the whole number of Males descended from Kohath compare this with III. 28. there was a fourth part and better that were fit for Service Ver. 37. These were they that were numbred of the Families of the Kohathites all that might do Service in the Tabernacle Such Service as is particularly mentioned from v. 4. to v. 16. Verse 37 Ver. 38. And these are they that were numbred of the Verse 38 Sons of Gershon c. He proceeds in the same order to number them which he observed in giving them their Charge beginning with the Children of the second Son of Levi and then going back to the eldest Ver. 39. From thirty years old and upward c. Verse 39 This Verse is the very same with 35. Ver. 40. Two thousand and six hundred and thirty Verse 40 A third part and little more of their Males were fit for Service Compare this with III. 22. Ver. 41. These are they that were numbred of the Families Verse 41 of the Sons of Gershon of all that might do Service in the Tabernacle c. Such Service as is described from v. 24. to v. 29. Ver. 42 43. These two Verses are the same with Verse 42. 43. v. 38 39. Ver. 44. Even those that were numbred of them after Verse 44 their Families were three thousand and two hundred It is very remarkable the Descendants from the youngest Son of Levi III. 17. which had the fewest Males in it of a Month old and upward had the most robust Men fit for Service For here are above half compare this with III. 34. of the whole number of Males grown up to Thirty Years of Age. Which was a singular Providence the heaviest Burden lying upon them who were to carry the Boards c. of the Tabernacle Not indeed upon their shoulders but in Waggons which they were to load after they had taken them down and unload when they were to set them up again and for that reason had more Waggons allowed them than their Brethren the Gershonites VII 7 8. Verse 45 Ver. 45. These are those c. whom Moses and Aaron numbred Who were principally employed in this business According to the Word of the LORD by the hand of Moses To whom the Command is expresly directed v. 21. Verse 46 Ver. 46. All those that were numbred of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron and the Chief of Israel numbred For they took in others to their assistance v. 34. which is here repeated to show that there was no fraud in the business there being Witnesses of every Tribe that they proceeded impartially and did not favour the Levites who were their Brethren Verse 47 Ver. 47. Every one that came to do the Service of the Ministry and the Service of the Burden in the Tabernacle c. The first of these the Service of the Ministry one would think related to their serving the Priest when the Tabernacle was standing and the later the Service of the Burden to their carrying the Tabernacle when it was taken down and removed and so I expounded those words v. 24. But he mentioning here only those that were numbred from Thirty Years old I think upon further consideration that there is no regard in these Expressions to the Service they did to the Priests in the Tabernacle unto which they were admitted at Twenty five Years old See v. 3. but only to the Service mentioned here in this Chapter which relates altogether to the taking down and carrying the Tabernacle And therefore these must be lookt upon as two Phrases for the same thing the former of which is not exactly translated for there is nothing of Ministry in the Hebrew but the words are Every one that cometh to serve the Service of the Service and the Service of the Burden or Carriage For it is the same word which being joyned with work we translate servile XXIII Lev. 7. and other places Ver. 48. Eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore Verse 48 If the three Sums mentioned v. 36 40 44. be put together they amount exactly to this Sum in the whole Ver. 49. According to the Commandment of the Verse 49 LORD they were numbred by the hand of Moses By the assistance of Aaron and others v. I 34 46. Every one according to his Service and according to his Burden I observed before v. 47. that Service and Burden are two Expressions of the same thing For though the Sons of Kohath had the noblest part of the Work yet their Employment is called both a Service and a Burden v. 19. as that of the Gershonites is v. 24. For which Service all the Tithes of the Country of Canaan were given to them and continued to be theirs when this kind of Service ceased as it did when the Temple was built For then there were no Burdens to be carried on their shoulders as Josiah speaks 2 Chron. XXXV 3. but their Duty was changed even by David before the Building of the Temple who made them Singers and Keepers of the Treasury as well as Porters at the Gates of God's House and likewise Judges and other Officers in the Country as we read in 1 Chron. XXVI But the alteration in their Service made no alteration in the Wages allotted to them for they still enjoyed all the Tithes Thus were they numbred of him as the LORD commanded Moses This is so often repeated v. 37 41 45. that all Posterity might reverence these Ordinances as Divine Institutions and not merely Humane Appointments And so we are to look upon all these Laws as wise Orders made by the Soveraign of the World for the better Government of that People whom he had taken for his own peculiar And it argues a very profane Spirit in those as Conr. Pellicanus here observes who can admire and praise Ovid de Fastis and such like Books and have no regard at all if they do not ridicule them to these Sacred Writings which are of such venerable Antiquity CHAP. V. Chapter V Verse 1 Ver. 1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying It is not said when this was spoken which here follows but it 's likely immediately after the foregoing Commandments upon which it hath some dependance Verse 2 Ver. 2. Command the Children of Israel that they put out of the Camp every Leper and every one that hath an Issue and whosoever is defiled by the dead There were three Camps as Maimonides and a great many other mentioned by Mr. Selden observes L. II. de Synedr cap. I. n. 5. the Camp of the SCHECHINAH or of the LORD viz. the Sanctuary with its Courts which are called the Tents of the LORD 1 Chron. XXXI 2. And next the Camp of the Levites who with Aaron and his Sons made a Camp about the Tabernacle Chapter III. of this Book and then the Camp of Israel Chapter II. which incompassed them all Answerable to these when the Temple was built they reckoned the Temple it self from the East-Gate to be the Camp of
order the Judges to assemble and call before them such as were suspected and having examined the Fact accordingly proceed against them and punish such as had offended Thus the Samaritan Copy reads it expresly and so Onkelos and the Paraphrast called Vzielides and the Hierusalem Targum and the Arabick Translation of Saadia Gaon and both the Talmudists and Karaites agree in this sence as Mr. Selden shows at large Lib. II. de Synedriis cap. 1. n. 10. And Joh. Coch upon the Gemara of the Sanhedrim cap. 4. sect 4. where he observes that Aben-Ezra and Solomon Jarchi thus interpret it and takes the meaning to be certain that the Heads of the People should divide themselves into several Courts of Judgment and examine who had committed Idolatry and after Conviction cause them to be hang'd For there is great reason to think the Constitution of Judges by Jethro's advice continued all the time they were in the Wilderness who might easily find out the Guilty in their several Divisions Before the LORD i. e. Before the Sanctuary as Men who had forsaken the Worship of their God and by his Sentence were adjudged to die Against the Sun Openly that all the People might see and fear to Sin So both R. Solomon and Aben-Ezra expound it For this was a peculiar mark of the Divine Displeasure against Idolaters and Blasphemers that they should be hanged up and publickly exposed after they had suffered death For none were hang'd alive among the Hebrews but first stoned which was the common Punishment of the fore-named Offenders and then hanged up in the eyes of all as R. Solomon expounds this Phrase against the Sun That the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned from Israel By their Zeal to vindicate the Divine Honour Verse 5 Ver. 5. And Moses said unto the Judges of Israel Some take these for the LXX Elders mentioned XI 25. Slay ye By hanging them up as some understand it But the Hebrew word imports killing with the Sword which they commanded their Officers to do with the assistance of such as abhorred the wickedness of their Neighbours Every one his Man The LXX Elders being appointed to be coadjutors to Moses in the Government made a division of the People it is most likely into so many districts and each of them having the charge of one all the People therein are called his Men of whom he was to give an account That were joyned unto Baal-Peor Who were so well known that there was no danger of slaying the innocent Verse 6 Ver. 6. And behold This which follows is the more wonderful if the Judges had already begun to execute the foregoing command and argues Zimri to have been very impudently wicked who thought himself so great a Man that no Judge durst meddle with him One of the Children of Israel came and brought unto his Brethren In the Camp of Israel or into the Tent where his own Family dwelt A Midianitish Woman By which it appears that both Nations Moab and Midian were in this Plot against Israel In the sight of Moses A high contempt of his Authority and of God's also whose Servant Moses was And in the sight of all the Congregation of the Children of Israel This seems to be a further aggravation of his Sin that he was not content to go to the Women who invited them v. 2. but brought one of them along with him into the Camp of Israel and this he did before the face of all the People as well as of Moses and that when they were mourning for this Sin as it here follows Who were weeping before the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation This shows that though there were great numbers ingaged in this Defection yet the generality of the People clave unto the LORD and bewailed the Wickedness of their Brethren most earnestly imploring God's Mercy towards them Ver. 7. And when Phineas the Son of Eleazar the Son Verse 7 of Aaron the Priest c. A Man of great Authority being next to the High-Priest whom he succeeded in his Office as he did Joshua if we may believe some Writers in the Government of all Israel He rose up His Spirit as St. Luke speaks of St. Paul was stirred in him and being inspired with an holy Zeal was moved to do what follows From among the Congregation Who were weeping at the Door of the Tabernacle or rather from among the Judges with whom he was assembled being one of them So Jonathan he rose up from the midst of the Sanhedrin For as Bonav Cornel. Bertramus thinks Eleazar after the death of Aaron appointed his Son Phineas to be Prince of the Levites Which he thinks appears not only from his rising up here from the midst of the Judges of Israel but from the Embassy wherein he was employed by Joshua unto the Reubenites c. beyond Jordan XXII Josh 14. and from 1 Chron. IX 20. where he is said to be Ruler over the Korahites Which signifies he thinks such a preheminence as Eleazar himself had over the Levites while his Father Aaron lived De Repub. Jud. c. 15. And indeed the Psalmist saith that Phineas stood up and executed Judgment CVI. 39. Which seems to import that he acted as a Judge but by an extraordinary motion which made him kill the Offenders with his own Hands without a Judicial Process against them And took a Javelin in his hand Or a Sword as Josephus calls it which he snatcht out of the hand of Moses as the tradition is in Pirke Elieser cap. 47. Verse 8 Ver. 8. And he went after the Man of Israel into the Tent. It is an unusual word in the Hebrew which we translate Tent importing a private secret place like a Cave as Kubba or Kobba is thought to signifie which the Arabians call Alcobba From whence comes the word Alcove which signifies as Bochart observes conclave camerati operis quo lectus circumdatur A Room of arched Work which incloses a Bed in it See his Hierozoicon Pars I. p. ult And thrust both of them through the Man of Israel and the Woman This he did saith Philo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the command of Moses But should rather have said by a Divine Instigation which he followed when the rest of the Judges were afraid as some conceive to meddle with so great a Man as Zimri was And upon this Fact the Jews ground that which they call the Judgment of Zeal which authorized them who were full of Zeal to punish such as blasphemed God or prophaned the Temple c. in the presence of ten Men of Israel without a formal Process against them Thus Matthias killed a Jew who sacrificed after the manner of the Greeks 1 Maccab. II. 24. and three hundred others were killed by their Country-men as is related in the Book commonly called the Third Book of Maccabees And upon the pretence of such Zeal St. Stephen was stoned and St. Paul intended to be killed c. as Grotius
Children of the two Hand-maids in the four following Verses Where v. 12. Dan is set first he being the First-born of Bilhah whom Rachel gave Jacob for his Wife XXX Gen. 5. But then the next that follow are not reckoned according to the order of their Birth for Naphtali who was born next is placed the last and the youngest Son of Zilpah placed before the eldest For which we cannot now discern the reason though it is likely it was upon the account of some Pre-eminence or other which they had gained as Ephraim the youngest Son of Joseph is mentioned before Manasseh the eldest v. 10. because Jacob had given him the precedence when he blessed them before his Death XLVIII 19. Verse 6 Ver. 6. Of Simeon Shelumiel the Son of Zurishaddai There is less to be observed concerning the Names of these great Men of each Tribe for whatsoever the import of them may be in the Hebrew Language which Chytraeus and others have endeavoured to make out it signifies nothing to us Only most of them show how much God was in the Thoughts of those who imposed these Names on their Children for Elizur signifies my God the Rock and Shelumiel is as much as God my Peace or God my Rewarder and Zurishaddai my Rock Omnipotent or All-sufficient c. Verse 14 Ver. 14. The Son of Deuel So he is called also VII 42. and yet in the second Chapter v. 14. he is called the Son of Reuel For these two Letters Daleth and Resch are very often changed the one for the other As Ripath X Gen. 3. is called Dipath 1 Chron. I. 6. As on the other hand Dodanim X Gen. 4. is called Rodanim 1 Chron. I. 7. And it is to no purpose to heap up more Examples there are of this Verse 16 Ver. 16. These were the renowned of the Congregation The Hebrew word Keruim signifies properly Men called or named that is who had the Honour to be named by God to this Employment which made them more noble than they were before But without this respect to their Nomination by God this word signifies in general famous Men as we translate it XVI 2. XXVI 9. or renowned XXIII Ezek. 23. accordingly the vulgar translates it most noble Princes of the Tribes of their Fathers As appears more plainly from the noble Offerings which each of them made for the Dedication of the Altar Chap. VII Heads of thousands in Israel Men not only of great Authority such as Jethro advised Moses to take to his Aid in governing the People XVIII Exod. 21. but the highest of that Rank being chief Commanders