spake unto the children of Israel that which he was com-
35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the veil upon iiis face again, until he went in to speak with him.
who is the end of the law for righteousness — justification, to every one that believeth. The former gives a partial view of the Divine nature; the latter shows God as he is, " Full orbed, in his whole round of rays complete."
The apostle farther considers the veil on the face of Moses, as being emblematical of the metaphorical nature of the diflerent rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic dispensation, each covering some spiritual meaning or a spiritual subject; and that the Jews did not lift the veil to penetrate the spiritual sense, and did not look to the end of the commandment, which was to be abolished, but rested in the letter or literal meaning, which conferred neither light nor life.
He considers the veil also as being emblematical of that state of intellectual darkness into which the Jewish people, by their rejection of the Gospel, were plunged, and from which they have never yet been recovered. When a Jew, even at the present day, reads the law in the synagogue, he puts over his head an oblong woollen veil, with four tassels at the four corners, which is called the taled or thaled. This is a very remarkable circumstance, as it appears to be an emblem of the intellectual veil referred to by the apostle, which is still upon their hearts when Moses is read, and which prevents them from looking to the end of that which God designed should be abrogated, and which has been abolished by the introduction of the Gospel. The veil is upon their hearts, and prevents the light of the glory of God from shining into them; but we all, says the apostle, speaking of believers in Christ, with open face, without any veil, beholding as in a glass the glory of God, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord; 2 Cor. iii. 18. Reader, dost thou know this excellence of the religion of Christ? Once thou wert darkness; art thou now light in the Lord? Art thou still under the letter that killeth, or under the Spirit that giveth life?.\rt thou a sl.ave to sin or a servant of Christ I Is the veil on thy heart, or hast thou found redemption in his blood, the remission of sins? Knowest thou not these things? Then may God pitv. enlighten, and save thee!
fully bring their ornaments as offerings to the Lord, 20-22; together with Uue, purple, scarlet, <^c., <!fC., 23, 24. The women spin, and bring the produce of their skill and industry, 25, 26. The rulers bring precious stones, SfC, 27, 28. All the people offer willingbj, 29. Bezaleel and Aholiab appointed to conduct and superintend all the loorh of the tabernacle, for which they are qualified by the spirit of wisdom,
his boards, his bars, his pillars, ^'"'' and his sockets;
^'"'' of Israel together, and said unto
them, ^ These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them.
2 * Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you " a holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.
3 '' Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day.
4 And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, " This is the thing which the Lord commanded,
5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: ^ whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord; gold, and silver, and brass,
7 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
8 And oil for the light,? and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
9 And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
1 0 And '' every wise-hearted man among you shall come, and make all that the Lord hath commanded;
Verse 1. And Moses gathered] The principal subjects in this chapter have been already largely considered in the notes on chapters xxv., xxvi., xxvii., xxviii., xxix., xxx., and X-Kxi., and to those the reader is particularly desired to refer, together with the parallel texts in the margin.
Verse 3. Ye shall kindle no fire] The Jews understand this precept as forbidding the kindling of fire only for the purpose of doing work or dressing victuals; but to give them light and heat, they judge it lawful to light a fire on the Sabbath day, though themselves rarely kindle it — they get Christians to do this work for them.
12 '' The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy-seat, and the veil of the covering;
1 3 The ' table, and his staves, and all his vessels, ■" and the shew-bread;
14 " The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light;
1 5 " And the incense altar and his staves, P and the anointing oil, and 'the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle;
1 6 ' The altar of burnt-offering, with his brazen gate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver, and his foot;
1 7 ^ The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court;
1 8 The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords;
1 9 ' The clothes of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.
20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of
U'illiniT, and they brought llie Lord's offering to the work of tlie tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.
2'2 And they came, botli men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought bracelets, and ear-rings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered, offered an offering of gold unto the Lord.
23 And * every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goals' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them.
24 Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass, brought the Lord's offering: and every man, with whom was found shitlim wood for any work of the service, brought it.
25 Ami all llie women that were ■" wisehearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.
26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom, spun goats' hair.
27 And ^ the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate;
28 And y spice, and oil for the
toxoeh, and such like, used in the common service, and different from the vestments for Aaron and his sons. See these latter described chap, xxviii. 1, &c.
Verse 21. Every one whose heart stirred him up] Literally, ivhose heart was lifted up — whose affections were set on the work, being cordially engaged in the service of God.
Verse 22. As main/ as were ioilling-hearted] For no one was forced to lend his help in tiiis sacred work; all was a free-will offering lo the Lord.
Tablets] 1013 cumaz, a word only used here and in Num. xxxi. 50, supposed to be a girdle to support the breasts.
Verse 25. All the women that were wise-hearted did fpm] Tliey had before learned this art, they were wise-hearted; and now they practise it, and God con- light, and for the anointing oil. An. Exod. isr! i. and for the sweet incense. ^'"'-
29 The children of Israel brought a ^ willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, " The Lord hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
3 1 And he hath filled him with the Spirit of Ciod, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all marmer of workmanship;
32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.
34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and '' Ahohab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan:
35 Them hath be ° filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.
descends to require and accept their services. In building this house of God, all were ambitious to do something by which they might testify their piety to God, and their love for his worship. The spinning practised at this time was simple, and required little apparatus. It was the plain distaff or twirling pin, which niiglit be easily made out of any wood they met with in the wilderness.
Verse 27. The rulers brought onyx stones] These, being persons of consequence, might be naturally ex pected to furnish the more scarce and costly articles. See how all join in this service! The men worked and brought offerings, the women spun and brought their ornaments, the rulers united whh them and delivered up their jewels! and all the children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord,
Verse 30. The Lord hath called by name Beialeel] See this suliject discussed at large in the note on chap, xxxi. 3, where the subject of superseding the work of the hand by the extra use of machinery is particularly considered.
1. From the nature of the offerings made for the service of the tabernacle, we see of what sort the spoils were which the Israelites brought out of Egypt: gold, silver, brass, blue, purple, scarlet, Jine linen, rams'' skins dyed red, what we call badgers'' siins, oil, spices, incense, onyx stones, and other stones, the names of which are not here mentioned. They must also have brought looms, spinning loheels, instruments for cutting precious stones, anvils, hammers, furnaces, melling-pots with a vast variety of tools for the different artists employed on the work of the tabernacle, viz., smiths, joiners, carvers, gilders, &c.
2. God could have erected his tabernacle without the help or skill of man; but he condescended to employ him. As all are interested in the worship of God, so all should bear a part in it; here God employs the whole congregation; every male and female, with even their sons and their daughters, and the very ornaments of their persons, are given to raise and adorn the house of God. The women who had not ornaments, and could neither give gold nor silver, could spin goat's hair, and the Lord gi-aciously employs them in this work, and accepts what they can give and what they can do, for they did it with a willing mind; they were wise of heart — had learned a useful business, their hearts were lifted vp in the work, ver. 91, and all felt it a high privilege to be able to put only a nail in the holy place. By the free-will offerings of the people the tabernacle was erected, and all the costly utensils belonging to it provided. This was the primitive mode of providing proper places for Divine worship; and as it was the primitive, so it is the most rational mode. Taxes levied by law for building or repairing churches were not known in the ancient times of religious simplicity. It is an honour to be permitted to do any thing for the support of public worship; and he must have a strange, unfeeling, and ungodly heart, who does not esteem it a high privilege to have a stone of his own laying or procuring in the house of God. How easily might all the buildings necessary for the purpose of public worship be raised, if the money that is spent in needless self-indulgence by ourselves, our sons, and onr daughters, were devoted to this purpose! By sacrifices of this kind the house of the Lord would be soon built, and the top-stone brought on with shouting, Grace, grace unto it!
Moses appoints Bezaleel, Aholiab, and their associates, to the loork, and delivers to them the free-will offerings of the people, 1—3. The people bring offerings more than are needed for the icork, and are only restrained by the proclamation of Moses, 4—7. The curtains, their loops, tachcs, (SfC.,for the tabernacle, 8—18. The covering for the tent, 19. The boards, 20-30. The bars, 31-34. The veil and its pillars, 35, 36. The hangings and their pillars, 37, 38.
