Commentary on the Holy Bible

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

20 All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.

21 Yet these may ye eat, of every flying

The great owl] fjia^r xjanshuph, according to the Septuagint and the Vulgate, signifies the ibis, a bird well known and held sacred in Egypt. Some critics, with our translation, think it means a species of oiol or night bird, because the word may be derived from '^J}'i nesheph, which signifies the twilight, the time in which owls chiefly fly about. See Bochart, vol. iii., col. 281.

Verse 18. The sximn] r\rwir\tinshemeth. The Septuagint translate the word by nop(pvpiu7'a, the porphyrion, purple or scarlet bird. Could we depend on this translation, we might suppose the flamingo or some such bird to be intended..Some suppose the goose to be meant, but this is by no means likely, as it cannot be classed either among ravenous or unclean fowls. Bochart thinks the owl is meant. See on ver. 30.

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

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

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

The heron] pillX anaphah. This word has been variously understood: some have rendered it the kite, others the looodcock, others the curlew, some the peacock, others the parrot, and others the crane. The root t]:i< anaph, signifies to breathe short through the nostrils, to snuff, as in anger; hence to be angry: and it is supposed that the word is suflSciently descriptive of the heron, from its very irritable disposition. It will attack even a man in defence of its nest; and I bave known a case where a man was in danger of creeping thing that goeth upon all A. M. 2514. four, which have legs above their An. E.Tod. isr.' 2. feet, to leap withal upon the earth; AbiborNisan. 22 Even these of them ye may eat; " the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.

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

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

The bat] flSoi' ataUeph, so called, according to Parkhurst, from D;' at, lo fly, and ^'7>' alaph, darkness or obscurity, because it flies about in the dusk of the evening, and in the night: so the Septuagint WKrepi;, from vv^, the tiight; and the A^ulgate vesperlilio, from vesper, the evening. This being a sort of monster partaking of the nature of both a bird and beast, it might well be classed among unclean animals, or animals the use of which in food should be avoided.

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

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

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

Verse 22. The locust] ^3^N arbeh, either from 31X arab, to lie in loait or in ambush, because often immense flights of them suddenly alight upon the fields, vineyards, &e., and destroy all the produce of the earth; or from n31 rabah, he multiplied, because of their prodigious swarms. See a particular account of these insects in the notes on Exod. x. 4.

The beetle] bjiH chargol. " The Hebrew name seems a derivative from Jin charag, to.<:hakc, and 7JT regcl, Ihefoot; and so to denote the nimbleness of its

Farther dwections relative to unclean beasts and reptilet.

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

25 And whosoever bcaKcth aught of the carcass of them, " shall wasii his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

26 Tlic carcasses of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not cloven-fooled, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that touchclh them shall be unclean.

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

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

The i^rasshopper] 2jn chagab. Bochart supposes that this species of locust has its name from the Arabic verb <;-*^VS3. hajaba to veil; because when they fly, as they often do, in great swarms, they eclipse even the light nf the sun. See the notes on Exod. x. 4, and the description of ten kinds of locusts in Bochart, vol. iii., col. 441. And see the figures in Scheuchzer, in whose plates 20 different species are represented, vol. iii., p. 100. And see Dr. Shaw on the animals mentioned in this chapter, Travels, p. 419, &c., 4to. edition; and wlien all these are consulted, the reader will see how little dependence can be placed on the most learned conjectures relative to these and the other animals mentioned in Scripture. One thing however is fully evident, viz., that the locust was eaten, not only in those ancient times, in the time of John Baptist, Matt. iii. 4, but also in the present day. Dr. Shaw ate of them in Barbary "fried and salted," and tells us that " they tasted very like crayfish." They have been eaten in Africa, Greece, Syria, Persia, and throughout Asia; and whole tribes seem to have lived on them, and were hence called acndophagoi, or locust-eaters, by the Greeks. See Strabn, lib. xvi., and Plini/, Hist. Nat., 1. xvii., c. 30.

Verse 27. Whatsoever goeth upon his paivs] V33 cappaiv, his palms or hands, probably referring to those animals whose feet resemble the hands and feet of the human being, such as apes, monkeys, and all creatures of that genus; together with bears, frogs, &c.

A'erse 29. The tceascl] l*?:! choled, from chalad, Syr., to creep in. Bochart conjectures, with great proprictv, that the mole, not the weasel, is intended by the Hebrew word; its property of digging into the earth, and creeping or burrowing under the surface, is well known louclieth their carcass shall be unclean until the even.

28 And he that beareth the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.

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

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

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

32 And upon whatsoever ff/iy of them, when A they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean • ■

The mouse] 123J' achbar. Probably the large field rat, or what is called by the Germans the hamster, though every species of the mus genus may be here prohibited.

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

The chameleon] n3 coach. Bochart contends that this is the yj^ waril or guard, another species of lizard, which derives its name from its remarkable strength and vigour in destroying serpents, the Hebrew n3 each signifying to be strong, firm, vigorous; it is probably tlie same with the mongoose, a creature still well known in India, where it is often domesticated in order to keep the houses free from snakes, rats, mice, &c.

The lizard] HSmS letaah. Bochart contends that (bis also is a species of lizard, called by the Arabs *;^> iimhara, which creeps close to the ground, and is poisonous.

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

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

Verse 33. Any vessel of wood] Such as the wooden bowls still in use among the Arabs. Or raiment, or skin — any trunks or baskets covered with skins, another part of the furniture of an Arab tent; the goat-skint

Holo persons and utensils

A. M. 2514. whether it be any vessel of wood,

An. Exod. Isr. 2. or raiment, or skin, or sack, Abib or Nisan. ^yhatsoevcr vessel it be, wherein any work is done, i it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.

33 And every earthen vessel, whereinto ani/ of them faUeth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ' ye shall break it.

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

35 And every thing whereupon any part of their carcass fallclh shall be unclean; ivhether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they ai'e unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.

36 Nevertheless a fountain or pit, ' loherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which touclieth their carcass shall be unclean.

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

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

are defiled by touching thes4 in which they churn their milk, may be also intended. Or sad — any hair-cloth used for tiie purpose of transporting goods from place to place.

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

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

Verse 36. -4 fountain or pit, Jfc] This must either refer to running water, the stream of which soon carries off all impurities, or to large reservoirs where the water soon purifies itself; the water in either which

39 And if any beast, of which a. m. 2514. ye may eat, die; he that toucheth.\n\xod'w:3, the carcass thereof shall be un- ^bib or Nisan. clean until the even.

40 And ' he that cateth of the carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that bcareththc carcass of it shall wa.sh his clothes and be unclean until the even.

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

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

43 'Ye shall not make ^ yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neitiier shall j^e make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.

44 For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ^ ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neitiier shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

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

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

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

Verse 43. Whatsoever goelh upon the bcllij] In the word l*nj gahOn, the vau holem, in most Hebrew Bibles, is much larger than the other letters; and a Masoretic note is added in the margin, which states that this is the middle letter of the law: and consequently this verse is the middle verse of the Pentateuch.