over all the Thousands that were in their several Tribes under whom no doubt were many inferiour Officers of great account For so all People have found it necessary to submit themselves to the Government of some Supreme Power with several subordinate Rulers under it In which Israel excelled all other Nations being under the Government of God himself who appointed Moses immediately under him with several others as we here find to assist him For it is truly observed by Xenophon that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing is either so profitable for Men or so becoming as good Order And on the contrary nothing so mischievous or unseemly as Confusion Now Order is nothing else but the apt Disposition of every thing in its proper place for certain Ends and Uses Accordingly among Men nothing is more necessary than that every one should know and keep his place in that Degree and Rank that belongs to him As was here ordered by God for the Preservation and good Government of his People Ver. 17. And Moses and Aaron took these Men. To Verse 17 be their Associates in the numbering of the People Which are expressed by their Names Whom God himself marked out by name to be joined with them For as People cannot be preserved without Order so that cannot be preserved without Rulers and Governors and they will signifie nothing if their Authority be not reverenced and nothing can gain them such Reverence as a particular Designation by God to their Office Verse 18 Ver. 18. And they assembled all the Congregation together on the first Day of the second Month. They immediately executed their Commission on the same day they received it v. 1. summoning all the People to appear before them And they declared their Pedigrees The People instantly obeyed and every one showed from whom he was descended or it may refer to Moses and Aaron and the rest who set down every Man 's Original in the publick Tables After their Families by the house of their Fathers c. First they showed of what Family they were and then of what House in that Family and then the Name of every Person in that House was given in See v. 2. Such a kind of Distinction Cecrops made in Attica when he numbered the People whom he divided into four Tribes which in the days of Alcmaeon their last King were increased into ten every one of which had several People in it which were like the Families in Israel there being no less than ten or eleven People in that Tribe which was called after his own Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Meursius L. I. de Reg. Athen. cap. 7. Lib. II. cap. X. And every one knows how Rome at the first had three Tribes instituted by Romulus which were divided into ten Courts if I may so call them and those into certain Families which in after-times were increased into Five and thirty Tribes according to the Regions of the City Ver. 19. As the LORD commanded Moses so he Verse 19 numbered them With the assistance of the forenamed Persons In the Wilderness of Sinai Before they removed from Sinai which being upon the Twentieth Day of this Month X. 11. they finished this Work in so many Days or less Ver. 20. And the Children of Reuben Israels eldest Verse 20 Son by their Generations c. The word Generations seems to be larger than Families as that is than Houses comprehending every Family in that Tribe as Families comprehend every Houshold and Houshold comprehends every Person therein So the meaning is all that were descended from Reuben according to their several Families and Houses in those Families and Persons in those Houses Ver. 21. Those that were numbred of them c. were Verse 21 forty and six thousand and five hundred Some have observed that this Tribe was one of those who had the smallest number of Men in it in which they think was fulfilled the Prophecy of Jacob who foretold that Reuben should not excel XLIX Gen. 4. But I do not look upon this as solid for there were several Tribes who all this time had fewer Persons in it than this Particularly the Children of Joseph whom Jacob compared to a fruitful Bough XLIX Gen. 22. were very much fewer See below v. 33 35. Gad also Benjamin and Asher were fewer in number than Reuben who in this regard excelled Five Tribes
is the reason perhaps why these are ordered here in the next words to bring up the Rear They shall go hindmost with their Standards Here the Standard comprehends Ensigns for there was but one Standard for this Camp as there were no more for the other three Therefore the meaning is they shall march hindermost under their several Colours as we now speak Which was ordered for the greater Security of the Sanctuary by the two strongest Bodies marching before and behind where there was the greatest danger Ver. 32. These are those which were numbred of the Verse 32 Children of Israel by the House of their Fathers c. That is Thus were all these Persons disposed under their several Standards whose Number was taken by Moses and Aaron with their Associates I. 44 45. Ver. 33. But the Levites were not numbred among Verse 33 the Children of Israel as the LORD commanded Moses And consequently did not belong to any of these Standards being to make another Camp by themselves I. 47 c. Ver. 34. And the Children of Israel did according to Verse 34 all that the LORD commanded Moses As they gave in their Names when they were to be numbred I. 54. so they now joyned together under such Standards as God appointed So they pitched by their Standards and so they set forward c. Each Tribe encamped under the Standard that was assigned to them and they also marched when they set forward in such order as is here directed Some order no doubt had been observed before both when they rested and when they marched See XIII Exod. 18. but it was not so exact and regular as this form into which they were now cast by God himself nor can we think it was so strictly observed The Jews say that this Camp made a Square of Twelve Miles in compass about the Tabernacle as Dr. Lightfoot hath observed in his Centur. Chorogr CXLVIII and J. Wagenseil more lately in his Annotations upon the Gemara of Sota Cap. 1. Sect. 51. where several of them say that the Camp was three Parasots in compass and a Parasot was four Miles CHAP. III. Chapter III Verse 1 Ver. 1. THese are the Generations of Aaron and Moses Being now to give an account of the Levites who had not been numbred with the rest of the Children of Israel he sets down the descendants of the principal Persons among them viz. Aaron whom he puts in the first place because he was the elder Brother and his Posterity were advanced to the Dignity of Priests and Moses whose Posterity were only Ministers to the Priests as all the common Levites were It may seem indeed at first fight as if he gave an account only of Aaron's Posterity v. 2. But if we look further to v. 27 28. we shall find the Posterity of both here numbred in the Family of the Amramites of which both Aaron and Moses were Amram being their Father from whom the Genealogy of the Children of Moses is derived 1 Chron. XXIII 13 14 c. through their Generations as here those of Aaron Concerning the word Generations See Dr. Hammond on the first of St. Matthew Not. a. In the day that the LORD spake unto Moses in Mount Sinai This Circumstance seems to be particularly specified because at that time Nadab and Abihu who are mentioned in the next Verse were both alive and very eminent Persons XXIV Exod. 1 9 10. though they were now dead at this numbring of the Levites Ver. 2. These are the Names of the Sons of Aaron Verse 2 Nadab the first-born c. There seems no necessity of setting down the Names of Aaron's Sons they not being here to be numbred But it was of great Concernment to have the Distinction preserved between the Priests and the Levites their Offices being very different and therefore Moses here sets down who belonged to the one and who to the other Ver. 3. These are the Names of the Sons of Aaron Verse 3 the Priests which were anointed See VIII Levit. 30. Which he consecrated In the Hebrew whose Hand he filled See XXVIII Exod. 41. XXIX 9. To minister in the Priests Office He would have it noted that Aaron's Posterity were solemnly consecrated to an higher Office than the rest of the Tribe of Levi who were to be their Servants The very name of Cohen carries Dignity in it signifying sometime a Prince as well as a Priest Accordingly the Priests had very little servile Work imposed upon them but their chief business was to draw near to God to present him with the Blood and the Fat and some part of the Sacrifices which might be killed by other Persons This shows that they were God's Familiars insomuch that some Sacrifices were divided between him and them and it was the same thing whether they were consumed on the Alter or eaten by the Priests And those things are said to be given to God which were put into their hands though they never came to the Altar Which is an Evidence of the near relation they had to the Divine Majesty which the Levites had not for they could not come nigh to offer any thing to him no more than the rest of the Israelites but were employed in inferior Services about the Tabernacle that the Priests might wholly attend to the Service of God at the Altar Verse 4 Ver. 4. And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD c. A little after their Consecration X Lev. 1 c. And they had no Children Which is here recorded that all Posterity might know there were none to be admitted to the Office of Priesthood but such as could derive their Genealogy from Eleazar or Ithamar If the other had left any Sons they would have inherited their Father's Office before Eleazar as Maimonides observes out of Siphre See Schickard his Jus Regium Cap. VI. Theorem XX. And Eleazar and Ithamar ministred in the Priests Office in the sight of their Father The LXX rightly translate it together with their Father Who was the High Priest and they Lower Priests under him And so were all their Sons which it is likely they had in good number For they are appointed v. 38. for the guard of the Tabernacle towards the East And thus the Gemara Hieorosol in the Title concerning Fasting saith That Moses appointed VIII Classes of Priests four of the Family of Eleazar and as many of Ithamar which continued till the time of Samuel the Prophet and David who admitted many more See Selden de Success in Pontif. Cap. I. Ver. 5. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Now he gives order about the rest of the Tribe of Levi who had been omitted in the late Muster Verse 5 Ver. 6. Bring the Tribe of Levi near and present Verse 6 them They had consecrated themselves to God by a noble Act mentioned XXXII Exod. 29. Which procured them this Blessing to be presented to God and consecrated to him in a solemn manner for such Services as he should assign
them So this word bring near signifies to offer them unto God As they were VIII 10 11. Before Aaron the Priest In his presence That they may minister unto him Unto Aaron and the rest of the Priests who were the immediate Ministers of God and the Levites were given to minister unto them Which they did many ways especially while they remain'd in the Wilderness where they had a peculiar Charge which otherwise would have been incumbent on the Priests not only to guard the Tabernacle and keep a Watch night and day about it but also to take it down and to carry it when they removed and to set it up again when they rested as we read in the following part of this Chapter and in the next When they came into the Land of Canaan and were settled there they had less to do of this kind But as the Charge of the Tabernacle still lay upon them as it had done before so did other Works in the Courts of the LORD'S House and in the Chambers where they waited on the Priests which are particularly mentioned in 1 Chron. XXIII 28 29 c. And in David's time their Work was still more increased for he appointed them to be Singers in the House of the LORD and to play upon several sorts of Instruments 1 Chron. XXV which they did Morning and Evening 1 Chron. XXIII 30. Porters perhaps there were before who stood at the several Gates of the Tabernacle as afterward of the Temple and are said therein to minister in the House of the LORD 1 Chron. XXVI 12. as also Guards of the Treasury of God's House and of things dedicated to him v. 20. But as he increased the number of them so he settled them in their Courses that there might be a constant Attendance with greater ease As for those of them that were made Judges and Officers not only in Matters concerning the LORD but in the Service of the King as we read there 1 Chron. XXVI 29 30. it no more belongs to what is said of them here than what follows there v. 31. that there were found among them mighty Men of Valour See upon v. 10. Verse 7 Ver. 7. And they shall keep his Charge and the charge of the whole Congregation It highly concerned Aaron in particular and the whole Congregation in general that the Tabernacle should be well guarded And this was the Levites great business at present who took this Charge from off their hands by attending that Service which all of them were bound to perform Before the Tabernacle of the Congregation This exactly expresses in what their Ministry consisted which was not performed in the Tabernacle where the Priests only officiated in the Holy Place as the High Priest in the most Holy but before it in the External Part of it where they assisted the Priests in their Service To do the Service of the Tabernacle Such Service as I have mentioned before v. 6. Ver. 8. And they shall keep By guarding them and keeping a continual Watch about them Verse 8 All the Instruments of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Every thing belonging to it And the charge of the Children of Israel to do the Service of the Tabernacle By which Service at the Tabernacle they took upon them the Charge which otherwise was incumbent on the whole Congregation who were to take care that the holy Things were kept both safe and secure and also separate to the Sacred Uses to which they were appointed These words which are often repeated to do the Service of the Tabernacle are to be carefully noted because the Levites did not serve in the Tabernacle which belonged only to the Priests but served the Tabernacle by guarding it and taking it down and carrying it c. as was said before Ver. 9. And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron Verse 9 and to his Sons They were first presented unto God v. 6. and God bestowed them as a Gift upon the Priests See VIII 19. They are wholly given unto him out of the Children of Israel To attend upon the Priests and to obey their Orders for which they paid them nothing but they were to do it freely being given to them to be their Servants by God who paid them their Wages Ver. 10. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his Sons Verse 10 and they shall wait on their Priests Office Or thou shalt appoint them to wait on their Priesthood Which he had shown before was very different from the Levitical Office but to make them more mindful of their Dignity he repeats it again that Aaron and his Sons alone should officiate as Priests viz. in offering Sacrifice in setting the Bread upon the Holy Table looking after the Lights and burning Incense Which they were to perform in their own Persons and not appoint any others as their Deputies to do them for none of these things could be performed by the Levites Whose business it was to look after the fine Flour of which the Bread was made to prepare it and the Frankincense which was to be burnt and abundance of such like things which are particularly mentioned 1 Chron. IX 27 28 29 31 32. But they could not make the Anointing Oyl or the sweet Perfume mentioned XXX Exod. 23 34. for they were most holy and therefore the Priests only could compound them And the Stranger that cometh nigh By Stranger is meant any one though a Levite that was not of the Sons of Aaron who alone had the priviledge to approach unto God Shall be put to death God himself sent out a Fire to consume Korah and his Company who presumed to offer Incense being but bare Levites and not Priests Chap. XVI Verse 11 Ver. 11. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying To make the Matter more clear he further tells Moses the reason why he took the Levites from among the the Children of Israel to be his after a peculiar manner Verse 12 Ver. 12. And I behold I have taken the Levites from among the Children of Israel Take notice of the Reason why I have taken the Levites from among the rest of the Israelites v. 9. for it is by my Order and Appointment Instead of all the First-born that openeth the Matrix c. To make an exchange with them for all their First-born which I have heretofore challenged as my own and now take the Levites in their stead Therefore the Levites shall be mine As all the First-born were which now shall be theirs and the Levites be mine Ver. 13. Because all the First-born are mine By Verse 13 a special Right which is mentioned in the next words For on the day that I smote all the First-born in the Land of Egypt The Title whereby he laid a Claim to all the First-born was that great Miracle as R. Levi of Barcelona calls it which he wrought when he destroyed all the First-born of their Neighbours in Egypt and touched not one of theirs By which sparing Mercy he acquired
