as we may see chap. 2. 31. Thus the Sanctuary had the middest the most safe and honourable place the greatest camp went foremost the next in greatnesse went hindmost to defend it against enemies before and behind But the Lord himself was he that went before and was the rereward behind as the Prophet speaks Esai 52. 12. For the Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your rereward Vers 29. And Moses said unto Hobab the sonne of Raguel the Midianite Moses father in law c. Some conceive that it is Raguel the Medianite and not Hobab that is here called Moses father in law even the same that is elsewhere called Reüel Exod. 2. 18. and Jethro Exod. 3. 1. and that Hobab to whom Moses now spake being the sonne of this Raguel or Jethro was the brother in law of Moses who stayed still with Moses at mount Sinai after their father Reguel or Jethro was returned home to his own countrey Exod. 28. 27. But because Hobab is elsewhere expressely called according to our translation the father in law of Moses Judge 4. 11. it must needs be he also that is here also called Moses father in law even the same that is in Exodus called Jethro and Reüel and that Raguel the Midianite was his father as is noted before upon Exod. 3. 1. And if it be objected that Jethro the father in law of Moses departed from him before Exod. 18. 27. to this I answer as before in the note upon that place that though his going from Moses be mentioned there yet it was not till now that he left him when both Moses and the Israelites were to depart mount Sinai Vers 31. Leave us not I pray thee c. That is go not away from us or if thou goest away return again Though Moses had lived fourty years about these parts yet knowing the difficulties they were likely to meet with in their passage through the wildernesse he much desired the stay of Hobab with them who knew the countrey farre better then himself and might be a great help unto them and therefore he presseth him again to stay with them that he might be to them in stead of eyes that is that he might shew them how they might best advantage themselves in disposing their camp And indeed though theâ—e was no need of his help to lead them and shew them which way they should go because the pillar of the cloud and the ark went before them to lead them their way yet many other wayes Hobab might be helpfull to them as by telling them when they were to stay in any place where they might have water for their camp where there was most danger of being assayled by the neighbouring nations and in many other particulars whether Hobab yielded hereupon to stay with Moses it is not expressed yet because there is no mention made here of a second denyall it is generally conceived that he did stay But because it is expressely said Exod. 18. 27. that this Hobab or Jethro the father in law of Moses was dismissed by Moses and returned again into his own land it seems more probable that he did now return home to his countrey as is there said But yet that he returned again or at least that some of his posterity were deputed in his room to go along with the Israelites is most manifest and clear because his posterity dwelt afterwards amongst the Israelites in the and of Canaan as we may see Judg. 1. 16. And the children of the Kenite Moses father in law went up out of the citâ—e of palmtrees c. and again Judges 4. 11. Heber the Kenite was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses Vers 33. And they departed from the mount of the Lord three dayes journey They travelled three dayes together without resting for because the cloud stayed not they might not stay which seems to have been the cause of their complaining chap. 11. ver 1. And the ark af the covenant of the Lord went before them in three dayes journey to search out a resting place for them The Hebrew word signifieth went in their faces or sight which it might do and yet be in the middest of the armies carryed amongst the other holy things by the sonnes of Kohath ver 21. and so the most expound it it went before them that is in their sight as their guide for when the cloud stayed then the priests stayed with the ark and upon the stay of the ark all the armies stayed But I see no reason why we may not think the ark went before in the forefront of their armies though the other holy things went in the midst as ver 21. to wit together with the cloud and that to search out a resting place for them a place convenient to pitch their tents where they might have water and pasture for their flocks c. CHAP. XI Vers 1. ANd when the people complained it displeased the Lord. The word in the originall here translated complained may also be rendred as it is in the margin were as it were complainers and so may intimate that they did onely secretly begin to murmur and mutter and not break forth into such an open complaint as afterwards they did at Kibroth Hattaavah when they lusted for meat Indeed many Expositours understand this and that afterwards mentioned ver 4. of one and the same murmuring which they say is first summarily set down here and afterwards more particularly related in the sequele of the chapter and especially because Psal 78. 19 20 21. the fire that now devoured the people is mentioned as the punishment of their lusting for flesh They said Can God furnish a table in the wildernesse Therefore the Lord heard this and was wroth so a fire was kindled against Jacob and anger also came up against Israel But in that Psalm it is evident that the severall passages of their murmuring are not related historically in order but many things are promiscuously inserted here and there However evident it is that the murmuring for flesh mentioned ver 4. was another from this because it is said here that they wept again and besides that was done at Kibroth Hattaavah this at Taberah The cause of their present complaining indeed is not expressed but in all likelyhood we may conceive it was because they were weary of following the ark three dayes journey through the wildernesse together without intermission whereof there was mention made in the latter end of the former chapter ver 33. And the fire of the Lord burnt among them That is a fire sent from God but whether it brake out of the earth or from the pillar of fire or were poured down upon them from heaven it is not expressed And thus their fiery tongues were punished with fire And consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp This is aded to let us see how the whole army escaped when God sent a fire
yet therefore in their fathers house but others understand it of the husbands of other daughters of his that were already married into the city which seems best to agree with the text But if so then we must farther consider though his sonnes in law are here onely mentioned as the heads of the families yet their wives if living were also spoken to And hence it may seem was Lots lingring that he should leave his children to be destroyed and the Angels command vers 15. Take thy two daughters that are here intimating that he might not wait for the other that were not there Vers 17. And it came to passe c. that he said c. To wit one of the Angels to whom Lot therefore afterward directs his speech in the singular number because it was he that had given him the charge of flying to the mountain Look not behind thee This was enjoyned Lot 1. thereby to expresse how detestable the inhabitants of Sodom were a people hated of God and unworthy of the commiseration of good men for whom it was not fit he should take the least thought or care 2. To teach him hereby that he was so to be affected with Gods meâ—cy in delivering him from that wicked cursed place and the judgement that was now to fall upon them that he was not to mind nor regard his house cattel or whatever other riches he was to leave behind or in the least degree to repent of his coming away and accordingly is the very same phrase used Luke 9. 62. No man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdome of God 3. To intimate with what speed they were to haste away not to hinder their flight so much as by looking back upon the city Vers 19. And I cannot escape to the mountain c. Because the mountain was so farre off he fears lest ere he could get thither the destruction should be poured forth and he should be overtaken in it and therefore desires that Zoar might be the place of refuge for him which was nearer at hand Vers 21. And he said unto him See I have accepted thee concerning this thing The Angel not without Gods direction undoubtedly yields to the weaknesse of his faith and grants his request but as God doth usually grant his servants those requests which he doth not approve of that they may by their own experience see their folly and that it is still better for them to follow his direction for thus it was with Lot who afterwards vers 30. feared to dwell in Zoar and then therefore found that he had done best it at first he had followed the angels counsel in flying to the mountain Vers 22. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. Which signifies little before it was called Bela chap. 14. 2. And the king of Bela which is Zoar. Vers 23. The sunne was risen upon the eartâ— c. This I conceive is thus expressed 1. To shew how narrowly Lot escaped the destruction that fell upon the Sodomites It was break of day when the Angels hastened him and his to get them out of Sodom vers 15. And when the morning arose then the Angels hastened Lot saying Arise c. and by that time the sunne was risen the judgement threatned fell upon Sodom whereby no doubt Lot was brought to see and acknowledge both his own folly in lingring so long and the goodnesse of God in forcing him away and not suffering him to stay there any longer and 2. to make it the more manifest that this judgement was extraordinary and supernaturall and how suddenly the inhabitants of these wicked cities were overwhelmed with the storm of Gods fiery indignation without any warning given them when doubtlesse they had not the least fear of any such mischief that was coming upon them The sunne rose as fairly that day as upon other dayes and yet presently a showr of fire and brimstone fell upon them and consumed them all Vers 24. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah c. Sodom and Gomorrah are here mentioned as the chief but withall Admah and Zeboiim were also destroyed Deut. 29. 23. Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah Admah and Zeboiim which the Lord overthrew in his anger c. Now from the Lord is here added in the end of this clause Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord the more emphatically to expresse that it was not by any ordinary course of nature but by the immediate almighty power of God And doubtlesse it was the supernaturall and miraculous work of the Lord and not from any naturall cause that such showers not of water as when the old world was drowned but of fire and brimstone should fall from heaven upon these cities who did therein fit the punishment to the sinnes of those that were destroyed thereby They burned vvith vild and unnaturall lusts and therefore against the ordinary course of nature fire falls down from heaven and devours them and their stinking abominable filthinesse is punished with the stench of brimstone mingled vvith fire yea this fire and brimstone vvas but a forerunner of their everlasting punishment in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone for evermore Rev. 21. 8. for so the Apostle S. Jude saith that Sodom and Gomorrah suffered the vengeance of eternall fire Jude 7. Vers 26. But his wife looked back from behind him c. That is Lot going before and his wife follovving behind him she looked back from behind him tovvards Sodom to vvit as doubting vvhether any such judgement vvould fall upon Sodom as vvas threatned or lingring in her desires after those friends that vvealth and estate vvhich they had left behind them and thus she did rebell against the expresse commandment of the Lord given before to Lot vers 17. and in him unto all that vvere with him and that vvhen God had afforded her such an extraordinary mercy to fetch her avvay by his angels from Sodom vvhen it vvas to be destroyed and so vvas turned into a Pillar or statue of salt not such salt as vve ordinarily use vvhich being vvet vvill melt and turn into vvater for it vvas to stand as a monument of her infidelity and disobedience but a kind of rockie minerall salt vvhich vvill endure all vveathers and not vvaste avvay Vers 29. God remembred Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow That is God remembred his promise vvhereby he had ingaged himself to Abraham not onely to blesse him in his own person but those also for his sake that were dear unto him chap. 12. 2. And thou shalt be a blessing I will blesse them that blesse thee and he remembred the requests vvhich Abraham had made to him for Sodom and that in the behalf of those fevv righteous ones that might be in that citie pressing him particularly vvith this that the righteous might not be destroyed
that he vvas dead already they brake not his legges And these things were done saith S t John chap. 19. 36. that the Scripture should be fulfilled A bone of him shall not be broken CHAP. XIII Vers 2. SAnctifie unto me all the first-born c. That is make known unto my people that they are to be put apart to holy uses for me and my service Now the first-born were thus consecrated as a kind of first-fruits to signifie that all Gods people which are a congregation of first-born being redeemed from death by the bloud of Christ were bound to consecrate themselves to the service of the Lord Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service Whatsoever openeth the wombe among the children of Israel both of man and of beast it is mine To wit by a peculiar right because he preserved them in Egypt vvhen the Egyptians vvere killed and therefore such might not be given as a vovv of freevvill offering Levit. 27. 26. Onely the firstling of the beast which should be the Lords firstling no man shall sanctifie it whether it be ox or sheep Vers 5. And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites c. He mentions the goodnesse of the land vvhich he had promised h at it was a land flowing with milk and hony as a spurre to quicken them in Gods service and makes known that the celebrating of this solemnity should not begin till they were entred the land of Canaan the better to assure them that though there were now so many strong Nations dwelling in that countrey yet they should drive them out and possesse their land Vers 9. And it shall be for a signe unto thee upon thine hand and for a memoriall between thine eyes c. That is this feast of unleavened bread shall be as a continuall means to call to your remembrance your deliverance out of Egypt as when men use to put a ring or to tie a thread upon their fingers or to hang jewels upon their foreheads hanging between their eyes a custome it seems in those times to put them in mind of something which they are very carefull not to forget Vers 13. And every firstling of an asse thou shalt redeem with a lambe That is the firstling of all unclean beasts for this one kind is put for the rest because there were great store of them in that countrey See Numb 8. 15. The first-born of man shalt thou surely redeem and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem And all the first-born of man shalt thou redeem When and at what price see Numb 18. 16. And those that are to be redeemed from a moneth old shalt thou redeem according to thine estimation for the money of five shekels after the shekel of the sanctuary which is twenty gerahs Vers 17. Left peradventure the people repent when they see warre and they return to Egypt The Philistines were enemies to the land of Egypt and hence we reade that whilest the Israelites lived in Egypt in the dayes of Ephraim the son of Jacob the men of Gath that were born in that land slew some of the sonnes of Ephraim because they came down to take away their cattel 1. Chron. 7. 21. much more therefore was it likely that now they would deny them passage though their countrey Now should they see warre where the easinesse and shortnesse of the way they had gone might invite â—hem to escape and avoyd that trouble by a speedy return back again into Egypt it is likely the fear of the enemy would soon have made them turn their backs upon Canaan To prevent this God leads them a way where the red sea and troublesome wildernesse through which they had passed might beat them off from attempting to return though they should meet with enemies that should make warre against them Vers 18. And the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt Some by this word harnessed understand onely that they went away girt up and prepared for their journey as travellers used to do But others and I think more probably understand it of their going up armed in a military order whereto agrees also that Translation of this word which is set in the margin of our Bibles that they went up five in a rank for considering 1. that the same word in the originall is used both here and Josh 1. 14. where it is translated ye shall passe before your brethren armed and 2. that immediately after they were in the wildernesse they fought with the Amalekites I see not why we may not think that they went up in a military manner armed for though they were in bondage to the Egyptians yet being such a numerous people living together in the land of Goshen it is not probable that they were left wholly unfurnished of armes wherewith they were to defend that part of the countrey However the drift doubtlesse of this place is to shew that they went not away in a confused manner as men that fled but that being all meâ— together at Succoth a place which before they had appointed for their Rendevouz they marched away from thence in battel-array Vers 19. And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him Though the removing of the bones of Joseph as chief be here onely mentioned and that because of the oath that was made to him concerning this Gen. 50. 25. Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel saying God will surely visit you and ye shall carry up my bones from hence yet doubtlesse either the bones of the other Patriarchs were now carryed away with Josephs or else the Israelites had before when they died carryed their dead bodies out of Egypt and buried them in Canaan as they did Jacobs For of all the Patriarchs Stephen said Act 7. 16. that they were carryed over into Sichem and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a summe of money of the sonnes of Emor the father of Sichem Vers 21. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud c. That is the Lord to shew the Israelites which way they should go caused a cloud the signe of his presence to go before their camp not onely by day but also by night too when they had any occasion to travel in the night and the fashion of it was alwayes like that of a pillar ascending round and straight from the earth towards the being in all other respects by day like other clouds onely by night it was reâ—d in appearance like fire Numb 9. 15. called therefore here a pillar of fire and so it served not onely to direct them which way to go for which way soever that went in the forefront of the camp the Israelites still followed it and when they were to stay in any place then that removed
backward into the middest of the Camp and rested upon the tabernacle Numb 9. 18. but besides it served in the night to give them light and in the day to cover and shelter them from the extremity of the sunnes heat He spread a cloud for a covering saith the Psalmist Psal 105. 39. and fire to give light in the night for though it ascended up a great height in the aire straight like a pillar yet there it dispersed it self abroad it seems at least when need was like any other cloud and so did shadow them from the sunne as smoke useth to do concerning the which the like phrase is used Judg. 20. 40. The flame began to arise with a pillar of smokâ— And therefore it is said Numb 14. 14. that this cloud stood over them Now in all these respects this figured Christs guidance and protection of his Church in their travels towards the heavenly Canaan and hereto the Prophet seems to allude Esay 4. 5 6. The Lord will create upon every dwelling place in Mount Sion and upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence CHAP. XIV Vers 1. ANd the Lord spake unto Moses saying c. That is before their removall from Succoth though it be here set down after it for there they began to turn aside towards these straights That we may know that Moses did not ignorantly bring them into such a place of danger where they had the sea before them the mountains on one hand and the tower or city Migdol a garrison of the Egyptians on the other and so no place to passe out but to return upon the face of the enemy I say that we might not misjudge of this action Moses tells us that it was done by Gods speciall direction and that to these ends 1. To avoyd warre with the Philistines 2. To harden Pharaohs heart and to draw him forth upon a supposed advantage gotten 3. To try the faith of the Israelites Vers 3. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel They are entangled in the land c. That is when Pharaoh shall begin to think that by reason of the difficulties of the wildernesse you know not how to scape away this shall embolden him to pursue you to his own distruction Vers 5. And it was told the King of Egypt that the people fled That is that they were making away as fast as they could and went not onely to sacrifice unto the Lord. It is not meant of flying for fear for it is afterward said ver 8. that they went out with a high hand that is boldly powerfully in good array of battel as in chap. 13. 18. The children of Israel went up harnessed c. but it is meant of their marching away with a purpose to get out of his service Vers 8. The children of Israel went out with a high hand Not like fugitives but like a free people rescued out of their bondage by the mighty power of God so to sinne with a high hand is to do it boldly and openly Numb 15. 30. and as men that now thought themselves secure and out of danger of the Egyptians Vers 10. And when Pharaoh drew nigh the children of Israel lift up their eyes c. Implying that they were the more terrified because they never feared this danger till unexpectedly looking forth they saw the Egyptians close at their heels And the children of Israel cryed out unto the Lord. That is in the suddennesse of the danger they cryed out for help but without faith as men that knew not what they did Vers 13. And Moses said unto the people Fear ye not stand still c. Implying that they should not need to stirre in the businesse if they would onely be quiet and with a settled mind wait upon the Lord for help he would deliver them without their help Vers 14. The Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace That is be still not be put to any trouble in the least resistance of them for this phrase of holding the peace is often applyed to actions and then it signifieth being still and not moving to do any thing Psal 50. 3. Our God shall come and shall not keep silence and Psal 83. 1. Keep not thou silence O God hold not thy peace and be not still Esa 42. 14. I have long time holden my peace I have been still and refrained my self Vers 15. And the Lord said unto Moses Wherefore criest thou unto me This may be meant of the time before Moses had so encouraged the people as is expressed in the former verses and then it is here related as the ground of that his confident promise ver 13. As for those words of God to Moses Wherefore criest thou unto me they imply that he did call upon God though it were not before mentioned Neither doth God mislike or reprove him for this but onely hastens him to do what was to be done and to strike the sea with his rod that it might be divided and so give way to the Israelites to passe over Vers 19. And the Angel of the Lord which went before the camp c. That is Christ called Jehovah Exod. 13. 21. And the Lord went before them by day c. and he is said to remove onely because the signes of his presence went to another place Vers 22. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground That is they went into the channel of the red sea upon the dry-ground and so were in the midst of the sea having the sea both on their right hand and on their left So farre were the people now encouraged that had ere while with much bitternesse murmured against Moses and Aaron partly by the removing of the cloud betwixt them and the Egyptians partly by the miraculous dividing of the sea upon Moses lifting up his hand over it but chiefly by the working of Gods Spirit in their hearts that Moses leading the way they were not afraid to follow him notwithstanding the terrour of the waters standing up on each side as they went whence it is that the Apostle saith that by faith they passed through the sea Heb. 11. 29. and therefore it is also that the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 10. 2. that they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea to wit because the condition wherein they were as they were led by the ministry of Moses under the cloud and through the sea was a notable figure or representation of our Baptisme to wit in that as they by the cloud were covered from the heat of the sunne and were enlightned in the way they should go so those that are baptized by the water and the Spirit of Christ are covered from the burning wrath of God and enlightned to the saving knowledge of the way of life and as they in the red
they might not at all take for pawns whereof an instance is given Deut. 24. 6. No man shall take the nether or upper milstone to pledge And indeed this which is here enjoyned that they should at the going down of the sunne deliver back their neighbours bed-clothes which they had taken for a pledge it was all one in effect as if they had been enjoyned not to take any such necessaries of them to pledge for doubtlesse it is meant of an absolute restoring them without any expectation of receiving them again there being nothing fonder then that which some would have to be the meaning of these words that every night the lender was to restore them these pledges for their use and then in the morning to take them back again which would have been a continuall trouble to the lender without any the least advantage to him and if they must absolutely restore them at sunne-setting it was to no purpose to take them at all But however all this must be understood of the pawns of poore people that had not variety and so were forced to pawn those things which they could not be well without when the time came that they were to use them and not of rich men that had variety as is evident Deut. 24. 12. If the man be poore thou shalt not sleep with his pledge where also another Law is given concerning pawns ver 10 11. to wit that the lender might not go into his brothers house and take what pawn he pleased but must stand abroad and take that pledge which should be brought out to him Vers 28. Thou shalt not revile the Gods c. That is those that sit in the place of judgement the judges as it is in the margin of our Bibles for so it is explained in the following clause nor curse the ruler of thy people for these in the Scripture are called Gods as Psal 82. I have said Ye are Gods c. to wit because they are Gods Vicegerents upon earth and they have as it were an impression of Gods majesty upon them in whose stead they are and whose name they bear And hence I conceive it is evident that S. Paul spake that ironically Act. 23. 5. I wist not brethren that he was the high priest for it is written Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of the people for could we conceive that S. Paul knew not the high priest which is altogether unlikely yet he knew that he was one of the judges for so much his own words discover Sittest thou to judge me after the Law and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the Law So that it was no excuse for him to say he knew not that he was the high priest because however being one of the judges it was against this Law to revile him And therefore I say though perhaps those that heard him speak those words understood that he spake them by way of excusing himself yet he spake them ironically by way of derision and scorn as disdaining that he should be accounted Gods high priest or should sit in the seat of justice that would so unjustly command his officers to smite him on the mouth which will yet seem the more probable if we consider how farre that Ananias was of whom he spake from having any true right to that place and power to which he pretended when Christ had abolished the Legall priesthood Vers 29. The first-born of thy sonnes shalt thou give unto me See the notes upon Exod. 13. 1 2 and 13. Vers 30. Seven dayes shall it be with his damme on the eighth day thou shalt give it me To wit because till the eighth day it was not fit for the priests use for whom the first-born of their cattel were intended yet doubtlesse when they saw cause they might keep them a while longer so they did not delay the bringing of them as being unwilling to give them to the Lord nor were bound precisely to the eighth day onely they might not bring them sooner for so we find it was in the like case of bringing their sacrifices Lev. 22. 27. It shall be seven dayes under the damme and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the Lord. Vers 38. Neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field c. This restraint of the Israelites from eating that which was torn of beasts was 1. because all flesh of beasts that was not rightly purified from the bloud was unclean by the Law 2. because the bodies of clean cattel became legally unclean by being torn by wild beasts of prey which were all unclean and 3. to teach the Israelites by abhorring the flesh of beasts thus killed to abhorre all rapine and cruelty as sinnes most odious in the sight of God CHAP. XXIII Vers 1. THou shalt not raise a false report Some reade this clause as it is in the margin Thou shall not receive a false report The word in the originall will bear both interpretations and indeed if it be a sinne to raise that is to be the first authour of a false report then must it needs be also a sinne to receive such a report and so to carry it and spread it abroad amongst others Put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witnesse That is afford not thine help and aid to those that combine themselves together to accuse any man falsely before a magistrate for he that lends a helping hand to the furtherance of any such wickednesse may in that sense be said to put his hand to it Yet because it is manifest that the Lord here speaks of helping by bearing false witnesse it may well be that this phrase put not thine hand may be used here with reference to that ancient rite of mens putting forth their hand to lay it upon something when they were to take an oath as Abrahams servant put his hand upon his masters thigh Gen. 24. 2. and as we use to lay our hands upon a Bible when we swear Vers 2. Neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgement That is neither must the judge respect the multitude of the parties friends upon whom sentence is to passe nor the multitude of the judges that consent to wrong judgement nor must witnesses or any other either for fear or favour of the many oppose the truth Vers 4. If thou meet with thine enemies ox or his asse agoing astray thou shalt surely bring it back to him This is also meant of bringing home any other thing that is lost Deut. 22. 3. In like manner thou shalt do with his asse and so shalt thou do with his raiment and with all things of thy brothers which he hath lost c. Vers 5. If thou see the asse of him that hateth thee lying under his burden c. This is also meant of relieving the cattel any way endangered Vers 7.
