Commentary on the Holy Bible

mesentery, the fat about the kidneys, &c. See the notes on chap. iii. 9, &c.

Verse 8. The priest shall have to himself the skin] Bishop Patrick supposes that this right of the priest to the skin commenced with the offering of Adam, " for it is probable," says he, " that Adam himself offered the first sacrifice, and had the skin given him by God to make garments for him and his wife; in conformity to which the priests ever after had the skin of the whole burnt-offerings for their portion, which was a a

that is baken in the oven, and all that is dressed in the frying-pan, and ■ in the pan, shall be the priest's that offereth it.

10 And every meat-offering, mingled with oil, and dry, shall all the sons of Aaron have, one as much as another.

1 1 And ^ this is the law of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which he shall offer unto the

12 If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he

custom among the Gentiles as well as the Jews, who gave the skins of their sacrifices to their priests, when they were not burnt with the sacrifices, as in some sin-offerings they were among the Jews, see chap. iv. il. And they employed them to a superstitious use, by lying upon them in their temples, in hopes to have future things revealed to them in their dreams. Of this we have a proof in Virgil, ^n. lib. vii., ver. 86-95.

" hue dona sacerdos

Cum tulit, et ccesarujn ovium sub nocte silenti Pellibus incuhuit stratis, somnosque petivit; Multa modus simulacra videt volitantia miris, Et varias audit voces, fruiturque deorum Colloquio, atque imis Acheronta affatur Avernis. Hie et tum pater ipse petens responsa Latinus Centum lanigeras mactabat rite bidentes, Atque harum effultus tergo stratisque jacebat Velleribus. Subita ex alto vox reddita luco est."

First, on the fleeces of the slaughter''d sheep By night the sacred priest dissolves in sleep, When in a train, before his slumbering eye, Thin airy forms and wondrous visions fly. He calls the powers who guard the infernal floods, And talks, inspired, familiar with the gods. To this dread oracle the prince withdrew. And first a hundred sheep the monarch slew; Then on their fleeces lay; and from the wood He heard, distinct, these accents of the god. — Pitt.

The same superstition, practised precisely in the same way and for the same purposes, prevails to the present day in the Highlands of Scotland, as the reader may see from the foUowing'note of Sir Walter Scott, in his Lady of the Lake: —

"The Highlanders of Scotland, like all rude people, had various superstitious modes of inquiring into futurity. One of the most noted was the togharm. A person was wrapped up in the skin of a newly-slain bullock, and deposited beside a water-fall, or at the bottom of a precipice, or in some other strange, wild, and unusual situation, where the scenery around him suggested nothing but objects of horror. In this situation he revolved in his mind the question proposed; and whatever was impressed upon him by his exalted imagination, passed for the inspiration of the disem-

CllAi'. \ 11. una the manner of offering tt.

shall offer with the sacrifice of a. m. 2514. thanksgiving unleavened cakes An. Esod. isr! 2. mingled with oil, and unleavened ^bib or Nisaa. wafers ^ anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.

13 Besides the cakes, he shall offer /or his offering ™ leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace-offerings.

14 And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for a heave-offering unto the Lord, ° and it shall be the priest's that sprinkleth the blood of the peace-offerings.

15° And the flesh of the sacrifice of his

bodied spirits who haunt these desolate recesses. One way of consulting this oracle was by a party of men, who first retired to solitary places, remote from any house, and there they singled out one of their number, and lorapt him in a big cow^s hide, which they folded about him; his whole body was covered with it except his head, and so left in this posture all night, until his mvisible friends relieved him by giving a proper answer to the question in hand; which he received, as he fancied, from several persons that he found about him all that time. His consorts returned to him at daybreak; and then he communicated his news to them, which often proved fatal to those concerned in such unwarrantable inquiries.

" Mr. Alexander Cooper, present minister of North Virt, told me that one John Erach, in the Isle of Lewis, assured him it was his fate to have been led by his curiosity with some who consulted this oracle, and that he was a night ivithin the hide above mentioned, during which time he felt and heard such terrible things that he could not express them: the impression made on him was such as could never go off; and he said, for a thousand worlds he would never again be concerned in the like performance, for it had disordered him to a high degree. He confessed it ingenuously, and with an air of great remorse, and seemed to be very penitent under a just sense of so great a crime: he declared this about five years since, and is still living in the Isle of Lewis for any thing I know." — Description of the Western Isles, p. 110. See also Pennant's Scottish Tour, vol. ii., p. 301; and Sir W. Scott's Lady of the Lake.

Verse 12. If he offer it for a thanksgiving'] See the notes at the end of this chapter.

Verse 15. He shall not leave any of it until the morning.] Because in such a hot country it was apt to putrefy, and as it was considered to be holy, it would have been very improper to expose that to putrefaction which had been consecrated to the Divine Being. Mr. Harmer supposes that the law here refers rather to the custom of drying flesh which had been devoted to religious purposes, which is practised among the Mohammedans to the present time. This,

A. M. 2514. peace-offerings for thanksgiving An. Exod.isr.2. shall be eaten the same day that Abib or Nisan. • j jg offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.

1 6 But p if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten:

17 But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.

18 And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be i imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an ^ abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.

19 And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt with fire: and as for the flesh, all that be clean shall eat thereof.

20 But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings that pertain unto the Lord, ^ having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul ^ shall be cut off from his

21 Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing, as " the uncleanness of man, or any " unclean beast, or any ^ abominable unclean thing, and cat of the flesh of the sacrifice

he thinks, might have given rise to the prohibition, as the sacred flesh thus preserved might have been abused to superstitious purposes. Therefore God says, ver. 18, " If any of the flesh of the sacrifice — be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto hini that offereth it; it is an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity." That is, on Mr. Harmer's hypothesis, This sacred flesh shall avail nothing to him that eats it after the first or second day on wliich it is offered; however consecrated before, it shall not be considered sacred after that time. See Harmer's Obs., vol. i., p. 394, edit. 1808.

Verse 20. Having his uncleanness upon him] Having touched any unclean thing by which he became legally defiled, and had not washed his clothes, and bathed his flesh.

Verse 21. The uncleanness of 7nan] Any ulcer, sore, or 1 jprosy; or any sort of cutaneous disorder, either loathsome or infectious.

Verse 23. Fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat.] Any other fat they might eat, but the fat of these was sa- of peace-offerings, which pertain A. M. 2514. unto the Lord, even that soul An. Exod. isr. 2. ' shall be cut off from his people. Abib or Nisan.

23 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, y Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat.

24 And the fat of the "^ beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in nowise eat of it.

25 For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people.

26 ^ Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.

27 Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

29 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, ^ He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace offerings unto the Lord shall bring his oblation unto the Lord, of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings.

30 '^ His own hands shall bring the offerings of the Lord made by fire, the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that ^ the breast may be waved for a wave-offering before the Lord.

cred, because they were the only animals which were offered in sacrifice, though many others ranked among the clean animals as well as these. But it is likely that this prohibition is to be understood of these animals ivhen offered in sacrifice, and then only in reference to the imoard fat, as mentioned on ver. 4. Of the fat in any other circumstances it cannot be intended, as it was one of the especial blessings which God gave to the people. Butter of kinc, and milk of sheep, ivith FAT of LAMBS, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and GOATS, were the provision that he gave to his followers. See Deut. xxxii. 12-14.

Verse 27. Whatsoever soul — that eateth any manner of blood] See the note on Gen. ix. 4. Shall be cut off — excommunicated from the people of God, and so deprived of any part in their inheritance, and in their blessings. See the note on Gen. xvii. 14.

Verse 29. Shall bring his oblation] Meaning those things which were given out of the peace-offerings to the Lord and to the priest. — Ainsworth.

32 And ^ the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest/or a heave-offering of the sacrifices of your peace-offerings.

33 He among the sons of Aaron, that offereth the blood of the peace-offerings, and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for his part.

34 For ^ the wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace-offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest, and unto his sons, by a statute for ever, from among the children of Israel.

35 This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons, out

of the offerings of the Lord a. m. 2514. made by fire, in the day when An. Exod. Isr! 2. he presented them to minister ^^^^ "'' ^"^- unto the Lord in the priest's office,

36 "Which the Lord commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, ' in the day that he anointed them, by a statute for ever throughout their generations.

37 This is the \a.w ^ of the burnt-offering, ^ of the meat-offering, ^ and of the sin-offering, " and of the trespass-offering, ° and of the consecrations, and P of the sacrifice of the peaceofferings,

38 Which the Lord commanded Moses in Mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel 1 to offer their oblations unto the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai.

Verse 36. In the day that he anointed them] See the note on Exod. xl. 15.

Verse 38. In the wilderness of Sinai.] These laws were probably given to Moses while he was on the mount with God; the time was quite sufficient, as he was there with God not less than fourscore days in all; forty days at the giving, and forty days at the renewing, of the law.

As in the course of this book the different kinds of sacrifices commanded to be offered are repeatedly occurring, I think it best, once for all, to give a general account of them, and a definition of the original terms, as well as of all others relative to this subject which are used in the Old Testament, and the reference in which they all stood to the great sacrifice offered by Christ.

1. Diyx ASHAM, TRESPASS-q^ermo-, from Dt^X asham, to be guilty, or liable to punishment; for in this sacrifice the guilt was considered as being transferred to the animal offered up to God, and the offerer redeemed from the penalty of his sin, ver. 37. Christ is said to have made his soul an offering for sin, (D'^^X,) Isa. liii. 10.

2. njyx ISHSHEH, FiHE-offering, probably from B^'k^X ashash, to be grieved, angered, inflamed; either pointing out the distressing nature of sin, or its property of incensing Divine justice against the offender, who, in consequence, deserving burning for his offence, made use of this sacrifice to be freed from the punishment due to his transgression. It occurs Exod. xxix. 18, and in many places of this book.

