Vf rse 53. He shall let go the living bird] This might as I well be railed the scajie bird, as the goal, in chap. xvi. is! called the scape goat. The rites are similar in both cases, and I probably had nearly the same meaning.
We have already taken occasion to observe (see the end, of the pieceding chapter) that the leprosy was strongly emblematical of sin; to which we may add here:
51 And he shall take the cedar a.^i.sjh. wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, ^^'^' "^" and the living bird, and dip them in '2. the blood of the slain bird, and in the ^^"'"^"'■"- running water, and sprinkle the house seven times:
52 And he shall cleanse the house wiUi the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and witii the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:
53 But he shall let go the li\'ing bird out of the city, into the open fields, and "make an atonement tor the house: and it shall be clean.
54 This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and ''scall,
57 To " teach ' when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.
unclean, and in the daij of the clean.
1. That the leprosy was a disease generally acknowledged to be incurable by any human means; and therefore the Jews did not attempt to cure it. What is directed to be done here, was not in order to cure the leper, but to declare him cured and fit for society. — In like manner the contagion of sin, its guilt and its pov/er, can only be removed by the hand of God: all means, without his especial influence, can be of no avail.
2. The body must be sprinkled and washed, and a sacrifice offered for the sin of the soul, before the leper could be declared to be clean." — To cleanse the spiritual leper, the Lamb of God must be slain, and the sprinkling of his blood be applied. Without the shedding of this blood, there is no remission.
3. When the leper was cleansed, he was obliged to shew himself to the priest, whose province it was to pronounce him clean, and declare him fit ibr intercourse with civil and religious society — When a sinner is converted from the error ot his way.s, it is the business, as it is the prerogative of the ministers of Christ, after having duly acquainted themselves with every circumstance, to declare the person converted from sin to holiness, to unite him with the people of God, and admit him to all the ordinances which belong to the faithful.
4. When a leper wiis cleansed, he was obliged by the law to otV( r a gift unto the Lord for his healing, as a proof of his gratitude, and an evidence of liis cbediencc. — \\'hen a sinner is restored to ihe divine favour, he should offer continually the sacrifice of a grateful heart; and, in willing obedience, shew lonh the virtues of Him who has called him from darkness and v\retcliedncss, to marvellous light and happiness.
an;] consequences, an J the means of removing il; such is the spiritual evil represented by it, such its consequences, anil sucii the means by which alone jV can be removed. The disease of sin, inflicted by tlie Devil, can only be cured by the power of God. 1. Art r/joM a leper? Do the spots oi' this spiritual inlectioii begin to appear on thee? '2. Art thou young, and only entering into the ways <if the world and sin? Stop! bad habits are more easily conquered to-day, than they will be to-morrow. 3. Art thou stricken in years, and rooted in transgression? How kind is thy Maker to have preserved thee uUx-e so long! Turn from thy transgressions, humble thy soul before hiai, confei-s thine iniquity, and implore forgiveness. Seek, and thou sbalt find! Behold the Lamb of God who takelh away the sin of the world! 4. Hast thou been ckansed, and hast not returned to give glory to God? Hast not continued in the truth, serving thy Maker and!?aviour with a loving and obedient heart? How cutting is that word. Were there not TEV cleansed, but where are j/ieNINE? 'I'hou art probably one of them! Be confounded at thy ingratitude, and distressed for tliy backsliding, and apply a second time for the healing efficacy of the great Atone.nent. Turn, thou backslider; for he is married unto thee, and will he<d thy buckslidings, and will love thee freely. Amen. So be it. Lord Jesus!
Lazes concerning uncleanness of men, 1 — 12. Mode of cleansing, 13- casual, \G — 18. Lazes concerning the uncleanness of women, IQ — 27. lation of the ordinances relative to the preceding cases, 31 — 33.
and say unto them, " When any man hath a ^ running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean. 3 And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue:
NOTES ON CHAP. XV. Verse 2. When any man hath a running issue'] The cases of natural uncleanness, both of men and women, mentioned in this chapter, taken in a theological point of view, are not of such importance to us as to render a particular description necessary, the letter of the text being, in genera', plain enough The disease mentioned in the former part of this chapter, appears to some, to have been either the consequence of a verv bad infection, or of some criminal indulgence; for they find that It might be c:)iiijnuHicated in a variety of ways, which they imagine are here disiinctly specified. On this ground, the person was declared unclean, and all commerce and connection with bim strictly forbidden. The Septyagint renders 3tn ha-zab, the man with the issue, by o yovop^uri;, the man with agonorrhwa, no less than nine times in this chapter; and that it means, what in the present day, is commonly understood by that disorder, taken not only in its mild, but in its '.vorst sense, they think, there is little room to doubt. Hence they infer, that a disease which is supposed to be comparatively recent in Europe, has existed almost from time iuimeiiiorial in the Asiatic countries; that it ever has been, in certain measures, what it is now; and that it ever must be the effect of sensual indulgence, and illicit and extrayagant intercourse between the sexes. The disgracei'ul disorder referred to here, is a foul blot, which the justice of God, in the course of providence, has made in general the inseparable
whether his flesh laui with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his uncleanness.
4 Every bed, wliereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every '^ thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.
5 And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash
consequent of these criminal indulgences; and serves in some measure to correct and restrain the vice itself. In countries where j^ublic prostitution was permitted, where it was even a religious ceremony among those who were idolaters, this disea.«e must necessarily have been frequent and prevalent. When the pollutions and libertinism of former times are considered, it seems rather strange that medical men should have adopted the opinion, and consumed so much time in endeavouring to prove it, viz. that the disease is mchdern. It must have existed, in certain measures, ever since prostitution prevaded in the w orld; and this has been in every nation of the earth, from its earliest iera. Tliat the Israelites might have received it from the Egyptians, and that it must, through the Baal-peor and Ashteroth abominations, which they learned and practised, have prevailed among the Moabites, &c. there can be little reason to doubt. Supposing this disease to be at all hinted at here, the laws, and ordinances, enjoined were at once wisely and graciously calculated to remove and prevent it. By contact, contagion of every kind is readily communicated; and to keep the whole from the diseased, must be essential to the check and eradication of a (ontagieus disorder. This was the wise and grand object of this most enlightened Legislator, in the ordinances vt'hich he lays down in this chapter. I grant, however, that it was probably of a milder kind in ancient times; that it has gained strength and water, and be vuiclcun until the even. G And he that sitteth on anj/ thing _ whereon he sat that hath the issue,
7 And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue, shall v/ash liis clothes, and bathe ■hirnselj'm water, and be unclean until the even. 1 a And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe hirnselj'm water, and be unclean until the even.
' -9 And what.saddle soever lie rideth upon that liath t!ie issue, shall be unclean. 10 And whosoever toucheth any thing that ■■ under him, shall be unclean until the even: I he that beareth any of those things shall ■A\ his clothes, and bathe himselj' in water, and be unclean until the even. ' 1 1 And whoiiisoc\'cr he toucheth that hath 'the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in ^ water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe \ that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. himsc fin water, and be unclean until the even. }j 21 And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash 1 2 And the '^ vessel of earth, that he touch- j! his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be eth which hath the issue, shall be broken: i| unclean until tiie even.
and every vessel of wood shall be rinseil in 22 And whosoever toucheth any thing that
1:i And when he that hath an issue is cleansed \> himselj'in water, and be unclean until tlie even.
his issue; then 'he shall number to himself! 23 And if it /ye on her bed, or on any thing other j^r a burnt oflering; ^ and the priest sha!l I make an atonement tor him before tiie Lord, for
16 And ^if any man's seed of copulation go out Irom him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.
17 And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the even.
! 18 The woman also with whom man shall He "d-ith seed of copidation,they shall both bathe Ihem-
I 19 IF And ' if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be '' put apart seven days: and whosoever touched! her shall be unclean until the even.,
20 And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation, shall be unclean: every thing also
seven days for his cleansing, and wash his
.clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water,
and shall be clean. 14 And on the eighth day he sJiall take to him ",vo turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and virulence by continuance; and that, as.fiociatfd with some forei;»n causes, it became greatly exacerbated in Europe about 1493, the tiwie in whic.li some have supposed it first ■began lo exist, though there are strong^ evidences of it in this country, ever since the eleventli century.
Verse 1 1. And whomseever he touchetit] Here we find tbat the saliva, sitting on the same seat, lying on thir same bed, riding on the same siwldie, or simple contact, were sufficient 4o rciKiertiie person unclean, meaning, /los.si/ji^y, in certain cases, to conununicate ll>e disorder; and it is well linown, that in all these ways, the contagion of this disorder may be coniiDunirated — is it not even possible that tlie effluvia from the body of an infected person, may be the means of coua- whereon she sitteth, when lie toucheili it, he sliall be unclean until the even.
24 And ' if any man He with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean sev^n days; and all the bed whereon he- lieth shall be unclean.
municating the disease.? Sydenham expressly says, that it may be communicated by lactation, handling, the sahva, sweat, and by the breatli itself, as well as by those grosser means, of wiiich there is no question. But the term wicknn, in this and the following cases, is generally understood in a mere leiral sense, the rendei-ing a person uvfit for sacred ordinances. And as there was a mild kind of gonorrlicea that was brought on Vjy excessive fatigue and the like, it may he that kind only, which the law has in view in the above ordinances.
Verse 18. Tliey shall both hathe thernselves] What a wonderful tendency had these ordinances to prevent ^11 exccssts! The pains wh'ch such persons must take, the
25 And if "a woman have an issue of her blood many days, out of the time of lier separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she xhall be unclean.
26 Every bed whereon she lieth, all the days of her is.sue, shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shali be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.
27 And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe liinisclf'm. water, and be unclean until the even.
28 But '' if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to hei'self seven days, and after that she shall be clean.
29 And on the eighth day, she shall take unto
se]iarutions which they must observe, and \ht privations which, in consequence, tliey must be exposed to in the way of commerce, traffic, &c. would prevent them from mai<ing- an unlawful use of lawful things.
