean When he sees the sign before-named he shall make no further Examination but declare him to be unclean For the raw flesh is unclean it is a leprosie This was so undoubted a mark that there needed no more Which makes Moses repeat it that the Priest might observe it the more carefully when he made his inspection Ver. 16. Verse 16 Or if the raw flesh turn again If there was such an alteration in it that it was freed from these pestilent Spots And be changed into white Look like other Flesh which hath a white Skin upon it He shall come unto the Priest Desire him to make a new Examination of the state of his Body Ver. 17. Verse 17 And the Priest shall see him Take a view of his Body especially in those parts where the Leprosie was suspected to be And behold if the plague be turned into white c. If upon due consideration his Body appear alike white every where and no Spots to be seen in the Flesh the Priest was to delare him to have no Leprosie remaining Ver. 18. Verse 18 The flesh also in which even in the skin thereof was a bile and is healed In this and the following Verses he treats of such a Leprosie as arose out of Ulcers which had been healed and afterward there was a new eruption which might prove a Leprosie Ver. 19. Verse 19 And in the place of the bile Where the Bile formerly broke out but seemed to be healed There be a white rising or a bright spot white These two are the first and the last Indications of a Leprosie mentioned v. 2. And somewhat reddish This is a mark not hitherto mentioned which some render exceeding shineing or an inflamation which looks very red For so the Hebrew word adamdameth seems to import it being certain that the doubling of the Radicals of any word increases the sense This is apparent from abundance of instances in other words which are heaped up together by Bochartus in his Hierozoicon P. II. L. V. cap. 6. where he observes with respect to this word that it being impossible that the same thing should be both very white and very red it hath made most Interpreters expound this word adamdameth as we do somewhat reddish quite contrary to the true sense of the word which imports an high degree of some colour and therefore ought to be translated exceeding glistering For Adam signifies not only red but also to glister and accordingly Persons very leprous are said in Scripture to be as white as Snow IV Exod. 6. XII Numb 10. 2 Kings V. 27. See v. 49. of this Chapter And it be shewed to the Priest That he might pass his Judgment upon it whether it were the Leprosie or no. Ver. 20. Verse 20 And if when the Priest seeth it behold it being in sight lower than the skin and the hair thereof be turned white c. If upon a serious search it appear to have the two marks here mentioned which are those before set down v. 3. the Priest was to declare him unclean It is a plague of leprosie broken out of the bile In the place where the Bile formerly was v. 19. Ver. 21. Verse 21 But if the Priest look on it and behold there is no white hair therein and it be not lower than the skin If he find upon search neither of the two marks before-named But be somewhat dark c. Though it had not eaten into the Flesh which was a certain sign of a Leprosie yet if it changed colour there was some ground of suspicion and therefore he was to be shut up seven days See v. 4. Ver. 22. Verse 22 And if it spread much abroad in the skin then the Priest shall pronounce him unclean The spreading of the Spot was a token the Blood was much vitiated and that this foul Disease was begun in the Body It is a plague Of Leprosie Ver. 23. Verse 23 But if the bright spot stay in its place and spread not c. If it continued in the same condition and made no progress it was an indication the Bile was breaking out again which did not make him unclean Ver. 24. Verse 24 Or if there be any flesh in the skin whereof there is a hot burning In the Hebrew the words run thus Or the flesh when it shall be in the skin a burning fire That is when there is an inflamation made in the Skin and the Flesh by an hot burning Coal or some such thing falling upon it For in the foregoing Paragraph v. 16 c. he speaks of Ulcers which arose of themselves from bad Humors in the Body and here of such as were made by fire And the quick flesh that burneth The part of the Body that is burnt Have a white bright spot somewhat reddish or white Very shining See v. 19. For this was a sign of the Leprosie broken out in that burnt place which otherwise would have lookt black Ver. 25. Verse 25 If the hair in the bright spot be turned white c. See v. 20. Ver. 26. Verse 26 But if the Priest look upon it and behold there be no white hair c. The same direction is given here as in the foregoing case v. 21. Ver. 27. Verse 27 And the Priest shall look upon him the seventh day and if it be spread abroad much in the skin c. This Verse and the next contain the same marks with those v. 23 24. Ver. 28. Verse 28 It is a rising of the burning A tumor made by fire or a hot iron c. which burnt the part A meer inflamation as he calls it in the end of this Verse arising from that burning Ver. 29. Verse