'T^HEN wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every ^ wisehearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding, to know how *o work all manner of work for the service of ■*ie '' sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded.
2 And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even every one " whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXVI. Verse 1. Then wrought, cj'c] The frst verse of ■his chapter should end the preceding chapter, and this should begin with verse the second; as it now stands, it does not make a very consistent sense. By reading the first word na/j-'l veasah, then wrought, in the future ense instead of the past, the proper connection will be preserved: for all grammarians know that the conjunction 1 vau is often conversive, i. e., it turns the preterite tense nf those verbs to which it is prefi.Ked into ihe future, and the future into the preterite: this power it evidently has here; and joined with the last
3 And they received of Moses all the offering which the children of Israel '^ had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.
4 And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;
5 And they spake unto Moses, saying, ^ The people bring much more than enough for the
verse of the preceding chapter the connection will appear thus, chap. x.\xv. ver. 30, &c.: The Lord hath called by name Bezaleel and Aholiab; them hath he filled loith wisdom of heart to work all manner of work. Chap. xx.xvi. 1.: And Bezaleel and Aholiab SHALL WORK, and every icise-hearted man, m ivhom the Lord put wisdom.
Verse 5. The people bring much more than enough] With what a liberal spirit do these peojile bring their free-will offerings unto the Lord I Moses is obliged to make a proclamation to prevent them from bringing any more, as there was at present more than enough '
ment, and llicy caused it to be proclaimed througliout llic camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.
7 For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and loo much.
8 ^ And every wise-hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle, made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work made he them.
9 The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: the curtains iverc all of one size.
1 0 And he coupled the five curtains one unto another: and the other five curtains he coupled one unto another.
1 1 And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvage in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side oi another curtain in the coupling of the second.
1 2 s Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which was in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another.
13 And he made fifty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so it became one tabernacle.
14 '' And he made curtains of goats' hair for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made them.
Had Moses been intent upon gain, and had he not been perfectly disinterested, he would have encouraged them to continue their contributions, as thereby he might have multiplied to himself gold, silver, and precious stones. But he was doing the Lord's work, under the inspiration of the Divine Spirit, and therefore he sought no secular gain. Indeed, this one circumstance is an ample proof of it. Every thing necessary for the worship of God will be cheerfully provided by a people whose hearts are in that worship. In a state where all forms of religion and modes of worship are tolerated by the laws, it would be well to find out some less exceptionable way of providing for the national clergy than by tithes. Let them by all means have the provision allowed them by the law; but let them not he needlessly exposed to the resentment of the people by the mode in which this provision is made, as this often alienates the affections of their flocks from them, and ex-
15 The length of one curtain A..M. 2514. was thirty cubits, and four An. Exod.i.ni. cubits was the breadth of one T'"' '<> Adar. curtain: the eleven curtains were of one size.
16 And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.
17 And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
18 And he made fifty taches q/" brass, to couple the tent togetiier, that it might be one.
1 9 ' And he made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers' skins above that.
20- '' And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood, standing up.
2 1 The length of a board was ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a half.
22 One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
23 And he made boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards for the south side southward:
24 And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
25 And for the other side of the tabernacle, which is toward the north corner, he made twenty boards,
26 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets imder another board.
ceedingly injures their usefulness. See the note on Gen. xxviii. in fine, where the subject is viewed on all sides.
Verse 8. ChcruT>in\s of cunning ivorK] See on chap, xxvi. 18. Probably the word means no more than figures of any kind wrought in the diaper fashion in the loom, or by the needle in embroidery, or by the chisel or graving tool in trood, stone, or metal; see on chap. XXV. 18. This meaning Houbigant and other excellent critics contend for. In some places the word seems to be restricted to express a particular figure then well known; but in many other places it seems to imply any kind of figure commonly formed by sculpture on stone, by carvmg on wood, by engraving upon brass, and by weaving in the loom, &c.
Verse 9. The length of one curtain] Concerning these curtains, see chap. xxvi. 1, &c.
27 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.
28 And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
29 And they were ' coupled beneath, and coupled together at the head thereof, to one ring: thus he did to both of them, in both the corners,
30 And there were eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, ™ under every board two sockets.
3 1 And he made " bars of sliittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
32 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward.
33 And he made the middle bar to shoot
Verse 31. He made bars] See on chap. xxvi. 26, &c. Verse 35. He made a veil] See on chap. xxvi. 3 1, &c. Verse 37. Hanging for the — door] See on ch. xxvi. 36. Verse 38. The five pillars of it with their hooks] Their capitals. See the note on chap. xxvi. 32.
There is scarcely any thing particular in this chapter that has not been touched on before; both it and the following to the end of the book being in general a repetition of what we have already met in detail in the preceding chapters from chap. xxv. to xxxi. inclu- Bive, and to those the reader is requested to refer.
34 And he overlaid the boards Tisri to Adar. with gold, and made their rings of gold to he places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
35 And he made "a veil q/"blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work.
36 And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were q/gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
37 And he made a p hanging for the tabernacle door, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, 1 of needle-work;
38 And the five pillars of it with their hooks; and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold; but their five sockets were qfbrass.
God had before commanded this work to be done, and it was necessary to record the execution of it to show that all was done according to the pattern shown to Moses; without this detailed account we should not have known whether the work had ever been executed according to the directions given.
At the commencement of this chapter the reader will observe that I have adoanced the dates A. M. and B. C. one year, without altering the year of the exodus, which at first view may appear an error; the reason is, that the above dates commence at Tisri, but the years of the exodus are dated from Abih.
Bezaleel and Aholiah make the ark, 1-5. The mercy-seat, 6. The two cherubim, 7-9. The table of the shew-bread, and its vessels, 10-16. The candlestick, 17— 2i. The golden altar of incense, 25— 23. The holy anointing oil and perfume, 29.
!!L and a half was the length of it,
and a cubit and a half the height of it:
2 And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.
3 And he cast for it four rings of gold, to he set by the four corners of it; even two rings
rings upon the other side 01 it. An. Exod. isr. 1. 4 And he made staves 0/ shittim '^'"" '° ^'^"- wood, and overlaid them with gold.
5 And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
6 And he made the i" mercy-seat q/"pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth tliereof.
8 One cherub <= on the end on this side, and anotlier cherub ^ on the other end oti that side: out of the mercy-seat made he tiie cherubims, on the two ends thereof.
0 And the cherubims spread out their wings iin high, a?id covered with their wings over I lie mercy-seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy-seatWcird were the faces of tlie cherubims.
10 And he made '' the table q/"shittim wood: two cubits ivas the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:
1 1 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.
12 Also he made thereunto a border of a hand breadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.
1 3 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the fou)^ corners that loere in the four feet thereof.
14 Over against the border were the rings, Uie places for the staves to bear the table.
1 5 yVnd lie made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.
16 And he made the vessels which luerc upon the table, his '^ dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers ^ to cover withal, of pure gold.
17 And he made the ■> candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:
1 8 And six branches soing out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out
of the one side thereof, and tliree A. M. 25U. branches of the candlestick out An. Exed. i«rl i. of the other side thereof: TUritoAdar.
Verse 10. He made the vessels] See all these particularly described in the notes on chap. xxv. 29.
Verse 17. He made the candlestick] See this described in the note on chap. xxr. 31.
19 Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so tliroughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.
20 And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:
21 And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.
22 Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.
23 And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuff dishes, of pure gold.
24 O/" a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.
25 ' And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it luas four-square; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.
26 And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it; also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.
27 And he made two rings of gold for il under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.
28 And he made the staves q/" shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
29 And he made •= the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.
Verse 29. He made the holt/ anointing oif] See this and the perfume, and the materials out of which thej were made, described at large in the notes on chap. xxx. 23-25 and 34-38. As this chapter also is a repetition of what has been mentioned in preceding chapters, the reader is desired to refer to them
Bezaleel makes the altar of hurnt-offering, 1—7. He makes the laver and its foot out of the mirrors given by the women, 8. The court, its pillars, hangings, dfC, 9-20. The whole tabernacle and its loorkfinished by Bezaleel, Aholiab, and their assistants, 21—23. The amount of the gold contributed, 24. The amount of the silver, and how it was expended, 85—28. The amount of the brass, and hoio this was used, 29—31.
