Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible

Exodus › Verse 7. The children of Israel were fruitful] na › The petjjjie directed CHAP. (continued)

Verse 32. Their hooks shall be of ^oW] DH^II 9aveyhem, which we translate their hooks, is rendered Ke(l>alL6eg, capitals, by the Septuagint, and capita by the Vulgate. As the word 11 vav or vau, plural D'll vavim, occurs only in this book, chap. xxvi. 32, 37;

Exodus 26:32

and the veil shall divide unto AM. 2513. you between "» the holy place An. Exod. isr.' 1. and the most holy. ^"'^"-

34 And " thou shalt put the mercy-seat upon the ark of the testimony, in the most holy place.

35 And ° thou shalt set the table without the veil, and p the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.

36 And 1 thou shalt make a hanging for the

17, 19, 28; and is used in these places in reference to the same subject, it is very difficult to ascertain its precise meaning. Most commentators and lexicographers think that the ideal meaning of the word is to connect, attach, join to, hook; and that the letter 1 vau has its name from its hook-like form, and its use as a particle in the Hebrew language, because it serves to connect the words and members of a sentence, and the sentences of a discourse together, and that therefore hook must be the obvious meaning of the word in all the above texts. Calmet thinks this reason of no weight, because the 1 vau of the present Hebrew alphabet is widely dissimilar from the vau of the primitive Hebrew alphabet, as may be seen on the ancient shekels; on these the characters appear as in the word Jehovah, chap, xxviii. 36. This form bears no resemblance to a hook; nor does the Samaritan ^ vau, which appears to have been copied from this ancient character.

Calmet therefore contends, 1. That if Moses does not mean the capitals of the pillars by the D'11 vavim of the text, he mentions them nowhere; and it would be strange that while he describes the pillars, their sockets, bases, fillets, &c., &c., with so much exactness, as will appear on consulting the preceding places, that he should make no mention of the capitals; or that pillars, every way so correctly formed, should have been destitute of this very necessary ornament.

2. As Moses was commanded to make the hooks, D'11 vavim, of the pillars and their ^//e<5 of silver, chap, xxvii. 10, 11, and the hooks, vavim, of the pillars of the veil of gold, chap, xxxvi. 36; and as one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels were employed in making these hooks, vavim, overlaying their chapiters, ori'iyNI rasheyhem, their heads, and filleting them, chap, xxxviii. 28; it is more reasonable to suppose that all this is spoken of the capitals of the pillars than of any kind of hooks, especially as hooks are mentioned under the word taches or clasps in other places. On the whole it appears much more reasonable to translate the original by capitals than by hooks.

After this verse the Samaritan Pentateuch introduces the ten first verses of chap, xxx., and this appears to be their proper place. Those ten verses are not repeated in the thirtieth chapter in the Samaritan, the chapter beginning with the 11th verse.

• 37 And thou shalt make for the hanging

may be called the first veil, as it occupied the door or entrance to the tabernacle; the veil that separated the holy place from the holy of holies is called the second veil, Heb. ix. 3. These two veils and the inner covering of the tabernacle were all of the same materials, and of the same workmanship. See chap, xxvii. 16.

1. For the meaning and design of the tabernacle see the note on chap. xxv. 40: and while the reader is struck with the curious and costly nature of this building, as described by Moses, let him consider how pure and holy that Church should be of which it was a very expressive type; and what manner of person he should be in all holy conversation and godliness, who professes to be a member of that Church for which, it is written, Christ has given himself, that he might sanctify and cleanse it; that he might present it unto himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. See Eph. v. 25-27.

' five pillars of shittim wood, and a. m. 2513. overlay them with gold, and their Aja. Exod. isr. 1.

shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

2. In the Jewish tabernacle almost every thing was placed out of the sight of the people. The holy of holies was inaccessible.; the testimony was comparatively hidden, as were also the mercy-seat and the Divine glory. Under the Gospel all these things axe laid open, the way to the holiest is made manifest, the veil is rent, and we have an entrance to the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; Heb. x. 19, 20. How abundantly has God brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel! The awful distance is abolished, the ministry of reconciliation is proclaimed, the kingdom of heaven is opened to all believers, and the Lord is in his holy temple. Sinner, weary of thyself and thy transgressions, fainting under the load of thy iniquities, look to Jesus; he died for thee, and will save thee. Believer, stand fast in the liberty wherewith God has made thee free, and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage.

The altar 0/ burnt-offerings, and tts dimensions, I; its horns, 2; pans, shovels, 4-c., 3; its grate ani net work, 4, 5; its staves, 6, 7. Court of the tabernacle, with its pillars and hangings, 9-15. Gate of the court, its pillars, hangings, length, breadth, and height, 16-18. All the vessels used in the court of the tabernacle to be 0/ brass, 19. The Israelites to provide pure olive oil for the light, 20. Every thing to be ordered by Aaron and his sons, 21.

A ND thou shalt make * an altar of shittim wood, five

Verse 1. Thou shalt make an altar] HDID mizbeach, from nni zabach, to slay: Septuagint, evmaarripiov, 'rom dvcTia^u, to sacrifice, or from Ovu, to kill, &c. See the note on Gen viii. 20.

Exodus 27:1

Four-square] As this altar was five cubits long and five broad, and the cubit is reckoned to be twenty-one inches, hence it must have been eight feet nine inches square, and about five feet three inches in height, the amount of three cubits, taken at the same ratio.

Verse 2. Thou shalt make the horns of it] The horns might have three uses: 1. For ornament. 2. To prevent carcasses, &c., from falling off. 3. To tie the victim to, previously to its being sacrificed. So David: Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar; Psa. cxviii. 27. Horns were much used in all ancient altars among the heathen, and some of them were entirely constructed of the horns of the beasts that had been offered in sacrifice; but such ala

Exodus 27:2

2 And thou shalt make horns of it upon the four

tars appear to be erected rather as trophies in honour of their gods. On the reverses of several medals we find altars represented with horns at the corners. There is a medal of Antoninus on the reverse of which is an altar, on which a fire burns, consecrated Divo Pio, where the horns appear on each of the corners.

There is one of Faustina, on which the altar and its horns are very distinct, the legend Pietas Augusta. All the following have altars with horns. One of Valerian, legend Consecratio; one of Claudius Gothicus, same legend; one of Quintillus, same legend; one of Crispina, with the legend Diis Gemtalibus; and several others. See Numismatica Antiq., a Musellio, under Consecratio, in the index..

Callimachus, in his Hymn to Apollo, Une 60, mteoduces him constructing an altar of the horns ot the animals slain by Diana: — k. M. 2513. his honis shall be of the same; AnJeSdisJ.!. and ^ thou shalt overlay it with ^'^"^^ brass.

there shall he hangings for the a. m. 2513. court of fine twined linen of a An. Exod. isr. 1. hundred cubits long for one side • ^'''^°'

3 And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basins, and his flesh-hooks, and his fire-pans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.

4 And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brazen rings in the four comers

5 And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar.

6 And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.

7 And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it.

8 Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: *^ as "^it was showed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.

9 And ^ thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward,

Verse 3. Thou shalt make his pans'] Vm'D sirothaiv, a sort of large brazen dishes, which stood under the altar to receive the ashes that fell through the grating.

Exodus 27:3

His shovels] V>" yaaiv. Some render this besoms; but as these were brazen instruments, it is more natural to suppose that some kind of fire-shovels are intended, or scuttles, which were used to carry off the ashes that fell through the grating into the large pan or siroth.

His basins] vnplT'D mizrekothaiv, from p"lT zarak, to sprinkle or disperse; bowls or basins to receive the blood of the sacrifices, in order that it might be sprinkled on the people before the altar, &c.

His flesh-hooks] VHJ Si'O mizlegothaiv. That this word is rightly translated flesh-hooks is fully evident from 1 Sam. ii. 13, where the same word is used in such a connection as demonstrates its meaning: And the priesCs custom loith the people was, that ivhen any man offered sacrifice, the priesCs servant came, ivhile the flesh was in the seething, tvith a flesh-hook (jS?D mazleg) of three teeth (prongs) in his hand, and he struck it into the pan, &c.; all that the flesh-hook (j7JD mazleg) brought up, the priest took for himself. It was probably a kind of trident, or fork with three prongs, and these bent to a right angle at the middle, as the ideal meaning of the Hebrew seems to imply crookedness or curvature in general.

His fire-pans] vnnno machtothaiv. Bishop Patrick and others suppose that " this was a larger sort of *°ssel, wherein, probably, the sacred fire which came

1 0 And the twenty pillars thereof and their ^ twenty sockets shall he of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall he of silver.

1 1 And likewise for the north side, in length there shall he hangings of a hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

1 2 And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.

1 3 And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall he fifty cubits.

14 The hangings of one side of the gate shall he fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.

15 And on the other side shall he hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.

16 And for the gate of the court shall be a hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought

down from heaven (Lev. ix. 24) was kept burning, whilst they cleansed the altar and the grate from the coals and the ashes; and while the altar was carried from one place to another, as it often was in the wilderness."