3. CDnnn habhabim, iterated or repeated offerings, from 3n'' yahab, to supply. The word occurs only in Hos. viii. 13, and probably means no more than the continual repetition of the accustomed offerings, or continuation of each part of the sacjred service.

4. n3T ZEBACH, a SACRIFICE, (in Chaldee, nm debach, the t zain being changed into T daleth,) a creature slain in sacrifice, from n^I zabach, to slay; hence the altar on which such sacrifices were offered was termed n^IO mizbeach, the place of sacrifice. See the note on Gen. viii. 2. Zebach is a common name for sacrifices in general.

5. Jn CHAG, 2i festival, especially such as had a periodical return, from JJin chagag, to celebrate a festival, to dance round and round in circles. See Exod. v. 1; xii. 24. The circular dance was probably intended to point out the revolution of the heavenly bodies, and the exact return of the different seasons. See Parkhurst.

ing, from ii.\DV\ chata, to miss the mark; it also signifies sin in general, and is a very apt term to express its nature by. A sinner is continually aiming at and seeking happiness; but as he does not seek it in God, hence the Scripture represents him as missing his aim, or missing the mark. This is precisely the meaning of the Greek word u/xapna, translated sin and sin-offering in our version; and this is the term by which the Hebrew word is translated both by the Septuagint and the inspired writers of the New Testament. The sin-offering was at once an acknowledgment of guilt, in having forsaken the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns that could hold none; and also of the firm purpose of the offerer to return to God, the true and pure fountain of blessedness. This word often occurs. See the note on Gen. iv. 7; xiii. 13.

7. "133 coPHER, the expiation or atonement, from 1133 caphar, to cover, to smear over, or obliterate, or annul a contract. Used often to signify the atonement or expiation made for the pardon or cancelling of iniquity. See more in the note on Exod. xxv. 17.

8. nj-MD MOED, an appointed annual festival, from n;;' yaad, to appoint or constitute, signifying such feasts as were instituted in commemoration of some great event or deliverance, such as the deliverance from Egypt.

See Exod. xiii. 10, and thus differing from the chag mentioned above. See the note on Gen. i. 14.

9. D'n'70 milluim, consecrations or consecrationofferings, from X73 mala, to Jill; those offerings made in consecrations, of which the priests partook, or, in *iie Hebrew phrase, had their hands filled, or which had filled the hands of them that offered them. See the note on Exod. xxix. 19; and see 2 Chron. xiii. 9.

10. nnJO MiNCHAH, ME\r-offering, from riJ nach, to rest, settle after toil. It generally consisted of things without life, such as green ears of corn, full ears of corn, flour, oil, and frankincense; (see on chap, ii. 1, &c.;) and may be considered as having its name from that rest from labour and toil which a man had when the fruits of the autumn were brought in, or when, in consequence of obtaining any rest, ease, &c., a significant offering or sacrifice was made to God. It often occurs. See the note on Gen. iv. 3. The jealousy-offering (Num. v. 15) was a simple minchah, consisting of barley-meal only.

11. "]D0 MESECH and "jD'SD mimsach, a mixtureoffering, or mixed libation, called a nvi.i'SK-offering, Isa. Iv. 11, from "[DO masach, to mingle; it seems in general to mean old wine mixed loith the less, which made it extremely intoxicating. This offering does not appear to have had any place in the worship of the true God; but from Isa. Ixv. 11, and Prov. xxiii. 30, it seems to have been used for idolatrous purposes, such as the Bacchanalia among the Greeks and Romans, "when all got drunk in honour of the god."

12. nXK'rD masseeth, an oblation, things carried to the temple to be presented to God, from Hl^i nasa, to bear or carry, to bear sin; typically, Exod. xxviii. 38; chap. x. 17; xvi. 21; really. Isa. liii. 4, 12. The sufferings and death of Christ were the true inasseeth or vicarious bearing of the sins of mankind, as the passage in Isaiah above referred to sufficiently proves. See this alluded to by the Evangelist John, chap. i. 29; and see the root in Parhhurst.

13. DDT J NEDABAH, FREE-WILL or voluntary offering; from 3nj nadab, to be free, liberal, princely. An offering not commanded, but given as a particular proof of extraordinary gratitude to God for especial mercies, or on account of some vow or engagement voluntarily taken, ver. 16.

14. "jDO NESECH, LIBATION, Or DRiTHK-offering, from ■]DJ nasach, to diffuse or pour out. Water or wine poured out at the conclusion or confirmation of a treaty or covenant. To this kind of offering there is frequent allusion and reference in the New Testament, as it typified the blood of Christ poured out for the sin of the world; and to this our Lord himself alludes in the institution of the holy eucharist. The whole Gospel economy is represented as a covenant or treaty between God and man, Jesus Christ being not only the mediator, but the covenant sacrifice, whose blood was poured out for the ratification and confirmation of this covenant or agreement between God and man.

15. nS>' and rhvj! olah, mR'sr-offering, from nS;.' alah, to ascend, because this offering, as being wholly consumed, ascended as it were to God in smoke and vapour. It was a very expressive type of the sacrifice of Christ, as nothing less than his complete and full sacrifice could make atonement for the sin of the world. In most other offerings the priest, and often the offerer, had a share, but in the whole burnt-offering all was given to God.

from liOp katar, to burn, i. e. the frankincense, and other aromatics used as a perfume in different parts of the Divine service. To this St. Paul compares the agreeableness of the sacrifice of Christ to God, Eph. V. 2: Christ hath given himself for us, an offering — to God for a sweet-smelling savour. From Rev. V. 8 we learn that it was intended also to represent the prayers of the saints, which, offered up on that altar, Christ Jesus, that sanctifies every gift, are highly pleasing in the sight of God.

17. pip KOREAN, the GiFT-offering, from Il'lp karab, to draw nigh or approach. See this explained on chap, i. 2. Korban was a general name for any kind of offering, because through these it was supposed a man had access to his Maker.

18. DTJlli' SHELAMiM, VEACE-offeri7ig, from dl\if shalam, to complete, make whole; for by these offerings that which was lacking was considered as being now made up, and that which was broken, viz., the covenant of God, by his creatures' transgression, was supposed to be made luhole; so that after such an offering, the sincere and conscientious mind had a right to consider that the breach was made up between God and it, and that it might lay confident liold on this covenant of peace. To this the apostle evidently alludes, Eph. ii. 14—19: He is our peace, (i. e. oui shalam or peace-offering,) ivho has made both one, and broken doivn the middle wall; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, &c. See the whole passage, and see the note on Gen. xiv. 18.

19. min TODAH, THAfiK-offering, from T\T yadah, to confess; offerings made to God with public confession of his power, goodness, mercy, &c.

20. naun tenuphah, WAV-E-offering, from f]j 7iaph, to stretch out; an offering of the first-fruits stretched out before God, in acknowledgment of his providential goodness. This offering was moved from the right hand to the left. See the note on Exod. xxix. 27.

21. noiin TERUMAH, UEA\E-offering, from D"t ram, to lift up, because the offering was lifted up towards heaven, as the ifai'e-offering, in token of the kindnes.*! of God in granting rain and fruitful seasons, and fill ing the heart with food and gladness. As the wave offering was moved from right to left, so the heave offering was moved up and down; and in both cases this was done several times. These offerings had a blessed tendency to keep alive in the breasts of the people a due sense of their dependence on the Divine providence and bounty, and of their obligation to God for his continual and liberal supply of all their wants. See the note on Exod. xxix. 27.

In the above collection are comprised, as far as I can recollect, an explanation of all the terms used in the Hebrew Scriptures which signify sacrifice, oblation, atonement, offering, &c., &c., as well as the reference they bear to the great and only sufficient atonement, sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction made by Christ Jesus for the sins of mankind. Larger accounts must be sought in authors who treat professedly on these subjects.

Moses is commanded to consecrate Aaron and his sons, 1—3. Moses convenes the congregation; washes, clothes, and anoints Aaron, 4—12. He also clothes Aaron's sons, 13. Offers a bullock for them as a sinoffering, 14—17. And a ram for a burnt-offering, 18-21. And another ram for a consecration-offering, 22—24. The fat, with cakes of unleavened bread, and the right shoulder of the ram, he offers as a waveoffering, and afterwards burns, 25-28. The breast, lohich was the part of Moses, he also waves, 29. And sprinkles oil and blood upon Aaron and his sons, 30. The flesh of the consecration ram is to be boiled and eaten at the door of the tabernacle, 31, 32. Moses commands Aaron and his sons to abide seven days at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, which they do accordingly, 33—36.

with him, and '' the garments, and •= the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin-ofFering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;

3 And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

4 And Moses did as the Lord commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

5 And Moses said unto the congregation, ^ This is the thing which the Lord commanded to be done.

6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, " and washed them with water.

^ 7 ^ And he put upon him the ^ coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith.

8 And he put the breastplate upon him: also he ^ put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim.

9 ■ And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the Lord ^ commanded Moses.

10 ^ And Moses took the anointing oil, and

Verse 2. Take Aaron and his sons] The whole subject of this chapter has been anticipated in the notes on Exod. xxviii. 1, &c., and xxix. 1, &c., in which all the sacrifices, rites, and ceremonies have been explained in considerable detail; and to those notes the reader is referred. It is only necessary to observe that Aaron and his sons were not anointed until now. Before, the thing was commanded; now, first performed.

anointed the tabernacle and all A. M. 2514. that was therein, and sanctified An. Exod. isr. 2.

1 1 And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify

1 2 And he "^ poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify

13 "And Moses brought Aaron's sons, and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and " put bonnets upon them; as the

1 4 PAnd he brought the bullock for the sinoffering: and Aaron and his sons i laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin-offering.

1 5 And he slew it; "" and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it.

1 6 ^ And he took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses burned it upon the altar.

17 But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the Lord * commanded Moses.

Verse 8. He put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim.'] The Urim and Tliummim are here supposed to be something different from the breastplate itself. See the notes on Exod. xxviii. 15, 16, 30.