secondly to shew their thankfulnesse for the fruits which in this moneth they reaped Deut. 16. 13 14. Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven dayes after thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine And thou shalt rejoyce in thy feast c. And thirdly to figure out Christs coming into the world at this time of the year to dwell in the tabernacle of our flesh John 1. 14. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us c. and their being strangers and travellers here in this world Vers 17. Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord thy God That is at the three great feasts before mentioned the feast of unleavened bread the feast of harvest or Pentecost and the feast of in-gathering called also the feast of tabernacles then all the males were enjoyned to appear before the Lord and that in the place which he should choose Deut. 16. 16. namely all that were able for those that were sick infants and aged men were doubtlesse excused And though onely the males were by this law tyed to this service because women had many occasions to keep them at home yet even the women might if they pleased go up unto these feasts and often doubtlesse did for so it is saâ—d of Hannah the mother of Samuel 1. Sam. 2. 19. She came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice and of the virgin Mary Luke 2. 41. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passeover As for the place where they met together it was doubtlesse first the tabernacle and afterward the temple because there God dwelt as it were amongst his people and therefore there it is said they should appear before the Lord. And though it may seem somewhat questionable where they met to keep these feasts all the time the ark was in one place and the tabernacle in another as it was for many years after the ark was taken and carried away by the Philistines yet upon good consideration I think we may well conclude that they were kept where the tabernacle was because there was the altar of burnt-offerings and the offering of sacrifices was a main part of the holy service of these feasts Vers 18. Thou shalt not offer the bloud of thy sacrifice with leavened bread c. Because the very same words almost are repeated Exod. 34. 25. onely there the Passeover is expressely mentioned Thou shalt not offer the bloud of my sacrifice with leaven neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the Passeover be left unto the morning therefore the most and best Expositours do understand this place particularly of the Paschall Lambe to wit that they might not eat any leavened bread with the Passeover and that they might not leave any part of the Paschall Lambe untill the morning the fat being here by a Synecdoche put for all and specially mentioned because this in all sacrifices was offered to God Yet I see not why this place may not be understood generally of all sacrifices since it is evident first that leaven was forbidden in all meat-offerings which were alwayes offered together with their sacrifices Levit. 2. 11. No meat-offering which ye shall bring unto the Lord shall be made with leaven for ye shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering of the Lord made by fire And secondly that though the flesh of some sacrifices might be eaten the next day yet the fat thereof was to be presently burnt upon the altar See Levit. 7. 2 3. Vers 19. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mothers milk Either this must be literally understood according to the very words that they might not seethe a kid or a lambe c. in the milk of the damme because this had some appearance of cruelty which the Lord by this ceremony taught them to abhorre and indeed upon the same ground other like laws were given this people as Deut. 22. 6 7. If a birds nest chance to be before thee in the way c. thou shalt not take the damme with the young Or else rather it must be understood concerning the age of the kid to wit that they might not offer a kid to the Lord or eat it themselves whilest the flesh was onely â—erely a milky frothy substance thereby to teach them to avoid all foolish intemperancie and delicacie in their feeding and upon this ground they were forbidden to bring the first-born of their cattel or any other sacrifice till they were eight dayes old because so long they were but as the dammes milk Vers 20. Behold I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the way c. That is the promised Messiah the sonne of God and Angel of the covenant Mal. 3. 1. Who led them by day in the pillar of a cloud and by night in a pillar of fire and at last brought them into the land of Canaan of whom it is said 1. Cor. 10. 9. that the Israclites in the wildernesse tempted him and so were justly destroyed by him therein finding that verified which the Lord here saith vers 21. that he would not pardon their transgressions Vers 21. For my name is in him That is he is the Lord Jehovah as I am of the same Essence Power Majesty and Authority for so it is said of Christ Heb. 1. 3. that he was the brightnesse of his Fathers glory and the expresse image of his person and one God with him The Father is in me and I in him saith Christ John 10. 38. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 5. 19. And so it was prophecied of him Jer. 23. 6. This is his name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousnesse Vers 28. And I will send hornets before thee c. This may be meant of stinging terrours wherewith God struck the hearts of the Canaanites or it may be understood literally of true hornets sent before the Israelites and the rather because first God had spoken of the fear wherewith the Canaanites should be stricken in the former verse and it is not usuall in the Scripture to expresse any thing plainly first and then afterwards figuratively and obscurely And secondly he tells the Israelites that God had done this for them which he had promised See Josh 24. 12. Vers 31. And I will set thy bounds from the red sea c. The bounds of the promised land are here set down to wit first their Eastern bound which was the red sea and secondly the sea upon which the land of the Philistines lay called the Mediterranean sea which was their West border and thirdly the desert which lay on the South of Canaan to with the desert of Shur or Paran which was their South border on which side ran the river of Sychar Josh 13. 3. called the river of Egypt Gen. 15. 18. for it runs out of Nilus into the Mediterranean sea and therefore this also
repentance to see whether they would not again revolt from God and secondly to procure the more authority to Moses that they might look upon him when he brought the law as an angel sent to them from heaven And he wrote upon the tables c. That is the Lord. See ver 1. Vers 30. Behold the skinne of his face shone No such thing befell him before when he was the first time upon the mount with the Lord fourty dayes and fourty nights because then the Lord had not shown him his glory in so great a degree as now he had Nor need we wonder that Moses wist not that the skinne of his face shone as it is said in the former verse for coming from the exceeding glory and brightnesse of Gods presence that spark of shining brightnesse that was in his own face was not discernable by him though terrible to the Israelites Now for the shining of Moses face it was doubtlesse to signifie the glory of the law which he preached to them whence is that of the Apostle 2. Cor. 3. 7 8. But if the ministration of death written and ingraven in stones was glorious so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance which glory was to be done away how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious But withall the people by this were taught to reverence him even as an angel come from heaven to look upon him as one that stood in Gods stead when he spake to them and to assure themselves that God had inlightned him also inwardly that he might teach and instruct them And they were afraid to come nigh him Moses came down with vengeance before and what might they think of this glory put upon him now being still conscious to themselves of the haynousnesse of their former rebellion Besides this was to shew that Moses his ministration was condemnation 1. Cor. 3. 7 9. because it gives knowledge of sinne and causeth wrath Rom. 4. 15. The law worketh wrath for where there is no law there is no transgression Vers 33. And till Moses had done speaking with them he put a vail on his face Hereby it is evident how long the brightnesse of Moses face continued not all the time of his life but onely the time of his going to and fro between the Lord and his people that he might deliver to the people the laws and commandments he gave them in charge All this time the shining of his face continued and so when he came to speak with the people he pâ—t on a vail which signified First the vail of the obscurity of the law whereby Christ and the end of the law was hardly discerned and secondly that vail of ignorance and infidelity which was spread upon our hearts by nature untill it be removed by Christ Vers 34. But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him â—e took the vail off c. Signifying that when we come to see God in Christ the vail is taken away See 2. Cor. 3. 15. 16. Even unto this day when Moses is read the vail is upon their heart neverthelesse when it shall turn to the Lord the vail shall be taken away CHAP. XXXV Vers 3. YE shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day This clause of the law concerning the Sabbath must be explained by that chap. 16 23. To morrow is the holy rest of the Sabbath unto the Lord bake that which ye will bake to day and seethe that which ye will seethe c. Namely that they must not kindle any fire therewith to dresse any meat for themselves or except in case of absolute necessity for that they might not kindle fire either to light a candle or to warm themselves in the extreme cold of winter is altogether improbable Vers 22. And they came both men and women as many as were willing-hearted and brought bracâ—lets and eare-rings c. That is not onely gold and silver but also their very ornaments contributing these things as willingly now after repentance for the service of the tabernacle as before for the making of their golden calf CHAP. XXXVI Vers 2. ANd Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab c. Though gifted yet they must have a calling Vers 8. And every wise-hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabâ—rnacle made ten curtains c. This is first made though in the directions given the ark table and candlestick were first mentioned because it was to recâ—ive and contain these holy things which might not stand without their tent CHAP. XXXVIII Vers 8. ANd he made the laver of brasse and the foot of it of brasse of the looking-glasses of the women assembling c. For it is evident by severall Writers that in ancient times they used looking-glasses made wholly of pure bright brasse Vers 18. And the height in the breadth was five cubits c. That which is the breadth of the hanging lying is the height of it standing or hanging and therefore it is said that the height in the breadth of it was five cubits Vers 21. This is the summe of the tabernacle c. Or counted things that is this is the summe and particulars of the tabernacle and holy things belonging to it which were thus taken as it were in an inventory by Ithamar at the commandment of Moses and so delivered into the custody of the Levites that nothing might be lost This clause I conceive therefore may have respect both to the rehearsall of particulars which went before and vvithall likevvise to the summe of the gold and silver spent in making these things whereof Moses speaks in the words following Vers 24. Even the gold of the offering was twenty and nine talents c. Twenty nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels counting the talent at an hundred and twenty pound and five and twenty shekels to a pound will make three thousand five hundred and nine pound weight of gold and five shekels which in sterling money if we account a pound weight of gold to be worth but thirty pound of sterling money comes to above an hundred and five thousand pound viz. one hundred five thousand two hundred and seventy pound Vers 25. And the silver of them that were numbred of the congregation was an hundred talents and a thousand seven hundred â—hreescore and fifteen shekels c. There were numbred six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty men and the very same number we find Numb 1. 46. of which see the notes there who all paying half a shekel Exod. 30. 13. the summe of the silver amounts to three hundred and one thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels of silver which is as here allowing three thousand shekels to a talent an hundred talents and a thousand seven hundred seventy five shekels over and this counting twenty five shekels to a pound weight amounts to twelve
commanded them not and so were severely punished for it as is afterwards expressed Now that this happened that very eighth day whereof mention is made Chap. 9. 1. immediately after those first sacrifices were consumed by fire from the Lord may be gathered by that which follows from vers 12. to the end of the chapter which plainly concerneth those sacrifices whereof we reade in the former chapter And thus God taught them betimes the weaknesse of the Leviticall priesthood and withall with what fear and exact care it was fit they should carry themselves in the service of God Vers 2. And there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them That is killed them as the sword is said to devoure 2. Sam. 2. 26. Then Abner called to Joab and said Shall the sword devoure for ever For that neither their bodies nor clothes were burnt to ashes appears verse 5. So they went near and carried them in their coats out of the camp Vers 3. Then Moses said unâ—o Aaron This is it that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified c. The substance of these following words is in many places to be found as Exod. 19. 22. And let the priests also that come near to the Lord sanctifie themselves lest the Lord break forth upon them again Levit. 8. 35. Therefore shall ye abide at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven dayes and keep the charge of the Lord that ye dye not and this is sufficient Yet happely these very words also at some other time were spoken by God though not written As for the words themselves I will be sanctified by them that come nigh me and before all the people I will be glorified the meaning of them is that God will have those that come nigh him carry themselves as become those that serve so holy a God with all possible care and reverence and fear and that God will else manifest his holinesse in punishing them Ezek. 28. 22. Behold I am against â—hee O Zidon and I will be glorified in the midst of thee Two arguments are therefore herein couched to keep Aaron from murmuring 1. because the punishment was just 2. because God should be glorified hereby and both the people and his posterity receive good by it And Aaron held his peace That is though happely at first he began to take on pitifully and to give too much liberty to his passions yet hearing those words of Moses he presently checked himself laid his hand upon hiâ— mouth and not a word more would he speak And doubtlesse this is noted as a notable instance of his piety and quiet submission to Gods good will and pleasure and that his carriage was herein most singalarly remarkable we shall see if we note these particulars First that he had now lost two of his sonnes yea his two eldest sonnes together at a clap We know what Rebeckah in great angaish of soul said to Jacob when his brother Esau had resolved to kill him Gen. 27. 45. Go â—lie to Paran why should I be deprived of you boâ—h in one day Secondly that they were cut off suddenly by an untinely death as we use to say when neither themselves not their poore father did ever dream of any such danger Thirdly that they were cut off by a way which might seem to testifie Gods hot displeasure against them for they were devoured by fire from God the Lord by the manner of their death pointing out the sinne for which they were stricken and what father had not rather lose all his stock of children in an ordinary way then have execution done upon any one of them by Gods immediate hand in such a terrible manner Fourthly that it was at a time when â—heir hearts no doubt were as full of joy as ever they could hold it being the first day of their entring upon that high honour of their priestly function and in such a sunshine of Gods favour to be so suddenly thunderstruck must needs adde to their calamity And last of all that they were cut off with such severity for so small an offense as reason might judge of it onely for taking fire to burn the incense from one place when they should have taken it from another and that not purposely done but onely through mistake an errour into which when they had so much to do and were yet unacquainted with the service they might easily fall Vers 4. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan the two sonnes of Vzziel the uncle of Aaron c. The nearest kindred it seems used to perform this office of carrying the dead to be buried and their brethren the priests might not leave their ministery therefore Aarons cosin germans are appointed to do it Vers 6. Vncover not your heads neither rend your clothes c. The severall laws that concern the priests mourning for their dead friends we have largely set down in the one and twentieth chapter of this book where the inferiour priefts are allowed to be mourners at the buriall of a brother though the high priest is forbidden it But this is a speciall charge for this present occasion onely and so here not onely Aaron but also his sonnes that remained still alive are forbidden all the usuall solemnities of mourning for Nadab and Abihu not to uncover tâ—eir heads nor to rend their clothes nor to go out from the doore of the tabernacl◠〈◊〉 the congrâ—gation and that first becâ—use it was an extraordinary judgemenâ— of God that was fallen upon their brethren and they were to testifie their â—â—bmissiâ—â— thereuâ—â—â— by not lamenting their death Secondly because the solemnity and service of the dâ—y might not be interrupted being newly anointed and now at this time prepared for their first entring upon the execution of their priestly office they might not break off this service to attend the buriall of their brethren But why are they injoyned not to uncover their heads since it may seem by other places that it was not the custome of mourners amongst the Jews to uncover their heads but rather to cover them as we may see 2. Sam. 15. 30. David went up the ascent of mount Olivet and wept as he went up and had his head covered and he went barefoot and all the people that was with him covered every man his head and they went up weeping as they went up and so again chap. 19. 4. But the king covered his face and the king cried with a loud voyce Oh my sonne Absolom O Absolom my sonne my sonne See also Jer. 14. 3 4. The answer is that the priests are here injoyned not to uncover their heads that is not to take off their miters and bonnets which they wore on their heads to the end they might not addresse themselves in the way of mourners to attend the buriall of Nadab and Abihu to wit by covering their heads with the usuall vail or covering of mourners The chief aim of this command was to intimate
where they were forbidden to kindle a fire or to dresse that which they should eat on the Sabbath day yet did not the Jews understand this law so as to restrain them from those works which were necessarily to be done and therefore they used to water their catel as our Saviour faith Luke 13. 15. on the Sabbath day and if need were would pull out of a pit either ox or asse that were fallen into it Luke 14. 5. It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings That is to be observed in all your dwellings The other feasts were especially to be kept before the Sanctuary whither all the men of Israel were to assemble Exod. 23. 14. Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year and vers 17. Three times in the year all thy males are to appear before the Lord God Deut. 16. 5 6. Thou mayest not sacrifice the Passeover within any of the gates which the Lord thy God hath given thee But at the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse to place his name in there shalt thou sacrifice the Passeover and vers 16. Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall chuse But the Sabbaths were to be sanctified in all places where they dwelt to which purpose their Synagogues were built Acts 15. 21. Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Vers 7. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation ye shall do no servile work therein See the first note upon vers 3. Vers 8. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven dayes What the sacrifices were that were to be offered on each of these seven dayes of unleavened bread we may see Numb 28. 18 24. Vers 10. When ye be come into the land which I give unto you and shall reap the harvest thereof c. That is and shalt addresse thy self to reap the harvest thereof for the sheaf of the first-fruits of this harvest which they were here enjoyned to bring unto the priest was to be the first corn they cut down when they began to put the sicle to the corn as it is expressed Deut. 16. 9. Nor might they reap their harvest till this sheaf of first-fruits was brought unto the Lord. Vers 11. On the morrow after the priest shall wave it That is on the sixteenth day of the first moneth called Nisan the second of the seven dayes of unleavened bread Upon the fourteenth day of that moneth the Passeover was kept the fifteenth day was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread which day was a Sabbath of rest vers 7. and is called the feast Numb 28. 17. and this is the Sabbath here meant for on the morrow after being the sixteenth day of that moneth the sheaf of the first-fruits was by the care of the Magistrate in the name of all the people brought unto the priest and this sheaf was of barley for that was first ripe in the land of Canaan Ruth 2. 23. She kept fast by the maydens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley-harvest and of wheat-harvest and Exod. 9. 31 32. The barley was in the ear and the flax was bolled but the wheat and the rie were not smitten for they were not grown up to wit at the feast of the Passeover but wheat-harvest was after at Pentecost or the feast of weeks as we may see Exod. 34. 22. where the feast of Pentecost or the feast of weeks is also called the feast of the first-fruits of wheat-harvest Vers 12. And ye shall offer the day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish c. To wit besides the dayly morning and evening sacrifice which upon no occasion were intermitted and besides the sacrifices appointed for every of the seven dayes of this solemn feast of unleavened bread Numb 28. 23 24. For this was appointed peculiarly to accompany this sheaf of the first-fruits and it figured Christ by whom those first-fruits were sanctifyed Vers 13. And the meat-offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flowre c. To wit two tenth deals of an Ephah that is two Omers and this was double to the usuall proportion in all other sacrifices of lambs which was but one tenth deal Numb 15. 4. He that offereth his offering unto the Lord shall bring a meat-offering of a tenth deal of flowre the reason whereof may be because this was a gratulatory sacrifice for the fruits of the earth Vers 15. And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath c. Here direction is given how they should know on what day they were to keep the next great feast after that of unleavened bread to wit the feast of weeks or Pentecost namely that they were to number from the morrow after the Sabbath that is from the sixteenth day of the moneth Nisan as is before said in the note upon vers 11. which was the very day that they brought the sheaf of the wave-offering seven compleat Sabbaths that is seven compleat weeks which was nine and fourty dayes and that then on the morrow after the seventh Sabbath that is after the seventh week which was the fiftieth day they were to keep the feast of weeks or Pentecost and to offer a new meat-offering unto the Lord which shows the reason why this feast was called the feast of weeks namely because it was seven weeks after the Passeover or the beginning of the feast of unleavened bread as also why it was afterward called in the New Testament Pentecost Acts 2. 1. to wit from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth fifty because it was fifty dayes after the first and great day of unleavened bread for they began to number these fifty dayes from the morrow after that Sabbath inclusively which was the second day of unleavened bread the day whereon the sheaf of first-fruits was offered Vers 17. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave-loaves of two tenth deals c. That is on the feast of Pentecost you shall bring this offering which was to be offered as the first-fruits of their wheat-harvest as the sheaf offered at the Passeover mentioned vers 10. was brought as the first-fruits of their barley-harvest now it is expressed that these two wave-loaves were to be brought out of their habitations either to signifie that these two loaves were to be made of the new wheat of their own land not of forein corn or bought of strangers or else to signifie that though there were but one sheaf of first-fruits offered at the Passeover in the name of all the people yet now every family was to bring two wave-loaves of first-fruits out of their severall habitations But indeed because the sacrifices mentioned in the following verse that were offered together with these loaves were not brought severally
by every family but provided at the common charge and offered in the name of the whole Church and because that it is said expresly vers 20. that these two loaves of the first-fuits were waved by the priest together with the peace-offerings which could not be if every familie in Israel brought two loaves therefore I onely think that the onely reason why it is said Ye shall bring two wave-loaves out of your habitations was to signifie that the loaves were to be made of the wheat of their own land They shall be of fine flowre they shall be baken with leaven they are the first-fruits unto the Lord. Thusthere is a difference made betwixt the meat-offerings which were in part burnt upon the altar and were therefore ever without leaven Levit. 2. 11. and these of the first-fruits which where wholly for the priests food and therefore allowed to be leavened Vers 18. And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambes without blemish of the first year and one young bullock c. In Numb 28. 27. there is appointed two bullocks and one ramme here one bullock and two rammes the reason of this difference we may conceive was this Those were as the peculiar sacrifices of that feast-day these are a further addition in respect of the two loaves as a particular testimony of their thankfulnesse for the fruits of the earth and of their faith in Christ by whom they were restored to the use of the creatures and their sacrifices of praise made acceptable to God Vers 19. Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sinne-offering c. Lev. 4. 14. a bullock is prescribed for a sinne-offering of the people and nothing was to be eaten thereof it was to be burnt without the camp But this was for some speciall sinne of the congregation whereas the sacrifice here appointed was in generall for all their sinnes and was therefore in the kind of a common sacrifice whence a goat is appointed and the priest to have the remainder Vers 20. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest Whereas ordinarily the priest had but the breast and the right shoulder of the peace-offerings Lev. 7. 32 33. c. The breast shall be Aarons and his sonnes And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest of the sacrifices of your peace-offerings c. Here he had all because this was offered in generall for all the congregation and so no particular man had right to eat thereof therefore it belonged to the priest wholly Vers 21. And ye shall proclaim on the self same day that it may be an holy convocation unto you c. This was the feast-day of Pentecost or of Weeks whereon the two loaves and the sacrifices before mentioned were offered unto the Lord and it was instituted partly as a memoriall of their coming out of Egypt Deut. 16. 10 12. Thou shalt keep the feast of Weeks unto the Lord thy God according as he hath blessed thee And thou shalt remember thou wast a bondman in Egypt and shalt observe and do these staâ—utes and of the giving of the Law at this time of the year at mount Sinai Exod. 19. 11. and partly by way of thankfulnesse for the fruitfulnesse of the Land One thing prefigured might be the giving of the Law of Christ by the Apostles when the holy Ghost came down upon them the first-fruits of the Spirit in the likenesse of cloven tongues Act 2. 1 2 3. whereupon they went forth to reap that which the Prophets had sown John 4. Vers 22. And when ye reap the harvest of your land thou shalt not make clean riddance c. Speaking of the feasts in the harvest he repeateth this Law concerning the poore whose relief he joyns with his own service Vers 24. In the seventh moneth in the first day of the moneth shall ye have a Sabbath For Ecclesiasticall businesses God hath appointed the moneth Nisan or Abib to be the fiâ—st moneâ—h of the year to the Isâ—â—elites which answereâ—â— to part of our March and Aprill and that in remembrance of their coming then out of Egypt Exod. 12. 2. and so the seventh moneth from that was this here spoken of which they called Tisri and agreeth in part with our September and had been formerly the first moneth of their year yea and so still conâ—inued for civil affairs and therefore the year of Jubile begun still at this moneth and so was on this moneth proclaimed chap. 25. 9. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the Jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh moneth c. Now the first day of this moneth God here appoints them to keep a Sabbath that is a solemn feast-day and it was called the feast of trumpets because it was â—olemnized with blowing of trumpets Indeed the first day of every moneth which was their new Moon they kept as an holy day a day of speciall solemnity and thereon the priests did blow with their silver trumpets over their sacrifices Numb 10. 10. In the beginnings of your moneths ye shall blow with your trumpets over your burnt-offerings c. But the first day of this seventh moneth was kept as a farre more solemn festivall and that with blowing of trumpets in way of rejoycing as it may probably be thought throughout all the cities of Israel And the end of this festivall was 1. to be a memoriall that this was the first day the beginning of their New year for civil afairs whereon it was therefore fitting that they should with rejoycing acknowledge the blessings injoyed in the foregoing year 2. to be a memoriall to them when they were come into Canaan of the severall victories which God had given them over their enemies where the priests with the holy trumpets did sound an alarm See Numb 31. 6. 3. That it might be a preparation for the following day of atonement their solemn fast-day on the tenth day of this moneth that so by the sounding of the trumpets they might be put in mind to wake out of the sleep of sinne and with trembling fasting and prayer to turn unto the Lord and 4. to put them in mind of the speciall holinesse of this moneth for as the seventh day of every week was a Sabbath and every seventh year was kept holy as a Sabbaticall year so the Lord would have the seventh moneth of every year to be holy in some singular manner above the rest of the moneths and therefore though it was not wholly spent in sacred festivities yet there were more holy-holy-dayes in this moneth then in all the year besides to wit the feast of trumpets the feast of expiation and the feast of tabernacles Vers 25. Ye shall do no servile work therein but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. What the sacrifices appointed for this feast of trumpets were see Numb 29. 2 6. Vers 27. And ye shall afflict your souls and offer an offering made by fire
before the Lord. See that note upon Lev. 16. 29. and Numb 29. 7. where the severall sacrifices of this day are also described Vers 34. The fifteenth day of this seventh moneth shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven dayes unto the Lord. It was called the feast of tabernacles or of booths because when the Israelites came up to Jerusalem to keep this feast during the feast they dwelt not in houses but onely in booths or arbours made of boughs it is afterwards more fully expressed ver 40. and it was kept 1. in remembrancâ— of Gods shadowing protection over them for fourty years together both summer and winter in their travelling through the wildernesse whilst they dwelt in tents and booths and were not yet come to their place of rest as is expressed ver 43. and hereby it is evident that they never kept this feast till they were settled in the land of Canaan because they kept it in remembrance of their dwelling in booths whilst they wandred through the wildernesse 2. to testifie there thankfulnesse to God for the fruits of the earth which this moneth they gathered in Deut. 16. 13 14. Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven dayes after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine and thou shalt rejoyce in thy feast c. and 3. as a figure both of Christs incarnation who coming into the world about this time of the year to dwell in the tabernacle of our flesh was made flesh dwelt or pitched his tent amongst us John 1. 14. and also of our condition who are strangers and pilgrims here on earth Heb. 11. 13. dwelling in earthly tabernacles which must be diâ—solved untill our labours being ended we come at length to a place of rest that dwelling of God eternall in the heavens 2. Cor. 5. 1. and should therefore with thankfulnesse remember how Gods hand is continually over us to protect us in our pilgrimage of which spirituall keeping the feast of tabernacles Zachary speaketh Zach. 14. 16 19. As for the time allotted to the keeping of this feast to wit seven dayes this compleat number signified that all the dayes of our pilgrimage in this frail tabernacle of our bodies should be consecrated as holy to the Lord. Vers 36. Seven dayes ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. What sacrifices were appointed for this feast and in what manner they were to be offered see Numb 29. 13 38. On the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you c. Though this eighth day was a part of the feast of tabernacles or at least belonged thereto and therefore is called the last and great day of the feast John 7. 37. yet most properly the first seven dayes were onely counted as the dayes of the feast of tabernacles as is before said ver 34. The fifteenth day shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven dayes unto the Lord and that because they dwell in tabernacles or booths onely during those first seven dayes but on the eighth day they met together in the Temple to keep there an holy assembly as it were in remembrance of their being settled in peace in the land of Canaan after their long travels through the wildernesse and so this eighth day was rather an appendix to the feast of tabernacles then any part properly of the feast it self Vers 37. A sacrifice and drink-offerings every thing upon his day c. Amongst the severall sacrifices appointed for these feasts one is called peculiarly a sacrifice which comprehend both sinne-offerings and peace-offerings Vers 38. Beside the Sabbath of the Lord. That is beside the weekly Sabbaths and the sacrifices thereto belonging Two things are implyed in these words 1. that as God required the keeping of these solemn â—easts so also especially the sanctifying of the Sabbath 2. that when any of these feast-dayes lighted on a Sabbath they must not think to make the Sabbath sacrifices serve for these festivals Beside the gifâ—s and beside all your vows c. By gifts are meant the first-born cattel and first-fruits and all other contributions and gifts which of their own free will they were wont to give to the priests by vows are meant vowed sacrifices the drift of this is to prevent any covetous thoughts which might arise in their minds of thinking with such gifts or vowed sacrifices to supply the extraordinary sacrifices of these festivals for these God requires over and above their gifts and vows and freewill-offerings if they offered ever a whit the lesse because of the sacrifices of these feasts they should be judged as men that dealt fraudulâ—ntly with God Vers 39. Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh moneth when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land c. Now he proceeds to set down more particularly how that feast of tabernacles was to be solemnized whereof he had begun to speak ver 34. and first by mentioning that this feast was to be kept when they had gathered in the fruit of the land he puts them in mind that they might be the better at leisure to keep this extraordinary Sabbath and withall implies that one main end of it was to return thanks for the fruit of the land which they had now gathered where also by the fruit of the land is meant not their corn which was gathered long before in the time of Pentâ—cost but the latter fruit of their vines and olives c. whereupon this feast is called the feast of ingathering Exod. 23. 16. Vers 40. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees c. That is upon the first day of the feast of tabernacles which was the fifteenth day of the seventh moneth ver 34. This day it seems they made their booths or tabernacles some upon the roofs of their houses some in the streets and courts of Jerusalem c. as is largely â—xpressed Neh. 8. 15 16. Go forth unto the mount and fetch olive-branches and pine-branches c. to make booths as it is written so that the boughs they are here appointed to take were it seems to make or at least to adorn the booths they were to dwell in yet withall that is not unlikely which the Jews say that they carried boughs and branches also in their hands in signe of joy And to make their booths the more beautifull and that all things might represent a glad and joyfull time they are appointed to choose the boughs of the goodliest trees such as are the olive pine myrtle mentioned Neh. 8. 15. and the boughs of thick trees for the thicker they were the more glorious shew they made and the fitter they were to make booths or arbours for a shadow and shelter and willows of the brook to intimate a land well watered which might be of use to bind the other boughs c. and also to be either in the hand or on the booths ornaments and signes of joy and that especially for the