one Lamb but on this day was two Rams one for himself and another for the People unto which there was an additional offering of seven Lambs of the first year as they tell us in Joma cap. 7. sect 3. But before this they there say he went and read to the People out of the Book of the Law which was with great Ceremony delivered to him And he might read either in his Pontifical Habit or in his own Robes which he pleased for Reading was no Ministry as the Gemara there observes This pleading began at XXIX Numb 7. c. where the Sacrifice of seven Lambs is ordered upon this day And make an atonement for himself and the people Rather having made an atonement which was already done by other Sacrifices not by these Ver. 25. Verse 25 And the fat of the sin-offering shall be burnt upon the Altar This also I think should be translated in the same manner having burnt the fat of the sin-offering which was done I suppose in the Morning when both the Bullock and the Goat were offered for Sin v. 11 14. but was not mentioned till now to show that their Sacrifices were not perfected till both Aaron and the People were reconciled to God after which their burnt Sacrifices were acceptable to him This burning of the Fat was ordered in all Sin-offerings IV. 8 10 26. and therefore was not now to be omitted And perhaps it was reserved to be burnt when the Flesh of the Bullock and the Goat was burnt without the Camp v. 27. which was in the conclusion of all the Services of this Day Ver. 26. Verse 26 And he that let go the Goat for the Scape-goat After the Man had dismissed the Goat it was not lawful for him to return further back than one Mile to the last Tabernacle where he was permitted to rest himself after his labour and not remain all Night in the Wilderness So they tell us in Joma cap. 6. sect 6. Shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water This Goat being a publick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Purgation upon whom all their sins were thrown was extreamly impure and therefore could not be touched without rendring the Person who led him away unclean in the highest degree Which was the reason that he was bound to wash both his Clothes and also his whole Body in water before he could so much as come into the Camp Porphyry observes the same custom among the Heathen who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his words are in such kind of Sacrifices as those for the averting Evils permitted no Man who had meddled with them to come into the City or to go to his own House 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who had not first washt his Clothes and his Body in some River or in Spring-water L. II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sect 44. For nothing is more known than that such a kind of Purification for washing themselves was a Custom all the World over and continues to this day in the Eastern or other hot Countries not only among the Mahometans but the Pagans who plunge themselves frequently three times one after another into their Rivers rising up with their faces to the East as all Travellers into those parts tell us And afterward come into the Camp Have free Conversation with his Brethren and I suppose without any further Ceremony be admitted to the Sanctuary Ver. 27. Verse 27 And the Bullock for the sin-offering and the Goat for the sin-offering Mentioned v. 11 15. Whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place Of which we read in the same place v. 14 15. Shall one carry forth But first they were ript up and the Imurim as they call them mentioned IV. 8 9. taken out to be burnt upon the Altar And then the Priest dissected them as the Misna saith in Joma cap. 6. sect 7. not into pieces as was wont to be done in Burnt-offerings but made only deep Incisions letting the parts hang still together Which being done four Men saith R. Solomon carried them forth upon two Staves or Bars one being not able to do it and accordingly the LXX translate these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall carry forth But one Person it 's likely had the principal care to see them burnt which is the reason he only is mentioned Without the Camp Into a clean place where the Ashes were wont to be poured out IV. 12. There were three Camps as I noted before XIII 46. the Camp of the People unto which Jerusalem answered in after times the Camp of the Levites unto which answered the Mountain of the House as they called