to keep the Jews from following their Customs but they rather imitated what was practised among the Jews Particularly Bochartus observes out of Philostratus there were Waters in Cappadocia sacred to Jupiter which were very sweet and pleasant to those who were innocent and swore truly but quite contrary to those who were perjured Whose Eyes Hands and Feet were presently seiz'd and infected with Blotches and filthy Ulcers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the very Disease here mentioned if we believe Josephus who saith the Woman's Belly swelled by the Dropsie till at last it burst And Philostratus adds that the whole Body of such People grew Consumptive nor could they stir from those Waters but there they lay deploring their Misery See Bochart L. I. Canaan cap. 28. p. 589 590. Which agrees so perfectly with what the Jews say of this bitter Water that it is most likely this Story of the Cappadocian Water was derived from thence For they say not only the Belly of the Woman swelled and her Thigh rotted but every Member of her Body felt the Effects of this deadly Poyson which spread to the very Hairs of her Head as they tell us in Ratboth quoted by Wagenseil upon the Mischna which saith the same cap. 1. Sotae sect 7. And therefore Huetius justly thinks the Fable of the Stygian Lake and several other Rites of finding out the truth of secret Crimes were invented by the Greeks from this Example Demonst Evang. Propos IV. cap. 11. n. 2. Many Authors have collected several sorts of Trials of this kind and lately Guil. Saldenus in his Otia Theologica Exercit. V. n. 24 25. But above all see Huetius his Quaestiones Alnetunae L. II. cap. 12. n. 22. where he gives a large account how far this Rite of trying Womens Chastity by drinking this Water was spread among the most barbarous Nations And the Woman shall say Amen Amen The word Amen is doubled to express her full consent and her earnest desire that God would deal with her according to her deserving The Mischna will have the first Amen refer to those words The LORD make thee a Curse and the second to the next words and an Oath among thy People So that she prayed God both might come upon her if she were guilty We may as well say that one of these Amens relates to the first part of the Adjuration v. 19. and the other to the second part v. 21. Or as Abarbinel doth that there being a double Curse one that her Belly should swell and another that her Thigh should rot she said a double Amen praying both might befal her if she were guilty And as the Talmudists understand it they were an Imprecation upon her self For so they say in Schevnot Whosoever saith Amen to an Oath or Curse seems to pronounce the Oath or Curse with his own Mouth See Wagenseil upon Mischna Sotae cap. 2. sect 5. Annot. 3. Where he produces a great deal more out of the Scripture it self in confutation of the Opinion of our Learned Fuller who in his Miscellanies affirms That Amen is only an Asseveration but never a Form of Swearing Ver. 23. And the Priest shall write these Curses Verse 23 Several Opinions are related in the Mischna concerning the words that were to be written Which some would have to begin at v. 19. If no Man have lien with thee c. and to continue to this Verse But others think they began at those words v. 21. The LORD make thee a Curse and an Oath c. and that the last words were omitted The Woman shall say Amen Amen Which of these Opinions is the true neither the Gemara nor Maimonides have determined In a Book Every Scroll of Parchment wherein any thing was written the Jews call Sepher a Book In which it hath been commonly said the Name of the Woman was written together with the Curse but there is nothing either in the Scripture or in Antiquity to countenance this And he shall blot them out with the bitter Water Or rather Into the bitter Water That is he was to scrape out the words he had written into the Water and so make the Woman drink it Or as the Jews explain it wash the words he had written with the bitter Water till they were quite blotted out See Wagenseil in Mischna Sotae cap. 3. sect 3. Who observes a great many Curiosities which the Jews have about the Parchment and the Ink upon and with which these Curses were written and that they were not valid if they were written by a Lay-man or by a Priest that was not of Age or if they were written before she was adjured or if he blotted out one word before the rest were written c. See there cap. 2. sect 4. Hottinger forgot himself when he said The Scroll it self was thrown into the Water Thesaur Philolog L. II. cap. 2. for no such thing appears Verse 24 Ver. 24. And he shall cause the Woman to drink c. viz. After he had offered the Jealousie-Offering upon the Altar v. 26. And if she refused to drink the Water into which the Curses were scraped they forced her to it with this preceding Admonition My Daughter if thou art confident of thine Innocence do not fear to drink this Water which will do thee no more hurt than dry Poison laid upon the Flesh of a living Creature c. If hereupon she confessed that she had been poluted the Water was straightway poured out because there was no holiness in it as Maimonides saith For it is called holy v. 17. not because it was sanctified to this use but only because it was taken out of the Laver which was an holy Vessel See Selden L. III. Vxor Hebr. cap. 15. who observes also in the foregoing Chapter that if after a Man had brought his Wife to this Trial he chanced to die before this Adjuration she was freed from taking the Potion but lost her Dowry And the Water that causeth the Curse Or that is loaded with Curses which have been scraped into it Shall enter into her and become bitter Produce those direful Effects before-mentioned if she be guilty Ver. 25. Then the Priest shall take the Jealousie-Offering Verse 25 out of the Woman's hand Into which he had put it before he adjured her v. 18. And shall wave the Offering before the LORD How this Waving was performed hath been shown before upon Leviticus Rasi here expresses it in four words he moved the Oblation to and fro up and down Something like to which Pythagoras seems to intimate in that Symbol of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Worship turning round Which Plutarch ascribes to Numa in whose Life he says a great many observable things concerning turning round in their Sacred Offices Which was a Rite in use among the Gentiles who when they saluted their Gods standing with their Heads uncovered turned about their Bodies to the Right-hand As Christoph Arnoldus observes out of Suetonius and others in his
and let Blood And whosoever suffered a Rasor to pass upon his Flesh was required to wash himself in pure Fountain-water as he shows More Nevochim P. III. cap. 47. Verse 19 Ver. 19. And the Priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the Ram. The left Shoulder which he was to take out of the Pot as it was boiling for the right Shoulder which is called the Heave-shoulder in the next Verse was the Priest's Portion by a Law made before this VII Lev. 32 33. And one unleavened Cake out of the Basket and one unleavened Wafer The Basket of unleavened Bread was ordered to be offered before v. 17. and now he orders one of the Cakes and one of the Wafers mentioned with the Bread v. 15. to be put into the Hands of the Nazarite the rest being burnt I suppose upon the Altar And shall put them into the hands of the Nazarite That he might give them to the Priest in token of his Thankfulness to him for his pains After the Hair of his Separation is shaved And his Vow in a manner compleated as it was immediately after these things were presented unto God Ver. 20. And the Priest shall wave them Both Verse 20 the sodden Shoulder and the Cake and Wafer For a Wave-offering before the LORD See VII Lev. 30 31. This is holy for the Priest with the Wave-Breast and Heave-shoulder These two were the Priests Portion out of all Peace-offerings as I observed before from VII Lev. 34. but in this Peace-offering he had moreover the other Soulder as a special Token of the Nazarite's Gratitude for his Cleansing And after that the Nazarite may drink Wine He was restored to his former Freedom to live as other Men did Ver. 21. This is the Law of the Nazarite who hath Verse 21 vowed and of his Offering to the LORD for his Separation All these things he was bound to perform betore he could be freed from his Vow though he was never so poor Besides that that his hand shall get Besides which he might add if he pleased according to his Ability According to the Vow which he vowed so must he do after the Law of his Separation There was a necessity that he should perform what his Vow obliged him unto according to the Law of Nazariteship though he might voluntarily offer what he thought good over and above his Oblation now that he was executing his Vow His Friends also might joyn with him in the Expense he was at for so many Sacrifices as he was enjoyned to offer or in providing voluntary Offerings beyond his Oblation Thus we read in XXI Acts 23 24. that St. Paul by the advice of St. James and the Elders Jerusalem was at charges with certain Men that had this Vow upon them and purified himself with them Which was agreeable to the Custom among the Jews as Petitus and others have observed out of Maimonides who says others might help the Nazarites to fulfil their Vow and partake with them in it by abstaining from Wine c. for some time as they did Verse 22 Ver. 22. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying The Tabernacle having been lately erected to which the People were all to resort they are invited to it by the Directions here given how they should be dismissed when they came to Worship Which was in such a manner that they might not doubt as R. Menachem glosses but the Divine Benediction would come down upon them from his Celestial Habitation when they devoutly frequented his House here on Earth Verse 23 Ver. 23. Speak unto Aaron and unto his Sons saying Whose proper Office it was to bless the People as it was to offer their Sacrifices and burn Incense XXI Deut. 5. On this wise he shall bless the Children of Israel saying unto them Standing so that they might be seen with their Hands lifted up and spread speaking with a loud voice with their Faces towards the People See IX Lev. 22. Verse 24 Ver. 24. The LORD bless thee and keep thee Give thee all good things and preserve thee from all evil Ver. 25. The LORD make his Face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee Be favourable unto thee and pardon all thy Sins Ver. 26. The LORD lift up his Countanance upon Verse 25 thee and give thee Peace Be always with thee to Verse 26 protect and defend thee and give thee perfect Happiness When this Benediction was said in the Sanctuary if we may believe the Jews it was but one and pronounced without any Pause The People keeping a profound Silence but out of the Sanctuary in their Synagogues they made three of it the Priest pausing at the end of every Verse and the People saying Amen to each of them In the Sanctuary also they pronounced the name JEHOVAH which is here thrice repeated but in their Synagogues they used some other name instead of it So the Mischna Sotae Cap. VII Sect. 6. The Repetition of this Name three times in these three Verses and that with a different Accent in each of them as R. Menachem observes hath made the Jews themselves think there is some Mystery in it Which we understand though they do not For it may well be lookt upon by us as having respect to the three Persons in the Blessed Trinity who are one God from whom all Blessings slow unto us 2 Corinth XIII 14. This Mystery as Luther wisely expresses it upon Psalm V. is here occultè insinuatum secretly insinuated though not plainly revealed And it is not hard to show if this were a place for it how properly God the Father may be said to bless and keep us and God the Son to be gracious unto us and God the Holy Ghost to give us Peace Ver. 27. And they shall put my Name upon the Children of Israel To put God's Name upon them was to commend them to his Almighty Goodness or to bless them by calling upon the LORD and beseeching him to bestow all that they desired upon them And I will bless them The Jews from hence observe that God's Blessing in some sort depends upon the Blessing of the Priest Which they thought so necessary that such Priests as were admitted to no other Service might perform this for fear the People should at any time want it So Chaskuin upon XXI Deut. 5. and Jalkut as Wagenseil observes upon the Gemara Sotae Cap. VII Sect. 26. whose words are these The Blessing pronounced by a Priest who hath some blemish in his Body ought to be accounted legitimate Jonathan here paraphrases these words in this manner I will bless them in my WORD or by my WORD Which is the Apostolical Doctrine that God the Father hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in or by Christ 1 Ephes 3. Who with the Holy Ghost is most high in the Glory of God the Father And it is observable that the Jews think it utterly unlawful to add a fourth Benediction to these three though they find one in the
