Commentary on the Holy Bible

3. The last circumstance worthy of note is, tjiat God buried him, which is an honour no /iiniian beinc; ever received besides himself. From the tradition referred to by Saint Jude, ver. 9. it appears that Michael, the archangel, was employed on this occasion; that Srt/an disputed the matter with him, probably wishing tlie burial place of Moses to be knotxn, that it might become an excitement to superstition and idolatry; but being rebuked by tiie Lord, he was obliged to give wer the contention; and though the place of burial was probably the valley of the mountaiti on wliich Moses had been conversing with God, and where he died, yet Satan himself could not ascertain the spot, and no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.

4. Tiius end the life and the ■xxork of the writer of the Pentateuch, who, by the treasures of wisdom and knowledge which he has amassed in those fa-e books, has enriched I he whole civilized earth, and indeed greatly promoted that very civilization. His works, we may justly say, have been a kind ot text-book to almost every writer on geology, geography, chronology, astronomy, natural history, ethics, jurisprudence, political ceco7iomy, theology, poetry, and criticism, from his time to the present day. Books, to wiiich the choicest ■writers and philosophers in Pagan antiquity, liave been deeply indebted; and which were the text-books to all tlie prophets — ■books from which the flimsy writers against Divine llevelation, have derived tlieir natural religion, and ail their moral excellence: — buok« written in all the energy and purity of the incomparable language in which they are composed; and finally, books, which for importance of matter, variety of information, dignity of sentiment, accuracy of facts, iin-' partiality, simplicity, and sublimity of narration, tending to improve and ennoble the intellect, and ameliorate the physical and moral condition of man, have never been equalled, and can only be paralleled by the GOSPEL of the Son of God! Fountain of endless mercy, justice, truth, and beneficence! How much are Ihy gifts and bounties neglected by those who do not read this law; and by those who having read it, are not morally improved by it, and maile wise unto salvation!

It may be asked how Moses, who was bred up at an idolatrous court, which he did not quit till the fortieth year of his age, got that acquaintance xi;ith the true God, which the apostle states him to have lind: and that faith by which he realized spiritual and invisible things; and through which he despised all worldly grandeur and secular emolument! Jiy faith, says the apostle, Moses, vhen he y;as come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with tlie people of God, than to enjoy the plcusuies of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompetise of the renurd, ileb. xi. 24, &c. This certamly implies a degree of religious knowledge, associated Willi an experimental acquaintance with divine things, \jhich we can scarcely ever suppose lo have been at all the result of an Egyptian education. But we shall cease to be pressed with any difficulty here, when we consider the circumstance of his being providentially nursed hy his oxi;n. mother, under the authority and direction of the Egyptian princess. This gave him the privilege of frequent intercourse ■ujith his parents, and others of the Ilebreiis, who worshipped the true God; and from them he undoubtedly learned all the great truths of that religion which were taught and practised among the Patriarchs. The circumstance of his Hebrew origin, his exposure on the Nile, his being found and adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh, were facts which could not be concealed, and must have been notorious at the Egyptian court: and when these points are considered, we need not be surprised that he never could be so identified among the Egyptians, as that his Hebrew extraction should be forgotten.

That the person whom God designed to be the deliverer of his people, should have been a Hebrew by birth, and have retained all his natural attachment to his own people, anrl yet have been brought up by Pharaoh's daughter, and had all the advantages of a highly finished education, which the circumstances of his own family could not have aftbrded; is all a master piece of wisdom in the designs of the Divine Providence. Besides, Moses by this education must have been u-ell known, and even popular among the Egyptians; and therefore the subsequent public part he took in behalf of the Jlelirciis, must have excited the greater attention, and procured him the greater respect, both among the Egyptians and his own people. All these circumstances taken together, shew the manifold wisdom and gracious Providence of God.