it the whole Circuit about the Temple and the Camp of God or the Sanctuary with all its Courts unto which answered the Temple and its Courts So Maimonides in his Treatise called Beth Habbechira cap. 7. Now as these Sacrifices were carried to be burnt without the Camp of the People when they were in the Wilderness so they were burnt without the City of Jerusalem after the Temple was built there Which illustrates the words of the Apostle XIII Hebr. 10 11 c. where he takes it for granted as a thing they all knew that Jerusalem answered to the Camp of Israel And from thence shows that the Mystery prefigured by this Goat whose Blood was brought into the holy place to make atonement as he speaks in this Verse was accomplished in our blessed LORD and Saviour who that he might sanctifie the People with his own blood suffered without the Gate as the Apostle there observes that is without the City yet near the Suburbs of Jerusalem whose Type or Figure was the Camp of the Israelites in the Wilderness And the intent of the Apostle in this and other such like Observations was to show that our Saviour's Sufferings on the Cross were a most true and proper Sacrifice a Sacrifice fully satisfactory for the Sins of the World or rather more satisfactory for all the Sins of Men against the Moral Law of God than the Sacrifices on the Day of Atonement the Passover or other Anniversary Solemnities were for sins meerly against the Law of Ceremonies As the Apostle shows in the foregoing part of that Epistle IX Hebr. 13 14. And they shall burn in the fire their skins and their flesh and their dung Here it is plain there was more than one who carried the Bodies of these Beasts without the Camp they being too heavy for any single Person to bear And they burnt them intirely See IV. 11 12. except what was offered upon the Altar Yet Josephus is pleased to except 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which he seems to mean their Rumps Lib. III. cap. 30. In which he forgot himself for though these were comprehended under the Imurim of some Sacrifices See VII 3. yet neither here nor in the fourth Chapter v. 8 9. is there any mention of this Fat nor is it comprehended under the Fat mentioned above v.
their Children as it is explained XVIII Deut. 10. This was a Spiritual Adultery and therefore here mentioned Pass through the fire to Molech It is certain that Molech was particularly worshipped by the Children of Ammon at least in future Ages 1 Kings XI 7. but seems to have been the Name of many of the Heathen Gods and the same with Baal both of them signifying Dominion This appears by comparing XIX Jer. 5. with XXXII 35. But more especially it signifies the Sun the Prince of the Heavenly Bodies See Vossius de Orig. Progr Idolol Lib. II. cap. 5. as the Queen of Heaven was the Moon VII Jer. 18. Now it is evident by several passages in Scripture that the ancient Pagans whom the Israelites were prone to imitate not only made their Children pass through the fire but also offered them in Sacrifice unto Molech The former I take to be forbidden in this Law the latter in XX. 3. where giving their Children to Molech is prohibited under a severe Penalty of being put to death for that Crime whereas there is no Penalty annexed here to their making them pass through the fire Which I take therefore to have been a less Crime than the other though an idolatrous Rite practised by those who abhorred the cruelty of offering the very Life of their dear Children to Molech Instead of which this Rite was devised of making them pass through the fire for though the word fire be not here in the Hebrew Text yet it is understood by all and expressed XVIII Deut. 10. by way of Purification and Lustration as they called it and by this means to dedicate them to the Worship and Service of Molech And therefore being a Rite of Initiation whereby Parents consecrated their Sons and Daughters to their Deities we never find it mentioned in Scripture but only concerning Children not concerning Men and Women whom the Israelites are forbidden to dedicate in this manner which was in truth to alienate them from the LORD God of Israel Now that this was practised among the ancient Pagans as a Rite of Initiation appears particularly in the Mysteries of Mithra See Suidas upon that word and continued long among the Persians if we may believe Benjamin Tudelensis in his Itinearium p. 214. See G. Schickardi TARICH p. 126 c. And this very phrase make to pass unto for the word fire as I said is not here mentioned signifies as much as ad partes ejus transire to be addicted to any one like that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come unto God XI Hebr. 6. And so this Hebrew Phrase is used XIII Exod. 12. and may very well be thus understood here for devoting