Verse 4. Thou shalt make for it a grate] Calmet supposes this altar to have been a sort of box, covered with brass plates, on the top of which was a grating to supply the fire with air, and permit the ashes to fall through into the siroth or pan that was placed below. At the four corners of the grating were four rings and four chains, by which it was attached to the four horns; and at the sides were rings for the poles of shittim wood with which it was carried. Even on this there is a great variety of opinions.

Exodus 27:4

Verse 8. Hollow ivith boards] It seems to have been a kind of frame-work, and to have had nothing solid in the inside, and only covered with the grating at the top. This rendered it more light and portable.

Exodus 27:8

Verse 9. The court of the tabernacle] The tabernacle stood in an enclosure or court, open at the top. This court was made with pillars or posts, and hangings. It was one hundred cubits, or about fifty-eight yards and a half, in length; the breadth we learn from verses 12 and 18; and five cubits, or nearly three yards, high, ver. 18. And as this was but half the height of the tabernacle, chap. xxvi. 16, that sacred building might easily be seen by the people from without.

Exodus 27:9

with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.

17 All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.

18 The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, and the breadth ^ fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass.

19 All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof,

that the hangings of this gate were of the same materials and workmanship with that of the inner covering of the tabernacle, and the outer and inner veil. See chap. xxvi. 36.

Verse 19. All the vessels — shall be of brass.] It would have been improper to have used instruments made of the more precious metals about this altar, as they must have been soon worn out by the severity of the service.

Exodus 27:19

Verse 20. Pure oil olive beaten] That is, such oil as could easily be expressed from the olives after they had been bruised in a mortar; the mother drop, as it is called, which drops out of itself as soon as the olives are a little broken, and which is much purer than that which is obtained after the olives are put under the press.

Exodus 27:20

Columella, who is a legitimate evidence in all such matters, says that the oil M'hich flowed out of the fruit either spontaneously, or with little application of the force of the press, was of a much finer flavour than that which was obtained otherwise. Quoniam longe melioris saporis est, quod minore vi preli, quasi luxurious, dejiuxerit. — Colum., lib. xii., c. 50.

To cause the lamp to burn always] They were to be kept burning through the whole of the night, and some think all the day besides; but there is a difference of sentiment upon this subject. See the note on the following verse.

This oil and continual flame were not only emblematical of the unction and influences of the Holy Ghost, but also of that pure spirit of devotion which ever animates the hearts and minds of the genuine worshippers of the true God. The temple of Vesta, where a fire was kept perpetually burning, seems to have been formed on the model of the tabernacle; and from this the followers of Zeratusht, commonly called Zoroaster, appear to have derived their doctrine of the perpetual fire, which they still worship as an emblem of the Deity.

Verse 2 1. The tabernacle of the congregation] The place where all the assembly of the people were to worship, where the God of that assembly was pleased to reside, and to which, as the habitation of their king *nd protector, they were ever to turn their faces in all ♦heir adorations.

Exodus 27:21

20 And ^ thou shah command ^^^^- the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp ^ to burn always,

21 In the tabernacle of the congregation, ^ without the veil, which is before the testimony: ^ Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the Lord: ^ it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations, or the behalf of the children of Israel.

Aaron and his sons] These and their descendants being the only legitimate priests, God having established the priesthood in this family.

Shall order it from evening to morning] Josephus says the whole of the seven lamps burned all the night; in the morning four were extinguished, and three kept burning through the whole day. Others assert thai the whole seven were kept lighted both day and nighl continually; but it appears sufficiently evident, frons 1 Sam. iii. 3, that these lamps were extinguished ir the morning: And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid doivn to sleep, &c. See also chap. xxx. 8: And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at EVEN. It appears therefore that the business of the priests was to light the lamps in the evening; and either to extinguish them in the morning, or permit them to burn out, having put in the night before as much oil as was necessary to last till day-light.

-4 statute for ever] This ordering of the lamps night and morning, and attendance on the service of the tabernacle, was a statute that was to be in full force while the tabernacle and temple stood, and should have its spiritual accomplishment in the Christian Church to the end of time. Reader, the tabernacle and temple are both destroyed; the Church of Christ is established in their place. The seven golden candlesticks were typical of this Church and the glorious light it possesses. Rev. i. 12—20; and Jesus Christ, the Fountain and Dispenser of this true light, walks in the midst of them. Reader, hast thou that celestial flame to enlighten and animate thy heart in all those acts of devotion which thou professest to pay to him as thy Maker, Redeemer, and Preserver 1 What is thy profession, and what thy religious acts and services, without this ■? A sounding brass, a tinkling cymbal.

Tertullian asserts that all the ancient heathens borrowed their best notions from the sacred writings: " Which," says he, " of your poets, which of your sophists, have not drunk from the fountain of the prophets 1 It is from those sacred springs that your philosophers have refreshed their thirsty spirits; and if they found any thing in the Holy Scriptures which hit

open and break the clods of his ground 1 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat, and the appointed barley, and the rye, in their place 1 For his God doth instruct HIM to discretion, and doth teach him. For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing-instrument, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it loith his horsemen. This also com 9th forth from the Lord of hosts, who is wonderfvil in counsel, and excellent in working," Isa. xxvjlF 24-29.

Bjixa^t us take heed not to run into extremes here; mackidimy is to help man, not to render him useless. The human hand is the great and most perfect machine, let it nb^ be laid aside. In onr zeal for machinery we are rendering all the lower classes useless: filling the land with beggary and vice, and the workhouses with paupers; and -fining the husbandman wit^ oppressive poor-rates. Keep machinery as a help to the human hand, and to lighten the labour, but never let it supersede either.

This principle, that God is the author of all arts and sciences, is too little regarded: Every good gift, and every perfect gift, says St. James, comes from above, from the father of lights. Why has God constructed every part of nature with such a profusion of economy and skill, if he intended this skill should never be discovered by man, or that man should not attempt to examine his works in order to find them out ■? From the luorks of creation what proofs, astonishing and overwhelming proofs, both to believers and infidels, have been drawn both of the nature, being, attributes, and providence of God! What demonstrations of all these have the Archbishop of Cambray, Dr. Nieuwentyt, Dr. Derham, and Mr. Charles Bonnet, given in their philosophical works! And who gave those men this wisdom? GOD, from whom alone MIND, and all its attributes, proceed. While we see Count de Buffon and Sioammerdam examining and tracing out all the curious relations, connections, and laws of the animal kingdom; — Tourncfort, Ray, and Linne, those of the vegetable; — Theophrastus, Werner, Klaproth, Cronstedt, Morveau, lieamur, Kirtuan, and a host of philosophical chemists, Boerhaave, Boyle, Stahl, Priestley, Lavoisier, Fourcroy, Black, and Davy, those of the.mineral; the discoveries they have made, the latent and important properties of vegetables and minerals which they have developed, the powerful machines which, through their discoveries, have been constructed, by the operations of which the human slave is restored to his own place in society, he brute saved from his destructive toil in our manu-

holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his

factories, and inanimate, unfeeling nature caused to perform the work of all these better, more expeditiously, and to much more profit; shall we not say that the hand of GOD is in all this? Only I again say, let machinery aid man, and not render him useless. The nations of Europe are pushing mechanical power to a destructive extreme. He alone girded those eminent men, though many of them knew him not; he inspired them with wisdom and understanding; by his all-pervading and all-informing spirit he opened to them the entrance of the paths of the depths of science, guided them in their researches, opened to them successively more and more of his astonishing treasures, crowned their persevering industry with his blessing, and made them his ministers for good to mankind. The antiquary and the medalist are also his agents; their discernment and penetration come from him alone. By them, how many dark ages of the world have been brought to light; how many names of men and places, how many customs and arts, that were lost, restored! And by their means a few busts, images, stones, bricks, coins, rings, and culinary utensils, the remaining wrecks of long-past numerous centuries, have supplied the place of written documents, and cast a profusion of light on the history of man, and the history of providence. And let me add, that the providence which preserved these materials, and raised up men to decipher and explain them, is itself gloriously illustrated by them.

Of all those men (and the noble list might be greatly swelled) we may say the same that Moses said "^i * Bezaleel and Aholiab: " GOD hath filled them with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge; and in all manner of workmanship, to devise cunning works; to work in gold and in silver, and in brass, in cutting of stojies, carving of timber, and in all manner oi workmanship;" chap. xxxi. 3—6. " The loorks of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein;" Psa. cxi. 2.

Robe] 7>' 0 meil, from vhy alah, to go up, go upon; hence the meil may be considered as an upper coat, a surtout. It is described by Josephus as a garment that reaches down to the feet, not made of two distinct pieces, but was one entire long garment, woven throughout. This was immediately under the ephod. See on ver. 31, &c.

Broidered coat] ^'^BTl HiHJ kethor.eth, tashbets, what Parkhurst translates a close, slrc.it coat or garment; according to Josephus, " a tunic circumscribing or closely encompassing the body, and having tight sleeves for the arms." This was immediately under the 77icU or robe, and answered the same purpose to the priests that our shirts do to us. See on ver. 13.

^''"^- 5 And they shall take gold, and

6 ' And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.