A ND " he made the altar of burnt-offering of shittim wood: five cubits ivas the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was four-square; and three cubits the height
2 And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass.
.3 And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basins, and the flesh hooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass. 4 And he made for the altar a brazen grate
Verse 1. The altar of burnt-offering] See the notes on chap, xxvii. 1; and for its horns, pots, shovels, basins, &c., see the meaning of the Hebrew terms explained, chap, xxvii. 3-5.
The looking-glasses] The word nN"l3 marolh, from nSI raah, he saw, signifies reflectors or mirrors of any kind. Here metal, highly polished, must certainly be meant, as glass was not yet in use; and had it even been in use, we are sure that /oo/(/fto—GLASSEs could not make a brazen laver. The word therefore should be rendered mirrors, not looking-glasses, which in the above verse is perfectly absurd, because from those maroth the brazen laver was made.. The first mirrors known among men were the clear, still fountain, and unruffled lake; and probably the mineral called 7nica, which is a very general substance through all parts of the earth. Plates of it have been found of three feet square, and it is so extremely divisible into lamintc, that it has been divided into plates so thin as to be only the three hundred thousandth part of an inch. A plate of this forms an excellent mirror when any thing black is attached to the opposite side. A plate of this mineral, nine inches by eight, now lies before me; a piece of black cloth, or any other black substance, at the back, converts it into a good mirror; or it would serve as it is for a square of glass, as every object is clearly perceivable through it. It is used in Russian ships of war, instead of glass, for windows. The first artificial mirrors were apparently made of brass, afterwards of polished steel, and when luxury increased they were made of silver; but they were made at a very early period of mixed metal, particularly of tin and copper, the best of which, as Pliny tells us, wore formerly manufactured at Brundusium: Op-
5 And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.
6 And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.
7 And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.
8 And he made '' the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the '^ looking-glasses of the loomen ^ assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
tima apud majores fuerant Brundisina, stanno et are mixtis. — Hist. Nat. lib. xxxiii., cap. 9. But, according to him, the most esteemed were those made of tin; and he says that silver mirrors became so common that even the servant girls used them: Specula (ex stanno) laudatissima Brundisii tcmperabantur; donee argenteis uli ccepere et ancillcE; lib. xxxiv., cap. 17. When the Egyptian women went to the temples, they alwavs carried their mirrors with them. The Israelitish women probably did the same, and Dr. Shaw states that the Arabian women carry them constantly hung at their breasts. It is worthy of remark, that at first these women freely gave up their ornaments for this important service, and now give their very mirrors, probably as being of little farther service, seeing they had already given up the principal decorations of their persons. Woman has been invidiously defined by Aristotle, an animal fond of dress, (though this belongs to the whole human race, and not exclusively to woman.) Had this been true of the Israelitish women, in the present case we must say they nobly sacrificed their incentives to pride to the service of their God. Woman, go thou and do likewise.
Of the women — lohich assembled at the door] What the employ.Tient of tliese women was at the door of the tabernacle, is not easily known. Some think they assembled there for purposes of devotion. Others, that they kept watch there dnring the night; and this is the most probable opinion, for they appear to have been in the same employment as those who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in the days of Samuel, who were abused by the sons of the high priest Eli, 1 Sam. ii. 22. Among the ancients women were generally employed in the oflice o{ porters or doorkeepers. Such were employed about the house of the high priest in our Lord's time; for a woman is actually represented as keeping the door of iVn. Eiod. Isr. 1. the soulh Side southward tlie Ti8ri to Adar. hangings of the court were of fine twined hnen, a hundred cubits:
10 Their pillars were twenty, and their brazen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
1 1 And for the north side the hangings were a hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
1 3 And for the east side eastward, fifty cubits.
14 The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
1 5 And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
1 6 All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.
17 And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters
18 And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits %vas the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.
19 And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.
20 And all the ^ pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.
21 This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of s the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses,
for the service of the Levites, ^ by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.
22 And ' Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses.
2.3 And with him v^as Aholiab, son of Ahisa mach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen
24 All the gold that was occupied for the
the palace of the high priest, John xviii. 17: Then saith the d.\msel that kept the door unto Peter; see also Matt. xxvi. 69. In 2 Sam. iv. 6, both the Septuagint and Vulgate make a woman porter or doorkeeper to Ishboshetli. Aristophanes mentions them in the same office, and calls them S)?/;if, Sekis, which seems to signify a common maid-servant. Aristoph. in Vespis, vcr. 768: —
And Euripides, in Troad., ver. 197, brings in Hecuba, complaining that she who was wont to sit upon a throne is now reduced to the miserable necessity of becoming a doorkeeper or a nurse, in order to get a morsel of bread.
Sir John Chardin observes, that women are employed to keep the gate of the palace of the Persian kings. Plaulus, Cvrcul., act i., scene 1, mentions an old woman who was keeper of the gate.
Anus hie solel cubitare, custos janitrix. Many other examples might be produced. It is therefore very likely that the persons mentioned here, and in 1 Sam. ii. 22, were the women who guarded the tabernacle; and that they regularly relieved each other, a troop or company regularly keeping watch: and in- J deed tliis seems to be implied in the original, 1N3X 1 Isabeu, they came by troops; and these troops successively consecrated their mirrors to the service of the tabernacle. See Calmet on John xviii. 16.
Verse 17. The hooks — and their flirts] The capitals, and the silver bands that went round them; see the note on chap. xxvi. 32.
Verse 2 1. This is the sum of the tabernacle.] That is. The foregoing account contains a detail of all the articles which Bezaleel and Aholiab were commanded to make; and whicli were reckoned up by the IjCviles, over whom Ithamar, the son of.\aron, presided.
Verse 24..1// the gold that was occupied for the work, 4-c.] To be able to ascertain the quantum and value of the gold, silver, and brass, which were cmployed in the tabernacle, and its different utensils,
A. M. 25U. work, in all the work of the holy Au. Exod. isr. 1. place, even tlie gold of the offer- Tisn to Adar. -^^^^ ^^^ twenty and nine talents, altars, &c., it will be necessary to enter into the subject in considerable detail.
tbook, I have had frequent occasion to speak of the shekel in use among the ancient Hebrews, which, following Dean Prideaux, I have always computed at 2s. English. As some value it at 2s. 6rf., and others at Us. id., I think it necessary to lay before the reader the learned dean's mode of computation as a proper introduction to the calculations which immediately follow.
» money was by talents. So the Hebrews, so the Babylonians, and so the Romans did reckon. And of these talents they had subdivisions which were usually in minas and drachms; i. e., of their talents into minas, and their minas into drachms. The Hebrews had, besides these, their shekels and half-shekels or bekas; and the Romans their denarii, which last were very nearly of the same value with the drachms of the Greeks. What was the value of a Hebrew talent appears from Exod. xsxviii. 25, 26, for there 603,550 {persons being taxed at half a shekel a head, they must have paid in the whole 301,775 shekels; and that sum is there said to amount to one hundred talents, and 1775 shekels over: if therefore we deduct the 1775 ihckds from the number 301,775, and divide the remaining sum, i. e., 300,000, by a hundred, this will prove each of those talents to contain three thousand shekels. Each of these shekels weighed about three shillings of our money; and sixty of them, Ezekiel tells us, chap. xlv. 12, made a mina; and therefore fifti/ of those minas made a talent. And as to their drachms, it appears by the Gospel of St. Matthew that it was the fouth part of a shekel, that is, nine-pence of our money. For there (chap. xvii. 24) the tribute money annually paid to the temple, by every Jew, (Talmud in shekalim,) which was half a shekel, is called AcSpaxi^ov, (i. e., the tu'O drachm piece;) and therefore, if half a shekel contained two drachms, a drachm must have been the quarter part of a shekel, and every shekel must have contained four of them: and so Josephus tells us it did; for he says, Antiq., lib. iii., c. 9, that a shekel eontained/our Attic drachms, which is not exactly to be understood according to the weight, but according to the valuation in the currency of common payments. For according to the iceight, the heaviest Attic drachms did not exceed eight-pence farthing half-farthing, of our money; and a Hebrew drachm, as I have said, was nine-pence; but what the Attic drachm fell short of the Hebrew in weight might be made up in the fineness, and its ready currency in all countries, (which last the Hebrew drachm could not have,) and so might be made equivalent in common estimation among the Jews. Allowing therefore a drachm, as well Attic as Jewish, as valued in Judea, to be equivalent to nine-pence of our money, a beka •r half-shekel will be one shilling and six-pence; a and seven hundred and thirty A. M. 2514. shekels, after '' the shekel of the An. Exod. Isr. 1.