Verse 14. The bullock for the sin-offering] This was offered each day during the seven days of oonse cration. See Exod. xxix. 36.

18" And he brought the ram for the burnt-offering: and Aaron

19 And he killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

20 And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat.

21 And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a burnt-sacrifice for a sweet savour, and an oifering made by fire unto the Lord; ^ as the Lord commanded Moses.

22 And ^ he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.

23 And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's

Verse 23. Put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, tj-c] See this significant ceremony explained in the note on Exod. xxix. 20. Calmet remarks that the consecration of the high priest among the Romans bore a considerable resemblance to the consecration of the Jewish high priest. " The Roman priest, clothed with a garment of silk, his head covered with a crown of gold adorned with sacred ribbons, was conducted into a subterranean place, over which there was a floor of planks pierced through with many holes. On this floor they sacrificed a bullock, whose blood was freely poured out on the planks or floor, which running through the holes fell upon the priest, who stood under to receive this sacred aspersion, and who, in order to be completely covered with the blood, took care to present the whole of his body, his clothes, face, eyes, nose, lips, and even his tongue, to receive the drops of blood falling through the pierced floor above. Being completely covered with this sanguineous shower, he ascended from his subterranean place, and was acknowledged and adored by the people as Pontifex Maximus, or supreme high priest." These rites, which bear a striking allusion to those used in the consecration of Aaron, and from which they were probably borrowed, and disguised by the introduction of their own superstitions, are particularly described by Aurelitis Prudenlius, in his poem entitled Romani Martyris Supplicium, from which I shall select those verses, the subject of which is given above, as the passage is curious, and the work not common.

" Summus sacerdos nempe sub terram aerobe Acta in profundum consecrandus mergitur. Mire infulatus, festa vittis tempera Nectens, corona turn repexus aurea, Cinctu Gabino sericam fultus togam.

Tabulis superne strata texunt pulpita, Rtmosa rari pegmatis compagibus, Scindunt subinde vel terebrant aream, Crebroque lignum perforant acumine,

of his right hand, and upon the An. Exod^hr2. great toe of his right foot. Abih of Nisan.

24 And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

25 "" And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder:

26 y And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the Lord, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder:

Pateat minutis ut frequens hiatibus. —

Hie ut statuta est i?nmolanda bellua, Pectus sacrata dividunt venabulo, Eructat amplum vulnus undam sanguinis — &c.

Turn T^er frcquentes mille rimarum vias Illapsus imber, tabidum rorem pluit, Defossus intus quem sacerdos excipit, Guttas ad omnes turpe subjectans caput, Et veste et omni putrefactus corpore:

Quin OS supinat, obvias off"ert genas Supponit aures, labra, naves objicit, Oculos et ipsos perluit liquoribus,

Nee jam palato parcit, et litiguam rigat, Donee cruorem totus atrum combibat. — Procedit inde pontifex visu horridus — &c. Omnes salutant atque adorant eminus, Vilis quod ilium sanguis, et bos mortuus Foedis latentem sub cavernis laverint."

Of these lines the reader will not be displeased to find the following poetical version: —

" For when, with sacred pomp and solemn state, Their great high priest the Romans consecrate, His silken vest in Gabine cincture bound, A festal fillet twines his temples round: And, while aloft the gorgeous mitre shines, His awful brow a golden crown confines. In a deep dyke, for mystic ritual made, He stands, surrounded with terrific shade. High o'er his holy head a stage they place» Adorn with paintings, and with statues grace; Then with keen piercers perforate the floor, Till thronging apertures admit no more. Thither the victim ox is now convey'd, To glut the vengeance of the thirsty blade. The sacred spear his sturdy throat divides, Down, instant streaming, gush the gory tides, Through countless crevices the gaping wood Distils corrupted dew and smoking blood;

Aaron and his sons, being anointed, CHAP. VIII. abide in the tabernacle seven days.

nacle of the conffregalion: and A. M. 2514. there eat it with the bread that An. Exod.lsr!2. is in the basket of consecrations, Abib or Nisan.

28 * And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt-offering: they ivere consecrations for a sweet savour: it is an offering made by fire

29 And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave-offering before the Lord: for of the ram of consecration it was Moses' '' part; as the Lord commanded Moses.

30 And *= Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.

31 And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, ^ Boil the flesh at the door of the taber-

Drop after drop, in swift succession shed,

Falls on the holy pontiff's mitred head;

While, to imbibe the sanctifying power.

His outspread garments drink the crimson shower;

Then on his back in reeking streams he lies,

And laves in livid blood his lips and eyes;

Bares every limb, exposes every pore,

To catch the virtue of the streaming gore;

With open mouth expects the falling flood,

Moistens his palate and his tongue with blood;

Extends his ears to meet the sanguine rain,

Nor lets a single drop descend in vain.

Then from the gloomy cave comes forth to light,

Bathed in black blood, and horrible to sight! —

By the vile torrent, and the victim slain,

In the dark cavern cleansed from mortal stain,

Their priest, enveloped in atoning gore,

With trembling awe surrounding throngs adore."

Prudentius was born about the middle of the fourth century, and was no doubt intimately acquainted with the circumstances he describes.

Verse 27. And waved them for a wave-offering] See the nature of this and the heave-offering in the note on Exod. xxix. 27.

Verse 30. And Moses took — the blood — and sprinkled it upon Aaron, <Sfc.] Thus we find that the high priest himself must be sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice; and our blessed Lord, of whom Aaron was a type, was sprinkled with his own blood. 1. In his agony in the garden. 2. In his being crowned with thorns. 3. In the piercing of his hands and his feet. And, 4. In his side being pierced with the spear. All

as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it.

32 ^ And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire.

33 And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for ^ seven days shall he consecrate you

34 ^ As he hath done this day, so the Lord hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you.

35 Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and ^ keep the charge of the Lord, that ye die not: for so I am com-

36 So Aaron and his sons did all things which the Lord commanded by the hand of

Verse 33. For seven days shall he consecrate you.^ This number was the number of perfection among the Hebrews; and the seven days' consecration implied a perfect and full consecration to the sacerdotal oflice. See the note on Exod. xxix. 30.

Verse 36. So Aaron and his sons did] This chapter shows the exact fulfilment of the commands delivered to Moses, Exod. xxix.; and consequently the complete preparation of Aaron and his sons to fill the awfully important office of priests and mediators between God and Israel, to offer sacrifices and make atonement for the sins of the people.

" Thus," says Mr. Ainsworth, " the covenant of the priesthood was confirmed unto the tribe of Levi in Aaron and his sons, which covenant was life and peace, Mai. ii. 5. But these are made priests without an oath; also, there were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death; and they served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, offering gifts and sacrifices which could not make him who did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience; for they were carnal ordinances imposed upon them till the time of reformation, that is, until the time of Christ, who was made a priest of God loith an oath, and made surety of a better covenant, established on better promises. And because he continueth for ever, he hath a priesthood which passeth not from one to another, and is a minister of the tru6 tabernacle, which God pitched and not man. Not by the blood of bulls and of goats, but by his own blood, he entered once into the holy place, having found ever- lasting redemption for us; and is therefore able to save to the uttermost them who come unto God through him, as he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Taken in reference to his priesthood and sacrifice, all these rites and ceremonies are significant and edifying j but taken out of this relation, they would be as absurd and nugatory as the consecration of the Roman Pontifex Maximus, mentioned above by Prudentius.

Aarcm is commanded to offer, on the eighth day, a sin-offering and a burnt-offering, 1,2. The people are commanded also to offer a sin-offering, a burnt-offering, peace-offerings, and a meat-offering, 3, 4. They do as they were commanded; and Moses promises that God shall appear among them, 5, 6. Aaron is commanded to make an atonement for the people, 7. He and his sons prepare and offer the different sacrifices

2 And he said unto Aaron, '' Take thee a young calf for a sin-offering, ° and a ram for a burnt-offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord.

3 And unto the children of Israel thou shall speak, saying, ^ Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin-offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burntoffering;

4 Also a bullock and a ram for peace-offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord; and ® a meat-offering mingled with oil: for ^to-day the Lord will appear unto you.

6 And they brought that which Moses com-

Verse 1. On the eighth day] This was the first day after their consecration, before which they were deemed unfit to minister in holy things, being considered as in a state of imperfection. " All creatures," says Ainsvvorth, " for the most part were in their uncleanness and imperfection seven days, and perfected on the eighth; as children by circumcision, Lev. xii. 2, 3; young beasts for sacrifice, chap. xxii. 27; persons that were unclean by leprosies, issues, and the like, chap. xiv. 8-10; xv. 13, 14; Num. vi. 9, 10. So here, the priests, until the eighth day, were not admitted to minister in their office."

Verse 2. Take thee a young calf, <^c.] As these sacrifices were for Aaron himself, they are furnished by himself and not by the people, for they were designed to make atonement for his own sin. See chap, iv. 3. And this is supposed by the Jews to have been intended to make an atonement for his sin in the matter of the golden calf. This is very probable, as no formal atonement for that transgression had yet been made.

22, 23. And the fire of the Lord consumes the manded before the tabernacle of a. m. 2514.

the congregation: and ail the con- An. Exod. isr. 2 gregation drew near and stood ^bib or Nisan. before the Lord.

6 And Moses said. This is the thing which the Lord commanded that ye should do; and s the glory of the Lord shall appear unto you.

7 And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and ^' offer thy sin-offering, and thy burnt-offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and ' offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the Lord commanded.

8 Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin-offering, which ivas for himself.

9 ^ And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him: and he dipped his finger in the

Verse 8. Take ye a kid] In chap. iv. 14 a young bullock is commanded to be offered for the sin of the people; but here the ofl^ering is a kid, which was the sacrifice appointed for the sin of the ruler, chap. iv. 22, 23, and hence some think that the reading of the Samaritan and the Septuagint is to be preferred. Speak unto the elders of Israel, these being the only princes or rulers of Israel at that time; and for them it is possible this sacrifice was designed. It is however supposed that the sacrifice appointed chap. iv. 14 was for a particxdar sin, but this for sin in general; and that it is on this account that the sacrifices differ.