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

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

An. Exod. isr.2. Dcasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth ill the waters, and of every creature that creepcth upon the earth:

can dwell with him in glory hereafter. See at the conclusion of this chapter.

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

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

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

thai may be eaten, and the beast that may not be eaten.

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

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

Ordinances concerning the purification of women after child-birth, 1; after the birth of a son, who is to be circumcised the eighth day, 2, 3. Themother to be considered unclean for forti/ days, 4. After the birth of a daughter, fourscore days, 5. When the days of her purifying were ended, she was to brin"- a lamb for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon or a turtle-dove for a sin-offering, 6, 7. If poor, and not able to bring a lamb, she toas to bring either two turtle-doves or two young pigeons, 8.

Israel, saying, If a " woman have conceived seed, and borne a man child: then ^ she shall be unclean seven days; " according to the days of the separation for her infirmity, shall she be unclean.

3 And in the '' eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into

Verse 2. If a xooman have conceived] In the extent mentioned here the ordinances of this chapter have little relation to us; and to inquire into their physical reasons, as far as they related to the Jews, could afford but little edification; and to make such a subject sufl^iciently plain would require such minute examination and circumstantial detail as could scarcely be proper for general readers. All that is necessary to be said the reader will find on ver. 4.

Verse 3. And in the eighth day"] Before this time the child could scarcely be considered as having strength sufficient to bear the operation; after this time it was not necessary to delay it, as the child was not considered to be in covenant with God, and consequently not under the especial protection of the Divine providence and grace, till this rite had been performed. On circumcision see the note on Gen. xvii. 10. Circumcision was to every man a constant, evident sign of the covenant into which he had entered with God, and of the moral obligations under which he was thereby laid. It was also a means of purity, and was especially necessary among a people naturally incontinent, and in a climate not peculiarly favourable to chastity. This is a light in which this subject should ever be viewed, and in which we see the reasonableness, propriety, expediency, and moral tendency of the ceremony.

Verse 4. The blood of her purifying'] A few words will make this subject sufficiently plain. 1. God designs that the human female should bring forth children. 2. That children should derive, under his providence, their being, all their solids and all their fluids, in a word, the whole mass of their bodies, from the substance of the mother. 3. For this purpose he has given to the body of the female an extra quantity of blood and nutritious juices. 4. Before pregnancy tliis superabundance is evacuated at periodica] times.

the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.

5 But if she bear a maid child,

then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and si.\ days.

6 And " when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb '' of the first year for a bumtofTcring, and a young pigeon, or a turtle-dove, for a sin-offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest:

5. In pregnancy, that which was formerly evacuated is retained for the formation and growth of the fetus, or the general strengthening of the system during the time of pregnancy. 6. After the birth of the child, for seven or fourteen days, more or less according to certain circumstances, that superabundance, no longer necessary for the growth of the child as before, continues to be evacuated: this was called the time of the female's purification among the Jews. 7. When the lacerated vessels arc rejoined, this superfluity of blood is returned into the general circulation, and, by a wise law of the Creator, becomes principally useful to the breasts, and helps in the production of milk for the nourishment of the new-born infant. 8. And thus it continues till the tccaning of the child, or renewed pregnancy takes place. Here is a series of mercies and wise providential regulations which cannot be known without being admired, and which iAowW ic Anozon that the great Creator and Preserver may have that praise from his creatures which his wonderful vvorking demands.

The term purifying here does not imply that there is any thing impure in tlie blood at this or the other times referred to above; on the contrary, the blood is pure, perfectly so, as to its quality, but is excessive in quantity for the reasons above assigned. The idle tales found in certain works relative to the infectious nature of this fluid, and of the female in such times are as impious as they are irrational and absurd.

Verse 6. When the days of her purifying] It is not easy to account for the difference in the times of purification, after the birth of a male and female child. After the birth of a boy the mother was considered unclean for forty days; afier the birth of^a girl, fourscore days. There is probably no physical reason for this difference, and it is difficult to assign a political one. Some of the ancient physicians assert that a woman is in the order of nature much longer in com-

7 Who shJl offer it before the Lord, and make an atoi.ement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath borne a male or a female.

pletely recovering after the birth of a female than after the birth of a male child. This assertion is not justified either by observation or matter of fact. Others think that the difference in the time of purification after ihe birth of a male and female is intended to mark the mfenority of the female sex. This is a miserable reason, and pitifully supported.

She shall bring — a burnt-offering, and — a sin-offering] It is likely that all these ordinances were intended to show man's natural impurity and original defilement by sin, and the necessity of an atonement 10 cleanse the soul from unrighteousness.

Verse 8. And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons] As the Virgin Mary brought only the latter, hence it is evident that she ivas not able, i. e., she was not rich enough to provide the former; for such a holy woman would not have brought the less offering had she been capable of bringing the greater. How astonishing is this! The only heir to the throne of David was not able to bring a lamb to offer in sacrifice to God! Howabominable must SIN be when it required him who was in the form of God thus to empty and to humble himself, yea, even to the death of the cross, in order to make an atonement for it, and to purify the soul from all defilement!

8 ^ And if ^ she be not able to

bring a lamb, then she shall bring a„. Ejod. Isr2. two turtles, or two young pigeons; ^''''' °' ^"''"'- the one for the burnt-ofTering, and the other for a sin-offering: ' and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.

The priest shall make an atonement for her] Every act of man is sinful, but sach as proceed from the iiitluence of the grace and mercy of God. Her sorrow in conception, and her pain in bringing forth children, reminded the woman of her original offence; an offence which deserved death, an offence which she could not expiate, and for which a sacrifice must be offered: and in reference to better things the life of an animal must be offered as a ransom for her life. And being saved in childbed, though she deserved to die, she is required, as soon as the days of her separation were ended, to bring a sacrifice according to her ability to the priest, that he might offer it to God as an atonement for her. Thus, wherever God keeps np the remembrance of sin, he keeps up also the memorial of sacrifice, to show that the state of a sinner, howsoever deplorable, is not hopeless, for that he himself has found out a ransom. Every where, in the lato and in the Gospel, in every ordinance and in everj- ceremony, we may sec both i\\e justice and the mercy of God. Hence, wl'.ile we have the knowledge of our sin we have also the knowledge of our cure.

Reader, whilst thou art confessing thy own misery do not forget the Lord's mercy; and remember, he saves to the uttermost all that come through Christ unto him.