On the whole we may remark, that when God calls any person to an extraordinary work, he so orders it in the course of his Providence, that he shall have everj' qualification necessary for that work. This was the case with Moses: — his Hebrew extraction, the comeliness of his person, his Egyptian education, his natural firmness and constancy of character, all concurred with the influences of the Divine Spirit, to make him in every respect such a person, one among millions, who was eveiy way qualified for the great work which God had given him to do; and who performed it according to the mind of his Maker. Servant oi' God, well done I

■OF ALL THE SECTIONS OF THE LAW, AND SECTIONS OF THE PIIOPIIETS, AS RE.\D IN THE ©IFFERENT JEWISH

PAIIESHIOTH, or sections of the Law. HAPHTAROTH, or sections of the Prophf.tr.

General vl&w of the scclions

IV. of the Law and Prophets.

Ge^ieral view of the sections of the Law and Prophets. IIAPHTAROTH.

Portuguese and Italian. German and Dutch.

In the above chapters and verses, 1 have, in general, followed the divisions in the best Masoretic Bibles, from which our common English Bibles will, in some cases, be found to differ a little.

In the synagogues the Law is read entirely through in the fifty sabbaths of their lunar year: for they join certain sections togetli*r, which are noticed at the end of the tables. But in their intercalntcd years, in which they add a month, they have then fifty-four sabbaths, and this is one reason why we "find fifty-four Pareshahs, and fifty-four llaphtsras, instead of fifty-fjjo. See the concluding tables.

It has already been observed, that when Antiochus F.piphancs conquered the Jews, about the year 168 before the Christian JErd, he forbad the Law to be publicly read in the synagogues, on pain of death. The Jews, that they might not be wholly deprived of the word of God, selected from other parts of the Sacred Writings, fifty-four portions, which were termed HAPHTORAS, nilBDH haphtoroth, from -IDQ patar, he dismissed, let loose, opened — for though the Law was dismissed from their synagogues, and was closed to them by the edict of this persecuting king, yet the prophetic i.:rit!ngs, not being under the interdict, were left open: and therefore they used them in place of the others. It was from this custom of the Jews, that the primitive Christians adopted theirs of reading a lesson eveiy sabbath out of the Old and New Testaments: and on this custoni, the practice of the Church, in our own country, in reading certain portion? of the Epistles and Gospels every Sunday in the year, was founded.

As a proper knowledge of these Haphtaras, or prophetical sections, may sometimes help to fix the Chronology of some events in the New Testament, it hath been deemed proper to give a table of them in connection with the Pureshioth, or sections of the La'd.; in the place of which, they were origiiially read; and -.vilh which, ever since the days of the Asmoncans, or Maccabees, they continue to be read, in the various synagogues belonging to the English, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, and German.lews.

From the above tables the Reader will perceive, that though the Jews are agreed in the sections of the Lu-ui that are read every sabbath; yet they are not agreed in the haphtaras, or sections from the prophets; as it appears above, that the J>utch and OVrman Jews diller in several cases from the Iiiiliun and Portuguese; and there are some sUghler variations besides those above, which I have not noticed.

It is very likely that jn the time ot our Lord, the 51st haphtarah, called iMtsabim, began with the first verse «f Jsai. Ixi. and not v\ilh the tenth, as above: for from Luke iv. 16 — li). we learn, thai the two fust verses of this chapter forn\ed a part ( f the haphturah for thai sabbath's reailing, in which our Lonl was present in a synagogue of Nxzaretli. And he crnne to Isaza- TCth, where he liad been brought up; and us his CUSTlfM '-eas he went into the synagogue on the SABBATH DAY, and SI OOD VV rOR 'lO REAU. And there u-as delivered to him THE ROOK

OF THE PROPHET ESAIAS; and xvhen he had opened the bonk, he found the place (Ixi. 1, 2.) tvherc it icas vsiitten: " The Spirit of God is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to, the poor: he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." And he closed the book, &c. Have. the Jews altered this haphtarah, knowing the use our blessed Lord made of it, among their ancestors?

In the Masorah, all the mords and letters in the Pentateuch are also numbered; but though I find that the result in any one book does not exactly correspond to the Masoretic enumeration, I have inserted the whole, according to the most exact calculation I could obtain. The Masoritcs, in numbering how often each letter occurs in the whole Lav\, have proposed by this pious labour, to prevent the addition or omission of even a single letter, that the word of God might be preserved in its original integrity. And had we the edition tlius revised by them, it would be of infinite importance. But we must lament that their successors have not watched over these Sacred Records with the same scrupulous exactness. M'e have cause however to i>e thankful, that the collations of MSS. by Kennicotl and De Ilossi have, in a good measure, supplied this defect: so that still we nwy say, " the word of the Lord abideth for ever."