and Feasting and Publick Largesses and at last their Feasts became Anniversary as the Feast of Dedication among the Jews was after the times of Antiochus num 6 7. In which Feast there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illuminations as we now speak by setting up of Candles or Lamps in token of Joy cap. 13. num 9. This was the Offering of Nahshon the Son of Amminadab And was the pattern which all the rest followed Ver. 18. On the second Day Their Offerings Verse 18 were thus distributed to be offered on several Days that Confusion might be avoided and that every Tribe might distinctly express their Devotion to God and be graciously accepted by him and the Solemnity be made the more remarkable by continuing it so long as twelve Days For which reason the Feast of Dedication after Mattathias had purged the Temple and the Altar after the prophanation of them by Antiochus was kept eight days by the Jews in following times And this Parascha as they call it of the Law from VI. 22. to VIII 4. of this Book was wont to be read at that Feast as the same Mr. Selden observes cap. 13. n. 7. As among the Romans he observes cap. 14. n. 7. there was a Feast of like nature kept six Days Nathaniel the Son of Zuar Prince of Issachar did offer This Tribe and Zebulun being under the Standard of Judah are the next that offer And so they proceed in the same order Reuben and those under his Standard offer next because they incamped next to them v. 30 36 42 c. Verse 19 Ver. 19. He offered for his Offering one silver Charger the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty Shekels c. It may be observed once for all that there is no difference in the Offerings of these Princes but all offered Plate of equal weight and an equal number of Sacrifices without the least variation Either by common Agreement or by the Divine Appointment that the Vanity of vying one with another might be prevented and none might brag of their out-doing their Brethren and all might be confident that they were equally interested in the Altar and accepted by the Divine Majesty Verse 24 Ver. 24. On the third day Eliab the Son of Helon c. Here it may be observed that Moses thought fit to set down distinctly and at length the Offerings of the Princes of every Tribe as he doth here and in the following part of this Chapter though they were the very same without any difference that an honourable mention being made of every one apart none might think themselves in the least neglected Ver. 30. On the fourth day Elizur c. There is nothing new to be noted of him or any of the rest because the same thing is repeated for the reason fore-mentioned Verse 30 Ver. 48. On the seventh day Elishama c. offered Verse 48 This Solemnity was not interrupted by the Sabbath but the Offerings continued then as upon other days Ver. 84. This was the Dedication of the Altar By Verse 84 these Oblations and Sacrifices which were simple and plain though costly and magnificent With which the Gentiles were not content but used sometimes barbarous Rites in their Dedications as appears by their TAUROBOLIA and CRIOBOLIA in honour of the Mother of the Gods c. See Selden in the fore-named Book cap. 14. n. 8 9. In the day when it was anointed The Dedication lasting twelve Days it is apparent the word day in this place necessarily signifies the Time were it more or less wherein a Thing was done as I observed v. 1. and see v. 88. By the Princes of Israel From whose Examples Princes and great Men should learn as Conradus Pellicanus well applies all this to be devoutly Religious and to possess the Fear and Reverence of the LORD God in their Breasts to be strong in Faith far from Covetousness unanimous in their indeavours to do Honour to God to give a good Example of Faith and Good Works to others to seek the Profit of their Subjects assist the Servants of God lend their helping Hand to the Proficiency of true Piety provide the Ministers of the Church with all things necessary that Religion be not neglected and contemned by their Poverty for the sake of God whom they serve to do them honour by word and deed and follow their godly Admonitions c. This is a profitable Allegory saith he of this History and we need not seek for one more ingenious As for those who highly value the allegorical Sence of all these things Habent alios qui gustui suo consulent curiositati They may find other Commentators to please their Taste and satisfie their Curiosity Twelve Chargers of Silver twelve silver Bowls c. In these and the following words the whole Sum of the Oblations and Sacrifices is set down by Moses that every Reader in all future Times might see without the trouble of casting up the account how devout and generous their Ancestors were Verse 87 Ver. 87. All the Oxen for the Burnt-offering were twelve Bullocks c. Whether there were any Prayers made for a gracious acceptance of the Sacrifices which should be hereafter made on this Altar we are not told But the Sacrifices themselves were in the nature of Supplications and its likely they that offered them made their humble Petitions with them And so the Gentiles always did at the Dedication of their Temples or Altars An instance of which is observed out of Gruter by Fort. Scacchus and by Selden in these words HANC TIBI ARAM JUPPITER OPT. MAX. DICO DEDICOQUE UTI SIS VOLENS PROPITIUS MIHI COLLEGISQUE MEIS c. Which is a Dedication of an Altar to Jupiter with a Prayer that he would be gracious to him that dedicated it and to his Friends and Neighbours The like Dedication there is of a Temple to PRIAPUS near Padua with this Prayer that he would constantly guard their Fields c. Myroth Sacr. Elaeochris 2. c. 28. L. III. de Synedr c. 14. p. 290 309. With their Meat-offering Which was brought in the twelve Chargers and Bowls as a necessary Appendix to the Burnt-offerings and the Peace-offerings as is fully explained XV. 8 9. Ver. 88. This was the Dedication of the Altar Which Verse 88 is repeated here again to show why it was called the Dedication because this was the first solemn Sacrifice which was offered for the Tribes or particular Persons among them and therefore was the more sumptuous After that it was anointed Here the word day is omitted which is used v. 1. and v. 84. Moses intending only to let Posterity know that this Dedication followed not long after the anointing of the Tabernacle and the Altar whereby it was sanctified to God's Service Ver. 89. And when Moses was gone into the Tabernacle Verse 89 of the Congregation to speak with him That is with God This seems to be here mentioned because he had lately had a special occasion to
Bullock For a Verse 8 Burnt-offering as is manifest from v. 12. With his Meat-offering Which always attended upon Burnt-offerings XV. 9. And another young Bullock shalt thou take for a Sin-offering This being offered for the whole body of the Levites is the same Sacrifice that is ordered when the whole Congregation of Israel sinned through Ignorance IV Levit. 13 14. Ver. 9. And thou shalt bring the Levites before the Tabernacle of the Congregation To the Door of it where the Altar of Burnt-offerings stood XL Verse 9 Exod. 6. And thou shalt gather the whole Assembly of the Children of Israel together The Hebrew words COL ADATH which we translate the whole Assembly frequently signifies all the Elders of Israel As in XV. 4. XXV 7. XXXV 12. And it cannot well have any other sense in this place as appears from the next Verse Verse 10 Ver. 10. And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD Present them to him at the Altar And the Children of Israel The Elders of the People mentioned in the foregoing Verse For all the Children of Israel could not possibly do what is here enjoyned but some of them in the name of the rest and none so proper as their Rulers and Governors who were their Representatives Shall put their hands upon the Levites As Men used to do upon their Sacrifices Which signified the devoting of that Beast to God by him who laid his Hand on it at the Altar for such Purposes as he brought it And this was done by private Men in their Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings as well as in their Sin-offerings see I Levit. 4. III. 2. VIII 13. but the Jews observe that the whole Congregation laid their Hands only upon the Sin-offering that was offered for them IV Lev. 15. Therefore the Levites are here to be considered under that notion as is manifest from v. 19. where God is said to have given them to Aaron c. to make an Atonement for the Children of Israel For the Levites being given to God instead of the First-born by the Sanctification of which First-born to God as it is called XIII Exod. 1. the whole Family was sanctified and their Sin after a sort expiated the Offering of the Levites after this manner to God was to have the same effect that the Offering of the First-born had viz. the Sanctification and Atonement of the Children of Israel Ver. 11. And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Verse 11 LORD for an Offering of the Children of Israel The Hebrew words are more significant Aaron shall wave the Levites before the LORD for a Wave-offering c. I have often observed before that this Waving or Agitation too and fro before the Altar of which see XXIX Exod. 24. was a solemn Consecration of a thing to God as a Sacrifice And therefore the Levites were presented unto him under the same Consideration as the First-born were But it was impossible for Aaron to wave them as he did some parts of a Sacrifice and therefore it is probable that he lifting up his Hands and turning about to all sides as he did when he offered a Wave-offering they at his Command imitated the same motion and so were offered up to God and became wholly his See ver 21. That they may execute the Service of the LORD Or as it is more significantly in the Margin that they may be to execute c. Which expresses the Intention of this waving them before the LORD that being wholly given up to him they might become meet to execute that Service to which he appointed them at his House Ver. 12. And the Levites shall lay their Hands upon the Heads of the Bullocks It being evident from v. 19. that the Levites were considered as an expiatory Sacrifice Verse 12 and yet not being to be devoted to Death no more than the First-born were these two Sacrifices one for Sin the other a Burnt-offering were substituted in their stead Upon which therefore they were to lay their Hands that the Sin which the Children of Israel laid upon them v. 10. might be transferred to these Beasts by laying their Hands upon them to be actually sacrificed unto God by shedding their Blood The one for a Sin-offering and the other for a Burnt-offering unto the LORD The Burnt-offering was mentioned first v. 8. being the most ancient of all Offerings from the beginning of the World But the Sin-offering is offered first to make the other acceptable And so it was when Aaron was consecrated VIII Levit. 14.18 and when he offered for himself IX Levit. 8 12. and for the People v. 15 16. and to name no more in the Cleansing of a Leper XIV 19. To make an Atonement for the Levites The Sin-offering properly made the Atonement and the Burnt-offering declared its acceptance Verse 13 Ver. 13. And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron and his Sons As they were brought before the LORD because they were to be given unto him v. 9. So now they were set before Aaron and his Sons because they were given by God to them v. 19. And offer them for an Offering unto the LORD Or as it is in the Hebrew and wave them for a Wave-offering unto the LORD Some imagine that as Aaron waved them before v. 11. so now they were in like manner waved by Moses But it seems to me more probable that the meaning is they being waved c. should be set before Aaron and his Sons and presented to them as God's Gift according to his order III. 9. And so these words ought to be translated after thou hast waved them for a Wave-offering That is after Aaron by his Order had waved them And thus the like words must be understood v. 15. See there Ver. 14. Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among Verse 14 the Children of Israel By the fore-mentioned Purification v. 7. and Oblation v. 10 11. And the Levites shall be mine They became his by this solemn Oblation of them to him v. 11. Ver. 15. And after that shall the Levites go in To Verse 15 the Court of the Tabernacle where they were to attend upon the Priests and assist them in their Ministry and in taking down the Tabernacle when it was to remove To do the Service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation In the Court of the Priests where the Altar of Burnt-offering stood For into the Sanctuary it self none but the Priests entred and there was no Ministry there in which the Levites were to assist And thou shalt cleanse them and offer them for an Offering Or rather after thou hast cleansed them and offered c. according as was directed v. 7 11. Ver. 16. For they are wholly given unto me c. Verse 16 God commanded them before to be taken from among the Children of Israel III. 45. and now they are given to him The word is repeated twice in the Hebrew given given which we translate wholly given because the Children of Israel
the most convenient Quarters for their Army See I Deut. 33. Verse 34 Ver. 34. And the Cloud of the LORD was upon them by day when they went out of the Camp It seems this Removal of their Camp from Sinai was in the day time as some times they removed in the night IX 21. and the Cloud being taken up from off the Tabernacle so moved over the Ark as to overspread them all by day As the Pillar of Fire was over them by night to give them assurance of the Divine Protection See Note upon XIII Exod. 21. and CV Psal 39. Verse 35 Ver. 35. And when the Ark set forward There being the letter Nun turned the wrong way in the Hebrew word for set forward as there is in the word for complained in the first verse of the next Chapter the Jewish Doctors fancy it denotes here God's gracious converting his Face towards them at the Prayer of Moses and in this following Story the Peoples aversion to God and ungrateful turning away their hearts from him Moses said It was his Custom to pray in this manner upon such occasions as R. Levi ben Gersom expounds it Rose up This is an expression saith Abarbinel like that in XXXIII Isa 10. Now will I rise saith the LORD and will be exalted c. Where his taking vengeance upon his Enemies is called his rising According to XXXI Job 14. What shall I do when God riseth up c. The next words Let thy Enemies be scattered c. justifie this sense LORD It seems very strange to me that any should alledge this place as a proof that the Ark is called JEHOVAH when the Prayer of Moses is so plainly directed to the LORD himself who was there in a glorious Symbol of his Presence and not to the Ark. Considering also that in other places where this very form of Speech is used the LORD and the Ark are most manifestly distinguished the one from the other See 2 Chron. VI. 41. and CXXXII Psal 8. And yet an Anonymus Anti-Trinitarian Writer confuted by Joseph de Voisin fifty Years ago observing that the Chaldee here instead of the LORD hath the WORD of the LORD is so absurd as to say that the Ark is called the WORD Because God saith he p. 234. ante illam responsa vel oracula sua dabat c. before the Ark gave his Answers or Oracles when the Priest in dubious Matters consulted the Mouth of the LORD Which Exposition carries its own Confutation in it for if the High-Priest consulted the Mouth of the LORD as he speaks then by the WORD which gave the Answer must be meant the LORD himself To whom Moses here directs his Prayer as the Hierusalem Targum excellently Paraphrases this verse And it came to pass when the Ark was taken up that Moses lifted up his hands in prayer and said Rise now O WORD of the LORD in the strength of thy Power and scatter the Enemies of thy People c. And let thine Enemies be scattered This is a Prayer that God would put all those to flight as he had done the Amalekites Exod. XVII who opposed their passage to the promised Land As after they came thither they