Laws relative to the leprosy. It is to be known by a rising in the flesh, a scab, or a bright spot, 1, 2. When the priest sees these signs he shall pronounce the man unclean, infected with the leprosy, and unfit for societi/, 3. Dubious or equivocal signs of this disorder, and how the person is to be treated in whom they appear, 4-8. In what state of this disorder the priest may pronounce a man clean or unclean, 9-13. Of the raw flesh, the sign of the unclean leprosy, II, 15. Of the white flesh, the sign of the leprosy called clean, 16. 17. Of the leprosy xchich succeeds a boil, 18-20. Equivocal marks relative to thii hind of leprosy, 21, 22. Of the burning boil, 23. Of the Icpro.iy ari.iing out of the burning boil, 24, 25. Equivocal marks relative to this kind of leprosy, 26-28. Of the plague on the head or in the beard, 29. Of the scall, and how it is to be treated, 30-37. Of the plague of the bright white spots, 38, 39. Of the bald head, 40, 41. Of the white reddish sore in Ihe bald head, 42-44. The leper shall rend his clothes, put a patch on his upper lip, and cry unclean, 45. He shall be obliged to avoid society, and live by himself without the camp, 46. Of the garments infected by the leprosy, and the signs of this infection, 47-52. Equivocal marks relative to this infection, and hoio the garment is to be treated, by washing or by burning, 53-58. Conclusion relative to the foregoing particulars, 59.

NOTES ON CHAP. XHT. Verse 2. The plague of leprosy] This dreadful disorder has its name leprosy, from the Greek?.trrpa, k &46

the skin of his flesh a * rising, '' a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh Me

3 And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.

4 If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days:

5 And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in

hand of Moses, Exod. iv. 6, that it was leprous as snow; and of Miriam, Num. xii. 10, that she became leprous, as white as snow; and of Gehazi, 3 Kings v. 27, that, being judicially struck with the disease of Naaman, he ivent out from Elisha's presence a leper as white as snow. See the note on Exod. iv. 6.

In Hebrew this disease is termed n>'1S tsaraalh, from J?is tsara, to smite or strike; but the root in Arabic signifies to cast down or prostrate, and in ^Ethiopic, to cause to cease, because, says Stockius, " it prostrates the strength of man, and obliges him to cease from all work and laiour.^^

There were three signs by which the leprosy was known. 1. A bright spot. 2. A rmn^ (enamelling) of the surface. 3. A scab; the enamelled place producing a variety of layers, or stratum super stratum. of these scales. The account given by Mr. Maundrell of the appearance of several persons whom he saw infected with this disorder in Palestine, will serve to show, in the clearest light, its horrible nature and tendency.

" When I was in the Holy Land," says he, in his letter to the Rev. Mr. Osborn, Fellow of E.xeter College, " I saw several that laboured under Gehazi's distemper; particularly at Sichem, (now Naplosu,) there were no less than ten that came begging to us at one time. Their manner is to come with small buckets in their hands, to receive the alms of the charitable; their touch being still held infectious, or at least unclean. The distemper, as I saw it on them, was quite different from what I have seen it in England; for it not only defiles the whole surface of the body with a foul scurf, but also deforms the joints of the body, particularly those of the wrists and ankles, making them swell with a gouty scrofulous substance, very loathsome to look on. I thought their legs like those of old battered horses, such as are often seen in drays in England. The whole distemper, indeed, as it there appeared, was so noisome, that it might well pass for the utmost corruption of the human body on this side the grave. And certainly the inspired penman could not have found out a fitter emblem, vvher<5by to express the uncleanness his sight be at a stay, and the A. M. 2514. plague spread not in the skin; An. Exod. isr! 2. then the priest shall shut him ^bib or Nisan. up seven days more:

6 And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab: and he "^ shall wash his clothes, and be clean.

7 But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again:

8 And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is ^ leprosy.

and odiousness of vice." — MaundreWs Travels. Letters at the end. The reader will do well to collate this account with that given from Dr. Mead in the note on Exod. iv. 6.

Verse 3. The priest shall — pronounce him unclean.'] inx NMl vetinime otho; hleraWy, shall pollute him,i. e., in the Hebrew idiom, shall declare or pronounce him polluted; and in ver. 23 it is said, the priest shall pronounce him clean, jnDn linai vetiharo haccohen, the priest shall cleanse him, i. e., declare him clean. In this phrase we have the proper meaning of Matt. xvi. 19: Whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. By which our Lord intimates that the disciples, Irom having the keys, i. c., the true knowledge of the doctrine, of the kingdom of heaven, should, from particular evidences, be at all times able to distinguish between the clean and the unclean, the sincere and the hypocrite; and pronounce a judgment as infallible as the priest did in the case of the leprosy, from the tokens already specified. And as this binding and loosing, or pronouncing ^i or unft for fellowship with the members of Christ, must in the case of the disciples be always according to the doctrine of the kingdom of heaven, the sentence should be considered as proceeding immediately from thence, and consequently as Divinely ratified. The priest polluted or cleansed, i. e., declared the man clean or unclean, according to signs well known and infallible. The disciples or ministers of Christ bind or loose, declare to be Jit or unfit for Church fellowship, according to unequivocal evidences of innocence or gmlt. In the former case, the priest declared the person fit or unfit for civil society; in the latter, the ministers of Christ declare the person against whom the suspicion of guilt is laid, ft or unft for continued association with the Church of God. The ofiTice was the same in both, a declaration of the truth, not from any power that tlicy possessed of cleansing or polluting, of binding or of loosing, but by the knowfedge they gained from the infaUible signs and evidences produced on the respective cases.

An. Exod. isr.2. IS in a man, then he shall oe *''''""• '^'"° brought unto the priest;

10 ' And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the rising he white in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there he •^ quick raw flesh in the rising;

1 1 It IS an old leprosy in the skin of his ilesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up: for he is unclean.

1 2 And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague, from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh;

1 3 Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.

14 But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.

15 And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.

16 Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed into white, he.shall come unto the priest;

17 And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the plague be turned into white; then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: he is clean.

18 The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a ^ boil, and is healed;

19 And in the place of the boil there be a

Verse 13. If the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean] Why is it that the partial leper was pronounced unclean, and the person lotalli/ covered with the disease clean? This was probably owing to a different species or staee of the disease; the partial disease was contagious, the total ■.-.ot contagious. That there are two different species or degrees of the same disease described hero, is sufficiently evident. In one, the body was all covered with a white enamelled scurf; in the other, there was a quick raw flesh in the risings. On this account the one might be deemed unclean, i. e., contagimis. the other not; for contact with the quirk raw flesh would be more likely to communicate the disease than the touch of the hard dnj scurf. The ichor proceeding from the former, when brought into contact with the flesh of another, would soon be taken into the constitution by means of the absorbent vessels; but where the whole surface was perfectly do'i the absorlwnt

20 And if, when the priest seelh it, behold, it he in sight lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white; the priest shall pronounce liim unclean; it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil.

21 But if tiic priest look on it, ar»d, behold, there he no white hairs therein, and t/" it 6e not lower than the skin, but be somewhat dark; tlien the priest shall shut him up seven days:

22 And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague.

2.3 But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a burning boil: and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24 Or if there be any flesh, in the skin, whereof there is ^ a hot burning, and the quick flesh that burnetii have a white bright spot,

25 Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white, and it be in sight deeper than the skin; it is a leprosy broken out of the burning: wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.