As this enumeration of the letters, will appear to be a matter of curiosity to some, and may please others, having a small space for the purpose, 1 shall here subjoin it.

423^^ times in the Pentateuch.

TIIROIUH TIIK COIIKSF, OF TIIIRTrKN I.lINAIl CVCLKS, (WllIClJ EMUKACK KVF.RY POSSIBLE VAUIATION) THE UAV THE WKl'.K Willi WHICH Tin;.IKWISM VKAH liKGINS, ANU ON WHICH THK I'A.SVA J;k IS HKLU; AS AI,S.) THK I.ICNOTU OF TUE MONTHS MAUCHESVAN AND CISLEU.

CONTAINING THE WHOLE VAniATIONS IN TflE READING Ol' THE PAUESHIOTII, OR SECTIONS OF THE LAW, FOR of the i'areshioth. of the

Tounh JEWISH EMliOLISMIC YEAR of 385 Day., conuining 55 SabbiUij.

I.,l.hnilu of iliL- Mouth

Fifth JEWISH EiMBOLISMIC YEAR of 383 D.iys, containing 55 Sabbaths.

Sixth JEWISH EMBOLISMIC YEAR of 385 Days, containing 55 Sabbaths.

■iabb.ilhs o; ihe Moiitli

Seventh JEWISH EMBOLlSMIC YEAR of 383 Days, containing 54 Sabbaths.

iSabbaths Pareshioth. of tlw

I'irsi JEWISH COMMON YEAR of 355 Days, conuiining.51.Sabbaths.

Siihbniliv of llj<' Molilh.

Salilialhs ii( Ihc.Month.

■^;ibliaths of the Mouth.

Ttiird JEWISH COMMON YEAR of 353 Days, containing 50 Sabbaths.

S.ibbatlis of llio Month.

sabbaths ol tlic."VloiUh.

■^abb.Ttlls of nhe Month.

-ijibbatlui ol ilic Month.

Snl)l>:tlllS0f tlu- Month.

Sabbaths ol the.M.jiilli.

Sixth JEWISH COMMON YEAR of ti55 Days, containing 50 Sabbatlis.

Seventh JEWISH COMMON YEAR of 354 Days, containing 50 Sabbaths.

N.B. The indexes in Table I. are set down, in the order they are there found, from the authority of Gabriel of Soranum; but as there exist some small difierences in the disposition of the indexes by different persons who have written upon this subject, a list of the variations, (which are adopted by the Rabbins in the construction of their calendar,) is thought essentially necessary to be eiven here, as the following Tables are made to agree with it exactly. The variations are as below:

To fuj(l, with the liclp of Taiilp, IV., ihc Day of llic Week upon wliich my Jcvi»h New Month

Tlie indexes of Tables I and II. corresponding to tlie letters of ihc above Table are as below

TO DETEUMINF. UPON WHAT RAY OF THE WEEK, ANY JEWISH MONTH COMMENCES FOR ANY OIVEN YEAR, AS ALSO TH3 DAY OF THE WEEK I'POX WHICH THE JEWS CELEGP.ATl" THEIH PRIN'CIPAI, F.' S PS AND FESTIVALS.

t'east of the Passever, 15 Nisan

Jewish year of the World 5574. cor-

Saturdayiof th< I'arcihiMh aixl

Urcgoiian year.' Haphuruih.

Jewisli year of tlic Worlil.

Jcwi«h year of the World 5579, cor- ^

Jewish year of the World 5jW), cor-

Jcwisli year of the World 55H5, cor-

^atiirdayiofehc Pambinih and

CIrcgorian year. Hai'tiiarotli.

Jewish year of the World 5587, coi— 1

Jewish year of the World 5589, cor.

Jijwisli yt;irof llic Wdild 55<)0, cor-

.Jewish year of tlio World 5591, 'or-

C/rcgorian ycar.l Maphtaroth.

' Jewish year of the World 5593, corresponding to A. D. 1832—1833.