SHEKEL, three shillings; a mina, nine pounds; and a TALENT, four hundred and fifty pounds. So it was in the time of Moses and Ezekiel; and so was it in the time of Josephus among that people, for he tells us, Antiq., lib. xiv., c. 12, that a Hebrew mina contained two LITRAS and a half, which comes exactly to 7iine pounds of our money: for a litra, being the same with a Roman libra, contained twelve ounces troy weight, that is, ninety-six drachms; and therefore two litras and a half must contain two hundred and forty drachms, which being estimated at nine-pence a drachm, according to the Jewish valuation, comes exactly to sixty shekels, or nine pounds of our money. And this account agrees exactly with that of Alexandria. For the Alexandria?i talent contained 12,000 Attic drachms; and 12,000 Attic drachms, according to the Jexoish valuation, being 12,000 of our ninepences, they amount to 450 pounds of sterling money which is the same in value as the Mosaic talent. But here it is to be observed, that though the Alexandrian talent amounted to 12,000 Attic drachms, yet they themselves reckoned it but at 6000 drachms, because every Alexandrian drachm contained two Attic drachms; and therefore the Septuagint version being made by the -Alexandrian Jews, they there render the Hebreiv word shekel, by the Greek dtdpaxfiov, which signifies Zwo (frac Am.?, because two Alexandriati Ara.chms make a shekel, two of them amounting to as much as four -Attic drachms. And therefore, computing the Alexandrian money according to the same method in which we have computed the Jewish, it will be as follows: One drachm of Alexandria will be of our money eighteen pence; one didrachm or shekel, consisting of two drachms of Alexandria, or four of Attica, will be three shillings; one mina, consisting of sixty dtdrachms or shekels, will be ytine pounds; and one talent, consisting oi fifty minas, will he four hundrea and fifty pounds, which is the talent of Moses, Kxod. xxxviii. 25, 26: and so also is it the talent of Josephus, Antiq., lib. iii., c. 7; for he tells us that a Hebrew talent contained one hundred Greek (i. e., Attic) minas. For those fifty minas, which hero make an Alexandrian talent, would be one hundred Attic minas in the like method of valuation; the Alexandrian talent containing double as much as the Attic talent, both in the whole, and also in all its parts, in whatever method both shall be equally distributed. Among the Greeks the established rule was, Jul. Polluc. Onomast., lib. x., c. 6, that one hundred drachms made a mina, and sixty minas a talent. But m some different states their drachms being different, accordingly their minas and talents were within the same proportion different also. But the money of Attica was the standard by which all the rest were valued, according as they more or less differed from it. And therefore, it being of most note, wherever any Greek historian speaks of talents, minas, or drachms, if they be simply mentioned, it is to be always understood of 4«S
25 And the silver of tlicm that
thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
talents, minas, or drachms of Attica, and never of the talents, minas, or draclims of any other place, unless It be expressed. Mr. Brerewood, going by tlie goldsmith's weights, reckons an Attic drachm to be the same with a drachm now in use in their shops, that is, the eighth part of an ounce; and therefore lays it at the value of seven-pence halfpenny of our money, or the eighth part of a crown, which is or ought to be an ounce weight. But Dr. Bernard, going more accurately to work, lays the middle sort of Attic drachms at eight-pence farthing of our money, and the minas and talents accordingly, in the proportions above mentioned. The Babylonish talent, according to Pollux, Onomast., lib. x., c. 6, contained seven thousand of those drachms. The Roman talent (see Feslus Potnpeius) contained seventy-two Italic minas, which were the same with the Roman lihras; and ninety-six Roman denariuses, each being of the value of seven-pence halfpenny of our money, made a Roman libra. But all the valuations I have hitherto mentioned must be understood only oi' silver money, and not o( gold; for that was much higher. The proportion of gold to silver was among the ancients comraoiJy as ten to ojte; sometimes it was raised to be as eleven to one, sometimes as twelve, and sometimes as thirteen to one. In the time of King Edward the First it was here, in England, at the value of ten to one; but it is now gotten at sixteen to one, and so I value it in all the reductions which I make in this history of ancient sums to the present value. But to make the whole of this matter the easier to the reader, I will lay all of it before him for his clear view in this following table of valuations; —
Two drachms made a beka or half-shekel, which was the tribute money paid by eVery Jew to the temple - 16
Babylonish money, according to Mr. Brerewood. A Bubyloni.sih talent of silver containing seven thousand Attic drachms 218 15 0 A Babylonish talent in gold, sixteen
Ninety-six Roman denariuses made an Italic mina, which was the same with a Roman libra. - - - 3 0 0
There were twenty-nine talents seven hundred and thirty shekels of gold; one hundred talents one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels of silver; and seventy talents two thousand four hundred shekels of brass.
If with Dean Prideaux we estimate the value of the silver shekel at three shillings English, we shall obtain the weight of the shekel by making use of the following proportion. As sixty-two shillings, the value of a pound weight of silver as settled by the British laws, is to tiL'o hundred and forty, the number of pennyiveights in a pound troy, so is three shillings, the value of a shekel of silver, to 1 1 dwts. 1 4 jf grains, the weight of the shekel required.
In the next place, to find the value of a shekel of gold we must make use of the proportion following: As one ounce troy is to 3/. lis 10](/., the legal value of an ounce of gold, so is 11 dwts. 14§f grains, the weight of the shekel as found by the last proportion, to 21. 5s. 2i ^d., the value of the shekel nf gold required. From this datum we shall soon be able to ascertain the value of all the gold employed in the work of this holy place, by the following arithmetical process: Reduce 21. 5s. 2 J ^§</. to the lowest term mentioned, which is 201,852 ninety-third parts of a farthing. Multiply this last number by 3000, the number of shekels in a talent, and the product by 29, the num bcr of talents: and add in 730 times 201,852, on account of the 730 shekels which were above the 29 talents employed in the work, and we shall have for the last product 17,708,475,960, which, divided successively by 93, 4, 12, and 20, will give 198,347/. 12s. 6<f, for the total value of the gold employed in the tabernacle, &c.
The value of the silver contributed by 603,550 Israelites, at half a shekel or eighteen pence per man.
one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for " six hundred thou sand, and tliree thousand, and five hundred and fifty me?}.
27 And of the hundred talents of silver were cast " the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the veil; a hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.
28 And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for
The total value of all the gold, silver, and brass of the tabernacle will consequently amount to 244,127/. 1 is. 6d. 'And the total weight of all these three metals amounts to 29,124 pounds troy, which, reduced to avoirdupois weight, is nearly ten tons and a half. When all this is considered, besides the quantity of gold which was employed in the golden calf, and which was all destroyed, it is no wonder that tlic sacred text should say the Hebrews spoiled the Egyptians, particularly as in those early times the precious metals were probably not very plentiful in Egypt.
Verse 26. A hekah for every man] The Hebrew word;>pD beka,{Tomm2 baka, to divide, separate into two, seems to signify, not a particular coin, but a shekel broken or cut in two; so, anciently, our farthing was a penny divided in the midst and then subdivided, so that each division contained the fourth part of the
29 Andthebrass of the offering TisntoAdar.
ivas seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.
30 And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brazen altar, and the brazen nrate for it, and all the vessels of the altar.
3 1 And the p sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.
penny; hence its na.me fourthing oi: fourthling, since corrupted into farthing.