the Lord c. The Passeover is so called as being commanded by the Lord and kept unto his honour See Exod. 12. 27. Vers 10. If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body c. Upon the occasion of these men that complained for being debarred from keeping the Passeover because at the usuall time when they should have kept it on the fourteenth day of the first moneth they were defiled by the dead body of a man the Lord here established this for a perpetuall law that in case any person should in time to come be defiled by a dead body at the ordinary time in the first moneth when the rest of the people kept the Passeover or should be then in a journey about necessary businesse so farre off that he could not come home against the fourteenth day of the first moneth but was forced to be absent a while longer that in this case such a person or persons should keep the Passeover on the fourteenth day of the second moneth And under these two particular cases here expressed I conceive that all other necessary hinderances whereby men were kept from celebrating the Passeover are comprehended as in case they were unclean by any other legall pollution besides that of being defiled by a dead body or were detained by sicknesse c. and that the rather because in Hezekiahs time there was a Passeover kept on the fourteenth day of the second moneth by warrant it seems of this law when yet they were other occasions then these here mentioned that disabled them for keeping it at the usuall time Vers 17. And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle then after that the children of Israel journeyed That is when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle it removed before the camp and so whithersoever that led them they followed it for so it is expresly said Exod. 13. 21. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light to go by day and night Vers 19. And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many dayes then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord. That is they kept the charge of serving the Lord whilst the tabernacle was erected and the cloud tarried still upon it or they kept the charge of the Lord to wit the charge he had given them of staying so long as the cloud rested upon the tabernacle and therefore the last clause is added by way of explaining the former and journeyed not CHAP. X. Vers 2. MAke thee two trumpets of silver c. Here at first were but two trumpets for Aarons two sonnes Eleazar Ithamar but the number of the priests increasing in Solomons time there were an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets 2. Chron. 5. 12. And these trumpets were signes of the ministry of the word and the office of teaching discharged by men called and fitted thereto for as the use of these trumpets was first to assemble the congregation before the Lord in his Sanctuary secondly to give warning and direction for their marching toward the land of Canaan thirdly to incourage the people when they went forth to warre fourthly to be a signe of rejoycing at all their festivals and dayes of rejoycing so the work of Gods ministry is first to perswade the people to assemble themselves before God there to perform with fear and reverence the publick duties of his worship and service Joel 2. 15 16. Blow the trumpet in Zion sanctifie a fast call a solemn assembly Gather the people sanctifie the Congregation assemble the Elders gather the children and those that suck the breasts c. secondly to give them warning and direction for all the duties of Christianity which being performed in faith and obedience to God are as so many severall motions towards the heavenly Canaan thirdly to give them warning of danger approching and to stirre them up to fight the Lords battels against Satan Sinne Antichrist c. See Esa 58. 1. Cry aloud spare not lifâ— up thy voice like a trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sinnes and fourthly to encourage and comfort sinners with the promises of the â—ospel to quicken them with faith and readinesse of mind to perform the duties of Gods worship and with thankfull and glad hearts to praise God for all his mercies and especially for Christ See Esa 27. 13. And it shall come to passe in that day that thâ— great trumpet shall be blown and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria and the outcasts in the land of Egypt and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem Besides as the trumpets were not to give an uncertain sound but such as the people might distinctly perceive what they were to do so the ministers must both pray and preach so that the people may understand them 1. Cor. 14. 8 9. For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to the battel So likewise you except you utter by the tongue words easie to be understood how shall it be known what is spoken for ye shall speak into the air Secondly of silver these trumpeâ—â— must be made which was the purest mettal and fittest for sound to signifie also the purity and zeal required in Gods ministers The tongue of the just is as choise silver saith Solomon Prov. 10. 20. That thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly and for the journeying of the Camps Thus they were taught to depend upon God for all their attempts both in peace and warre Vers 3. And when they shall blow with them all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee c. That is when they shall blow with both of them as appears by the next verse And if they blow but with one trumpet then the princes which are heads of the thousands of Israel shall gather themselves unto thee Vers 6. They shall blow an alarm for their journeys That is not for these two quarters onely before mentioned but for the other also Vers 8. And the sonnes of Aaron the priest sâ—all blow with the trumpets The priests are appointed to be the trumpeters that so the people might entertain the sound thereof as coming from God and so assemble themselves as into Goâ—â— presence and go forth both in their journeys and battels as in obedience to Gods command and in faith believing and expecting his direction and assistance Vers 9. And if ye go to warre in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets So it is said Numb 31. 6. And Moses sent them to the warre a thousand of every tribe them and Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the priest to warre with the holy instruments and trumpets to blow in his
either first by way of acknowledgement that it was in his power to save or to destroy this people or secondly as a forcible argument to move the Lord to have mercy on them because they were the work of his hand and he gave them at first their life and being as the prophet pleads for mercy upon the same ground Esa 64. 8. O Lord thou art our father we are the clay and thou our potter and we all are the work of thine hand or thirdly to intimate why the Lord should not destroy all the coâ—gregation namely because he knew the hearts and spirits of them and was able therefore to distinguish betwixt those that were obstinately rebellious against the â—oâ—d anâ— those that weâ—e onely seduced by the rebels and drawn together onely to see whaâ— would be done Vers 25. And Moses rose up and went unto Dathâ—n and Abiram c. Here is no mention of Korah because he was appointed vers 16. to be with his censer amongst the other two hundred and fiftie of his conâ—piracy before the tabernacle of the Lord. But Dathan and Abiram when Moses sent to call them unto him vers 12 refused to come and therefore now Moses accompanied with the elders of Israel who were not of the conspiracy goes to them both to expostulate with them for this their rebellion and to denounce the judgement threaâ—ned Vers 26. Depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed in all their sinnes That is remove your tents and get farre away from them and touch nothing of theirs and so shew your faith and repentance how certainly you believe that theâ— lie under the wrath of God how throughly you desire to clear your selves from having any hand in their wickednesse by refusing to touch any thing of theirs as judging all they have unclean execrable and therefore to perish with them Vers 27. So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah Dathan Abiram on every side The tabernacle of Korah who was of the Levites was not in the same place with Dathan and Abirams whereby it seems probable that the earth opened in severall places which indeed must needs make the judgement of God the more evident And Dathan and Abiram came out c. This is added as an expression of their impudent madnesse when they saw the people â—lie from their tabernacles they come forth boldly and stand in the doores of their tabernacles as out-facing Moses and scorning the judgement which he had seemed to threaten Vers 28. And Moses said Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works That is both the former in undertaking the government of the people in conferring the priesthood upon Aaron and his sonnes c. and the latter appointing Korah and his company to bring censers with incense c. Vers 3â— And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up That is Korah Dathan and Abiram the ring-leaders of the rebellion Many Expositours do rather think that Korah was consumed with those two hundred and fiftie men by fire that came out from the Lord. vers 35. But because the people fled from Korahs tabernacle vers â—7 and because it is here evident that Korahs tabernacle with all that appertaiâ—â—d â—o him was swallowed up in the earth but especially because chap. 26. 10. it iâ— sâ—id expressely that the earth swallowed up Dathan Abiram together with Korah I make no question but he was swallowed up in the earth It is true that Moâ—es had â—â—â—â—inted him vers 26. to be with his censer amongst the two hundred and fifty But having assembled them before the tabernacle and perceiving Moses and the Elders to go to Dathan and Abiram it seems he left the two hundred and fifty before the tabernacle and went also to his consederates to encourage and assist them in their confronting of Moses and so either with them or in his own tent was swallowed up And all the men that appertained unto Korah and their goods That is all that were of his family who were at that tiâ—e in his taâ—e nacle for some of his sonnes died not in this destruction chap. 26. 11. Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not either because they joyned not iâ— their fathers sinne or because they repented and gave over or because they were not present in Korahs tabernacle Vers 37. Speak unto Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the priest that he take up the censers out of the burning c. These mutiners had sought to wrest the priesthood from the posterity of Aaron Eleazar therefore whose cause God had pleaded is imployed in making the censers a memoriall of Gods judgement on them And scatter thou the fire yonder That is without the court of the tabernacle both because happely it was strange fire and that this casting away of the fire might be an expression of Gods rejecting their service and abhorring their sacrifice For they are hallowed To wit because they had been offered before the Lord as is expressed in the following verse Things consecrated to God might not be turned to any other use in the time of the law God therein magnifying the holinesse of that place wherein were the visible signes of his presence yet it follows not hence that where things are given to superstitious useâ— but intentionally to God it shall be unlawfull for any authority to divert thâ—se things to civil uses no more then it follows that because under the law if any man did change the tithe of the heard or of the flock both it and the change thereof were holy to the Lord Levit. 27. 32. therefore now where tithes either by custome or law are made due to the minister if any man should fraudulently change the true tenth therefore both it and the change should be the ministers Vers 38. The censers of these sinners against their own sâ—uls let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar This altar must needs be the altar of burnt-offerings and yet this was covered with plates of brasse before Exod. 27. 2. so that it is very questionable how the censers beaten into broad plates were a covering for this altar Some hold that it was before made with a frame like a table and boarded now about like a chest which boards were now covered with these plates others hold that it was onely overlayed with brasse before half way down from the top even to the grate within where the fire lay and now that the other parts were also plated with brasse others hold that these plates were fastened upon the other and that the lesse necessity there was of them the fitter they were to be memorials of their sinne But withall it is like they were so ordered that they were both a further ornament and defence to the wood against the fire yea why may not this also be meant of a covering for the top of the altar when it
the feast of trumpets and was in the first day of this moneth being their Newyears day for civil affairs and so a fit day to praise God for the blessings of the yeaâ— past and to crave his blessing on the following year See what is noted concerning the solemnitie of this feast Lev. 23. 24. Vers 2. And ye shall offer a burnt-offering for a sweet savour unto the Lord one young bullock c. To wit beside the sacrifices of the day as it was a new Moon chap. 28. 11. and besides the daily sacrifice as is expressely noted vers 6. Vers 7. And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh moneth an holy convocation c. See Levit. 16. 29. and the notes thereon Vers 11. One kid of the goats for a sinne-offering beside the sinne-offering of â—â—onement c. That is beside that goat-buck offered on the day of atonement whose bloud was carried by the high priest within the vail into the most holy place See Levit 16. 9 29 30. Vers 12. And on the fifteenth day of the seventh moneth ye shall have an holy convocation c. To wit the seast of booths See Levit. 23. 34 35. and the notes thereon Vers 13. And ye shall offer a burnt-offering a sacrifice made by fire of a sweet savour unto the Lord thirteen young bullocks c. There were moe sacrifices offered at this then at any other feast both because it was celebrated in remembrance of the mercies of many years even all those â—ourty years of their travel from Egypt to Canaan as also because at this time they had gathered in their corn and wine and had seen the blessing of God on all their increase and in all the work of their hands Deut. 16. 13 15. Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven dayes after thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine Seven dayes shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord shall chuse because the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy increase and in all the works of thine hands therefore thou shalt surely rejoyce Vers 17. And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks c. In every one of the seven dayes of this feast one bullock is abated for whereas they offered thirteen bullocks the first day they offered but twelve on the second day and elâ—veâ— on the third c and herein happely was intended a representation how the years of their pilgrimage wherein God had appointed that they should wander up and down in booths did by degrees wear away and grow fewer and fewer or else by this abating of the sinâ—e-offerings whereby atonement was made for them the holy Ghost might teach their duty to grow in grace that in the whole course of their pilgrimage through this world sinne should still decay and wear away or it might signifie a diminishing or wearing away of the legall sacrifices and ceremonies CHAP. XXX Vers 1. ANd Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel c. There being mention made in the latter end of the foregoing chapter vers 39. of sacrifices due upon a vow made which were to be carefully brought in besides the set sacrifices which God had injoyned upon this occasion it seems these precepts are in this next chapter here added concerning vows to shew who they were that must alwayes necessarily perform their vows and who not and these Laws it is said that Moses made known to the heads of the tribes because they were the men that were according to these Laws to judge either to bind them to their vows or free them c. Vers 2. If a man vow a vow unto the Lord or swear an oath c. That is if a man to wit a man of grown years having power over himself shall bind his soul with a bond whether it be onely a promise or vow that he hath solemnly made unto the Lord or whether it be a vow strengthened with an oath or that he hath sworn that he will do such or such a thing he shall not break his word but shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth that is he must not fail to do exactly what he hath vowed and sworn to do and that without delay for it is also added Deut. 23. 21. When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not slack to pay it to wit if it were not an unlawfull thing he had vowed or sworn for vows for the doing of that which it is unlawfull to do are not vows binding the conscience for how can that vow bind men to God when they vow to do that which God forbids and will not have done such as was that of those fourtie men Acts 23. 21 that had bound themselves with an oath that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul Vers 3. If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord and bind her self by a bond being in her fathers house c. That is under his power and command whether in his house or no and by the rule of analogy the same exception is to be allowed for sonnes and servants under their governours power As for those last words in her youth either they are onely added because it is for the most part in their youth that maids continue in tâ—eir fathers house for it is not likely that they had power to vow without the consent of their fathers when they had lived unmarried till riper years and were still under their father sjurisdiction or else because though their fathers were dead yet in their youth maids had no power to vow without the consent of their governours whereas being of full years and at their own disposing they might vow and were then bound to do what they had vowed Vers 5. And the Lord shall forgive her because her father disallowed her Hereby is meant either that the Lord would forgive her rashnesse in vowing when she was not in her own power or rather that the Lord would not impute this as a sinne to her seeing her father refused to let her keep it Vers 8. But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it c. This last clause on the day that he heard it is added first to shew that whenever he shall come to hear it he may make her vow void though it were long after the vow were made secondly to shew that if he dissembled for a time and afterwards shewed his dislike though it were the next day after it should be to no purpose Vers 9. But every vow of a widow and of her that is divorced wherewith they have bound their souls shall stand against her If it were made in her widowhood she must perform it yea say the Hebrews though she be afterward married or be turned to her fathers house Vers 10. And if she vowed in her husbands
work in them a filiall fear and endeavour to obey God in all things whatsoever whence it is that he addes those words in the next verse Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God c. Vers 9. A land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brasse c. That is a land wherein their is abundance of mines iron mingled with the stones or as plentifull as stones and brasse to be digged almost out of every hill Vers 14. Which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage This concerning their deliverance out of Egypt is here inserted first that by putting them in mind of their poore originall when they were bondslaves he might prevent their pride whereof he had given them warning in the foregoing words and secondly that by the remembrance of so great a mercy they might be rendred the more carefull to observe his commandâ—ents Vers 15. Who led thee through that great and terrible wildernesse wherein were fierie serpents and scorpions and drought where there was no water Concerning these fierie serpents see the note upon Numb 21. 6. That which is added here concerning the drought of those places through want of water is either added to set forth their exceeding â—traits and danger in those places where there were fiery serpents and scorpions because being bitten with those venemous creatures they became thereby extremely thirsty and yet had no water to quench their thirst so consequently their miraculous preservation in those dangers or else rather to make way to that which followeth concerning Gods fetching water for them out of the rock of flint for it was but onely in some places of the wildernesse where they had no water Vers 16. Who fed thee in the wildernesse with manna which thy fathers knew not that he might humble thee c. This last clause that he might humble thee c. hath respect principally to the aâ—flictions mentioned before verse 15. wherewith they had been exercised in the wildernesse yet I see not but that Gods feeding them with manna mentioned in the words immediately foregoing might also be said to have been done for the humbling of them because nothing is more effectuall to humble the hearts of sinnâ—rs then the great and extraordinary mercies of God if duly considered And that he might prove thee to do thee good at thy latter end That is afterwards at last God doth humble and prove his children by afflictions that afterward he may both bestow those blessings which they wanted upon them to wit when by their former want they have learnt how to prize them and also that he may cause them to bring forth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse See Heb. 12. 11. CHAP. IX Vers 1. HEare O Israel thou art to passe over Jordan this day c. Three things must be noted for the understanding of these words first that by this day here is not meant the very day of their passing over Jordan but onely that the time was now come that ere long they were to passe over Jordan and to enter the land of Canaan for in the Scripture day is often used for time as 2. Cor. 6. 2. Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation secondly that by possessing nations greater and mightier then themselves is meant the possessing of the land of those nations and thirdly Moses here puts them in mind of the wonderfull strength of the inhabitants purposely to prevent all thoughts of vanquishing them by their own strength and that when they had overcome them they might be sure to ascribe all the glory to God as is evident by the inference he makes upon this vers 3. Understand therefore this day that the Lord thy God is he which goeth before thee as a consuming fire that is know therefore by this which hath been said of the exceeding strength of this people that it were not possible that you should so suddenly destroy so many potent nations if there were not a power above that of mans imployed in the work and that Gods hand is as evident herein as if a consuming fire should go before you to burn them up Vers 3. So shalt thou drive them out and destroy them quickly The meaning of this is that the nations with whom they should fight they should suddenly destroy they should not do it with much toil and labour and many battels but they should soon make an end of them Indeed it cannot be said that all the inhabitants of the land were quickly destroyed for they were not driven out and consumed quickly but by little and little as Moses said before Deut. 7. 22. But here he speaks onely of those with whom they should have warre immediately upon their entrance into Canaan Vers 6. For thou art a stiffe-necked people That is a stubborn and rebellious people that will not stoop to the obedience of Gods laws the Metaphor is taken from unruly heifers that will not yield their necks to the yoke Vers 9. I abode in the mount fourty dayes and fourty nights I neither did eat bread nor drink water See the note upon Exod. 24. 18. Vers 10. And the Lord delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God See the notes upon Exod 31. 18. And on them was written according to all the words which the Lord spake with you in the mount out of the midst of fire in the day of the assembly That is on those tables of stone were written the ten commandments word for word as God spake them from the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day when the people were called and assembled together at the foot of the mount to hear God speak unto them Vers 12. And the Lord said unto me Arise get thee down quickly c. Some Expositours from this word Arise would inferre that Moses was kneeling before God to receive from him what he should give him in charge when he told him of the peoples sinne and willed him therefore presently to go down amongst them They are quickly turned aside out of the way c. See the note upon Exod. 32. 8. Vers 14. Let me alone that I may destroy them c. See the notâ—s upon Exod. 32. 10. Vers 15. So I turned and came down from the mount To wit after he had first prayed unto God for the people that they might not be destroyed and God had granted his deâ—ire for so much is expressed in the story Exod. 32. 11 14. though it be not repeated here Vers 17. And I took the two tables and cast them out of my two hands c. See the note upon Exod. 32. 19. Vers 18. And I fell down before the Lord as at the first fourty dayes and fourty nights c. To wit when he went up again into the mount and carried with him two new tables of stone as God enjoyned him Exod. 34. 1. for
into a covenant with them that he would be their God and they should be his people and so gave them his laws to which they were bound to submit themselves or else rather onely to imply the desperate danger wherein the Israelites were when they were in the wildernesse but that God came to their succour when they were ready to perish for indeed I do not think that the drift of this word found was to shew when God began to take pity of Israel or when they first began to be his people but onely to set forth how likely they were to perish there but that God delivered them to wit that they were then like a poore helplesse infant laid forth in a desert whom some man casually sinds and preserves when before he lay ready every moment to perish Yea beside under this which is said concerning their outward danger in the desert I doubt not but the spirit of God intended also to imply the desperate danger of their spirituall condition when God first set his love upon them and chose them to be his people to wit that they were in the state of corruption and death but that God received them for thus the Lord by the prophet Ezekiel sets forth the danger of their naturall estate by comparing them to a new-born infant laid out in some desperate place Ezek. 16. 4. As for thy nativity in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut neither wast thou washed with water to supple thee thou wast not salted at all nor swadled at all None eye pitied thee to do any of these unto thee to have compassion upon thee but thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born He led him about he instructed him c. This place may be read he compassed him he instructed him c. and then the first clause must be meant of the Lords providence wherewith they were compassed about as with a wall even when they were travelling towards Canaan so that none of their enemies could come at them to hurt them But reading it as it is in our bibles He led him about he instructed him the first clause must either be meant of that we reade Exod. 13. 18. when it is said that God led the people about through the way of the wildernesse of the red sea purposely to avoid a nearer way there was through the land of the Philistines lest the people shoâ—ld be discouraged if at the very first they should be encountred with warre or else of the whole time of their wandring about for fourty yearâ— together in the wildernesse wherein the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud and by night in a pillar of fire Exod. 13. 21. till he had brought them at last to the land of Canaan As for the following words he instructed them either is it meant solely of the Lords giving them the law in Sinai or else joyntly of his instructing them both by his word and works the severall dispensations of his providence towards them in this time of their passing through the wildernesse for all these were to instruct them their afflictions to teach them to fear God Heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it saith the prophet Mich. 6. 9. and the mercies God afforded them to teach them to love God and to delight in his service c. Vers 11. As an Eagle stirreth up her nost fluttereth over her young c. The Lords dealing with the Israelites in carrying them from Egypt to Canaan is here compared to the Eagles dealing with her young ones when she first carrieth them forth abroad and therefore having told us how the Eagle stirreth up her nest that is her young ones in her nest rowsing them up with the cry that she makes how she fluttereth over them and spreadeth abroad her wings as it were preparing her self to flight teaching and provoking her young ones to do as she did and to fly along with her and then at last yet farther to encourage them how she takes them and beareth them on her wings then in the next verse he applyes all this to the Lords carrying the Israelites towards Canaan so saâ—th he the Lord alone did lead him that is with such tendernesse and care did the Lord carry them to the land of promise stirring them up and quickning them by his promises and threatnings encouraging them with manifold mercies defending them from all dangers and bearing with them in their many infirmities and at last he concludes and there was no strange God with him that is no strange God had any hand in this which was done for the Israelites and so thereby he implyes how injurious they were in giving away that glory which was due onely to the Lord to these strange gods that had done nothing for them See also the notes upon Exod. 19. 4. Vers 13. He made him ride on the high places of the earth That is to conquer and subdue the mountanous places and high-walled cities of their enemies and to possesse a land farre excelling others for all commodities whatsoever and by riding or treading upon the enemies high places is meant the subduing of their strong holds as chap. 33. 29. Thine enemies shall be found lyars unto thee and thou shalt tread upon their high places for riding is often used for conquering and subduing Psal 45. 8. And in thy majesty ride prosperously c. Rev. 6. 2. And I saw and behold a white horse and he that sate on him had a bow and a crown was given unto him and heâ—went forth conquering and to conquer Isa 58. 14. I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth c. He made him to suck hoâ—y out of the rock and oyl out of the flinty rock That is hony of bees nestling in the holes of rocks or trees in rocks or hony-fruits growing on trees in rocky places The drift of the words in doubtlesse in generall to set forth the admirable fertility of Canaan where even the most barren places should yield such store of royall dainties Vers 14. With fat of lambs and rammes of the breed of Bashan The choiceâ—t fatted lambs rammes c. With the fat of kidneys of wheat That is the finest of large plump and full kernelâ— of the sweetest and choicest wheat which are like kidneys in shape The very word here rendred the fat of wheat is elsewhere translated in our Bibles the finest of the wheat as Psal 81. 16. He should have fed them also with the finest wheat And thou didst drink the pure bloud of the grape That is pure wine red like bloud Vers 15. But Jesurun waxed fat and kicked That is Israel Deut. 33. 5 26. And he was King in Jesurun when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together There is none like unto the God of Jesurun c. Esa 44. 2. Fear not
the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil Heb. 2. 14. whereby also all believers do become conquerours over those spirituall enemies of their souls And thou shalt bruise his heel This is meant 1. of the serpents lying in wait to sting and hurt mankind 2. of the devils assaulting Christ in his temptations aâ—flictions death and buriall and the faithfull in their temptations and troubles which to him and them is but as the bruising of the heel Vers 16. Vnto the woman he said I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception That is thy painfull conceptions or the sorrows of thy conceptions faintnesse sick fits perill of abortion c. Thy desire shall be to thy husband That is thy desire shall be subject to thy husband upon his will and pleasure all thy desire must depend For in this sense the same phrase is used Gen. 4. 7. concerning Abels subjection to Cain as the firstborn It istrue by the law of creation the woman should have lived in subordination under her husband should have been governed by him for Adam was first formed then Eve 1. Tim. 2. 13. and 1. Coâ— 11. 9. Man was not created for the woman but the woman for the man but being here denounced as a chastisement for sinne it implyeth a further degree of subjection then that which should have been by the law of Nature and Creation as indeed by reason of the corruption of our nature it is made every where somewhat irksome and hard to be born but amongst some a very yoke of bondage Vers 18. And thou shalt eat the herb of the field And so neither the herbs or fruits of Paradise Vers 21. Vnto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skinnes c. This may be meant of the Lords doing this presently before they were turned out of Paradise by the ministry of angels or how else it pleased him to wit that by the skinnes of slain beasts he made them garments and so clothed them therewith or rather that the Lord taught Adam and Eve and gave them directions how they should of the skinnes of beasts make themselves garments for the covering of their nakednesse and to shelter their bodies from the injury of the weather for seeing there is no question to be made but that the Lord did immediately teach them the worship of offering sacrifices as signes and types of that reconciliation and atonement which was to be expected in the promised seed and therefore we reade in the following chapter of the Sacrifices that were offered by Cain and Abel it cannot be thought improbable that withall direction was given to make them coats of the skins of the beasts slain However by this kind of clothing chosen for them they were taught betimes not to have so much respect to delicacy as to usefulnesse in attiring themselves 2. in the spoils of those dead beasts to wear the remembrances of their own mortality yea of that brutish condition whereinto by their sinne they were fallen And to this that bitter taunt seems to have reference in the following verse Behold the man is become as one of us to know good and evil c. Vers 22. And now lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life c. Some Expositours conceive that the fruit of the tree of life being eaten by man should have prevented all decay of naturall strength and have made him immortall or at least have kept him in perfect health and strength untill he was taken up from earth into heaven and that either by means of a created power and efficacy which to this end and purpose God had given to this fruit or by an extraordinary and supernaturall blessing which God had ordained should go along with the eating of this fruit and hence they say it was that when Adam and Eve had sinned God now resolved to turn them out of Paradise that they might not taste of the tree of life either in mercy to prevent their living for ever in misery or in judgement that the curse of Death which God had threatned as the reward of sinne might not be prevented by eating of this fruit But this conceit is justly rejected by the best Expositours It was no wayes possible that any created food should frustrate Gods decree that Death should be the wages of Sinne. Whatever effect might have followed upon the eating of this â—ruit had man continued in the state of Innocency yet when his body was dead because of sinne as the Apostle speaks Rom. 8. 10. it was not the eating of this fruit that could make his dead body to live for ever The true reason why the Lord cast Adam out of Paradise to prevent his eating of the tree of life was doubtlesse that having by his disobedience and sinne made himself liable to death he might not now meddle with this sacramentall seal of life and salvation which now because of sinne he had nothing to do with Onely as before the Lord had upbraided them for their vain affectation of being like unto him in that ironicall expression Behold the man is become as one of us to know good and evil meaning that by his sinne they were become most unlike him so in these words ironically he upbraids him after the same manner for that certainty of death he had brought upon himself determining to cast him out of the garden of Eden Lest saith the Lord he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live for ever not because there was any danger of his living for ever but in derision of any such hope or expectation if happily he should entertain any such motion as formerly of gaining an increase of knowledge by eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil Vers 24. And he placed at the East and of the garden c. Where was the entrance into Paradise there at the East end of the garden he placed Cherubims and a flaming sword that is Angels armed with a flaming sword for Moses useth this word that he might speak to the capacity of the Jews who had Cherubims figured in their temple to represent the angels CHAP IV. Vers 3. ANd in processe of time it came to passe c. Abel and Cain had been doubâ—lesse taught of God thus to worship him and therefore it is said Heb. 11. 4. that by faith to wit grounded on Gods word Abel offered sacrifice Vers 4. And the Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering This Cain perceived and therefore it was manifested by some outward signe either ordinary by giving good successe to Abel in all things and not to Cain or extraordinary as by sending fire from heaven to consume Abels sacrifice and not Cains as we see the like Levit. 9. 24. There came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed upon the Altar the burnt offering