Verse 24. I'he common sense of all mankind has led them to avoid the gross impropriety referred to in this verse; and it has been a general opinion, that offspring obtained in this way, has been infected with leprous, scrophulous, and Other dee| ly radicated diseases, from which they and their posterity have been scarcely ever freed. In chap. xx. 18. persons guilty of this, are condenmed to death; here only to a snen duj/s iepariition, because, in the former case, Moses speaks of the act, when both the man and woman were acquainted with the situation: in the latter, he speaks of a case, where the circumstance was not biou;n till afterwards; at least, so It appears these two places should be understood, so as to be reconciled.
Verse 29. Txuo turtles, or txi-o young pii^euns] In all these cases, moral pollution was ever considered as being less or more present, as even such intirmities sprang from the original defection of man. On these accounts sacrifices must be offered; and in the case of the woman, one of the birds above mentioned must be sacrificed as a sin-offering, the other as a burntoffering, ver. 30.
Verse.31. 'llms shall ijc separate the children of Israel front their uncleanness] By this separation, the cause became less frequent, and the contagion, if it did exist, Avas prevented from spreading. So, pest-houses ani\ fever-wanls are constructed for till' jjurpose of separating the infected from the sound; and thus contagion is lessened, and its diffusion prevented.
That they die not] That life may be prolonged by these Brudential cares; and that he who is morally and legally unclean, raay not presume to enter into the tabernacle of God, nacle of the congregation. _
30 And the priest shall offer the one^r a sin offering, and the other ^or a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the Lord, for the i,ssue of her uncleanness.
31 Thus shall ye "separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they " defile my tabernacle that is among them.
32 ' This is the law of him that hath an issue, •^and of him whose seed gocth from him, and is defiled therewith;
33 ^ And of her that is sick of her flowers, and of him that hath an issue, of the man, " and of the woman; ' and of him that lieth with her that is unclean.
till purified; lest he provoke divine Justice to consume him, while attempting to worship with a polluted mind, and impure hands.
1. ITow unpromising and how forbidding, at the first view, was this chapter! and yet how full of wise, humane, and moral regulations, i-nanifesting at once the wisdom and kindness of the great Legislator! Every word of God is pure in itself, and of great importance to us. He who cannot derive instruction from the chapter before him, and be led by a proper consideration of its contents, to adore the wisdom and goodness of God, must have either a very stupid or a very vitiated mind.
2. In all these ordinances we may plainly see, that God hSif. puriiy of heart continually in view — that the soul may be holy, he cuts off' the occasions of sin; and that men may be obliged to keep in due bounds, and possess their vessels in sanctifieation and honour.he hedges up their way with briars and thorns, and renders transgression painful, shameful and e.rpensive.
3. Preventing grace is not less necessary than that which saves, and which preserves. These three chapters, avoided and neglected by most, contain lessons of instruction for all: and though many things contained in them, belong ex-. clusively to the Jewish people, as to the letter, yet in the spirit and graciotis design they form a part of those revealed things which are for us and for our children; and although they cannot be made the subjects of public oral instruction, yet they are highly necessary to be kiiovvn: and hence the advantage of reading the scriptures in regular order in private. May we read so as to understand, and practise what we know, that being wise unto salvation, we may walk as children of the liiiht and of the day, in whom there shall be no occasion ^ stumbling!
The so/t'iiui yearlij expiation fur t/ie Jiigh-priest, zcho must not lume at all times into the /lo/i/ plun, 1, 'J. Jle must take a bullock for a siu o/fering, and a ram fir a burnt offering, bathe himself, and be dressed in his sacerdotal robes, 3, 4. He shall take tico goats, ove of uhich is to be determined Iri/ lot, to be a sacrijicc; the other Co be a scape goat, 5 — 10. He shall offer a biillnrkfor himself anil for his fimilif, 1 1 — 14. And shall kill the goat as a sin offering for the people, sprinkle its blood upon the mercj/ seat, and halloa- the altar of burnt-offerings, 15 — 19. The scape goat shall be then brought, on the head of which he shall lay his hands, and confess the iniquities of' Ike children of Israel; after tvhich, the goat shall he permitted to escape to the wilderness, 20 — 2'2. Jfter this, Aaron shall bathe himself, and make a burnt offering for himself and for the people, 2 3—28. This is to be an everlasting statute, and the dai/ on which the atonement is to be made, shall be a sabbath, or day of rest through all their generations, 29 — 34.
2 And tlie Lord said unto Mose.s, Speak unto ( Aaron thy brother, that he ^ come not at all ^_ times into the holy place within the vail before Hhe mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he I die not: for "I will appear in tlic cloud upon
3 Thus shall Aaron " come into the holy/?/(7C<?: with a yoinig bullock for a sin offering, and a
Verse 1. After the death of the two sons of Aaron] It appears I'roin lliis verse, that the natural i)lace of tliis c:liapter is iiiiniediatcly aftiT the tenth, v here probably it originally stooil: but the transposition, if it did take place, must be very ancient, as ail the versions acknoivledge this chapter, in the place in which it now stands.
Verse 2. T/iat he come not at all times into the holy place] By the holy place, we are to understand here, what is ordinarily called the Holy of Holies, or most holy place; that place wiliiin tlie vail, where the ark of the covenant, &:c. were laid up; and wiierc God nuinifesttd his presence between tiic clierubini. In ordinary cases, the high-priest could enter thi.s place only once in tlie year, that is, on the day of annual atonement; but in extraordinary cases, he might enter more frequently, viz. while in the wilderness, in decamping and incaiiiping, lie iiRi.t enteric t'tke down or adjust the thin^^s: and on solemn prp>sing public occasions, he was obliged to enter in order to consult the Lord; but he never entered without the deepest reverence and due preparation.
Thai it may appear that the grand subject of thi.s chapter, the ordinance of the scape goat, typified the death and resurrection of Christ, and the atonement thereby made, I beg leave to refer to Heb. i.\-. 7 — 12. and 2 1 — 26. which I shall here ttanscribe, because it is a key to the whole of this chaptei-.
4 He shall put on ' the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be
the linen mitre shall he be attiretl: these are holy garments; therefore ^ shall he wash his fiesh in water, and so put them on.
.5 And he shall take of '' the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
6 And Aaron sliall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which?'*■ for himscltj and 'make an atonement for himself^ and for his house.
Into the second (tabernacle) went the high priest alone once every year, not luithout blood, ichich he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people. The Holy Ghost, this si/rnifying, that the way into the holiest of all, was not yet made niuniffst, while as the first tubernucle was yet standing: which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did tiie service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them till the time of reformation. But Christ being come, a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the RLOOn of GOATS and CALVES; but by his OWN BLOOD heentered into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption ibr us. — For Christ is not entered into the holy places iiutdc with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for tis: nor yet that he should offer liimself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others; (for then must'*he often have suffered siitce the foundation of the world) but now, once in the end of the world, hath he appeared TO PUT AWAY SIN BV THE SACRIl'ICE OF HIMSELP.
Verse U. With a young bullock for a sin offering.] Tiie bullock was presented as a sin offering, for himself, hi* family, tiie whole priesthood, and probably the Lcii/tf*. The ram wa« 3y 2
7 And he shall take the two goats, |' the Lord's lot "fell, and offer him and present them before the Lord at for a sin ottering,
8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the " scape goat.
9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which
for a burnt offering, to signify that he and his associates were whollt/ consecrated, and to he uholly employed in this worii of the ministry. The ceremonies with which these two sacrifices were accompatiied, are detailed in the following verses.
Verse 4. He ihall put on the holy linen coat^ He was not to dress in his pontifical garments, but in the simple sacerdotal vestments, or those of the Levites, because it was a day of humiliation, and as he was to offer sacrifices for his own snis, it was necessary that he should appear in habits suited to the occasion. Hence he has neither the robe, the ep/iod, the breast-plate, the tnilre, &c. these constituted his dress of dignity, as the high priest of God, ministering for others, and the representative of Christ: but now he appears before God as a sinner, offering an atonement for his transgressions, and his garments are those of humihation.
Ver.-e 7. And he shall take the tivo goats] It is allowed on all hands that this ceremony, taken in all its parts, pointed out the Lord Jesus dying for our sins, and rising again for our justification: being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. Two goats are brought, one to be slain as a sacrifice for sin, the other to have the transgressions of the people confessed over his head, and then to be sent away into the wilderness. This animal, by this act, was represented as bearing away, or car rj/iyig off, the sins of the people. The two goats made only one sacrifice; yet only one of them was slain. One animal could not point out both the divine and human nature of Christ, nor shew both his death and resurrection, for the goat that w as killed, could not be made a'it-e. The divine and human natures in Christ, were essentia! to the gi'and expiation; yet the human nature alone suffered; for the divine nature could not suffer; but its presence in the human nature, while agonizing unto death, stamped those agonies, and the consequent death, with infinite merit. The goat, therefore, that was slain, prefigured his human nature, and its death: the goat that escaped, pointed out his resurrection. The one shews the atonement ior sin, as the ground of justification; the other Clirist's victory, and the total removal of sin, in the sanctification of the soul. — Concerning these ceremonies, we shall see farther particulars as we proceed.
According to Maimonides, fifteen beasts were oflered on this day. " The daily, or morning and evening sacrifice, was offered as usual: — besides a bullock, a ru7n, and seven Iu7iibs, all burnt ofti:rings; a goat for a sin offering, which was eaten in the evening. Then a bullock for a sin offering, and this they burnt, and a ram for a burnt-offering; these both for the high priest Then the ntm for the consecration; see ver. 5. which is called the people's ram. They brought
10 But the goat, on which the lot!fell to be the scape goat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make '^ an atonement with him, a7id to let him go for a scape goat into the wilderness.
11 ^ And Aaron shall bring tlie bullock of
also for the congregation, two he-goats; the one for a sin offering, the other for a scape goat. Thus all the beasts offered on this great and solenm day were FIFTKEN: the two daily sacrifices, one bullock, tioo rams, and seven lambs: all of these burnt offerings. 7\io goats for sin offerings; one o'Tered without, and eaten on the evening; the other offered luithin, and burnt; and ons bullock for a sin offering for tlie hisjh priest. The service of all these fifteen beasts, is performed on this day by the high priest only." See Maimonides, and Ainsworth on the place.