There appear to be three particular reasons why much riches should be employed in the construction of the tabernacle, &c. 1. To impress the people's minds with the glory and dignity of the Divine Majesty, and the importance of his service. 2. To take out of their hands the occasion of covetousness; for as they brought much spoils out of Egypt, and could have little if any use for gold and silver in the wilderness, where it does not appear that they had much intercourse with any other people, and were miraculously supported, so that they did not need their riches, it was right to employ that in the worship of God which otherwise might have engendered that love which is the root of all evil. 3. To prevent pride and vain-glory, by leading them to give up to the Divine service even the ornaments of their persons, which would have had too direct a tendency to divert their minds from better things. Thus God's worship was rendered august and respectable, incitements to sin and low desires removed, and the people instructed to consider nothing valuable, but as far as it might be employed to the glory and in the service of God.
Bezateel makes the clothes of service /or the holy place, and the holy garments, 1. The ephod, 2. Gold ts beaten into plates, and cut into wires for embroidery, 3. He makes the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, 4. The curious girdle, 5. Cuts the onyx stones/or the shoulder-pieces, 6. Makes the breastplate, its chains, ouches, rings, (5fc., 7-21. The robe of the ephod, 22-26. Coats of fine linen, 27. The mitre, 28. The girdle, 29. The plate of the holy crown, 30, 31. The completion of the work of the tabernacle, 32. All the work is brought unto Moses, 33-41. Moses, having examined the whole, finds every thing done as the Lord had commanded, in consequence of which he Messes the people, 42, 43,
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXIX. Verse 1. Blue, and purple, and scarlet] See this
Averse 2. Ephod] See this described, chap. xxv. 7. Verse 3. They did beat the gold into thin plates]
•object largely explained in the notes on chap. xxv. 4. 1 For the purpose, as it is supposed, of cutting it into ■ a 487
3 And tlicy did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in tlie scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunninji work.
4 They made shoulder-pieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together.
5 And the curious girdle of his ephod, that toas upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the Lord
6 " And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of tiie children of Israel.
7 And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a ^ memorial to the children of Israel; as the Lord
8 s And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of go\d, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9 It was four-square; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.
1 0 '' And they set in it four rows of stones; the first row was a ' sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row.
12 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
13 And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
14 And tiic stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, accord-
wires (D7'n3) or threads; for to twist or twine is the common acceptation of the root SnS palhal. I cannot suppose that the Israelites had not tlicn the art of making gold thread, as they posses-sed several ornamental arts much more difficult: but in the present instance, figures made in a more solid form than that which could have been effected by gold thread, might have been required.
gravings ot a signet, every one An Exod. isr. i with his name, according to the ^"" *" ^^- twelve tribes.
15 And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wrcathen work of pure gold.
1 6 And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings, and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.
17 And they put the two \vreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
18 And the two ends of the two wreatheu chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod before it.
19 And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward.
20 And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
2 1 And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the Lord commanded Moses.
22 '' And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
23 And there was a hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of a habergeon, tnth a band round about the hole, that it should not rend.
24 And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
25 And they made ' bells of pure gold, and
Verse 10. And they set in it four rotes of stones] See all these precious stones particularly explained in the notes on chap, xxviii. 17, (fee.
Verse 23. As the hole of a habergeon] The habergeon or hauberk was a small coat of mail, something in form of a half shirt, made of small iron rings curiously united together. It covered the neck and breast, was very light, and resisted the stroke of a sword. Sometimes it went over the whole head as well as over the breast. This kind of defensive armour was used among the Asiatics, particularly the
26 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in, as the Loed commanded Moses.
27 ^ And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
28 " And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine hnen, and ° linen breeches of fine twined linen,
29 P And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needle-work; as the Lord commanded Moses.
30 1 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLI- NESS TO THE LORD.
3 1 And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the Lord
32 Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did ' according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.
33 And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,
34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red,
ancient Persians, among whom it. is still worn. It seems to have been borrowed from the Asiatics by the Norman crusaders.
Verse 30. The holy crown oi pure gold\ On Asiatic monuments, particularly those that appear in the ruins of Persepolis and on many Egyptian monuments, the priests are represented as wearing crowns or tiaras, and sometimes their heads are crowned with laurel. Cuper observes, that the priests and priestesses, among the ancient Greeks, were styled aTe(tiavo(j>opoi, or crown-bearers, because they officiated having sometimes crowns of gold, at others, crowns of laurel, upon their heads.
Verse 33. Did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses] This refers to the command given chap. xxv. 40; and Moses has taken care to repeat every thing in the most circumstantial detail, to show that he had conscientiously observed all the directions he had received.
The lamps to be set in order] To be trimmed and
35 The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy-seat,
36 The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shew-bread,
37 The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,
38 And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the ' sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,
39 The brazen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
40 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
4 1 The clothes of service, to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's office.
42 According to all that the Lord com manded Moses, so the children of Israel ' made all the work.
43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses " blessed them.
fresh oiled every day, for the purpose of being lighted in the evening. See the note on chap, xxvii. 21.
Verse 43. And Moses did look upon all the work] As being the general superintendent of the whole, under whom Bezaleel and Aholiab were employed, as the other workmen were under them.
They had done it as the Lord had commanded] Exactly according to the pattern which Moses received from the Lord, and vifhich he laid before the workmen to work by.
And Moses blessed them.] Gave them that praise which was due to their skill, diligence, and fidelity. See this meaning of the original word in the note on Gen. ii. 3. See also a fine instance of ancient courtesy between masters and their servants, in the case of Boaz and his reapers, Ruth ii. 4. Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, The Lord be with Tou! And they answered him, The Lord bless thee! It is, however, very probable that Moses prayed to God in their behalf, that they might be prospered in aU theii undertakings, saved from every evil, and be brought at last to the inheritance that fadeth not away. Thia blessing seems to have been given, not only to the workmen, but to all the people. The people contributed liberally, and the workmen wrought faithfully, and the blessing of God was pronounced upon.\LL.
The promptitude, cordiality, and despatch used in this business cannot be loo highly commended, and arc worthy of the imitation of all who are employed in any way in the service of God. The prospect of having God to dwell among them inflamed every heart, because they well knew that on this depended their prosperity and salvation. They therefore hastened to build him a house, and they spared no expense or skill to make it, as far as a house made with hands could be, worthy of that Divine Majesty who had promised to take up his residence in it. This tabernacle, like the temple, was a type of the human nature of the Lord Jesus; that was a shrine not made with hands, formed by God himself, and worthy of that fulness of the Deity that dwelt in it.
It is scarcely possible to form an adequate opinion of the riches, costly workmanship, and splendour of the tabernacle; and who can adequately conceive the glory and excellence of that human nature in which the fulness of the Godhead bodily dwelt 1 That this tabernacle typified the human riature of Christ, and the Divine shcchinah that dwelt in it the Deity that dwelt in the man Christ Jesus, these words of St.
John sufficiently prove: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word toas with God, and the Word tvas God. And the Word was made jle.ih, and dwelt among ii.i, (eaKrjvuaev ev i/fiiv, made his tabernacle among us,) full of grace and truth — possessing the true Urim and Thummim; all the lights and perfections, the truth and the grace, typified by the Mosaic economy. John i. 1, 14. And hence the evangelist adds, And we beheld his glory; as the Israelites beheld the glory of God resting on the tabernacle, so did the disciples of Christ see the Divine glory resting on him, and showing itself forth in all his words, spirit, and tvorf:s. And for what purpose was the tabernacle erected 1 That God might dwell in it among the chii dren of Israel. And for what purpose was the human nature of Christ so miraculously produced 1 That the Godhead might dwell in it; and that God and man might be reconciled through this wonderful economy of Divine grace, God being in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, 2 Cor. v. 19. And what was implied by this reconciliation ] The union of the soul with God, and the indwelling of God in the soul. Reader, has God yet filled thy tabernacle with his glory? Does Christ dwell in thy heart by faith; and dost thou abide in him, bringing forth fruit unto holiness? Then thy end shall be eternal life. Why shouldst thou not go on thy way rejoicing with Christ in thy heart, heaven in thine eye, and the world, the devil, and the flesh, under thy feet?