Jewish year of the World 5594, corresponding to A. D. 1833 — 1834.

Saturdays of tlie Gregoii.in year.

Jewish year of the World.5595, corre- |

Jewish year of the Woi'ld

Jewi»h year of the World 5597, cor-

Jewish year of the World 5C0iJ, ci^rrcsiwiiJing to A. U. 1811— 1H1'_'.

.S,ihbaihs of ihc Jewlili year.

Jewiith year of the World 5603, corre- BponJirijj to A. D. 1812— 1«43,

.Sahbatlii of ihc Jrwiih year.

Parcshiolh and! I.i|)liuruth.

Sabbaihi of the Jcwiih year.

Jewish year of the Wuiki 5G05, corresponding to A. D. 184^4 — -181-5.

Jewisli year of the World 5606, corresponding to A. D. 1845 — 1846.

Saturdaysoftht Gregorian yedr.

Pareihioth and Haphtaroth. i

Jewish year of the World 5607, corresponding to A. D. 1846—1847.

.Jewish year of the World 561. "5, cor-

Jewi«I) year of the World 5616, corresponding t Sabbathi of the

Jewish year of the \Voild 5617, cor-

.Icwifh year of the World 5621, cor-

, Jewish year of the World.5622, cor-

Jewish year of the WoM 5623, cor-

Jewish year of the AVoiid 5621', cor-

Jewish year of the World 5C2C), cor- i

.Sahbailir of the b'aturdiyiofthc

Saturdays ofthe Pareshioth and Gregorian year. Haphtaroth.

Sabbpihs of the Jrwish ye^r.

Jewish year of tlic World

Jewiah year of the World 5634, cor-

Jewish year of the Woi Id.56.39, cor-

Saturdayiofthr l'»cihiocJi and

■ Jewish year of the World 5641, cor-

Saturdaysof the Pareshioth and Gregorian year. Haphtaroth.

Jewish year of the World 5G49, c^rresponding to A.D. 1888 — liJ^'J.

Jewish year of llic World 5()j(), corrcspoiuling to A. D. 1»8'J— layt).

Jewish year of the Worl'l.5651, corrctpondiog to A.D. 1890—1891.

Jewith year of the World yi52, corresponding to A.D. 1891— ibiri.

Sabbaihi or the jSjturdayioftlw Jcwiih year. (OrrEoiiaii ycir.

I'arethtorh and ll..|<huiotJi,

Jewish yeai of the World 5655, corresponding to A. D. 1894 — 1895

Jcwi^ili year of llie Worlil.5657, cor-

Jcwiih year of the World 5658, cor-

YcLir fromtlic Incarnation.

ihc Jcwiih y cording to the

Before the Reader enters upon the particular ii.ses of each of the preccdinj^ Tables, it will be nece.ssnry to ^ive a detailed account of the Rabbinical computation of tune upon which they have been coiislruclo<l. The year usetl by the Jews contains 12 or 13 lunations, which are so artificially flisposed, that its coiriniencemenl constantly ha|)pens about the lime of the autumnal equinox. In order to edect this, tiiey have bci n obliged to have r. coiiive to the Sun's re\olutioii through the twelve signs of the Zodiac, or, to speak more properly, to the (|iiaiituin of lime which the l''arth lakes up in piakinjj one complete periodic revolution round the Sun, This period of time, according- to the Rabbins, (which is

Explanation oflhc p-ccrdhig TableX.

'file (jiiaiility of the bynodical ii'vuliitjon ol' llie iVloon, accordin;,' to tlie R.iljhini, iH 30 dav, 12 hcxiri, and 79^ clic-liiLim, \\\ui-U al.so re(hi<-ed to our tini>-, i-. cijuiil to 'J!) d;iy<, 12 hours, 44 ininiileH, and;{ | icroiKl-; and livrlvc time tills (iiKinlity, or:>j4 days, 8 hours 4S ininutcs, and 40 Hceouds in equal to the Jewinli common year, which m nearly 1 I diys ".liorl of the solar rcvolulion; conscfjui ntly, to ktep the Keasons of liu; year in their re8|irctivt "months 'he Hahbnif < iiijiloy an tmhoUsmic or tciip year of 1 U lunar nionths every secoml or third year; hy mean? of which, with oilier correction*, "liii.h will lie hereafter noticed, their years are tiniiid to corrtsiKiiid s-o exactly with the Gregorian calendar, an not to deviate truni it materially, through the course of some centuries.