used this Prayer LXVIII Psal 1. for his Aid against all those who sought to disposess them of it And let them that hate thee flee before thee This is a Repetition of the same Prayer as is usual For thy Enemies and those that hate thee signifie the very same XXI Psal 8. IV Daniel 19. I Luke 71. Verse 36 Ver. 36. And when it rested As it did wheresoever the Cloud staid and moved no further He said He prayed again So the Hierusalem Targum understands both this and the former verse Moses lifted up his hand in Prayer and said c. and Jonathan Vzielides Moses stood in Prayer and begged Mercy of God saying c. Return O LORD unto the many Thousands of Israel Which Onkelos thus Paraphrases Come again and dwell with thy Glory in the midst of us And so he did the Cloud wherein the Divine Majesty resided setling upon the Tabernacle over the Ark of the Testimony as soon as it was again pitched Others translate it Give rest O LORD which the Hebrew words will bear secure us that is in Peace against the Incursions of our Enemies and all other Dangers R. Levi ben Gersom expounds it bring back the Israelites into the Land of Promise where their Forefathers dwelt when they were few in number whose Posterity was now increased to ten thousand thousands as the last words are in the Hebrew And there are those who will have this to be a Prayer for their Increase and Multiplication into many more Thousands than they were already And thus the Hierusalem Targum who still by the LORD understands his WORD Return now O WORD of the LORD from the vehemence of thy Anger and come back to us in thy merciful Goodness bless the Myriads and multiply the Thousands of Israelites CHAP. XI Chapter XI Ver. 1. AND when the People complained Or as Verse 1 it is translated in the Margin were as it were Complainers or Mutterers Which words D. Kimchi in his Michol brings as an Instance to prove that the Particle Caph which we translate as doth sometimes serve only to signifie the truth of a thing and to confirm it and imports nothing of likeness For the Discontent of the People did not rest in their Minds but broke out into open Murmurings and undutiful Complaints The like he observes XXV Gen. 31 33. and V Hosea 10. The Princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound Where we make it to signifie a Similitude but should only have taken it as a strong Affirmation of the truth of the thing See Theod. Hackspan Disput IV. de Locutionibus Sacris n. 4. Complained Of their long March for three Days together with their little Children Cattel and all their Baggage So it is commonly thought but I can see no good ground for it For no doubt the Cloud stood still though it did not come down and settle as I said X. 33. that they might make some convenient Rests in their Journey else how should they gather the Manna that fell every Night about their Tents and would keep but one Day as we read XVI Exod. I conclude therefore that this Muttering was the beginning of those loud Complaints which were made a little after v. 4 5 c. because they were not brought by this Removal to a place where they might have had other Food than Manna of which they now grew weary having lived upon it near a whole Year It displeased the LORD In the Hebrew It was Evil in the Ears of the LORD That is though it was only a Muttering which did not come to the Ears of Moses as this Complaint shortly after did yet the LORD took notice of it and was much offended at it as it here follows And the LORD heard it and his Anger
Moses Which is among you By a visible Token of his glorious Presence in the Sanctuary where he dwelt among them XXV Exod. v. 8. And have wept before him saying Why came we forth out of Egypt As if he had undone them by their Deliverance from thence Both Onkelos and Jonathan translate this verse in such a manner that one cannot but think they had a Notion in their Days of more Persons than one in the Godhead For these are the words of the latter of them Because you have despised or rejected as Onkelos the WORD of the LORD for glorious is his Majesty which dwelleth among us For I cannot see how the word MEMRA can signifie any thing in this place whatsoever it may do in some others but a Person equal to JEHOVAH And yet the Anonymus Writer against the Trinity confuted by de Voisin hath the strange unaccountable boldness to pass it by with this silly gloss Proprie de Lege accipi potest c. it may be properly understood of the Law which may be contemned or transgressed as if this could be called the glorious Majesty of the LORD which dwelt among them What will not Men say or do to serve a Cause Verse 21 Ver. 21. And Moses said the People among whom I am Over whom I preside as their Governor Are six hundred thousand Footmen Who were able to carry Arms besides Women and Children and Slaves and the mixt Multitude who in all may well be supposed to have made Thirty hundred thousand And thou hast said I will give them Flesh that they may eat an whole month i. e. How can this be Which is a down-right distrust of God's Promise if we regard merely the words and do not consider that they were spoken hastily and something inconsiderately while his Mind was very much disturbed by the Tumult which the People made For which reason a severe notice is not taken of it but he only put in mind of God's Eternal Power v. 23. Which may make it probable that they were only words of Admiration how such a Provision should be made for such a vast number and those uttered on a sudden Verse 22 Ver. 22. Shall the Flocks and the Herds be slain for them to suffice them In the Hebrew the words are If the Flocks and the Herds be slain for them will they be sufficient for them That is there will not be enough for a whole Month. And so the next Passage is to be translated If all the Fish of the Sea be gathered for them will they be sufficient for them Ver. 23. And the LORD said unto Moses is the LORD's Hand waxed short i. e. I need not tell thee that my Power is as great as ever Thou shalt see now whether my Word shall come to pass Verse 23 unto thee or not For thou shalt be convinced of it by the speedy performance of my Promise Ver. 24. And Moses went out I supposed v. 11. Verse 24 that Moses went into the Sanctuary to make his Addresses to God for relief and if that be true then that is the place from whence he now went out But there is this Objection against it That if he had gone to consult God in the Sanctuary as he did on some occasions VII 89. it would not have been said that he went out but that he came out For that is the usual Expression in this matter Therefore we may rather think he now went out of his own Tent where the People stood murmuring v. 10. And told the People the Words of the LORD Both concerning them and concerning himself And gathered the seventy Men of the Elders of the People That is sent out his Summons to them to attend him though two of them it appears afterwards did not come v. 26. And set them round about the Tabernacle That is required them to come thither and there place themselves that the People might understand they received their Authority from God and that from thence he might send his Holy Spirit upon them For God alone who was their King could appoint who should bear Rule among them There also were the great Assemblies held See XXVII 2. Ver. 25. And the LORD came down in a Cloud The SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty appeared from Heaven in a Cloud or in the Pillar of the Verse 25 Cloud as it is in XII 5. And spake unto him As he had promised v. 17. declaring it is likely the Reason and Intention of his appearing on this occasion And took of the Spirit that was upon him and gave it unto the seventy Elders See there v. 17. And it came to pass that when the Spirit rested upon them i. e. As soon as they received it They prophesied Either by setting forth the Promises of God in such a strain as none else could imitate or giving such admirable Instructions to the People as manifested they were raised above themselves or perhaps by declaring things to come particularly that they should have Quails as we render the word in great abundance very shortly as some of the Jews take it though that could not gain them just credit as the other Gifts till their Predictions were fulfilled And these the Jews call the second degree of Prophecy Concerning which Maimonides speaks in his Preface to his More Nevochim but more fully in his second Part of it Cap. XLV Where he saith the first degree was that which moved and enabled Men to some heroick Undertaking with assurance they were put upon it from God as to deliver Men from Tyranny and Oppression Which was the Spirit of the LORD that came upon GIDEON and SAMSON and the rest of the Judges of Israel who were carried by an extraordinary Power to perform such things as otherwise they thought not themselves fit to undertake And the second degree was when a Man found a Power upon him exciting him to speak either Psalms or Hymns or wholesome Precepts of living or about Political Affairs and Civil Government far beyond his Natural Capacities and all this waking and in the full vigour of his Senses This is also called the Holy Spirit and in this number he places these LXX Elders Who were endued with the Spirit of Moses for the Government of the People with him in such measure that they attained to be Prophets Just as in the New Testament the Prophets are placed next to the Apostles so these Men were next to Moses And ceased not In which Translation we follow the Chaldee Paraphrasts as several others do But the LXX translate it and they added no further which the Hebrew words will well bear taking the meaning to be that they prophesied that day but not after And this is the sense of the Talmudists particularly of Jarchi Who in his Gloss upon this place saith All these Elders prophesied only this first time that the Spirit rested on them as they stood about the Tabernable but they did not prophesie after that The like say several others
Sea to the middle of Arabia Petraea Nor would the Locusts have come this way had not this Wind brought them from their ordinary Course From the Sea Viz. From the Red-sea yet not excluding the Persian Gulph Which must not be understood as if they came out of the Sea but from the Sea-coast And it is very probable out of Africa where they abound So the aforesaid Ludolphus expounds it in his late Dissertatio de Locustis Pars II. cap. 39 c. And let them fall by the Camp Or poured them down upon the Camp as Dust or Rain falls thick upon the Ground For both these Comparisons the Psalmist uses in the place before-named LXXVIII 27. And this is expressed in Exodus XVI 13. by covering their Camp As it were a days journey on this side and as it were a days journey on the other side A days Journey as Bochartus makes account is at least Twenty Miles See the place before-named Hierozoic P. II. Lib. I. cap. 15. p. 105. Or as Ludolphus makes the Computation Sixteen Miles in his Dissertation de Locustis P. II. cap. 44 c. Take it either way it shows there was a vast number of them For he adds Round about the Camp So that which way soever they went for sixteen or twenty Miles together there lay heaps of them upon the Ground which if we understand this of Quails cannot be conceived without a heap of Miracles And if we resort to that what need was there of a Wind to bring them when God must be supposed miraculously to have created them as he did Manna And yet such a quantity of Quails was not to be found any where without a Miracle as would cover the Heavens forty Miles according to Bochartus on all sides But that which would have been on many accounts miraculous if we understand it of Quails will be found less wonderful or rather natural if it be understood of Locusts who come in very great and thick Clouds which darken the Sky as all Authors tell us See Ludolphus Comment in Histor Aethiop p. 188. And as it were two Cubits high upon the face of the Earth This Interpreters look upon as impossible for then the Quails would have been choaked and stifled if they had been heaped so deep one upon another And therefore they have devised the addition of a new word and refer this not to their falling upon the Ground but to their flying in the Air two Cubits high above the Earth that so they might the more easily be taken by their Hands So the Jews and so Val. Schindler in his Lexicon upon the word Selau But besides that there is nothing of this in the Text and is contrary to what the Psalmist says that they fell in the midst of their Camp verse 28. and that they came down like Rain which always falls upon the Ground there are many other Difficulties in this Interpretation as he shows p. 189. and defends what he there asserts in his Dissertation de Locustis P. II. cap. 49 50. And therefore it is better to expound it of Locusts who though they fall one upon another to a great depth are not thereby suffocated by reason of the length of their Feet and the thinness of their Wings Ver. 32. And the People stood up or rather rose Verse 32 up all that day and all that night and all the next day They were intent upon the gathering of them for thirty six hours And they gathered the Quails By this it is evident that they gathered something lying upon the Ground and not flying in the Air for we do not gather things there but take or catch them He that gathered least Viz. The Master of every Family for himself and for those belonging to him For we are not to suppose that every Man in Israel gathered so many as follows Gathered ten homers A vast quantity if they were Quails which would have served them not for a Month but for a Year or two as Ludolphus observes p. 190. of his Commentary on his Aethiopic Hist Besides we do not use to measure Fowl but to number them And therefore Bochart being sensible of this impropriety takes the word homer here to signifie an heap Which is confuted by Ludolphus in his Dissertatio de Locustis P. II. cap. 54 55 c. And they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the Camp This is another plain indication that they were Locusts which they spread to be dried in the Sun but if they had been Quails would have been very preposterous for it would have made them the sooner stink Interpreters therefore commonly pass by this and give no account why they spread them abroad and the Vulgar Latin omits this word spread Whereas all Authors tell us this is the principal way of preparing Locusts and preserving them for a Month or more Which they boil'd or other ways made fit to eat when they had occasion See Ludolphus in his fore-mentioned Commentary and in his Defence of it lately in his Dissertatio de Locustis P. II. cap. 97 98 c. Verse 33 Ver. 33. And while the flesh was yet between their teeth While they were eating and therefore were in good health and had a good Stomach Ere it was chewed Before they had swallowed it The Wrath of the LORD was kindled against the People They felt unexpected effects of God's displeasure being taken perhaps with a sudden vomiting of which they died v. 20. This was in the Conclusion of the Month for so long he there saith they should eat flesh And the LORD smote the People with a very great Plague He sent a Pestilence among them as Aben Ezra supposes Or as others think they wasted away in a Consumption the Vomiting perhaps continuing so that they could never retain any Meat till they died This they gather from CVI Psal 15. where the Psalmist saith He sent Leanness into their Soul But Bochartus and Menochius think he burnt them up with a Fire from his Presence as at the beginning of this Murmuring verse 1. where it is said as it is here The Anger of the LORD was kindled But Bochartus grounds this chiefly upon LXXVIII Psal 21. where it is said A Fire was kindled in Jacob which he refers to this Story It may seem strange to some that now they should be punished so heavily when about a Year ago they murmured for Flesh as they did now and he gave it them in the Even together with Manna in the Morning without any Punishment at all But it is to be considered that as it was a greater Fault to fall into the same Sin again after God had been so good to them so they were not in such Necessity now as they were then when they were really pinched with hunger whereas now they were fed with Bread from Heaven and therefore cried for Meat not out of need but wantonness And it may be added That they were not then so well taught