7 It shall have the two shoulder-pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.

8 And the ^ curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen,

9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:

10 Six of their names on one stone, and

Mitre] n£)JV^ mitsnepheth. As this word comes from the root f]Ji* tsanaph, to roll or wrap round, it evidently means that covering of the head so universal in the eastern countries which we call turban or turband, corrupted from the Persian <^v^J«^ doolbend, which signifies what encompasses and binds the head or body; and hence is applied, not only to this covering of the head, but to a sash in general. As the Persian word is compounded of \»i dool or dawal, a revolution, vicissitude, wheel, &c., and j^Ai> binden, to bind; it is very likely that the Hebrew words in dur, to go round, and £3J3 benet, a band, may have been the original of doolbend and turband. It is sometimes called ^JoyiAr serbend, from y*** ser, the head, and ^^y^ binden, to bind. The turban consists generally of two parts: the cap, which goes on the head; and the long sash of nmslin, linen, or silk, that is wrapped round the head. These sashes are generally several yards in length.

A girdle] DJ3N abnet, a belt or girdle; see before. This seems to have been the same kind of sash or girdle, so common in the eastern countries, that confined the loose garments about the waist; and in which their long skirts were tucked up when they were employed in work, or on a journey. After being tied round the waist, the two ends of it fell down before, to the skirts of their robes.

Verse 8. The curious girdle of the ephod] The word 2Ur\ chesheb, rendered here curious girdle, signifies merely a kind of diaper, or embroidered work; (see the note on chap. xxvi. 1;) and it is widely different from DJ3N abnet, which is properly translated gii-dle Ter. 4. The meaning therefore of the text, according to some, is this, that the two pieces, ver. 7, which connected the parts of the ephod at the shoulders where the onyx stones were set, should be of the same texture with the ephod itself, i. e., of gold, blue, pura the other six names of the rest A. M. 2513. on the other stone, according to An. Exod. isr. 1, their birth. ^''^^^

1 1 ^ With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold,

12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and ^ Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord, upon his two shoulders, " for a memorial,;

1 3 And thou shalt make ouches of gold;

14 And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.

15 And °thou shalt make the breastplate'

pie, scarlet, andyJne twined linen, embroidered together. But others suppose that some kind of a girdle is meant, different from the abnet, ver. 39, being only oi plain workmanship.

Verse 9. Two onyx stones] See on chap. xxv. 7,

Exodus 28:9

Verse 11. Like the engravings of a signet] So signets or seals were in use at this time, and engraving on precious stones was then an apt, and this art, which was one of the most elegant and ornamental, was carried in ancient times to a very high pitch of perfection, and particularly among the ancient Greeks; such a pitch of perfection as has never been rivalled, and cannot now be even well imitated. And it is very likely that the Greeks themselves borrowed this art from the ancient Hebrews, as we know it flourished in Egypt and Palestine long before it was known in Greece.

Exodus 28:11

Verse 12. Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord] He was to consider that he was the represen tative of the children of Israel; and the stones on the ephod and the stones on the breastplate were for a memorial to put Aaron in remembrance that he was the priest and mediator of the twelve tribes; and, speaking after the manner of men, God was to be put in mind of the children of Israel, their wants, &c., as frequently as the high priest appeared before him with the breastplate and the ephod. See ver. 29.

Exodus 28:12

Verse 13. Ouches of gold] nV3iyo mishbetsoth, strait places, sockets to insert the stones in, from V^Vf shabats, to close, inclose, straiten. Socket, in this place, would be a more proper translation, as ouch cannot be traced up to any legitimate authority. It appears sometimes to signify a hook, or some mode of attach ing things together.

Exodus 28:13

Verse 15. The breastplate of judgment] I22'<i;ri ftSTI choshen mishpat, the same as the jiyn choshen, see chap. xxv. 7, but here called the breastplate of judgment, because the high priest wore it upon his breast when he went to ask counsel of the Lord, to give judg-

Exodus 28:15

open and break the clods of his ground 1 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat, and the appointed barley, and the rye, in their place 1 For his God doth instruct HIM to discretion, and doth teach him. For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing-instrument, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it loith his horsemen. This also com 9th forth from the Lord of hosts, who is wonderfvil in counsel, and excellent in working," Isa. xxvjlF 24-29.

holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his

blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen:

6 ' And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.

7 It shall have the two shoulder-pieces thereof joined, at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.

8 And the ^ curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, "and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:

10 Six of their names on one stone, and

Mitre] HDJyo miisnepheth. As this word comes from the root ^^Ji* isanaph, to roll or wrap round, it evidently means that covering of the head so universal in the eastern countries which we call turban or turhand, corrupted from the Persian <^^J^^ doolbend, which signifies what encompasses and hinds the head or body; and hence is applied, not only to this covering of the head, but to a sash in general. As the Persian word is compounded of t^i dool or daival, a revolution, vicissitude, wheel, &c., and <XJL> binden, to hind; it is very likely that the Hebrew words in dur, to go round, and 0J3 benet, a hand, may have been the original of doolbend and turband. It is sometimes called ^u^yu serbend, from y^ ser, the head, and ^^^^ binden, to bind. The turban consists generally of two parts: the cap, which goes on the head; and the long sash of muslin, linen, or silk, that is wrapped round the head. These sashes are generally several yards in length.

A girdle] DJ3X abnet, a belt or girdle; see before. This seems to have been the same kind of sash or girdle, so common in the eastern countries, that confined the loose garments about the waist; and in which their long skirts were tucked up when they were employed in work, or on a journey. After being tied round the waist, the two ends of it fell down before, to the skirts of their robes.

Verse 8. The curious girdle of the ephod] The word JBTI chesheb, rendered here curious girdle, signifies merely a kind of diaper, or embroidered work; (see the note on chap. xxvi. 1;) and it is widely different from D3DX abnet, which is properly translated girdle rer. 4. The meaning therefore of the text, according to some, is this, that the two pieces, ver. 7, which connected the parts of the ephod at the shoulders where the onyx stones were set, should be of the same texture with the ephod itself, i. e., of gold, blue, pura

[ the other six names of the rest a. m. 2513. on the other stone, according to An. Exod. isr. 1. their birth. ^ivan.

^ With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold,

12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod fw stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and ^ Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord, upon his two shoulders, " for a memorial. J

13 And thou shalt make ouches ©/"gold;

14 And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.

1 5 And ° thou shalt make the breastplate'

pie, scarlet, diXiifine twined linen, embroidered together. But others suppose that some kind of a girdle is meant, different from the abnet, ver. 39, being only of plain workmanship.

Verse 11. Like the engravings of a signet] So signets or seals were in use at this time, and engraving on precious stones was then an art, and this art, which was one of the most elegant and ornamental, was carried in ancient times to a very high pitch of perfection, and particularly among the ancient Greeks; such a pitch of perfection as has never been rivalled, and cannot now be even well imitated. And it is very likely that the Greeks themselves borrowed this art from the ancient Hebrews, as we know it flourished in Egypt and Palestine long before it was known in Greece.

Verse 12. Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord] He was to consider that he was the represen tative of the children of Israel; and the stones on the ephod and the stones on the breastplate were for a memorial to put Aaron in remembrance that he was the priest and mediator of the twelve tribes; and, speaking after the manner of men, God was to be put in mind of the children of Israel, their wants, &c., as frequently as the high priest appeared before him with the breastplate and the ephod. See ver. 29.

Verse 13. Ouches of gold] nitfJiyD mishbetsoth, strait places, sockets to insert the stones in, from VJiy shabats, to close, inclose, straiten. Socket, in this place, would be a more proper translation, as ouch cannot be traced up to any legitimate authority. It appears sometimes to signify a hook, or some mode of attach ing things together.

Exodus 28:13

Verse 15. The breastplate ofjudgjnent] £33B'r3 fjyn choshen mishpat, the same as the jaTi choshen, see chap. xxv. 7, but here called the breastplate of judgment, because the high priest wore it upon his breast when he went to ask counsel of the Lord, to give judg-

holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his

open and break the clods of his ground 1 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat, and the appointed barley, and the rye, in their place! For his God doth instruct HIM to discretion, and doth teach him. For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing-instrument, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummm; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummm with a rod. Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it ivith the wheel of his nart, nor bruise it iviih his horsemen. This also com 5th forth from the Lord of hosts, who is wonderfV-il in counsel, and excellent in working," Isa.