In the lunar cycle of 19 years, which embraces the principal variations in the motion of the Moon, they have 12 coiniiion years of 12 lunar months and 7 fmio/Zwuc years of 1 3 lunar moutlis; and in order that all their months may bepin as nearly as possible with the day of the conjiinctii;ii of the Sun and Mo<jn, they have allernalely, for the mo'^t part, 'J 9 and.'50 days. Thus 7V.m/, their first moiilh, contains 30 days; Marchcavrm, their second month, 29 or 30; Citlm, 29 or 30; lUcI, 29; S:but, 30; A,!ar, 29; l^imn, 30; Ijar, 29; Skan, 30; Tummuz. 29; Ab, 30; and EluL, 29,' In the emliolismic ytar, the tliirtcatth niuntli, which is nauud Veadar, always consists of 30 days.

The reason uli)j aii i-mbolimdc year, for the nio>t pail, succeeds two common years, is evident from the circumttancc of the lunar year being nearly II days shorter than the solar; so that in three years the. latter gains from the former not fewer than about 32 days; and as only a month of 30 days i.s intercalated in that time, at the comincncrinent of the lunar cycle, it is manifest that two intercalary years must sometimes happen with only one common year between. Accordingly, the 3d, 6tli, Slli,.lltli, 1 4tli, I7lh, and 19lh years, of every lunar cycle, are denominated cmMhmic, sec Table I. If the lunar synodic rcvolulion, consisted precisely of 29 days 12 hours, the assigninn- to the Je»i»h liionlhs 29 and 30 days alternately, would be suflTicient to fix the commencement of the dillerent months aljout the day of the conjunction, ml infiiulum; hut as tlie synodic revolution, according to Habbi Adda, contains 44 niinute«= 35 seconds more than 29', days, it is demonstrable, that the assignment of 29 and 30 days allcmately to the months imist be insulTicient, and in the course of a few years must produce a very sensible error.

Thus, in order to make this circumstance obvious to the lowest capacity, let the first paschal Full Moon in llif: lunar cycle, be supposed to coniniencc precisely at mid day, then it is evident, from the cpiantily of a synodic rc»ohition, as ascertained by the llabhins that the nineteen paschal Full Moons, which are contained in every cycle, will, in this case happen as in the following Talile; where the first eoluniii points out the year of the cycle; the second, the precise iwint of lime III the lunar cyele of tlie respective pasciial Full.Moons; the third, the nearest corres[ondin;' day, omillin" the fl-actional parts; and the foiirlh, tiie dillerences of tiie nuuiliers in the tiiird column, or, in other words" the intcrv^al of lime, expressed in whole numbers, which elapses between each successive paschal Full Moon.

From the last column of the preceding Table, it is evident, that the jiasehal Full Moons Inppen constantly after ati interval of 354, 355, 383, or 384 days, omitting the fi actional parts; but the length of the Jewish year may be eitbtr 353, 354, 355, 383, 384, or 385 days. '1 lie reason of this di.-cordancc between the length of the Jewisli \ear, and tjie inteiTul between two consecutive paschal Full.Moons arises chietly from the circumstance of never beginning tlie \ear i-ii tile fir.s', f^iarth, or sj.xth day of the week. Hence, if the New Mcon, which rtgiilates tl;c co.niiuncciiiciil of the vi ir.

should happen on the Ist day of the week, the year does not \K%m till the following chy; and if on the 4th or 6th, the commencement of the year is dated from the 5lli, or s:\bhatli. Tile reason wiiy the Jcivs never beoin their year on the first day of the week is, to prevent the occurrence of the celebration of the festival of Ilomnna Rabba on the sabbathday; as some parts of this festival are deemed by them incompatible with the strict observance of the sabbath enjoined on theai by the fourth commandment. The reason why the year is never begun on the 4th or 6th days of the week, is, to prevent the occurrence of the great day of Atonement on the 6th, or Lord's day; for, as the Jews are bound to keep this fast on the 10th of Tisri, and also to observe it as strictly as they would the sabbath, in tliis case two sabbaths, as it were, would come together, and produce great inconvenience, as, in their estimation, it is not lawful to bury their dead, or boil their food, on either of these days.