c. 1. Kings 18. 38. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice c. Vers 7. And if thou dost not well sinne lieth at the doore That is the punishment of sinne whether terrour of conscience or externall plagues will lie watching like a serjeant or thief ready at hand to â—lie upon thee and tear thee And unto thee shall be his desire This is added to allay his anger towards his brother still God had left Abel subject to Cain as the first-born so that his desire must be subject to his brothers and therefore it was fit that Cain should love and cherish him as all men do those that are in subjection to them Vers 8. And Cain talked with Abel c. To wit in a brotherly manner as he had wont to do so dissembling his hatred and bloudy purpose of killing him that he might the better effect it Vers 10. The voice of thy brothers bloud crieth c. This expression is used to intimate to Cain his folly and madnesse in thinking to hide the murder of his brother or to escape unpunished since this crying and horrid sinne was as well known to God and did as strongly ingage the justice of God to punish it as if his bloud had had a voice to crie aloud upon God for vengeance Vers 11. And now thou art cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth c. This is added by the way 1. to aggravate the sinne of Cain 2. to shew the fitnesse of the punishment as if he should have said the earth did as it were in compassion receive into her bosome that bloud which thou diddest cruelly â—hed and therefore the earth which hath thy brothers bloud shall plague thee for shedding of it a punishment the more proper also because Cain was a Tiller of the ground Vers 12. A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be c. That is thou shalt â—lie as a banished man from thy fathers family from the Church and being gone shalt be still pursued with thy conscience and so still wander from place to place as no where finding securitie and peace Vers 14. Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth This he saith because he was excluded from the common right of men God having left him never a corner of the earth where he might rest quietly and safely and so was indeâ—d condemned as no lawfull inhabitant of the earth And from thy face shall I be hid Being banished from the presence of God in his Church he takes himself to be quite cast out of his favour and protection And it shall come to passe that every one that findeth me shall slay me It is not probable that Adam and Eve after Cain and Abel were born continued barren unto this time these onely are mentioned because of this famous story but other sonnes and daughters no doubt they had and childrens children perhaps to many generations Now these Cain feared and withall the posterity the earth should be peopled with in his time afterward yea and peradventure the very beasts of the field Vers 15. Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold Therefore that is to prevent this vvhereby vve see that God did not this in mercy to Cain but to prevent bloudshed and the cutting up of that root from vvhence yet many serviceable branches might grow And the Lord set a mark upon Cain What this mark vvas it is but curiosity to enquire some visible mark it vvas vvhereby the Lord knevv men vvould be restrained from hurting him happily some mark that made him a horrible spectacle of Gods vvrath and fury against so foul a sinne Vers 16. And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. God having thus examined him and condemned him no doubt as usually at other times in a visible apparition so soon as ever he vvas gotten out of the presence of the Lord he fled as a banished man from his fathers dvvelling place and dvvelt in the land of Nod and so it may be true also in another sense that he went from the presence of the Lord because he vvent from the place of his vvord and publick worship the place vvhere he had wont to appear to Adam and his sonnes of which it might be said as Gen. 28. 17. This is no other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven Vers 17. And he builded a citie The question concerning them that should build or inhabit this citie is vain for if Abrahams stock in lesse then 400 years amounted to six hundred thousand persons what might Cains posteritie be ere he built this citie Neither doth this work thwart that curse vers 14. And I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth It is probable he built it out of that inward horrour and fear from whence those words proceeded neither do we reade that he found any inward rest or securitie in it when he had done it if he did ever finish it Vers 20. And Adah bare Jabal he was the father of such as dwell in tents c. So are they usually esteemed and named that are either the first inventers of any art or men of fame for excellent inventions in the skilfull use of such arts which were not practised till they found them out Thus was Jabal the father of shepherds and Jubal the father of musicians at least amongst Cains posterity Vers 23. I have slain a man to my wounding c. An obscure place and therefore many severall wayes expounded but most ground their expositions upon some conceits or other that have no warrant in the text all which must needs therefore be weak and uncertain It is true indeed the Hebrew text admits two divers readings and accordingly two somewhat different expositions for if we reade it as it is in the margent I would slay a man in my wounding and a young man in my hurt then the words seem to have been a vaunt of Lamechs to his wives perhaps fearing that his fiercenesse and violence would at some time or other so â—arre provoke those he wronged as to bring some mischief upon him viz. that whosoever should meddle with him they should pay dearly for it he would be the death of the stoâ—test man that should strike or hurt him adding withall that if he should be avenged sevenfold that should offer to kill Cain farre heavier vengeance should be taken of him that should set upon Lamech but following that whereunto our Translatours it seems did most incline because they have set it in the text the meaning of the place I conceive is this Lamech a wicked proud fierce man had committed murder for so he speaks in the preterpâ— fecttense I have slain c. and in doing of it had received some hurt coming home in this plight his wives are affrighted and in great perplexitie and fear he labours to appease them but in a
to stirre in the city But that the other sonnes of Jacob joyned not with them in this fact is plain 1. by these expresse words two of the sonnes of Jacob 2. because the boldnesse of the fact is noted as observable they came upon the city boldly 3. because the other are said to come in to the spoil which implies that in the former act they had no hand 4. because they onely are mentioned Gen. 49. 5. Simâ—on and Levi are brethren instruments of cruelty are in their habitations Being the brethren of Dinah not onely by the father but by the mother they were the more sensible of her dishonour and ready to revenge it yea and perhaps they might be stirred up and encouraged to do it by their mother Leah Vers 30. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi c. Though Jacobs charging his sonnes with the offense they had given to the inhabitants of the land and the danger which thereby they hâ—d brought both upon him and all his family be onely here expressed Ye have troubled me to make me to stink amongst the inhabitants of the land and that to make way to the story of his removing to Bethel which follows in the next chapter yet there is no question to be made but that he did also charge upon them the grievousnesse of the sin they had committed against God as he did again at his death Gen. 49. 5 6 7. Simeon and Levi are brethren instruments of cruelty are in their habitations O my soul come not thou into their secret unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united for in their anger they slew a man and in their self-will they digged down a wall Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruel c. What shall we then think of the book of Judeth but that it is Apocryphall wherein by Judeth this fact of Simeons is so highly extolled Judeth 9. 2. O Lord God of my father Simeon to whom thou gavest a sword to take vengeance of the strangers who loosened the girdle of a maid to defile her c. CHAP. XXXV Vers 1. ANd God said Arise go up to Bethel Bethel was distant from Shechem Southward about thirty English miles Now Jacob being at this time perplexed with fear because of that which his sonnes had done to the Shechemites and perhaps advising with himself about removing to some other place the Lord appeared to him and appointed him to go up to Bethel and to build there an Altar unto God that appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother Esau thereby calling to his remembrance the gracious promises which God had there made to him and the vow which he there had made to God chap. 28. 22. And this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be Gods house and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee Vers 2. Then Jacob said unto his houshold That is not onely to them of his own proper house or family but also to all that were of his retinue that pitched their tents with him and as appertaining to him still removed whither he removed of which there might be a great number servants born in the house and bought with money Gen. 14. 14. And when Abraham heard that his brother was taken captive he armed his trained servants born in his own house three hundred and eighteen persons Put away the strange gods that are amongst you Being quickened by the danger he had apprehended as likewise by the Lords late appearing to him and enjoyning him to go to that place which he had formerly found so dreadfull even as the house of God and as the gate of heaven Gen. 28. 17. and where he was to perform the vow which he had made he deemed it requisite that they should in a speciall manner prepare and sanctifie themselves and of this he informs them of his family wills them in the first place to put away the strange or the strangers gods that were amongst them that is idoles which other nations worshipped but might not be endured amongst those that worshipped the true God And hereby I conceive that he intended not Labans gods which Rachel had stolen for it is not likely that this good Patriarch did all this while suffer his wives and children either to worship or with his knowledge to keep strange Gods amongst them but rather the idoles of the Shechemites which by his children or servants might be taken for the worth of them when they spoiled the city and such idolatrous and superstitious monuments as were brought forth of Mesopotamia by those of his retinue whom he suspected to be still too much addicted to the superstitions of that countrey and yet perhaps both those which Rachel had stolen and any other secretly kept amongst them were now brought in upon these words of Jacob. And be clean and change your garments It is clear by this place that as the Lord did enjoyn the Patriarchs many rites of sacrificing which were afterward more fully enjoyned the Israelites by the written Law so also he taught them many of those externall rites of purifying themselves by washing in water and changing of their garments of which we reade expressely in the Law Levit. 15. 13. And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue then he shall number to himself seven dayes for his cleansing and wash his clothes c. and Numb 31. 23. Every thing that may abide the fire you shall make it to go through the fire and it shall be clean Neverthelesse it shall be purified with the water of separation and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make to go through the water which were even in these times as so many shadows of the spirituall cleansing of men from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit that renewing by faith and repentance which God requires especially of all those that draw near to him in the duties of his worship Vers 4. And all their ear-rings that were in their ears To wit which were Idolatrous jewells and superstitious monuments Hos 2. 13. I will visit upon her the dayes of Baalim c. wherein â—â—e decked her self with her ear-rings and her jewells Deut. 7. 25. The graven Images of their Gods shall ye burn with fire thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them And Jacob hid them under the oaks c. He hid them from the knowledge of his family buried them in the ground as unclean things under an oak where they might not be easily found again Vers 7. And he built there an Altar c. And so performed the vow which he had there formerly made unto the Lord chap. 28. 20 21 22. And he called the name of that place Bethel c. And Jacob vowed a vow saying If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread
he said I have been a stranger in a strange land Gershom is by interpretation a desolate stranger Now so he named his eldest sonne both to testifie his faith concerning the land of promise which he looked upon because of Gods promise as his true countrey and the inheritance of his children and professed therefore that his children were but strangers in the land of their nativitie and likewise to expresse his thankfulnesse to God for affording him this comfort to support him in the time of his affliction when he lived after the manner of a banished man in a strange countrey Another sonne Moses had by his wife Zipporah whom he called Eliezer as we may see chap. 18. 4. but the first-born onely is mentioned here Vers 23. And it came to passe in processe of time that the king of Egypt died and the children of Israel sighed c. The death of the king of Egypt is here mentioned to shew the misery of the poore Israelites who were no way eased of their burdens upon the death of the former oppressing tyrant but had as much cause of sighing under their burdens as ever they had before CHAP. III. Vers 1. NOw Moses kept the flock of Jethro c. the Priest of Mâ—dian Either this Jethro was the same that is before called Reuell chap. 2. 18. or else if Jethro were the sonne of Reuell he also was Priest of Midian as his father had been the sonne succeeding in his fathers office and that happely because Reuell was now dead this being fourtie years after Moses coming thither as we see Acts 7. 30. And when fourtie years were expired there appeared unto him in the wildernesse of Mount Sinai And came to the mountain of God even to Horeb. Horeb is called here by anticipation the mountain of God both because of this following vision wherein God appeared to Moses in so miraculous a manner and also especially because there afterwards the Lord came down to Moses and delivered him the law and made a covenant with his people Exod. 19. for it is said expressely that this apparition was at mount Sinai Acts 7. 30. And when fourtie years were expired there appeared unto him in the wildernesse of mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flaming fire in bush and there we know the Law was given Exod. 19. 1. It seems therefore that the whole mountanous track or circuit where mount Sinai stood was called Horeb or else as some of the Jewish Rabbins hold this mountain was formerly called Horeb but after this apparition of God in the bush it was called Sinai from the Hebrew word Sâ—neh which signifieth a bramble bush Vers 2. And the angel of the Lord appeared untâ— him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush c. It is â—vident that it was the Lord God himself that now appeared unto Moses for vers 7. it is said that the Lord Jehovah spake unto him and verse the fixth he saith I am the God of thy father c. and which is most to be observed vers 5. he that appeared to Moses required that worship and honour which is due onely to God namely that he should present himself before him bare-footed as a poore caytiffe not worthy to stand in the presence of so great a Majestie Nor is there any just cause why we should question this because it is said here The angel of the Lord appeared unto him since it is evident that Christ the eternall sonne of God is called the Messenger or Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3. 1. Now as concerning the burning bush wherein the Lord appeared to Moses it was doubtlesse intended not onely to cause Moses with the more reverence and humilitie to attend to what should be said unto him but also to be a signe representing to him the state and condition of his people concerning whom the Lord now gave him a charge to wit that though his Israel had been long in the fire of affliction the enemie seeking with all possible fury to destroy them yet hitherto they had been miraculously preserved and so still should be and that because the Lord was amongst them to preserve and defend them and would now rescue them from the power of their oppressours Vers 3. And Moses said I will now turn aside and see this great sight c. It is hard to say which some affirme that Moses concluded that this was some secret of nature that the bush burned and was not consumed and so out of curiosity did rashly resolve to approch nearer that he might search out the cause of it No such thing can be concluded from these words rather his calling it a great sight may seem to imply that he thought it some vision But indeed the most probable opinion is that he neither concluded the one nor the other but being suddenly stricken with admiration at the sight and not knowing what to think of it he determined at last to approach nearer hoping thereby to be the better informed and waiting with reverence to see what the issue would be Vers 4. God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said Moses Moses c. This calling of Moses by his name and the redoubling of his name in such a familiar and loving manner was both to make him know that the vision he saw was of God thereby to stirre him up the more carefully to intend what was done and said and also to intimate the great love and favour of God to him and indeed considering how strange and terrible the apparition was and that Moses though all alone and in a desert place was not yet so astonished but that when he heard himself called by name from the midst of the burning bush he could answer so readily here am I we may well think that it was this gracious manner of Gods calling upon him that did thus farre encourage him Vers 5. Put off thy shooes from off thy feet The putting off of shooes was used as a signe of mourning and humiliation Ezech. 24. 17. 23. Forbear to crie make no mourning for the dead c. and put on thy shooes upon thy feet c. 2. Sam. 15. 30. And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet and wept as he went up and had his head covered and he went barefoot c. Esai 20. 2. 4. Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loyns and put off thy shooe from thy foot c. So shall the King of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners and the Ethiopians captives young and old naked and barefoot c. And upon this ground no doubt is Moses here enjoyned it both that this outward ceremonie might strike him with the greater aw and reverence of Gods Majestie into whose presence he might not be suffered to approch but in so lowly and submissive a manner and also that it might be an outward expression of the inward religious affection of his mind that he did
to require of him Look to it saith he for evil is before you if you trouble me further I shall make you smart for it Vers 13. The east-wind brought the locusts Or grashoppers and with them caterpillars Psal 78. 46. He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar and labour to the locust Psal 105. 34 35. He spake and the locusts came and caterpillars and that without number and did eat up all the herbs in their land and devoured the fruit of their ground Vers 16. I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you To wit against Moses and Aaron by using them so scornfully and reprochfully by threatning them for the faithfull discharge of their dutie and driving them away out of his presence as in the 10. and 11. verses or else the Israelites in generall by the cruel bondage under which he had held them and by refusing to dismisse them and to grant them that libertie of going forth to serve the Lord which by Moses and Aaron they had so often desired of him Vers 17. Now therefore I pray thee forgive me my sinne onely this once That is pardon the wrong I have done you and procure that the Lord may not further be offended with me and if this be done this once I require no more for if I fail you any more and not do what I promise I desire not that you should ever any more afford me the least favour Yet withall we must know that the main thing which Pharaoh intended in desiring that his sinne might be forgiven was that the plague might be taken away which now lay upon them for he was farre from a sincere desire of reconciliation with â—od Vers 17. Intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me this death onely That is this deadly plague or destruction And so he calls this plague of the locusts not onely because it killed and destroyed all the fruit of the ground but also especially because by this means it deprived them of that which was to be food both for man and beast it was likely if it continued to bring a grievous famine and so death and mortalitie amongst them As for that opinion of some Expositours that these locusts with their biting killed even men themselves it is altogether uncertain and cannot be concluded from these words Yet probable it is that there were sometimes in those countreys some kind of locusts that killed men with their biting and that therefore Rev. 9. 5. it is said of those cruel enemies of the Church that are compared to locusts ascending out of the bottomlesse pit that their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man Vers 21. Even darknesse which may be felt The darknesse threatned is here called darknesse that may be felt either by way of an hyperbole to signifie what an exceeding great darknesse it should be or else because the aire should be so thickned with grosse mists and vapours that it might be felt which in such an extraordinary horrid darknesse as that was might indeed well be Vers 23. They saw not one another neither rose any from his place for three dayes They saw not one another because neither it seems had they any light by sunne moon or starres from above nor yet from fire or candle beneath the thick clouds wherewith the aire was darkned being such that either they did put out the fire or at least wholly hide and cover it from the sight of men And being thus deprived of all light whatsoever and that by a divine hand of judgement no marvell though with the terrour thereof they durst not so much as move from the places where they were as is here expressed How easily the Israelites that had light in their dwellings might have gone away with all that they had whilest the Egyptians lay thus for three dayes together imprisoned in darknesse we may easily conceive but they had learnt to depend and wait upon God and would not stirre but by his appointment Vers 24. And Pharaoh called unto Moses and said c. Pharaohs sending for Moses and charging him not to see his face any more ver 28. argue plainly that this was done after the three dayes darknesse was over But is it likely that when the plague was removed he would relent To which I answer And is it likely that lying bound in the chains of darknesse he would not have yielded to let the cattel go or at least have desired the help of Moses prayers as at other times Onely let your flocks and your heards be stayed And this he desired chiefly that they might be as pledges of their return again Vers 28. I will see thy face again no more That therefore which follows in the next chapter concerning the death of their first-born was spoken immediately by Moses at this time before he went from Pharaoh and therefore it is said chap. 11. 8. that he went out in a great anger CHAP. XI Vers 1. ANd the Lord said unto Moâ—es yet â—illâ— I bring onâ— plagâ—e more upon Pharaoh That is the Lord had said unto Moses yet will I bring c. for this message Moses râ—ceived from the Lord immediately before Pharaoh sent last for him chap 10. 24. when he charged him not to see his face any more and it is here added as the gâ—ound of Moses confidence in answering so readily as we have it in the last verse of the former chapter that he would come to him no more the reason was because God had before that last coming to Pharaoh told him this which is here recorded It is true God had told Moses at first somewhat of the Israelites borrowing of the Egyptians jewels of silver and gold Exod. 3. 21 22. And it shall come to passâ— that when yâ— go ye shall not go empty but every woman shall borrow of hâ—r nâ—ighbour and of her that soâ—ouâ—neth in her house jewels of siâ—ver and jewels of gold c. as also of this plague of slaying their first-born Exod. 4. 23. Let my sonnâ— go that he may serve me and if thou refuse to let him go behold I will slay thy sonne even â—hy first-born But this message which is here related he received from the Lord immediately before that his last going to Pharaoh whereof mention is made in the 24. verse of the former chapter and therefore he saith Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh c. Vers 3. The man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt in the sight of Pharaohs servants c. Implying thaâ—the reverend esteem the Egyptians had of Moses was a furtherance to the enclining of their hearts thus to lend their jewels to the Hebrews Vers 4. And Moses said Thus saith the Lord c. That is immediately after he had told him that he would see his face no more chap. 10. ver 29. Vers 5. Even unto the first-born of the maid-servant that is behind the
joyned together for the eating of the Paschall lambe either they all continued together that following night in the house wherein they eat or else that the doores of both their houses had the bloâ—d of the lambe sprinkled upon them Vers 8. And they shall eat the flesh in that night rost with fire and unleavened bread and with bitter herbs c. This rosting of the lambe was chiefly enjoyned with respect unto the great haste and speed they were to make because it might be sooner made ready by rosting then by seething and withall it signifyed the bitternesse of Christs passion So likewise the unleavened bread did betoken haste also for unleavened cakes are sooner made But withall it signified if they will be Gods peculiar people they must be purged from all those old superstitions and corruptions wherein they live that have not this interest in God 1. Cor. 5. 8. Therefore let us keep the Feast not with old leaven neither with the leaven of malice and wickednesse but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth And as for the bitter herbs that were eaten with it they were a memoriall of their bitter bondage in Egypt and withall a type of our mortification and readâ—nesse to undergo afflictions with Christ Vers 9. Eat not of it raw nor sodden at all with water but rost with fire his head with his legges c. Meaning that the lambe must be rosted all and whole not so much but the inward parts after they had been taken out and washed must be put in again and rosted with the rest whereby may well be signified our communion with Christ whole and undivided 1. Cor. 1. 13. Is Christ divided c. Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ Neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the sonne of God c. Vers 10. And ye shall let nothing of it remain untill the morning c. Because he would not have them imployed to any other use then what he had appointed And besides it might signifie that when the morning of the Gospel came there should be no more use of those Legall shadows Vers 11. And thus shall ye eat it with your loyns girded your shoes on your feet c. These ceremonies were also peculiar to that Passeover in Egypt and therefore not observed by Christ They were principally intended as an expression of their faith concerning their sudden going out of Egypt which God had promisâ—d Vers 12. And against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgement c. It may well be meant of Gods confounding their Idole-Gods by punishing the people that worshipped them and delivering the Israelites whom they had kept in bondage for hereby God discovered the vanity of those Idoles and as it were laid their honour in the dust But because Numb 33. 4. Moses speaks of this executing judgements upon their gods as a severall act from that of killing their first-born I rather conceive that hereby is meant either the killing of the first-born of those beasts which they worshipped as gods or else that some such notable accident befell the Egyptian Idoles as did the Philistines Dagon before the Ark. Vers 14. And this day shall be unto you for a memoriall c. Here begins the direction for the observation of the Passeover in succeeding generations You shall keepit a feast by an ordinance for ever That is untill the coming of Christ who is our Passeover for ever since whose passion there is a like sacrament used also in the Church of the new Testament in remembrance of his death untill he come Vers 15. Seven dayes shall ye eat unleavened bread c. This number of dayes was appointed both because seven being a full and perfect number figured the whole time of their life wherein they were still to remember with thankfulnesse this deliverance and also because the destruction of the Egyptians in the red sea followed seven dayes after the Israelites went out of Egypt Now the first of these seven dayes was the fifteenth day of this moneth and began at the evening immediately after the eating of the Passeover which they did at the very latter end of the fourteenth day Whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day untill the seventh day that soul shall be cut off from Israel This phrase in this place signifieth not onely the cutting of them off from the communion and society of the Saints both in this life and in the next as in Gen. 17. 14. The uncircumcised manchild whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised that soul shall be cut off from his people but also the cutting of them off by death as in the like case Exod. 31. 14. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore c. every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death for whosoever doth any work therein that soul shall be cut off from among his people Vers 16. No manner of work shall be done in them save that which every man must eat that onely may be done of you And yet this might not be done on the Sabbath as is clear Exod. 16. 5. 23. 29. On the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in and it shall be twice as much as they gather dayly To morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath bake that which you will bake to day c. and Exod. 35. 23. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day Vers 22. And none of you shall go out at the doore of his house untill the morning This also was onely for the Passeover in Egypt for Christ with his disciples went out that night Matth. 26. 30. And when they had sung an hymne they went out into the mount of Olives and it was commanded by this signe to teach thee that it was the bloud of Christ the true Paschal lambe whereby they must be defended from the destroying angel Vers 24. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance for thee and for thy sonnes for ever That is the commandment of the Passeover and the feast of unleavened bread but not those ceremonies vers 7 11 12. which were appointed for this Passeover in Egypt onely you and your children shall observe them for ever to wit during the time of the Sanctuary and the Legall service for thus this word for ever is often used in the Scripture with respect to the thing spoken of as Psal 89. 1. I will sing the mercies of God for ever that is as long as I live Vers 25. When ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you c. ye shall keep this service The command for keeping the Passeover was therefore chiefly intended for the land of Canaan howbeit they kept it once in the wildernesse Numb 9. Vers 29. Unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon c. Where they
how to order this their double portion Vers 23. Bake that which ye will bake to day and seethe that ye will seethe c. It may seem questionable whether in these words the Israelites were enjoyned to bake and seethe so much of the Manna as they dâ—sired to eat so dressed on the sixth day and then to reserve the rest unto the morning or to bake and seethe both for that day and the next day which was the Sabbath But yet this last seems the most probable and that because it was not likely they onely eat of it undressed as it was gathered on the Sabbath day and expressely afterwards it was enjoyned in the law that they should kindle no fire throughout their habitations on the Sabbath day Exod. 35. 3. Yet I make no question but that some part of it was reserved for the Sabbath not onely because they did so eat some part of it on the other dayes but especially also that the hand of God herein might be the more evident seeing they could no way keep it whether baked or sodden on other dayes untill the next morning but they found it putrified and which way soever they reserved it whether dressed or undressed for the Sabbath day it did not corrupt but continued good and sound Vers 31. And it was like coriander-seed white and the taste of it was like wafers made with hony We must not so understand these words as if the Manna were said to be like coriander-seed because it was white for the coriander-seed is blackish but that it is compared to coriander-seed in regard onely of its quantity and proportion and then besides that it was of a whitish colour So that we must reade these words as expressing three qualities of the Manna 1. That it was little and round like the coriander-seed ver 4. There lay a small round thing as small as the hoar frost 2. That it was for the colour of it white like Bdellium as it is expressed Numb 11. 7 3. That it was sweet like hony-wafers namely unbaked for being baked the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oyl Numb 11. 8. In that Apocryphall book called the Wisdome of Solomon chap. 16. 20 21 it is said of this Manna that it was able to content every mans delight and agreeing to every taste and that serving to the appetite of the eater it tempered it self to every mans liking whence it hath been by some conceived and maintained that the Manna rellished according to every mans desire and had the savour of any kind of meat which they had a desire to eat of But this is a weak conceit for first there is no evident ground for it in these words and then besides though it had been entended by that Author yet it is directly contrary to this description of the Manna which Moses gives us and again if God had given this miraculous bread such an extraordinary gift to satisfie every wanton appetite that it should taste like any meat they desired to tast of why did the Israelites murmure afterwards against Moses lusting for flesh and fish and repining because they had not the cucumbers and melons and leeks and onyons and garlick which they had in Egypt Numb 11. 4 5. Vers 33. And Moses said unto Aaron Take a pot c. It was a golden pot See Hebr. 9. 4. Wherein was the golden pot that had the Manna Moses rehearseth these things here to make a full end of the history of Manna but they were not done till afterwards when the Tabernacle was built wherein it was laid up before the Lord. Vers 35. And the children of Israel did eat Manna fourty years untill they came to a land inhabited To wit till they were gone over Jordan into the land of Canaan and then it ceased This Manna called by the Psalmist Angels food Psal 78. 25. Man did eat Angels food c. was a notable type of Christ and is therefore called Spirituall meat 1. Cor. 10. 3. And did all eat the same spirituall meat for Christ indeed is the true bread that came down from heaven Joh. 6. 33. upon whom feeding by faith our souls are nourished unto life everlasting White in regard of his purity and innocency and sweeter then the hony to the souls of believers bruised for our transgressions and conveyed to us in the dew of the word as the Manna lay in the dew upon the ground and so is our spirituall nourishment all the time of our travelling towards the heavenly Canaan when there shall be no more use of this food but God shall be all in all to us Vers 36. Now an omer is the tenth part of an â—phah And ephah by the judgement of the best Writers was much like to our English bushel Whereby we may conceive how bountifull the allowance of Manna was which God allotted them for their daily food CHAP. XVII Vers 1. ANd all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wildernesse of Sin after their journeyes c. This clause after their journeyes is added to imply that Rephidim was not the next station after they went from the wildernesse of Sin no they went from Sin to Dophkah from thence to Alush and from thence to Rephidim Numb 33. 12 13. 14. Vers 2. Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord To wit by their mutinous requiring of water as a signe of Gods presence among them saying Is the Lord among us or not as it is afterward expressed verse 7. when men not believing the promises of God will boldly prescribe God the time when and the manner how he shall perform his promises this is called a tempting of the Lord because thereby they do as it were try whether he be able and faithfull to do what he hath said And thus are the Israelites here said to tempt the Lord. Having Gods promise for their safe convoy through the wildernesse to the land of Canaan and having had already evidence enough of Gods almighty power and fatherly care over them yet being now in some distresse for want of water they came in a bold manner and expostulated with Moses and Aaron and cried upon them to give them water that they and theirs might not perish with thirst and herein they did tempt the Lord because as the Psalmist saith Psal 78. 41. They limited the holy one of Israel they said Is the Lord among us or not that is the want they were in made them question Gods presence and they resolved now to put it upon this tryall Let Moses give them water and they would acknowledge it but if that were not done they would not believe it And hence was this place afterward called Massah that is temptation Vers 4. What shall I do to this people they be almost ready to stone me Though there be no mention made in the foregoing expostulation of the people with Moses that they threatned to stone him yet perhaps some intimation hereof might fall from some of