Bjita^t us take heed not to run into extremes here; mac&Av is to help man, not to render him useless. The hJaan hand is the great and most perfect machine, let it nbf be laid aside. In our zeal for machinery we are rendering all the lower classes useless: filhng the land with beggary and vice, and the workhouses with paupers; and -lining the husbandman witlj_ oppressive poor-rates. Keep machinery as a help to the human hand, and to lighten the labour, but never let it supersede either. j- n *

This principle, that God is the author of all arts and sciences, is too little regarded: Every good gift, and every perfect gift, s^ys St. ^^^^^;''"l''f'""l above, from the father of lights. Why has God constructed every part of nature with such a profusion of economy and skill, if he intended this skill should never be discovered by man, or that man should not attempt to examine his works in order to find them out ^ From the loorks o/ creation what proofs, astonishin<T and overwhelming proofs, both to believers and infidels, have been drawn both of the nature, being, attributes, and providence of God! Wh^t demonstrattons of all these have the Archbishop of Cam^ay, Dr Nieuwentyt, Dr. Derham, and Mr. Charles Bonnet given in their philosophical works! And who.av'e those men this wisdom^ GOD, from whom alone MIND, and all its attributes, proceed. While we see Count de Bufon and Swammerdam examining and tracing out all the curious relations, connections, and laws of the animal kingdom ■—Tourncfort, Ray, and Linne, those of the vegetable; — Theophrastus, Werner, Klaproth, Cronstcdt, Morveau, lieamur, Kirwan, and a host of philosophical chemists, Boerhaave, Boyle, Stahl, Priestley, Lavoisier, Fourcroy, Black, and Davy, those of the mineral; the discoveries they have made, the latent and important properties of verretables and minerals which they have developed, the powerful machines which, through their discoveries have been constructed, by the operations of which the 'htman slave is restored to his own place in society, he brute saved from his destructive toil in our manu- factories, and inanimate, unfeeling nature caused to perform the work of all these better, more expeditiously, and to much more profit; shall we not say that the hand of GOD is in all this ■? Only I again say, let machinery aid man, and not render him useless. The nations of Europe are pushing mechanical power to a destructive extreme. He alone girded those eminent men, though many of them knew him not; he inspired them with wisdom and understanding; by his all-pervading and all-informing spirit he opened to them the entrance of the paths of the depths of science, guided them in their researches, opened to. them successively more and more of his astonishing treasures, crowned their persevering industry with his blessing, and made them his ministers for good to mankind. The antiquary and the medalist are also his agents; their discernment and penetration come from him alone. By them, how many dark ages of the world have been brought to light; how many names of men and places, how many customs and arts, that were lost, restored! And by their means a few busts, images, stones, bricks, coins, rings, and culinary utensils, the remaining wrecks of long-past numerous centuries, have supplied the place of written documents, and cast a profusion of light on the history of man, and the history of providence. And let me add, that the providence which preserved these materials, and raised up men to decipher and explain them, is itsell o-loriously illustrated by them.

Of all" those men (and the noble list might be greatly swelled) we may say the same that Moses said o. ' Bezaleel and Aholiab: " GOD hath filled them with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understandmg, and in knowledge; and in aU manner of workmanship, to devise cunning works; to work in gold and in silver, and in brass, in cutting of stones, carving of timber, and in all manner of workmanship;" chap. xxxi. 3 6. " The loorks of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein;" Psa. cxi. 2.

Kobe] S'>'0 meil, from uh]? alah, to go up, go upon; hence the meil may be considered as an upper coat, a surtout. It is described by Josephus as a garment that reaches down to the feet, not made of two distinct pieces, but was one entire long garment, woven throughout. This was immediately under the epnoa. See on ver. 31, &c.,,

Broidered coat] y^m nin3 kethor.eth, ashbets, what Parkhurst translates a close, strait coat or garment; according to Josephus, " a tunic circumscribing Iciosely encompassing the body, and having tigh sleeves for the arms." This was immediately under the meil or robe, and answered the same purpose to the priests that our shirts do to us. See on ver. 13.

5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen:

6 ' And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.

7 It shall have the two shoulder-pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.

8 And the ^ curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:

10 Six of their names on one stone, and

Mitre] nSJ^fO mitsnepheth. As this word comes from the root f]Ji* tsanaph, to roll or lurap round, it evidently means that covering of the head so universal in the eastern countries w^hich we call turban or turhand, corrupted from the Persian <^J>/J^^ doolbend, which signifies what encompasses and binds the head or body; and hence is applied, not only to this covering of the head, but to a sash in general. As the Persian word is compounded of J„i dool or daiual, a revolution, vicissitude, wheel, &c., and j^AjL> binden, to bind; it is very likely. that the Hebrew words in dur, to go round, and 0J3 benet, a band, may have been the original of doolbend and turband. It is sometimes called b^Xiy^ serbend, from y ser, the head, and ^^y^ binden, to bind. The turban consists generally of two parts: the cap, which goes on the head; and the long sash of muslin, linen, or silk, that is wrapped round the head. These sashes are generally several yards in length.

A girdle] £3J3N abnet, a belt or girdle; see before. This seems to have been the same kind of sash or girdle, so common in the eastern countries, that confined the loose garments about the waist; and in which their long skirts were tucked up when they were employed in work, or on a journey. After being tied round the waist, the two ends of it fell down before, to the skirts of their robes.

Verse 8. The curious girdle of the ephod] The word 2\^n chesheb, rendered here curious girdle, signifies merely a kind of diaper, or embroidered work; (see the note on chap. xxvi. 1;) and it is widely different from DJ3X abnet, which is properly translated girdle rer. 4. The meaning therefore of the text, according to some, is this, that the two pieces, ver. 7, which connected the parts of the ephod at the shoulders where the onyx stones were set, should be of the same texture with the ephod itself, i. e., of gold, blue, pura the other six names of the rest a. m. 2513. on the other stone, according to An. Exod. isr. 1. their birth. Si^^n.

Exodus 28:8

1 1 ^ With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.

12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and "» Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord, upon his two shoulders, " for a memorial.

1 3 And thou shalt make ouches of gold;

14 And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.

15 And "thou shalt make the breastplate^

pie, scarlet, and^ne twined linen, embroidered together. But others suppose that some kind of a girdle is meant, different from the abnet, ver. 39, being only oi plain workmanship.

Verse 1 1. Like the engravings of a signet] So signets or seals were' in use at this time, and engraving on precious stones was then an art, and this art, which was one of the most elegant and ornamental, was carried in ancient times to a very high pitch of perfection, and particularly among the ancient Greeks; such a pitch of perfection as has never been rivalled, and cannot now be even well imitated. And it is very likely that the Greeks themselves borrowed this art from the ancient Hebrews, as we know it flourished in Egypt and Palestine long before it was known in Greece.

Verse 13. Ouches of gold] n^f^tyo mishbetsoth, strait places, sockets to insert the stones in, from yjty shabats, to close, inclose, straiten. Socket, in this place, would be a more proper translation, as ouch cannot be traced up to any legitimate authority. It appears sometimes to signify a hook, or some mode of attach ing things together.

Verse 15. The breastplate of judgment] DSjyrD [tsTI choshen mishpat, the same as tiie [ari choshen, see chap. xxv. 7, but here called the breastplate of judgment, because the high priest wore it upon his breast when he went to ask counsel of the Lord, to give judg-

Exodus 28:15

1 6 Four-square it shall be, being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.

17 5" And thou shalt i set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a. ^ sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.

1 8 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond,

ment in any particular case; as also when he sat as judge to teach the law, and to determine controversies. See Lev. x. 11; Deut. xvii. 8, 9.

Verse 16. Four-square it shall be] Here we have the exact dimensions of this breastplate, or more properly breast-piece or stomacher. It was a span in length and breadth when doubled, and consequently two spans long one way before it was doubled. Be-

Exodus 28:17

19 And the third row a ligure.

and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their * enclosings. •"

21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

22 And thou shalt make upon the breast plate chains at the ends of wreathen work, o/pure gold.

23 And thou shalt make upon the breast-

tween these doublings, it is supposed, the Urim and Thummim were placed. See on ver. 30.

Verse 17. Four rows of stones] With a name on each stone, making in all the twelve names of the twelve tribes. And as these were disposed according to their birth, ver. 10, we may suppose they stood in this order, the stones being placed also in the order in which they are produced, ver. 17—20: —

Exodus 28:17

In this order the Jews in general agree to place Itiem. See the Jerusalem Targum on this place, and the Targum upon Canticles v. 14; and see also Ainsworth. The Targum of Jonathan says, " These four rows were placed opposite to the four quarters of the world; but this could only be when laid down horizontally, for when it hung on the breast of the high priest it could have had no such position. As it is difficult to ascertain in every case what these precious stones were, it may be necessary to consider this subject more at large.

1. A Sardius, DHK orfe/n, from the root adam, he was ruddy; the ruby, a beautiful gem of a fine deep red colour. The sardius, or sardie stone, is defined to be a precious stone of a blood-red colour, the best of which come from Babylon.

fine yellow; and hence it was called chrysolite by the ancients, from its gold colour. It is now considered by mineralogists as a variety of the sapphire.

3. Carbuncle, np"l3 bareketh, from p"l3 barak, to lighten, glitter, or glister; a very elegant gem of a deep red colour, with an admixture of scarlet. From its bright lively colour it had the name carbunculus, which signifies a little coal; and among the Greeks avdpa^ anthrax, a coal, because when held before the sun it appears like a piece of bright burning charcoal. It is found only in the East Indies, and there but rarely.

4. Emerald, "^Q: nophech, the same with the ancient smaragdus; it is one of the most beautiful of all the gems, and is of a bright green colour, without any other mixture. The true oriental emerald is very scarce, and is only found at present in the kingdom of Cambay.

An. Exod. isr! 1. shalt put the two rings on the ^'''^"- two ends of the breastplate.

24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings, which are on the ends of the breastplate.