Proselyte that sojourned for a time or were settled among them And will offer an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the LORD Any of the fore-mentioned Offerings which could be offered as is here directed by none but one that was subject to their Law For though another Proselyte who worshipped the true God but was not Circumcised might bring a Burnt-offering yet they say it was without a Meat-offering and Drink-offering and no Peace-offerings were accepted from him As ye do so he shall do Offer according to the Rules above given which is farther explained in the following Verses Verse 15 Ver. 15. One Ordinance Viz. About Sacrifices Shall be both for you of the Congregation i. e. For you Israelites And also for the Stranger that sojourneth with you Here the LXX translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proselytes that are added or joyned to you or are juris vestri participes as Mr. Selden expounds it L. II. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 2. p. 147. An Ordinance for ever c. Never to be repealed as long as your Religion lasts As ye are so shall the Stranger be before the LORD in Matters of Religion and Divine Worship though not in all Civil Things For no Proselyte they think could be chosen a Member of the Sanhedrim or great Council at Jerusalem The Jews extend these words to the way and manner of being made Proselytes by Circumcision Baptism and Sprinkling of Blood as the Jews were originally they say initiated into their Religion Selden Lib. I. de Synedriis cap. 3. p. 34. Ver. 16. One Law and one manner shall be for you Verse 16 and for the Stranger that sojourneth with you This general Rule was made to invite and incourage Strangers to become Proselytes to the Jewish Religion and to engage the Jews to be kind to them they being admitted to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Philo calls it an equal Priviledge with those who were born Jews Yet this the Jews say is to be received with some distinctions For the Laws of Moses either concerning the Duties they owed to God and one to another or concerning Magistracy and Marriages they say those of the first sort belonged to Proselytes as much as to original Jews yet with some temperament as Mr. Selden observes Lib. II. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 4. But in those of the second sort they had not an equal priviledge for they were not to have any sort of Command either Civil or Military and though they might marry with the Jews yet not with the Priests and some Marriages were permitted to them which were forbidden to the Israelites See there p. 167. Ver. 17. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Verse 17 These Commands were given in all likelyhood at the same time with the foregoing Ver. 18. Speak unto the Children of Israel and say Verse 28 unto them See v. 2. When ye come into the Land whither I bring you See there also only add this That the Jews acknowledge such kind of Offerings as here follow and First-fruits were due by the Law only from the Corn c. that grew in the Land of Canaan but by the Decree of their wise Men they were to bring them out of Syria and out of the Land of Og and Sihon as Maimonides saith in his Treatise called Biccurim cap. 2. Verse 19 Ver. 19. When ye eat i. e. When it is ready to be eaten for they offered it before they ate of it Of the Bread of the Land So Corn is called CIV Psalm 14. and the meaning seems to be that when they made Bread of the new Corn of the Land they should out of the Dough first make a Cake and offer it to the LORD before they baked Bread for their own use Ye shall offer up an Heave-offering unto the LORD This is explained in the next verse of offering a Cake out of the first Dough whether it were of Wheat or Barley or Rye or Oats or that which they call Cusemim which they describe to be a kind of Wheat or Barley different from that which is commonly known by those names For of these five kinds of Grain the Talmudists say this Cake was to be offered and that out of the Gleanings and the Sheaf left in the Field and out of the Corners of the Field Verse 20 Ver. 20. Ye shall offer up a Cake of the first of your Dough for an Heave-offering Not upon the Altar but it was given to the Priests on whom God bestowed all their Heave-offerings XVIII 8. yet they are said to be offered unto the LORD because they were heaved or lifted up to him as the Creator of Heaven and of Earth and then given to his Ministers who had it in his right As ye do the Heave-offering of the Threshing-floor so shall ye heave it That is as the First-fruits of the Harvest were given to the Priests and not offered upon the Altar so should this be given them XXIII Lev. 16 17. And so was the First-fruits of their Oyl and their Wine c. XVIII Numb 12 13. All which the Jews call the great Terumah or Heave-offering Ver. 21. Of the first of your Dough shall ye give unto Verse 21 the LORD an Heave-offering in your Generations This being a new Law not given before he repeats it that they might be the more observant of it As we may see they were by this that it was one of the things which rendred a Woman infamous though not so as to give her the bitter Water if she did not separate this Cake from the first Dough of the new Corn to be presented to God but either made her Husband believe she had done it when she had not or ate it her self as Mr. Selden observes L. III. Vxor Hebr. cap. 17. And therefore at this very day the Jews are so nice in this point that they take enough to make a Cake as soon as the Meal is mingled with Water The proportion is not mentioned in the Law but their wise Men say it was to be the forty fourth part of the whole Dough. See Buxtorf Synagog Jud. cap. 34. The Cabbalists observing that this verse begins with the Letter Mem and ends with Mem conclude after their way that therefore they were to give the fortieth part because Mem is the numeral Letter for forty Ver. 22. And if ye have erred and not observed all Verse 22 these Commandments which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses Which have been now given concerning Sacrifices for to such Commandments these words seem to have respect Maimonides in his Treatise of the Worship of the Planets and the Jews generally saith this concerns Idolatry Ver. 23. Even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses That is all the Commandments in the Book of Leviticus about such Matters Verse 23 of God's Worship and Service From the day that the LORD commanded Moses The word Moses is not in the Hebrew and the
good Words to which they would no longer trust Or given us Inheritence of Fields and Vineyards But told us it shall be bestowed forty years hence when we are all dead This still shows they took him for a Deluder of them with deceitful Promises Wilt thou put out the Eyes of these Men Some of them spake this in the name of the rest who were now with Dathan and Abiram and the meaning is Dost thou think to blind us so that none of us shall discern this Imposture Or shall we suffer thee to lead us about like blind Men whither thou pleasest sometimes towards Canaan and now back again towards the Red Sea and Egypt We will not come up A peremptory Resolution not to own his Authority which they denied at the first v. 12. Ver. 15. And Moses was very wroth For such behaviour Verse 15 and Language was so provoking that it was no wonder it incensed the meekest Man upon Earth XII 3. Yet the LXX translate the words as if he only took it very heavily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it made him exceeding sad And said unto the LORD respect not their Offering He calls the Incense which they were about to offer by the Name of Mincha which commonly signifies a Meat-offering but sometimes any inanimate thing that was consumed in honour of God as Incense was and must so signifie in this place for they offered nothing else And when Moses desires it may not be accepted he means a great deal more that God would give some Sign of his dislike to it Hence it seems plain to me That Dathan and Abiram as well as Korah quarrelled at the confining the Priestood unto Aaron's Family for Moses calls this their Offering by the Acceptance or Rejection of which this Controversie was to be decided I have not taken one Ass from them This seems to be an Appeal to God against their unjust Charge that he acted Arbitrarily and did with them what he list v. 13. From which he was so far that he declares before God he had not taken i. e. received by way of Gift or Reward So the LXX and the Vulgar understand it the smallest thing for such a single Ass was much less extorted any thing from them Nor have I hurt any one of them None can say that I have done any kind of Evil to them but contrarily all good Offices For that he did not seek himself appeared in this That he had not advanced his own Family to the Priestood but left them in the number of the other Levites upon the same level with Korah and his Company Ver. 16. And Moses said unto Korah be thou and all thy Company before the LORD c. He repeats what he had said to him before v. 6 7. only adding that he would have Aaron also there together with Verse 16 them So it follows Thou and they and Aaron to morrow Before the LORD i. e. In the Court of the Tabernacle See v. 7. where by an extraordinary Commission from the Divine Majesty this Trial was to be made And therefore Aaron himself did not now go into the Sanctuary to offer Incense which was the proper and only place allowed by the Law but stood with them without As in another great necessity he offered Incense in the midst of the Congregation v. 46 47. Both which was done by a Dispensation from him that made the Law Ver. 17. Take every Man his Censer and put Incense Verse 17 in them and bring ye before the LORD every Man his Censer Let every Man of them stand before the LORD at the Door of the Tabernacle to do the Office of Priests to which they pretended as good a right as Aaron and his Sons Two hundred and fifty Censers This shows that the Incense being offered by so great a number as it appears it was v. 35. they did not offer it in the Sanctuary which would not contain so many Persons Thou also and Aaron each of you his Censer This seems to signifie as if Korah was commanded to stand by Aaron since he pretended to be his equal which made the Hand of God the more remarkable upon him when he was struck with Lightning and no harm came to Aaron who stood by him But it may be doubted what way Korah perished Ver. 18. And they took every Man his Censer That is the Two hundred and fifty Men did as they were commanded but Korah went first to muster up as Verse 18 many as he could get together against Moses v. 19. and then seems to have gone to his Tent v. 24. Herein these Men submitted to the way of decision which Moses propounded though they had so boldly denied his Authority For they could not but think that God whom they owned to be among them v. 3. would approve of them if they were in the right and make good their Allegation That all the Congregation were holy by accepting their Incense as much as Aaron's To whom they did not deny an equality with themselves but only a Superiority And put fire in them From the Altar of Burnt-offering which stood in the Court at the Door of which they were placed I Lev. 5. for Aaron durst not take it from any other place his Sons having lost their Lives for offering with strange Fire The remembrance of which it is likely deterred these Men from doing other wise who did not as yet put in the Fire but only took their Censers and put Incense in them which is all that is ordered in the preceding Verse and put Fire in afterwards And stood in the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation with Moses and Aaron As if they were nothing inferiour to them Verse 19 Ver. 19. And Korah gathered all the Congregation against them The LXX translates it Korah gathered all his Congregation i. e. all the Men of his Faction But the Hebrew words import that he gathered all the Congregation of Israel at least all the great Men who are sometimes called by the Name of all the Congregation XIV 1. whom he got together that they might be Witnesses at least of the issue of this Trial though their coming together with Korah and his Company rather than with Moses and Aaron is too plain an Indication that they were inclined if not to throw off yet to doubt of their Authority Vnto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Where they themselves stood v. 18. And so did Moses and Aaron but the Israelites that Korah had gathered together stood on his side as appears from the foregoing words and from v. 24. And the Glory of the LORD The SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty came forth out of the most Holy Place where it usually resided Appeared unto all the Congregation Openly shewed it self in the sight of all the People and it is likely in such an amazing manner as it had done before XIV 10. But where it appeared we are not told I suppose in the Cloud which was just