the Lord would immediately set them apart as his peculiar portion to be his Ministers in the sacred service of the tabernacle Vers 30. Ye have sinned a great sinne and now I will go up to the Lord. Though Moses had already before so farre prevailed with the Lord by his prayers that he would not presently destroy all the people as at first he threatned and therefore it is said v. 14. That the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people yet considering that the Lords anger might still be great against theÌ„ and that he might still proceed further in punishing those that had sinned against him he resolves yet further to intercede for them with which he first acquaints the people remembring them withall of the greatnesse of their sin that so they might repent seriously of their sinne and thereby be made more capable of Gods favouâ— Peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sinne Words that imply a difficulty though good hopes to obtain Amos 5. 15. It may be the Lord of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph See also Josh 14. 12. and 1. Sam. 14. 16. And indeed he knew not whether God would proceed any further in punishing them or whether he would be satisfied with what was done Vers 31. And Moses returned unto the Lord c. It seems that this was another going up unto God then when he stayed there fourty dayes and fourty nights the second time for this was the morrow after the Levites had slain three thousand of the people and many things came between his second solemn going up unto God which is rehearsed in the next chapter Vers 32. And if not blot me I pray thee out of 〈◊〉 book which thou hast written When Gods decree of election unto life everlasâ—â—nâ— is callâ—â— the book of life as Phil. 4. 3. and in many other places it is a metaphoricall expression wherein the Scripture speaks of God after the manner of men Now when Moses here saith that if God would not forgive the sinnes of this people he desired that himself might be rather blotted out of the book of life we cannot hence inferre that Gods decree can be changed or that those that are elected unto life may notwithstanding perish everlastingly or that Gods justice will admit of the punishing of a righteous person together with the wicked for in this speech Moses seeks onely to expresse not what he thought might be but what he could wish might be if thereby the saving of Gods people might be procured to wit that out of his sorrow for the rejection of this people his zeal for Gods glory and his great affection to his brethren he could wish himself deprived of heavenly glory that they might be again received into favour This is all that Moses intended in these words onely being carried away with the strength of his affections and vehemency of his desires he expresseth this by a way of request If not blot me I pray thee out of the book which thou hast written And thus generally is this speech of Moses understood But yet it may also be understood of the catalogue and register that is kept as it were in the divine omniscience of all the living here in this world out of which Moses desires to be blotted that is to be cut off by the hand of God rather then the people should be cast off which he had so miraculously delivered out of their bondage in Egypt And herein Moses then dealt as a figure of our Mediatour who laid down his life for his sheep John 10. 15. And redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. Vers 33. Whosoever hath sinned against me him will I blot out of my book This also is spoken of God after the manner of men the meaning is onely that such and onely such should not be numbred among the elect Psal 69. 28. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous Or that such onely should be cut off by Gods revenging hand Vers 34. Therefore now go lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee behold mine angel shall go before thee c. Here God yields not to destroy for the present those that had sinned having before onely yielded not to destroy all the people yet withall hâ— addes that he will not yield to go amongst them as formerly he had promised but he would onely send his angel to go before them concerning which angel see before the notes upon Exod. 23. 20. Neverthelesse in the day when I visit I will visit their sinne upon them I will spare them at this time but when I begin to punish I shall reckon with them for this sinne also Vers 35. And the Lord plagued the people c That is as he threatned in the former verse in future times he punished them for this sinne also or else it may be meant of the punishment the Levites inflicted on them CHAP. XXXIII Vers 2. ANd I will send an angel before thee c. God here promiseth Moses that he would send an angel before them but withall addes that he would not go up himself in the midst of them as before he had promised Some hold that the angel here meant is a created angel not that angel of the covenant of whom he had spoken before chap. 23. 20. But seeing it is the same angel that had hitherto gone before them in the pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night by whom God promiseth that they should be led on their way till they were possessed of the land of Canaan I see not how we can understand it of a created angel but that it must be meant of the Sonne of God as before However that which God here refuseth to do for them I conceive is the dwelling amongst them in his tabernacle with those signes of his gracious presence concerning which he had formerly given direction to Moses His angel he would send as he had promised to conduct them to Canaan and to drive out the inhabitants before them this he might do for any people and this because he had promised it to Abraham he would do for them but to acknowledge them again for his people and to testifie that by his dwelling in the midst of them to wit in his tabernacle that he would not grant Vers 3. Lest I consume thee in the way This is also spoken of God after the manner of men who are most provoked when they are present to see the wrong done them and indeed the nearer a people are unto God the lesse will he indure their rebellion against him Vers 5. I will come up in the midst of thee in a moment and will consume thee To wit if thou dost not truly repent of the wickednesse wherewith thou hast provoked me Though God had granted to Moses
atonement for him Though burnt-offerings were usually given in signe of thankfulnesse to God and so betokened a new creature and holy life Psal 51. 18 19. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of Jerusalem Then shalt thou be pleased with sacrifices of righteousnesse with burnt-offering and whole burnt-offering and Gen. 8. 20. And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord and took of every clean beast and of every fowl and offered burnt-offerings on the altar yet they were also for atonement and remission of sinnes to wit generall sinnes Job 1. 5. And it was so when the dayes of their feasting were gone about that Job sent and sanctified them and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all for Job said It may be that my sonnes have sinned c. whereas for speciall sinnes there was a speciall sacrifice and sinne-offering Levit. 4. Vers 5. And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord. That is the priest in the name of the offerer for this was usually the work of the priests and therefore Moses did it when he supplyed the priests office Exod. 29. 10 11. though sometimes the Levites also helped herein when there were not priests enough to do it 2. Chron. 25. 10 11. The priests stood in their places and the Levites in their courses and they killed the Passeover that is the Passeover-offerings and the priests sprinkled the bloud from their hands as being given of God to be assistant to the priests in such services Numb 8. 19. I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sonnes to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation and to make an atonement for the children of Israel Now the sacrifice was killed to signifie the death of Christ Who was slain that he might redeem us to God by his bloud Revel 5. 9. and the mortifying of Gods people by the word and spirit and it was killed by the priest to signifie that Christ should offer up himself unto God as being both our priest and sacrifice and that there is no possibility for men to please God by any service they do him but onely in and through the mediation of Christ of whose priesthood the Leviticall priest was a type and figure As for the place where it was killed that may be gathered by the rule of Analogy from that which is expressed verse the 11. concerning the second sort of burnt-offerings namely that it was killed at the north-side of the altar And the priests Aarons sonnes shall bring the bloud and sprinkle the bloud c. And this was done in a large measure so that the corners of the altar were filled with bloud Zach. 9. 15. to teach the people that this bloud of their sacrifice should not be lost as spilt upon the ground but should be accepted of God as a propitiation for their sinnes as being a figure of the bloud of Christ which should be offered up to God and accepted by him in our behalf as for our reconciliation so also for our sanctification who are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the bloud of Jesus Christ 1. Pet. 1. 2. Vers 6. And he shall flay the burnt-offering That is the priest for the flaying of the sacrifice was also ordinarily the work of the priest who had therefore the skinne for himself Levit. 7. 8. though upon extraordinary occasions as is before noted concerning killing the burnt-offerings even in this also the Levites sometime helped them 2. Chron. 29. 34. The priests were too few so that they could not flay all the burnt-offerings wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them Because the sacrifices were offered as I may say as a holy feast unto the Lord whence the altar is called the table of the Lord and the sacrifice offered thereon his meat Mal. 1. 12. therefore nothing but what was usually eaten by men was burnt upon the altar and hence it was that the skinne was alwayes flayed off Yet withall it is commonly held by Expositours that this flaying of the sacrifice did also signifie First the sufferings of Christ who being first stripped of his garments Matth. 27. 28 they did afterwards most shamefully intreat so that there was no beauty in him why men should desire him Secondly the afflictions of Gods people under the rage of cruell oppressours and persecutours Who as the Prophet speaks Micha 3. 3. eat their flesh and flay their skinne from off them And thirdly the mortification which God requires in those that give up their names to him even that They put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts Ephes 5. 22. Vers 7. And the sonnes of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar c. Here the Lord gives direction for the burning of these sacrifices by the inseriour priests enjoyning them first to put fire upon the altar Now because they were to use no strange fire in burning the sacrifices but onely that fire which was continually nourished upon the altar Levit. 6. 12 13. and which at first came down from heaven Levit. 9. 24. therefore by putting fire upon the altar is meant onely the laying of the fire together or laying it on again when they had laid it by for the clearing of the altar Secondly to lay the wood in order and then all the pieces of the sacrifices in order upon the wood which was so appointed because the discreet laying of the wood doth much conduce to the well burning of the fire And then lastly thus to burn all upon the altar The mistery of this might be twofold First to signifie the consecrating of Christ and his members by afflictions and sufferings for as he the Captain of our salvation was made perfect by sufferings Heb. 2. 10. so must his members also be ready alwayes through these fiery trials to enter into glory for every one shall be salted with fire and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt Mark 9. 49. Secondly to signifie that holy zeal whereby we should wholly give up our selves to God through the operation of Gods holy spirit which is often in the Scriptures compared to fire as Matth. 3. 11. He that cometh after me is mightier then I he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire for as Christ through the eternall spirit offered himself without spot unto God Heb. 9. 14. so likewise it is the spirit whereby we must be enabled to consecrate our selves to Gods service Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth saith the Apostle Peter through the spirit 1. Pet. 1. 22. to which end we must not onely be carefull not to quench the spirit 1. Thess 5. 19. but also by prayer holy meditation and all other things conducing thereto we must do what we can
soure nor sweet pleâ—seth him but onely what is appointed what place is left for humane inventions Thirdly if any mystery be thought implyed it may be the abandoning of all carnall pleasures and delights by those that will consecrate themselves to Gods service Vers 12. As for the oblation of the first-fruits ye shall offer them unto the Lord. To wit though with leaven Levit. 23. 17. They shall be baken with leaven they are the first-fruits unto the Lord though hony 2. Chron. 31. 5. The children of Israel brought in abundance the first-fâ—uits of corn wine and oyl and hony Vers 13. And every oblation of thy meat-oâ—â—â—riâ—g â—â—alt thou season with salt By this salting was signified the covenant oâ— grace in Câ—rist which we by faith apprehend unto incorruption wherefore oâ—r unâ—â—generaâ—e estate is likened to a child new born and not salted Ezek. 16. 4. Neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat-offering To wit the salt which is a signe of the covenant of thy God that is be sure that salt be not wanting which you are bound as by a covenant to use in all sacrifices and be sure that faith in the covenant be not wanting which is signified by that salt for then all your sacrifices will be of no value with the Lord. With all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt Not onely meat-offerings but also burnt-offerings and all other sacrifices Ezek. 43. 24. The priest shall cast salt upon them and they shall offer them up for a burnt-offering unto the Lord. Mark 9. 49. Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt Vers 14. And if thou offer a meat-offering of thy first-fruits unto the Lord c. That is a freewill-offering of the first-fruits besides injoyned by the law CHAP. III. Vers 1. ANd if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace-offering if he offer it of the herd whether it be male or female c. Peace-offerings were either to obtain from God some blessing which they wanted or by way of gratulation or thanksgiving for some blessing received The chief and most ordinary use of them was doubtlesse in a way of thanksgiving for their peace and prosperity the severall sorts whereof are set down in the seaventh chapter But yet sometimes they were also used when men in their troubles prayed unto God for peace and salvation so Judges 20. 26. when the Israelites fasted and sought unto the Lord for his aid and favour because the men of Benjamin had twice beaten them in battel they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord and when David sought to appease Gods anger when the pestilence raged in the land because of his numbering the people He built an altar to the Lord and offered burnt-offerings and peace-of-ferings 1. Chron. 21. 26. the Lord hereby teaching us that with supplications for what we want we must also joyn thanksgiving for what we already injoy So then the peace-offerings signified 1. Christs oblation of himself whereby he became our peace Ephes 2. 14. and 2. the sacrifice of praise which in and through him we offer unto God The sacrifices appointed here for the peace-offerings are a male or female of the herd or of the flock turtle doves and young pigeons are not here allowed for the poorer sort as in burnt-offerings they were and that because the peace-offerings were to be divided into three parts one for the altar another for the priest and a third for the offerer and such a division could not be conveniently made in so small sacrifices But yet because this sacrifice was by way of thankfulnesse for temporall blessings externall peace and prosperity therefore a female a lesse perfect sacrifice was here accepted of God Why it must be without blemish see in the notes upon chap. 1. ver 3. Vers 2. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering See the notes upon Levit. vers 4. And kill it at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation c. Why this sacrifice was to be killed by the priests and the bloud to be sprinkled upon the altar you may see by that which is said before upon chapter 1. vers 5. That which is particularly observable here is that these sacrifices of peace-offerings were not killed at the same place where the othâ—r sacrifices were killed for the burnt-offerings were killed on the one side of the altar Northward before the Lord and so were also the sinne-offering and the trespasse-offering in the very place where the burnt-offering was killed chap. 6. 25. and chap. 7. 2. But now the peace-offerings were to be killed in another place to wit at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation that is the very entrance of the court where stood the brasen altar which was more Eastward then the place where the other sacrifices were killed And the reason of this we may well conceive was 1. Because the fat and the breast of these peace-offerings were to be waved before the altar in the hands of the offerer who might not go into the court but stand at the doore chap. 7. 30. and 2. Because these peace-offerings whereof the offerer did eat a part were not reckoned amongst the most holy things which were onely eaten by the priest And hence this is given as a reason why the trespasse-offering was to be killed in the same place where the burnt-offerings were killed because it was most holy and to be eaten by the priests onely chap. 14. 13. Vers 3. And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace-offering a n offering made by fire unto the Lord. Namely that which is afterward expressed the rest of the offering was thus disposed of the breast and right shoulder were waved and heaved before the Lord and given the priests to eat See Levit. 7. 30. the remainer was eaten by him that brought it his family and friends Levit. 7. 15 16. The fat that covereth the inwards c. The fat as the best of the sacrifice is offered up unto the Lord and so teacheth that the best is to be still given unto him and it might withall signifie that all our carnall desires are to be mortified with the fire of the spiâ—it Vers 5. And Aarons sonnes shall burn it To wit being first salted Levit. 2. 13. On the altar upon the burnt sacrifice c. That is upon the remainer of the dayly burnt-offering which alwayes had the first place Vers 9. The fat thereof and the whole rump it shall he take off hard by the back-bone c. Because the rump of those countrey sheep was large and exceeding fat as Writers report and the fat was to be burnt and withall because the rumps of sheep are sweeter and better then those of bullocks therefore the rump of the sheep is also set apart for the sacrifice though not of the bullocks Vers 11. It is the food of the offering made by fire unto the Lord. So called to
burning upon the altar all night unto the morning c. Not onely all day but all night also for as the morning burnt-offering burnt till the evening so the evening burnt-offering burnt all night untill the morning And the fire of the altar shall be burning in it That is shall be nourisht continually Vers 10. And the priest shall put on his linen garment c. That is not onely the linen breeches but also the linen coat And take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt-offering c. Ashes are said to be consumed when the wood and sacrifices are consumed and turned to ashes as meal is said to be ground when the corn by grinding is turned to meal Esai 47. 2. Take the milstâ—ne and grind meal And he shall put them besides the altar See the Notes upon Levit. 1. 16. Vers 11. And carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place The contrary is said toâ—ching the stones and dust of a leprous house Levit. 14. 40 41. Then the priest shall command that they â—ake the stones in which the plague is and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city c. Becauâ—e these came from the Lords holy house therefore they were to be laid in a clean place where no dead carkases dung or other filth was laid Vers 12. And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it c. That so the â—ire which first came from heaven might in a mâ—nner by the continuall supply of wood be still preserved upon the altar which might signifie 1. the excluding of all humane devices in Gods worship wherein nothing is allowed but is given by direction from heaven And secondly that no sacrifice is accepted with God but what is offered by the spirit that fire from heaven Matth. 3. 11. He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire And withall the continuing of this fire which at first came from heaven to testifie Gods favourable acceptance of that sacrifice was to teach them that as at first so still he did continually accept of their sacrifices and service as long as they did it according to the direction of his law And the priest shall burn the wood on it every morning Questionlesse they laid on wood upon the altar to maintain the fire thereon not onely in the morning but all the day long especially at even when the evening burnt-offering was to be burnt upon the altar onely there is a particular direction here for laying on wood in the morning because then having cleansed the altar and taken away the ashes they made the fire anew Vers 16. And the remainer thereof shall Aaron and his sonnes eat The males onely because these things being most holy might not be touched but by consecrated persons With unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place That is in the coâ—rt of the Sanctuary for so it is explained concerning the sinne-offering verse 26. In the holy place shall it be eaten in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation Other holy things as the tithes and first-frâ—its and the shoulder and breast of the peoples peace-offerings c. might be eaten elsewhere and the priests daughters were to have a share therein Numb 18. 11. The heave-offering of their gift with all the wave-offerings of the children of Israel I have given them unto thee and to thy sonnes and to thy daughters with thee by a statute for ever every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it But those things that were most holy to wit the priests portion of all sacrifices whereof part was burnt upon the altar were onely to be eaten by Aaron and his sonnes and that in the holy place 1. That by their eating in Gods presence they might be put in mind to use these holy things with all sobriety 2. To put them in mind of that singular purity and holinesse which God required in them that were honoured above the people and 3. To signifie perhaps that none but those within Gods holy Church shall have any benefit by Christ As for this charge not to eat it with leavened bread see the note upon chap. 2. 11. Vers 20. This is the offering of Aaron and his â—onnes c. That is this is the offering that Aaron shall offer unto God in the dâ—y 〈◊〉 he is anâ—inted and which his sonnes successively that shall come to be high prieâ—â—s shall offer unto the Lord in the day that they are anointed for it is evident that this meat-offering iâ— appointed for the high priest onely for he onely was anointed in succeeding 〈◊〉 as is shown before upon Exod. 29. 7. to wit Aaron for the present and that son of his successively that should be anointed high priest in his stead as it is expressed veâ—se 22. The tenth part of an Ephah of fine flowre for a meat-offering perpetuall c. That is ever to be offered when any of them came to be high priests Vers 23. For every meat-offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt The priests eating of the sinne-offering sigured the bearing of the sinners iniquity Levit. 10. 17. but because no priest being a sinner could make atonement for himself therefore his meat-offering might not be eaten but is all burnt on the altar to teach him to expect salvation not by himself but onely by Christ Vers 26. The priest that offereth it for sinne shall eat it Except in the case mentioned verse 30. when the bloud thereof was carried into the tabernacle Vers 27. And when there is sprinkled of the bloud thereof upon any garment thou shalt wash c. viz. casually Now these ordinances peculiar onely to the sinne-offering because that in speciall sort figured Christ who was made sinne for us shadowed the contagion of sinne and our care to cleanse our selves by repentance and faith Vers 28. But the earthen vessell wherein it is sodden shall be broken and if it be sodden in a brasen pot c. Because the liquour wherein the sin-offering was sodden might soak into an earthen pot therefore that must be broken the rather because the losse of breaking it was not great but if it were sod in an iron or brasse pot that was onely to be scoured and rinsed all which was still to shadow forth the contagion of sinne Vers 30. And no sin-offering whereof any of the bloud is brought into the tabernacle c. Namely the sin-offering for the priest and the congregation See Levit. 4. 16. which were burnt without the camp and this might signifie that men cleaving to the legall priesthood and not seeking for the better priesthood of Christ could not be saved CHAP. VII Vers 1. LIkewise this is the law of the trespasse-offering c. For what transgressions the sinne-offering was appointed and for what the trespasse-offering it is hard to determine Some think the trespasse-offering was for smaller sinnes but I rather conceive
that where either God in the externall duties of his worship or their brethren in civill affairs was any way damaged by the offender there a trespasse-offering was due for other transgressions the sinne-offering See the notes upon chap. 5. 10. Vers 2. In the place where they kill the burnt-offering See the note upon chap. 1. 11. Vers 7. As the sinne-offering is so is the trespasse-offering Namely as in most other things so in this that follows that the priest was to have the remainer of this as he had of the other Vers 8. And the priest that offereth any mans burnt-offering c. All the remainder of the sinne and trespasse-offering the priest had skinne and all but even of the burnt-offering also he must have the skinne Vers 9. And all the meat-offering that is baken in the oven c. That is these meat-offerings that were baken or fried c. and so were to be eaten hot were therefore the priests portion that offered them who might eat them presently but if the meat-offerings were mingled with oyl or dry that is flowre dry not mingled with oyl or any other liquour such as was the meat-offering for sinne chap. 5. 11. Because these might be reserved to be dressed afterwards at their leasure therefore these were equally to be divided amongst all the priests as is expressed vers 10. Vers 13. Besides the cakes he shall offer for his offering leavened bread c. How this may be reconciled with that Levit. 2. 11. see the notes there Because this meat-offering was onely for food to be eaten no part of it to be burnt upon the altar leaven is here allowed And besides it was a signe that this oblation was before thought upon and prepared not suddenly offered Vers 14. And he shall offer one out of the whole oblation c. The rest were for the owner and his family c. as was the remainder of the flesh See Deut. 27. 7. Thou shalt offer peace-offerings and eat there and rejoyce there before the Lord thy God See also Deut. 12. 6 7. Vers 15. And the flesh of his sacrifice of his peace-offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day c. How the fat of the peace-offerings was to be burnt upon the altar was shown before chap. 3. 3 4 5. Here now is prescribed how the remainder of the sacrifice was to be eaten And for the understanding hereof we must note that there are here three severall sorts of peace-offerings mentioned or three severall occasions of offering peace-offerings the first were these that were offered for thanksgiving vers 15. that is by way of testifying their thankfulnesse for some mercies received the second were those that were offered in liew of a vow and this the most Expositours conceive to be meant of such peace-offerings which men vowed they would give unto God if such or such a mercie God should grant them and which accordingly when God had satisfied their desires they did then pay unto God which though paid by way of thanksgiving they make to be different from the former because those were brought onely upon the generall bond of thankfulnesse and that for generall mercies these were brought upon a speciall bond of a vow made upon their obtaining some speciall blessing which they had desired of God But others again understand it of peace-offerings vowed and paid accordingly the vow not being conditionall in case any such blessing were obtained but absolute and so they make this to differ from the first which was for thanksgiving yea and some understand it of such peace-offerings as were offered not in performance of a vow formerly made but at the time when a vow was made by way of seeking Gods favour for the obtaining of some blessing which they sought of God The third were those that were brought as a voluntary offering which were such as were not brought upon any particular obligation either of mercies received or of the want of any blessing but of devotion in generall by way of acknowledging Gods goodnesse to them in generall and testifying their desire of the continuance of his love and favour Agâ—in 2. we must note that for the first of these one law is given and for the other two another for those peace-offerings that were for thanksgiving they were commanded to eat the same day they were offered both the priest and the people but those that were for a vow or voluntary offering they had two dayes allowed them for the eating of them and then what was left on the third day was to be burnt with fire And why was this difference Surely because God would hereby teach them that he must be worshipped as himself appointeth and not as they in their reason should think â—it and withall the appointing of that to be presently eaten which was for thanksgiving might teach them not to be remisse in returning thanks for the blessings they injoyed Vers 18. And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings be eaten at all on the third day c. it shall be an abomination c. The Hebrew word signifieth a thing which by being kept too long beginneth to be corrupt and stink to show how God would abhorre them Vers 19. And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten iâ— shall be burnt with fire The flesh of the peace-offerings was not to be eaten doubtlesse in the holy place but was carried thence after it was killed at the tabernacle and the fat burnt upon the altar and eaten else-where for so it is said of the right shoulder and breast which were the priests portion Levit. 10. 14. The wave-breast and the heave-shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place thou and thy sonnes and thy daughters with thee And well we may conclude that if the priests did not eat their portion in the holy place much lesse did the people eat their portion there Now because being carried out of the holy place it might casually â—e touched by some unclean person or some unclean thing order is here given that it should not then be eaten as a holy sacrifice but burnt with fire because being so defiled it was not fit to represent Christ who was perfectly holy and pure from the least pollution of sin And aâ— for the flesh all that be clean shall eat thereof That is that which abideth clean and fit to be eaten all that be clean both priests and owners shall eat thereof Vers 20. But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings that pâ—rtain unto the Lord c. Here order is given for the punishment of those that should wittingly eat of the peace-offerings when they were unclean whether it were by reason of any naturall personall uncleannesse that was then upon them which is that uncleannesse spoken of in this twentieth verse or by touch of any unclean thing which is afterwards added in the follovving verse to vvit that they
And he said unto Aaron Take thee a young calf for a sinne-offering Before Aaron might be suffered to offer up any sacrifice he is commanded by Moses to offer up a young calf as a sinne-offering for himself And hence the Apostle proves the weaknesse and insufficiency of the Leviticall priesthood to wit that those priests were not fit in themselves to stand as Mediatours betwixt God and the people being sinners themselves but were types and shadows of another to come to wit Christ who was holy harmlesse undefiled and separate from sinners c. Heb. 7. 26 27. But since a young bullock is appointed for the high priests sinne-offering Levit. 4. 3. Why is Aaron here commanded to offer a young calf for a sinne-offering I answer between a young calf and a young bullock there was no great difference the one happely was as the Hebrews say of the first year the other of the second but yet of that difference the reason we may conceive to be this because in the fourth chapter a sinne-offering is appointed onely by way of atonement for some particular sinne of ignorance committed by the high priest but this sinne-offering here injoyned was for the sinnes of the priests in generall and that also in a particular case for their first entrance upon the execution of their office and therefore here not a young bullock as there was injoyned but a young calf was offered for their sinne-offering and that by the Lords speciall direction Vers 3. Take yee a kid of the goats for a sinne-offering c. Here also as in a speciall particular case the very same sacrifices are not injoyned either for the sinne-offerings burnt-offerings or peace-offerings of the people that are injoyned by the generall Laws in the former chapters onely respect is had that some of every kind should be now offered by the priests at their first entrance upon their office Vers 4. For to day the Lord will appear unto you See ver 24. Vers 9. And put it upon the horns of the altar c. That is the brasen altar herein also this sinne-offering for the high priest seemeth to differ from others that followed after whose bloud was to be carried into the Sanctuary Levit. 4. 5 6 7. and it was because Aaron as yet had not accesse into the holy place till he had prepared away by this first sacrifice into the court the like is to be observed in the peoples sinne-offering ver 15. compared with Levit. 4. 13 17 18. Vers 10. But the fat and the kidneys and the caul above the liver of the sinne-offering he burnt upon the altar That is he offered them upon the altar and so they were afterward burnt by that fire which came down from heaven ver 24. Vers 15. And he brought the peoples offering and took the goat c. and offered it for sinne as the first That is in the same manner as that for the priest ver 8. and so he burnt it also without the camp as the other was ver 11. for which he is reproved by Moses Lev. 10. 17. Wherefore have ye not eaten the sinne-offering in the holy place seeing it is most holy and God hath given it you c. Vers 17. Beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning That is this was not the burnt-offering and meat-offering which was every morning to be offered as God appointed Exod. 24. 38 39 40. but an extraordinary offering besides which by speciall direction was offered at this time Vers 22. And Aaron lift up his hand toward the people and blessed them This was a kind of applying the sacrifice to them and to make known that God did gratiously accept of those sacrifices from them and it was done according to the manner set down Numb 6. 23 c. Speak unto Aaron and his sonnes saying On this wise shall blesse the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord blesse thee and keep thee the Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gratious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace So also it is said of our Saviour that a little before his Ascention he lift up his head and blessed his disciples and indeed Aaron was in this a type of Christ in whom all the Nations of the world are blessed Gen. 18. 18. Vers 22. And came down from offering of the sinne-offering c. That is from the bank or hilly-place of the altar which was higher then the other ground Vers 23. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle c. Hitherto the priests had onely made entrance upon their office in the court of the priests Now Moses went with Aaron into the tabernacle that he might there instruct him concerning the service he was there to perform both about the lights the table of shew-bread and the altar of incense And the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people That is somme visible signe of Gods glory and favour as by the cloud Exod. 16. 10. Vers 24. And there came a â—ire out from the Lord and consumed upon the altar the burnt-offering and the fat That is either from heaven as 2. Chron. 7. 1. or else out of the tabernacle Which when all the people saw they shouted and fell on their faces With astonishment and joy giving thanks for this signe of Gods favour and of his accepting their sacrifices CHAP. X. Vers 1. ANd Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron took either of them his câ—nser c. No doubt Moses had taught them and enjoyned them that after they had offered the sacrifices on the altar of burnt-offerings then they should go into the tabernâ—cle and there should light the lamps and burn incense on the altar of incense as God had commanded Exod. 30. 7. Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning when he dresseth the lamps he shall burn incense on it that is on the altar of incense but withall doubtlesse he had given them direction to use in this service onely the fire of the altar of burnt-offerings which was kindled by fire from heaven for though this be onely implyed covertly Levit. 6. 13. The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar it shall never go out yet I make no question but that it was more fully given them in charge as afterward again Levit. 16. 10. where direction is given for Aarons going into the most holy place He shall take a censer of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small and bring it within the vail But now Nadab and Abihu rashly and inconsiderately forgetting or neglecting their duty in this particular took some other â—ire in their censers that perhaps wherewith they had sod and dressed the â—lesh of their sacrifices and putting incense thereon to carry it and lay it upon the altar of incense and so offered strange fire before the Lord that is the fire which he
of oyl is commonly thought to be half a pint the three tenth deals of fine flowre were for accessory meat-offerings for the three sacrifices afore mentioned Indeed in the fifteenth of Numbers meat-offerings are appointed onely for burnt-offerings and peace-offerings nor do we any where reade of a meat-offering that was to be joyned either with sinne-offering or trespasse-offering And besides where an offering of fine flowre is injoyned for a sinne-offering Levit. 5. 11. to wit to be offered apart by it self not as accessory to any other sacrifice they were forbidden to put any oyl upon it whereas these are appointed to be mingled with oyl And therefore it seems these sacrifices for the cleansing of the leper had peculiar rites and were not in all things performed according to the ordinary way of other sacrifices Vers 12. And wave them for a wave-offering See the notes upon Exodus 29. 24. Vers 1â— And he shall slay the lamb in the place c. See the note upon Levit 1. 11. and upon Levit. 7. 7. Vers 14. And the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear c. Hereby was signified that by virtue of Christs bloud the leper was now restored to his former freedome of entercourse and commerce with others as also that the whole man was to be renewed and consecrated to Gods service See the note upon Exod. 29. 20. Vers 15. And the prâ—est shall take some of the log of oyl The oyl in the hand of the priest fignified the spirit by Christ conveyed unto us Vers 16. And sprinkle of the oyl with his finger c. Figuring our consecraâ—ion to Gods service by the same spirit Vers 17. And the rest of the oyl that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear c. This signified the sanctification of the whole man by the same spirit Vpon the bloud of the trespasse-offering That is upon the very same place where the bloud was sprinkled Vers 20. And the priest shall offer the burnt-offering To wit that other he-lamb mentioned vers 10. Now by these rites the lepers were to professe their thankfulnesse to God in and through Christ as for the cure of their leprosie so also for the remission of their sinnes which had brought that judgement upon them and for their sanctification by his spirit Vers 31. And the other for a burnt-offering with the meat-offering That is the meat-offering that was to accompany the turtle dove or young pigeon offered for the burnt-offering whereby it appears that even the smaller burnt-offerings of turtle doves had also their meat-oâ—ferings as well as the greater of lambs c. Vers 36. Then the priest shall command that they all empty the house c. The priest must before he goeth into the house to view the place in the house suspected of leprosie command all that are in the house to come forth and the reason is given that all that are in the house be not made unclean Whereby it is evident that though the house had indeed the plague of leprosie yet the inhabitants that were in the house were not rendred unclean thereby till the priest had pronounced it to be a leprosie but then all that came iâ—to the house were thereby unclean And so it seems therefore it was with men too that were infected with leprosie No man was unclean by being in the company of a leprous person till the priest had pronounced him to be a leper Vers 40. And they shall cast them into an unclean place without the citie That by the uncleannesse of the place they may be known to be unclean things that so â—oâ—emay be defiled thereby Vers 41. And he shall cause the house to be scraped c. To wit lest the plague of leprosie should be in any other part of the walls of the house and being hidden under the plaister should not be discovered CHAP. XV. Vers 3. WHether his flesh runne with his issue or his flesh be stopped from his issue it is his uncleannesse That is he shall for it be counted unclean The issue here spoken of which rendred men unclean is that which we call the running of the reins Now because this disease men have in a different manner for sometime their seed being of a thinne substance runs continually from them and sometimes again being of a thicker substance it slows not so freely forth buâ— stops in the passage and so putrifies the place through which it should passe in both these cases they are declared to be unclean Now though by this legall pollution they were taught the filthinesse of all sinne whatsoever yet more especially I conceive it was to signifie that originall corruption and filthinesse of our nature which is conveyed unto us in our first conception by that very seed and substance whereof we are made Vers 4. Every bed whereon he lyeth that hath the issue is unclean These laws following shew the contagion of siâ—ne which defileth not onely men themselves but every thing besides which a wicked man hath to do with for unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure Tit. 1. 15. Vers 12. And every vessâ—ll of wood shall be rinsed in water That is of wood or any other such strong matter as silver copper brasse c. Vers 16. And if any mans seed of copulation go out c. This is not meant of the issue forespoken of nor when a man lyeth with a woman whereof vers 18. but of the seed of the healthfull issuing by reason of nightly dreams or any such accident whereof see Deut. 23. 10. Vers 19. And whâ—soever toucheth her shall be unclean c. To wit every one that is of years of discretion and so fit to be ordered by this law For it is not likely that infants that lay in the arms and sucked on the breasts of their mothers when they were in this condition were rendred unclean thereby Vers 24. And if any man lie with her at all c. To wit ignorantly for if he did it presumptuously not pollution but cutting off was his punishment Levit. 20. 18. And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sicknesse and shall uncover her nakednesse he hath discovered her fountain and he hath uncovered the fountain of her bloud aud both of them shall bâ— cut off from among the people Yet some conceive that this place is onely meant of lying in the same bed with a woman and not of carnall copulation CHAP. XVI Vers 1. ANd the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sonnes of Aaron c. That is upon that occasion lest they should again endanger themselves by entring into the most holy place as before by offering strange fire and so also within a short time after that happened for it doth not follow that because the Lord upon that occasion gave this ensuing charge therefore the laws set down in the former chapters are transposed and