25 And the other two ends of the two ^ wreathen chains, thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulder-pieces'' of the ephod before it.

26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate, in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.

27 And two other rings of gold thou shalt

6. Diamond, dSh' yahalom, from D/H halam, to beat or smite upon. The diamond is supposed to have this name from its resistance to a blow, for the ancients have assured us that if it be struck with a hammer, upon an anvil, it will not break, but either break them or sink into the surface of that which is softest. This is a complete fable, as it is well known that the diamond can be easily broken, and is capable of being entirely volatilized or consumed by the action of fire. It is, however, the hardest, as it is the most valuable, of all the precious stones hitherto discovered, and one of the most combustible substances in nature.

7. LiGURE, DK''? leshem, the same as the jacinth or hyacinth; a precious stone of a dead red or cinnamon colour, with a considerable mixture of yellow.

8. Agate, 13iy shebo. This is a stone that assumes such a variety of hues and appearances, that Mr. Parkhurst thinks it derives its name from the root 2V shab, to turn, to change, " as from the circumstance of the agate changing its appearance without end, it might be called the varier.''"' Agates are met with so variously figured in their substance, that they seem to represent the sky, the stars, clouds, earth, water, rocks, villages, fortificatiocs, birds, trees, flowers, men, and animals of different kinds. Agates have a lohite, reddish, yellowish, or greenish ground. They are only varieties of the flint, and the lowest in value of all the precious stones.

9. Amethyst, 710 Snx achlamah, a gem generally of a purple colour, composed of a strong blue and deep red. The oriental amethyst is sometimes of a dove colour, though some are purple, and others white like diamonds. The name amethyst is Greek, afiedvaroc, and it was so called because it was supposed that it prevented inebriation.

10. The Beryl, l^'B^in tarshish. Mr. Parkhurst derives this name from in tar, to go round, and W'\if shash, to be vivid or bright in colour. If the beryl be intended, it is a pellucid gem of a bluish green colour, found in the East Indies, and about the gold mines of Peru. But some of the most learned mineralogists and critics suppose the chrysolite to be meant. This is a gem of a yelloivish green colour, and ranks at present make, and shalt put them on the a. m. 2513. two sides of the ephod under- An. Exod. isr. 1. neath, toward the forepart there- ^^''^"" of, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.

28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof, unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, ^ for a memorial before the Lord continually.

among the topazes. Its name in Greek, chrysolite, xpvaolido^, literally signifies the golden stone.

11. The Onyx, DHty shoham. See the notes on Gen. ii. 12; Exod. xxv. 7. There are a great number of different sentiments on the meaning of the original; it has been translated beryl, emerald, prasius, sapphire, sardius, ruby, cornelian, onyx, and sardonyx. It is likely that the name may- signify both the onyx and sardonyx. This latter stone is a mixture of the chalcedony and cornelian, sometimes in strata, at other times blended together, and is found striped with white and red strata or layers. It is generally allowed that there is no real difference, except in the degree of hardness, between the onyx, cornelian, chalcedony, sardonyx, and agate. It is well known that the onyx is of a darkish horny colour, resembling the hoof or nail, from which circumstance it has its name. It has often a plate of a bluish white or red in it, and when on one or both sides of this white there appears a plate of a reddish colour, the jewellers, says Woodward, call the stone a sardonyx.

12. Jasper, n£3ty' yashepheh. The similarity of the Hebrew name has determined most critics and mineralogists to adopt the jasper as intended by the original word. The jasper is usually defined a hard stone, of a beautiful bright green colour, sometimes clouded with white, and spotted with red or yellow. Mineralogists reckon not less than fifteen varieties of this stone: 1. green; 2. red; 3. yellow; 4. broion; 5. violet; 6. black; 7. bluish grey; 8. milky white;

10. green with 7-ed specks; 11. veined with various colours, apparently in the form of letters; 12. with variously coloured zones; 13. with various colours mixed without any order; 14. with majiy colours together; 15. mixed with particles of agate. It can scarcely be called a precious stone; it is rather a dull opaque rock.

In examining what has been said on these different precious stones by the best critics, I have adopted such explanations as appeared to me to be best justified by the meaning and use of the original words; but I cannot say that the stones which I have described are

30 And ^ thou shall put in the

shall be upon Aaron's heart when he goeth

precisely those intended by the terras in the Hebrew text, nor can I take upon me to assert that the tribes are arranged exactly in the manner intended by Moses; for as these things are not laid doivn in the text in such a way as to preclude all mistake, some things must be left to conjecture. Of several of these stones many fabulous accounts are given by the ancients, and indeed by the moderns also: these I have in general omitted because they are fabulous; as also all sph-itual meanings which others have found so plentifully in each stone, because I consider some of them puerile, all futile, and not a few dangerous.

Verse 30. Thou shalt put in the breastplate — the Urim and the Thummim] What these were has, I believe, never yet been discovered. 1. They are nowhere described. 2. There is no direction given to Moses or any other hoio to make them. 3. Whatever they were, they do not appear to have been made on this occasion. 4. If they were the work of man at all, they must have been the articles in the ancient tabernacle, matters used by the patriarchs, and not here particularly described, because well known. 5. It is probable that nothing material is designed. This is the opinion of some of the Jewish doctors. Rabbi Menachem on this chapter says, " The Urim and Thummim were not the work of the artificer; neither had the artificers or the congregation of Israel in them any work or any voluntary offering; but they were a mystery delivered to Moses from the mouth of God, or they were the work of God himself, or a measure of the Holy Spirit." 6. That God was often consulted by Urim and Thummim, is sufficiently evident from several scriptures; but how or in what manner he was thus consulted appears in none. 7. This mode of consultation, whatever it was, does not appear to have been in use from the consecration of Solomon's temple to the time of its destruction; and after its destruction it is never once mentioned. Hence the Jews say that the five following things, which were in the first temple, were wanting in the second: " 1. The ark with the mercy-seat and cherubim; 2. The fire which came down from heaven; 3. The shechinah or Divine presence; 4. The Holy Spirit, i. e., the gift of prophecy; and, 5. The Urim and Thummim.'"

Exodus 28:30

8. As the word omx uri>n signifies lights, and the word D'On tummim, perfections, they were probably designed to point out the light — the abundant information, in spiritual things, afforded by the wonderful revelation which God made of himself by and under the LAW; and the perfection — entire holiness and strict conformity to himself, which this dispensation required, and which are introduced and accomplished by that dispensation of light and truth, the Gospel, which was prefigured and pointed out by the law and its sacrifices, &c.; and in this light the subject has been viewed by the Vulgate, where the words are translated doctrina bear the judgment of the An. JExod. isr'. l children of Israel upon his heart Sivan. before the Lord continually.

et Veritas, doctrine and truth — a system of teaching proceeding from truth itself. The Septuagint translate the original by dtjTiuoig Kac alTjdeia, the manifestation and the truth; meaning probably the manifestation which God made of himself to Moses and the Israelites, and the truth which he had revealed to them, of which this breastplate should be a continual memorial.

All the other versions express nearly the same things, and all refer to intellectual and spiritual subjects, such as light, truth, manifestation, doctrine, perfection, &c., &c., not one of them supposing that any thing material is intended. The Samaritan text is however different; it adds here a whole clause not found in the Hebrew: ^/tr"\4F^ jY^ A-ttt^VK 5iJ(Tf^iV^ -^JfiZ. veasitha eth haurim veeth hattummim. Thou shalt make the Urim and the Thummim. If this reading be admitted, the Urim and Thummim were manufactured on this occasion as well as the other articles. However it be, they are indescribable and unknown.

The manner in which the Jews suppose that the inquiry was made by Urim and Thummim is the following: " When they inquired the priest stood with his face before the ark, and he that inquired stood behind him with his face to the back of the priest; and the inquirer said. Shall I go up? or, Shall I not go up? And forthwith the Holy Ghost came upon the priest, and he beheld the breastplate, and saw therein by the vision of prophecy. Go up, or, Go not up, in the letters which showed forth themselves upon the breastplate before his face." See Num. xxvii. 18, 21; Judg. i. 1; XX. 18, 28; 1 Sam. xxiii. 9-12; xxviii. 6; and see Ainsivorth.

It was the letters that formed the names of the twelve tribes upon the breastplate, which the Jews suppose were used in a miraculous way to give answers to the inquirers. Thus when David consulted the Lord whether he should go into a city of Judea, three letters which constituted the word n^;,' aloh, go, rose up or became prominent in the names on the breastplate; ^ ain, from the name of Simeon, 7 lamed from the name of Levi, and H he from the name of Judah, But this supposition is without proof

Among the Egyptians, a breastplate something like that of the Jewish high-priest was worn by the president of the courts of justice. Diodorus Siculus has these words: 'E.(^opeL 6' ovtoq irept rov rpaxn^ov ck Xpvajjc aXvaeuc TjpTTjjuevov ^uSiov t(jv TToXvTeXuv Xtduv, 6 npoanyopevov AAHeEIAN. " He bore about his neck a golden chain, at which hung an image set about with or composed of precious stones, which was called TRUTH."— Bib. Hist., lib. i., chap. Ixxv., p. 225. And ho farther adds, " that as soon as the president put this gold chain about his neck, the legal proceedings commenced, but not before. And that when the a

A. M. 2513. 3 1 And ^ thou shalt make the An. JExod. isr. 1. robe of the ephod all of blue.

in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of a '^ habergeon, that it be not rent.