not think such things incredible as Huetius hath shown in his Quaestiones Alnetanae L. I. cap. 12. n. 24. Ver. 9. And Moses brought out all the Rods from before Verse 9 the LORD unto all the Children of Israel Before whom they were exposed to open view that they might see the difference God had made And they looked and took every Man his Rod. Viewed them and taking them into their Hands examined them and found they were the very same Rods which they had delivered unto Moses with their Names on them without any alteration Ver. 10. And the LORD said unto Moses bring Verse 10 Aaron's Rod again Which either Moses held in his Hand or delivered it to Aaron as he did the rest to the several Princes of the Tribes who showed it to the Children of Israel with the Buds Blossoms and Almonds upon it After which God commanded it to be returned unto him Before the Testimony To be laid up in the place where it was before it was thus changed v. 4 7. To be kept for a Token against the Rebels That it might be produced as a sufficient Conviction of their Impiety if any presumed hereafter to rebel against Aaron's Authority Or rather that it might prevent all Insurrections against it for the future For it remained we find in the most Holy Place for some time as appears both from the Apostle IX Hebr. 4. and from the reason of its being put here that it might be preserved as a Sign or Proof of Aaron's Authority and Suppress all opposition to it But how long it continued we cannot tell for it is not mentioned when the Ark was brought into the Temple of Solomon 1 Kings VIII 9. nor is it certain whether it continued in that verdure wherein it now appeared with the Buds Blossoms and Fruit though it is highly probable it did because it was to be a Testimony that the Honour of the Priesthood should continue to Aaron's Family alone through all Generations There are those who take this Rod which blossomed and was laid up in the most Holy Place to have been the Rod of Moses wherewith he wrought so many Miracles in Egypt and at the Red Sea Concerning which the Jews tell very many incredible things as that it came from a Branch of the Tree of Life which an Angel gave to Seth who planted it in the Wilderness where Moses found it grown to a Tree and cut this Rod from it For when they came to Marah and could not drink the Waters because they were bitter God showed them this Tree that with it he might make them sweet Upon which Tree he afterward placed the brazen Serpent by looking on which the People were healed c. Thus the Cabbalists generally tell this Tale but some of them much otherwise who say it was given to Adam and by him to Enoch and so on till it came to Joseph in whose House the Egyptians found it when he died and brought it to Pharaoh from whom Jethro stole it c. with a great deal of such like stuff Which Abarbinel saith is to be understood mystically But all the ground they have for this Fancy of the Rod here laid up being Moses's Rod is from XX. 8 9. where it is said That Moses took the Rod from before the LORD wherewith he brought Water out of the Rock and this Rod is said v. 11. to be Moses his Rod. Dr. Owen upon the Epistle to the Hebrews follows this Conceit and endeavours to find many Mysteries in it But it is evidently false for as there is not the least intimation here that it was the Rod of Moses but quite contrary it is called the Rod of Aaron v. 6. so it had not been a sufficient Argument to convince the Infidelity of the Israelites if Aaron's Rod had not been of the same kind with all the rest For they might have ascribed what came to pass to the singular quality or vertue of that Rod especially if it were Moses his Rod wherewith Wonders used to be wrought and not to a special Hand of God appearing to establish the Authority of Aaron And besides a Rod full of Blossoms and Fruit had been very unfit to be used to smite the Rock withal for which purpose that Rod which seems to have been his Pastoral Staff wherewith he smote the Rock in Horeb was most proper XVII Exod. 5 6. And thou shalt quite take away their Murmurings from me i. e. Silence all their Cavils against Aaron and his Family which the LORD here declares he would no longer bear if they continued in them after this demonstration of his Will and Pleasure For here were a great many miraculous things concurred together to convince them that to oppose Aaron was to oppose God himself The Jews reckon up eight First That Aaron's Rod should bring forth Buds Blossoms and Fruit all in one Night when the other Rods which were of the same nature brought forth nothing And then secondly That the Buds brought forth Leaves for so they interpret those words v. 8. the Rod of Aaron was budded i. e. brought forth Leaves for the next words speaks of its budding which followed after And thirdly That it thrust out Leaves before the Blossoms which is contrary to the Nature of the Almond Tree And next that it put forth Blossoms all the Rod over as they interpret those words bloomed Blossoms And then that a dry Stick as they understand it should produce Fruit and this Fruit Almonds which such Trees they think as that Rod was taken from did not bear And further That it produced ripe Almonds as the Hebrew word Schekedim imports And lastly That Moses showed the People all these at one view the Leaves Buds Blossoms and Fruit in perfection By which multiplicity of Miracles the Dignity of Aaron was so demonstrated that we do not find they at any time hereafter adventured to rise up against him For besides all those Wonders now mentioned it may be that it was not the Season of the Year for Almonds nor so much as for the budding of that Tree which made it the more astonishing But the greatest thing of all was the continuing of this Miracle to future Ages which might well make them afraid to open their Mouths again in Murmurings against Aaron That they die not Be not consumed in a moment as God had more than once formerly threatned XVI 21 45. and now declared if they did not mend their Manners and cease their Murmurings about this matter he would instantly execute Ver. 11. And Moses did so as the LORD commanded so did he Both brought the Rod again to him and laid it up before him and told the Children of Israel the reason of it which occasioned what Verse 11 follows Ver. 12. And the Children of Israel spake unto Moses Verse 12 saying Behold we die we perish c. Moses having told them that he laid up the Rod for this end to be a Witness against them that if
they murmured any more they deserved to be all cut off as they should certainly be it moved them to make this doleful Complaint Wherein they seem to be convinced of their Guilt and to bewail their miserable state For the sence of these two verses is Some of us died before and now lately more have perished and we are all in the same danger surely we shall never have done dying till we be all consumed Behold we die This seems to relate to those Judgments which had passed upon them heretofore We perish And this to what had very lately hapned to Korah Dathan and Abiram with their Company and to those that murmured the next day after XVI 49. We all perish This will be the Fate of the whole Congregation Ver. 13. Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the Verse 13 Tabernacle of the LORD Who was not a Priest and yet approached nearer than God allowed Shall die So Moses had threatned and they now believed him And were afraid withal they should some time or other incur God's Displeasure by their Rashness Shall we be consumed with dying They seem to be afraid lest for their late Murmurings and Insurrection after such a heavy Punishment for that Sin XVI 41 42. God should further plague them as by this new Sign he convinced them they justly deserved And therefore beg of Moses to intreat God to spare them and not to go on utterly to destroy them CHAP. XVIII Chapter XVIII Verse 1 Ver. 1. AND the LORD said unto Aaron By the hand of Moses it is most likely unto whom God was wont to Communicate all that he would have delivered either to Aaron or to the People XVII 4. And having done more Miracles than one to establish Aaron in the Priesthood he now lets him know that the Honour he had done him was an Office of great Weight and Burden wherein he was to behave himself with great Care and Circumspection And withal he again declares what the Duty of the Levites was together with the Priests from v. 1. unto v. 8. And from thence he proceeds to tell them what Maintenance he had setled upon both for their encouragement in doing their Duty as I shall observe in the proper places Thou and thy Sons and thy Father's House with thee You and the Levites whom he calls his Father's House who had the Charge of the Sanctuary Shall bear the Iniquity of the Sanctuary If the Sanctuary were profaned through the Negligence of the Levites who were to keep Strangers and People in their Uncleanness from entring into it and if the Priests were remiss and did not take care to see the Levites do their Duty the Punishment of such Prophanation he tells them should fall upon them And thou and thy Sons with thee i. e. Aaron and the Priests alone Shall bear the Iniquity of the Priesthood Suffer the Punishment of it if they permitted any Person who was not of the Line of Aaron to offer Incense or perform any part of the Priest's Office or if they themselves should minister in their Uncleanness or having any Blemish or did any thing contrary to the Rules of their Office This was some comfort to the People who were afraid they should die for every Error committed in their Approaches to the Sanctuary XVII 12 13. for which he assures them he would punish the Priests and the Levites and not them And it also served to remove the Peoples Envy to the Priest whose Dignity they saw accompanined with such great Danger Ver. 2. And thy Brethren also of the Tribe of Levi Verse 2 the Tribe of thy Father This also was a Comfort to the Levites and designed to make them more contented than they had been in their Inferior Offices that the Priests were to look upon them as their Brethren Bring thou with thee Into the Tabernacle That they may be joyned with thee As Assistants to thee there And minister unto thee In such things as I have mentioned See upon III. 6. But thou and thy Sons with thee shall minister before the Tabernacle of Witness The words shall minister not being in the Hebrew some think he still speaks of the Levites and translate the words thus Both to thee and to thy Sons with thee they shall minister as was said before before the Tabernacle of Witness But they that are of this Opinion do not consider what is meant by the Tabernacle of Witness which signifies the most Holy Place See IX 15. X. 11. before which the Levites did not minister but before the Tabernacle of the Congregation as Moses expresly speaks III. 7. See there where they attended upon the Priests in the Court of the Sanctuary in which the Priests only could minister as Aaron alone did upon one certain day only in the most Holy Place Verse 3 Ver. 3. And they shall keep thy Charge and the Charge of all the Tabernacle Of the outward part of it See III. 7 8. and carry the Vessels belonging to the inward part viz. the Sanctuary IV. 15. Only they shall not come nigh the Vessels of the Sanctuary They were not to touch them when they carried them IV. 15. nor to see when they were covered by the Priests IV. 19 20. And the Altar I take this to be meant not only of the Altar of Incense but also of the Burnt-offering unto which they were not to approach nor touch it while they attended upon the Priests who only could minister there This is justified from XXIX Exod. 37. where this Altar is said to be most holy and whosoever touched it is required to be holy That neither they nor you also die They for presuming to go beyond the Bounds of their Office and the Priest for permitting them Ver. 4. And they shall be joyned unto thee He would Verse 4 have the Priests look upon the Levites as part of that sacred Body of Men that waited upon God in the Tabernacle though in an inferiour Office And indeed the very Name of Levi imported as much and denoted them to be Adjuncts to some other Persons Accordingly we find in after times that as the Levites were a guard on the outside of the Temple so the Priests watched within it And keep the charge of the Tabernacle of the Congregation for all the Service of the Tabernacle See III. 7 8. The heaviest part of their Service which is called their Burden is mentioned particularly IV. 3 4. and the rest of that Chapter A Stranger shall not come nigh unto you This seems to relate both to the Priests and to the inferiour Ministers that none should presume to perform the Office of the former but only the Family of Aaron nor of the latter who were not of the Tribe of Levi But the Hebrew Doctors particularly Maimonides by Zar a Stranger understand in this place every one that was not of the Seed-male of Aaron So that the Sons of his Daughters should not minister For the Sons of Aaron saith he Riath
form of Speech to be kept or reserved in the Ark was a Type of Christ as he was the Food of Life or the Bread that came down from Heaven So were these Ashes kept as an Emblem of the everlasting Efficacy of his Sacrifice For there is no bodily Substance under Heaven as Dr. Jackson speaks Book X. chap. 55. which can be so true an Emblem or Model of Incorruption as Ashes are for being the remainder of Bodies perfectly dissolved or corrupted they are not capable of a second Corruption For the Congregation of the Children of Israel This one Heifer being slain and its Blood sprinkled and Body burnt afforded Ashes enough to season as many Vessels of Water as the whole People of Israel should need Wherein it was a notable Representation of Christ's Blood shed for the whole World to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Yea they were sufficient for all the People for many Generations though they had frequent occasion to use them for Legal Purification Wherein still they more lively represented the Vertue of Christ's one Sacrifice which continues for ever For the Jews say this red Heifer was killed but nine times while their State lasted First By Eleazar here in the Wilderness which was not repeated till after the Destruction of Solomon's Temple i. e. not during the space of more than a Thousand Years The second time it was burnt by Ezra after their return from the Captivity of Babylon and but seven times more till the Destruction of the second Temple Since which they have not adventured to make these Ashes but expect it to be done the tenth time by the King Messias Who indeed came to put an end to this and all other Legal Rites not after the Legal manner but by offering himself once for all instead of all other Sacrifices or ways of Purification For a Water of Separation To be put into Spring-water which was always accounted more pure than other by which those Persons were to be cleansed who for their Pollutions were separated from the Congregation and those things also which had been defiled were restored to their common use Ashes all know are of great use in scouring things polluted and the ancient Gentiles used them much in their Lustrations as appears from Virgil Ovid and many other Authors But the Water into which they put them was prepared with Magical Rites and for the most part was drawn out of some pretended Sacred Fountain and sometimes it had a burning Torch taken from the Altar quenched in it and in some places they put Sulphur and Spittle and other cleansing things into it In which I suppose at first they imitated this Rite prescribed by Moses but in process of time added many Superstitions of their own to it It is a purification for sin In the Hebrew the words are It is sin and we add a purification to explain the sence For it was not a proper Sacrifice for Sin as this Phrase for sin sometimes imports IV Lev. 24. but had something of that Nature in it as I observed before and may be properly said to Purifie or Cleanse Men from their Sin i. e. from such Legal Defilements as are mentioned afterwards And it may in a less proper sence have the Name of a Sin-offering inasmuch as the Body of it was burnt without the Camp as the great Sin-offering was on the Day of Atonement and its Blood sprinkled seven times towards the Sanctuary though not shed at the Altar Whereby it became a more compleat Representation of the Sacrifice of Christ Especially if we consider that this Purification here mentioned doth not signifie only one or a few Acts of Purification but a continued Purification the Ashes being to be laid up as a Treasure or Store-house to use Dr. Jackson's words for making as many Purifications or Waters of Sprinkling as the Israelites should have occasion to use For therein consisted the Excellence of this Purification that the Ashes were not to be made by burning a Heifer every time the People had occasion for them but the Ashes of this one Sacrifice as we call it was sufficient for the use of many Generations Accordingly the Apostle saith our LORD Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having made a purification of our sins I Hebr. 3. sat down at God's right hand Which word purification in that place