were not given in any interim of time before this Vers 2. Speak unto Aaron thy brother that he come not at all times into the holy place c. That is not whensoever he pleaseth but onely once a year as I have appointed Exod. 30. 10. namely to minister at other times both he and his sonnes might and did enter at the taking down of the tabernacle but not to minister And this was thus appointed first to teach them to have a most reverend respect of Gods presence and secondly that hereby more evidently might be represented that one particular sacrifice of the sonne of God once offered as the Apostle hath noted Heb. 9. 7 8. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year not without bloud c. The holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first tabernacle was yet standing and again vers â—1 12. Christ being come an high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle c. by his own bloud he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternall redemption for us For I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat This is added as a reason why the high priest might not enter into the most holy place whenever he pleased but onely once a year which was on the tenth day of the seventh moneth and that in the manner as is here appointed to wit because the Lord would there appear in the cloud upon the mercie-seat The conceit of the Papists That God appeared there in an humane shape upon the mercie-seat hath no ground for it in the text Nor do we any where reade that God did ever so appear in the tabernacle either to the high priest or to Moses himself All that is heâ—e said is that God would by a cloud upon the mercie-seat testifie his presence which whether it were the cloud raised by the smoke of the incense which the high priest was now to bring with him or any other cloud alwayes abiding upon the mercy-seat we need not inquire Sufficient it is that we know hereby that God did testifie his presence and doubtlesse in some glorious manner upon the mercy-seat and therefore the high priest might not when he would go in thither but onely once a year and then with the smoke of incense ascending from his censer that might darken the glory of that forementioned sight of Gods presence for the safety of the high priest Vers 3. With a young bullock for a sinne-offering c. Namely for himself vers 6. But withall we may observe that besides the fire-sacrifices here expressed he offered also on this day two lambes for the dayly burnt-offering Numb 28. 3. and one bullock one ramme and seven lambes for a burnt-offering and one he-goat for a sinne-offering besides the goat mentioned vers 5. as is particularly expressed Numb 29. 7 8 11. Here these onely are expressed which concerned the solemnity of his going into the most holy place the other were sacrifices appointed for the day and offered in the remainder of the day when the solemnities which â—ad respect to his entring into the most holy place were wholly finished Vers 4. He shall put on the holy linen coat c. Some Expositours conceive that these holy linen garments here spoken of were those mentioned Exod. 28. 39. which the high priest wore under his other rich attire and that together with these here mentioned all his other garments are to be understood also But because it is expresly said vers 23. that when Aaron returned out of the most holy place into the tabernacle of the congregation he should put off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place and should leave them there therefore I rather conceive with others that these were other plain linen garments like those that were made for the inferiour priests Exod. 39. 27 28. And that the high priest did wear these onely when he went into the most holy place as being reserved for this peculiar service and did therefore put them off again when he came out from thence as it is said verse 23. Yet was not this thus ordered because this day of expiation when the priest went into the holy of holies was a fasting day verse 29 30. and therefore it was not fit that he should wear now his glorious garments for after he was come back out of the most holy place and had put off these linen garments verse 23. he put on his other glorious attire and wore them in the remaining service of the day But other reasons are given for this by Expositours more probably as 1. that it was to teach the people thereby that his rich attire was onely for their sakes that in them they might behold him as representing the person of the Messiah richly adorned with all righteousnesse and grace and not that God was delighted with such rich garments and so he left them off when he went into the place of Gods speciall presence and 2. that in this plain attire he might be a figure of the base estate of Christ upon earth and how he should without worldly glory perform the work of our redemption Vers 6. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sinne-offering In what time and manner this was done see vers 11. Vers 8. And Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats Which signified that God would accept no sacrifice but what was of his own chusing and that in the work of our redemption by Christ nothing should be done but what Gods hand and his counsell had determined Act. 4. 28. Vers 12. And he shall take a censer-full of burning coals of fire c. Here we see what the high priest was to carry along with him when he went within the vail to wit 1. a censer-full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord that is from the altar of incense and 2. his hands full that is two handfull of sweet incense beaten small to burn upon the coals as soon as ever he entred within the vail and 3. the bloud of the sinne-offerings for though that be not mentioned here yet that he carried the bloud along with him is evident verse 14 15. both of the bullock his own sinne-offering and the goat the peoples sinne-offering Vers 13. And he shall put the incense upon the fire c. As the way was prepared into the most holy place by the cloud before the bloud was sprinkled so Christ before he entred with his own bloud into the most holy place of heaven prepared his way by prayer John 17. And this also signified that the incense of Christs prayers and mediation should ascend into heaven before God for his Church Heb. 9. 24. For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now
is his sister and therefore he might not uncover her nakednesse Vers 10. The nakednesse of thy sonnes daughter c. And so other of further descent how much more then his next daughter though she be not named Vers 11. The nakednesse of thy fathers wives daughter c. That is the daughter of thy father not the daughter of thy mother See above vers 9. Vers 16. Thou shalt not uncover the nakednesse of thy brothers wife To wit except in that speciall case when a man deceasing without children his nexâ— brothâ—r by an expresse exception of the law Deut. 25. was to marry the wife of the deceased and to raise up â—eeâ— unto his brother as Onan the soâ—ne of Judah did Gen. 38. 8. Vers 18. Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister to vex her c. This is all one with one wife to another as it is translated in the margin of our Bibles as Ezek. 1. 9. the wings of the beast are said to touch a woman to her sister as it is directly in the Hebrew words that is one another Though the ordinary exposition be that this is meant of sisters that man having married any woman must not afterward marry her sister to vex her c. yet these reasons so farre sway me that I cannot but understand it of any two women First because incest with sisters is above forbidden vers 9. 11. Secondly because polygamie is no where else forbidden if not here unlesse to the King Deut. 17. 16. Thirdly because the following words cannot unlesse extremely forced be brought to agree with that exposition of sisters for would not the marriage of her husband with another woman vex her as much as with her sister happely more And why is it added in her life as if it were lawfull for a man to marry his wives sister after his wives decease those things winne me to think that it is meant of any two women Vers 19. Also thou shalt not approch unto a woman to uncover her nakednesse as long as she is put apart c. To wit though she be thy lawfull wife Vers 21. And thou shalt not let any of thy seed passe through the fire to Molech Molech was an idol worshipped by the Ammonites and other heathen called also Moloch Amos 5. 26. But ye have born the tabernacle of your Moloch and is thought of some to be the starre Saturn the highest or the Sunne the chief of the Planets thence called the starre of your God Amos 5. 26. And it is derived of Melech which signifies a Prince or King It is thought by many to bâ— the same idol that is ordinarily in Scripture called Baal which they gather by comparing together 2. Kings 23. 10. And he defiled Topheth which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom that no man might make his sonne or his daughter to passe through the fire to Molech Jer. 19. 5. They built also the high places of Baal to burn their sonnes with fire for burnt-offerings unto Baal c. chap. 7. 31. And they have built the high places of Tophet which is in the valley of the sonne of Hinnom to burn their sonnes their daughters in the fire c. chap. 32. 35. Now to this idol they caused their children to passe through the fire two wayes for some burned them to death or at least killed them and then burnt them on their altars for so it is said of Ahaz 2. Chron. 28. 3. He burnt incense in the valley of Hinnom and burnt his children in the fire c. and of the Israelites in generall Psal 106. 37 38. They sacrificed their sonnes and their daughters unto devils and shed innocent bloud But some onely made them to go through between two fires as a signe of their consecration This sinne is here forbidden amongst whoredomes and incests because as all idolatry is spirituall fornication so this especially because their seed was here given away unlawfully which iâ— therefore called a going a whoring after Molech Levit. 20. 3 5. But though this idol be here named yet under this the like wicked service to any idol is forbidden Nâ—ithâ—r shalt thâ—u profane the name of thy God This is added as a reason why in the foregoing law they were forbidden to let their seed passe thorow the fire to Molech to wit because it would be a vild profanation of Gods holy name and that first in regard it would be an horrible vilifying of the Lord God to forsake him and yield such â—onour to such a base idol-god and secondly because horrible wickednesse in a people called by his name that is called the people and servants of God would be a dishonour to God and would cause the name of God to be blasphemed even among the Gentiles Vers 24. For in all these the Nations are defiled which I cast out before you That is with all these incestuous mixtures the Canaanites defiled themselves and so provoked me to cast them out of the land and therefore take you heed that you do not provoke me by the same sinnes Now hereby it is manifest that all the severall sorts of incest before mentioned are sinnes against the law and light of nature because the Lord abhorred the heathen that had no other law and punished them so severely for these very sinnes Vers 26. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgements The mention of Gods statutes here doth intimate what a shame it would be for them that had the light of the word to walk in these evil courses whereinto the heathen fell because they lived in darknesse CHAP. XIX Vers 3. YE shall fear every man his mother and his father Because the mother is usually most despised the Lord injoyns the fear of the mother in the first place And keep my Sabbaths Because the commandment for sanctifying Gods Sabbaths is directed to the fathers and mothers of the family who are to take care that children and servants profane not Gods holy day therefore the charge for fearing mother and father is here prefixt bfore this of sanctifying the Sabbath The meaning is that children and servants must have such an awfull fear of their superiours as willingly to be guided by them according to Gods word in the matter of sanctifying Gods Sabbaths and not to resist them in it Vers 6. It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it and on the morrow That is if it were a peace-offering for a vow or a freewill-offering otherwise if it were for a thanksgiving it was to be eaten the same day Levit. 7. 15. And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offeringâ— for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered he shall not leave any of it untill the morning And so that which was left of the one was to be burnt the second day and that which was left of the other upon the third which must needs make them more willing to call the poore to
which it was not therefore fit they should disable themselves by defiling themselves with the dead there being no other priests at that time to do the work in their stead Vers 3. And for his sister a virgin that is nigh unto him c. That iâ— his own sister by father or mother if unmarried but if she were married he might not be a mourner at her buriall to defile himself thereby because she was then transplanted into another familie Vers 4. But he shall not defile himself being a chief man among his people to profane himself Some reade this place as it is in the margin of our Bibles But being a husband among his people he shall not defile himself for his wife c. and then the sense must be that though the priests might defile themselves for those their nearest kindred mentioned in the former verses yet they might not defile themselves for their wives But the wife being nearer to the husband then the nearest of his kindred can be it is hard to say why the priests should be allowed to defile themselves for their near kindred and not for their wives and farre more probably we may conceive that by allowing them to mourn for their near kindred their defiling themselves for their wives is implyed as farre more necessary which also we may the rather think because to Ezekiel being a priest this is given in charge as a strange and unusuall thing that he should not mourn for his wife when she dyed Ezek. 24. 16 c. and hence it is that few approve of this translation But reading it then as it is in the text of our Bibles But he shall not defile himself being a chief man among his people to profane himself all the difficulty lies in knowing what is meant here by being a chief man among his people concerning which I find three severall opinions of Expositours For first some understand it of the high priest that being a chief man that is the high priest he might not defile himself no not for his nearest kindred which they say is afterwards more fully expressed vers 10. But because the laws against the high priests mourning are afterwards set down by themselves I think it very improbable that this should be meant of the high priest Secondly some understand by a chief man here the master or chief man of the house or family where there is a dead corps to be buried and so take the meaning of the words to be this That no priest should defile himself for any but for his near kindred before mentioned no though he were the chief man or master of the familie where they dyed And thirdly some by a chief man understand any of the priests and conceive the meaning of this place to be that though none of the people were allowed to defile themselves for the dead so as to profane themselves that is after the profane manner of the heathen according to that Law chap. 19. 18. yet the priest especially might not do it being a chief man among his people So that according to this interpretation the emphasis of this prohibition lies in these words to profane himself The inferiour priests might defile themselves for their nearest kindred but yet not so as to profane themselves to wit after the manner of the heathen by making baldnesse upon their heads c. as it is expressed in the following verse though none of the people might do this yet not the priest especially being a chief man among his people Vers 5. They shall not make baldnesse upon their heads c. That is when they did mourn for their kindred See chap 19. 28. Vers 6. For the offering of the Lord made by fire and the bread of their God they do offer See the note upon chap 13. 11. The word and here is not in the originall so that by the bread of their God is meant both the sacrifices burnt upon the altar and the heave-offerings which were the priests portion and they are so called partly because they were offered upon the altar the table of the Lord Mal. 11. 12. and partly because they were eaten by the priests of the Lord. Vers 7. They shall not take a wife that is a whore or profane That is neither a common whore nor a woman whose chastity had been violated though she did not as a common whore prostitute her self Some also conceive that under this word profane all those were forbidden to be taken in marriage by the priests that were for any other cause of ill name and basely esteemed as a bastard or one that was of light behaviour yea it seems that they might not marry a widow unlesse she were a priests widow For so it is expressely said Ezek. 44. 22. They shall take maydens of the seed of the house of Israel or a widow that had a priest before Now all this was to maintain in the people an high opinion of the dignity of the priesthood and that they might be the fitter to be types of Christ Neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband That is divorced â—nd not for the cause of adultery which to the Israelites was permitted under Moses Law Deut. 24. 1 2. but it was for the hardnesse of their hearts as our Saviour saith Matth. 19. 8. Vers 8. Thou shalt sanctifie him therefore c. That is thou Moses thou shalt command him thus to be sanctified Exâ—d 19. 10. And the Lord said unto Moses Go unto thâ— people and sanctifie them to day and to morrow c. or else it is an Apostrophe to the people that they should as much as in them lay take care that the priests did thus carry themselves as holy persons Vers 9. She shall be burnt with fire Other persons were not put to death for simple fornication neither the man nor woman Exod. 22. 16 17. And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed and lie with her he shall surely endow her to be his wife If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him he shall pay money according to the dowry of Virgins onely the priests daughter because of the dishonour done to her fathers house is appointed here to be burnt and it may well be thought by the rule of Analogy the same punishment was to be inflicted on the priests wife if not his sonnes when guilty of the same sinne Vers 10. And he that is the high priest among his brethren upon whose head the anointing oyl was poured and that is consecrated to put on the garments shall not uncover his head c. Either therefore the uncovering of the head was it seems then an expression of mourning though afterward a contrary custome was used to wit when they mourned to cover their heads or else that which is forbidden the high priest here is that he should not take off his miter to the end he might put on a covering on his head after the
fruitfulnesse of the land wherein God had planted them whereof these severall boughs of goodly trees were aâ— evident signe Vers 43. That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths c. Sâ—e Exod. 12. 37. CHAP. XXIV Vers 2. Command the children of Israel that they bring unto thee pure oyl-olive c. This which is given here in charge to the Israelites is for the continuall supply both of lamp oyl and shewbread to wit that as they brought them at first so they must still be supplyed by them either therefore these things were provided by the civil magistrate out of the common sâ—ock or else rather â—hey were provided as were also the daily sacrifices and whatsoever else was offered in the name of the whole people out of the treasury of the temple into which therefore towards the supply of these things both the Princes and people did ordinarily cast in what they were willing to give So it is noted of Hezekiah 2. Chron. 31. 3. He appointed also the Kings portion of his substance for the burnt-offerings to wit for the morning and evening burnt-offerings and the burnt-offerings for the Sabbaths for the new Moons and for the set feasts and of the people Luke 21. 1. He saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury and a certain poore widow casting in thither tâ—o mites Vers 3. In the tabernacle of the congregation shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning c. Or his sonnes by his appointment See the note upon Exod. 25. 37. Vers 5. And thou shalt take fine floure and bake twelve cakes thereof These were the cakes of shewbread concerning which see the note upon Exod. 25. 23. The floure was provided at the common charge as is before said upon ver 1. and brought to the priests but the cakes were made and baked by the Levites of the family of Kohath as is evident 1. Chron. 9. 32. where it is said that some of the sonnes of the Kohathites were over the shew-bread to prepare it every Sabbath Vers 6. And shalt set them in two rows six on a row c. The common opinion is that those twelve cakes of shewbread representing the twelve tribes of Israel were not set one by another but six one upon another and six one upon another But because this way it cannot so properly be said that they were set in two orders or rows and because in the following verse there is order given for the putting of frankincense upon each row I rather think that they were set in order along the table six in one row and six in another Vers 7. And you shall put pure frankincense upon each row that it may be on the bread for a memoriall even an offering made by fire unto the Lord. For the incense was burned upon the altar when they took away the bread and was before-hand laid upon the bread as a signe that God would through Christ remember his people with thoughts of favour and gracious acceptance Vers 9. And it shall be Aarons and his sonnes and they shall eat it in the holy place That is after it had stood a week upon the table before the Lord. For it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the Lord c. Because of the incense which was burnt the bread was reputed most holy as if it had been of the offerings made by fire Vers 10. And the sonne of an Israelitish woman whose father was an Egyptian c. Thus by the providence of God in the party thus blaspheming and thus punished for it as is here related they were taught 1. How the curse of God doth usually follow the issue of such unlawfull mixtures as was this of an Egyptian with aâ— Israelite 2. How severe God must needs be against this sinne in his own genuine people who would not suffer it unpunished in one that was the sonne of a stranger by the fathers side The inserting of this story in this place makes it more then probable that it was done whilst they were yet in the desert of Sinai even whilst the Lord was giving these Laws to Moses which are before mentioned as is expressed in the next chapter ver 1. Whether the Egyptian had this sonne by Shelomith in marriage or by fornication we cannot say but that this their sonne the blasphemer had embraced the religion of the Israelites it is very likely both because he came away with them out of Egypt and also because he is here said to have gone out amongst the children of Israel which implies more then his going in their company namely that he went out amongst them as one of them And this sonne of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp This of his striving is expressed to let us know that a blasphemer though provoked is not therefore to be excused Vers 11. And the Israelitish womans sonne blasphemed the name of the Lord and cursed His sinne I conceive was not rash vain and unadvised mentioning Gods name either in swearing cursing the man with whom he was to contend or otherwise but of an higher nature though even these are blasphemy even some execration or reprochfull speeches uttered in his fury directly against God as if for instance we should suppose this that in the heat of contention the Israelite upbraiding him with his idolatrous father and denying him to be a true member of the Church of God he should thereupon speak scornfully and opprobriously of the God of Israel slighting the priviledge of being one of his people Some such blasphemy I conceive this was and that because the Law which God gave them upon this occasion speaks of cursing God ver 15. Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sinne not cursing in Gods name but directly and expressely of cursing God And they brought him unto Moses c. According to the order mentioned Exod. 18. 26. The hard causes they brought unto Moses Vers 14. Let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head That is those that heard him were to come forth and laying their hands upon his head to give in evidence against him and so thereupon he was to be condemned and the congregation was to stone him Now this ceremony of the witnesses laying their hands upon his head was 1. to signifie that they did charge this sinne upon him and approve of the punishment that was to be inflicted for it 2. that having witnessed nothing but the truth they were free from his death but his bloud must be upon his own head 3. to imply that he was to be sacrificed as it were to the justice of God for as those that brought any sacrifice to the tabernacle were to lay their hand upon the head of the sacrifice thereby signifying their desire and faith that the death of that sacrifice might and should satisfie the justice of God in their behalf so here the laying
sure they were herein guilty and that happely upon this ground Heretofore when the people murmured the Lord for the most part shewed great indignation against them and was ready to destroy them but that Moses by his prayer prevailed with God to spare them Moses therefore and Aaron wondring that now the Lord should shew no such displeasure but should presently send them to fetch water for them out of the rock they doubted whether God did seriously intend this supply or did onely command it by way of upbraiding the people for forgetting what he had formerly done for them when they wanted water and so though they came to the rock ready to do what God had commanded yet they were perplexed and in suspence betwixt hope and doubtings questioning still within themselves what God would do and that it seems not so much out of any doubt of Gods power as out of a distrust that such a rebellious people were not capable of such a mercie from God and that it was this which Moses stuck at his words seem to testifie vers 10. Hear now ye rebels must we fetch you water out of this rock But if the infidelity of their hearts were all their sinne why is it said also vers 12. that they did not sanctifiâ— him in the eyes of the children of Israel I answer that they showed their distrust outwardly also first by Moses his stricking the rock to which he should onely have spoken vers 11. this tended to the obscuring of Gods glory since his almighty power would have been more manifest if by mere speaking to the rock the water had gushed forth sâ—condly by striking it twice which might well proceed from heat of anger and distrust thirdly by the doubtfulnesse of his words must we fetch you water out of this rock and fourthly by the bitternesse of his rage against the people Hear now ye rebels which happely he expressed also in many other words of discontent and anger which are not here set down for the psalmist saith that they angered him at the waters of strife and provoked his spirit so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips Psal 10â— 32. 33. which as in part no doubt it proceeded from infidelity so it must needs much obscure the riches of Gods mercie who was ready to shew such wonderfull favour to such a rebellious people and argued a kind of unwillingnesse that God should be honoured by this miracle which he had determined to work in the eyes of all the people Vers 11. And the water came out abundantly and the congregation drank This was also spirituall drink flowing from the rock Christ 1. Cor. 10. 4. And did all drink the same spirituall drink for they drank of that spirituall rock that followed them and that rock was Christ being smitten for our transgressions Esa 5. 3 4. by the rod of the law from him proceedeth that living water wherewith Gods Israel may quench their thirst for ever But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life John 4. 14. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come and buy wine and milk without money and without price And their beasts also Thus those elements which are signes and seals of Gods grace unto those to whom they are sanctified of God for that purpose out of that use are no other but common and have no inherent holinesse in them Vers 12. Because ye believed me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel That is to glorifie me by discovering that you did not question mine almighty power my faithfulnesse and free grace even to those that do not deserve it for as the believer doth greatly honour God by resting upon his mercie and power and faithfulnesse so he that questions the accomplishment of any mercie which God hath promised his people doth exceedingly dishonour him and therefore it is said chap. 27. 14. that Moses and Aaron did herein â—ebell against Gods commandments See the former note upon vers 10. Therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them How grievous this chastisement was unto Moses we see Deut. 3. 23 24 25 26. But withall herein a mystery was implyed Neither Moses the minister of the law nor Aaron the priest could bring them into Canaan but this must be the work of Jesus or Joshua his successour so neither the law nor the legall priesthood can bring us into heaven but onely faith in Jesus Christ Gal. 2. 16. Vers 13. This is the water of Meribah c. So was the former place also called in Rephidim Exod. 17. 7. To distinguish them the Scripture calleth this Meribah of Kadesh Deut. 2. 1 2 3. And he was sanctified in them That is amongst the Israelites by giving them water and thereby manifesting his power truth and compassion or in them that is Moses and Aaron by punishing their rebellion for hereby God is sanctified Ezek. 38. 16. I will bring thee against my land that the heathen may know me when I shall be sanctified in thee O God before their eyes Vers 14. And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the King of Edom c. To wit by Gods direction Deut. 2. 1 2 3. Thou knowest all the travell that hath befallen us That is our grievous and wearisome afflictions and troubles have been so famous that they cannot be unknown to thee Vers 16. And when we cried unto the Lord he heard our voice and sent an angel c. This was Christ who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and sent Moses to fetch the Israelites out of Egypt and afterwards led them in their way in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night See the note upon Exod. 3. 2. And behold we are in Kadesh a city in the uttermost of thy border Or by Kadesh to wit in the wildernesse lying near and having the name of Kadesh the citiâ— Numb 33. 36. Vers 17. Let us passe I pray thee through thy countrey That being now their nearest way and most convenient for their passage in to Canaan We will not passe through the fields or through the vineyards neither will we drink of the water of the wels Meaning that they would not turn aside into their fields or vineyards to do them any damage and that either they would not drink without paying for it as vers 19. or else that they would onely drink of the rivers which were common not meddling with their wells digged for their private uses which were very precious in those hot and dry countreys Vers 18. And Edom said unto him Thou shalt not passe by me c. Fearing questionlesse that an army of six hundred thousand would not be so easily gotten out of his countrey
severall times appointed them to offer My offerings and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire for a sweet savour unto me shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season for though all the sacrifices that were burnt upon the altar are elsewhere called the Lords food Lev. 3. 11. and his bread Lev. 21. 6. the reasons whereof see in the notes upon those places yet here it seems most probable that by offerings are meant all the severall sacrifices that were to be killed and offered upon the altar and by his bread for the sacrifices is meant the meat-offerings that were to be joyned with their sacrifices and then secondly he sets down particularly what they were to offer first for their dayly sacrifice vers 3. secondly for their weekly sacrifice every Sabbath day vers 9. thirdly for their monethly sacrifice every new Moon vers 11. and fourthly for their yearly sacrifices at every severall feast in the year vers 16 c. Vers 3. This is the offering made by firâ— which ye shall offer unto the Lord c. See the notes on Exod. 29 28. Vers 9. And on the Sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot c. The sacrifices here appointed for every Sabbath day are full double to those appointed for every day vers 3. and yet the daily sacrifices the continuall burnt-offering vers 10. was not omitted on the Sabbath day neither So that every Sabbath in the morning there was offered one lambe for the daily sacrifice then two lambs more for the Sabbath and this was thus appointed firâ—t to shew the holinesse of that day and that God required more service from them on that day then other dayes secondly by way of thankfulnesse for the worlds creation and thirdly because it was a signe of our rest in heaven purchased for us by Christ Vers 11. And in the beginnings of your moneths ye shall offer a burnt-offering unto the Lord c. That is the new Moons the first dayes of every moneth these were appointed to be kept as solemn festivals then did they blow with the silver trumpets in the Sanctuary chap. 10. 10. Also in the day of your gladnesse and in your solâ—mn dayes and in the beginning of your moneths ye shall blow with thâ— trumpets c. then did they repair to the prophets or other ministers of God to hear his word 2. Kings 4. 29. Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day saith the Shunamites husband to her when she would go to the Prophet Elisha It is neither new moon nor Sabbath then also they kept religious feasts 1. Sam. 5. 6. And David said unto Jonathan Behold to morrow is the new moon and I should not fail to sit with the King at meat c. neither was it lawfull to buy or sell or do other worldly work on those dayes Amos 8. 5. When will the new moon be gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat c. Now these new moons were thus ordained to be solemnized first that they might be put in mind to be thankfull for Gods mercy in that change of times and seasons the mediate cause of many blessings and the remembrance of this mercy God would have kept at the new of the moon rather then at her full when she shined in her full brightnesse because then there was lesse danger of being taken so with the glorie of that creature as not to ascend higher to the admiration of God the Creatour whence is that expression which Job useth chap. 31. 26 27. If I beheld the sunne when it shined or the moon walking in her brightnesse and my heart hath been secretly enticed or my mouth hath kissed my hand c. It was the glory of the moon shining in her brightnesse that drew the heathens to worship the moon and to prevent this danger God would have the memoriall of his mercy in ordering the change of moons and seasons to be kept not at the full but at the new of the moon secondly that the renewing of the moon which borroweth her light of the sunne might be observed as a figure or shadow of the Churches renovation by Christ the sunne of righteousnesse Mal. 4. 2. whereby every true Christian doth put off the old man with his deeds and put on thâ— new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Col. 3. 9 10. whence is that of the Apostle Col. 2. 16 17. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath dayes which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ And thirdly that as of every day so of every moneth they might consecrate the first unto the Lords service Vers 17. And in the fifteenth day of this moneth is the feast To wit of unleavened bread Levit. 23. 6. where see all the notes on the solemnities of this feast Vers 24. After this manner ye shall offer daily throughout the seven dayes c. That is upon every one of the seven dayes of this feast But besides these sacrifices upon the sixteenth day of the moneth which was the next day after the first solemn day of the feast there was also a lamb offered for a burnt-offering together with the wave-sheaf or omer See Levit. 23. 12. and the notes thereon Vers 26. Also in the day of the first-fruits when ye bring a new meat-offering unto the Lord after your weeks be out c. Called the feast of Pentecost Acts 2. 1. when they offered two loaves of their new corn and it was seven weeks or fifty dayes after the Passeover Levit. 23. 15 16. Vers 27. Two young bullocks one ramme seven lambs of the first year These and the rest following are here added to the feast over and beside those seven lambs one bullock aâ—d two rammes which were offered with the first-fruits Lev. 23. 28. concerning which see the notes there CHAP. XXIX Vers 1. ANd in the seventh moneth on the first day of the moneth c. This seventh moneth was called the moneth Ethanim 1. Kings 8. 2. it was in the end of the year Exod. 23. 16. and the revolution of the year Exod. 34. 22. for so the word is in the originall because then the old year went out and the new began as touching Jubilees and other civil affairs Lev. 25. 9 10. But by reason of Israels coming out of Egypt in Abib or March that was made the first of the moneths Exod. 12. 2. And thus numbring the moneths for after this order the ecclesiasticall feasts were reckoned this which had been the first moneth is here as usually elsewhere called the seventh moneth and so became as it were the Sabbath moneth and was accordingly honoured with as many feasts as were celebrated in all the year besides whereof one was this here spoken of which was called
mixed people with them Exod. 12. 37 38. and they journeyâ—d in severall troops and armies Vers 2. And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the Lord. That is Moses by the commandment of the Lord wrote this following journall of the Israelites travels from Egypt to the land of Canaan wherein are set down not all the severall places the Israelites came to or all their severall removes from one place to another but all the severall stations of their journeys that is the severall places where they pitched their tents and abode for some time And this was done first the better thereby to assure posterity of this miraculous deliverance of their fathers out of Egypt and of the Lords leading them through the wildernesse to the land of promise this expresse description of the names of their severall stations being a strong evidence of the certainty of this story and sâ—condly that here in a short compasse as in a little map by the mention of the severall places where such things were done they might be put in mind of the rebellion of their fathers of Gods severity in chastising them for their rebellion but especially his goodnesse and faithfulnesse to the seed of Abrahaâ— notwithstanding the many provocations wherewith they had provoked him to displeasure againsâ— them Vers 3. And they departed from Rameses in the first moneth c. Whither they assembled by direction of Moses from all parts of the land of Goâ—hen Vers 4. For the Egyptians buried all their first-born which the Lord had smitten amongst them This intimates the cause why the Egyptians did not at present oppose their going thence to wit because God had pulled down their pride by slaying their first-born Vpon their gods also the Lord executed judgement See the note upon Exod 12. 12. Vers 6. And they departed from Succâ—th and pitched in Etham Here the Lord began first to go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire Vers 7. And they removed from Etham and turned again unto Pi-hahiroth c. A narrow passage between two ledges of mountains into which being entred Pharaoh overtook them with a mighty army and thought they could not now have escaped him but God divided the red sea which the Israelites passing the Egyptians assayed to follow them and were drowned Vers 8. And pitched in Marah Having travelled three dayes journey from the red sea through the wildernesse without any water and finding the waters here very bitter they began to mutiny against Moses but God sweetned the water with a tree Exod. 15. 23. Vers 11. And they removed from the red sea and encamped in the wildernesse of Sin So called from Sin a city in Egypt over against which this wildernesse lay Hither they came a just moneth after their departure from Rameses In this wildernesse they murmured grievously for want of food and God gave them quails and rained manna from heaven which was still continued till they came into Canaan Vers 14. And they removed from Alush and encamped at Rephidim c. A place famous first for the mutiny of the Israelites for want of water wherein they had almost stoned Moses secondly for the water fetched miraculously out of the rock in Horeb thirdly for the victory they had over the Amalekites who there set upon them fourthly for Moses his meeting with Jethro his wife and sonues and the counsel he had of Jethro for the government of the people Vers 15. And they departed from Rephidim and pitched in the wildernesse of Sinai Hither they came the beginning of the third moneth Exod. 19. 1. and stayed there till the twentieth day of the second moneth of the second year Numb 10. 11 12. Here was the Law given and the tabernacle built and the people punished for making and worshipping a golden calf and Nadab and Abihu takeâ— suddenly away for offering strange fire and the people first numbred and then ordered in their severall camps both for their encamping about the tabernacle and their journeying with it to the land of Canaan Vers 16. And they removed from the desert of Sinai and pitched at Kibroth-hattaavah Here the people fell a lusting for â—lesh God again sent them quails yea for a moneth together in great abundance whereon they surfeted and dyed miserably with the flesh between their teeth Vers 17. And they departed from Kibroth-hattaavah and encamped at Hazeroth Here Miriam and Aaron murmured against Moses and she was smitten with leprosie Numb 12. Vers 18. And they departed from Hazeroth and pitched in Rithmah Which was iâ— the wildernesse of Paran Numb 13. 1. near Kadesh-barnea whence spies were sent to search the land upon whose report the people murmuring God was wroth and appointed Moses to return again to the red sea as having vowed that not one of that generation should enter Canaan save Joshua and Caleb Vers 20. And they departed from Rimmon-parez and pitched in Libnah This some think is the same which is called Laban Deut. 1. 1. Vers 25. And they removed from Haradah and pitched in Makheloth It is interpreted assemblies so called as some think of the mutinous assemblies of Korah Dathan and Abiram there Vers 31. And they departed from Moseroth and pitched in Bene-jaakan c. Thir Moseroth is called Moserah and Bene-jaakan Beroth-bene-jaakan as likewise in the next verses Hor-hagidgad is called Gudgodah and Jotbathah Jotbath Deut. 10. 6 7. See the note there Vers 35. And they departed from Ebronah and encamped at Ezion-gaber A place by the red sea where was a hatbour for shipping in Edoms land 1. Kings 9. 26. See also 1. Kings 22. 48. Vers 36. And they removed from Ezion-gaber and pitched in the wildernesse of Zin which is Kadesh That is at Kadesh in the wildernesse of Zin Here Miriam dyed the people again murmured for water and had water out of a rock but God was displeased with Moses and Aaron for their unbelief Hither they came in the beginning of the fourtieth year and hence they sent to crave a passage through Edoms land but it was denied them Vers 41. And they departed from mount Her and pitched in Zalmonah Which may be so called of Zelem an image it is thought to be the place where the Israelites for their murmuring were â—tung with fiery serpents and the brazen serpent was by Gods appointment erected for their help Vers 45. And they departed from Iim and pitched in Dibon-gad So called because it was repaired and possessed by the tribe of Gad chap. 32. 34. and to distinguish it from another Dibon which was given to the Reubenites See Josh 13. 15 17. Vers 52. Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land To wit by destroying them Deut. 7. 12. Vers 54. And ye shall divide the land by lot c. See the note upon chap. 26. 55. Vers 55. Those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes
respect to divers parts of this mountain which had severall names and hence it is that Cant. 4. 8. Shenir and Hermon are mentioned together as distinct mountains Vers 11. For onely Og the King of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants That is there was none left of that gigâ—ntine race in the kingdome of Bashan but Og onely That there were many other giants at this time in other places is most evident for immediately after the Israelites enâ—â—ed Canaan Caleb drove out of Hebron Sheshai and Ahiman and Talâ—ai the children of Anak Josh 15. 14. Yea in Davids time there were many giants as Goliah whom David slew Ishbi-benob and divers others 2. Sam. 21. 16. c. But this is spoken onely of the countrey of Bashan Behold his bedstead was a bedstead of iron is it not in Rabbath of the chil-of Ammon How this bedstead which was made of iron that it might be strong enough to bear his huge massâ—e body should come to be in Rabbath the chief citie of the Ammonites being not expressed we cannot say sufficient it is that thither it might be conveyed by many severall means as it might be taken in some war between the Ammoniâ—es and this King and so kept as a glorious Trophic of their victory or it might be given as a present to the Ammonites and so kept as a strange memoriall of the huge stature of thiâ— King of Bashan Nine cubits was the length thereof and foure cubits the breadth of it after the cubit of a man That is the common cubit of an ordinary man Now the cubit of a man being usually a foot and half according to this measure his bed was foure yards and a half long and two yards broad Vers 13. And the rest of Gilead and all Bashan being the kingdome of Og gave I unto the half tribe of Manassâ—h c. See Numb 32. 39 40. Vers 14. Jair the sonne of Manasseh took all the countrey of Argob c. See Numb 32. 41. Vers 17. Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain even the salt sea under Ashdoth Pisgah Eastward What the sea of Chinnereth was which is mentioned here as a part of the bound of that land which was given to the Reubenites and Gadites you may see in the note upon Numb 34. 11 12. As for Ashdoth Pisgah we see vers 27. that Pisgah was a hill and so Ashdoth Pisgah was after the name of a citie there adjoyning in Reubens land Josh 13. 20. at the foot of this hill Vers 23. And I besought the Lord at that time c. To wit after all these things before related when the Lord bad him go up into a mountain and see the land Numb 27. 12. then did Moses intreat the Lord earnestly that he might go into the land of Canaan as knowing that his threatnings are many times conditionall and therefore it might be the Lord would be intreated by him Vers 24. O Lord God thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatnesse c. There is here an argument drawn from former mercies to move God to go on and to perfect the mercy begun Vers 25. I pray thee let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan that goodly mountain and Lebanon There is much arguing amongst Expositours to find out what that goodly mountain is whereof Moses here speaks some understanding it of one mountain some of another but I conceive that it is the land that lay next beyond Jordan which they might see from the place where the Israelites now were that is here called that goodly mountain that is that goodly mountanous countrey and that then he adjoyns Lebanon which was in the farther part of the land of Canaan to imply that he desired to see the land quite through Vers 26. But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes See the note upon chap. 1. 37. Vers 27. Get thee up into the top of Pisgah c. See the note upon Numb 27. 12. CHAP. IV. Vers 1. NOw therefore hearken O Israel unto the statutes c. They that will have a difference put betwixt the two words here used statutes and judgements say that by statutes or ordinances are meant those laws which taught the service of God called by the Apostle ordinances of divine service and by judgements those laws that concerned their duties towards men and the punishment of transgressours As for the promise of life made here to those that kept these laws see the note upon Levit. 18. 5. Vers 6. Keep therefore and do them for this is your wisdome and your understanding in the sight of the nations c. Seeing other Nations did alwayes deride and despise the Jews way of worshipping God and made a mock of their whole religion it may seem strange why Moses should here say that their keeping of Gods laws should be counted their wisdome and understanding in the sight of the nations But for this we must theref ore know that the drift of these words is onely to shew that the laws which God had given them were so just and righteous that all men unlesse they should wilfully close their eyes must needs acknowledge them to be such and that even the very heathen if ever they came to hear and know their laws must needs in their consciences think so of them and would if ever their eyes were truly opened to judge of things admire the wisdome and understanding of this people above that which was in other nations Vers 7. For what nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them c. That is in that which onely makes a nation truly great and honourable namely the speciall interest they have in God there is no nation under heaven to be compared unto ours who have God alwayes dwelling amongst us as is evident by the miraculous signes of his presence with us alwayes ready at hand to hear our prayers and so to protect and defend us from all evils as the strange miracles and wonders he hath wrought for us these many years do evidently prove Vers 11. And ye came near and stood under the mountain and the mountain burnt with fire c. All these things are here repeated to convince and assure the people that the laws he now speaks of were given of God and not of his devising and therefore the more carefully to be regarded Vers 12. And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire c. Moses here addressing his exhortation to disswade the people from idolatry he puts them in mind how that when the Lord at Sinai gave them his law they saw no similitude onely they heard a voice and that God spake unto them out of the midst of the fire which was indeed purposely done thereby to signifie unto the people that the glory of God was incomprehensible and that there was no drawing nigh unto God to behold him with bodily eyes Vers 14. And the
Lord commanded me at that time to teaâ—h you statutes and judgements c. That is besides the ten commandments written by the Lord himself he at that time also gave me other statutes and judgements which he commanded me to teach you Vers 15. Take ye therefore good heed unto your selves c. Lest again confidence of themselves should make the Israelites slight this warning of avoiding all idolatry in these words he implyes how prone mans nature is to this sinne charging them to be jealous of themselves in this regard and to watch diligently over themselves lest they should be drawn away into this grosse and brutish finne Vers 19. Which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven Moses speaking here against worshipping the sunne moon and starres and then adding this clause which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven he doth therein imply with what admirable wisdome God hath disposed these lights in severall parts of the heaven whereby the sunne moon and starres do according to their severall stations give light sometimes to one part of the earth sometimes to another and some starres do onely shine in some parts of the world and others to other parts Bâ—â— withall the chief drift of this clause is to shew what a basenessâ— of mind it 〈◊〉 be in Gods people to worship such things as are given for servants unto all men even to infidels and heathens Vers 20. But the Lord hath taken you and brought you forth out of the iron furnace c. This is added to imply in what a speciall tie they were bound to be carefull above other people not thus to dishonour God first because God had redeemed them out of the iron furnace that is the furnace wherein iron is melted and so Egypt is called to set forth the miserable and cruell oppression which there they underwent enough to dissolve the spirits of the stoutest and to have wasted and consumed any people and secondly because having thus redeemed them out of Egypt he had taken them to himself as a people of inheritance that is his own people purchased for himself upon whom this blessing should remain from generation to generation Vers 21. Furthermore the Lord was angry with me for your sakes c. This is added first to set forth the wondrous care that God took of them who was angry with Moses for their sakes because he did not sanctifie the Lord in the eyes of the children of Israel Numb 20. 12. secondly to manifest Gods love and mercy to them granting them that favour which he denied his servant Moses to wit of carrying them into that good land of Canaan thirdly to give them a hint how carefull they had need to be to walk uprightly with God who was so farre displeased with him because of his infidelity Vers 24. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire even a jealous God c. The Lord is here called a consuming fire because of his exâ—eeding great indignation against his people when they provoke him by their rebellions and because when he resolves to take vengeance on them he doth many times consume and destroy thâ—m even as the fire burns up all that stands in its way and again he is called a jâ—alous God with respect unto the covenant which he made with his people wherein he had taken them to be his spouse and had engaged himself to be as a husband to them and so was as jealous of having the worship due onely to him to be given to any creature as husbands use to be of their wives dealing falsely with them and Solomon we know saith of jealousie that the coals thereof are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame Cant. 8. 6. Vers 25. When thou shalt beget children and childrens children and shalt have remained long in the land c. That is be not secure and bold to sinne because you are therein settled for if you do God will soon cast you out again Vers 26. I call heaven and earth to witnesse against you c. This obtestation of heaven and earth may be understood of God and the Angels in heaven and men on earth But I rather conceive it to be meant of the dead and unreasonable creatures and that hereby is implyed first that as surely as there was a heaven and an earth so surely should they perish from off the land secondly that the bruit creatures were not so stupid as they if notwithstanding all these warnings given them they should neverthelesse go after strange gods Vers 34. Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation by temptations c. The miracles and wonders which God wrought in Egypt are here called temptations because he did thereby try both the Egyptians to see whether they would be wonne to yield to him and let the people of Israel go and the Israelites to see whether they would be wonne to â—ear the Lord and to trust in him who had done so great and wonderfull things for them Vers 37. And because he loved thy fathers therefore he chose their seed after them c. Not for any thing which he saw in you or in your fathers did he choose you to be his peculiar people but of his own free grace and love and from that love of his it was merely that he brought thee out of Egypt in his sight that is the eye of his providence being still fixed upon them even as a father causes his child to go before him that he may keep his eye upon him and noâ— suffer him to fall into any danger Vers 44. And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel c. He meaneâ—h that which hereafter followeth this therefore is a preface to the next chapter where the repetition of the laws beginneth Vers 49. And all the plain on this side Jordâ—â— Eastward even unto the sea of the plain c. See chap. 3. 17. CHAP. V. Vers 1. ANd Moses called all Israel and said unto them c. That is all the elders and chief of the people It was not possible that so many hundred thousands as the Israelites now were should hear Moses speaking to them But as Exod. 12. 3. where Moses and Aaron were appoined to speak unto all the congregation of Israel vers 21. it is said that they called for all the elders of Israel so it was here Vers 3. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers c. That which Moses here speaks of is that which he made with the Israelites at Horeb when he gave them the law as is expressed in the former verse The Lord saith he made not this covenant with our fathers that is with our fathers in Egypt or it may be meant of the Patriarchs Abraham and Isaack and Jacob even including all from Adam unto Moses yea and all their ancesters before the giving of
the law at Horeb but with us that is us his people whom he brought out of Egypt even us who are all of us here alive this day that is not onely with those who then were living at the giving of the Law but since dead in the wildernesse but even with us their posterity who are all alive this day Now for the understanding of this we must know that though the covenant of grace which God made with the Israelites when he brought them out of Egypt was one and the same for substance with that whiâ—h he had made before with their fathers and though it was much alike too in regard of the outward dispensation both being delivered in a way suitable to the dayes of the old Teâ—tament which was common to both to wit under dark promises types and ceremonies yet first because the Lord did more fully and more clearly make known unto them at Horeb the tenour of the covenant then he hâ—d ever done unto their fathers partly by giving them many more signes and shadows of the promised Messiah and the good that was to be had in him as the tabernâ—cle the ark the mercy-seat and the priesthood c. and partly by giving them a written law containing a perfect summâ— of all that God required of them and secondly because he then entred into covenant with them as a body politick a people whom he had separated from all other nations to be his peculiar people prescribing them an outward form of government laws and statutes to which they consented to submit themselves therefore Moses tells them that the Lord did not make this covenant with their fathers and hence it is also that the Apostle saith the law was after the covenant in Christ Gal. 3. 17. And of this speciall mercy afforded them above their fathers Moses puts them here in mind to make them the more carefull to keep Gods laws Vers 4. The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount c. To wit when he gave them the ten commandments following vers 6. then the Lord talked with them face to face that is immediately by himself and not by a messenger and indeed this was not without a speciall mysterie for the ten commandments being a renewing and repeating of the covenant of works to be performed by every man in his own person therefore the Lord delivered these laws himself and there was no Mediatour betwixt him and the people whereas the other laws which were afterwards given them containing many shadows of Chriâ—t in whom God had made a covenant of grace were therefore delivered to Moses and by him to the people Moses standing as a Mediatour betwixt God and them But of this phrase of Gods speaking to them face to face see also the note upon Exod. 33. 11. Vers 5. I stood between the Lord and you at that time c. That is after God had out of the fire spoken the ten commandments I was glad to stand as a Mediatour betwixt the Lord and you Vers 12. Keep the Sabbath-day to sanctifie it c. In Exod. 20. 8. it is Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy so likewise some other small differences there are which are not worthy the queâ—tioning the substance being exactly the same Vers 15. And râ—member that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt c. In this fourth commandment as it was delivered by the Lord from mount Sinai the worlds Creation and Gods resting on the seventh day was mentioned as a main ground of it Exod. 20. 11. but here Moses repeating this commandment omits that and presseth their deliverance out of Egypt as a chief reason of Gods enjoyning them to sanctifie this day Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence c. therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day And indeed though the Lords resting on the seventh day at the worlds Creation was the main groâ—nd of the sabbaths first institution yet their deliverance out of Egypt might be the reason why thâ— Lord did now insert this amongst other the commandments which he gave in charge to the Israelites and that in these respeâ—ts first because by their redemption out of Egypt they were bound to consecraâ—e themselves wholly to Gods service as his peculiar people whereof the holy imployment of the Sabbath might be a notable memoriall and signe and secondly because of that particular charge of suffering their servants to rest on the Sabbath-day their former bondage in Egypt being a strong inducement to move them to take pity of their sâ—rvants and this enjoyned rest of their servants being a good memoriall to put them in mind of their bondage in Egypt Vers 21. Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbours wife c. Exod. 20. 17. God first forbids the coveting of our neighbours house and then next the coveting of his wife here contrarily the coveting our neighbours wiâ—e is sirst forbidden and then afterward the coveting of his house c. so that they that would divide this last commandment into two as the Papists do cannot justly say which is the ninth commandment and which is the tenth because one branch of it is first in Exodus and another is first here in Deuteronomie and we cannot think that Moses would pervert the order of the ten commandments Vers 22. And he added no more That is he spake no more unto the people but these ten commandments immediately by himself the rest he spake unto Moses and then Moses told it them and that because they desired it should be so which Moses relates largely in the remainder of the chapter to convince them that they had no cause to give lesse regard to the other statutes which Moses delivered them from Gods own mouth But yet withall these words may imply the perfection of the decalogue or tenne commandments to wit that the Lord hath therein given us such a perfect summe of the morall Law that there is nothing farther to be added to it And he wrote them in two tables of stone c. See the note upon Exodus â—1 18. Vers 24. We have seen this day that God doth talk with man and he livetâ— c. In these words they confesse that they had heard God talking with them and were for all that alive and yet in the next words in the following verse they adde Now therefore why should we die for this great fire will consume us whereas rather one would think that from their present safetie after they had heard God talking with them they should have encouraged themselves against all fear for the time to come But for this I answer that in these first words they speak of their present safety as a matter of wonder and thence inferre that though they had escaped this danger for the present yet the very terrour of it would kill them if God did thus still reveal his will to
then also as it is noted there vers 9. he prayed for the people again as being much afraid of the great anger which the Lord had conceived against them notwithstanding the Lord had yielded to pardon them before he went down the first time from the mount Exod. 32. 14. And indeed assurance that God hath pardoned a sinne doth not make his servants the lesse earnest still to beg the pardon of it Vers 21. And I took your sinne the calf which ye had made and burnt it with fire c. See the notes upon Exod. 32. 20. Vers 22. And at Taberah and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah ye provoked the Lord to wrath c. This is inserted as by way of parenthesis as if he had said Though I insist chiefly upon this sinne at Horeb because it was a most grievous sinne yet alas many other rebellions of yours I might reckon up at Taberah at Massah c. Vers 25. Thus I fell down before the Lord fourty dayes and fourty nights as I fell down at the first The former three verses being inserted as by the way now he returns to speak again of his interceding for them the second time when God was so highly displeased with them for that their foul sinne in making the golden calf for the fourtie dayes here mentioned are the same fourty dayes the second time spent with God whereof he had spoken before vers 18. which was after he had broken the calf and executed justice upon the people for their sinne and many other passages which are largely related in the thirtie second and thirtie third chapters of Exodus CHAP. X. Vers 1. AT that time the Lord said unto me Hew thee two tables of stone c. That is before my going up the second time into the mount at that time when upon your sinne and Gods displeasure I had earnestly sought unto God for you the Lord in testimonie that he was reconciled gave this charge concerning two new tables of stone and indeed at that time it was that he went up with them and stayed in the mount again the second time fourty dayes and fourty nights Now as the breaking of the first tables might signifie that there was no hope for mankind to be saved by the keeping of the law so this providing of two new tables might signifâ—e that yet notwithstanding the Lord would have the law to be in force as a rule of holinesse and righteousnesse unto his people and that the Lord by his spirit writing his law in their hearts would enable them in some good measure to conform their lives to the obedience thereof and besides Gods appointing of Moses to provide these two tables might intimate to the people that it was by his prayer and intercâ—ssion that they had this treasure again restored to them See also the note upon Exod. 34. 1. Vers 3. And I made an ark of shittim wood The ark here mentioned may be understood of an ark made onely for that purpose to keep the tables in till the other ark was made whereof God had spoken to him and for the making whereof he had given him direction in the first fourty dayes that he was with God in the mount If so this ark no doubt was made at the same time when he hewed the two tables of stone before he went up the second time that he abode fourtie daye in the mount But if we understand it of the ark of testimony that was not made till he came down after he had the second time abode fourtie dayes in the mount onely it is here joyned with the hewing of the two tables because in this also he did as God commanded him though he did it not at the same time when he hewed the two tables of stone but afterwards when he came down from the mount and this I rather think is the meaning of the words because vers 5. he addes and there they be as the Lord commanded me Vers 4. And he wrote on the tables according to the first writing c. See the note upon Exod. 34. 28. likewise the notes upon the tenth verse of the foregoing chapter Vers 6. And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera c. In this and the following verse there are many difficulties and such as indeed the words being read as they are in our translation are almost inextricable yet we must see what may be said for the answering of them The first difficulty is in the connexion of these words with that which went before to wit how Moses being in this chapter speaking of those things that befell them at mount Sinai comes here to mention the journeys of the Israelites in places to which they came not a long time after they had been at mount Sinai as is evident Numb 33. 31 32. But this it is not so hard to resolve for we must know that these two verses are not added here as in order of History but are onely inserted by the way as in a parenthesis so that the meaning of Moses is not that Beeroth of the children of Jaakan here mentioned was the next place where they pitched their tents after they removed from mount Sinai for as we may see Numb 33. mount Sinai was but the twelveth station of the children of Israel Beeroth of the children of Jaakan or Bene-jaakan as it is called Numb 33. 31. was the twenty eighth station but his meaning is onely that having gon many journeys forward and backward as the Lord commanded them at length they went from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera or Moseroth as it is written Numb 33. 30. The second difficultie is concerning the place of Aarons death to wit because Numb 33. 38. it is said Aaron died at mount Hor and here that he dyed at Mosera and Mosera in that 33. of Numbers is but the twenty seventh station of the Israelites and that as they went back from Kadesh-Barnea towards the red sea and mount Hor is their thirtie fourth station and that as they returned again from the red sea towards the land of Canaan But to this I answer that this Mosera or Moseroth and mount Hor were but one mountain in the root though divided into divers tops as mount Sinai and Horeb were by the West part whereof called Moseroth Moses encamped as he went back towards the red sea and by the East part thereof called mount Hor as he returned again Northward towards the land of Canaan and so though Aaron dyed at mount Hor yet here it is said of Mosera that there Aaron dyed and there he was buried and that because Mosera and mount Hor were both one and the same mountain The third and greatest difficultie is in the seeming contradiction that is betwixt this place and that Numb 33. 31. in that here it is said that the Israelites went from Bene-jaakan or Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera
to prevent their worshipping God in any other place then that one which he had appointed to which we in the dayes of the Gospel are not tyed Vers 4. Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God That is ye shall not sacrifice to him in severall places upon mountains and hills c. as the heathens servâ—â— their Gods but all your sacrifices and offerings ye shall offer unto the Lord onâ—ly in that place which he shall chuse for that service for so it follows in the two next verses But untâ— the place which the Lord your God shall chuse out of all your tribes to put his name there even unto his habitation shall ye seek and thither ye shall bring your burnt-offerings and your sacrifices c. Prayer and other spirituall duties of Gods worship they might even then perform in other places both in publick and private and therefore the Levites were purposely dispersed here and there all the lâ—nd over and they had their Synagogues in severall places where they met together every Sabbath day to perform these holy duties but their sacrifices were all to be brought unto the place which God should chuse which is meant of those places where the tabernacle was placed for some time after they were come into the land of Canaan such as were Shiloh and Nob and other places whence is that of the Prophet Jer. 7. 12. Go ye now into my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickednesse of my people but principally of the temple which God chose to be the settled place for sacrifices and it is called here the place which the Lord should chuse to put his name there both because it was to be called by his name The house of God and to be consecrated to his worship and service and withall to prevent that carnall conceit of Gods dwelling in temples made with hands to wit as essentially included therein whence it is also that the same Sanâ—tuary which is here called the Lords habitation or dwelling-place is elsewhere called his footstool Psal 99. 5. As for the reasons why the Lord did bind his people to offer up their sacrifices in one place onely which he would appoint they were chiefly these two first because hereby God would teach them that there was but one onely way to obtain pardon of their sinnes and acceptance of any service they did unto God and that was by Christ their promised Messiah of whom their tabernacle and temple was a type and secondly because hereby they might the better be kept to one unifoâ—m way of worshipping God and corruptions in his worship might be prevented whereinto they might easily fall had they been allowed to offer their sacrifices some in one place and some in another and for this cause it was that in after-times the Kings of Judaâ— were so often blamed because they did not remove the high places but â—uffered thâ— people to sacrifâ—ce there Vers 6. And thither ye shall bring your burnt-offerings and your sacriâ—ices and your tithes c. Here Moses reckons up all those holy things which they were to bring to the place which God should choose for those services where first by sacrifices are meant all other sacrifices besides burnt-offerings as â—â—nne-offerings trespasse-offerings c. secondly by tithes are meant not those ordinary tithes which were yearly paid to the Levites for they were not brought to the temple but were paid to the Levites in their severall habitations throughout the land but a second tithe the tithe of that which remained after the first tithe was paid to the Levites for that or the money for which they had sold it they carryed up yearly to Jerusalem and there with those tithes so carried in kind or with such things as they bought with the money they kept a holy feast before the Lord as is largely expressed chap. 14. 22 27. thirdly by the hâ—ave-offerings of their hands are meant all the severall first-fruits which they brought in their hands and heaved them before the Lord and then left them to the priests for their portion fourthly by vows and freewill-offerings are meant all such sacrifices or offerings as they should extraordinarily bring either upon some vow they had made oâ— freely and of their own accord and lastly the firstlings are the first of that their herds and flocks brought forth for these also they carried up to the temple as is evident Numb 18. 17 18. where it is said that their bloud was to be sprinkled upon the altar and the fat was to be burnt for an offering made by fire and then the â—lesh was given to the priests for their portion Vers 7. And there ye shall â—at before the Lord your God and ye shall rejoyce c. That is when you carry your sacrifices and offerings and other things before mentioned to the place which the Lord shall choose there ye shall feast with your holy things and rejoycâ— together before the Lord. But here yet for the fuller understanding of this place we must note first that the meaning is not that they might eat of all the holy things before mentioned for the burnt-offerings were wholly burnt upon the altar and of some other sacrifices none but the priests might eat but the things here intended wherewith the people were to feaâ—t were the tithes and the peace-offerings secondly that it is said that they should eat these things before the Lord their God because they were to eat them though not in the priests court yet in the place where the tabernacle first and temple afterwards stood the place of Gods speciall presence to wit in Jerusalem which is therefore called the holy city Matth. 4. 5. thirdly that by all things they put their hand unto Ye shall rejoyce in all that you put your hand unto is meant all the good things they had gotten by the labour of their hands through Gods blessing and so had in the power of their hands to use as they had occasion and that because of all that they had they carried still something by way of tithes or sacrifices unto Jerusalem and so this phrase is ordinarily used in the Scripture as chap. 15. 10. the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto and so in many other places and fourthly that the drift of this place seems to be partly this Having told them in the foregoing verse that when they came to be settled in the land of Canaan they were to carry all their sacrifices and offerings c. to that one place in the land which the Lord their God should choose that they might not think much of the labour and charge which this would put them to especially those that dwelt farre off he addes this by way of encouragement There ye shall eat before the Lord your God c. as reckoning their glad enjoying of