Verse 8. Aaron shall cast lasts upon the fwo goatsi The I Jews inform us that there were two lots, made either of uoud,.Hone, or any kind of metal. On one was."titten ZD'i'b L.-V-. SHEM for tlie ^AMK, i. e. nVT JtHOVAH, which the Jews will neither write nor pronounce: — on the other was written ilSiNTp'? la- AZAZEL, for the SCAPE-GOAT: then they put the two lots into a vessel which was called ^thil kalpcy; the goats standing with their faces towards the west. Then the priest came, and the goats stood before him, one on the right hand and the other on the left; the kalpey was then shaken, and the priest put in both his hands, and brought out a lot in each: that which was in his right hand, he laid on the goat that was on his right; and that in his left hand, he laid on the goat thai was on his left; and according to what was' written on the lots, the scape goat, and the goat for sacrifice were ascertained.— See the Mishna, in Tract. Yoma.
The determining this solemn business by lot, the disposal of which is with the Lord, Prov. xvi. 33. shews that God alone was to select and point out the person by whom this great atonement was to be made: hence he says, behold I lay in Zionu stone elect (that is, chosen by himself) and precious, of infinite value.
Verse 10. To be the scapegoat] StxII? Azazcl, from ty dz, a goat, and Sw azal, to dismiss, i. e. the disnussed, or sent away goat, to distinguish it from the goat that was to be offered m sacrifice. Most ancient nations had r2c«;-iou« sacrifices, to which they transferred by certain rites and ceremonies, the guilt of the community at large, in the same manner in which the scape goat was used by the Jews. Tiie white bull that was sacrificed by the Egyjitians to their god Apis, was of this kind, they cut off the head of the victim which they had sacrificed, and after having loaded it with ' execrations, that, " if there be any evil hanging over them or the land of Egypt, it may be poured out upon that head;" they cither sold it to the Greeks or threw it into the Nile. — See HkROD. Euterj). p. 104. edit. Gale.
the sin offering, which is for himself, j and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill | the builock of the sin otfering which! is for himself:
12 And he shall take ' a censer full of burning coals of fire, from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of " sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:
13 "And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the '' mercy seat, that is upon the testimony, that he die not:
14 And ' he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and ^ sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and belbre the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
15 ^ ^ Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood " within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the bh)od of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy scat, and before the mercy seat:
16 And he shall 'make an atone- -^Miisw. ment for tlie holv place, because of, "„",', '
gressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that " remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
17 ' And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation, when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.
18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord, and " m.ake an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and " hallow it from the uncleanness of the
20 *[[ And when he hath made an end of " re-
ancient inhabitants of Marseilles, whenever they were afflicted by any pestilence, to take one of the poorer citizens who cffered himself for the purpose, and having fed hiui a whole year with the purest and best food, adorned him with vervain, and having clothed him with sacred vestments, they then led him round their city, loading him with execrations: and having prayed that all the evils to which the city was exposed, might fall upon him, they then precipitated him from the top of a rock. Satiricon, in Jine.
Svidas, under the word Tri^i-^^'i/J-a, observes, that it was a custom to devote a man annually to death, for ihe safety of the people, with these words 7refi\^nf/,a riftav ycvov, Be thou our purifi-r; and having said so, lliey threw him into the sea, as a sacrifice to Neptune. It was probably to this custom that Virgil alludes, when speaking of the pilate Falinurus, who fell into the sea and was drowned, he says,
Untim pro multis dahitur caput. iEn. lib. v. v. 815. " One life is given for the preservation of many." But the nearest resemblance to the si:upe goat of the! Hebrews, is found in the Aihummcd Jusa^ of the Hindoos, ' where a liorse is used instead of a goat, the desciip-ion of I which I shall here introduce Irom Mr. Halhcd's Code of Gentoo Laws; Introduction, p. xix.
" That the curious," says he, " may form some idea of
this Gentoo sacrifice when reduced to a symbol, as well as; from the subsequent plain account given of it in a chapter of the Code, sect. ix. p. 127. an explanation of it is here inserted from Darul Shekuh's famous Persian translation of some commentaries upon the four Beids, or original Scriptures of Hindostan: the work itself is extremely scarce, and it was bymere accident that this httle specimen was procured.
" The Ashummted Ju^g does not merely tonsLst in the performance of that ceremony which is open to the inspection of the world, namely, in bringing a /io/it' and s;icrificing him; but Ashummeed is to be taken in a mystic signification, as implying, that the sacrificer must look upon himself to be ti/pijied ^ in that horse, such as he shall be described; because the religious duty of the Ashummeed Jiigg comprehends all those other religious duties, to the performance of which, all ths wise and holy direct all their actions; and by which, all the sincere professors of every different faith, aim at perfection. The mystic signification thereof is as follows: the head of that unblemished horse, is the symbol of the morning; his cj/es are the sun; his breath the uiVirf; his wide-opening mouth ii the bish-wiiner, or that inncM warmth which invigorates all the world; his body typifies one entire year; his buck, paradise; \m belly, the plains; h\s liocf, ihis earth; his wW«, the four quarters of flu: heatens; tile bones diereof, the intermediate ^aces between the four quarters; the r«st of his limbs represe^
1. Abibot l\iian.
The scape goat dismissed LEVITICUS.
conciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, ' putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send J/im away by the hand of '' a fit man into the wilderness:
22 And the goat shall " bear upon him all their iniquities, unto a land ^ not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
23 And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle
all distinct matter; the places where those limbs meet, or his joints, imply the months, and liakes of tlie months, which are called peche (or t'ortnioihts;) \\\i feet signify night and tf(/y; and night and day are of four kinds: 1. The night and day of Brihmie; 2. The night and day of angels; 3. The night and day of the world of the spirits of deceased ancestors; 4. The niglit and day of mortals. These four kinds are typified in his four feet. The rest of his bones are the constellations of the fixed stars, which are the twenty-eight stages of the moon's course, called the /«««)■ year; [»> Jiesli is the clouds; his food, tlie sand; his tendons, the rivers; his spleen and liver, the mountains; the /i«zr of his body, the vegetables, and his long hair, the trees; the forepart of his body typifies the first half of the day, and the hinder part, the latter half; his yawning is tlie Jtash of the lightning, and his turning himself is the thunder of tiie cloud; his urine represents the rain; and his mental reflection is his only speech. The golden vessels which are prepared, before the horse is let loose, are the light ef the day, and the place where those vessels are kept, is a type of tlie ocean of the east; the silver vessels which are prepared after tlie hor^e is let loose, are the tight of the night, and ihe place where those vessels are kept, is a type of the occari of the west. These two sorts of vessels are always before and after the horse. — The Arabian horse, which on account of his swiftness is called Hy, is the performer of the journeys of angels; the Tajee, which is of the race of Persian horse.s, is the performer of the journeys of the Kundherps (or good spirits;) the IVazha, which is of the race of the deformed Tazee horses, is the performer of the journeys of the Jins (or d< mons;) and the Ashov, which is of the race of Turkish liorses, is the performer of the journeys of mankind: this one hcjr.se, which performs these several services, on account of liis four dilTerent sorts of riders, obtains the four different appellations. The place where this horse remains is ilie great ocean, which signifies the great spirit of Perm-Atnia, or the universal soul, which proceeds also from that Penn-Aima, and is comprehended in the same Perm- Atvta. Tlie intent of this sacriiice is, that a man should con-
fo ihe 'Wilderness^ ' and sliall put
Ahib or A'ijan.
of the congregation, off the linen garments, which he put on wlien lie w eat into the holy place, and shall leave them there:
24 And he shall wash his flesh with water in tlie holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, ^ and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the
25 And ^ the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.
26 And he that let go the goat for the scape goat, shall wash his clothes, *■ and bathe
sider himself to be in the place of that horse, and look upon all these articles as typified in himself; and conceiving the AtmS (or divine soul) to be an ocean, should let all thought of self be absorbed in that Atma."
This sacrifice is explained in Section IX. p. 127. of the Code of Hindoo Laws thus,
"An Ashwnineed Jugg is when a person, having commenced a Jugg, (i. e. religious ceren.ony) writes various articles upon a scroll of paper, on a horse's neck, and dismisses the horse, sending along with tlie horse a stout and valiant person, equipped with tlie best necessaries and accoutrements to accompany the horse day and night, whithersoever he shall choose to goj^mdif. any creature, either man, genius or dragon, should seize the horse, that man opposes such attempt, and, having gained the victory upon a battle, again gives the horse his freedom. If any one in this world, or in heaven, or beneath the earth, would seize this horse, and the horse of himself comes to the house of the celebrator of the Jugg, upon killing that horse, he must throw the flesh of him upon the fire of the Juk, and utter the prayers of his deity; such a Jugg is called a Jugg Ashummeed, and the merit of it, as a religions work, is infinite."
This is a most curious circumstance, and the coincidence between the religious rites of two people who probably never had any intercourse with each other, is very remarkable. I would not however say, that the Hindoo ceremony could not have been borrowed from the Jews, (though it is very unlikely) no more than I should say, as some have done, that the Jewish rite was borrowed from the Egyptian sacrifice to Apis, mentioned above, which is still moie unlikely. See particularly the note on Levit. i. 4.
Verse 12 1. Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head, &c.] What this imposiiion of liands meant, see in the notes oo Exod. xxix. 10. and Levit i. 4.
his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp. 27 " And tlic bullock for the sin
offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry fortii without the camp; and they shall burn in tlie fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.
•28 And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
29 % And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that "in the seventh montli, on the tenth day of die mouth, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, Xi'lwthcr it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:
.SO For on that day shall the priest make
chatah, to miss the marie — are supposed by tlie Jews to comprize every thing that Implies a breach of tlie Divine law or an offence against God. See the note on Gen. xiii. 13. Maimonides gives us the confession in the following words:
" () Lord, thy people, the house of Israel, have sinned and done iniquity, and trespassed before thee. O Lord, make atonement now for the iniquities and transgressions and sins, that thy people, the house of Israel, have sinned and transgressed against thee; as it is written in the law of Moses thy servant, saying. That in tlds day he shall tna/ce atonement you, to cleanse ymi. from all your sins before the Lord, and
A\'hen this confession was finished, the goat was sent by a proper hand to the wilderness, and there let loose; and nothing farther was ever heard of it. Did not all this signify, that Christ has so carried and borne away our sins, that against them who receive him as the only true atoning sacrifice, they should never more be brought to remembrance?