or making over their Children unto Molech For the Heathen thought their Children unclean and obnoxious to the Anger of their Gods and consequently in danger to be taken away from them if they were not thus expiated as Maimonides tells us More Nevoch P. III. cap. 37. And on the contrary they fancied as R. Levi Barcelonita observes Praecept CCVIII that if only one of their Children were thus consecrated to Molech all the rest were blessed and should be prosperous For he very nicely takes notice that the Israelites are forbidden to make any of their seed to pass through the fire It not being the manner he saith to make them all pass But the idolatrous Priests to make the People more willing to this Service cunningly perswaded them that if any one Child was offered to Molech it procured a Blessing upon all and if there was only one Child in a Family they laid no Obligation on the Parents to do this The manner of doing it at this distance of time cannot certainly be known Some say their Parents carried them through two fires upon their shoulders Others that they were led between them by their Priests and so R. Levi in the place before-named The Father delivered the Child to the Priest in the name of the Idol just as it is said concerning Legal Sacrifices XV. 14. he shall give them to the Priest Others think that the Priest or some Body else waved the Child about in the very flame while Men and Women danced round the fire nay leaped through the flame And Joh. Coch observes upon the Title Sanhedrim cap. 7. n. 7. that some are of the opinion the Children thus dedicated did not walk but dance through the fire which being an emblem and representative of the Sun plainly signified such Children were consecrated to that Deity And this comes nearer to the Hebrew phrase as we translate it that they did not pass between fires but through the fire But which way soever it was done whether they waved the Child through the very fire and presented it to Molech before whom the fire was kindled or led it between two fires when they had so done the Priest restored the Child to the Father again And in some such way Ahaz made his Son to pass through the fire according to the abomination of the Heathen 2 Kings XVI 3. which cannot be meant of his burning him for Hezekiah his Son outlived him and succeeded in his Throne See Theodoret in IV King Quaest 47. Maimon de Idol c. 6. sect 14. n. 4 5 6 7. and Vossius his Notes with Simeon de Muis in CVI Psal 37. Neither shalt thou prophane the name of thy God By offering their Children to Molech they in effect rejected and disowned as I before observed the LORD God of Israel which was to pollute his Name by giving that honour which was due to him alone unto another God For he gave them Children who were therefore to be devoted to none but him I am the LORD The only Soveraign of the World who will severely punish the Transgressors of this Law Ver. 22. Verse 22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with woman-kind it is an abomination A detestable wickedness condemned by all Nations though practised by some lewd Persons among them Insomuch that the Apostles of Christ make mention of it with the greatest abhorrence I Rom. 27. 1 Corinth VI. 9. 1 Tim. I. 10. For not only several of the Roman Emperors were infamous upon this account but some also of the Greek Philosophers This Prohibition is repeated according to Maimonides in XXIII Deut. 17. whom our Translation follows there shall not be a Sodomite of the Sons of Israel But Onkelos interprets that place otherwise Ver. 23. Verse 23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast c. i. e. Of any kind whatsoever Some are apt to say What need was there of such Prohibitions when it is so monstrously unnatural to mix with Creatures of a different Species from us as all Beasts are But such Persons do not understand that this was not only practised in Egypt against whose doings he cautions them v. 3. but was also made a piece of Religion Women devoted to the Worship there used most filthily submitting to the Lust of their sacred Goats So Strabo tells
to be burnt XXI 9. and the Adulterer to be strangled as the Jews understand it If a man lay with a Virgin espoused to another man but not yet married they were both to be stoned by the express words of the Law XXII Deut. 23. But Adultery with a married Woman if we may credit the Jewish Doctors was punished with strangling See Selden Lib. III. Vxor Hebr. cap. 2. For when we meet with this phrase they shall surely die it is always meant of Death by the Sentence of the House of Judgment as they speak and if the Law add no more they resolve it to be by strangling If these words be added their blood shall be upon them then they say they were to be stoned This I observed before and shall add now that strangling as they describe it was not such a punishment as our hanging men by the neck but the Criminal being stuck up to the knees in dung they tied a Napkin about his Neck and drawing it hard at both ends choaked him There was such a thing as hanging men on a Gallows as we speak but it was after they were dead and only such as had been stoned and not all them neither but such alone as had been stoned for Blasphemy or Adultery See Joh. Carpzovius upon Schickard's Jus Regium cap. 4. Theorem XIV The greatest thing that can be objected against this account of the punishment of Adultery is that which St. John tells us the Jews said concerning the Woman taken in the very act of it Moses in the Law commanded us that such should be stoned VIII Joh. 5. But it may be answered that this Woman was espoused only and not yet married and so by the Law as I observed before was to be stoned XXII Deut. 23 24. If this seem absurd that the Adultery of one espoused should be accounted a greater Crime than of one married for stoning was an heavier punishment than strangling it ought to be considered that the love of those who were newly espoused was commonly more fervent than theirs who were married especially among the Jews who for light causes were wont to be divorced from their Wives And therefore no wonder if the Adultery of the former was judged a greater Crime than of the latter Ver. 11. Verse 11 And the man that lieth with his fathers wife c. This was condemned before as an heinous sin XVIII 8. and now the penalty of Death is inflicted upon the Offenders Their blood shall be upon them All the Hebrew Doctors agree that wheresoever we meet with this phrase it is meant of stoning as I before observed Ver. 12. Verse 12 If a man lie with his daughter-in-law both of them shall surely be put to death This was forbidden XVIII 15. and the same penalty is here enacted as against the former Crime They have wrought confusion By perverting the order which God hath appointed and making great disturbance in the Family c. It is the same word that is used for a more foul sin XVIII 23. and therefore shows this to be an abominable mixture Ver. 13. Verse 13 If a man also lie with mankind c. This also was condemned before XVIII 22. but the penalty not declared till now They shall surely be put to death c. By stoning unless one of them was under a force and then that Law took place which we find XXII Deut. 25 26. Ver. 14. Verse 14 And if a man take a wife and her mother it is wickedness See XVIII 17. They shall be burnt with fire Which was an higher punishment than stoning as that was higher than strangling R. Levi Barcelonita Praecept CCXXIV. describes the manner of it to have been thus They set the Malefactor in dung up to the knees and then tied a Cloath about his Neck which was drawn by the two Witnesses till they made his Mouth gape into which they poured hot melted Lead down his Throat which burnt his bowels And thus the rest of the Talmudists expound it But I see no good Authority they have for it the word for burning being the same that is used when mention is made of burning with Fire and Faggots as we speak And R. Elieser ben Zadock saith he saw a Priest's Daughter thus burnt for Fornication But the Doctors commonly say the Judges were ignorant of the Law or that they were Sadducees who then had got into the Seat of Judgment who followed the very Letter of the Scripture Both he and they That is both the Mother and Daughter if the Mother were consenting to it Otherwise only the Woman that offended From whence the Karaites formed this Rule after the same manner that men were obliged by a Precept in Scripture the Women were obliged also Selden Lib. Uxor Hebr. cap. 5. That there be no wickedness among you That others may be deterred from the commission of such enormous Crimes For the Hebrew word imports more than ordinary wickedness See XVIII 17. Ver. 15. Verse 15 And if a man lie with a beast he shall surely be put to death See XVIII 23. This Death was by stoning as appears from the next Verse And ye shall slay the beast Just as they were to destroy not only the Inhabitants of an Apostate City but their Cattel also c. XIII Deut. 15 16. to terrifie others from committing the like sin And as the Talmudists observe that there might be no Memorial left of so foul a Crime by Mens pointing at the Beast and saying There goes the Beast that such a Man lay with They might have added to prevent monstrous Births See Selden Lib. I. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 4. Maimonides gives a good reason why a Beast that killed a Man should be slain as a punishment to the Owner for looking no better after it but his application of it to this matter seems impertinent More Nevoch P. III. cap. 40. Bochartus his Gloss is far better The Beast was killed as an Instrument in the Crime just as a Forger of Deeds is hanged with his Pen and Counterfeit Seals and a Conjurer with his Magical Books and Characters And this also is useful for an Example though not to other Beasts yet to Men whose concern it is to consider that if Beasts were not spared who were not capable of sinning what would become of them who committed such Crimes against the known Law of God and the impressions of Nature it self Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. 2. cap. 16. Ver. 16. Verse 16 Their blood shall be upon them This relates to the Man and the Woman mentioned in these two Verses who committed this foul Crime for a Beast is not capable of punishment But as the Canon Law speaks Pecora inde credendum est jussa interfici quia tali flagitio contaminata refricant facti memoriam it is to be believed that the Beasts which were polluted with such a flagitious wickedness were therefore commanded to be slain because they rub'd up the memory of
but such only as were without blemish nor any other Sacrifices be offered but such as were every way perfect and only such Feasts observed as are mentioned in the foregoing Chapter he proceeds now to give order for the daily Service of God in the Sanctuary which was not yet settled till the Princes had all made their Offerings c. VII Numb 1 2 c. VIII 1. Ver. 2. Verse 2 Command the Children of Israel that they bring unto thee The daily Sacrifices were to be maintained at the publick Charge and so were the Incense and the Lamps and therefore it was proper to speak to all the People in whose name the Priests performed all these things to take care they should be furnished with them See XXX Exod. 13 c. Pure Oil-olive beaten for the light to cause the Lamps to burn continually All this hath been explained XXVII Exod. 20. where this order was first given and now is commanded to be put in execution It is not improbable that the Oil to make it more pure and free from all Dregs passed through two Strainers into the Lamps as Fortunatus Scacchus indeavours to make out Myrothec I. Elaiochris Sacr. 10. Ver. 3. Verse 3 Without the vail of the Testimony c. This is a short expression which in XXVII Exod. 21. is delivered more fully without the Vail which is before the Testimony that is before the Ark. Shall Aaron order it He or his Sons as it is explained in XXVII Exod. 21. From the evening unto the morning The Hebrew word Boker properly signifies that part of the Morning which is from break of day till Sun-rise and the other word Arvaim the Evening after Sun-set till it be dark Therefore very early in the Morning and late at Night the Priests were to look after the Lamps Before the LORD continually For the Lamps burnt on one side of the Sanctuary as the Table stood on the other side with the Shew-bread on it and both of them before the LORD i. e. before the Ark of the Testimony where the Divine Majesty dwelt XXV Exod. 30. XXVI 35. It shall be a statute for ever c. XXVII Exod. 21. Ver. 4. Verse 4 He shall order the Lamps upon the pure Candlestick The Candlestick was made of pure Gold XXV Exod. 31. XXXVII 17. and thence seems to be called the pure Candlestick XXXI Exod. 8. But here it is possible Moses may have respect to the making it clean every day before the Lamps were lighted Before the LORD continually See XXX Exod. 7 8. Ver. 5. Verse 5 And thou shalt take fine flour Of the best Wheat And bake twelve Cakes These are called the Bread of the Presence which we translate Shew-bread in the place now named XXV Exod. 30. where see what I have noted They were prepared by the Levites 1 Chron. 9.32 XXIII 29. and were in number XII to represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel as continually before God i. e. under the care of his gracious Providence Nor was this number diminished after the Apostacy of Ten Tribes from the Worship of God at the Tabernacle but still Twelve Cakes were set before the LORD because there were a remnant of true Israelites among them 1 Kings XXX 18. and this was a constant Testimony against those Apostates and served to turn them back to the right Worship of God at that place where they were assured they and their Sacrifices would be acceptable and no where else Which made Abijah mention this to Jeroboam and the Ten Tribes among other things that should induce them to repent of their forsaking God and his dwelling place where he tells them The Priests the. Sons of Aaron minister and the Levites wait on their business And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening Burnt-sacrifices and sweet Incense the Shew-bread also set they in order upon the pure Table and the Candlestick of Gold with the Lamps thereof to burn every evening c. See 2 