so here he continueth his sâ—eech in the same manner though that he speaks were intended of the priests peculiarly because he speaks to the whole body of Israel as one man under whom the priests were also comprehended Vers 22. Thou shalt eat it within thy gates c. Tâ—â—t is the priest as above and that as common meat in their own private dwellâ—â—gs or â—lse it is meant that the owner should redeem it as any other unclean beast aâ—d then eat it without scruple of conscience or it is spoken of those second soâ—t of firstlings concerning which we may see what is noted chap. 12. 17. CHAP. XVI Vers 2. THou shalt therefore sacrifice the Passeover unto the Lord thy God of the flock and the herd c. Because of the Passeover here enjoyned to be sacrificed it is said that it must be of the flock and the herd it cannot be meant of the Paschall-lamb which was killed on the fourteenth day of this moneth at even but either by the Passeover we must here understand joyntly both the Paschal-lamb and those other sacrifices which did accompany the eating of the Paschal-lamb which were of sheep or bullocks as namely those enjoyned Numb 28. 19. c. and such other as men would voluntarily bring an example whereof we have 2. Chron. 35. 7 8 c. or else by the Passeover is here meant the feast of the Passeover and then thus the words must be understood Thou shalt sacrifice the Passeover that is Thou shalt celebrate the Passeover with sacrifices of the flock and of the herd c. Vers 3. Seven dayes shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith even the bread of affliction c. That is the bread which is a memoriall of your afflictions in Egypt as being usually the bread of those that lived in affliction and poverty and of your hasty coming out from thence before your bread had time to be leavened concerning which see the note upon Exod. 12. 15. Vers 4. And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thâ—e in all thy coasts seven dayes As they might not eat any leavened bread all the time of this feast so neither might they suffer any leaven to be in their houses to wit to make it the surer that they might not be tempted to eat of it or to use any leaven in the bread which they baked Neither shall there any thing of the flesh which thou sacrificedst the first day at even remain all night untill the morning This must needs be meant of the flesh of the Paschal-lamb which was killed at the end of the foureteenth day and was to be eaten all of it that night following before the morning of the fifteenth day or else the remainder of it was to be bâ—rnt in the fire concerning which see the note upon Exod. 12. 10. For though the Paschal-lamb was not propeâ—ly a sacrifice bâ—cause no part of it was offered upon the altar yet considering that it was killed to the honour of God and as a type of Christ the Lamb of God that takes away the sinnes of the world it needs not seem strange that here it is said to be sâ—crificed Vers 5. Thou mayest not sacrifice the Passeover within any of thy gates c. That is not in any town or city save onely in Jerusalem where Christ our pâ—schallamb was sacrificed for us And indeed after God had câ—osen that to be the place of his publick worship they did onely eat the Passeover there See Luke 2. 41. but in any private house in Jerusalem they might both kill and eat the Passeover Matth. 26. 18. onely their sacrifices which they offered at that â—eâ—st might oâ—ely be offered in the temple Vers 6. There thou shalt sacrifice the Passeâ—ver at even at the going down of the sunne at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt That is the very same day of the moneth Abib when thou camest forth ouâ— of Egypt to wit the â—oureteenth day of the moneth or if these words at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt have reserence to that which went before at even at the going down of the sunne yet it must not be taken so as if the time of sunsetting were exactly the very tiâ—e when the Iâ—raelites went out of Egypt for it is evident Exod. 12. 29 c. that it was after midnight ere they had leave given them to go but onely that the night after that evening when they first eat the Passeover they went out of Egypt and were then indeed pâ—eparing to be gone whence it was that they were appointed to eat the Passeover in such haste the Lord having told them beforehand of that which shoâ—ld happen and had scarce leisure to make an end of celebrating that holy fâ—ast because the Egyptâ—ans were so eager to have them pack up and be gone Vers 7. And thou shalt tâ—rn in the morning and go unto thy tents That is the morning after the feast oâ— unleavened bread was ended which was kept seven dayes so that the â—ext words in the â—ighth verse six dayes thou shalt eat c. are added to shew what morning this was that is here mentioned to wit the morrow â—fter the solemn assembly on the sevâ—nth day Indeed some hold that the morning here mentioned must be the morning of the fifteeâ—th day the morning after they had eaten the Passeover which is altogether improbable because the fifteenth day was a solemn festivall and therefore it is not likely that liberty of travelling and leaving Jeâ—usalem on that day was allowed them and because we shall still find that the people used to stay at Jerusalem all the seven dayes of this feast which we may see 2. Chron. 30. 21. and so in other placeâ— Vers 9. Begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sicle to the corn Namely to reap the wave-sheaf the first-fruits of barley-harvest which was on the sixteenth day of that moneth ofâ—ered unto the Lord. See the note upon Leâ—it 23. 10 11. Vers 10. And thou shalt kâ—ep the feast of weeks unto the Lord thy God with a tribute of a freewiâ—â—-offâ—ring c. â—his contribution or tribute of a â—â—eewill-offering is neither the sacrifice appointed for the feast-day Numb 18. 27 31. nor the two loaves and sacrifices with them commanded Levit. 23. 17 20. for these were not voluntary offerings but necessarily enjoyned over and besides them God here appointeth men voluntarily to bring unto him of their fruits what they could and would Vers 12. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt c. This is added firâ—â— to shew that this was the chief end of solemnizing this feaâ—t to cause them with themselves to remember this their deliverance sâ—condly as a motive to obey willingly both this and all other the commandmentâ— of God thirdly as a motive to make them respect their servants and the poore strangers in this tâ—eir feast as
one that useth divination is meant one that foretelleth things to come Mich. 3. 11. The prophets thereof divine for money and by an observer of times is meant such as by observing constellations c. â—id pronounce some dayes lucky and some unlucky and undertake to tell men their fortune The diviners were carried much by inward motions these last by outward observations in the creatures So also by a Necromancer vers 11. is meant such as by raising the dead did enquire after secret things Vers 13. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God That is thoâ— shalt keep thy self intirely to him and not seek unto any other for help thou shalt in these things before spoken of as in all other things keep thy self exactly to what thy God hath enjoyned thee and not defile thy self with any of these abominations practised amongst other nâ—tions Vers 15. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee c. The heathens that used these unlawfull arts made account that God did by these means reveal himself to them and deemed such high knowledge a high degree of their happinesse lest therefore the Israelites should think much that they were debarred of this the Lord tells them here that he would by prophets raised up to them from amongst their brethren as fully inform them concerning all things necessary for them to know as if God should come down to them out of heaven I doubt not indeed but this which is here spoken is meant first and principally of Christ for the Apostle Peter saith expressely that this was fulfilled in Christ Acts 3. 22. For Moses truly said unto the fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you and with respect to this place that seems â—o have been spoken by Philip John 1. 45. Philip findeth Nathanael and saith unto him We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth the sonne of Joseph and that by Christ John 5. 46. Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me But withall I see not how we can exclude the other Prophets between Moses and Christ the drift of these words being manifestly this to shew that they should have no cause to seek to enchanters and diviners because God would still raise them up Prophets to reveal his will unto them and how could this be a stay to them if it were meant onely of Christ who was not sent unto them above one thousand and foure hundred years after this therefore I think it must be understood principally of Christ as the onely Prophet of his Church but withall indeâ—initely of all the Prophets as subordinate to Christ sent from him and inspired by him The Jews indeed understand it not commonly of the Messiah but of another notable Prophet besides like unto Moses which was to be sent to them John 1. 25. But herein they were grossely deceived for it is evident by those places Acts 3. 22. and 7. 37. that Christ was the Prophet here principally meant though other Prophets are alâ—o comprehended as is before said As for that clause a Prophet like unto me though the Prophets afterwards sent to Israel were not equall to Moses Deut. 34. 10. And there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face yet they were like him men sent from God as he was raised up from amongst their brethren as he was and this is here chiefly intended see vers 16. According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly saying Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God neither let me see this great fire any more that I die not and so was Christ a high priest taken from among men Hebr. 5. 1. yea like him and above him for first as Moses was as a Mediatour betwixt God and the people Deut. 5. 5. I stood between the Lord and you at that time to shew you the word of the Lord for ye were afraid by reason of the fire and went not up into the mount so was Christ Heb. 8. 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministrie by how much also he is the mediatour of a better covenant which was established upon better promises secondly in excellenâ—y of Moses it is said Numb 12. 6 7. And he said Hear now my words If there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known unto him in a vision and will speak unto him in a dream My servant Moses is not so who is faithfull in all mine house and so of Christ John 1. 17 18. For the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Thirdly in faithfulnesse for so it is said of Christ Heb. 3. 2. Who was faithfull to him that appointed him as also Moses was faithfull in all his house yea and above Moses vers 5 6. And Moses verily was faithfull in all his house as a servant but Christ as a sonne over his own house Fourthly in that as Moses brought them the law from God so Christ the Gospel out of his Fathers bosome Fifthly in signes and wonders for Christ was a prophet mightie in deed and word Luke 24. 19. as Moses also was yea more mightie John 15. 24. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did they had not had sinne And sixthly as Moses carried the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt to the land of Canaan so Christ delivered his people from their spirituall bondage and opened heaven for them John 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the sonne and believeth on him may have everlasting life Vers 18. And will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him This is meant of the faithfulnesse of those Prophets which God would send unto them to wit that they should deliver whatever God gave them in chaâ—ge and nothing but that which he should put into their mouthes But most eminently was this verified in Chriâ—t when he came to preach the Gospel unto men for those words of eternall life were the words which God here saith he would put into his mouth and which accordingly he faithfully delivered to the people All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you John 15. 15. Vers 19. Whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him That is I will punish him for it and so indeed God did alwayes severely punish those that would not
to passe that she find no favour in his eyes because he hath found some uncleannesse in her then let him write her a bill of divorcemeâ—â— and give it in her hand and send her out of his house Vers 20. But if this thing be true and the tokens of virginitie be not found for the damsel Because in some cases it is found by experience that the tokens of a maids virginitie may fail and so much also is acknowledged by the Hebrews themselves therefore some hold that though the parents could not bring forth the tokens of their daughters virginitie yet this alone was not sufficient to prove her guiltie and make her liable to be stoned unlesse it were by other circumstances found to be true as by the testimonie of witnesses proving that she had no sicknesse upon her to hinder the tokens of her virginitie or some such like evidence But because the words here seem not to implie any such thing I rather think that in those countreys the tokens of a maids virginitie did never fail and so the want of them was taken for a certain proof that the accusation was true and so the damsel was to be stoned for though in other cases the fornication of a woman before marriage was not punisheâ— with death Exod. 22. 16. yet here it was first because of the great wrong she had done to the man that had married her pretending to him that she was a virgin when indeed she was not and secondly because by the evidence of her own words wherein she professed her self a virgin when she promised him marriage it must needs follow that she was desiled after she was betrothed to him and in that case her sinne was adulterie and to be punished with death Vers 27. For he found her in the field and the betrothed damsel cried c. That is it must be presumed that she cried Every one knows that though she were in the sield yet she might consent to that lewdnesse but unlesse that could be proved against her they were bound in charitie to hope and judge the best so accordingly the Scripture speaks of it as of that they were to take for granted the betrâ—thed damsel cried and there was none to help hâ—r Vers 28. If a man find a damsel that is a virgin which is not betrothed and lay hold on her c. Some conceive that this law differeth from that Exod. 22. 16 17. because that was for such as consented being enticed this supposeth violent hands laid upon the damsel but for this see the note upon that place in Exodus Vers 29. Because he hath humbled her he may not put her away all his dayes This libertie afforded or winked at in others Deut. 24. 1. he must not enjoy CHAP. XXIII Vers 1. HE that is wounded in the stones c. By the following laws in the beginning of this chapter certain men are disabled for being admitted into the congregation of the Lord that is as most Expositours do most probably understand it from being admitted into full communion with the commonwealth of Israel at least from being capable of bearing â—ny office of Magistracie amongst them We cannot with any shew of probabilitie think that all these here mentioned to wit eunuchs vers 1. bastards and their children unto the tenth generation vers 2. Ammonites also and Moabites unto the tenth generation vers 3. yea and Edomites and Egyptians unto the third generation vers 7 8. and so consequently all other nations since no nation was like to enjoy more priviledges then the Edomites who are called their brethren vers 8. I say we cannot with any probabilitie hold that all these though by circumcision admitted into the Church were excluded from the holy assemblies where they should hear the word be instructed in the law and be admitted to offer sacrifices as the signes of their faith and hope of salvation in the promised Messiah for there are elsewhere many expresse laws that such as were Proselytes and had embraced the faith and religion of Israel should have equall libertie with the Israelites to celebrate the Passeover Exod. 12. 48 49. When a stranger shall sojourn with thee and will keep the Passeover to the Lord let all his males be circumcised and then let him come near and keep it and he shall be as one that is born in the land one law shall be to him that is home-born and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you and so likewise to bring their sacrifices unto the Lord Numb 15. 14 15. If a stranger sojourn with you or whosoever be among you in your generations that will offer an offering madâ— by fire of a sweet savour unto the Lord as ye do so he shall do one ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation and also for the stranger c. either therefore by the congregation of the Lord here is meant the assembly of Judges and Magistrates so called because the Lord is president over them and they exercise â—hat power they have in his name and by authoritie derived from him Psal 82. 1. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty he judgeth among the gods and so the meaning of this phrase of not entring into the congregation of the Lord is onely this that they should not bear any publick office or place of Magistracie in the Commonwealth of Israel or else by the congregation of the Lord is meant the people or commonwealth of Israel and so this expression is elsewhere often used as Numb 16. 3. Ye take too much upon you seeing all the congregation are holy everâ— one of them and the lord is among them and again Numb 27. 16 17. Let the Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh set a man over the congregation which may go out before them and which may go in before them that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep without a shepherd and then the meaning of this place must be that such and such as are here named might not be admitted into full communion with the Commonwealth of Israel though they were admitted into the Church and so into the communion of the same faith and worship of God yet they might not be admitted to be members of the same bodie politick and so to enjoy all the priviledges of free-born Israelites and hereupon they stood after a sort separated srom Gods people as the complaint of such and the Lords comfortable answer sheweth Isai 56. 3. c. Neither let the sonne of the stranger that hath joyned himself to the Lord speak saying The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people neither let the eunuch say Behold I am a drie tree c. they were of the Church of Israel but yet aliens and strangers as I may say from the Commonwealth of Israel not being capable of the priviledges of other Israelites as for instance of those of the year of release and the year of Jubile of bearing any
oh Jacob my servant and Jesurun whom I have chosen It is derived from Josher an Hebrew word signifying righteousnesse and is a name given them to shew that by their calling they were to be a righteous people and so had been in some measure but is here given them by way of upbraiding them for being so unlike the people that by their calling they should have been yea so farre degenerated from what they had been Vers 16. They provoked him to jealousie with strange gods That is made him by their spirituall fornications exceeding angry for jealousie is the rage of a man Prov. 6. 34. Vers 17. They sacrificed unto devils not to God See Levit. 17. 7. To gods whom they knew not to new gods that came newly up whom your fathers feared not Two circumstances are here noted in the Israelites idolatry by way of aggravating their sinne the first is that they worshipped new gods that came newly up and the strange gods of the heathens which the Israelites worshipped though they had continued in the world many hundred years are yet termed new gods newly come up because indeed they were no better if compared with the eternall ever-living God who is called the ancient of dayes Dan. 7. 9. and who is indeed onely to be worshipped and also because this way of religious worship was but a new invention in comparison of the true worship wherewith the true God had been worshipped in his Church from the first beginning of time c. That onely which is from the beginning is truly ancient and of this therefore it is that the Prophet speaks Jer. 6. 16. Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the wayes and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way c. and whatever is erroneus in religion though of never so long standing it is but a novelty The second is that they were fallen to the worshipping of gods whom their fathers feared not that is such as their fathers slighted as vanities gods that could do neither good nor hurt Jer. 10. 5. and were not therefore worthy their fear and this too did make their sinne farre the worse and that because though it be not alwayes safe for men to follow the way of their fathers in matters of religion yet when their fathers worshipped God aright and so they had not onely the word of God for their rule but also the example of their fathers to encourage and lead them on then to decline from the way of the truth from their fathers conveyed to them merely out of a fickle and inconstant spirit must needs greatly aggravate their sinne Vers 20. And he said I will hide my face from them I will see what their end shall be That is I will let them see what a miserable end they will come to when I forsake them Psal 73. 17 18. Vntill I went into the Sanctuary of God then understood I their end Surely thou didst set them in slippery places thou castedst them down into destruction For they are a very froward generation children in whom is no faith That is no faith truly to believe any thing that God saith to them and no faith nor fidelity in keeping stedfastly their covenant with God Vers 21. They have moved me to jealousie with that which is not God The summe of that which is here threatned is this that since they had mobed him to jealousie that is provoked him to displeasure with that which was not God that is by giving away the worship which was due onely to him to gods which were indeed no gods so preferring mere vanities perhaps stocks and stones before their creatour therefore he would move them to jealousie that is would vex and disquiet them with those which are not a people even with a foolish nation that is by preferring as it were the heathen before them that had been his peculiar people And this the Lord did to the Israelites two severall wayes first when he took part with the heathens and made them victorious over the Israelites when the Assyrians the Babylonians and other heathen people which were despised by the Israelites as poore blind silly wretches that knew nothing of God nor had any interest in God were by the help of Gods providence crowned with one victory after another in their warres against the Israelites and did at last make them their bondslaves and tread them down as dirt in the streets this must needs mightily vex and disquiet them for why think they should the uncircumcised thus trample upon the Israel of God and thus did God move them to jealousie with those which were not a people c. But secondly the Lord did this most eminently when he cuâ— off the Jews and took the Gentiles in their stead to be his people for herein S. Paul notes that this threatning was made good Rom. 10. 19. And indeed if a Prince should take some base beggar to his bed and board to vex his wife that had formerly plaid the harlot with some base unworthy groom this could not be a greater vexation to her then it was alwayes to the Jews to think that the Gentiles whom they despised for their blindnesse and folly should come to be espoused to God in Christ and enjoy the priviledges of Gods Church and people and they should be cast off Even the believing Jews were not without much ado brought to yield to this truth of the Gentiles calling Act. 11. 2 3. and much more was it a matter of great vexation and indignation to the rest and indeed so it is unto this day See 1. Thess 2. 15 16. Who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us and they please not God and are contrary to all men forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their sinnes alway for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost Vers 22. For a fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn unto the lowest hell c. Some Expositours understand this of the eternall torments of hell to wit that the Lord would in his just anger not onely poure out upon them his judgements here but also throw their souls afteâ—wards to hell where the unquenchable fire burns Matt. 3. 12. But though this be a truth that the wicked shall not onely be punished here but also eternally in hell-fire hereafter yet it seems not so probable that this is intended here but that all which is here threatned is this that the judgements which God in his anger would bring upon them should utterly destroy the land for the last branch of the verse and shall consume the earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the mountains seems to be added by way of exâ—laining these and to shew us what was meant by the burning of this fire unto the lowest hell Vers 23. I will heap mischiefs upon them I will spend mine arrows upon them That is I
they eat their holy things c. That is the priests shall not by suffering the people to eat of the holy things expose them to the guilt of such a sinne and the punishment that will follow thereon Vers 18. Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel or of the stranger in Israel c. In this precept three things are required in all burnt-offerings whether they were brought by Israelites born or proselytes who though they were strangers born yet embracing the religion of the Israelites were admitted to offer sacrifices as being ingrafted as it were into Gods Israel and whether they were brought for a vow or a freewill-offering to wit first that they must be of the beeves or sheep or goats secondly that they must alwayes be males in other sacrifices a female was sometimes accepted but never in burnt-offerings and thirdly that they must be without blemish of all which see the notes upon the first chapter of this book Vers 21. And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace-offerings c. Here direction is given for their peace-offâ—rings to wit that whether they were brought for a vow or for a freewill-offering they must be first of the flocks or herds beeves or sheep or goats and secondly that they must be perfect and without blemish that is as some distinguish them perfect in regard of the inwards and outwardly without blemish Yet in peace-offerings that were not for a vow but for a freewill-offering though no blemish was allowed yet something was allowed that was after a sort a blemish as appears in the exception that follows vers 23. to wit a bullock or a lamb or kid that had any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts for this is not meant of such cattel as were any way monstrous that had of any part too many or too few as five legs or three ears or but one eye but it is meant of such as had any part too long or too short over big or over little not according to thâ— ordinary proportion of nature as is usually in other catel of that kind and this though it were some kind of defect yet it was not accounted a blemish and so it was allowed in peace-offerings that were brought for a freewill-offering not in peace-offerings that were brought for a vow Vers 2â— Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which iâ— bruisâ—d c. No not in freewill-offerings Vers 25. Neither from a strangers hand shall ye offâ—r the brâ—ad of your God c. Some understand this of strangers that were proselytes leâ—â— say they any man should think that such blemished sacrifices as are before spoken of might serve for proselytes expresse mention is made that from their hands they should not be excepted Some again by strangers will have such meant as were neither of the seed nor the religion of the Israelites uncircumcised strangers and these expound this law three severall wayes to wit first that though such blemished sacrifices were bought from the hand of strangers uncircumcised with their money yet they might not offer them to God because they were blemished and so their corruption was in them that is they were corrupted and polluted and so were not fit for sacrifices or secondly that if a stranger that is any of the hâ—athen uncircumcised would bring any sacrifice to be offered for them and brought any of those fore-mentioâ—ed blemished sacrifices it should not be accepted or thirdly that from the hand of any pagan they should not offer the bread of their God that is his sacriâ—â—ces of any of these that is of any of the cattel before mentioned whether blemished or without blemish and that because they are blemished and polluted even because they are brought by the uncircumcised But neither of these two last Expositions seem to me probable Not the first of them because I no where find that the heathen were allowed to bring any sacrifices at all and therefore it was needlesse to forbid the taking of a blemished sacrifice from them Nor the last because thiâ— law doth onely speak of sacrifices that should be accepted from the Israelites and not for heathens as the last clause doth evidently shew they shall not be accepted for you Vers 27. When a bullock or a sheep or a goat is brought forth then it shall be seven dayes under the damme c. The same is enjoyned concerning their first-born cattel Exod. 22. 30. Because till they were eight dayes old they were not fit to be eaten by men therefore till then the Lord would not allow them to be brought for sacrifices Vers 28. And whether it be cow or ew ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day To wit that being taught mercie in killing of beasts for sacrifices they might learn much more to shew mercie to men and also how they should labour after perfect purity when they came to offer sacrifices to God Vers 30. On the same day it shall be eaten up c. See chap. 17. 15. CHAP. XXIII Vers 2. COncerning the feasts of the Lord which yâ— shall proclaim to be holy convocations even these are my feasts c. That is these are the feasts which you my people shall cause to be proclaimed as holy convocations to wit by the priests for it is generally held that the priests did by sounding of the trumpets proclaim these festivals The Lord having before given direction for sacrifices now gives order for festivall times whereon many sacrifices were usually offered Vers 3. The seventh day is the Sabbath of rest an holy convocation yè shall do no work therein That is no work appertaining to their earthly businesses or imployments upon other festivall dayes they were not tyed so strictly except onely the day of Expiation for upon other festivall dayes the restraint is ye shall do no servile work therein as we may see vers 7 8 21 c. but upon the Sabbath and the day of Expiation vers 28. the Law runnes ye shall do no work therein and the difference betwixt these is commonly held to be this that on the other festivals they were forbidden all servile work that is all work appertaining to their worldly callings wherein usually on other dayes their servants were imployed but were allowed any work in providing food for the day and so indeed that which was forbidden on the first day of unleavened bread in the seventh verse of this chapter under the name of servile work In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation ye shall do no servile work therein is expressed thus Exod. 12. 16. And in the first day there shall be an holy convâ—â—ation no manner of work shall be done in them save that which every man must eat and that onely may be done of you But on the Sabbath day and day of atonement they were restrained from all bodily labour yea even that of providing or dressing their food as is evident Exod. 16. 23. and Exod. 35. 3.
will strike them with many plagues and they shall be wounded with them as with arrows suddenly and unexpectedly according to that Zaâ—h 9. 14. The Lord shall be seen over them and his arrows shall go forth as the lightning c. Vers 24. They shall be burnt with hunger That is consumed as with a fire by famine which maketh mens visages blacker then a cole c. Lam. 4. 8. Their visage is blacker then a cole they are not known in the streets their skinne cleaveth to their bones it is withered it is become like a stick And devoured with burning heat and with bitter destruction By burning heat as most Expositours conceive is meant the burning carbuncle or plaguesore a fiery ulcer on the body and therefore the same word though there translated burning coles is joyned with the pestilence Hab. 3. 5. Before him went the pestilence and burning coles went forth at his feet and so likewise by bitter destruction is meant the pest and other terrible sicknesses whereby God soon cutteth off the life of man with bitternesse Psal 91. 5 6. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terrour by night nor for the arrow tht flieth by day Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darknesse nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them with the poison of serpents of the dust That is that hide themselves in the dust or that feed of the dust implying that as the wild beasts should kill them by force so the serpents also by secret subtilâ—y Vers 25. The sword without and terrour within shall destroy both the young man c. That is they that are abroad shall be slain with the sword and they that are within shall die with very terrour and fear thus according to the very letter of the words we may very well understand this place but yet some by terrour understand the terrible sword Vers 26. I said I would scatter them into corners c. God speaketh here after the manner of men but the generall drift of the words is this that their wickednesse provoked him almost utterly to destroy them but that he had respect to his own glory Vers 27. Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely c. Two severall wayes these words may be understood for first by the wrath of the enemy may be meant the excessive fury and rage of those their enemies whom God should imploy in punishing the sinnes of the people and then that which follows lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely must be understood of the enemies strange and inhumane dealing with his people and so that this is alledged as one reason why the Lord did not let loose the enemies to destroy his people though their sinnes did mightily provoke him thereto to wit lest the enemy should in their boundlesse fury use them with such strange unheard of cruelty as God could not though angry endure his people should suffer and then the last branch contains another reason lest they should say Our hand is high and the Lord hath not done all this But secondly by the wrath of the enemy may be meant the proud insolency and madnesse of their enemies puft up with the good successe of their warres against Gods people and this the most of Expositours agree to And if we understand it thus then the words following are added by way of explaining this lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely to wit in saying our hand is high and the Lord hath not done all this wherein their ascribing the glory of their victories to their own prowesse and power and not unto God is termed a strange behaviour either because therein they did as we may say make strâ—nâ—e of the matter as if all those evils that had befallen the Israelites were not the effects of Gods displeasure against them as if he had no hand at all in it but that all was to be ascribed to themselves or else because in this their pride they did so strangely exalt themselves above that they did before as if they were not the same men they were before or as if they had forgotten indeed themselves to be men and so then the drift of this verse is this that the reason why God would not by their enemies bring his people so near to utter destruction as their sinnes deserved was onely this lest their enemies should hereupon exalt and advance themselves and boast as if without Gods help they had done all they had done of which mad and strange insolency it is that David speaks Psal 140. 8. Grant not O Lord the desires of the wicked further not his wicked device lest they exalt themselves Vers 28. For they are a nation void of counsel neither was there understanding in them Some referre this to the enemies of Gods people of whom he had spoken in the foregoing words but it is doubtlesse spoken of the Israelites as is manifest in the following words O that they were wise c. and it is added as a reason why God was so ready to have brought such an overflowing scourge upon them as to make the remembrance of them cease from among men as he had said before vers 26. even because they were a nation void of counsel neither was there any understanding in them that is they were so blinded and hardened in their sinnes that they could not or would not see either what was like to be for their welfare here or eternally hereafter when the Lord did punish them what it was that had brought those plagues and miseries upon them Vers 29. Oh that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end That is oh that they would beforehand consider what the end will be of such stubborn rebellious courses that so by true repentance they might prevent these miseries which in the end will else certainly come upon them Vers 30. How should one chase a thousand c. That is seeing the Lord had promised the Israelites that a hundred of them should put ten thousand of their enemies to flight Levit. 26. 8. and this they had found true in many strange victories they had gotten wherein a handfull of them to speak of had defeated whole armies of their adversariâ—s how should it come to passe quite contrary that one of their enemies should chase a thousand of them and that two of their enemies should put ten thousand of them to flight except their rock had sold them and the Lord had shut them up that is except the Lord who is their rock and their onely stay strength and refuge had delivered them up into the power and hands of their enemies to be their slaves and vassals for so this phrase of shutting up is elsewhere used as Psal 31. 7 8. Thou hast known my soul in adversities and hast not shut me up into the hand of