On the head of the scape i^oaf, a piece of scarlet cloth was tied, and tlie tradition of the Jews states, that if God accepted the sacrifice, the scarlet cloth turned while, while the goat was leading to the desert; but if God had not ai ( ppied this expiation, the redness continued, and the rest of the year was spent in mourning.
From the foundation of the church of God, it was ever believed by his followers, that there were certain infallible tokens by which he discovered to genuine believers, his acceptance of them and their services. This was sometimes jdone by a fire from heaven consuming the sacrifice — sometimes by an oracular cemmunicatiun to the priest or prophet;
31 "It shall he a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for e\'er.
32 'And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall "^ consecrate^ to minister in the priest's office in liis tather's stead, shall make the atonement,.nnd "shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments:
33 And 'he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he.shall make an atonement for the ])ricsts, and for all the people of the congregation.
34 ""And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins ' once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.
and at other times, according to the Jewish account, by changing the fdlet or cloth on the head of the scape goat, I'roin scarlet to white: but most commonly, and especially under the gospel dispensation, he gives this assurance to true belitvers, by the testimony of his spirit, in their consciences, that he has forgiven their iniquities, transgressions and sins, for his sake, who has carried their griefs, and borne their sorrows.
Verse 26. He titat let go the goat — shall wash, &c.] Not only the person who led him away, but the priest who consecrated him, were reputed unclean, because the goat liim.self was unclean, being considered as bearing the sins of the whole congregation. On this account, both the priest, and the person wiio led him to the wilderness, were obliged to wash their clothes, and bathe themselves, before they could come into the camp.
Verse 29. The seventh month, on the tenth day of the?noni/i'\ The commandment of fasting, and sanctifying this tenth day, is again repeated, Le\H. xxiii. 27 — 32.; but in the latter verse, it is called ihc, ninth day at even, because the Jewish day began with the evening. The sacriliees which the day of atonement should have more than other day.s, are mentioned. Num. xxix. 1 — 11. And the jubilee, which was celebrated every 50th year, was solemnly jiroclaimed by sound of trumpet on this tenth day, Levit. xxv. 8, 9. A shadow, says. Mr. Ainsworth, of that acceptable year of the Lord, the year of freedom which Christ has proclaimed by the trumpet of hia gospel, Luke iv. 18 — 21. 2 Cor. vi. 2. — This seventh month was Tisri, and answers to a part of our September and October. It was the seventh of the sacred, and thejirst month of the civil year.
Jewish ordinances of the scape goat
The great day of atonement, and the sacrifices, rites, and ceremonies prescribed for it, were commanded to be solemnized by the Jews through the whole of their dispensation; and as long as God should acknowledge them for his people: yet in the present day, scarceiy a shadow of these tilings remains: there is no longer a scape soat, nor a goat for sacrijice provided by them in any place. Tliey are sinners, and they are without an atonement. How strange it is tliat tliey do not see that the essence of their religion is gone, and that consequently God has thrown tiiem entirely out of covenant with himself. The true expiation, the Christ crucified, they refuse to receive, and are consequently without temple, altar, scape goat, atonement, or any means of salvation! The state of file Gentile wwld is bad; but that of the Jews is doubly dep!oral)Ie. Their total excision excepted, wrath is come upon Ihem to tlie uttermost. What a proof is this of the truth of the pi-edictions in their own law — and of those in the gospel of Christ! Who, with the Jews and the bible before his eyes, can doubt the truth of tliat bible as a divine revelation! Had this people been extinct, we might have doubted whether there were ever a people on the earth that acknowledged such a law, or observed such ordinances; but the people, their law, and their prophets are still in being, and all proclaim what God has wrought, and that he has now cea-eil to work among them, because they have refused to receive and profit by tlie great atone mcnt; a nd yet he preserves thein alive, and in a state of roniplere separation from all the people of the earth, in all places of their dispersion! How powerfully does the preservation of the Jews as a distinct people, bear testimony at once to the truth of their own lata which they acknowledge, and the ^osptl of Christ which they reject!
2. But while the Jews sit in thick darkness, because of the vail tliat is on their hearts, though the light of the glory of God is shining all around llicm, but not into them, because of their unbelief; in what state are those who profess to see their unbelief and obstinacy, acknowledge the truth of the new Testament, and yet are living without an atonement applied to their souls, for the removal of their iniquities, transgressions and sins? Tliese are also in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity. An all-sufficient Saviour held out in the New Testament, can do ihem no more good than a scape goat 3.ni\ day o{ atonement describtd in the law, can do the Jews. As well may a man im.igine that the word bread, can nourish his body, as the nu7ne ('lirist can save his soul. Both must he received and applied in order that the man may live.
3. The Jews prepared themselves to get benefit from this most solemn ordinance, by the deepest humiliations. According to their canons, they were obliged to abstain from all meat and drink — from the bath — from anointing themselves — ■ to go barefoot — and be in a state of perfect continency. He who is likely to get benefit fur his soul through the rcderap- ' tion that is in Chrif, must humble himself under the mighty hand of God, confess his iniquity, abstain from every appearance, of evil, and believe on him who died for his offences, andi rose ai^ain for his justification. The soul thai seeks not, shall i not/;2i/, even under the Gospel of Clirist.
The people are commanded to bring all the cattle they intend to kill, to the door of the tabernacle, zvherethey are to be made an offering to the Lord, and t/iose zcho disobey, are to b? cut of, 1 — -5. The priest is to sprinkle the blood, 6. They are forbidden to offer sacrijices to devils, 7. The injunction to bring their offerings to tlie door of the tabernacle, is repeated, 8,9- The eating of blood is solemnly forbidden, 10. It is the life of the beast; and is given to make an atonement for their souls, 11, 1.2. If a bird or beast be taken in hunting, its, blood must be poured out, and covered zcitk dust,j'or the reasons before assigned, 13, 14. None shall eat an animal that dies of itself, or is lorn by beasts; if any act othericise, he must bathe his clothes and his Jiesh, at hear hts iniquity, 15, iS.
Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, saying.
NOTES ON CHAP. XVII. Verse 4. And bringcth it not unto the doorl As sacrifice was ever deemed essential to true religion, it was necessary that it.should be performed in such a way as to secure the gri-at purpose of its institution. God alone could shew how tlji.f sljould be done so as tu be pleasing in his sight; and'
3 What man soever there be of the a.m.ssi*. house of Israel, Hhat killeth an ox,,'■,;,",_ or Jainb, or goat, m the camp, or 2. that killein it out or tlie camp, _l.
4 '' And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to ofi'er an offer-
therefore he has given the most plain and particular dire<^- tions concerning it. The Israelites, from their long residence in Egypt, an idolatrous country, had doubtless adopted many uf their usages; and many portions of the Pentateuch seem to have been written mtrety to correct and bring them back to the purity of the divine worship.
A-.M-wH. ing unto the Lord before the tabernacle of" the Lord, blood shall be ' imputed unto that man; he hath shetl blood; and that man "shall be cut off
5 To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, " which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto die Lord.
6 And the priest " shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and 'burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the Lord.
7 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices 'unto devils, after whom they ''have gone a
whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations. 8 And thou shalt say luito tliem.
That no blood should be offered to idols, God commands every animal used for food or sacrifire, to be slain at the door of the tabernacle. While every animal was slain in lliis sacrificial way, even tlie daily food of the people, must put them in mind of the necessity of a.^iacrifice for sin. l\:rliaps St. Paul had this circumstance in view wlicn he said, Whctlier therefore ye eat or drink, or iiliatsoeter ye do, do all to the don/ of God, 1 Cor. x. 31. ami, whatsoever ye do in viord or ■', do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to.J. y and the Father by him.
While the Israelites were encamped in the wilderness, it was comparatively easy to prevent all abuses of this divine in^titalion,;ind therefore they were all commanded to hrin^ the oxen, 'heejt, and goals, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, that they might be slain there, and their blood sprinlcled upon the altar of the Lord. Rut when they became settled in the promised land, and the distance, in many cases, rendered it impossible for ihem to bring the animals to be slain for domestic uses, to the temple, they were permitted to pour out the blood in a sacrjficial way unto God, at their Perspective dwellings, and to cover it with the dust; see ver. 13. and see Deut. xii. 20, 21.
Blood shall be imputed unto that mani Having poured out the blood improperly, he sh.\ll be considered as guilty of murder, because that blood, had it been properly and sacrificially employed, might have made atonement for the life of a man.
Verse 7. Tliey shall no more otVcr their sacrifices unto devils] liu-y shall not sacrifi( e S'TW?, la-sliairiin, to the hairy, ones, to goats. The famous heathen god. Pan, was repre-, sented as having the posteriors, horns, and ears of a goat: I and the RIaidcsians, a people of Egypt, had a deify which, they worshipped under this form. Herodotus say.s, that all I goats were worshipped in Egypt, but tlie he-goat particularly.
Wliatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, " that ofFereth a burnt offering or sacrifice,
9 And ' bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the Lord; even that man shall be cut off firom among his people.
10 ^ ^ And whatsoever man tJiere be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; ' I will even set my face against that soul tliat eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
11 "For the life of the flesh is in tlie blood:
It appears also, that the different ape and monkey species were objects of superstitious worship; and from these sprang, not only Mendes, and Jupiter Ammon, who was worshipped under the figure of a ram, but also Pun and the Silent, with the innumerable herd of those imaginary beings, satyrs, dryads, hamydryads, &c. &c. all woodland gods, and held in veneration among the I'lgyptian.s, Greeks, and Romans.
After ivhom they have gone a whoring.] Though this term is frequently used to express idolatry, yet we are not to suppose, that it is not to be taken in a literal sense in many places in Scripture, even where it is used in connection with idolatrous acts of worship. It is well known that Baal Peor, and Ashturotli, were worshipped with unclean rites; and that public prostitution formed a grand part of the worship of many deities among the Egyptian-^, Moabites, Canaanites, Greeks, and Romans. The great god of the two latter nations, Jupiter, was represented as the general corrupter of women: and of Venus, Flora, Priapus, and others, it is needless to speak. That there was public pro.stitution in the patriarchal times, see the note on Gen. xxxviii. 21. And that there was public prustitution of women to goats in Egypt, see Herodotus, lib. ii. c. 4G. p. 108. edit. Gale, who gives a case of this abominable kind thai took place in Egypt whde he was in that country. See also many examples in Bochuri, vol. ii. col. 641. and see the note on chap. xx. 16.
Verse 1 1. For the life of the flesh is!/i the blood] This sentence, which contains a most important truth, had existed in the Mosaic writings for 3600 years, before the attention of any philosopher was drawn to the subject This is the more surprising, as the nations in which philosophy flourished, %vere those, which especially enjoyed the divine oracles in their respective languages. That the blood actually possesses a living principle, and that the life of the whole body is derived from it, is a doctrine of divine revelation, and a doctrine and I have given it to you upon tlie altar, * to make an atonement for - 2. voiir souls: for '' it is the blood iliat
12 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall cat blood, neither
13 And whatsoever man there he or the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, " which
v'hic'n the observations and experiments of the most accurate anatomists liave served stron£>ly to condrm. The proper circulation of this important fluid throimh the ■ii-hok hiiman system, was first taught by Solomon in figurative language, Ecdes.,xii. 6. and discovered, as it is c;dled, and demonstrated by Dr. Harveyin 1628; tliough some Italian philosophers had the same notion a little before. This accurate anatomist was the first who fiilly revived tlie Mosaic notion of the zitality of the blood; which notion was afterwards adopted by the jusdy celebrated Dr. Juim Hunter, professor of anatomy in London; and established by him, by a great variety of strong reasoning and acci,irate experuneiUs. To support this opinion, Dr. Hunter proves,
1. That the blood unites living parts in soine circumstances, as certainly as the yet recent juices of the branch of one tree unite with that of another: and he thinks that if either of these fluids were dead matter, they would act as ittinmli, and no union would lake place in tlie animal or vegetable kingdom; and he shews diat m the nature of thmgs, there is not a more intimate connection between life and a solid, than between life and 2^ fluid.
2. He shews that the blood becomes vascular, like other living parts of the body; and he demonstrated this by a preparation, in which vessels were clearly seen to arise, Iroin what had been a coai^uhm of bloo<l; for those vessels opened into the stream of the circulating blood, which was in contiguity with this coagulated mass.
3. He proved, that if blood be taken from the arm, in the most intense cold that the human body can suffer, it will raise the thermometer to tlie same height, as blood taken in the most sultry heat. This is a very powerful argument of the vitaliii/ of the blood, as it \» well known, that living- bodies alone, have the power of resisting great ilegrees of heat and cold, and fjf maintaining in almost every situation, while in health, that temperature which we distinguish by the name of animal heat.
4. He proves that blood is capable of being acted upon by a stimulus, as it coagulates on e.\posure to the air, as certainly as the cavities of the abdomen and thorax, become inflamed frum the same cause. 1 he more the blood is alive, r. e. the more (he animal is in health, the sooner the blo'd coagulates on exposure: and tiie more it has lost of the living principle, as in cases of violent inflammation, the less sensible it is to t!ic stimulus produced by being exposed, and coagulates more slowly.
5. He proves that the blood preserves life in difTtrent psirts of llie body. When the wertrs going to any part, arc tied or cut, the i)art hecoines paralytic, and loses all power of motion; but it does not mortify. But let the arteni be cut, and then the part dies and morlifcution ensues. It must therefi-re be the vital principle of the blood, that keeps the part alivs; nor does it appear that this fact can be accounted for on any other principle.
6 He thinks this vilalily further proved, from the case of a person who was brought to St. George's hospital, for a simple fracture of the Os humeri, and who died about a month after. As tlie bones had not united, he injected the arm, and thus found, tluit the coagulated blood, which filled the cavity betwten the extremities of the fractured bones, was become z-asciilar, and in some places very much so, which vessels, bad it been dead matter, it never could have produced.
This system has been opposed, and arguments have been adduced to prove, that the principle of •vitality exists not in the blood, but in the nervous si/stein. But every arguinent on this ground, appears to be done away by the simple consideration, that the whole nervous system, as v.'cli as every other part of the body,' is originally derived from the blood; for is it not from the blood of the mother, that the fcetus has its being and nourishment in the womb } Do not all the nerves, as well as the brain, '&c. originate from that alone? And if. it be not vital, can it give the principle of vitality to something else, which then exclusively (though the effect of a cause) becomes the principle of vitality to all the solids and fluids of the body? This seems absurd. That the human being proceeded originally from the blood, admits of no' doubt: and it is natuial and reasonable to suppose, that as it was the rau.se under God, which generated all the other pans of the body, so it still continues to be the princrjile of life, and by it alone, all the wastes of the system are repaired. Two jKiints relative to this subject, are strongly asserted in- Divine revelation, one by MoSES, the other by.^t. Paul. '
1. Moses says, The t.lt-£ cf the flesh is in the BLOOD, Levit. xvii. 1 l.Ttiis has been proved by tlie most indisputable facts.
2. St. Pflw/say.s, God hath tnade of OS E I^LOOV) all nations qf men. Acts xvii. 26. And this is demonstrated not only from there beingonly one pair, from whom all the nations of men have been derived, but also from the fact, that every human being, from the' first-born of Kve, to the present hour, has been farmed out of, and supporit d by; tiie mother's blood: and that frcm the agency of tWs nM:d,the human body, after being born into the world, has its increment and support. The reason given by God, for the law against eat.ng blood, is perfectly conclusive — I u-ill set my face he shiill even ^ pour out the blood il thereof, and ''cover it with dust. j; 14 ""For it is the Hfe of all Hesh; |I the blood of it is lor tlie life thereof: j I said unto the children of Israel, ij Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of ail fic^h is the blood thereof: wliosoeser eateth It shall be cut oft! 15 ^ "^ And every soul that eateth " that uhich
■ nephe^li) that niaketh un atonement for t\e snvt; {'i?>yi bn-nefhesh, fur llie life, for the word is llic saiiic in ull tlicst; cases.) l>y transgression a man forfeits hi.-; LIFE to divine jirstice, and he must die, did not vitrei/ provide liiin a suhsiiiuic — t!ie life "f a Leiist is a])pointed and accepted by God, as a substitute the sinner's life; (in reference to ihe life of Cliri.», whicii J ^^:ls to be <;iven for the life of the wold.-) but as this life is \ in the blood, and as the blood is the tfiand principle of viiktali/j/. therefore tlie blood is to be poiirtd out upon liie aUar; ■nd liius the life of the beast becomes a sub^titulc ior the ilife of the man.
And it is well worthy ofbeing remarked, tliat Clirist not only 'died for sinners, but our redemption is every where ailribuled ■to his BLOOD, and the shedding of that blood; and, that on the altar of the cross, t|iis might make an atonement Ibr llie
■ lives and souls of men, he not only bovicd his head, and. gave up the nhou, but his.side was opened, the pericardium and the heart evidently pierced, that the viutl fluid might be poured out from the very seat of life, and that thus the blood, which is the life, should be poured out to make an atonement for the life of the soul.
The doctrine of Moses and St. Paul proves the truth of the doctrine of Hui~ey mid Hunter: and llie reasoniui>s and *xpcriinents of Harvei/ and Hunter illustrate and confirm the doctrine of Moses and Paul. Here, then, is a further proof of the truth and autiiority of Divine revelation. See the note on Gen. ix. 4. Dr. J. Corrie's Essay on the Vitality of the Blood, and the article Blood, in the Enn/clopcsdias.
died of itself, or that which was torn
16 But if lie wash them not, nor bathe his flesh; then "he shall bear his iniquity.
Verse 1'4. Ye shall eat the blood of no manner officslt] Independently of tile moral reasons given aliove, we may add, 1. 'J'hat blood heinj^ hi|ilily (illcalesccnt, especially in hot climates, is subject to s-peetly pulrelaction. 2. That il aflords a gross nutrinient, being very dilficult of diyjesiion, insomuch so, I hat bulls' blood, was u.sed in ancient limes as poison, " its extreme viscidity rendering it totally inditjcslibk by the powers (.f the human stomach." 3. It is allowed (hat when blood was used in this country in gfreat quantities, the scurry was more iiiquent llian at oUier times. 4. Il appears from history, that tlio.-e nations who lived most on it, w«ie very tierce, savage, and barbarous, such as llic Scyt/iiaiis, Tartars, Arabs of the d<;.«arl, the Scandinavians, S(c. i(c. some of whom drank the blood of tteir enemies, making cups of their sculls!
Vei.se 15. That 'xhich dielb o{ ]tsc]f, or that ivhich was torn] Because in both cases, the blood was retained in the body; hence, tlie council at Jerusalem forbad things strangled, as well as 6/oorf; because in suih beasts, the blood was coasrulated in the veins and arteries.^hee Acts xv. 28.
Every thing considered, surely thera is as little projtrieiy in eating of blood as there is necessity to do iL They who will do otherwise, must bear their iniquity. If blood eating be no oflence, then lliey have no sin to answer for. The principal subjects of this chapter, have been already so amply handled in the notes, that there is no need to add ^ny thing bj way of reflexions or improvements.
T/ie people are cnmnianded to avoid the doi/igs of f/ic Egi/ptiaris and llie Canaanitea, 1 —?,. They are to do God's judgments, and to Iceep his ordinances, that they mat/ live, 4, 5. INTarriages with those nho are near of kia are prohibited, G. 'None to marrtf with his mother or step-mother, 7, 8. 'uith his sister or step-sister, 9. with f;s grand daughter, 10. nor uith the daughter of his step-mother, II. nor with his aunt, In/ father or mother,.2, 13.?ior tcUh his unda's wife, 14. nor tcilh iiis daugliter-in-hnv, 15. nor sister-in-law, iC. wo/' with a woman '.;.(/ her daughter, sou's daughter, or daltgliler'.s daughter, \~. nor with two sisters at the same time, IS. ^kveral abominations prohibited, 19—2:5. of zt'liich the Cunaaniles, Sjc. wcregidlly; andforuhich, they were cast "'.t of the land, 24, 25. Tlie people are exhorted to avoid these abominations, lest they he treated as the ancient iihabilarits of the land were treated, and sj cast out, 26 — -'8. Thrcntcnings against the disobedient, 29, and promises to the obedient, HO.