doth not signifie one Act or Operation but implies that by this one act of Sacrificing himself he was consecrated to be a perpetual Fountain of Purification being still the propitiation for our sins Ver. 10. And he that gathereth the Ashes of the Heifer Verse 10 shall wash his Clothes and be unclean until the Even This is one of the strange things which the Jews say Solomon himself did not understand and Maimonides professes he could find no reason of More Nevochim P. III. cap. 47. and the Author of Sepher Cosri also ascribes purely to the Will and pleasure of God of which he could give no account P. III. sect 53. that the same thing should both cleanse and pollute as these Ashes did which polluted him that gathered them and made those that used them clean from the highest Legal Pollutions But this is not strange to those who consider that all those great Sacrifices which were offered for Sin which I mentioned v. 7. though they purified those for whom they were offered were very impure themselves because the Sins of Men were laid upon them as all our Sins were upon Christ who therefore is said to be made sin for us 2 Corinth V. 21. that we might be made the Righteousness of God i. e. freed from all Sin And it shall be unto the Children of Israel and unto the Stranger c. All Proselytes to their Religion were to have the benefit of this Purification as well as the Jews by an unalterable Law By which was figured the Propitiation Christ made for the Sins of the whole World Verse 11 Ver. 11. He that toucheth the Body of any dead Man shall be unclean seven days This long Uncleanness by touching a dead Body was the ground of those strict Injunctions to the Priest about mourning for their dead Relations which is forbidden lest they should be hindred too long in their Ministration See XXI Lev. He that touched the Carcase of any unclean Creature was defiled only till the Even XI Lev. 24. nor was he longer who touched the Bed of him that had an Issue or his Seat c. XV Lev. 5 6 7 8 c. He shall purifie himself with it With the Water of Separation mentioned v. 9. Which seems here to be designed chiefly if not only for the purging of this great Impurity by touching any Man's dead Body On the third day Then he was to begin his Purification by being sprinkled with it Which makes it probable that these Ashes were kept in more places than the Jews mention without the Camp as afterwards near Jerusalem and it is most likely in all the Cities
Rabbah-Ammon i. e. the great City of the Ammonites For so we find in Stephanus de Vrbibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Bochartus hath truly corrected it in his Preface to his Phaleg which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Ar as I said was the old Name of it II Deut. 29. XVI Isa 1. from whence came the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which it retained in later Ages And the Lords of the High-places of Arnon The Masters or Owners as the word Baale may be translated of the High-places c. i. e. those that dwell in the strongest Forts of the Country Or as some fancy the Priests of the Places are here meant or rather their Temple where Baal was worshipped For we find a place in this Country called Bamoth-Baal XIII Josh 17. The High-places of Baal And it is evident this Poet triumphs in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over their Gods and their Religion as well as over them Verse 29 Ver. 29. Wo unto thee Moab He goes on to foretell the Calamity of the whole Country Thou art undone O People of Chemosh So he calls the Moabites who served as the Chaldee translates it or worshipped Chemosh as their God For so we read he was XLVIII Jerem. 7 13. 1 Kings XI 7. XI Judges 24. which St. Hierom thinks differs from Baal-Peor only in Name See Vossius de Orig. Progr Idolol Lib. II. cap. 8. Some take Chemosh to be Saturn particularly Scharastanius the manner of whose Worship see in Dr. Pocock's excellent Annotations in Specim Hist. Arab. p. 316. I shall only add That as the Moabites are called the People of Chemosh because they worshipped him as their God so the Israelites are called the People of the LORD and the People of God because they worshipped the LORD alone V Judges 11. 2 Sam XIV 13. For in the Days of Paganism as Mr. Mede observes every Country nay every City had their proper and peculiar Gods which were deemed as their Guardians and Protectors From whence the Nations themselves are expressed by the Name of their Gods That is evident from this place but it is not so plain that when God threatens to deliver up Israel to serve other Gods he means giving them up into the Hands of the People of strange Countries which he takes to be intended in IV Deut. 28. XXVIII 64. XVI Jerem. 16 c. See Book IV. p. 977. And so he thinks the words of David may be expounded 1 Sam. XXVI 19. They have driven me out this day from abiding in the Inheritance of the LORD saying Go serve other Gods i. e. banished me into the Country of Idolaters See Book III. p. 823. where this is more largely explained He hath given his Sons that escaped and his Daughters into Captivity unto Sihon King of the Amorites This is a manifest triumph over their god Chemosh who was not able to save his Worshippers whom he calls his Sons and his Daughters i. e. his Children who were under his Protection No he could not so much as preserve those that escaped the fury of the Sword but they were afterward taken Captive to make up part of the Triumph of Sihon King of the Amorites Ver. 30. We have shot at them Heshbon is perished Verse 30 even unto Dibon The Hebrew words vanniram abad Heshbon at h Dibon may as well if not better be translated their Light is perished or taken away from Heshbon unto Dibon So Forsterus in his Lexicon and the Tigurin Version and others That is their Glory is gone from one end of the Country to the other For Heshbon and Dibon were two famous places in this Territory XIII Josh 17. And some think this is the place called Dibon-Gad XXXIII 45. Which was the more noted because there Nebo one of their Gods was worshipped For in XV Isai 2. Dibon is mentioned as one of their High-places and there Nebo is lamented i. e. their God which was there worshipped When Hesychius saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which no doubt is this Dibon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Place where the Moabites had a Temple See Selden de diis Syris Syntagm 2. cap. 12. We have laid them waste even unto Nophah Another place in that Country as appears by the words following Which reacheth unto Medeba That is the Territories of Nophah extended as far as Medeba which was certainly a place in the Country of Moab XV Isai 2. But the word reacheth is not in the Hebrew and the words without it may be thus truly translated and as far as Medeba For so the Hebrew Particle ascher is sometimes used to signifie simply and as VI Eccles 12. ascher mi and who can tell c. So here ascher ad and unto c. And here I think fit to note That it is likely these Verses were some part of the History of those Countries For a Poetical way of writing was in use before Prose as Strabo tells us Lib. I. Geograph p. 18. where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. All set or artificial Speech whether Historical or Rhetorical was but an imitation of Poetical Compositions the Ancients knowing no other Cadmus and Pherecydes and Hecataeus being the first who brought in this form of writing now in use See Salmasius in Solinum p. 841. and Cuperus in his Apotheosis Homeri p. 55. However this is certain that they who would instruct the People put their Lessons into Verse as Strabo there shows where he says p. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Ancients call Poetry the first Philosophy forming our Lives from tender years teaching good manners governing the passions and actions with pleasure For which cause the Greeks instituted their Children in their Cities by Poety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not merely for the sake of bare delectation but to form them to sobriety Ver. 31. Thus Israel dwelt in the Land of the Amorites Verse 31 This he mentions again to make it the more observed that this was the Country of the Amorites into which the Children of Israel entred not of the Moabites who had been expelled out of it as was notoriously known there being a Song in every Bodies mouth which continued the memory of it Ver. 32. And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer Another Verse 32 City formerly belonging to Moab but now in the possession of the Amorites Which the Israelites did not take at the first but after they had conquered all the Country before-mentioned they sent some Men to bring them Intelligence which way it was best to attack that City also and the Country about it It was not far from Mount Gilead 2 Sam. XXIV 5 6. 1 Chron. XXVI 31. and both of them were famous for good Pasture and therefore given to the Tribe of Reuben and Gad who had much Cattle XXXII of this Book 1 3 4 35 36. After the ten Tribes were carried Captive from their own Land
to death But here the Hebrew Doctors as Mr. Selden observes distinguish the killing of a Man into three kinds The first was when though it was from pure Ignorance and Error yet there was some Negligence in it which a prudent Man might have avoided The second when a Man kills another ignorantly and cannot be blamed for any negligence because such a thing seldom happens An Example of the first they make to be when a Man coming down a Ladder falls upon another and kills him An Example of the second when going up a Ladder a Man happens to do the same The former is more frequent and therefore they say hath some kind of blame in it the other seldomer and therefore hath none A third kind when any Man kills another out of ignorance and error also but it approaches nearer to voluntary Murder As when a Man intending to kill one Man happens to kill another with a Stone or otherwise In none of these cases they say the Court of Judgment could put any Man to Death And the Cities of Refuge were not provided for the second or third sort but only for the first and that when the Man died presently and did not lye and languish of the Wound for if he did it might be supposed he died by his own negligence or other ways as well as by the Wound In which case there was no need that the Man who wounded him should flee to the City of Refuge nor could the Avenger of Blood meddle with him No more than he could with a Father when he gave his Son or a Master when he gave his Scholar Correction and hapned to kill him The same was the case of him whose Office it was to Arrest Men by Publick Authority and bring them before the Judges if he struck a Man that refused to go along with him and killed him See Selden Lib. IV. de Jure Nat. Gent. juxta Disciplin Hebr. cap. 2. Ver. 25. And the Congregation shall deliver the slayer Verse 25 out of the hands of the avenger of blood If the Court found the Man was killed casually as the Person accused pretended XX Josh 4. then they charged the Avenger of Blood not to prosecute any further Both here and in the foregoing verse and in the next words to these by Congregation is meant the Judges of the City as I observed v. 12. who were to determine in the presence and in the behalf of the People whether the Manslayer was capable of the Priviledge of the City of Refuge or not as we read XX Josh 4 6. Now these things as a very Learned Person of our own argues which were done by the Elders or Judges being said to be done by the Congregation or Assembly of the People in whose behalf they were done it is no wrong to the Holy Scriptures when we say that which they report to have been done by the Church was acted by the chief Power of the Apostles and Elders with the consent of the People For it is manifest in the New Testament that in the Apostles time all the Publick Acts of the Church were passed at the Publick Assemblies of the same As Ordinations I Acts 23. V. 36. Excommunications XVIII Matth. 18 19 20. 1 Corinth V. 4. 2 Cor. II. 10. Councils XV Acts 4 22. other Acts 2 Corinth VII 19. And herewith agrees the Primitive Custom of the Church for divers Ages whereby they gave Satisfaction to the People of the Integrity of their Proceedings and by the same means obliged Superiours to that Integrity by making the Proceedings so manifest and so to preserve the Unity of the Church And from this Interest of the People in such Acts it is at this day that the People of the Church of England are demanded what they have to say against Ordinations and Marriages to be made See Mr. Thorndike in his Rights of the Church in a Christian State Chap. 3. p. 159 c. And the Congregation shall restore him to the City of his Refuge whether he was fled They were to send him back again from the place where he was tried to the City where he had taken Refuge there to remain till the time prescribed in the next words This was more merciful than the punishment inflicted by the Attick Laws which plainly show they were borrowed in great part from Moses for he who slew a Man involuntarily was forced to fly his Country So the Scoliast upon the last of Homer's Iliads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It was the manner in ancient times for a Man that had killed another involuntarily to flee his Country and betaking himself to some neighbouring place to sit with his Face covered begging to be expiated But this was only for a certain time as Demosthenes tells us in his Oration in Aristocratem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Law requires him that is condemned of killing a Man involuntarily for some limited time to go away and keep at an appointed distance till he can make his peace with the Kindred of him that was slain after which he may return again c. And he shall abide in it Not stir out of the Limits of the City that is beyond the Suburbs and the two thousand Cubits which incompassed them v. 4 5. within which Bounds he was to keep Vnto the death of the High-Priest which was anointed with oyl This looks like a Punishment to the Man-slayer whereby others were taught to be very watchful over themselves lest by negligence they chanced to kill any body and so be forced to leave their own home But Maimonides takes it for a prudent Charity to the Man-slayer and to the Relations of him that was slain For by this means the Man-slayer was kept out of the sight of the Avenger of Blood who might have been tempted some time or other to fall upon him if he had come in his way but by long absence his Anger might be mitigated at least by the Death of the High-Priest the most excellent of all other Persons and most dear to every one in the Nation Which made the Publick Grief so great when he died that Men forgot their private Resentments For nothing could fall out more grievous to all People saith he then the Death of the High-Priest which swallowed up all other Grief More Nevoch P. III. c. 40. And in the mean time the Jews say that the Citizens of the place were bound to teach him some Trade whereby he might provide himself with Necessaries And he had this comfort also during his absence from his own Family that the Mother of the High-Priest sent him many Gifts that he might remain there more contentedly and not pray for the Death of the High-Priest So they tell us in the place fore mentioned Maccoth cap. 2. sect 6. Where they also observe that if a Man killed the High-Priest or the High-Priest himself hapned to kill a Man involuntarily they were to stay in the City of Refuge