Moses IS commanded to set up the tabernacle, the first day of the first month of the second year of their departure from Egypt, 1,2. The ark to be put into it, 3. The table and candlestick to be brought in also with the golden altar, 4, 5. The altar of burnt-offering to be set up before the door, and the laver between the tent and the altar, 6, 7. The court to be set up, 8. The tabernacle and its utensils to be anointed, 9-11. Aaron and his sons to be washed, clothed, and anointed, 12-15..4// these things are done accordingly, 16. The tabernacle is erected; and all its utensils, cjc, placed in it on the first of the first month of the second year, 17-33. The cloud covers the tent, and the glory of the Lord fills the tabernacle, so that even Muses is not able to enter, 34, 35. When they rvere to journey, the cloud was taken up; when to encamp, the cloud rested on the tabernacle, 36, 37. A cloud by day and a fire by night was upon the tabernacle, in the sight of all the Israelites, through the whole course of the joumeyings, 38.
month shalt thou set up i* the tabernacle of the tent of tlie congregation. 3 And ■= thou sl)ah put therein the ark of
NOTES ON CHAP. XL. Verse 2. The first day of the first month] It is generally supposed that the Israelites began the work of the tabernacle about the sixth month after they had left Egypt; and as the work was finished about the end of the first year of their e.xodus, (for it was set up the first day of the second year,) that therefore they had spent about stx months in making it:.so that Ihe tabernacle was erected one vear all but fifteen
4 And ^ thou shalt bring in the '^'"'" '° ^'^"- table, and " set in order ' the things that are to be set in order upon it; ^ and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and liglit the lamps thereof.
days after they had left Egypt. Such a building, with such a profusion of curious and costly workmanship, was never got up in so short a time. But it was the work of the Lord, and the people did service as unto the Lord; for the people had a mind to work.
Verse 4. Thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things, ^c] That is. Thou shalt place the twelve leaves upon the table in the order before meationed. See the note on chap. xxv. 30.
6 And thou shall set the altar of the burntoffering before the door of the tabernacle of the lent of the congregation.
7 And ' thou shall set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shall put water therein.
8 And thou shall shut up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gale.
9 And thou shall take the anointing oil, and ^ anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shall hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: ond it shall be holy.
10 And thou shall anoint the altar of the burntoffering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and ' it shall be an altar "■ most holy.
1 1 And thou shall anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.
12 " And thou shall bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
13 And thou shall put upon Aaron the holy garments, ° and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
14 And thou shall bring his sons, and clothe them with coals:
Verse 15. For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood] By this, anointing a right was given to Aaron and his family to bn high priests among the Jews for ever; so that all who should be born of this family should have a right to the priesthood without the repetition of this unction, as they should enjoy this honour in their father's right, who had it by a particular grant from God. But it appears that the high priest, on his consecration, did receive the hohj unctio7i; see Lev. iv. 3; vi. 22; xxi. 10. And this continued till the destruction of the first temple, and the Babylonish captivity; and according to Eusebius, Cyril of Jerusalem, and others, this custom continued among the Jews to the advent of our Lord, after which there is no evidence it was ever practised. See Calmet's note on chap. xxix. 7. The Jewish high priest was a type of Him who is called the high priest over the house of God, Heb. x. 21; and when he came, the functions of the other necessarily ceased. This case is worthy of observation. The Jewish sacrifices were never resumed after the destruction of their city and temple, for theij hold it unlauful to sacrifice any. where out of Jerusalem; and the unction of their high
1 5 And thou shall anoint them.
as thou didst anoint their father, An. Exod. isr. i. that they may minister unto me '^'^" '" ^^''^' in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be p an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
1 6 Thus did Moses: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he.
nrst month in the second year, on An. Exod. isr. 2. the first day of the month, that Abib or Nisan. the 1 tabernacle was reared up.
18 And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.
19 And he spread abroad the lent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the Lord commanded Moses.
20 And he took and put "■ the testimony into the ark, and set the slaves on the ark, and put the mercy-seal above upon the ark:
2 1 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and ' set up the veil of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the Lord
22 ' And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward without the veil.
23 " And he set the bread in order upon it
priests ceased from that period also: and why? Because the true priest and the true sacrifice were come, and the types of course were no longer necessary after the manifestation of the antitype.
Verse 19. He spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle] By the tent, in this and several other places, we are to understand the coverings made of rams' skins, goats' hair, &c., which were thrown over the building; for the tabernacle had no other kind of roof.
Verse 20. And put the testimony into the ark] That is, the two tables on which the ten commandments had been written. See chap. xxv. 16. The ark, the golden table with the shew-bread, the golden candlestick, and the golden altar of incense, were all in the tabernacle, loithin the veil or curtains, which served as a door, ver. 22, 24, 26. And the altar of burnt-offering was by the door, ver. 29. And the brazen laver, between the tent of the congregation and the brazen altar, ver. 30; still farther outioard, that it might be the first thing the priests met with when entering into the court to minister, as their hands and feet must be washed bofore they could perform any part of the holy service, ver. 31, 32. When all these things were thus plaoed^
A. M. 2514. before the Lord; as the Lord
An. Exod. Isr. 2. had Commanded Moses. ^^"'"'•^'^°°- 24 "And he put tlie candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.
25 And " he lighted the lamps before the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses.
26 ' And he put the golden altar in the tent of the conffrcgation before the veil:
27 *■ And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the Lord commanded Moses.
28 '■ And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.
29 ^ And he put the altar of burnt-offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and '' offered upon it the burnt-offering and the meat-offering; as the Loud conunaiided Moses.
30 '^^ And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal.
31 And Moses, and Aaron, and his sons, washed their hands and their feet thereat:
32 When they went into the tent of the con-
then the court that surrounded the tabernacle, which consisted of posts and hangings, was set up, ver. 33.
Verse 34. Then a cloud covered the tent] Thus God gave his approbation of the work; and as this was visible, so it was a sign to all the people that Jehovah was among them.
And the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.'] How this was manifested we cannot tell; it was probably by some light or brightness which was insufferable to the sight, for Moses himself could not enter in because of the cloud and the glory, ver. 35. Precisely the same happened when Solomon had dedicated his temple; for it is said that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; fur the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord; I Kings viii. 10, 11. Previously to this the cloud of the Divine glory had rested upon that tent or Labernacle which Moses had oitched without the camp, after the transgression in:ie matter of the molten calf; but now the cloud removed from that tabernacle and rested upon this one, which was made by the command and under the direction of God himself And there is reason to believe that this tabernacle was pitched in the centre of the camp, all the twelve tribes pitching their different tents in a certain order around it.
Verse 36. When the cloud was taken up] The aubject of tbege three last verses has been very largely
33 ' And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
34 '^Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
35 And Moses ^ was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon; and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
36 '' And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel ' went onward in all their journeys:
37 But ^ if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
38 For ' the cloud of the Lord was upon
the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by ■ night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
explained in the notes on chap. xiii. 31, to which, as well as to the general remarks on that chapter, the reader is requested immediately to refer.
Verse 38. For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day] This daily and nightly appearance was at once both a merciful providence, and a demonstrative proof of the Divinity of their religion: and these tokens continued with them throughout all their journeys; for, notwithstanding their frequently repeated disobedience and rebellion, God never withdrew these tokens of his presence from them, till they were brought into the promised land. When, therefore, the tabernacle became fired, because the Israelites had obtained their inheritance, tliis mark of the Divine presence was no longer visible in the sight of all Israel, but appears to have been confined to the holy of holies, where it had its fixed residence upon the mercyscat between the cherubim; and in this place continued till the first temple was destroyed, after which it was no more seen in Israel till God was manifested in the flesh.
As in the book of GEpJeSIS we have God's own account of the commencement of the WORLD, the origin of nations, and the peopling of the earth; so in the book of EXODUS we have an account, from the same source of infallible truth, of the commencement of the Jewish Church, and the means used by
. Concluding observations.
the endless mercy of God to propagate and continue bis pure and undefiled religion in the earth, against which neither human nor diabolic power or policy have ever been able to prevail! The preservation of this religion, which has ever been opposed by the great mass of mankind, is a standing proof of its Divinity. As it has ever been in hostility against the corrupt passions of men, testifying against the world that its deeds were evil, these passions have ever been in hostility to it. Cunning and learned men have argued to tender its authority dubious, and its tendency suspicious; whole states and empires have exerted themselves to the uttermost to oppress and destroy it; and its professed friends, by their conduct, have often betrayed it: yet lihrata ponderibus suis, supported by the arm of God and its own intrinsic excellence, it lives and flourishes; and the rii'cr that makes glad the city of God has run down with the tide of time 5800 years, and is running on with a more copious and diffusive current.