33 And beneath, upon the ''hem of it, thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:

case of the plaintiff and defendant had been fully and fairly heard, the president turned the image of truth, which was hung to the golden chain round his neck, toward the person whose cause was found to be just," by which he seemed to intimate that truth was on his side.

JElian, in his Hist. Var., lib. xxxiv., gives the same account. " The chief justice or president," he says, " was always a priest, of a venerable age and acknowledged probity. Eixs 6s kuc ayaX/ia irepi tov avxeva eK aampeLpov 2,idov, Kai EKaTiecTo ayaTifxa AAH9EIA. And he had an image which was called TRUTH engraved on a sapphire, and hung about his neck with a gold chain."

Peter du Vol mentions a mummy which he saw at Cairo, in Egypt, round the neck of which was a chain, having a golden plate suspended, which lay on the breast of the person, and on which was engraved the figure of a bird. This person was supposed to have been one of the supreme judges; and in all likelihood the bird, of what kind he does not mention, was the emblem of truth, justice, or innocence.

I have now before me paintings, taken on the spot by a native Chinese, of the different courts in China where criminal causes were tried. In these the judge always appears with a piece of embroidery on his breast, on which a lohite bird of the ardea or hei-on kind is represented, with expanded wings. All these seem to have been derived from the same source, both among the Hebrews, the Egyptians, and the Chinese. And it is certainly not impossible that the two latter might have borrowed the notion and use of the breastplate oi judgment from the Hebrews, as it was in use among them long before we have any account of its use either among the' Egyptians or Chinese. The different mandarins have a breast-piece of this kind.

Verse 31. The robe of the ephod] See on ver. 4. From this description, and from what Josephus says, who must have been well acquainted with its form, we find that this meil, or robe, was one long straight piece of blue cloth, with a hole or opening in the centre for the head to pass through; which hole or opening was bound about, that it might not be rent in putting it on or taking it off, ver. 32.

Exodus 28:31

Verse 3^. His sound shall be heard] The bells were doubtless intended to keep up the people's attena golden bell ana a pomegranate, a. m. 2513. upon the hem of the robe round An. Exod. isr. 1 about.

Exodus 28:35

35 •= And it shall be upon Aaron to minis ter: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord and when he cometh out, that he die not.

36 And 'I thou shalt make a plate of pure gold^ and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

tion to the very solemn and important office which the priest was then performing, that they might all have their hearts engaged in the work; and at the same time to keep Aaron himself in remembrance that he ministered before Jehovah, and should not come into his presence without due reverence.

That he die not.] This seems an allusion to certain ceremonies which still prevail in the eastern countries. Jehovah appeared among his people in the tabernacle as an emperor in his tent among his troops. At the doors of the tents or palaces oiF grandees was generally placed some sonorous body, either of metal or wood, which was struck to advertise those within that a person prayed for admittance to the presence of the king, &c. As the tabernacle had no door, but a veil^ and consequently nothing to prevent any person from going in, Aaron was commanded to put the bells on his robe, that his sound might be heard ivhen he went into the holy place before the Lor,d.

Verse 36. Thou shalt make a plate of pure gold] The word 'i^''^ tsils, which we render plate, means a flower, or any appearance of this kind. The Septuagint translate it by TreraAov, a leaf; hence we might be led to infer that this plate resembled a wreath of floivers or leaves; and as it is called, chap. xxix. 6, "IIJ nezer, a crown, and the author of the book of Wisdom, chap, xviii. 24, who was a Jew, and may be supposed to know well what it was, calls it diadTj/ua, it was probably of the form, not of the ancient diadem, but rather of the radiated crown worn by the ancient Roman emperors, which was a gold band that went round the head from the vertex to the occiput; but the position of the Jewish sacerdotal crown was different, as that went round the forehead, under which there was a blue lace or fillet, ver. 37, which was probably attached to the mitre or turban, and formed its lowest part or border.

Exodus 28:36

Holiness to the Lord.] This we may consider as the grand badge of the sacerdotal office. 1. Tlie priest was to minister in holy things. 2. He was the representative of a holy God. 3. He was to offer sacrifices to make an atonement for and to put away SIN. 4. He was to teach the people the way of righteousness and true holiness. 5. As mediator, he was to obtain for them those Divine influences by which and a ram for a burnt-offering

A.M. 2513. 8 And ^thou shalt bring his An^Exodl^r.'i. sons, and put coats upon them.

with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and ' put the bonnets on them: and ^ the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt ^ consecrate " Aaron and his sons.

10 And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and '^ Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.

1 1 And thou shalt kill the bullock before the Lord, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

^1_2 And thou ° shalt take of the blood of the btillock, and put it upon p the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.

13 And ithou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and '^the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the

influenced, and directed by the Spirit of grace and holiness. Hence the priest was anointed, to signify his being Divinely qualified for the due performance of his sacred functions. 3. That no man could enact just and equitable laws, which should have the prosperity of the community and the welfare of the individual continually in view, or could use the power confided to him only for the suppression of vice and the encouragement of virtue, but that man who was ever under the inspiration of the Almighty. Hence kings were inaugurated by anointing with oil. Two of these oflices only exist in all civilized nations, the sacerdotal and regal; and in some countries the priest and king are Btill consecrated by anointing. In the Hebrew language niyD mashach signifies to anoint, and n'tJTD mashiach, the anointed person. But as no man was ever dignified by holding the three offices, so no person ever had the title mashiach, the anointed one, but Jesus the Christ. He alone is King of kings and Lord of lords: the king who governs the universe, and rules in the hearts of his followers; the prophet, to instruct men in the way wherein they should go; and the great high priest, to make atonement for their sins. Hence he is called the Mcssias, a corruption of the word n'jy^n hammashiach, the anointed one, in Hebrew; which gave birth to b Xpiaroc, ho Chrislos, which has precisely the same signification in Greek. Of him, Melchizedek, Abraham, Aaron, David, and others were illustrious types. But none of these had the title of the Messiah, or the Anointed of God. This does, and ever will, belong exclusively to Jesus the Christ.

Verse 10. Shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.] By this rite the animal was consecrated to a 450

Exodus 29:10

and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin-offering. -

1 5 * Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall " put their hands upon the head of the ram.

16 And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.

1 7 And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and ^ unto his head.

18 And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt-offering unto the Lord • it is a ^ sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

19^ And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands vipon the head of the ram:

God, and was then proper to be offered in sacrifice. Imposition of hands also signified that they offered the life of this animal as an atonement for their sins, and to redeem their lives from that death which, through their sinfulness, they had deserved. In the case of the sin-offering and trespass-offering, the person who brought the sacrifice placed his hands on the head of the animal between the horns, and confessed his sin over the sin-offering, and his trespass over the trespassoffering, saying, " I have sinned, I have done iniquity; I have trespassed, and have done thus and thus; and do return by repentance before thee, and with this I make atonement." Then the animal was considered as vicariously bearing the sins of the person who brought it.

Verse 19. The other ram] There were two rams brought on this occasion: one was for a burnt-offering, and was to be entirely consumed; the other was the ram of consecration, ver. 22, D'N^O S'X eil milluim, the ram oi filling up, because when a person was dedicated or consecrated to God, his hands were filled with some particular offering proper for the occasion, which he presented to God. Hence the word consecration signifies the filling up or filling the hands, some part of the sacrifice being put into the hands of such persons, denoting thereby that they had now a right to offer sacrifices and oblations to God. It seems in reference to this ancient mode of consecration, that in the Church of England, when a person is ordained priest, a Bible is put into his hands with these words,

A.M. 2513. 20 Then shalt thou kill the An. Exod. Isr.i. ram, and take of his blood, and

ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

21 And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of ^ the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and ^ he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.

22 Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration:

" Take thou authority to preach the word of God," &c. The filling the hands refers also to the presents which, in the eastern countries, every inferior was obliged to bring when brought into the presence of a superior. Thus the sacrifice was considered, not only as an atonement for sin, but also as a means of approach and &s a present to Jehovah.

Verse 20. Take of his blood] The putting the blood of the sacrifice on the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot, was doubtless intended to signify that they should dedicate all their faculties and powers to the service of God; their ears to the hearing and study of his law, their hands to diligence in the sacred ministry and to all acts of obedience, and their feet to walking in the way of God^s precepts. And this sprinkling appears to have been used to teach them that they could neither hear, work, nor ivalk profitably, uprightly, and well-pleasing in the sight of God, without this application of the blood of the sacrifice. And as the blood of rams, bulls, and goats, could never take away sin, does not this prove to us that something infinitely better is shadowed out, and that ice can do nothing holy and pure in the sight of a just and holy God, but through the blood oi atonement 1 See on chap. xsx. 20.