Verse 6. And the glory of the Lord shall appear] God shall give the most sensible signs of his presence among you; this he did in general by the cloud on the tabernacle, but in this case the particular proof was the fire that came out from before the Lord, and consumed the burnt-offering; see ver. 23, 24.

Verse 7. Make an atonement for thyself] This showed the imperfection of the Levitical law; the high priest was obliged to make an expiation for his own sins before he could make one for the sins of the

10 "*But the fat, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver, of the sin-offering, he burnt upon the altar; "^ as the Lord commanded Moses.

11° And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp.

12 And he slew the burnt-offering; and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, P which he sprinkled round about upon the altar.

1 3 *i And they presented the burnt-offering unto him, wdth the pieces thereof, and the head: and he burnt them upon the altar.

14 ■'And he did wash the inwards and the legs, and burnt them upon the burnt-offering on the altar.

1 5 ^ And he brought the people's offering, and took the goat, which was the sin-offering for the people, and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first.

16 And he brought the burnt-offering, and offered it ^ according to the ^ manner.

Verse 22. And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them] On lifting up the hands in prayer, see Exod. ix. 29. The form of the blessing we have in Num. vi. 23, &c.: "The Lord bless thee and keep thee! The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee! The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace!" See the notes on these passages.

Atid came down from offering of the sin-offering, dfc."] A sin-ofFering, a burnt-offering, a meat-offering, and peace-offerings, were made to God that his glory might appear to the whole congregation. This was the end of all sacrifice and religious service; not to confer any obligation on God, but to make an atonement for sin, and to engage him to dwell among and influence his worshippers.

Verse 23. Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle] It is supposed that Moses accompanied Aaron into the tabernacle to show him how to offer the incense, prepare the lamps and the perfume, adjust the shew-bread, &c., &c.

And the glory of the Lord appeared] To show that every thing was done according to the Divine mind,

2. A fire came out from before the Lord, and consumed the burnt-offering. This was the proof which Ood gave upon extraordinary occasions of his accept- offering, and "^ took a handful An. Exod. isr. 2. thereof and burnt it upon the Abib or Nisan. altar, ^beside the burnt-sacrifice of the morning.

18 He slew also the bullock and the ram /or y a sacrifice of peace-offerings, which was for the people: and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about;

19 And the fat of the bullock and of the ram, the rump, and that which covereth the inwards, and the kidneys, and the caul abcwe the liver:

20 And they put the fat upon the breasts, ^ and he burnt the fat upon the altar:

21 And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved ^ for a wave-offering before the Lord; as Moses commanded.

22 And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and '' blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin-offering, and the burnt-offering, and peace-offerings.

23 And Moses and Aaron Went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: •= and the glory of

ance of the sacrifice. This was done probably, 1. In the case of Abel, Gen. iv. 4. 2. In the case of Aaron; see above, ver. 24. 3. In the case of Gideon, Judg. vi. 21. 4. In the case of Manoah and his wife. Compare Judg. xiii. 19-23. 5. In the case of David dedicating the threshing-floor of Oman, 1 Chron. xxi. 28. 6. In the case of Solomon dedicating the temple, 2 Chron. vii. 1. 7. In the case of Elijah, 1 Kings xviii. 38. Hence to express the accepting of an offering, sacrifice, &c., the verb |tyT dishshen is used, which signifies to reduce to ashes, i. e., by fire from heaven. See Psa. xx. 3. In such a case as this, it was necessary that the fire should appear to be divinely sent, and should come in such a way as to preclude the supposition that any art or deceit had been practised on the occasion. Hence it is not intimated that Moses and Aaron brought it out of the tabernacle, professing that God had kindled it there for them, but the fire came out from before the Lord, and all the PEOPLE SAW it. The victims were consumed by a fire evidently of no human kindling. Josephus says that " a fire proceeded from the victims themselves of its own accord, which had the appearance of a flash of lightning;" ef avruv nvp avrji^dtj avrofiarov, koc ofioiov aarpaTTTjg?.a/j.Tir]6ov i opufisvov rri (p?^oyf " and consumed all that was upon the altar. "—Antiq., lib. iii., c. 8, s. 6, edit. Haverc. And it is very likely that by the agency of the ethereal or electric spark, sent immediately from the Divine presence, the victims

24 And ^ there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon

were consumed. The heathens, in order to give credit to theur worship, imitated this miracle, and pretended that Jupiter testified his approbation of the sacrifices offered to him by thunder and lightning: to this "Virgil seems to allude, though the words have been understood differently.

On which words Servius makes this remarkable comment: Quia cum fiunt foedera, si coruscatio fuerit, confirmantur. Vel certe quia apud majores arae non incendebantur, sed ignem divinum precibus eliciebant qui incendebant altaria. " To sanction the covenant signifies to confirm it; for when a covenant was made, if there were a flash of lightning, it was considered to be thereby confirmed: or rather because our ancestors lighted no fire upon the altars, but obtained by their supplications divine fire," &c. The expression apud majores, " among our ancestors,"" shows that they could boast of no such divine fire then; nor could they ever before, as the whole account was borrowed from the Jews. Solinus Pohjhistor gives us an account to the same effect; for, speaking of the hill of Vulcan in Sicily, he says: In quo, qui divinee rei operantui, ligna vitea super aras struunt, nee ignis apponitur in banc congeriem: cum prosicias intulerunt, si adest deus, si sacrum probatur, sarmenta licet viridia sponte concipiunt, et nullo inflagrante halitu, ab ipso numine fit accendium, cap. v. in fine. " They who perform sacred rites in this place, put a bundle of vine-tree wood upon the altar, but put no fire to it; for when they lay the pieces of the victim upon it, if the deity be present, and he approve the sacrifice, the bundle, although of green wood, takes fire of itself, and without any other means the deity himself kindles the flame." These are remarkable instances, and show how exactly the heathen writers have borrowed from the sacred records. And in farther imitation of this miracle, they had their perpetual fire in the temple of Vesta, which they feigned to have descended at first from heaven, and which they kept with the most religious veneration.

Verse 24. When all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.] 1. The miracle was done in such a way as gave the fullest conviction to the people of its reality. 2. They exulted in the thought that the God of almighty power and energy had taken up his abode among them. 3. They prostrated themselves in his presence, thereby intimating the deep sense they had of his goodness, of their unworlhiness, and of the obligation they were under to live in subjection to his authority, and obedience to his will.

This celestial fire was carefully preserved among the Israelites till the time of Solomon, when it was renewed, and continued among them till the Babylonish captivity. This Divine fire was the emblem of the Holy Spirit. And as no sacrifice could be acceptable to God which was not salted, i. e., seasoned and rendered pleasing, ly this fire, as our Lord says, Mark ix. 49- so no soul can offer acceptable sacrifices to God, but through the influences of the Divine Spirit. Hence the promise of the Spirit under the emblem of fire, Matt. iii. 11, and its actual descent in this similitude on the day of pentecost. Acts ii. 3, 4.

The most remarkable circumstance in this cnapter is the manifestation of the presence of God, and the consuming of the victims by the miraculous fire. We have already seen that the chief design of these sacrificial rites wis to obtain reconciliation to God, that the Divine Presence might dwell and be manifested among them. To encourage the people to make the necessary preparations, to offer the sacrifices in a proper spirit, and to expect especial mercies from the hand of God, Moses promises, ver. 4, that the Lord would appear unto them on the morroio, and that his glory should appear, ver. 6. In hope or expectation of this, the priest, the ciders, and the people purified themselves by offering the different sacrifices which God had appointed; and when this was done God did appear, and gave the fullest proofs of his approbation, by miraculously consuming the sacrifices which were prepared on the occasion. Does not St. John evidently refer to these circumstances, 1st Epist., chap. iii. 2, 3: " Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; and every man that hath this hope in him, purifielh himself, even as he is pure." This manifestation of God in the tabernacle was a type of his presencej first, in the Church militant on earth; and secondly, in the Church triumphant in heaven. They who expect to have the presence of God here, must propitiate his throne of justice by the only available sacrifice; they who wish to enjoy everlasting felicity, must be purified from all unrighteousness, for without holiness none can see the Lord. If we hope to see him as he is, we must resemble him. How vain is the expectation of glory, where there is nc meetness for the place! And how can we enter into the holiest but by the blood of Jesus 1 Heb. x. 19. And of what use can this sacrifice be to those who do not properly believe in it? And can any faith, even in that sacrifice, be effectual to salvation, that does not purify the heart 1 Reader! earnestly pray to God that thou hold not the trutfi in unrighteousness. a

Nadab and Abihu offer strange fire before the Lord, and are destroyed, 1-5. Aaron and his family forbidden to mourn for them, 6, 7. He and his family are forbidden the use of wine, 8—11. Directions to Aaron and his sons concerning the eating of the meat-offerings, cj-c, 12-15. Moses chides Aaron for not having eaten the sin-offering, 16—18. Aaron excuses himself, and Moses is satisfied, 19, 20.

therein, and put incense thereon, and offered " strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.

Verse 1. A7id Nadab and Abihu — took either of them his censer] The manner of burning incense in the temple service was, according to the Jews, as follows: — " One went and gathered the ashes from off the altar into a golden vessel, a second brought a vessel full of incense, and a third brought a censer with fire, and put coals on the altar, and he whose office it was to burn the incense strewed it on the fire at the command of the governor. At the same time all the people went out of the temple from between the porch and the altar. Each day they burned the weight of a hundred denaries of incense, fifty in the morning, and fifty in the evening. The hundred denaries weighed fifty shekels of the sanctuary, each shekel w sighing three hundred and twenty barleycorns; and when the priest had burned the incense, he bowed himself down and went his way out. See Maimonides^ Treatise of the Daily Service, chap. iii. So when Zacharias, as his lot fell, burned incense in the temple, the whole multitude of the people were without at prayer while the incense was burning, Luke i. 9, 10. By this service God taught them that the prayers of his faithful people are pleasing to him, whilst our High Priest, Christ Jesus, by his mediation puts incense to iheir prayers; (see Psa. cxli. 2; Rom. viii. 34; Heb. viii. 1, 2; ix. 24; Rev. viii. 3, 4;) for the priests under the law served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things; Heb. viii. 5." See Ainsivorth in loco.