We have seen how, by the miraculous cloud, all the movements of the Israelites were directed. They struck or pitched their tents, as it removed or became stationary. Every thing that concerned them was under the direction and management of God. But these things happened unto them for ensamples; and it is evident, from Isa. iv. 5, that all these things typified the presence and influence of God in his Church, and in the souls of his followers. His Church can possess no sanctifying knowledge, no quickening power but from the presence and influence of his Spirit. By this influence all his followers are taught, enlightened, led, quickened, purified, and built up on their most holy faith; and without the indwelling of his Spirit, light, life, and salvation are impossible. These Divine influences are necessary, not only for a time, but through all our journeys, ver. 38; through every changing scene of providence, and through every step in life. And these the followers of Christ are to possess, not by inference or inductive reasoning, but conscioushj. The influence is to be felt, and the fruits of it to appear as fully as the cloud of the Lord by day, and the fire by night, appeared in the sight of all the house of Israel. Reader, hast thou this.Spirit? Are all thy goings and comings ordered by its continual guidance 1 Does Christ, who was represented by this tabernacle, and in whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, dwell in thy heart by faith 1 If not, call upon God for that blessing which, for the sake of his Son, he is ever disposed to impart; then shalt thou be glorious, and on all thy glory there shall be a defence. Amen, Amen.
On the ancient division of the law into fifty-four sections, see the notes at the end of Genesis. Of these fifty-four sections Genesis contains twelve; and the commencement and ending of each has been marked in the note already referred to. Of these sections Exodus contains eleven, all denominated, as in the a.
former case, by the words in the original with wliich they commence. I shall point these out as in the former, carrying the enumeration from Genesis.
It will at once appear to the reader that these sections have their technical names from some remarkable word, either in the first or second verse of their commencement.
The symbol of this number is!D"1X; N' aleph denoting 1000, 1 resh 200, and!D teth 9.
The middle verse is ver. 28 of chap. x.xii.: Thou shalt not revile God, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
Its parashioth, or larger sections, are 11. The symbol of this is the word 'X ei, Isa. Ixvi. 1: Where is the house that ye will build unto me? In which X aleph stands for 1, and ' yod for 10.
Its scdarim are 29. The symbol of which is taken from Psa. xix. 3, niH' yechavveh: Night unto night showeth forth knowledge. In which word, ' yod stands for 10, n cheth for 8, 1 vau for 6, and H he for 5; amounting to 29.
Its pirkey, perakim, or present chapters, 40. The symbol of which is 13^3 belibbo, taken from Psa. xxxvii. 31: The laiv of God is in his heart. In this word, 3 beth stands for 2, S lamed for 30, 3 beth for 2, and 1 vau for 6; amounting to 40.
The open sections are 69. The close sections are 95. Total 164. The symbol of which is -py^' yisadecha, from Psa. xx. 2: Strengthen thee out of Zion. In which numerical word >' ain stands for 70, D samech for 60, T caph for 20, ' yod for 10, and T daleth for 4; making together 164.
Number of words, 16513; of letters, 63467. But on these subjects, important to some, and trifling to others, see what is said in the concluding note on Genesis.
In the preceding notes I have had frcqurnt occasion to refer to Dr. Shaw's account of the different stations of the Israelites, of which I promised an abstract in this place. This will doubtless be acceptable to every reader who knows that Dr. Shaw travelled over the same ground, and carefully, in person, noted every spot to which reference is made in the preceding chapters.
After having endeavoured to prove that Goshen was that part of the Ileliopolitan Nomos, or of the land of Rameses, which lav in the neifjhbuurluiod of Kairo, Afatla-rcah, and Bishhcsh, and that Cairo might be Rameses, the capital of the district of that name, where the Israelites had their rendezvous before they departed out of Egypt, he takes up the text and proceeds thus: —
SHOWING IN WHAT YEAR OF THE WOULD, IN WHAT YEAR BEFORE CHRIST, IN WHAT YEAR FROM THE DELOSE, AND IN WHAT YEAR FROM THEIR DEPARTURE FROM EGYPT, EACH EVENT HAPPENED; INTERSPERSED WITH A FEW CONNECTING CIRCUMSTANCES FROM PROFANE HISTORY, ACCORDING TO THE PLAN OF ARCHBISHOP USHER.
Levi, the third son of Jacob, dies in the 137th year of his age, chap, vi, 16. — N. B. This event is placed twenti/ years later by most chronologists, but I have followed the compulation of Mr. Skinner and Dr. Kennicott. See the note on Gen. xxxi. 41. 709 About this time Acenchres, son of Orus, began to reign in Egypt, and reigned twelve
Tlie Ethiopians, /rom the other side of the h\A\is, first settle in the middle of Egypt. 729 Ratliotis, the brother of Acenchres, began about this time to reign aver the Egyptians, and reigned nine years. 731
Acencheres, the son o/" Rathotis, succeeds his father and reigns twelve years and six
About this time it is supposed the Egj'ptians began to be jealous of the Hebrews, on account of their prodigious multiplication. 744
Ancencheres succeeds Acencheres, and reigns twelve years and three months. 753
Armais succeeds Ancencheres, and reigns four years and one month. 765
About this time Kohath, the son of Levi, and grandfather of Moses, died in the 133d year of his age; chap. vi. 18. — N. B. There are several years of nncertainty in
Rameses succeeds Armais in the government, and reigns one year and four months. 769 Rameses Miamun succeeds Rameses, and reigns sixty-seven years. 771
Aaron, son of Amram, brother of Moses, born eighty-three years before the exodus of
About this time Pharaoh (supposed to be the same with Rameses Miamun) published an edict, ordering all the male children of the Hebrews to be drowned in the Nile,, chap. i. 22. 775
The kingdom of the Athenians founded about this time by Cecrops. 792
In this year, which was the eighteenth of Cecrops, the Chaldeans waged war with the
About this time the Arabians subdued the Chaldeans, and took possession of their
Moses, being forty years of age, kills an Egyptian, whom he found smiting a Hebrew; in consequence of which, being obliged to fly for his life, he escapes to the land of Midian, where becoming acquainted with the family of Jethro, he marries Zipporah; chap, ii. 11-22. 817
The birth of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. 818
Rameses Miamun, king i>f Egypt, dies about this time in the sixty-seventh year of Jiis reign, and is succeeded by his son Amenophis, who reigns nineteen years and six months. 838
The death of Amram, the father of Moses, is supposed to have taken place about this
While Moses keeps the flock of Jethro at Mount Horeb, the Angel of God appears to him in a burning bush, promises to deliver the Hebrews from their oppression in Egypt, and sends him to Pliaraoh to command him to let Israel go; chap. iii. 857
Aaron and Moses assemble the ciders of Isr.ael, inform them of the Divine purpose, and then go to Pharaoh and desire him, in the name of the God of the Hebrews, to let the people go three days' journey into the wilderness to hold a feast unto the Lord. Pharaoh is enraged, and increases the oppression of the Israelites; chap. v. Aaron throws down his rod, which becomes a serpent. The Egyptian magicians imitate this miracle; chap. vii. Pharaoh refusing to let the Israelites go, God sends his first plague upon the Egyptians, and the waters are turned into blood; chap. vii. 19-26. »00 •
2513 1491 Pharaoh remaining impenitent, God sends immense numbers oC frogs, which infest the whole land of Egypt. This was the SECotiD plague; chap. viii. 1-7. 857
This plague not producing the desired effect, God sends the third plague, the dust of the ground becoming lice on man and beast; chap. viii. 16—20.
Pharaoh's heart still remaining obdurate, God sends the fourth plague upon the nation, by causing great swarms of flies to cover the whole land; chap. viii. 20—32.
The Egyptian king still refusing to dismiss the Hebrews, God sends his fifth plague, which is a universal murrain or mortality among the cattle; chap. ix. 1-7.