3 "After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and "after the doings of the land of Canaan, whitlier I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.
4 ''Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the Lord your God.
5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: "which if a man do, he shall live in them: *^I am the Lord.
6 ^ None of you shall approach to any that is ^near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord.
7 '"The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
8 ' The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's naked-
9 "The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.
Verse 3. The doings of the land of Egypt — and the land of Canaan] The worshiping of cljemons, beasts, &c. as mentioned in the preceding chapter, ver. 1. and the abominations mentioned in this chapter from ver. 21 to 23.
Verse 6. Any that i.s near of kin] mC^D 15W hs col shaar basro, any remnant of hisjiesh: i. e. to any particularly allied to Ills own family, the prohibited degrees in which, arc. specified from the 7th to the ITth verse inclusive. Notwithstanding the prohibitions here, it must be evident that in the infancy of the world, persons very near of kin, must have been joined in matrimonial alliances; and that even brothers must have matched with their own sisters. This must have been the case in the family of Adam. In tliese first in.'itances, necc-sity required this: when this necessity no longer existed, the thing became inexpedient and improper, for two reasons: 1. That the duties owing by nature to relatives, miglit not be confounded v, ith those of a social or political kind: for could
10 The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt
1 1 The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
12 'Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is tliy father's near kinswoman.
13 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman.
14 "Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou Shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.
15 "Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter-in-law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
16 °Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's naked-
17 ''Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; ^or they are her near kinswomen: it is wicked-
18 Neither shalt thou take ""a wife to her
a man be a brother and a husband; a son and a husband, at the same time, and fulfil tlie duties of both? Impossible. 2. That by intermarrying with other families, the bonds of.social compact might be strengthened and extended, so that the love of our neighbour, &c. might at once be tijlt to be not only a maxim of sound policy, but also a very practicable and easy duty; and thus li^ud.s, divisions and wars Ije prevented.
Verse 16. Thy brother's wife] This was an illegal marriage, unless the brother died childless In that case it was not only lawful for her to marry her brother-in-law, but he was obtii^ed liy the law, Deut. xxv. 5. to take her to wife.
Verse IS. A tiife to her sister] Thou shalt not man-y two si.sters at the same time, as Jacob did Rachel and Leah: but there is nothing in this law that rendered it illegal to marry a si.Nter-in-la'.v, when her sister was dead; thtrekire, tlie text says, TIiou shalt not take her in liei' life time, to lex tier, alludjug, probably, tOi the case of the jealousies and vexations proach unto a woman to uncover her nalved-, ness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.
'20 Moreover ' thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.
21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed •■pass through the fire to " Molech, ncitiier shalt thou ^ profane the name of thy God: I am the
'_'2 ^ Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
23 " Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is ' confusion.
24 " Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: ' for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out belore you:
which subsisted between I.eah and Rachel; and by which, the family peace was so ollen disturbed..Some think that llie text may be so understood as also to forbid polj/ganty.
Verse 1£). As long as she is put aparl] See the note on chap. XV. ver. 24.
Verse 21. Puss ihroii^h the fire to Molech] The name of this iddl i,< mentioned fur the first time in ibis place. As the word "^Sd tiwUc or 7nelec signifies king or governor, it is very likely tliat this idol represented the sun; and more particnlarly as the Jiie appears to have been so much employed in his wor.-hip. 1 here are several opinions concerninsf the meaning o( pttssing l/iiougli the Jtie to Molech. 1. Some think tliat the semen humuuum, was odered on the fire to this idol. 2 Others think that the children were aettially made a burntoffering to hull. 3. But olhern suppose the children were not burnt, but only passed through the fire, or heiwetn tKO _fires, by way of const rration to him. That some were actually burnt alive to this idol, several scriptures, according to the opinion of commentator^, sieivi strongly to intimate, see among others, Psal. cvi. 3!>. Jerem. vii. 31. and F.zek. xxni. 'iT — 39. That others were only cotuccraied to his servxe by pat,stng beivieen iwo fires, the Rabbins stronijly.isseri; and if Ahsz had but one son, Hczekiah, (though, it is probable he had others, see 2 Chron. xxviii. 3.) he is said to \ya.\t passed through the fire to
26 •■ Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of tiiese abominations: neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which Kere before you, and the land is defiled:)
28 That " the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.
29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abomina.tions, even the soids that commit tlievi, shall be cut ofi' from among tlieir people.
30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, ' that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye ' defile not yourselves therein: ' I am the Lord your God.
Molech, 2 Kings xvi. 3. yet he succeeded his father in the kingdom, ch. xviii. I. therefore this could only be a consecration; his idolatrous father intending thereby to initiate him early into the service of this daMiion. See the note on chap. XX. 2.
Verse 22. With mankind^ This abominable crime, frequent among the Greeks and Romans, as well as the Canaanite.s may be punished with death in this country.
Verse 23 With any beuit] This abomination is also punishable with death, by the laws of this country.
A woman stand before a beasti That this was often done in Egypt, there can be no doubt: and we have already seen from the leNtimoiiy of Herodo'us, th-it a fact i<\' this kind, aeiually tonk place, while he was in Egypt. See the note on chap, xvii ver T. and xx. 16.
Verse 25. The land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.^ This is a very nervous prosopn]'aia, or personification; a figure, by which any part of inanimate nature may be represented as possessing the pa.<sion^ and reason of man. Here lUf land is rt pre.sented as an m'clhgeiit being, with a deep and refined sense of mural gooj and evil: inibriiiation con- ( fining iht aliominations of the p'ople, is brought to this persomfi.d land, with which it is sn deeply affceted, that a miusea is produced, and it vomit* out its auominable and accursed inhabitants. Ft was natural for the mspird penman to make use of such a figure, as the description he was ob- ligcd to give of so many and enormous abomination-, must have affected him nearly in tlie same way, in which he re presents the- land t.> be afllecttd.
Verse 30. Ye shall keen mine crdinarce] The only v ay to 1 e prescr\ed from all fal>e worship, is seriously lo < onsidcr and devoutly to observe the ordmances of the true religion. He, who in the thinijs of God, goes no farther than he can say, thus it is vniiien, and thus it behoves me to do, is neyer hkely to receive a false creed, nor perform a superstitious let of worship.
1. How true is that word. The law of the Lord is P'l-R- FECT; in a small compass and yet in a most minute detail, it comprizes every diing- that is calculated to instruct, direct, convince, correct, and fortify the mind of man. Whatever has a tendency to corrupt or injure man, that, it forbids; whatever is calculated to comfort him, promote and secure his best interests, thai, it commands. It takes him in all possible stales, views him in all connections, and provides fur his pre*ent and eternal happiness.
2. As the hu.nan soul is polluted and tends to poliut.on, ihe ^reat doctrine of the law is holiness to the Lo'-d: this it keejjs invariably in view, in all its commands, precepts, ordinances, rites, and ceremonies. And how forcibly in all these does it say, thou shalt love the Lord thy God ivilh all t/m heart, and with all lltj/ soul, and with all thy mmd, and with all thy strength; and thy neighbour as thyself. This is the prominent doctrine of the preceding- chapter; and this shall be fulfilled in all them who believe: for Christ is the end of the lav; for righteousness, to them that believe. IJeader, magnify God for his law, for by it is the Icnoiiiedge of sin; and magnify him for his gospel, for by this is the cure of sin. Let the law be thy school-master to bring; thee to Christ, that thou mayesl be justified by faith; and tbat the risjliteousness of the law may be fulfilled in thee, and that thou maycst walk, not after the flesh, but after the spirit.
T.xhortation!> to holiness, and a repetition of various lams, 1, 2. Diitr/ to parents, and ohservalion of the sab-; bath, 3. against idolatry, 4. concerning peace-offerings, o — 8. The gleanings of the harvest and vintage to be left for the poor, 9, 10. Jgainst stealing ami lying, 11. false swearing, 12. against defrauding the hireling, i3. Lazes in behalf of tlie deaf and the blind, 14. Jgainst respect of Yiersona in judgment, 15.' against tale-bearing, 16. against hatred and uncharitableness, 17. against revenge, 18. against unlawful mixtures?■« cattle, seed, and garments, 19. Laws relative to the hondm&id that is betrothed, 20—22. The fruit of the trees of the land nut to be eaten for the first three years, '23. hut this is hinfiil in the fourth and fifth </e«?«, 24,25..//gn/wsf eating 0/' blood, a«d Ms;«g incantations, 26. «ga/«s? superstitious cutting o/' //iC hair, 27- and cutting of the flesh in the times of mourning, 28. Jgainst prostitution", 29. Sabbaths to be reverenced, 30. Jgainst consulting those nho arc wizards, and have familiar spirits, 31. Respect 7nust he shezcn to the aged, 32. The stranger shall not be oppressed, 33, 33. ITAej/ shall keep just measures, weights, and balances, 35, 36. Conclusion, 37.
2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, ' Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy,
4 " Turn ye not unto idols, ' nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God.
5 And "^if ye offer a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the Lord, ye shall offer it at your own will
3 ° Ye shall fear every man his mother, and 'i 6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, his father, and ' keep my sabbaths: I am tlie and on tlie morrow: and if ought remain until
NOTR,S ON CH.^P. XIX. Verse 3. Ye shalt fear ever^ mun his mother, &c ] Ye shall have the piofoundest reverence and respect for them. See the Notes on Gen. xlviii. 12. and on Exod. xx. 8. and 12.
I Verse 5. Peace-ofcrings] See tlis Notes at the conclusion
A.M.-'jM. 7 ^Y,jj if it be eaten at all on the i /'"r *ft tliirc! day, it is abominable; it shall
I f*'*"'-^''"''- 8 There tore evcnj one that eatcth it ' shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the liallowcd thii^g ol' the Loku: and tliat soul shall be cut oil' iVom among his people.
9 And ' when yc reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.
10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, t neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy ■vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor, and stranger: I am the Loud your God.
I 1 1 "^ Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, I 'neither lie one to another.! 12 And yc shall not "swear by my name falsely, " neither shalt thou profane the name of Itliy God: I can the Lord.
Verse 7. If it he eaten on the third dui/^ See the note,! chap. vii. 15.
Verse 9. When ye reap the harvest'^ Liberty for the poor pt> glean both the corn fields and vineyards, was a divine in-.stilulion amon^ tlie Jews; for the whole of the Mosaic dis- [ pcnsation, breathed like the Christian, love to God, and btntvolence to man. The poor in Jiidca, were to live by I gleanings from trie corn fields and vineyards. To the honour of the public and ch:;ritable spirit of the F.n;^li.-h, this merciful law is, in general, as much attended to, as if it had been incorporated with the gospel.
Verse 13. The xvngcs — shall not abide vsith thee ail night"] For this plain reason, it is the support of the man's life and family; and they need to expend it, as fast as it is earned.
Verse 14. Tliou shalt not curse the deaf ^ Or speak evil of bim, because he cannot hutr, and so cannot vindicate his own character.
Nor put a stumbling block brfore the blind'] He who is capable of doing this, must have a heart cased wilh cruelty. The spirit and design of these precepts are, that no man shall, in any case, take advantage of the ignorance, simplicity or inexperience of his ntighbour; but in all things, do to liis neighbour, as he would, on a change of circumstances, that his neighbour should do to him.
Verse 16. Thou sitall not go up and doivn as a talebearer'] 7'3"1 racil signifies a trader, a jiedlur, and is here applied to
14 Tliou sjialt not curse the deaf, ''nor put a stumbling-block before the blind, but shalt 'iear thy God: I am the Loito.
15 *" Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor iionoiu' the pei.son of the mighty; hut in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
1 6 ' Thou slialt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy j7copIc: neither shalt thou '" stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the Loud.
17 "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: "thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, " and not sufier sin upon him.
the))ersf)n who travels about dealing in scandal and calumny, I getting the secrets of every person and family, and retailing liiein wherever he goe.". A more despicable character exists not: such a p<r.son is a pest to society; and should be exiled from the habitations of men.
Neither shall ihoa stand against the blood, &c.] Thou shalt not be a false witness; because by such testimony the blood, the life of an iimocent man may be endangei'ed
Verse 17. Thou shalt not hate thj/ brother] Thou shall not only, not do bim any kind of evil, but thou shalt harbour no haired in thy heart towards bim. On the contrary, t/iou ihalt love him as thyself, ver. 18. Many persons suppo.se, fiom mi^unller^laIldmg our Lord's words, John xiii. 34. a nciu comiiKindiiieiit give I unto yon, that ye loi-e one another, &c. that lov.ng our neighbour as ourselves, was first iiKstituied under the gospel. This verse shews the opinion to be unl'oiMKlcd, but to love another as Christ has loved us, i, e. 10 lay doxun our lives for each other, is certainly a tteiv commandment: we have it simply on the authority of Jesus Christ alone.
And not suffer sin upon him] If ihou see him sin, or know him to be addicted to any thing, by vliieh the safety of his soul is tndangcred, thou shalt mildly anil afleclionately reprove him, anil by no means permit h.m to go on, without counsel and aduce, in a way that is leading lum to perdition. In a multitude of cases, timely reproof has been the means of.saving the soul. Speak to him privately if possible: if not write to him in such a way, that himself alone shall see it.
18 ' Tliou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, " but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the
19 Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: "" thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: " neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen, come upon thee.
20 And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, ' betrothed to a husband ^, and not at all redeemed, nor free-
Verse 19. Gender with a dii'erae ki/jd] These precepts taken literally seem to imply that they should not permit the liorst: and the she as.i, nor the he ass and the coiu (as they do in the East) to couple together: nor sow difterent kinds of seeds in the same field or garden: nor have garments of silk and woollen; cotton and silk; linen and wool, &c. And if all these were forbidden, there must have been some moral reason i'or the prohibitions, because domestic tBConomy required several of these mixtures; especially those which relate to seeds and clothing. With respect to heterogeneous mixtures, among cattle, there is something very unnatural in it; and it was probably forbidden, to prevent excitements to such unnatural lusts, as those condemned in the preceding chapter, ver. 22, 23. As to seeds, in many casts it would be very improper to sow ditVereiit kinds in the same [jlnt of ground. It would be improvident to sow oats and ■wheat together: the latter would be injured, the former ruined. The turnip and carrot, would not succeed conjointly, where either of iheni separately would prosper, and yield a good crop; so we may say of many other kinds of seeds; and if this be all that is intended, the counsels are prudential, agricultural maxims. As to (lirterent kinds of garments, such as the linsey ivoohty, the prohibition here might be intended as much against pride and lanity, as any thing else: for it is certain that both these articles may be so manufactured in conjunction, as to minister to pride, though in general, the linsey woolsej/, or drugget is the clotliing of the poor. Rut we really do not know what the original word }:iSS}\ff shaatniz, which we translate linen and woollen, means: it is true that in Deut. xxii 1 1. where it is again used, it seems to be ex])lained by the words immediately following: Thou shall not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of linen and woollen together; but this may as well refer to a garment made up of a sort of patch-work, differcn'lt/ coloured, and arranged, for pride and for show. A folly of this kind prevailed anciently in this very land; and 1 shall give a proof cA' it, taken from a sermon against luxury in dress, composed in X\\e fourteenth century.
scourged "; they shall not be put to " ^- "'"•
21 And 'he shaU bring his tres- ^"'l'^^ pass oftering unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering.
22 And the priest shall make an atonement for him, with the ram of the trespass offering, before the Lord, for his sin which he hath done; and the sis which he hath done shall be forgiven him.
23 And when ye shall come into the land,
that maketh it so dere, to the harme of the peple, nat only the cost of enbraudering, the disguised endenting, or barrin", ounding paling, winding or bending and semblable wast of clothe in vanite. But there i.-jilso the costlewe furring in ther gounes, so moche ])ounsmg of chesel, to make holes; so moche dagging w ith sheres foortli; with the superfluitie in length of the forsaied gounes, — to grete dammage of pore folke. — And more ouer — -the)' shewe throughe disguising, in departing of ther hosen in white and red, semeth that halfe ther members were slain.; — They departe ther hosen into other colours, as is white and blcxie, or white and blacke, or btacke and red, and so furth; than semeth it as by variaunce of colour, that the halfe part of ther members ben corrupt by the fire of saint Anthony, or by,canker, or other suche miscl)nunce." The Parson's Tale, in Chaucer, p. 198. {/rrj/'s edition. The reader will pardon the antiquated spelling,
" What could exhibit," says Dr. Henry, " a more fanta.stical appearance than an English beau of the I 4th century? He wore long pointed shoes, fastened to his knees bv sfold or silver chains; hose of one colour on the one kg, and of another colour on the other • short breeches, which did reach to the middle of his thighs — a coat, the one half w-hite, the other half black, or blue; a long beard, a silk hood buttoned under his chin, embroidered with grote.sque figures of animals, dancing men, &c. and sonicliines ornamented with gold and precious stones." This dress was the heigluh of the mode in the reign of King Edward III.
Something of the same kind seems to have existed in the patriarchal times, witness the coat of many colours, made by Jacob for his son Jo.-eph. See the note on Gen. xxxvii. 3. Concerning lhe.>.e diflertnt mixtures, much may be seen in the Mishna Tract. Kiluim, and in 4in'>worlh, and Calmet on this place.
Verse 20. A woman that is •« bondmaid'\ Had she been free, th* law required that she should be put to death, see Deut. xxii. C4. but as she was a slaze, she is sjipposed to have le.ss self-command, and therefore less guilt — but as it i». taken for granted, she did not make resistance, or did con*
!>ent, she is to be scourged, and the man is to bring a ram for a trcfpass-qft'ering.
Verse '23. Three years ultall it be as uncircunici.^etl'] I see no great reason to seek for mystical meanings In this prohibition. Tlie fruit of a young tree cannot be good; for not having [ arrived at a stale of maturity, tiie juices cannot be sufficiently; elaborated, to produce fruit excellent in its kind. Tise Is- ( raelites are commanded not to eat of tlie fruit of a tree till 1 die fifth year after its planting — in the^ three first years, the ■ fruit is unwiioksonie; in the fourth year the fruit is holy, it, belongs to God, and should be consecrated to Iiitn, iter. 24. And in the fifth year, and afterwards, the fruit may be employed for common use, ver. 25.
Verse 26. Neither shall ye use enchantment^ WIUH N? lo tenacheshu. Conjecture itself can do little towards a proper explanation of the terms used in this verse. ttTU Nuchath in Gen. iii. 1. we translate serpent, and with very little propriety— but though the word may not signify a serpent in that place, it has that signification in others. Possibly, therefore, the superstition here prubibited, may be what the Greeks called Ophiomantcid, or di\inalion by serpents.
A'or observe timesi UJlJ^n 18*71 v'lo teoncnu, ye shall 7iot divine by clouds, which was also a superstition much in practice among the heathens; as well as divination by the flii^kt of birds. \V hat these prohibitions may particularly refer to, we know not. See the notes on Gen. xti. 8. ^
Verse 27. Ye shall not ronnd the corners of your heads'] This, and the following verse, evidently refer to customs ■which must liave existed among the Egyptians, when the Israelites sojourned in Egypt: and what they were, it is now diflicult even, with any probability, to conjecture. Herodotus ob.serves, that the Arabs shave, or cut their hair round, in honour of Bacchus, who, they say, had his hair cut in this way, lib. iii. chap. 8. He says also, that the Blacians, a people of Lybia, cut their hair round, so as to leave a tuft X3n the top of the head, lib. iv. chap. 175. In this manner tlie Chinese cut their hair to the present day. This might have been in honour of some idol, and therefore forbidden to the Israelites.
The hair was much used in divination among the ancients; and for purposes of religious superstition, among the Greeks; and particularly about the time of the giving of this law, as this is supposed to have been the sera of the Trojan war. We learn from Homer, that it was customary for pa-
MiborNmn. i\^j.qq years sliall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of:
24 But in the fotuth year, all the fiuit thereof shall be " holy, ^ to praise the Lord uiil/ial.
25 And in the fifth year shall ye eat of
the fruit thereof, that it may yield a.m sau. unto you the increase thereof: I ^-^ i**>-
26 " Ye.shall not eat any thing ^'"''"rAW with the blood: " neither shall ye use enchantment, nor obser\'e times.
27 ' Ye shall not round the comers of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.
rents to dedicate the hair of their children to some god; which, when they came to manhood, they cut off and consecrated to the deity. Achilles, at the funeral of Patroclus, cut off his golden locks, which his father had dedicated to the river god Sperchius, and threw them into the flood.
But great Achilles stands apart in prayer. And from his head divides the yellow hair. Those curling locks -xhich from his youth he vtyw'd. And sacred grew to Sperchius' honoured Jlood.
I hen sighing, to the deep his looks he cast, nd roll'd his eyes around the watry waste. Sperchius! whose waves in mazy errors lost. Delightful roll along my native coast! To whom wc vainly tow'd, at our return. These locks lo fall, and hecatombs to burn-
From Virgil we learn that the topmost lock of hair, was dedicated to the infernal gods: see his account of the death of Dido.
Nondum illi flavum Proserpina vertice crinem Ahstulerat, Stygioquc caput damnaverat orco—
If the hair was rounded, and dedicated for purposes of this kind, it will at once account for the prohibition in this verse.
The corners of thy beard.] Probably meaning the hair of the cheek that connects the hair ef the liead with the
28 Ye shall not * make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, print any marks upon you: I
29 " Do not *^ prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wicked-
30 " Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and 're-
beard. This was no doubt cut in some peculiar manner for the superstitious purposes mentioned above; several of our own countrymen wear this said hair in a curious form; for what purposes they know best. We cannot say precisely, that it is the ancient Egyptian custom revived. From the images and paintings which remain of the ancient Eo:yptians, we find that they were accustomed to shave the whole hair off their face, except merely that upon the chin; which last they cut off only in times of mourning.
Verse 28. Any cuttings in your flesh for the dead] That the ancients were very violent in their grief, learini;- the hair and face, beating the breast, &c. is well known: Virgil represents the sister of Dido, " tearing her face with her nails, and beating her breast with her fists."
Nor print any marks upon i/oul It was a very ancient, and very general custom, to carry marks on the body in honour of the object of their worship. All the castes of the Hindoos, bear on their foreheads, or elsewhere, what are called the sectarian murks, which not only distinguish them in a civil, but also in a religious point of view, from each other.
Most of the barbarous nations lately discovered, have their faces, arms, breasts, &c. curiously carved, or tatooed, probably for superstitious purposes. Ancient writers abound with accounts of marks made on the face, arms, &c. in honour of different idols — and to this the inspired penman alludes. Rev. xiii. 16, n. xiv. 9, 1 1. xv. 2. xvi. 2. xix. 20. xx. 4. where false worshippers are represented as receiving in their hands, and in their forehead, the marks of the beast. These were called utiJMTa, stigmalu among ihe Greeks, and to these St. Paul refers, when he says, I bear about in my body the marks Cstigmataj of the Lord Jesus, Gal. vi. 17. I have seen several cases where persons have got the figure of the cross, the Virgin Mary, &.c. made on their arms, breasts, &c. the.skin being first punctured, and thin a blue colouring matter rubbed in, ■which is never afterwards eflaced. All these were done for superstitious purpose. s- and to such things probably, the prohibition in this verse refers. Calmet, on this verse, gives several exanples.
Verse 29. Do not prostitute t^y daughter'] This was a very frequent custom, and with examples of it, writers of antiquity abound. The Cyprian women, according to Justin, gained
wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.
32 ^ Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and " fear thy God: I am the Lord..
that portion which their husbands received with them at marriage, by previous public prostitution. And the Phxnicians,. according to Aiigustin, made a gifi to Venus of the gam ac- <]uired by ihe public prostitution of their daughters, previously to their marriage. Veneii donuin dabant, S; prostitutionesfdiarum nntequam jungercnt eas viris. De Civit. Dei, lib. xviii. c. 5. And see Calmet.
Vevse 31. Regard not than t/iat have familiar spirits] The Hebrew word ni2N obotit, probably signifies a kind of engastromythi, or ventriloquius; or such as the Pythoness mentioned Acts xvi. 16, lb. persons who, while under the in^uence of their daemon, became greatly inflated, as the Hebrew word implies, and gave answers in a sort of phrenzy. See a. case of this kind in Virgil, jEneid. 1. vi. v. 46, &c.
Deus ecce, Deus f ciii talia fanti
Ante fores, subitv non vultiis, non color unus, Non comptcE mansere coma; sed pectus anhelum Et rabiefera corda tumcnt; majorque videri, iVec mortale sonans, afflata est numine quando Juin propioie Dei.
invoke tlie skies,
I feel the God, the rushing God, she cries.
While yet she spoke, enlarged her features grew.
Her colour changed, her locks dishevelled flew.
The heavenly tumult reigns in every part.
Pants in her breast, and sieells her rising heart:
Still swelling to the sight, the priestess glow'd.
And heavd impatient of the incumbent God. PITT.
Neither seek after wizzard'] CD'JPT yideonim, the wise of knowing ones, from J>T yadd, to know or understand; called' wizzard, in Scotland, wise or cunning man in England; and hence also the wise woman, the white witch. Not only all real dealers with familiar spirits, or necromantic or magical' superstitions, are here forbidden; but also all pretenders ta the knowledge of futurity, ibrtune-lellers, astrologers, &c. &c. i'o attempt to know what God has not thought proper to reveal, is a sin against his wisdom, providence, and goodness. In mercy, great mercy, God has hidden the knowledge of futurity irom man, and given him hope, the expectation of future good, in its place. See the note on Exod. xxii. 18.
33 And ' if a stranjfer sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not '' vex him.
34 " But the stranger that dwdleth •with you, shall be unto you as one born among you, and " tiiou shalt love him as thyself; for yc were strangers in the land of Kgypt: I am tlie Lord your God.
35 " Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in metcyard, in weight, or in
Verse 33. If a stranger sojovrn] This law to protect and eoinlui-t the stranger, was at once humane ami politic. None is so desolate as the stranger, and none needs ihe offices of benevolence and charity more; and we may add, that he who is not jflected by the desolate state of the stranger, has neither benevolence nor charity. It was politic to eticourage strangers, as in copseqnence, many came not only to sojourn, but to settle among the Jews; and thus their political strength became increased; and many of these settlers became at least proselytes of the gate, if not proselytes of the co'ccnunl, and thus got their souls saved. Hence humanity, sound policy, and •religion, said, vex not the stranger; thou shall love him as ■^thyself. The apostle makes use of a strong argument to induce men to hospitality towards strangers. Be not forgetful to enlertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares, Heb. xiii. 2. Moses also uses a powerful motive; ye viere slrang/:rs in the land qf Egypt. Ihe spirit of the precept here laid down, may be well expressed in our Lord's words: Do unio all men us ye would they should do vnio you.
Ver.'-e 35. Ye shall do no unrighteousness'] Ye shall not act contrary to the strictest justice in any case; and especially in the four following, which, properly understood, comprize all that can occur between a man and his fellow. 1. JuDG.MENT in all cases that come before the civil magistrate — he is to i'^p- and decide according to the hrja. 2. MeTE-YAUD, ■T>OZ bumidduh, in measures of lengih and surface, such as the reed, cubit, fool, span, hand's-brcudlh, among the Jeius; or ell, yard, foot and inch, among us. 3. AVeighT, Vptyoa hamishckal. in any thing thai is weighed: the weijjhls being all accordmg to the standards kept for the purpose of trying the rest, in the sanctuary, as apperTrs from Kxod. xxx. 13. 1 Chron. xxiii. 29. these weichts were the talent, dekel, barleycorn, &c. 4. Me.^SUKE, miCOa ha-meswah, from which we derive our term. This refers to all measures of capacity.
37 " Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the
Verse 37. Ye shall observe all my statutes] ^pn chukni, from pH chuk, to describe, mark, or trace out — tlie righteousness which I have described, and the path of duty which I have traced out. Judgments, 't3£C"3 mishpata'i, from Die ihaphat, to discern, determine, direct. Sec. that which Divine wisdom has discerned to be best for man, that he has determined shall promote his best mterests; and that he has directed him conscientiously to use. See the note on chap, xxvi, 15.
1. Many difficulties occur in this very important chapter; but they are such only to us; for there can be no doubt of their having been perfectly well known to the Israelites, to whom the precepts contained in this chapter, were given. Considerable pains however have been taken to make them plain, and no serious mind can read them without profit.
2. The precepts against injustice, fraud, slander, enmity, &c. &c. are well worth the notice of every Christian; and those against superstitious usages, are not less so; and by these last we learn, that having recourse to astrologers, fortum-tcllers, &c. to get intelligence of lost or stolen goods; or to know the future events of our own lives, or tho.se of other3, is highly criminal in the sight of God. Those who have recourse to such persons, renounce their baptism, and in effect renounce the proiidence, as well as the word of God.
3. The precepts of humanity and mercy, relative to the poor, the hireling, and the stranger, are worthy of our most serious regard. Nor are tho.se which concern tixiglus and measures, traffic and the whole system of commutati\e justice, less necessary to be observed for the comfort and benefit of the individual, and the safety and prosperity of the state.
cases of incest and uncleanness, 17 — 21. Exhortations and promises, 22 — 24. The difference beliceen c\eaxi and unclean animals to be curefulli/ observed, 25. The Israelites are separated from other nations, that they man be hohj, G6. A repetition of the Imo against wizzards and them that have familiar spirits, 27.
2 ^ * Again thou shalt say to the children of Israel, ^ Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.