Hence arises tlic necessity of adding or subtracting, from time to time, an entire day, to or from the mean length of the common or embolismic year; which correclion is always made in the month lilarckcsz-an, or Cisleu, just in the same manner as the intercalated day in the Gregorian calendar, is always attached to the end of Febnuiiy. From the different varieties in the length of the months Murchcsvan and Ciaku, connected widi the day of the week upon which tlie year begins, are produced fourteen diftl-rent kinds of years among the Jews, seven of which are common years, and the other seven emhohsmic; for sometimes these two months have each only 29 days; sometimes they have each 30 days, and at otiier times Marchesvan has 29, and Cisleu 30 days; and the new year may commence with the sabbath, or the 2d, 3d, or 5th day of the week.

The indexes by which these ditferent years are distinguished in the preceiling Tables, are, fur the common years, 5Pl, 5<77, "Dl, IPs, 2D3, 2P.5, and 3J5;'and for the embolismic, oDl, 3dl,^ '2P1, 5P3, 7D3, 7P5, and 2D5. Tiie first figure of the Index denotes the day of the week upon^which the year commences; thus, 5 denotes the year to begin on the fiftli day of the week, or Thursday; 3 the third day of the week, or Tuesday, &c. &c. the letter of the index determines the length of the months Marchesvan and Cisleu; thus, P stands (or perfect, i. e.' these two months are both periect, each containing 30 days; D stands for defective, i. e. each of these months contains only 29 days; and a small d denotes tint one of these monlhs is defective, which, in this case, is always Marchesvan. The last figure of the index shews the day of the week upon \ilnch the Pass-over happens; just in the same manner as the first figure denotes the day of the week tipon which the Year begins.

For a furdif r explanation of the index, let it be required to find upon what day of the week the Eabbinical year of the world 58 n begins; upon what day of the week tiie Pass-over is held in that year; and also the length of the months BlarchesTan and Cisleu. To solve this question, we have only to rcft-r to Table I. where we find the index of the year to be 2 Do, /. e. the year conmiences on Tuesday, the Passover is held upon Thursday, and the months 3Iurclicstan and Cisleu are both defective, i. e. have only 29 days each.

Having premised thus much respecting the mode of constructing the Jewish calendar, we now come to explain the chief object of the preceding Tables, which is to determine the order of reading the PareMoth and Ilaphtarolh, or Sections of the L'l'j; and the Prophets, lor any given year. For this purpose Tables I. II. and V. are chiefly constructed. In Table I. the index for every Jewish year of the \\'orld from 5563 to 5814 (both inclusive) is given; and as these years correspond to all the years of Our Lord from 1807 to 2054 (both inclusive) it will be 242 years before this Table, in its present form, will be entirely antiquated; and it may be rendered perpetual, by affixing the same routine of indexes to the 247 years beginning widi A. D. 2055, and ending with A. D. 2301; and to the 247 years subsequent to A. D. 2301, &c. &c. ad infinitum. Table II. contains a calendar of sabbaths, for the 14 different kinds of years made use of by the Jews; together with the Pareshah or Pureshioth read on the difiVrcul sabbaths of each. In the first column of the months, the black circle, or astronomical sign of the conjunction of the sun and moon, points out the figure annexed to it, to be the day of the week upon which the month begins; and when two numbers are affixed, it is to sliew that the conjunction of the Luminaries corresponds to both days; the latter of which is always taken for the commencement of the month. All the other numbers in this column are the days of the month upon which the sabbaths happen, except sometimes in the month Tisri, where two numbers occur together, the first of which is the day of the ii-cek, and the latter the corresponding day of the month. In order, therefore, to find what Pareshah or Pareihioth are read on any given sabbalh, nothincr more is necessary than to look into Table L for the index of the given year, and with it to enter Table II. where against the given sabbadi, in the culumn of Parcshioth, will be found the given Pareshah or Pareshioth required.