Chron. XIII v. 9 10 11 c. Two tenth deals shall be in one Cake That is two Omers for an Omer was the tenth part of an Ephah XVI Exod. 36. Where we likewise read v. 22. that every Israelite while they were in the Wilderness gathered just his his quantity against every Sabbath On which day these Cakes being set upon God's Table as it here follows v. 8. Dr. Lightfoot thinks both the Measure and the Time were designed to put the Israelites in mind of their Sustenance in their Wilderness Ver. 6. Verse 6 And thou shalt set them in two rows c. One upon another as the Hebrew Writers expound it Who say also that they were set length-wise cross over the breadth of the Table and that they were ten hand-breadths long and five broad and seven fingers thick See Dr. Lightfoot's Temple Service Chap. 14. sect 5. Vpon the pure Table It was called pure because it was overlaid with pure Gold XXV Exod. 24. and we may be sure was kept very clean and bright Before the LORD Who dwelt in the most holy place before which the Bread was set Ver. 7. Verse 7 And thou shalt put pure Frankincense The best that could be got unmixed with any thing else And there was no better in the World than their neighbouring Countries afforded Vpon each row On the top of each row of Cakes there was set a golden Dish with an handful of Frankincense therein That it may be on the bread Or for the bread That is offered unto God instead of the Bread which was to be given to the Priests who waited on him at his Table for their portion For a memorial For an Acknowledgment of God and of his Soveraignty over them and to beseech him to be always gracious to them See Chap. 2. v. 2. and to represent also as Conradus Pellicanus understands it that God was ever mindful of his People and had a great love to them for the eyes of the LORD are over the righteous and his ears open to their prayers Even an offering made by fire unto the LORD The Frankincense being set upon the Bread they seem to be considered as one thing part of which was to be offered unto God and the rest to be given to his Ministers Now instead of the Bread which was the principal the Frankincense was burnt every Week unto the LORD when the Bread was eaten by the Priests Which Bread it is evident v. 9. is called one of the Offerings of the LORD made by fire because this Frankincense which stood upon it all the Week was burnt as an Oblation to him Ver. 8. Verse 8 Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually The Shew-bread was prepared the Evening before and then on the Sabbath four Priests went in to fetch away the old Loaves and Frankincense that had stood there all the Week before and other four followed after them to carry new ones and Frankincense in their stead For two of
expressed by hickethi I will smite or punish you v. 24. Seven times for your sins If we should by a litteral account multiply the number of Plagues mentioned v. 24. seven times the threatning here would amount to this That their Rebellion not amended by so many Plagues but continued still from Age to Age notwithstanding all the Corrections inflicted on them for their Reformation v. 23. should in conclusion be punished one thousand one hundred ninety seven times more severely than at first v. 18. But the simple sense is That their obstinate contempt of his Laws should be punished with new and more grievous Plagues Which was fulfilled as our Dr. Jackson observes Book I on the Creed chap. 22. in their Captivity in the days of Manasseh Jehojachim and Zedediah and again in the time of Ptolomy the first under Antiochus Epiphanes For these later Calamities were at least seven times greater both for extent and durance than the former Persecutions which they suffered from the Philistines Moabites Ammonites and Syrians By all which and by what follows it plainly appears that these Threatnings were a kind of Prediction For Moses evidently foresaw they would not prove so obedient as he desired XXXI Deut. 27 29. and consequently that these Threatnings in case of Disobedience would turn into Prophecies Unto every one of which their History exactly answers as the Book of Deuteronomy will give me occasion to show more fully Ver. 29. Verse 29 And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat This is the very utmost Calamity that could come upon a People and yet as Conradus Pellicanus observes it is put before the throwing down of their High-places and Images c. As if the devouring of their Children such was their incredible Lust after Idols would seem a less Evil to them than the loss of their Images This was fulfilled among the Israelites in the Siege of Samaria 2 Kings VI. 29. and among the Jews in the Siege of Jerusalem before the Babylonian Captivity IV Lament 10. and in the last Siege by Titus as Josephus relates Lib. VII de Bello Judaico cap. 8. Ver. 30. Verse 30 And I will destroy your high places Where they were wont to worship their Idols according to the manner of the Heathen who built Temples and Altars and offered Sacrifices to their Gods upon Mountains and high Hills especially such as were shaded with Trees Insomuch that the Indians in Philostratus call the high Mountain Caucasus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the House of the Gods And the ancient Persians as Herodotus saith in his Clio cap. 131. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 going up to the top of the highest Mountains there offered Sacrifices unto Jupiter calling the whole Circle of the Heavens by that name And in the Island Naxus the highest Mountain was also consecrated to him as from his worship on Mount Athos he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hesychius They that would see more of this matter may look into Cuperus his Apotheosis Homeri p. 15 16 c. And the reason of their choosing these places for their Worship was because they thought their Sacrifices would be more acceptable there than in Valleys For as Lucian himself saith they thought themselves in such High-places to be nearer to their Gods and so should more easily obtain Audience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. de De◠Syr. and Tacitus saith the same in the last Book of his Annals How much the Israelites were inclined to follow the Nations of the World in this appears too plainly by their History which shows that High-places were frequented in the Reigns of their good Kings as well as of their bad Yea they were so fond of them that when they could not go to them they offered upon the tops of their Houses XIX Jerem. 13. XXXII 29. I Zephan 5. And cut down their Images The Hebrew word Chammanecem which we translate your Images properly signifies Temples erected for the worship of the Sun as Aben-Ezra says upon this place For it is certain that the Hebrews call the Sun Chamma from whence comes the word Chamman the Temple of the Sun whom the ancient Phoenicians took to be the Lord of Heaven So Sanchoniathon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of the Sun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though it is very probable that as Superstition increased the name of Chammanim was given to other Temples as well as those of the Sun See Bochart in his Canaan Lib. II. cap. 17. Others take this word to signifie what the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Temples of the Fire which being worshipped by the Eastern People Temples were erected in honour of it But this is not much different from the former the Persians worshipt the Sun in the Fire which was the Symbol and Representative of the Sun See Selden Syntagma II. de Diis Syris cap. 8. And cast your carcases upon the carcases of your Idols Which were both burnt together as some imagine However this expresses the utmost Contempt both of them and of their Idols who were alike detestable Their fondness of them also when they were alive seems to be represented by throwing them upon them when they were dead And the Hebrew word gillulim which we barely translate Idols importing something belonging to the Dunghil is taken by some to signifie the Images of Baal-peor who was worshipped as the Jews say after a most beastly manner These Idols whatsoever they were though dressed up finely yet were no better then dead Carcases without any Life or Soul in them And we might think if that Superstition were so old that Moses alludes to the little Images of Isis which were made of Plaister and Clay and are found frequently in the Sepulchres of Egyptians at this day Unto which Christoph Arnoldus in his Epistle to Wagenseil thinks the Talmudists allude when they say that Pharaoh's Daugher becoming a Proselyte to the Jewish Religion washed her self in the River Megullile from these dunghil Idols as some render it of her Father's House Excerp Gemarae in Sota cap. 1. sect 40. The Dutch Interpreters translate it Dreck-goden not meerly for the matter as Arnoldus thinks but also for the form of a Beetle which lives in dung For so they represented Isis as Plutarch tells us in his Book de Isid Offic. See Wagenseil Sota p. 1176. And my soul shall abhor you As so offensive to me that I can bear with you no longer This is directly opposite to his promise if they would be obedient v. 11. My soul shall not abhor you Ver. 31. Verse 31 And I will make your Cities waste Their Walls being thrown down and their Houses burnt And bring your Sanctuaries unto desolation They had but one Sanctuary and therefore some think their Synagogues are comprehended under this name for they are sometimes called Sanctuaries as I observed before But the Sanctuary properly so