26 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hair in the bright spot, and it he no lower than the other skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:

27 And the priest shall look upon him the

vessels of another person coming in contact with the diseased man could imbibe nothing, and therefore there was comparatively no danger of infection. Hence that species or stage of the disease th;it exhibited the quick raw rising was capable of conveying the infection for the reasons already assigned, when the other was not. Dr. Mead thus accounts for the circumstance mentioned in the te.xt. See on ver. 18. As the leprosy infected bodies, clothes, and even the walls of houses, is it not rational to suppose that it was occasioned by a species of animalcula or vermin burrowing under the skin? Of this opinion there are some learned supporters.

Verse 18. In the skin thereof, was a boil] Scheuchzer supposes this and the following verse to speak of phU'gmonic, erysipelatous, gangrenous, and phagedenic ulcers, all of which were subjected to the examination of the priest, to see whether they were infectious, or whether the leprosy might not take its origin from

28 And if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not in the skin, but it be somewhat dark; it is a rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean: for it is an inflammation of the burning.

29 If a man or a woman have a plague upon the head or the beard;

30 Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce hun unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard.

3 1 And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it: then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days:

32 And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin:

33 He shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more;

34 And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall: and, behold, if the scall be not spread in the skin, nor be in sight deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.

35 But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing;

36 Then the priest shall look A. M. 25H. on him: and, behold, if the scall An^Exod"^: 2. be spread in the skin, the priest ^bibor Nism. shall not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean.

37 But if the scall be in his sight, at a stay, and that there is black hair grown up therein; the scall his healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

38 If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots;

39 Then the priest shall look: and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be darkish white; it is a freckled spot that groweth in the skin; he is clean.

40 And the man whose ' hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean.

4 1 And he that hath his hair fallen off from the part of his head toward his face, he is forehead bald; yet is he clean.

42 And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead.

43 Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh;

44 He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.

45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall ^ put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, ' Unclean, unclean.

46 All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he

them. A person with any sore or disposition to contagion was more hkely to catch the infection by contact with the diseased person, than he was whose skin was whole and sound, and his habit good.

Verse 29. A plague upon the head or the beard] This refers to a disease in which, according to the Jews, the hair either on the head or the cliin dropped out by the roots.

Verse 33. The scall shall he not shave] Lest the place should be irritated and inflamed, and assume in consequence other appearances besides those of a leprous infection; in which case the priest might not be able to form an accurate judgment.

leprous person is required to be as one that mourned for the dead, or for some great and public calamity. He was to have his clothes rent in token of extreme sorrow; his head was to be made bare, the ordinary bonnet or turban being omitted; and he was to have a covering upon his upper lip, his jaws being tied up with a linen cloth, after the same manner in which the Jews bind up the dead, which custom is stdl observed among the Jews in Barbary on funeral occasions: a custom which, from Ezek. xxiv. 17, we learn had prevaUcd very anciently among the Jews in Palestine. He was also to cry, Unclean, unclean, in order to prevent any person from coming near him, lest the contagion might be thus communicated and diffused through

shall dwell alone; " without the camp shall his habitation be. 47 The garment also that the

plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen

48 Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any " thing made of skin;

49 And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp or in the woof, or in any " thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be showed unto the priest:

50 And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days:

51 And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is " a fretting leprosy; it is unclean.

52 He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.

53 And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin;

society; and hence the Targumist render it, Be not yc made unclean! Be not ye made tinclean! A caution to others not to come near him.

Verse 47. The garment also] The whole account here seems to intimate that the garment was fretted by this contagion; and hence it is likely that it was occasioned by a species of small animals, which we know to be the cause of the itch; these, by breeding in the garments, must necessarily multiply their kind, and fret the garments, i. e., corrode a portion of the finer parts, after the manner of moths, for their nourishment. See ver. 52.

Verse 52. He shall there/ore bum that garment] There being scarcely any means of radically curing the infection. It is well known that the garments infected by the psora, or itch animal, have been known to communicate the disease even six or seven years after the first infection. This has been also experienced by the sorters of rags at some paper mills.

Verse 54. He shall shut it up seven Jays more] To give time for the spreading of the contagion, if itdidexist there; that there might be the most unequivocal marks and proofs that the garment was or was not infected.

54 Then the priest shall com- A. M. 2514. mand that they wash the thing An. Exod. Ur 2. wherein the plague is, and he Abib or Ni»att..shall shut it up seven days more:

55 And llie priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed; and, behold, if the plague have not changed his colour, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; il is fret inward, t whether it be bare within or without.

56 And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the weirp, or out of the woof:

57 And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.

58 And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, "'then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean.

59 This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.

P Chap. xiv. 44. 1 Heb. whether it he bald in the head thert

Both among Jews and Gentiles the leprosy has been considered as a most expressive emblem of sin, the properties and circumstances of the ont pointing out those of the other. The similitude oi parallel has been usually run in the following man ner: —

4. It communicated its infectious nature, not only to the whole of the person's body, but also to his clothes and habitation.

5. It rendered the infected person loathsome, unfit for and dangerous to society, because of its infectious nature.

6. The person infected was obliged to be separated from society, both religious and civil; to dwell iy liimself without the c:unp or city, and hold commerce with none.

7. He was obliged to proclaim his own uncleonness, publicly acknowledge his defilement, and, sensible of cording to the Jews l\\e first washing was to put away his plague, contmue humbled and abased before God

How expressive all these are of the nature of sin and the state of a sinner, a spiritual mind will at once perceive.

1. The original infection or corruption of nature is the grand hidden cause, source, and spring of all transgression.

2. Iniquity is a seed that has its growth, gradual increase, and perfection. As the various powers of the mind are developed, so it diffuses itself, infecting every passion and appetite through their whole extent and operation.

3. As it spreads in the mind, so it diffuses itself through the life; every action partaking of its influence, till the whole conduct becomes a tissue of transgression, because every imagination of the thoughts of a sinner's heart is only evil continually, Gen. vi. T-his is the natural state of man.

4. As a sinner is infected, so is he infectious; by his precept and example he spreads the infernal contagion wherever he goes; joining with the multitude to do evil, strengthening and being strengthened in the ways of sin and death, and becoming especially a snare and a curse to his own household.

5. That a sinner is abominable in the sight of God and of all good men, that he is unfit for the society of the righteous, and that he cannot, as such, be admitted into the kingdom of God, needs no proof.

6. It is owing to the universality of the evil that sinners are not expelled from society as the most dangerous of all monsters, and obliged to live without having any commerce with their fellow creatures. Ten. lepers could associate together, because partaking of the same infection: and civil society is generally maintained, because composed of a leprous community.