This producing no good effect, the sixth plague of boils and blains is sent; chap, ix. 8-12.
Pharaoh still hardening his heart, God sends the seventh plague, viz., a grievous hail which destroyed the whole produce of the field; chap. ix. 22—26.
This, through Pharaoh's obstinacy, proving ineffectual, the eighth plague is sect, immense swarms of locusts, which devour the land; chap. x. 1—20.
Pharaoh refusing to submit to the Divine authority, the ninth plague, a total darkness of three days' continuance, is spread over the whole land of Egypt; chap. x. 21-24.
Pharaoh continuing to refuse to let the people go, God institutes the rite of the passover, and sends the tenth plague upon the Egyptians, and the first-born of man and beast died throughout the whole land. This was in the fourteenth night of the month Abib. The Israelites are driven out of Egypt, chap. xii. 1—36; and canv Joseph's bones with them; chap. xiii. 19.
An. Dil. An. Ex. 2513 1491 The Israelites march from Succoth to Etham; thence to Pi-hahiroth, the Lord Isr.
Towards the close of this month, Pharaoh and the Egyptians pursue the Abib.
Israelites; God opens a passage for these through the Red Sea, and they pass over as on dry land, which the Egyptians essaying to do, are all drowned; chap, xiv; Heb. ix. 29.
The Israelites come to Marah, and murmur because of the bitter waters; Moses is directed to throw a certain tree into them, by which they are rendered sweet; chap. xv. 23-25.
About the beginning of this month the Israelites come to Elim; chap. Ijar or
On the fifteenth day of this month the Israelites come to the desert of Sin, where, murmuring for want of bread, quails are sent, and manna from heaven; chap. xvi.
Coming to Rephidira they murmur for want of water, and God supplies this want by miraculously bringing water out of a rock in Horeb, chap, xvii. 1-7.
The Amalekites attack the Israelites in Rephidim, and are discomfited; chap, xvii. 8-16.
The Israelites come to the wilderness of Sinai. God calls Moses up to the mount, where he receives the ten commandments and other precepts; chap. xix.— xxiv.: is instructed how to make the tabernacle; xxv.— xxviii Aaron and his sons are dedicated to the priest's office; chap, xxviii. Sivan.
Moses delaying to come down from the mount, the people make a molten calf, and worship it. Moses, coming down, sees their idolatry, is distressed, and breaks the tables; three thousand of the idolaters are slain; and, at the intercession of Moses, the rest of the people are saved from destruction; chap, xxxii. Ab.
Moses is again called up into the mount, where God renews the covenant, and writes the two tables afresh. Moses desires to see the Divine glory; his request is partially granted; chap, xxxiii. 18-23; xxxiv. 1-27.
Moses, after having been in the mount forty days and forty nights, during which time he ate nothing, comes down with the two tables of stone: his face shines so that he is obliged to cover it with a veil; chap. xxiv. 29-35. Elm.
8514 1490 From this time to the month Adar, including Marcheshvan, Cisleu, Thebet, and Sebat, Bezaleel, Aholiab, and their assistants are employed in constructing the tabernacle, &c., according to the pattern delivered to Moses on the mount; chap, xxxvi.— xxxlx. 858 Tien
On the first of this month, being the first month of the second year after their a 501 departure from Egypt, the tabernacle is reared up, and Aaron and his sons set apart for the priest's office; chap. xl. 17-32. — N. B. The ceremonies attending this consecration form the chief part of the following book, Leviticus. 858
Jetliro l)riiig3 Zipporah and her two sons to Moses in the wilderness, and gives him wliolesome directions concerning the best mode of governing the people, which Moses thankfully accepts, and God approves; chap, xriii., and see the notes there.
A TABLE of the THREE GREAT EPOCHS, A. M., B. C, and the JULIAN PERIOD, synchronized with the reigns of the sovereigns of the four principal monarchies; viz., Egypt, Sicyon, the Argivi, and the Athenians, from the death of Jacob, A. M. 2315, to the erection of the tabernacle, A. M. 2514, by which any event in the preceding Chronological Table may be referred to its corresponding year of the reiijn of any of the above sovereigns.
£. G. I'o find out the year of the birth of Moses, inspect the preceding table, by which it appears he was born A. M. 2433, B. C. 1571, and from the Deluge 777. Then look in the following table for A. M. 2433, where it appears that this event took place in the year of the Julian Period 3143 — the 7th of Rameses Miarnun, king of Egrjpt — the 46th of Orthopolis, king of Sicyon — the 17th of Phorbas, king of the Argivi — and the 15th before the reign of Cecrnps, king of the Athenians.
Kingdom of the Athenians.
Kingdom of llie Xthenians.
'T^HE Greek version of the Septuaoint, and tlie Vulgate Latin, have given the title of Leviticus to llie third book of tlic Pentateuch, and the name has been retained in almost all the modern versions. Tiie book was thus called because it treats principally of the laws and regulations of the Leviles and priests in general. In Hebrew it is termed N""'p'i Vaiyikra, " And he called," whicli is i\\q Jirst word in the book, and which, as in preceding cases, became the running title to the whole. It contains an account of the ceremonies to be observed in the offering of burnt-sacrifices; meat, peace, and sin-ofTerings; the consecration of priests, together with the institution of the three grand national festivals of the Jews, the passover, PENTECOST, and TABERNACLES, with a great variety of other ecclesiastical matters. It seems to contain little more than the history of what passed during the eight days of the consecration of Aaron and his sons, though Archbishop Usher supposes that it comprises the history of the transactions of a whole month, viz., from April 2 1 to May 2 1, of the year of the world 2514, which answers to tlie_^rsi month of the second year after the departure from Egypt. As there are no data by which any chronological arrangement of the facts mentioned in it can be made, it would be useless to encumber the page with conjectures which, because uncertain, can answer no end to the serious reader for doctrine, reproof, or edification in righteousness. As the lata ivas our schoolmaster unto Christ, the whole sacrificial system was intended to point out that Lamb of God, Christ Jesus, who takes away the sin of the world. In reading over this book, this point should be kept particularly in view, as without this spiritual reference no interest can be excited by a perusal of the work.
The principal events recorded in this book may be thus deduced in the order of the chapters:
Moses having set up the tabernacle, as has been related in the conclusion of the preceding book; and the cloud of the Divine glory, the symbol of the presence of God, having rested upon it; God called to him out of this tabernacle, and delivered the laws and precepts contained in the seven first chapters.
In chap. i. he prescribes every thing relative to the nature and quality of burnt offerings, and the ceremonies which should be observed, as well by the person who brought the sacrifice as by the priest who offered it.
In chap. ii. he treats of meat-offerings of fine flour with oil and frankincense; of cakes, and the oblations of first-fruits.
Chap. iii. treats oi peace-offerings, prescribes the ceremonies to be used in such offerings, and the parts which should be consumed by fire.
Chap. iv. treats of the ofTerings made for sins of ignorance; for the sins of the priests, rulers, and of the common people.
Chap. v. treats of the sin of him who, being adjured as a witness, conceals his knowledge of a fact; the case of him wlio touches an unclean thing; of him who binds himself by a vow or an oath; and of trespass-offerings in cases of sacrilege, and in sins of ignorance.
Chap. vi. treats of the trespass-offerings for sins knowingly committed; and of the offerings for the priests, the parts which should be consumed, and the parts which should be considered as the priests' portion. And in
Chap. viii. treats of the consecration of Aaron and his sons; their sin-offering; burnt-offer ing; ram of consecration; and the time during which these solemn rites should continue.
Chap. ix. After Aaron and his sons were consecrated, on the eighth day they were commanded to offer sin-offerings and burnt-offerings for themselves and for the people, which they accordingly did, and Aaron and Moses having blessed the people, a fire came forth from before the Lord, and consumed the offering that was laid upon the altar.
Chap. X. Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, having offered strange fire before the Lord, are consumed; and the priests are forbidden the use of wine and all mebriating liquors.
Chap. xii. treats of the purification of women after child-birth, and the offerings they should present before the Lord.
Chap. xiii. prescribes the manner of discerning the infection of the leprosy in persons, garments, and houses.