Exodus 29:20

Verse 22. The fat and the riimp'] The rump or tail of some of the eastern sheep is the best part of the animal, and is counted a great delicacy. They are also very large, some of them weighing from tivelve to forty pounds^ weight; " so that the owners," says Mr. Ludolf, in his History of Ethiopia, " are obliged to tie a little cart behind them, whereon they put the tail of the sheep, as well for the convenience of carriage, and to ease the poor creature, as to preserve the wool from dirt, and the tail from being torn among the bushes and stones." An engraving of this kind a

Exodus 29:22

23 ^And one loaf of bread, a.m. 2513. and one cake of oiled bread, and An. Exod. isr! 1 one wafer out of the basket of ''''■ T^ammuz. the unleavened bread, that is before the Lord:

24 And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons: and shalt ^ wave *= them /or. a wave-offering before the

25 •* And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt-offering, for a sweet savour before the Lord: it is an offering made by fire unto the

26 And thou shalt take « the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave it for a wave-offering before the Lord: and *" it shall be thy part.

27 And thou shalt sanctify ^the breast of the wave-offering, and the shoulder of the heaveoffering, which is waved, and which is heaved

of sheep, his tail, cart, &c., may be seen at p. 53 of the above work.

Verse 23. And one loaf of bread] The bread of different kinds, (see on ver. 2,) in this offering, seems to have been intended as a minchah, or offering of grateful acknowledgment for providential blessings. The essence of worship consisted in acknowledging God, 1. As the Creator, Governor, and Preserver of all things, and the Dispenser of every good and perfect gift. 2. As the Judge of men, the Punisher of sin, and he who alone could pardon it. The minchahs, heaveofferings, wave-offerings, and thank-offerings, referred to the first point. The burnt-offerings, sin-offerings, and sacrifices in general, referred to the second.

Exodus 29:23

Verse 24. Yox a wave-offering] See the notes on Lev. vii., where an ample account of all the offerings, sacrifices, &c., under the Mosaic dispensation, and the reference they bore to the great sacrifice offered by- Christ, is given in detail.

Exodus 29:24

Verse 25. Thou shalt receive them of their hands] Aaron and his sons are here considered merely as any common persons bringing an offering to God, and not having, as yet, any authority to present it themselves, but through the medium of a priest. Moses, therefore, was now to Aaron and his sons what they were afterwards to the children of Israel; and as the minister of God he now consecrates them to the sacred oflSce, and presents their offerings to Jehovah.

Exodus 29:25

Verse 27. The breast of the wave-offering, and the shoulder of the heave-offering] As the wave-offering was agitated to and fro, and the heave-offering up and down, some have conceived that this twofold action represented the figure of the cross, on which the great Peace-offering between God and man was offered m the personal sacrifice of our blessed Redeemer. Had we authority for this conjecture, it would certainly

Exodus 29:27

A. M. 2513. up, of the ram of the consecration, An.Exod. isr. 1. even of that which, is for Aaron,

28 And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' ^ by a statute for ever, from the children of Israel: for it is a heave-offering. and ' it shall be a heave-offering from the children of Israel, of the sacrifice of their peace-offerings, even their heave-offering unto the Lord.

29 And the holy garments of Aaron '' shall

cast much light on the meaning and intention of these offerings; and when the intelligent reader is informed rtiat one of the most judicious critics in the whole republic of letters is the author of this conjecture, viz., Houbigant, he will treat it with respect. I shall here produce his own words on this verse: Hie distinguuntur, naiJn et noiin, ut ejusdem oblationis caeremonias duae. In nSIJH significatur, moveri oblatara victimam hue et illuc, ad dextram et ad sinistram. In rTDPri sursum tolli, et sublatam rursus deprimi; nam pluribus vicibus id fiebat. Rem sic interpretantur Judaei; et Christianos decent, quanquam id non agentes, sic adumhrari earn crucem, in quam generis hiimani victima ilia pacijjca suhlata est, quam veteres victimae omnes praenunciabant. " The heave-offering and icaveoffering, as two ceremonies in the same oblation, are here distinguished. The ivave-offcring implies that the victim was moved hither and thither, to the right hand and to the left; the heave-offering was lit^ted up and down, and this was done several times. In this way the Jews explain these things, and teach the Christians, that by these acts the cross was adumbrated, upon ■which that Peace-offering of the human race was lifted up which was preifigured by all the ancient victims."

The breast and the shoulder, thus ivaved and heaved, were by this consecration appointed to be the priests' portion for ever; and this, as Mr. Ainsworth piously remarks, " taught the priests how, with all their heart and all their strength, they should give themselves unto the service of the Lord in his Church." Moses, as priest, received on this occasion the breast and the shoulder, which became afterwards the portion of the priests; see ver. 28, and Lev. vii. 34. It is worthy of remark, that although Moses himself had no consecration to the sacerdotal office, yet he acts here as high priest, consecrates a high priest, and receives the breast and the shoulder, which were the priests' portion! But Moses was an extraordinary messenger, and derived his authority, without the medium of rites or ceremonies, immediately from God himself. It does not appear that Christ either baptized the twelve apostles, or ordained them by imposition of hands; yet, from his own infinite sufficiency, he gave them authority both to baptize, and to lay on hands, in appointing others to the work of the sacred ministry.

Verse 29. The holy garments — shall be his sons^ after hini] These garments were to descend from father to son, and no neiu garments were to be made. Verse 30. Seven days] The priest in his conse-

Exodus 29:29

30 And ^ that "^ son that is priest in his stead shall put them on ° seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.

3 1 And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and P seethe his flesh in the holy

cration was to abide seven days and nights at the door of the tabernacle, keeping the Lord's watch. See Lev. viii. 33, &c. The number seven is what is called among the Hebrews a number of perfection; and it is often used to denote the completion, accomplishment, fulness, or perfection of a thing, as this period contained the whole course of that time in which God created the world, and appointed the day of rest. As this act of consecration lasted seven days, it signified a perfect consecration; and intimated to the priest that his whole body and soul, his time and talents, should be devoted to the service of God and his people.

The number seven, which was a sacred number among the Hebrews, was conveyed from them down to the Greeks by means of the Egyptian philosophy, from which they borrowed most of their mysteries; and it is most likely that the opinion which the Greeks give is the same that the original framers of the idea had. That there was some mystical idea attached to it, is evident from its being made the number of perfection among the Hebrews. Philo and Josephus say that the Essenes, an ancient sect of the Jews, held it sacred " because it results from the side of a square added to those of a triangle.'''' But what meaning does this convey ■? A triangle, or triad, according to the Pythagoreans, who borrowed their systems from the Egyptians, who borrowed from the Jews, was the emblem of loisdom, as consisting of beginning (Monad,) middle (Duad,) and end (Triad itself;) so tvisdom consists of three parts — experience of the past, attention to the present, and judgment of the future. It is also the most penetrating of all forms, as being the shape of the luedge; and indestructibility is essential to it, as a triangle can never be destroyed. From those three properties it was the emblem of spirit. The square, solid, and tetrad, by the same system were interchangeable signs. Now a square is the representation of a solid or matter, and thus the number seven contains within itself the properties of both the triangle or solid, and the square or tetrad, i. e., is an emblem of body and spirit; comprehends both the intellectual and natural world; embraces the idea of God, the chief of spirits or essences; and all nature, the result of his power; thus a very fit emblem of perfection. It is perhaps in this way that we must explain what Cicero, Tusc. Quest., lib. i., cap. 10, says of the number seven, where he calls it the knot and cement of all things; as being that by ivhich the natural and spiritual world are comprehended in one

A.M. 2513. 32 And Aaron and his sons An. Exod. isr.' 1. shall eat the flesh of the ram, basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

33 And ''they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: ^ but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.

34 And if aught of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then * thou shalt burn the remainder with fire. it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

35 And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: " seven days shalt thou consecrate them.

36 And thou shalt " offer every day a bullock for a sin-oflering, for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, '^ and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.

37 Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; ^ and

idea. Thus the ancient philosophers spoke of numbers, themselves being the best judges of their own meaning.

y az£S 33 Buc a stranger shall not eat thereof] That is, no person who was not of the family of Aaro7i — no Israelite, and not even a Levite.

Verse 34. Burn the remainder with Jire] Common, voluntary, and peace- offerings, might be eaten even on the second day; see Lev. vii. 16; xix. 5, 6. But this being a peculiar consecration, in order to qualify a person to offer sacrifices for sin, like that great sacrifice, the paschal lamb, that typified the atonement made by Christ, none of it was to be left till the morning lest putrefaction should commence, which would be utterly improper in a sacrifice that was to make expiation for sin, and bring the soul into a. state of holiness and perfection with God. See the note on Exod. xii. 10.

Exodus 29:34

Verse 36. Thou shalt cleanse the altar] The altar was to be sanctified for seven days; and it is likely that on each day, previously to the consecration service, the altar was wiped clean, and the former day's ashes, &c., removed.

Verse 37. Whatsoever touches the altar shall be holy.] To this our Lord refers Matt, xxiii. 19, where he says the altar sanctifies the gift; and this may be understood as implying that whatever was laid on the altar becams the Lord's property, and must be wholly it shall be an altar most holy: -^ M. 2513.