In the preceding chapter we have seen how God intended that every part of his service should be conducted; and that every sacrifice might be acceptable to him, he sent his own fire as the emblem of his presence, and the means of consuming the sacrifice. — Here we find Aaron's sons neglecting the Divine ordinance, and offering incense with strange, that is, common fire, — fire not of a celestial origin; and therefore the fire of God consumed them. So that very fire which, if properly applied, would have sanctified and consumed their gift, become now the very instrument of their destruction! How true is the saying. The Lord is a consuming fire! He will either halloiu or destroy us: he will purify our souls by the influence of his Spirit, or consume them with the breath of his mouth! The tree which is properly planted in a good •oil ia nourished by the genial influences of the sun:

2 And there ^ went out fire A. M. 2514. from the Lord, and devoured An. Exod-. Isr. 2. them, and they died before the Abib or Nisan.

3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sancti-

pluck it up from its roots, and the sun which was the cause of its vegetative life and perfection now dries up its juices, decomposes its parts, and causes it to moulder into dust. Thus must it be done to those who grieve and do despite to the Spirit of God. Reader, hast thou this heavenly fire 1 Hear then the voice of God, Quench not the Spirit.

Some critics are of opinion that the fire used by the sons of Aaron was the sacred fire, and that it is onlycalled strange from the manner of placing the incense on it. I cannot see the force of this opinion.

Which he commanded them not.] Every part of the religion of God is Divine. He alone knew what he designed by its rites and ceremonies, for that which they prefigured — the whole economy of redemption by Christ — was conceived in his own mind, and was out of the reach of human wisdom and conjecture. He therefore who altered any part of this representative system, who omitted or added any thing, assumed a prerogative which belonged to God alone, and was certainly guilty of a very high offence against the wisdom, justice, and righteousness of his Maker. This appears to have been the sin of Nadab and Abihu, and this at once shows the reason why they were so severely punished. The most awful judgments are threatened against those who either add too, or take away from, the declarations of God. See Deut. iv. 2; Prov. XXX. 6; and Rev. xxii. 18, 19.

Verse 3. And Aaron held his peace.] ]'\'nii UT^ vaiyiddom Aharon, and Aaron was dumb. How elegantly expressive is this of his parental affection, his deep sense of the presumption of his sons, and his own submission to the justice of God! The flower and hope of his family was nipped in the bud and blasted; and while he exquisitely feels as a father, he submits without murmuring to this awful dispensation of Divine justice. It is an awful thing to introduce innovations either into the rites and ceremonies, or into the truths, of the religion of Christ: he who acts thus cannot stand guiltless before his God.

It has often been remarked that excessive grief stupifies the mind, so that amazement and deep anguish prevent at once both tears and complaints; hence that saying of Seneca, CurcB leves loquantur; graviores silent. "Slight sorrows are loquacious: deep anguish has no voice." See on ver. 19.

4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of ^ Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said mito them, Come near, ' carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.

5 So they went near, and carried them in ♦heir coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.

6 And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, ^ Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest ^ wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord hath kindled.

7 ^ And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: "for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.

8 And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying,

Verse 4. Uzziel the uncle of Aaron] He was brother to Amram the father of Aaron; see Exod. vi. 18-22.

Verse 5. Carried them in their coats out of the camp] The modern impropriety of burying the dead within towns, cities, or places inhabited, had not yet been introduced; much less that aboinination, at which both piety and common sense shudder, burying the dead about and even ivithin places dedicated to the worship of God!

Verse 6. Uncover not your heads, <Sfc.] They were to use no sign of grief or mourning, 1. Because those who were employed in the service of the sanctuary should avoid every thing that might incapacitate them for that service; and, 2. Because the crime of their brethren was so highly provoking to God, and so fully merited the • punishment which he had inflicted, that their mourning might be considered as accusing the Divine justice of undue severity.

Verse 7. The anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.] They were consecrated to the Divine service, and this required their constant attendance, and most willing and cheerful service.

Verse 9. Do not drink wine nor strong drink] The cabalistical commentator, Baal Hatturim, and others, have supposed, from the introduction of this command here, that Aaron's sons had sinned through excess of wine, and that they had attempted to celebrate the Divine service in a state of inebriation.

thou, nor thy sons with thee, A. M. 2514. when ye go into the tabernacle An. Exod. Isr. 2. of the congregation, lest ye die: Abib or Nisan. it shall he a statute for ever throughout your generations:

1 0 And that ye may p put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

11^ And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them, by the hand of Moses.

12 And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take 'the meat-offering that remaineth of the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for ^ it is most holy:

13 And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons' due, of the sacrifices of the Lord made by fire: for * so I am commanded.

14 And " the wave-breast and heave-shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they

Strong drink. — The word IDty shechar, from shachar, to inebriate, signifies d.ny kind offe7mented\\^nor3 This is exactly the same prohibition that was given in the case of John Baptist, Luke i. 1 5: Oivov Kat aiKepa ov fiTj TTiTf Wine and sikera he shall not drink. Any inebriating liquor, says St. Jerome, {Epist. ad nepot.,) is called sicera, whether made of corn, apples, honey, dates, or other fruit. One of the four prohibited drinks among the Mohammedans in India is called JCu/ sakar, (see \\\e Hedaya,vo\. iv., p. 158,) which signifies inebriating drink in general, but especially date wine or arrack. From the original word probably we have borrowed our term cider or sider, which among us exclusively signifies the fermented juice of apples. See on Luke i. 15.

Verse 10. That ye may put difference bettveen holy and unholy] This is a strong reason why they should drink no inebriating liquor, that their understanding being clear, and their judgment correct, they might be always able to discern between the clean and the unclean, and ever pronounce righteous judgment. Injunctions similar to this were found among the Egyptians, Carthaginians, and Greeks. Indeed, common s/5nse itself shows that neither a drunkard nor a sot should ever be suffered to minister in holy things.

15' The heave-shoulder and the wave-breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave-offering before the Lord; and it shall be thine, and thy sons' with thee, by a statute for ever; as the Lord hath commanded.

1 6 And Moses diligently sought '^ the goat of the sin-offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angrj,-^ with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which tuere left alive, saying,

17 ^Wherefore have ye not eaten the sinoffering in the holy place, seeing it is most

holy, and God hath given it you a. m. 2514. to bear the iniquity of the con- An. Exod.isr.2. gregation, to make atonement ^bib or Nisan. for them before the Lord?

18 Behold, y the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the " holy place, ^ as I com-

19 And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, ^this day have they offered their sin-offering and their burnt-offering before the Lord; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin-offering to-day, ^ should it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord?

20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.

Verse 16. Moses diligently sought the goat] The goat which was offered the same day for the sins of the priests and the people, (see chap. ix. 15, 16,) and which, through the confusion that happened on account of the death of Nadab and Abihu, was burnt instead of being eaten. See ver. 18.

Verse 17. To bear the iniquity of the congregation] See on chap. vi. 26, &c.

Verse 19. And such things have befallen me, dfc] The excuse which Aaron makes for not feasting on the sin-offering according to the law is at once appropriate and dignified; as if he had said: "God certainly has commanded me to eat of the sin-offering; but when such things as these have happened unto me, could it be good in the sight of the Lord? Does he not expect that I should feel as a father under such afflicting circumstances 1" With this spirited answer Moses was satisfied; and God, who knew his situation, took no notice of the irregularity which had taken place in the solemn service. To human nature God has given the privilege to weep in times of affliction and distress. In his infinite kindness he has ordained that tears, which are only external evidences of our grief, shall be the outlets to our sorrows, and tend to exhaust the cause from which they flow. See on ver. 3.

Verse 20. When Moses heard that, he was content.] The argument used by Aaron had in it both good sense and strong reason, and Moses, as a reasonable man, felt its force; and as God evidenced no kind of displeasure at this irregularity, which was, in a measure at least, justified by the present necessity, he thought proper to urge the matter no farther.

Though the punishment of Nadab and Abihu may appear severe, because the sacred text does not specify clearly the nature and extent of their crime, we may rest assured that it was of such a nature as not only to justify but to demand such a punishment. God has here given us a full proof that he will not suffer human institutions to take the place of his own prescribed worship. It is true this is frequently done, for by many what is called natural religion is put in the place of Divine revelation; and God seems not to regard it: but though vengeance is not speedily executed on an evil work, and therefore the hearts of the children of men are set to do wickedness, yet God ceases not to be just; and those who have taken from or added to his words, or put their own inventions in their place, shall be reproved and found liars in the great day. His long-suffering leads to repentance; but if men will harden their hearts, and put their oicn ceremonies, rites, and creeds, in the place of Divine ordinances and eternal truths, they must expect to give an awful account to him who is shortly to judge the quick and the dead.

Were the religion of Christ stripped of all that state policy, fleshly interest, and gross superstition have added to it, how plain and simple, and may we not add, how amiable and glorious, would it appear! Well may we say of human inventions in Divine worship what one said of the paintings on old cathedral windows. Their principal tendency is to prevent the light from coming in. Nadab and Abihu would perform the worship of God, not according to his command, but in their own way; and God not only would not receive the sacrifice from their hands, but, while encompassing themselves with their own sparks, and warming themselves with their own fire, this had they from the hand of the Lord — they lay down in sorrow, for there tvent out a fire from the Lord, and devoured them. What is written above is to be understood of persons who make a religion for themselves, leaving Divine reve lation; for, being wilfully ignorant of God's righteousness, they go about to establish their own. This is a high offence in the sight of God. Reader, God is a Spirit, and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth. Such worshippers the Father seeketh.

Laws concerning clean and unclean animals, 1, 2. Of quadrupeds, those are clean which divide the hoof and chew the cud, 3. Those to be reputed unclean which do not divide the hoof, though they chew the cud ^ 4-6. Those to be reputed unclean also which, though they divide the hoof, do not chew the cud, 7. Whosoever eats their flesh, or touches their carcasses, shall be reputed unclean, 8. Of fish, those are clean, and may be eaten lohich have fins and scales, 9. Those luhich have not fins and scales to be reputed unclean, 10—12. O/" FOWLS, those which are unclean, 13-21. Of insects, the following may be eaten: the bald locust, beetle, and grasshopper, 22. All others are unclean and abominable, their flesh not to be eaten, nor their bodies touched, 23-25. Farther directions relative to unclean beasts, 26-28. Of reptiles, and some small quadrupeds, those ivhich are unclean, 29, 30. All that touch them shall be unclean, 31; and the things touched by their dead carcasses are unclean also, 32—35. Large fountains, or pits of water, are not defiled by their carcasses, provided a part of the water be drawn out, 36. Nor do they defile seed bt, accidentally touching it, provided the tvater which has touched their flesh do not touch or moisten the seed 37, 38. A beast that dieth of itself is unclean, and may not be touched or eaten, 39, 40. All creeping things are abominable, 41-44. The reason given for these laws, 45—47.

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, * These are the beasts which ye shall eat

Verse I. And the Lord spake unto Mosesl In the preceding chapter the priests are expressly forbidden to drink wine; and the reason for this law is given also, that they might be able at all times to distinguish between clean and unclean, and be qualified to teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord had spoken, chap. x. 10, 11; for as inebriation unfits a person for the regular performance of every function of life, it must be especially sinful in those who minister in holy things, and to whom the teaching of the ignorant, and the cure of souls in general, are intrusted.

Scheuchzer has remarked that no Christian state has made any civil law against drunkenness, (he must only mean the German states, for we have several acts of parliament against it in England,) and that it is only punished by contempt. " Custom," says he, "that tyrant of the human race, not only permits it, but in some sort authorizes the practice, insomuch that we see priests and ministers of the Church ascend the pulpit in a state of intoxication j^Mf/^es seat themselves upon the benches, physicians attend their patients, and others attempt to perform the different avocations of life, in the same disgraceful state." — Physic. Sacr., vol. iii., p. 64.

This is a horrible picture of German manners; and while we deplore the extensive ravages made by this vice, and the disgrace with which its votaries are overwhelmed, we have reason to thank God that it very rarely has ever appeared in the pulpit, and perhaps was never once seen upon the bench, in our own country.

Having delivered the law against drinking wine, Moses proceeds to deliver a series of ordinances, all well calculated to prevent the Israelites from mixing with the surrounding nations, and consequently from being contaminated by their idolatry. In chap. xi. he treats of unclean meats. In chap, xii., xiii., xiv., and XV., he treats oi unclean persons, garments, and dwellings. In chap. xvi. he treats of the uncleanness

and is cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

of the priests and the people, and prescribes the proper expiations and sacrifices for both. In chap. xvii. he continues the subject, and gives particular directions concerning the mode of offering, &c. In chap, xviii. he treats of unclean matrimonial connections. In chap xix. he repeats sundry laws relative to these subjects, and introduces some new ones. In chap. xx. he mentions certain uncleannesses practised among the idolatrous nations, and prohibits them on pain of death. In chap. xxi. he treats of the mourning, marriages, a,nd personal defects oHhe priests, which rendered them unclean. And in chap. xxii. he speaks of unclean sacrifices, or such as should not be offered to the Lord. After this, to the close of the book, many important and excellent political and domestic regulations are enjoined, the whole forming an ecclesiastico-political system superior to any thing the world ever saw.

Bishop Wilso7i very properly observes that, " by these laws of clean and unclean animals, &c., God did keep this people separated from the idolatrous world: and this is a standing proof, even to the present day, of the Divine authority of these Scriptures; for no power or art of man could have obliged so great and turbulent a nation to submit to such troublesome pre cepts as the Jews always have submitted to, had they not been fully convinced, from the very first, that the command was from God, and that it vpas to be obeyed at the peril of their souls."

Verse 3. Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooled] These two words mean the same thing — a divided hoof, such as that of the ox, where the hoof is divided into two toes, and each toe is ca^erf with horn.

Cheweth the cud] Ruminates; casts up the grass, &c., which had been taken into the stomach for the purpose of mastication. Animals which chew the cud, or ruminate, are provided with two, three, or four stomachs. The ox has four: in the first or largest, called the venti-iculus ox paunch, the food is collected without

A.M. 2514. 4 Nevertheless these shall ye An. Exod. isr.2. not eat of them that chew the

hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean

5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean

6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean

7 And '' the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; '^ he is unclean to you.

8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their

being masticated, the grass, &c., being received into it as the beast crops it from the earth. The food, by the force of the muscular coats of this stomach, and the liquors poured in, is sufficiently macerated; after which, formed into small balls, it is thrown up by the cesophagus into the mouth, where it is made very small by mastication or chewing, and then sent down into the second stomach, into which the cesophagus or gullet opens, as well as into the first, ending exactly where the two stomachs meet. This is what is termed cheiving the cud. The second stomach, which is called the reticulum, honey-comh, bonnet, or king^s hood, has a great number of small shallow cells on its inward surface, of a pentagonal or five-sided form, exactly like the cells in a honey-comb; in this the food is farther macerated, and then pushed onward into the third stomach, called the omasum or manyplies, because its inward surface is covered with a great number of thin membraneous partitions. From this the food passes into the fourth stomach, called the abomasum, or reed. In this stomach it is digested, and from the digested mass the chyle is formed, which, being absorbed by the lacteal vessels, is afterwards thrown into the mass of blood, and becomes the principle of nutrition to all the solids and fluids of the body. The intention of rumination, or chewing the cud, seems to be, that the food may be sufficiently comminuted, that, being more fully acted on by the stomachs, it may afford the greatest possible portion of nutritiv6 juices.

The word cud is probably not originally Saxon, though found in that language in the same signification in which it is still used. Junius, with great show of probability, derives it from the Cambro-British chwyd, a vomit, as it is the ball of food vomited, or thrown up, from i\\e first stomach or paunch through the oesophagus into the mouth, v?hich is called by this name. Those who prefer a Saxon derivation may have it in the verb ceopan, whence our word chew; and so cud might be considered a contraction of chewed, but this is not so likely as the preceding.

9 « These shall ye eat of all Abib or Nisan. that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.

1 0 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move.in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an ^abomination unto you:

1 1 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcasses in abomination.

12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

13^ And these are they which ye shall have

rather a creature nearly resembling it, which abounds in Judea, Palestine, and Arabia, and is called by Dr. Shaw daman Israel, and by Mr. Bruce ashkoJco. As this creature nearly resembles the rabbit, with which Spain anciently abounded, Bochart supposes that the Phoenicians might have given it the name of H'JD'ii' spaniah, from the multitude of D^JDi^ shephanim (or spanim, as others pronounce it) which were found there. Hence the emblem of Spain is a woman sitting with a rabbit at her feet. See a coin of Hadrian in Scheuchzer.

Verse 6. The hare] n3J1X arneheth, as Bochart and others suppose, from mx arah, to crop, and ^'J nib, the produce of the ground, these animals being remarkable for destroying the fruits of the earth. That they are notorious for destroying the tender blade of the young corn, is well known. It is very likely that different species of these animals are included under the general terms |3iy shaphan, and n^JIX arnebeth, for some travellers have observed that there are four or five sorts of these animals, which are used for food in the present day in those countries. See Harmer, vol. iii., p. 331, edit. 1808. Some think the mountain rat, marmot, squirrel, and hedgehog, may be intended under the word shaphan.

A^'erse 7. And the swine] Tin chazir, one of the most gluttonous, libidinous, and filthy quadrupeds in the universe; and, because of these qualities, sacred to the Venus of the Greeks and Romans, and the Friga of our Saxon ancestors; and perhaps on these accounts forbidden, as well as on account of its flesh being strong and difficult to digest, affording a very gross kind of aliment, apt to produce cutaneous, scorbutic, and scrofulous disorders, especially in hot climates.

Verse 9. Whatsoever hath fins and scales] Because these, of all the fish tribe, are the most nourishing; the others which are without scales, or whose bodies are covered with a thick glutinous matter, being in general very difficult of digestion.

Verse 13. And these — among the fowls— the eagle] y^i nesher, from nashar, to lacerate, cut, or tear to

in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and

pieces; hence the eagle, a most rapacious bird of prey, from its tearing the flesh of the animals it feeds on; and for this purpose birds of prey have, in general, stiong, crooked talons and a hooked beak. The eagle is a cruel bird, exceedingly ravenous, and almost insatiable.

The ossifrage] Or bone-breaker, from os, a bone, and frango, I break, because it not only strips off the flesh, but breaks the bone in order to extract the marrow. In Hebrew it is called D"13 peres, from paras, to break or divide in two, and probably signifies that species of the eagle anciently known by the name of ossifraga, and which we render ossifrage.

Ospray'] n'J?;^ ozinyah, from |T;^ azan, to be strong, vigorous; generally supposed to mean the black eagle, such as that described by Homer, Iliad, lib. xxi., ver 252.

" Having the rapidity of the black eagle, that bird of prey, at once the swiftest and the strongest of the feathered race."

Among the Greeks and Romans the eagle was held sacred, and is represented as carrying the thunderbolts of Jupiter. This occurs so frequenth% and is so well known, that references are almost needless. See Scheuchzer.

Verse 14. The vulture] nXT daah, from the root to fly, and therefore more probably the kite or glede, from its remarkable property of gliding or sailing with expanded wings through the air. The nXT daah is a different bird from the D'T daiyah, which signifies the vulture. See Bochart, vol. iii., col. 195.

The kite] n'N aiyah, thought by some to be the vulture, by others the?nerlin. Parkhurst thinks it has its name from the root n*X avah, to covet, because of its rapaciousness; some contend that the kite is meant. That it is a species of the hawk, most learned men allow. See Bochart, vol. iii., col. 192.

Verse 16. The otvl] HJ^^'H n:3 bath haiyaanah, the daughter of vociferation, the female ostrich, probably so called from the noise they make. " In the lonesome part of the night," says Dr. Shaw, " the ostriches frequently make a very doleful and hideous noise, sometimes resembling the roar of the lion; at other tWt^s, the hoarser voice of the bull or o.r." He adds, "with.ve heard them groan as if in the deepest agobeing coTravels, 4to edition, p. 455. The ostrich is treats of -lean animal, and eats its own ordure as and XV., he nids it, and of this Dr. Shaw observes, UWKLLINGS. Lis remarkably fond! This is a sufii-

1 5 Every raven after his kind;

1 7 And the little '' owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,

cient reason, were others wanting, why such a fowl should be reputed to be unclean, and its use as an article of diet prohibited.

The night hawk] DOnn tachmas, from DDH chamas, to force away, act violently and unjustly; supposed by Bochart and Scheuchzer to signify the male ostrich, from its cruelty towards its young; (see Job xxxix. 17—19;) but others, with more reason, suppose it to be the bird described by Hasselquist, which he calls the strix Orientalis, or Oriental owl. " It is of the size of the common owl, living in the ruins and old deserted houses of Egypt and Syria; and sometimes in inhabited houses. The Arabs in Egypt call it Massasa, the Syrians Bana. It is very ravenous in Syria, and in the evenings, if the windows be left open, it flies into the house and kills infants, unless they are carefully watched; wherefore the women are much afraid of it." — Travels, p. 196.

If this be the fowl intended, this is a sufiicient reason why it should be considered an abomination.

The cuckoo] ^^Vi^ shachaph, supposed rather to mean the sea meiv; called shachaph, from HiJnty shachepheth, a ivasting distemper, or atrophy, (mentioned chap. xxvi. 16; Deut. xxviii. 22,) because its body is the leanest, in proportion to its bones and feathers, of most other birds, always appearing as if under the influence of a ivasting distemper. A foul which, from its natural constitution or manner of life, is incapable of becoming plump or fleshy, must always be unwholesome; and this is reason sufficient why such should be prohibited.

And the hawk] Vl nets, from the root nX3 natsah, to shoot forth or spring forward, because of the rapidity and length of its flight, the hawk being remarkable for both. As this is a bird of prey, it is forbidden, and all others of its kind.

Verse 17. The little oivl] D1J cos, the bittern, nightraven, or night-owl, according to most interpreters. Some think the onocrotalus or pelican may be intended; for as the word DO cos signifies a cup in Hebrew, and the pelican is remarkable for a pouch or bag under the lower jaw, it might have had its Hebrew name from this circumstance; but the kaath in the following verse is rather supposed to mean this fowl, and the cos some species of the bubo or oiol. See Bochart, vol. iii., col. 272.

The cormorant] ■]'?ti' shalach, from the root which signifies to cast down; hence the Septuagint narappaKr>](, the cataract, or bird which falls precipitately doivn upon its prey. It probably signifies the plungeon or diver, a sea fowl, which I have seen at sea dart down as swift as an arrow into the water, and sieze the fish which it had discovered while even flying, or rather soaring, at a very great height, a

after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

20 AH fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall he an abomination unto you.

21 Yet these may ye eat, of every flying

The great owl] ^y\i>T yanshuph, according to the Septuagint and the Vulgate, signifies the ihis, a bird well known and held sacred in Egypt. Some critics, with our translation, think it means a species of owl or night bird, because the word may be derived from "^K/J nesheph, which signifies the twilight, the time in which owls chiefly fly about. See Bochart, vol. iii., col. 281.

Verse 18. The swari] D'O'tSiPt tinshemeth. The Septuagint translate the word by -rrop^vpLuva, the porphyrion, purple or scarlet bird. Could we depend on this translation, we might suppose the flamingo or some such bird to be intended. Some suppose the goose to be meant, but this is by no means likely, as it cannot be classed either among ravenous or unclean fowls. Bochart thinks the owl is meant. See on ver. 30.

The pelican] HNp kaath. As DXp haah signifies to vomit up, the name is supposed to be very descriptive of the pelican, who receives its food into the pouch under its lower jaw, and, by pressing it on its breast with its bill, throws it up for the nourishment of its young. Hence the fable which represents the pelican wounding her breast with her bill, that she might feed her young with her own blood; a fiction which has no foundation but in the above circumstance. Bochart thinks the bittern is meant, vol iii. col. 292.

The gier eagle] Dm racham. As the root of this word signifies tenderness and affection, it is supposed to refer to some bird remarkable for its attachment to its young; hence some have thought that the pelican is to be understood. Bochart endeavours to prove that it means the vulture, probably that species called the golden vulture. — Bochart, vol. iii., col. 303.

Verse 19. The stork] HTDn chasidah, from non chasad, which signifies to be abundant in hindness, or exuberant in acts of beneficence; hence applied to the stork, because of its affection to its young, and its kindness in tending and feeding its parents when old; facts attested by the best informed and most judicious of the Greek and Latin natural historians. See Bochart, Schcuchzer, and Parkhurst, under the word IDII chasad. It is remarkable for destroying and eating serpents, and on this account might be reckoned by Moses among unclean birds.

The heron] HiJJX anaphah. This word has been variously understood: some have rendered it the kite, others the woodcock, others the curlew, some the peacock, others the parrot, and others the crane. The root t^3X anaph, signifies to breathe short through the nostrils, to snuff, as in anger; hence to be angry: and it is supposed that the word is sufliciently descriptive of the heron, from its very irritable disposition. It will attack even a man in defence of its nest; and I have known a case where a man was in danger of creeping thing that goeth upon all a. m. 2514. four, which have legs above their Ad. Exod. isr.' 2. feet, to leap withal upon the earth; ^^'^ °' ^''^^■

22 Even these of them ye may eat; " the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.

losing his life by the stroke of a heron's bill, near the eye, who had climbed up into a high tree to take its nest. Bochart supposes a species of the eagle to be meant, vol. iii., col. 335.

The lapwing] nS'Dn duchiphath, the upupa, hoopoe, or hoop, a crested bird, with beautiful plumage, but very unclean. See Bochart and Schcuchzer. Concerning the genuine meaning of the original, there is little agreement among interpreters.

The bat] ^^Slj^' atalleph, so called, according to Parkhurst, from t3>' at, to fly, and ']'?>» alaph, darkness or obscurity, because it flies about in the dusk of the evening, and in the night: so the Septuagint vvKrepic, from vv^, the night; and the Vulgate vespertilio, from vesper, the evening. This being a sort of monster partaking of the nature of both a bird and beast, it might well be classed among unclean animals, or animals the use of which in food should be avoided.

Verse 20. All fowls that creep] Such as the bat, already mentioned, which has claws attached to its leathern wings, and which serve in place of feet to crawl by, the feet and legs not being distinct; but this may also include all the different kinds of insects, with the exceptions in the following verse.

Going upon all four] May signify no more than walking regularly or progressively, foot after foot as quadrupeds do; for it cannot be applied to insects literally, as they have in general six feet, many of them more, some reputed to have a hundred, hence called centipedes; and some a thousand, hence called?nillipedes; words which often signify no more than that such insects have a great number of feet.

Verse 2 1. Which have legs above their feet] This appears to refer to the different kinds of locusts and grasshoppers, which have very remarkable hind legs, long, and with high joints, projecting above their backs, by which they are enabled to spring up from the ground, and leap high and far.

Verse 22. The locust] n3"lX arbeh, either from 3"1X arab, to lie in ivait or in ambush, because often immense flights of them suddenly alight upon the fields, vineyards, &c., and destroy all the produce of the earth; or from HDT rabah, he multiplied, because of their prodigious swarms. See a particular account of these insects in the notes on Exod. x. 4.

The beetle] bjin chargol. " The Hebrew name seems a derivative from Jin charag, to shake, and Sj*1 regel, the foot; and so to denote the nimbleness of its

24 And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcass of them shall be unclean until the even.

25 And whosoever beareth aught of the carcass of them, ° shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

26 The carcasses of every beast which divjdeth the hoof, and is not cloven-footed, nor cheweth the cud, aj'e unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.

27 And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso

motions. Thus in p]nglish we call an animal of the locust kind a grasshopper; the French name of which i.s sauterelle, from the verb sauter, to leap." — Parkhurst. This word occurs only in this place. The beetle never can be intended here, as that insect never was eaten by man, perhaps, in any country of the universe.

The grasshopper} DJH chagab. Bochart supposes that this species of locust has its name from the Arabic verb *r*^^* hajaba to veil; because when they fly, as they often do, in great swarms, they eclipse even the light of the sun. See the notes on Exod. x. 4, and the description of ten kinds of locusts in Bochart, vol. iii., col. 441. And see the figures in Scheuchzer, in whose plates 20 different species are represented, vol. iii., p. 100. And see Dr. Shaw on the animals mentioned in this chapter. Travels, p. 419, &c., 4to. edition; and when all these are consulted, the reader will see how little dependence can be placed on the most learned conjectures relative to these and the other animals mentioned in Scripture. One thing however is fully evident, viz., that the locust was eaten, not only in those ancient times, in the time of John Baptist, Matt. iii. 4, but also in the present day. Dr. Shaw ate of them in Barbary " fried and salted," and tells us that " they tasted very like crayfish." They have been eaten in Africa, Greece, Syria, Persia, and throughout Asia; and whole tribes seem to have lived on them, and were hence called acridophagoi, or locust-eaters, by the Greeks. See Strabo, lib. xvi., and Plmi/, Hist. Nat., 1. xvii., c. 30.

Verse 27. Whatsoever goeth upon his paws] VSiD cappaiv, h\s palms or hands, probably referring to those animals whose feet resemble the hands and feet of the human being, such as apes, monkeys, and all creatures of that genus; together with bears, frogs, &c.

Verse 29. The weasel] nSn choled, from chalad, Syr., to creep in. Bochart conjectures, with great propriety, that the mole, not the loeasel, is intended by the Hebrew word: its property of digging into the earth, and creeping or burroiving under the surface, is well known.

28 And he that beareth the car- Abib or N.san. cass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.

29 These also shall he unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and ° the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,

30 And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the p snail, and the mole.

3 1 These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.

32 And upon whatsoever ai^y of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean •

The mouse] "133;^ achbar. Probably the large field rat, or what is called by the Germans the ham' ster, though every species of the mus genus may be here prohibited.

The tortoise] 3V tsab. Most critics allow that the tortoise is not intended here, but rather the crocodile, the frog, or the toad. The frog is most probably the animal meant, and all other creatures of its kind.

The chameleon] UD coach. Bochart contends that this is the *3^ waril or guaril, another species of lizard, which derives its name from its remarkable strength and vigour in destroying serpents, the Hebrew HD each signifying to be strong, firm, vigorous; it is probably the same with the mongoose, a creature still well known in India, where it is often domesticated in order to keep the houses free from snakes, rats, mice, &c.

The lizard] HXdS letaah. Bochart contends that this also is a species of lizard, called by the Arabs ^Jr^ wahara, which creeps close to the ground, and is poisonous.

The snail] tOOn chomet, another species of lizard, according to Bochart, called ^^^>>^ huluka by the Arabians, which lives chiefly in the sand. — Vol. ii., col. 1075.

The mole.] ^\'OWM^ tinshameth, from 01^3 nasham, to breathe. Bochart seems to have proved that this is the chameleon, which has its Hebrew name from its wide gaping mouth, very large lungs, and its deriving its nourishment from small animals which float in the air, so that it has been conjectured by some to feed on the air itself — Vol. iii., col. 1078. A bird of the same name is mentioned ver. 13, which Bochart supposes to be the night-owl. — Vol. iii., col. 286.

Verse 32. Any vessel of wood] Such as the u^oorfen bowls still in use among the Arabs. Or raiment, or skin — any trunks or baskets covered with skins, another part of the furniture of an Arab tent; the goat-skins

Abib or Nisan. whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, i it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evon; so it shall be cleansed.

33 And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ^ ye shall break it.

34 Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.

35 And every thi?ig whereupon any ^ja;t of their carcass falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they a7'e unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.

36 Nevertheless a fountain or pit, ^ wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean.

37 And if any part of their carcass fall upon any sowing seed, which is to be sown, it shall be clean.

38 But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcass fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.

in which they churn their milk, may be also intended. Or sack — any hair-cloth used for the purpose of transporting goods from place to place.

Verse 33. And every earthen vessel] Such pitchers as are commonly used for drinking out of, and for holding liquids. M. De la Rogue observes that hairsacks, trunks, and baskets, covered with skin, are used among the travelling Arabs to carry their household utensils in, which are kettles or pots, great wooden bowls, hand-mills, and pitchers. It is very likely that these are nearly the same with those used by the Israelites in their journeyings in the wilderness, for the customs of these people do not change.

Verse 35. Ranges for pots] To understand this, we must observe that the Arabs dig a hole in their tent, about a foot and a half deep; three-fourths of this, says Rauwolff, they lay about with stones, and the fourth part is left open for the purpose of throwing in their fuel. This little temporary building is probably what is here designed by ranges for pots; and this was to be broken down when any unclean thing had fallen upon it... See Harmer, vol. i., p. 464.

Verse 36. A fountain or pit, c^c] This must either refer to running water, the stream of which soon carries off all impurities, or to large reservoirs where the water soon purifies itself; the water in either which

39 And if any beast, of which a. m. 2514. ye may eat, die; he that toucheth An. Exod. isr! 2 the carcass thereof shall be un- Abib or Nisan. clean until the even.

40 And ^ he that eateth of the carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareththe carcass of it shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the even.

4 1 And every creeping thing, that creepeth upon the earth, shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.

42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever " hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.

43 'Ye shall not make "•'^ yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves miclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.

44 For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and * ye shall be holy; for I om holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

45 y For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: '^ ye shall therefore be holy; for I am holy.

touched the unclean thing, being considered as impure, the rest of the water being clean.

Verse 37. Any sowing seed] If any part of an impure carcass fall accidentally on seed about to be sown, it shall not on that account be deemed unclean; but if the water put to the seed to prepare it for being sown, shall be touched by such impure carcass, the seed shall be considered as unclean, ver. 38. Probably this may be the meaning of these passages.

Verse 42. Whatsoever goeth upon the belly] In the word |)nj gahOn, the vau holem, in most Hebrew Bibles, is much larger than the other letters; and a Masoretic note is added in the margin, which states that this is the middle letter of the law; and consequently this verse is the middle verse of the Pentateuch.

Whatsoever hath more feet] Than/owr; that is, all many-footed reptiles, as well as those which go upon the belly having no feet, such as serpents; besides the four-footed smaller animals mentioned above.

Verse 44. Ye shall — sanctify yourselves] Ye shall keep yourselves separate from all the people of the earth, that ye may be holy; for I am holy. And this was the grand design of God in all these prohibitions and commands; for these external sanetifications were only the emblems of that internal purity which the holiness of God requires here, and without which none

A. M. 2514. 46 This is the law of the An. Exod. isr. 2. beasts, and of the fowl, and of Abib or Nisan. g^gj-y Jiving creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:

The contents of this chapter must furnish many profitable reflections to a pious mind.

1. From the great difficulty of ascertaining what animals are meant in this part of the law, we may at once see that the law itself must be considered as abrogated; for there is not a Jew in the universe who knows what the animals are, a very few excepted, which are intended by these Hebrew words; and therefore he may be repeatedly breaking this law by touching and being touched eitlier by the animals themselves or their produce, such as hair, wool, fur, skin, intestines, differently manufactured, &c., &c. It therefore appears that this people have as little law as they have gospel.

2. While God keeps the eternal interests of man steadily in view, he does not forget his earthly comfort; he is at once solicitous both for the health of his body and his soul. He has not forbidden certain aliments because he is a Sovereign, but because he knew they would be injurious to the health and morals of his people. The close connection that subsists between the body and the soul we cannot fully comprehend; and as little can we comprehend the influence they have on each other. Many moral alterations take place in the mind in consequence of the influence of the bodily organs; and these latter are greatly influenced by the kind of aliment which the body receives. God knows what is in man, and he knows what is in all creatures; he has therefore graciously forbidden what would injure both body and mind, and commanded what is best calculated to be useful to both. Solid-footed animals, such as the horse, and many-toed animals, such as the cat, &c., are here prohibited. Beasts which have bifid or cloven hoofs, such as the ox and sheep, are considered as proper for food, and therefore commanded. The former are unclean, i. e., unwholesome, affording a gross nutriment, often the parent of scorbutic and scrofulous disorders; the latter clean, i. e., affording a copious and wholesome nutriment, and not laying the foundation of any disease. Ruminating animals, i. e., those which chew the cud, concoct their food better than the others which swallow it with little mastication, and therefore their flesh contains more of the nutritious juices, and is more easy of digestion, and consequently of assimilation to the solids and fluids of the human body; on this account they are termed clean, i. e., peculiarly wholesome, and

47 ^To make a difference A. M. 2514. between the unclean and the An. Exod. isr! 2. clean, and between the beast Ab.b or Nisan. that may be eaten, and the beast that may not be eaten.

fit for food. The animals which do not ruminate do not concoct their food so well, and hence they abound with gross animal juices, which yield a comparatively unwholesome nutriment to the human system. Even the animals which have bifid hoofs but do not chew the cud, such as the swine, and those which chew the cud but are not bifid, such as the hare and rabbit, are by Him who knows all things forbidden, because he knew them to be comparatively innutritive. In all this God shows himself as the tender Father of a numerous family, pointing out to his inexperienced, froward, and ignorant children, those kinds of aliments which he knows will be injurious to their health and domestic happiness, and prohibiting them on pain of his highest displeasure. On the same ground he forbade all fish that have not both fins and scales, such as the conger, eel, &c., which abound in gross juices and fat which very few stomachs are able to digest. Who, for instance, that lives solely on swine^s flesh, has pure blood and healthy juices! And is it not evident, in many cases, that the man partakes considerably of the nature of the brute on which he exclusively feeds'? I could pursue this inquiry much farther, and bring many proofs founded on indisputable facts, but I forbear; for he who might stand most in need of caution, would be the first to take offence.

3. As the body exists only for the sake of the soul, and God feeds and nourishes it through the day of probation, that the soul may here be prepared for the kingdom of heaven; therefore he shows in the conclusion of these ordinances, that the grand scope and design of all was that they might be a holy people, and that they might resemble him who is a holy God. — God is holy; and this is the eternal reason why all his people should be holy — should be purified from all filthiness o( the ficsh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. No faith in any particular creed, no religious observance, no acts of benevolence arid charity, no mortification, attrition, or contrition, can be a substitute for this. We must be made partakers of the Divine nature. We must be saved from our sins — from the corruption that is in the world, and be made holy within and righteous without, or never see God. For this very purpose Jesus Christ lived, died, and revived, that he might purify us unto himself; that through faith in his blood our sins might be blotted out, and our souls restored to the image of God. — Reader, art thou hungering and thirsting after right eousnessi Then blessed art thou, for thou shall be filled.