7. He that wishes to be saved from his sins must humble himself before God and man, sensible of his own sore and the plague of his heart; confess his transgressions; look to God for a cure, from whom alone it can be received; and bring that Sacrifice by which alone the guilt can be taken away, and his soul be purified from all unrighteousness. See the conclusion of the following chapter.

Introduction to the sacrifices and ceremonies to be used in cleansing the leper, 1—3. Two living birds, cedarwood, scarlet, and hyssop, to be brought for him who loas to be cleansed, 4. One of the birds to be killed, 5; and the living bird, with the cedar-wood, scarlet, and hyssop, to be dipped in the blood, and to be sprinkled on him who had been infected with the leprosy, 6, 7; after which he must wash his clothes, shave his head, eyebroios, beard, Jfc, bathe himself, tarry abroad seven days, 8, 9; on the eighth day he must bring two he-lambs, one ewe-lamb, a tenth deal of flour, and a log of oil, 1 0; which the priest loas to present as a trespass-ofiering, wave-offering, and sin-offering before the Lord, 11—13. Afterwards he was to sprinkle both the blood and oil on the person to be cleansed, 14-18. The atonement made by these offerings, 19, 20. If the person were poor, one Iamb, xiiith the flour and oil, two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, were only required, 21, 22. These to be presented, and the blood and oil applied as before, 23—32. Laws and ordinances relative to houses infected by the leprosy, 33-48..4)1 atonement to be made in order to cleanse the house, similar to that made for the healed leper, 49-53. A summary of this and the preceding chapter, relative to leprous persons, garments, a;i(/ houses, 54—56. The end for which these different laws were given, 57.

2 This shall be the law of the leper in the day of liis cleansing: He ^ shall be brought unto the priest;

NOTE.S ON CHAP. XIV. Verse 3. The priest shall go forth out of the camp^ As the leper was separated from the people, and obhged, because of his uncleanness, to dwell without the camp, and could not be admitted till the priest had declared that lie was clean; hence it was necessary that the priest should go out and inspect him, and, if healed, offer for him the sacrifices required, in order to his re-admission to the camp. As the priest alone had authority to declare a person clean or unclean, it was necessary that the healed person should show himself to the priest, that he might make a declaration that he was clean and fit for civil and religious society, without which, in no case, could he be admitted; hence, when Christ cleansed the lepers, Matt.

3 And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;

4 Then shall the priest command to take for

Verse 4. Two birds alive and clean, dfc] Whether these birds were sparrows, or turtle-doves, or pigeons, we know not; probably any kind of clean bird, or bird proper to be eaten, might be used on this occasion, though it is more likely that turtle-doves or pigeons were employed, because these appear to have been the only birds offered in sacrifice. Of the cedarwood, hyssop, clean bird, and scarlet wool or fillet, were made an aspergillum, or instrument to sprinkle with. The cedar-wood served for the handle, the hyssop and living bird were attached to it by means of the scarlet wool oi crimson fillet The bird was so bound to this handle as that its tail should be downwards, in A51

liim that is to be cleansed two '' birds alive and clean, and " cedar-wood, and '' scarlet, and ' hyssop:

5 And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water.

6 As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar-wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running v/atcr;

7 And he sliall ' sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy ^ seven times, and shall pronounce him clean; and shall let the living bird loose "^ into the open field.

8 And he that is to be cleansed ' shall wash his clothes, and siiave off all his hair, "^ and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and ' shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.

9 But it shall be on the seventh

order to be dipped into the blood of the bird that had been killed. The whole of this made an instrument for the sprinkling of this blood, and when this business was done, the living bird was let loose, and permitted to go whithersoever it would. In this ceremony, according to some rabbins, " the living bird signified that the dead flesh of the leper was restored to soundness; the ccdar-viood, which is not easily corrupted, that he was healed of his putrefaction; the scarlet thread, wool, or fillet, that lie was restored to his good complexion; and the hyssop, which was purgative and odoriferous, that the disease was completely removed, and the bad scent that accompanied it entirely gone." Ainsworlh, Dodd, and others, have given many of these rabbinical conceits. Of all these purifications, and their accompanying circumstances, we may safely say, because authorized by the New Testament so to do, that they pointed out the purification of the soul throupli the atonement and Spirit of Christ; but to run analogies between the type and the thtng typified is difficult and precarious. The general meaning and design we suflicicntly understand; the particulars are not readily ascertainable, and consequently of little importance; had they been otherwise, they would have been pointed out.

Verse 5. Over running water.].Literally, living, that is, spring water. The meaning appears to be this: Some water (about a quarter of a log, an eggshell and a half full, according to the rabbins) was taken from a spring, and put into a clean earthen vessel, an<l they killed the bird over this water, that the blood might drop into it; and in this blood and water mixed they dipped the instrument before described, and sjirinkled it seven times upon the person who was

day, that he shall shave all his Ai.^ExoJ.'i^.'z. hair off his head and his beard ^''''' ""^ '^"'°- and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes; also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.

1 0 And on the eighth day "■ he shall take two he-lambs without blemish, and one ewe-lamb " of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for ° a meat-offenng, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.

1 1 And the priest that makelh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

12 And the priest shall take one he-lamb, and P offer him for a trespass-offering, and the log of oil, and "^ wave them for a waveoffering before the Lord.

1 3 And he shall slay the lamb ' in the place

to be cleansed. The living or spring water was chosen because it was purer than what was taken from pits or wells, the latter being often in a putrid or corrupt state; for in a ceremony of purifying or cleansing, every thing must be as pure and perfect as possible.

Verse 7. Shall let the living bird loose] The Jews teach that wild birds were employed on this occasion, no tame or domestic animal was used. Mr. Ainsworth piously conjectures that the living and dead birds were intended to represent the death and resurrection of Christ, by which an atonement was made to purify the soul from its spiritual leprosy. The bird let loose bears a near analogy to the scape-goat. See chap, xvi

Verse 8. And shave off all his hair] That the water by which he was to be washed should reach every part of his body, that he might be cleansed from whatever defilement might remain on any part of the surface of his body. The Egyptian priests shaved the whole body every third day, to prevent all manner of defilement.

Three tenth deals] Three parts of an ephah, or three omers; see all these measures explained, Exod. xvi. 16. The three tenth deals of flour were for a minchah, meat or gratitude-offering, ver. 20. Tl>e sinoffering was for his impurity; the trespass-offering for his transgression; and the gratitude-offering foi his gracious cleansing. These constituted the offering which each was ordered to bring to the priest; see Matt. viii. 4.

Verse 12. Wave-offering] See Exod. xxix. 37, and chap, vii, where the reader will find an ainj>l«

A. M. 2514. where he shall kill the sin-offer- An.Exod. Isr2. ing and the burnt-offering, in the

14 And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass-offering, and the priest shall put it " upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:

1 5 And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand:

16 And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord:

17 And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass-offering:

1 8 And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: " and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the

1 9 And the priest shall offer ■" the sin-offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt-offering:

20 And the priest shall offer the burnt-offering and the meat-offering upon the altar; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

21 And ^ if he be poor, and ^ cannot get so much, then he shall take one lamb for a trespass-offering ^ to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering, and a log of oil;

22 " And two turtle-doves, or two young

Verse 14. Upon the tip of the right ear, <^c.] See the note on Exod. xxix. 20.

Verse 21. And if he be poor — he shall take one lamb\ There could be no cleansing without a sacri- pigeons, such as he is able to A. M. 2514. get: and the one shall be a sin- An. Eiod isr. 2. offering, and the other a burnt- Abib or Nisan. offering.

23 '' And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the Lord.

24 " And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass-offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before the Lord:

25 And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass-offering, ^ and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass-offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:

26 And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand;

27 And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand, seven times before the Lord:

28 And the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand upon the lip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the place of the blood of tlie trespass-offering:

29 And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the Lord.

30 And he shall offer the one of ^ the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get;

3 1 Even such as he is able to get, the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burntoffering, with the meat-offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed, before the Lord.

32 This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to

fice. On this ground the apostle has properly observed that all things under the law are purged with Mood; and that tcithout shedding of blood there is no remission. Even if the person be poor, he must provide one lamb; this could not be dispensed with:— so every soul to whom the word of Divine revelation comeg, get ' that which pertaineth to his cleansing. 1. 33 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

34 s When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, aiid I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;

35 And he that ownelii the house shall conne and tell the priest, saying, It seemeth to me there » as it were '' a plague in the house:

36 Then the priest shall command that they ' empty the house, before the priest go into it to see the plague, that all that is in the house be not made unclean: and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house:

37 And he shall look on the plague, and, behold, if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow streaks, greenish or reddish, which in sight are lower than the wall;

38 Then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days:

39 And the priest shall come again the seventh day, and shall look: and, behold, if the plague be spread in the walls of the house;

40 Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an imclean place without the city:

4 1 And he shall cause the house to be scraped within, round about, and they shall po\ir out the dust that they scrape ofl', without the city, into an unclean place:

must brinfi th:it Lamb of God which tslcs away the sin of tlie world. There is no redemption but in his blood.

Verse 3 1. When ye be come into the land — and I put the plague of leprosy] It was probably from this text that the leprosy has been generally considered to be a disease inflicted immediately by God himself; but it is well known that in Scripture God is frequently represented as doing what, in the course of his providence, he only permits or suffers to be done. It is supposed that the infection of the house, as well as of the person and the garments, proceeded from animalcula. See the notes on chap. xiii. 47, 53.

Verse 45. He shall lireak down the house] " On the suspicion of a house being infected, the priest examined it, and ordered it to be shut up seven days; if he found the plague, or signs of the plague, (hollow Streaks, greenish or reddish,) were not spread, he com-

4 2 And they shall take other A. M 2514. stones, and put </ie;/i in the place A,.kxo6.hi.2 of those stones; and he shall Aoii. or Ni«an. take other mortar and shall piaster the house

43 And if the plague come again, and break out in the house, after that he hath taken away the stones, and after he hath scraped the house, and after it is plastered:

44 Then the priest shall come and look, and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is ^ a fretting leprosy in the house: it is unclean.

4 5 And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the mortar of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place.

46 Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up, shall be unclean until the even.

47 And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.

48 And if the priest ' shall come in, and look upon it, and, behold, the plague hath not spread in the house, after the house was plastered; then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.

49 And ™ he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar-wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:

50 And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel, over running water:

51 And he shall take the cedar-wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain

manded it to be shut up seven days more. On the thirteenth day lie revisited it; and if he found the infected place dim, or gone away, he took out that part of the wall, carried it out to an unclean place, mended the wall, and caused the whole house to be new plastered. It was then shut up a third seven days, and he came on the nineteenth, and if he found that the plague was broken out anew, he ordered the house to be pulled down." See Ainstvorth. From.all this may we not learn a lesson of instruction! If the means made use of bv God and his ministers for the conversion of a sinner be, through his wilful obstinacy, rendered of no avail; if by his evil practices he trample under foot the blood of the covenant wherewith he might have been sanctified, and do despite to the Spirit of God; then God will pnll down his house — dislodge his soul from its earthly tabernacle, consign the house, the body, to corruption, and the spirit to the perdition of ungodly

52 And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar-wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:

53 But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and " make an

men. Reader, see well how it stands with thy soul. God is not mocked: what a man soweth, that shall he reap. Verse 53. He shall let go the living bird] This might as well be called the scape-bird; as the goat, in chap, xvi., is called the scape-goat. The rites are similar in both cases, and probably had nearly the same meaning.

We have already taken occasion to observe (see the end of the preceding chapter) that the lejirosy was strongly emblematical of sin; to which we may add here, —

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 power, 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 show himself to the priest, whose province it was to pronounce him clean, and declare him fit for intercourse with civil and religious society. When a sinner is converted from the error of his ways, 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.

54 This is the law for all man- Abib or Nisan. ner of plague of leprosy, and " scall,

55 And for the p leprosy of a garment, 1 and of a house.

57 To ^ teach ' when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.

4. When the leper was cleansed, he was obliged by the law to offer a gift unto the Lord for his healing, as a proof of his gratitude, and an evidence of his obedience. When a sinner is restored to the Divine favour, he should offer continually the sacrifice of a grateful heart, and, in willing obedience, show forth the virtues of Him who has called him from darkness and wretchedness to marvellous light and happiness.

Reader, such was the leprosy, its destructive nature and consequences, and the means of removing it; such is the spiritual evil represented by it, such its consequences, and such the means by which alone it can be removed. The disease of sin, inflicted by the devil, can only be cured by the power of God. 1. Art thou a leper 1 Do the spots of this spiritual infection begin to appear on theel 2. Art thou young, and only entering into the ways of 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 transgi-ession 1 How kind is thy Maker to have preserved thee alive so long! Turn from thy transgressions, humble thy soul before Mm, confess thine iniquity and implore forgiveness. Seek, and thou shalt find. Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world! 4. Hast thou been cleansed, and hast not returned to give glory to God 1 hast not continued in the truth, serving thy Maker and Saviour with a loving and obedient heart 1 How cutting is that word, Were there not ten cleansed? but inhere are the nine ^ Thou art probably one of them. Be confounded at thy ingratitude, and distressed for thy backsliding; and apply a second time for the healing efficacy of the great Atonement. Turn, thou backslider; for he is married unto thee, and will heal thy hachslidings, and will love thee freely. Amen. So be it. Lord Jesus!

Imws concerning uncleanness of men, 1-12. Mode of cleansing, 13-15. casual, 16—18. Laws concerning the uncleanness of wotnen, 19—27, Recapitulation nf the ordinances relative to the preceding cases, 31-33. a

B. C. 140O. -Li. ^,.. '^ An. Exoa. Isr. 2. Moscs and to Aaron, saynig, AbiborNisan. g Speak uHto the cliildrcn of Israel, and say uniothenn, "When an y man hatli a '' running issue out of liis flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.

3 And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his fiesh be stopped from his issue, it is his uncleanness.

4 Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every "^ thing whereon he sittclh shall be unclean.

5 And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, "* and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

6 And he that sittcth on any thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until even.

7 And he that toucheth the a..M. 25H. flesh of him that hath the issue An. Exod. isr.'a. shall wash his clothes, and bathe *>'"' "' ^i<^

NOTES ON CHAP. XV. Verse '2. When any man halh 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 te.\t being, in general, plain enough. The disease mentioned in the former part of this chapter appears to some to have been either the consequence of a very bad infection, or of some criminal indulgence; for they find that it might be communicated in a variety of ways, which they imagine are here distinctly specified. On this ground the person was declared unclean, and all commerce and connection with him strictly forbidden. The Septuagint version renders 3in hazzab, the man with the issue, by 6 yoi'opl>vij(:, the man with a gonorrhma, 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 worst 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 immemorial 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 extravagant intercourse between the sexes. The disgraceful disorder referred to here is a foul blot which the justice of God in the course of providence has made in general the inseparable consequent of these criminal indulgences, and serves in some measure to correct and restrain the vice itself. In countries where public prostitution was permitted, where it was even a religious ceremony among those who were idolaters, this disease must necessarily have been frequent tai prevalent. When the pollutions and libertinism

8 And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

9 And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean.

10 And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the even: and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

1 1 And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

of former times are considered, it seems rather strange that medical men should have adopted the opinion, and consumed so much lime in endeavouring to prove it, viz., that the disease ismodern. It must have existed, in certain measures, ever since prostitution prevailed in the world; and this has been in every nation of the earth from its earliest era. That the Israelites might have received it from the Egyptians, and that it must, through the Baal-peor and Ashleroth 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 lohole from the diseased must be essential to the check and eradication of a contagious disorder. This was the wise and grand object of this most enlightened Legislator in the ordinances which 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 virulence by continuance; and that, associated with some foreign causes, it became greatly exacerbated in Europe about 1493, the time in which some have supposed it first began to exist, though there are strong evidences of it in this country ever since the eleventh century.

Verse 1 1. And whomsoever he toucheth] Here we find that the saliva, sitting on the same seat, lying on the same bed, riding on the same saddle, or simple contact, was suflScient to render the person unclean, meaning, possilbj, in certain cases, to communicate the disorder; and it is well known that in all these ways the contagion of this disorder may be communicated. Is it not even possible that the effluvia from

vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.

13 And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then ^ he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.

14 And on the eightli day he shall take to him s two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, and come before the Lord unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and give them unto the priest:

1 5 And the priest shall offer them, '' the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burntoffering; " and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord, for his issue.

16 And '' if any man's seed of copulation go out from 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 lie with seed of copulation, tliey shall both bathe themselves in water, and ' be unclean until the even.

19 And " if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be " put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.

20 And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing

the body of an infected person may be the nneans of communicating the disease 1 Sydenham expressly says that it may be communicated by lactation, handling, the saliva, sweat, and by the breath itself, as vpell as by those grosser means of which there is no question. But the term unclean, in this and the following cases, is generally understood in a mere legal sense, the rendering a person unfit for sacred ordinances. And as there was a mild kind of gonorrhcea that was brought on by excessive fatigue and the like, it may be that kind only which the law has in view in the above ordinances.

Verse 18. Ther/ shall hoth bathe themselves] What a wonderful tendency had these ordinances to prevent all excesses! The pains which such persons must take, the separations which they must observe, and the privations which, in consequence, they must be

21 And whosoever toucheth Ab.b or Nisan. her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

22 And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon, shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

23 And if it be on he?- bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.

24 And ° if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon Jiim, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean.

25 And if p a woman have an issue of her blood many days, out of the time of her 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 shall be unclean.

26 Every bed whereon she lieth, all the days of her issue, shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.

27 And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

28 But 1 if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.

exposed to in the way of commerce, traffic, &c., would prevent them from making an unlawful use of lawful things.

Verse 21. The 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, scrofulous, and other deeply radicated diseases, from which they and their posterity have been scarcely ever freed. In chap. xx. 18, persons guilty of this are condemned to death; here only to a seven days' separation; 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 known till afterwards; at least, so it appears these two places should be understood, so as to be reconciled.

29 And on the eighih day, slie Israel from their uncleanness;

shall lake unto her two lurilesi, or two young pigeons, and bring iheni unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

30 And the priest shall offer the one for a sin-offering, and the otiicr for a burnt-offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the Loud, for the issue of her uncleanness.

3 1 Thus shall ye ' separate the children of

Verse 29. Two turtles, or livo young pigeons] In all those eases moral pollution was ever considered as being less or more present, as even such infirmities 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. Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness] By tins separation the cause became less frequent, and the contagion, if it did exist, was prevented from spreading. So pest-houses and ferer-icards are constructed for the purpose 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 prudential cares; and that he who is morally and legally unclean, may not presume to enter into the tabernacle of God till purified, lest he provoke Divine justice to consume him, while attempting to worship with a polluted mind and impure hands.

1. How unpromising and how forbidding, at the first view, is this chapter! and yet how full of wise, humane, and moral regulations, manifesting at once the wisdom and kindness of the great Legislator! Every word of God is pure in itself, and of great importance

that ihcy 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 goeth from liira, 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.

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 has purity of heart continually in view — that the soul may be holy, he cuts off the occasions of sin; and that men may 1)6 obliged to keep within due bounds, and possess their vessels in sanctification and honour, he hedges up their way w ith briars and thorns, and renders transgression painful, shameful, and expensive.

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 exclusively to the Jewish people as to the letter, yet in their spirit and gracious design they form a part of those revealed things which are for us and for our children; and although they cannot be made the subject of public oral instruction, yet they are liighly necessary to be known, and hence the advantage of reading the Scriptures in regular order in private. May we read so as to understand, and practise what we bww, that, being wise unto salvation, we may walk as children of the light and of the day, in whom there shall be no occasion of stumbling!

The solemn yearly expiation for the high priest, who must not come at all times into the holy place, 1, 2. He must take a hull och for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering, bathe himself, and be dressed m his sacerdotal robes, 3, 4. He shall take tn-o goats, one of which is to be determined by lotto be a sacrifice; the other to he o scape-goat, 5-10. He shall offer a bullock for himself and for his family, 11-14. And shall kill the goat as a sin-offering for the people, and sprinkle its blood upon the mercy-scat, and hallow 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 the children of Israel; after tohich the goat shall be permitted to escape to the wilderness. 20-22. After this Aaron shall bathe hiinself, and make a burnt offering for himself and for the people, 23-28. This is to be an rrcrlasting statute, and the day on which the atonement is to be made shall be a Sabbath, or day of rest, through all their generations, 29-34. 558 a

Moses after '^ the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died:

2 And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he '' come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy-seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for ■= I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat.

3 Thus shall Aaron ^ come into the holy place: " with a young bullock for a sinoffering, and a ram for a burnt-offering.

4 He shall put on ' the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh.

girdle, and with the linen mitre An. E.xod. Isr. 2. shall he be attired: these are holy Abib or Nisan. garments; therefore « shall he wash his flesh 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 burntoffering.

6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and ' make an atonement for himself, and for his house.

7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Verse 1. After the death of thetioo sons of Aarori] It appears from this verse that the natural place of this chapter is immediately after the tenth, where probably it originally stood; but the transposition, if it did take place, must be very ancient, as all the versions acknowledge this chapter in the place in which it now stands.

A'^erse 2. That 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; tiiat place within the veil where the ark of the covenant, &c., were laid up; and where God manifested his presence between the chenibim. In ordinary cases the high priest could enter this place only once in the 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 encamping, he must enter to take down or adjust the things; and on solemn pressing public occasions, he was obliged to enter in order to consult the Lord: but he never entered without the deepest reverence and due preparation.

That it may appear that the grand subject of this 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. ix. 7-12, and 24-26, which I shall here transcribe, because it is a key to the whole of this chapter. " Into the second [tabernacle] locnt the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and /or the errors of the people. The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle 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 the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until 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 blood of go.\ts and c.\lves, but by his own blood; he entered into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption /or its. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which arc the figures of the true; hut into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others; (for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world;) but now once in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put away

Averse 3. With a young bullock for a sin-offering] The bullock was presented as a sin-offering for himself, his family, the whole priesthood, and probably the Levites. The ram was for a burnt-offering, to signify that he and his associates were wholly consecrated, and to be wholly employed in this work of the ministry. The ceremonies with which these two sacrifices were accompanied are detailed in the following verses.

Verse 4. He shall put on the holy linen coal] 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 sins, it was necessary that he should appear in habits suited to the occasion. Hence he has neither the robe, the cphod, the breastplate, the mitre, &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 humiliation.

Verse 7..4/!^ he shall take the two 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 bo slain as a sacrifice

8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the

for sin, the other to have the transgressions of the people confessed over his)iea(l, and then to be sent away into the wilderness. The animal by this act was represented as bearing away or carrying 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 Clirist, nor show botli his death and resurrection, for the gnat that was killed could not be made alive. The Divine and human natures in Christ were e.ssential to the grand 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, st.aniped 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 shows the atonement for sin, as the ground of justification; the other Christ'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 offered on this day. " The daili/, or morning and evening sacrifice, was offered as usual: besides a l/ulloel; a ram, and seven lambs, all burnt-offerings; and 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 ram for the consecration, (see ver. 5,) which is called the people's ram. They brought 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 solemn day were fifteen: the two daily sacrifices, one bullock, two rams, and seven lambs: all of these burntofferings. Two goats for sin-offerings; one offered uitthout and eaten on the evening, the other offered within and burnt; and one bullock for a sin-offering for the high 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 lots upon the two goat.$] The Jews inform us that there were two lots made either of ivood,.•stone, or any kind of metal. On one was written Q\S^ lashshem,/o)- the name, i. e., rWTC Jehov.\h, whicli the Jews will neither write nor pronounce; on the other was written SlNTi'S la.\zazei., for the SCAPE-GOAT: then they put the two lots into a vessel which was called 'sSp kalpey, 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 skaken, 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 he goat thr* was on his right, and

10 But the goat, on which the A''''' w NUan.

alive before the Lord, to make an " atonement

that in his left hand he laid on the goat that 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, shows 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 Zion a stone, elect (that is, chosen by himself) and precious — of infinite value.

Verse 10. To be the scape-goat] 'I'Hiy azazel, from iy az, a goat, and '7tN azal, to dismiss; the dismissed or sSit away goat, to distinguish it from the goat that was to be offered in sacrifice. Most ancient nations had vicarious sacrifices, to which they transferred by certain rites and ceremonies the guilt of the community at large, in the same manner in which the scapegoat was used by the Jews. The white bull that was sacrificed by the Egyptians 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 either sold it to the Greeks or threw ii into the Nile. — See Herod. Euterp., p. 104, edit. Gale.

Petronius Arbiter says that it was a custom among the ancient inhabitants of Marseilles, whenever they were afflicted by any pestilence, to take one of the poorer citizens who offered himself for the purpose, and having fed him a whole year with the purest and best food, they adorned him with vervain, and clothed him with sacred vestments; they then led him round their city, loading him with execrations; and having prayed tliat all the evils to which the city was exposed might fall upon him, they then precipitated him from the top of a rock. — Saliricon, in fine.

Suidas, under the word -rpnfiri/ia, observes that it was a cu.stora to devote a man annually to death for the safety of the people, with these words, Heptyiri/xa j/fiuv ycvov. Be thou our purifier; and, having said so, to throw him into the sea as a sacrifice to Neptune. It was probably to this custom that Virgil alludes when speaking of the pilot Palinunis, who fell into the sea and was drowned, he says: —

Unum pro multis dabiter caput. —.(En., lib. v., ver. 815. " One life is given for the preservation of many."

But the nearest resemblance to the scapc-goat of the Hebrews is found in the Ashummecd Jugg of the Hindoos, where a horse is used instead of a goat, the description of which I shall here introduce from Mr Ilalhed's Code of Gciitoo 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, sec. ix., p. 127, an expla

The Mood of the sacrifice to be

1 1 And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sinoffering 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 veil.

13 p And he shall put tlie 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 before the mercy-scat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

1 5 ' Then shall he kill the goat of the sinoffering, that is for the people, and bring his

nation of it is here inserted from Darul ShekuK's famous Persian translation of some commentaries upon the four Beids, or original Scriptures of Ilindostan. The work itself is e.xtrcniely scarce, and it was by mere accident that this little specimen was procured: — " The Ashmniiiced Jugg does not merely consist in the performance of that ceremony which is open to the inspection of the world, namely, in bringing a horse and sacrificing him; but Ashummecd is to be taken in a mystic signification, as implying, that the sacrificer must look iipoH himself to be typified in thai horse, such as he shall be described; because the religious duty of the Ashummecd Jugg comprehends all those other religious duties to the performance of which the 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 eyes are the su7i; his breath, the ivind; his tmdc-opening mouth is the bish-waner, or that innate warmth which invigorates all the world; his body typifies one entire year; his back, paradise; his belly, the plains; his lioof, this earth; his sides, the four quarters of the heavens; the bones thereof, the intermediate spaces between the four quarters; the rest of Ills limbs represent all distinct matter; the places where those limbs meet, or his joints, imply the months, and haloes of the months, which are called peche, (or fortnights;) his feet signify ttight and day; and night and day are of f >ur kinds: 1. The night and day of Brihma; 2. The night and day o( angels; 3.