Exodus 29:37

38 Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; ^ two lambs of the first year ^ day by day continually.

39 The one lamb thou shalt offer ^ in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:

40 And with the one lamb a tenth deal ot flour, mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of a hin of wine /or a drink-offering. -^

4 1 And the other lamb thou shalt ° offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat-offering of the morning, and according to the drink-offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto

42 This shall 6e "^ a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the Lord: ^ where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.

43 And there I will meet with the children

devoted to sacred uses, for in no other sense could such things be sanctified by touching the altar.

Verse 3 9. One lamb thou shalt offer in the morning] These two lambs, one in the morning, and the other in the evening, were generally termed the morning and evening daily sacrifices, and were offered from the time of their settlement in the promised land to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. The use of these sacrifices according to the Jews was this: " The morning sacrifice made atonement for the sins committed in the night, and the evening sacrifice expiated the sins committed during the day."

Exodus 29:39

Verse 40. A tenth deal of four] Deal signifies a part, from the x\nglo-Saxon bsian, to divide; hence baei, a part, a portion taken from the whole. From Num. xxviii. 5 we learn that this tenth deal was the tenth part of an ephah, which constituted what is called an omer. See chap. xvi. 36; and see the note on ver. 1 6 of the same chapter, where an account is given of different measures of capacity among the Hebrews. The omer contained about three quarts English.

Exodus 29:40

The fourth part of a hin] The hin contained one gallon and tivo pints. The fourth part of this was about one quart and a half of a pint.

Verse 43. There I loill meet ivith the children of Israel] See the note on chap. xxv. 22.

Exodus 29:43

The Lord promises to dwell EXODUS. among the childreti of Israel.

A. M. 2513. of Israel, and ^ the tabernacle An-Exod.isr. 1. ^ shall be sanctified by my

44 And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will ^ sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office.

Vcfse 44. I will sanctify — both Aaron and his sons] So we find the sanctification by Moses according to the Divine institution was only symbolical; and that Aaron and his sons must be sanctified, i. e., made holy, by God himself before they could oflficiate in lioly things. From this, as well as from many other things mentioned in the sacred writings, we may safely Infer that no designation by man only is sufficient to qualify any person to fill the ofllce of a minister of the sanctuary. The approbation and consecration of man have both their propriety and use, but must never be made substitutes for the unction and inspiration of the Almighty. Let holy men ordain, but let God sanctify; then we may expect that his Church shall be built up on its most holy faith.

Exodus 29:44

Verse 45. Iivill divell among the children of Israel] This is the great charter of the people of God, both under the Old and New Testaments; see chap. xxv. 8; Lev. xxvi. 11, 12; 2 Cor. vi. 16; Rev. xxi. 3. God dwells among them: he is ever to be found in his Church to enlighten, quicken, comfort, and support it; to dispense the light of life by the preaching of his ■word, and the influences of his Spirit for the conviction and conversion of sinners. And he dwells in those who believe; and this is the very tenor of the New Covenant which God promised to make with the house of Israel; see Jer. xxxi. 31-34; Ezek. xxxvii. 24-28; Heb. viii. 7-12; and 2 Cor. vi. 16. And because God had promised to divell in all his genuine followers, hence the frequent reference to this covenant and its privileges in the New Testament. And hence it is so frequently and strongly asserted that every believer is a habitation of God through the Spirit, Eph. ii. 22. That the Spirit of God witnesses with their spirits that they are the children of God, Rom. viii. 16. That the Spirit of Christ in their hearts enables them to call God their Father, Gal. iv. 6. And that if any man have not this Spirit, he is none of his, Rom. viii. 0, &c. And hence St. Paul states this to be the sum and substance of apostolical

4 6 And they shall know that ^l am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the. land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I a?n the Lord their God.

preaching, and the riches of the glory of the mystery of the Gospel among the Gentiles, viz., Christ in you the hope of glory; who?n, says he, we preach, ivarning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that toe may present every mail perfect in Christ Jesus; Col. i. 27, 28.

Verse 46. And they shall know that I am the Lord their Go J] That is, They shall acknowledge God, and their infinite obligations to him. In a multitude of places in Scripture the word know should be thus understood.

Exodus 29:46

That I may dwell among them] For without this acknowledgment and consequent dependence on and gratitude and obedience to God, they could not expect him to dwell among them.

By dwelling amo7ig the people God shows that he would be a continual resident in their houses and in their hearts; that he ivould be their God — the sole object of their religious worship, to whom they should turn and on whom they should trust in all difficulties and distresses; and that he would be to them all that the Creator could be to his creatures. That in consequence they should have a full conviction of his presence and blessing, and a consciousness that he was their God, and that they were his people. Thus then God dwells among men that they may know him; and they must know him that he may continue to dwell among them. He who does not experimentally know God, cannot have him as an indwelling Saviour; and he who does not continue to know — to acknowledge, love, and obey him, cannot retain him as his Preserver and Sanctifier. From the beginning of the world, the salvation of the souls of men necessarily implied the indivelling influences of God. Reader, hast thou this salvation 1 This alone will support thee in all thy travels in this wilderness, comfort thee in death, and give thee boldness in the day of judgment. " He," says an old writer, " who has pardon may look his judge in the face."

TAe altar o/ burnt incense, 1. Dimensions, 2. Golden crown, 2. Rings and staves, ^, 5. Where placed, 6, 7. Use, 8-10. The ransom price of half a shekel, 1 1-13. Who loere to pay it, 14. The rich and the poor to pay alike, 15. The use to which it was applied, 16. The brazen laver, and its use, 17-21. The holy anointing oil, and its component parts, 22-25. To be applied to the tabernacle, ark, golden table, candlestick, altar of burnt-offerings, and the laver, 26-29. And to Aaron and his sons, 30. Never to be applied to any other uses, and none like it ever to be inade, 31-33. The perfume, anrf how made, 34, 35 Its use, 36. Nothing similar to it ever to be made, 37, 38.

2 A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; four-square shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.

3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the "^ top thereof, and the ^ sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.

4 And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two ^ corners thereof; upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.

5 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

6 And thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the *" mercyseat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.

7 And Aaron shall burn thereon ^ sweet ^ incense every morning: when ' he dresseth

Verse 1. Altar to burn incense] The Samaritan omits the ten first verses of this chapter, because it inserts them after the 32d verse of chap. xxvi. See the note there.

Exodus 30:1

Shittim ivood] The same of which the preceding articles were made, because it was abundant in those parts, and because it was very durable; hence everywhere the Septuagint translation, which was made in Egypt, renders the original by ^v2.ov aaijirrov, incorruptible luood.

Verse 2. Four-square] That is, on the upper or under surface, as it showed four equal sides; but it was twice as high as it was broad, being tioenty-one inches broad, and three feet six inches high. It was called, not only the altar of incense, but also the golden altar, Num. iv. 11. For the crown, horns, staves, &c.,see on the altar of burnt-offering, chap. xxvi.

Verse 6. Before the mercy -seat that is over the testimony] These words in the original are supposed to be a repetition, by mistake, of the preceding clause; the word r\D"li3n happarocheth, the veil, being corrupted by interchanging two letters into n'^s33n haccapporeth, the mercy-seat; and this, as Dr. Kennicott observes, places the altar of incense before the mercy-seat, and consequently in the holy of holies! Now this could not be, as the altar of incense was attended every day, and the holy of holies entered only once in the year. The five words which appear to be a repetition are

Exodus 30:6

8 And when Aaron ^hghteth ^ the lamps °» at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.

9 Ye shall offer no ^ strange incense thereon, nor burnt-sacrifice, nor meat-offering; neither shall ye pour drink-offering thereon.

1 0 And ° Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year, with the blood of the sin-offering of atonements: once / in the year shall he make atonement upon it - throughout your generations: it is most holy^ unto the Lord. y

12 pWhen thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after i their number, then shall they give every man ^ a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no ^ plague among them when thou numberest them.

1 3 ' This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half

are to be numbered; see Numbers xxxi. 50. ■" Job xxxiii. 24;

wanting in twenty-six of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., and in the Samaritan. The verse reads better without them, and is more consistent with the rest of the account.

Verse 7. When he dresseth the lamps] Prepares the wicks, and puts in fresh oil for the evening.

Exodus 30:7

Shall burn incense upon it.] Where so many sacri fices were offered it was essentially necessary to have some pleasing perfume to counteract the disagreeable smells that must have arisen from the slaughter of so many animals, the sprinkling of so much blood, and the burning of so much flesh, &c. The perfume that was to be burnt on this altar is described ver. 34. No blood was ever sprinkled on this altar, except on the day of general expiation, which happened only once in the year, ver. 10. But the perfume was necessary in every part of the tabernacle and its environs.

Verse 10. An atonement — once in a year] On the tenth day of the seventh month. See Lev. xvi. 18, &c., and the notes there.

Exodus 30:10

Verse 12. Then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul] This was a very important ordinance, and should be seriously considered. See the following verse.

Exodus 30:12

A. M. 2513. a shekel after the shekel of the A^'£oIaIi. 1. sanctuary: ("^ a shekel is twenty cir. Thammuz. g^rahs:) ^ a half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord.

14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord.