Numbers
of the children of Israel, after a.m. 2514. their famihes, by the house of An. E.xo(i. Isr.2. their fathers, with the number ']" or Z'(- of their names, every male by their polls;
3 From ^ twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their " armies.
jects to be mustered, 1. That they might see he had not forgotten his promise to Abraham, but was multiplying his posterity. 2. That they might observe due order in their march toward the promised land. 3. That the tribes and families might be properly distinguished; that all litigations concerning property, inheritance, &c., might, in all future times, be prevented. 4. That the promise concerning the Messiah might be known to have its due accomplishment, when in the fulness of time God should send him from the seed of Abraham through the house of David. And, 5. That they might know their strength for war; for although they should ever consider God as their protector and defence, yet it was necessary that they should be assured of their own fitness, naturally speaking, to cope witli any ordinary enemy, or to surmount any common difficulties.
Verso 3. From twenty years old and upward] In this census no women were reckoned, nor children,
Names of the persons appointed to number the Israelitet.
b'c'i^'m' ^ Ajid with you there shall be a
An. E.xod. isr. 2. man of cvery tribe; every one
^'"°' head of the house of his fathers.
5 And these are the names of the men that shall slaiid with you: of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur.
6 Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Ziirishaddai.
7 Of Judah; Nahshontheson of Amminadab.
8 Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
9 Of Zcbulun; Eliab the son of Helen.
10 Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim; Elishama the son of Ammihud: of Manasseh; Gamaliel the son of Pcdahzur.
1 1 Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni.
12 Of Dan; Ahiezer ihesonof Ammishaddai.
13 Of Ashcr; Pagiel the son of Ocran.
14 Of Gad; Eliasaph the son of '^ Deuel.
15 Of Naphtali; Ahira the son of Enan.
16 f These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, '' heads of thousands in Israel.
17 And Moses and Aaron took these men which arc expressed by their names:
18 And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.
nor strangers, nor the Levites, nor old men, which, collectively, must have formed an immense multitude; the Levites alone amounted to 22,300. True-born Israelites only are reckoned; such as were able to carry arms, and were expert for war.
Verse 14. Eliasaph, the son of Deuel.] This person is called Reuel, chap. ii. 14. As the T daleth is very like the 1 resh, it was easy to mistake the one for the other. The Sepluagint and the Syriac have Reuel in this chapter; and in chap ii. 14, the Vulgate, the Samarilan, and the Arabic have Deuel instead of Reuel, with which reading a vast number of MSS. concur; and this reading is supported by chap. x. 20; we may safely conclude therefore that '7X1^-'! Deuel, not SnU'T Reuel, was the original reading. See Kennicolt.
An ancient Jewish rabbin pretends to solve every difficulty by saying that " Eliasaph was a proselyte: that before he embraced the true faith he was called the son of Reuel, but that after his conversion he was called the son of Deuel." As Reuel may be translated the breach of God, and Deuel the knowledge of God, I suppose the rabbin grounded his supposition on the dilfereat meanings of the two words.
19 As the Lord commanded A. M. 25H. Moses, so he numbered them in Aii.Exod.isr.z. the wilderness of Sinai. 'J"'' "'' ^'^-
20 And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after iheii families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
of the tribe of ' Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.
22 Of the children of '' Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all thai were able to go forth to war;
of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.
24 Of the children of ' Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of
that were able to go forth to war;
of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty.
Verse 16. These were the renotoned] Literally, Me called, of the congregation — those who were summoned by name to attend. The order of the tribes in the above enumeration may be viewed thus: —
2d son of Bilhah. Verse 25. Forty and five thousand sir hundred and fifti/.] Mr. Ainsworth has remarked that Gad, the handmaid's son, is the only one of all the tribes whose number ends with fifty, all the others are by thotisarids, and end with hi/ndrcds; which shows God's admirable providence and blessing in muhiplying them so, that no odd or broken number was among all the tribes. But see on ver. 46.
An. Exod. isr. 2. by their generations, alter their 'j""^'''- families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;: 27 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.
28 Of the children of " Issachar, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
of the tribe of Issachar, tuere fifty and four thousand and four hundred.
30 Of the children of " Zebulun, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
3 1 Those that were numbered of tliem, even of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.
32 Of the children of p Joseph, namely, of the children of i Epbraim, by their generations, after their families, by the house of
that were able to go forth to war;
of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.
34 Of the children of ■■ Manasseh, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and ujjward, all that were able to go forth to war;
of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.
Verse 33. The tribe of Ephraim — -forty thousand and five hundred.^ Ephraim, as he was blessed beyond his eldest brother Manasseh, Gen. xlviii. 20, so here he is increased by thousands more than Manasseh, and more than the whole tribe of Benjamin, and his blessing continued above his brother, Deut. xxxiii. 17. And thus the prophecy, Gen. xlviii. 19, was fulfilled: His)/niinger brother (Ephraim) shall be greater than he, (Manasseh.) No word of God can possibly fall to the ground: he alone sees the end that were able to go forth to war;
of the tribe of Benjamin, ivere thirty and five thousand and four hundred.
38 Of the children of 'Dan, by their generations, after their families, by the house of
that were able to go forth to war;
of the tribe of Dan, luere threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.
40 Of the children of Asher, by their generations, after their families, by the house of
that were able to go forth to war;
4 1 Those that were numbered of them, evefi of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.
42 Of the children of Naphtali, throughout their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.
44 " These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: each one was for the house of his fathers.
4.5 So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel;
46 Even all they that were numbered were
from the beginning; his infinite wisdom embraces all occurrences, and it is his province alone to determine what is right, and to predict what himself has purposed to accomplish.
Verse 46. All they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred andfifli/.] What an astonishing increase from seventy souls that went down into Egypt, Gen. xlvi. 27, about 215 years before, where latterly they had endured the greatest hardships! But God's promise cannot fail,
Tite Leoites art. not numbered.
Their particular work specijied%
\. M. 2514. ' six hundred thousand and three \n. Kxod. l8r.2. thousand and five hundred and
47 But ™ the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.
48 For the Lord had spoken unto Moses,
49 ^ Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel:
."iO y ^^t thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, ' and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
51" And when the tabernacle setteth for-
(Gen. xvi. 5;) and who can resist his will, and bring to naufrht his counsel 1 That a comparative view may be easily taken of the state of the tribes, I shall produce them here from the first census mentioned in the first chapter of this hook, in their decreasing proportion, beginning with the greatest and proceeding to the least; and in the second census, mentioned chap, xxvi., where tlie increase of some and the decrease of otiiers may be seen in one point of view. It may be just remarked, that except in the case of Gad in this chapter, and Reuben in chap, xxvi., all the numbers are what may be called whole or rmind numbers, begmning with thousands, and ending with hundreds. Gad and Reuben alone ending with tens; but the Scripture generally uses round numbers, units and fractions being almost constantly disregarded.
Total 603,550 Total 601,730 Thus wc find Judah the most populous tribe, and Manasseh the least so; the difference between them being so great as 42,400, for which no very satisfactory reason can be assigned.
In the second census, mentioned chap. xxvi. 34,
Judah still has the pro-eminency: and Simeon, the see also that the little tribe of Manasseh occupies the ward, the Levites shall take it A. M. 2514. down: and when the tabernacle An. Exod. isr. 2. is to be pitciied, the Levites shall 'M^Zif. set it up: '' and the stranger that comcih nigh shall be put to death.
52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, "^ every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.
53 "^ But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no ' wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: ' and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.
54 And the children of Israel did according to all that the Loud commanded Moses, so did they.
On the contrary there was a decrease in Reuben of 2,770; m Simeon, 21,\00; Gad, 5,150; Ephraim, 8,000; Naphtali, 8,000. Decrease in the whole, 61,020 effective men. See on chap. x.\vi.; but balanced with the increase, the decrease was upon the whole only 1,820.
On the subject of these enumerations, and the manner in which this vast multitude sprang in about four generations from seventy-five persons, Scheuchzer has some valuable calculations, though liable to some ob jections, which I shall take the liberty to insert, aa they tend to throw considerable light upon the subject.
" We find in the writings of Moses three enumerations of the Jewish people, that follow each other pretty closely: — The first, which was made at their departure that of the Levites given us in chap. iii.
" We find the same number, on adding that of each tribe given us in detail, which is the best proof of the exactness of the calculation.
" I think I shall afford the reader some degree of pleasure by presenting him, in this place, the number of each tribe separately, beginning at their earliest ancestors. We shall see, by this means, how faithfully God fulfilled the promise he had made to Abraham, as well as the great utility of the mathematics for the right understanding of the Holy Scripturei. C 40*)
Remarks on the multiplication
I shall begin with a Genealogical Table of that /ami/y which God so wonderfully blessed; and to it I shall afterward add each separate tribe, following the calculation of Reyher, (Math. Mos., p. 222.) And we shall see that the fourth generation, taken with the third, produces the very number mentioned in the text. Children of Jacob by Leah. Gen. xlvi. 15. " Hanoch
Children of Jacob by Zilpah. ' Ziphion Haggai Shuni Ezbon Eri Arodi. Areli ' Jimnah Ishuah ■i Isui
I. — Reuben 46,500. " Let us now descend to the particular enumeratioa of each tribe. Reuben had four sons: now if we suppose that one of these four sons had seven, and that each of the other three had eight, we shall find the number 31 for the first Egyptian generation. If we afterward suppose that each of these 31 sons had five sons, the second generation will amount to 155, which, multiplied by 15, will produce 2,325 for the third generation; and these, multiplied by 19, will make 44,175 for the fourth; so that the third, together with the fourth, will make 46,500. We shall have the same product if the given sum, 46,500, be divided by the most probable number of children, for example, by the number 19; we shall then have 2,447 for the third generation; which sum being deducted from the sura total, there will remain 44,053 for the fourth generation, which is exactly the number that is produced in multiplying 2,440 of the third generation by 18, and the other 7 by 19. If we wish to make the same calculation with respect to the preceding generations, i. e., divide them by the most probable number of children, we shall have the following sums: —
Sons of Reuben L Generation II. Ditto
" Simeon had six sons. Let us suppose that each of the three first had six children, and each of the three others seven, we shall have thirty-nine for the first generation. If we multiply 31 of this number by 9, and 8 by 10, we shall have for the second generation 359; of which number, if we multiply."^65 by 11, and 4 by 12, the third generation will give us 3,953. Let us then multiply 3,948 of these by 14, and 5 of them by 15, and we shall have for the fourth 55,347. The third and/o«rt/j, added together, will make 59,300.
" Gershon, Levi's eldest son, had two children: let us give to one of these 10 children, and to the other 17, and we shall have 33 for the second generation; 28 of which, multiplied by 15, and 5 by 16, will produce 500 for the third- Multiply each by 11, and these will produce 7,000; and the third and funrlh together, 7,500.
" Kohalh, Levi's second son, had four sons, which form the first line. Give to one of them 10 sons, and 1 1 to each of the other three, for the second generation there will be 43. Multiply them by 10, there will be 430 for the third; these, multiplied by 19 for the fourih,Vi'\\\ produce the number of 8,170. The third dnd fourth added together make 8,600.
Remarks on the multiplication
10 children to each of them, there will then be 20 for the second generation. Now if we say that 10 of these 20 hud each 15 sons, and each of the others 16, we shall have 310, wliich, multiplied by 19, will give us 5,890 for the fourth; and the two last together, 6,200. This may be seen by the following example; —
" The sons ofJudah were Shelah, Pharez, and Zerah. His grandsons by Pharez were Hczron and Hamul. Hezrnn had two sons. Suppose each of them had six children, which will make 12 for the first generation; to eight of whom allow eight children, and nine to each of the others, and there will be 100 for the second generation. To 92 of these then give 18 children, and 19 to the eight others; this will produce for the tltird generation 1,808. If we then suppose that 1,800 of these had each 18 children, and that each of the other eight had 19, the fourth generation will be 32,552, which, added to the product of the third, will make the descendants of Hezrnn amount to 34,360.
"Hamul had two sons, who, multiplied by 10, produce the number of 20 for the second generation: these, multiplied by 20, will make 400 for the third, and these again by 25 will produce 10,000 for the fourth. And thus the two last generations will amount together to the number of 10,400.
" If we allow ^ue sons to Shelah, and six to Zerah, we shall have 1 1 for the first generation. To three of whom allow 10 children and 1 1 to the other eight, this will give us 118 for the second. To 1 13 of these give 14, and 15 to the other five, and 1657 will be produced for the third. Give 17 to 1643, and 18 to the 14 remaining, and for the fourth there will be 38,183. The third and fourth added together will produce the number of 29,840.
" According to this calculation, all these generations will amount to the following numbers: —
IssACBAR hadylwe sons. Suppose that three of tnem had each five children, and the other two, six, we shall have 27 for the first generation. If we then imagine that of these 19 had each nine sons, and each of the other eight 10, the second generation will be S51. Now 241 of these, multiplied by 12, will produce 2,892, and the 10 others, multiplied by 13, will make 130; consequently the third generation will amount to 3,022. If 3,018 of these had each 17 •ons, and each of the other /our had 18, the fourth «1S
" Zebulun had three sons. If we suppose thai two of them had in all fourteen children, and the third, six, here will be 20 lor tlie_^rj( generation. The second will produce 143, on multiplying 17 by 7, and 3 by 8. If we multiply 135 by 16, and 8 by 17, the third will amount to 3,296. By multiplying the third by 24, the fourth will give us 55,104. The two last will produce, together, 57,400.
" Heber and Malchiel were sons of Beriah. Now these ttvo sons multiplied by 6, give us for
Amount of generations III. and FV. Another son of Beriah had in the
Ditto multiply by 8 - Ditto multiply by 10 Ditto multiply by 12
TSk« Israelites are taught
" He had 4 sons, the half of whom, multiplied by 7, and the other half by 6, give us for the I. Generation - - - - - 26
X. Benjamin XL Dan XII. Naphtali
In the above calculations, Scheuchzer and Reyher take for granted, 1. That from the going down to Egypt to the exodus there were four generations.
3. That the promise of God in multiplying them as the stars of heaven, had taken place particularly in the two last generations. 4. That these two last generations alone form the aggregate sums given in the sacred text. 5. That their method of accounting for this aggregate through the four generations, is not only perfectly natural and mathematical, but strictly accordant with the promises made by God to them, as the sum of each tribe sufficiently proves. 6. That the whole account shows the truth of the Divine promise, the great accuracy of the Jewish lawgiver, and a proof of the inspiration of the sacred writings. But even to these calculations and deductions there may be objec-
tions, e. g., "Scheuchzer gives to 2,508 families of Dan, 24 male children, each above the age of 20: we may fairly allow an equal number of females, and add 5 more under 20, as in the note imder Exod. xii. 37, and we have 53 children on the average through all the families of a tribe; whilst to 4,425 families of Benjamin are allotted 7 males aged 20, and adding 7 females at 5 children, we have 19 children in each family; a tolerable number; but apparently more reasonable than the other." — Anon.
Moses commanded to teach the Israelites how they are to pitch their tents, and erect the ensigns of their fathers^ houses, 1,2. Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, on the east, amounting to 186,400 men, 3-9. Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, on the south, loith 151,450 men, 10-10. TAe Levites to be in the midst of the camp, 17. Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, on the west, loith 108,100 men, 18-24. Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, on the north, with 157,600 men, 25-31. The sum total of the whole, 603,550 men, 32. But the Levites are not included, 33. The people do as the Lord commands them, 34.
2 " Every man of the children of Israel shall
Verae 2. Every man — shall pitch by his own standmrd^ Commentators, critics, philosophers, and professional men, have taken a great deal of pains to illustrate this chapter by showing the best method of encampment for such a vast number of men, and the maoner in which they conceive the Israelites formed
pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house: '' far off about " the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch.
their camp in the wilderness. As God gave them the plan, it was doubtless in every respect perfect; and fully answered the double purpose of convenience and security. Scheuchzer has entered into this subject with his usual ability,.and in very considerable detaU. Following the plan of Reyher, as in the preceding chapter, he endeavours to ascertain the precise order
3 And on the east side tow.ird the rising of the sun, sliali they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and ■' Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall he captain of the children of Judah.
bered of them, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.
5 And those that do pitch next unto him shall he the tribe of Issachar: and Nethaneel the son of Zuar shall he captain of the children of Issachar.
bered tlicreof, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.
7 Then the tribe of Zebulun: and Eliab the son of Hclon shall he captain of the children of Zebulun.
bered thereof, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.
9 All that were numbered in the camp of Judah were a hundred thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred, throughout their armies. • These shall first set forth.
10 On the south side shall he the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their armies: and the captain of the children of Reuben shall he Elizur the son of Shedeur.
1 1 And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, tuere forty and six thousand and five hundred.
12 And those which pitch by him shall he the tribe of Simeon: and the captain of the children of Simeon shall he Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
in which the several tribes were disposed; and as his work is both scarce and dear, the reader will not be displeased to meet here with a translation of all that refers to the subject.
Scheuchzer's Description and Plan of the Encampments OF THE Israelites in the Wilderness.
" If we form a proper idea of God, of his essence and his attributes, we shall easily perceive that this infinite and supreme Being wills and executes what his Divine wisdom appoints; in a word, we shall sec that he is the God of order. This order displays itself in the perfection, arrangement, and assemblatje of all created beings; in the construction of the earth
1 3 And hi.s host, and those that were numbered of them, were fifty and nine thousand and three
14 Then the tribe of Gad: and the captain of the sons of Gad shall he Eliasaph the son of ' Reuel.
bered of them, were forty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty.
16 All that were numbered in the camp of Reuben were a hundred thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty, throughout their armies « And they shall set forth in the second rank.
17 ** Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp: as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place by their standards.
18 On the west side shall he the standart of the camp of Ephraim, according to their armies: and the captains of the sons of Ephraim shall he Elishama the son of Ammihud.
19 And his host, and those that were nimibered of them, were forty thousand and five
20 And by him shall be the tribe of Manasseh: and the captain of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
2 1 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.
22 Then the tribe of Benjamin: and the captain of the sons of Benjamin shall he AWdan the son of Gideoni.
iChap. z. IS.
which we inhabit, where every thing is formed in order, number, weight, and measure; and in all bodies, great and small. It is certain that Noah's ark is a perfect model of naval architecture. The temple of Solomon, and that of Etekiel were likewise masterpieces in their kind. But at present we are to consider the Divine arrangement of the Israelitish camp, and the manner in which it was formed.
" The Israelitish army was divided into three pliaoipa! divisions. The first, which was the least in extent, but the strongest and the most powerful, occupied the centre of the army: this was the throne of God, i. e., the tabernacle. The second, which w«» composed of the priests and Levites, surrounded th*
Row the different tribes
A. M. 2514. bered of lliem, were thirty and Au. Exod isr. 2. five thousand and four hundred.
^j"""^^'^- 24 All that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were a hundred thousand and eight thousand and a hundred, throughout their armies. ' And they shall go forward in the third rank.
25 The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side by their armies: and the captain of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
bered of them, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.
27 And those that encamp by him shall be the tribe of Asher: and the captain of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran.
bered of them, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.
29 Then the tribe of Naphtali: and the captain of the children of Naphtali shall he Ahira the son of Enan.
CHAP. II. were disposed in camps,
30 And his host, and those that A.M. 2514.
were numbered of them, were An. Exod. Isr. 2. fifty and three thousand and four ij" or Zif.
3 1 All they that were numbered in the camp of Dan were a hundred thousand and fifty and seven thousand and six hundred. '' They shall go hindmost with their standards.
32 These are those which were numbered of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers: ' all those that were numbered of the camps throughout their hosts were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.
33 But " the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel; as the Lord
34 And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses: " so they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, every one after their families, accordinar to the house of their fathers.
first. The third, and the farthest from the centre, took in all the other tribes of Israel, who were at loist about a mile from the tabernacle. For it appears from Josephus, iii. 4, that the nearest approach they dared make to the ark, except during the time of worship, was a distance of 2,000 cubits. The reverence due to the Divine Majesty, the numerous army of the Israelites, composed of 600,000 soldiers, vt-ith their families, which made about 3,000,000 souls, naturally demanded a considerable extent of ground. We are not to imagine that all these families pitched their tents pellmell, without order, like beasts, or as the troops of Tartary, and the eastern armies; on the contrary, their camp was divided according to the most exact rules. And we cannot even doubt that their camp was laid out, and the place of every division and tribe exactly assigned by some engineers, or geometricians, before the army stopped to encamp, in order that every person might at once find his own quarter, and the road he ought to take to reach the other tents. " Four divisions, which faced the four quarters of the heavens, each with his own ensign, formed the centre of the army. Judah was placed on the east, and under him he had Issachar and Zebulun; on the south was Reuben, and under him Simeon and Gad: on the west was Ephraim, and under him Manasseh and Benjamin; finally, Dan was on the north, and he had under him Asher and Naphtali. It has been pretended by some that these four principal divisions were not alone distinguished by their ensigns, but that each particular tribe had likewise its standard or ensign. On this subject we might refer to the Talmudists, who have gone so far as to define the
colours, and the figures or arms., of the very ensigns. They pretend that on that of Jupah a lion was painted, with this inscription: ' Rise, Lord, let thine enemies be dispersed, and let those that hate thee flee before thee;' and they found this description of.Tudah's ensign in Gen. xlix. 9. They give to Issachar an ass. Gen. xlix. 14; to Zebulun a ship. Gen. xlix. 13; to Reuben a river, Gen. xlix. 4, (others give Reuben the figure of a man;) to StMEON a sicord, Gen. xlix. 5; to Gad a Hon, Deut. xxxiii. 20; to Ephraim a vnicorn, Deut. xxxiii. 17; an ox to M.^nasseh, Deut. xxxiii. 17; a loolf to Benjamin, Gen. xlix. 27; and a serpent to Dan, Gen. xlix. 17, though others give him an eagle. In short, they pretend that the ensign of Asher was a handful of corn, Gen. xlix. 20, and that of Naphtali a stag. Gen. xlix. 21.
" To prove that the sums here are correctly added, we have but to join together the detached numbers, and see if they agree with the total. The text will furnish us with an example of this: there was in the quarter of
" Among other things we must reinark that rule of military tactics which requires tliat the advanced and rear guards should be stronger than the centre.
" In a well-regulated c.imp, cleanliness is considered indispensably neces.sary; this is particularly remarkable in the Israelitish army, where the most exact order was maintained. Hence every person who had
Remarks on the
castrametation of the Israelites.
n\y kind of disease, and those who were reputed unclean, were forbidden to enter it; Num. v. 2, 3; Deut. xxiii. 10.
" Those who have the health of men, and of a whole iirmy confided to them, are not ignorant lliat diseases may be easily produced by putrid exhalations from excrememitious matter; and that such matter will produce in camps pestilential fevers and dysenteries. For this reason, care should be.alnays taken that offices, at a distance from the camp, be provided for the soldiers, and also that those who are sick should bo separated from the others, and sent to hospitals to be properly treated.
" In military tactics we find two distinct wings spoken of; the right and the left. The Israelitish army not only had them on one side, as is customary, but on all their four sides. On the eastern side, the tribe of Issachar formed the righl, that of Zebulun the left, and tliat of Judah the centre. On the south, Simeon formed the Hght wing, Gad the left, and Ueuben the centre. Towards the west, Manasseh composed the right, Benjamin the left, and Ephraim the centre. And on the north, Asher was on the right wing, Naphtali on the left wing, and Dan in the centre. Notwithstanding this, however, the army was not in danger of being easily broken; for every tribe being numerous, they were supported by several ranks, in such a manner that the first being broken, the second was capable of making resistance; and if the second gave way, or shared the same fate as the first, it found itself supported by the third, and so on with the rest. The square form in which the Jewish army was ordinarily placed, was the very best for security and defence. The use and importance of the hollow square in military tactics is well known.
" For so large a multitude of people, and for so numerous an army, it was needful that alf the necessary articles of life should be prepared beforehand, or be found ready to purchase. In these respects nothing was wanting to the Israelites. Their bread came down to them from heaven, and they had besides an abundance of every thing that could contribute to magnificence. If we may credit Josephus, they had amongst them public markets, and a variety of shops. Ant., 1. iii. c. 12, sec. 5. The tabernacle being erected, it was placed in the midst of the camp, each of the three tribes stretching themselves on the wings, and leaving between them a sufficient space to pass.
" It was, says Josephus, like a well appointed market where every thing was ready for sale in due order, and all sorts of artificers kept their shops; so that this camp might be considered a movable city.
" In E.vod. xxxii. 27 we likewise find that mention is made of the gates of the camp: ' Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp.' From whence we may certainly conclude that if the camp had gates, the Israelites had aXso sentinels to guard them. If this be true, we may also believe that they were surrounded with entrenchments, or that at least their gates were defended by some fortifications. Sagittariiis (de Jan. Vet., c. 18. ^ 10) pretends that the tabernacle was not only guarded by the Levites, but that there were likewise sentinels at the gates, and at the entrance of the Israelitish camps. See the note CD Exod. xxxii. 27.
" If we examine and compare the camp of Israel with that of our most numerous armies, which in these days are composed of 100,000 or of 150,000 men, we cannot but consider it of vast extent. The Jews say it was twelve miles in circumference; this is not at all improbable, and consequently the front of each wing must be three miles in extent. But taking io the tents, the soldiers and their numerous families, the beasts of burden, the cattle, and the goods, it certainly must have formed a very considerable inclosure, much more than twelve miles. See the notes on Exod. xii. 37, and xiii. 18. Reyher (Math. Mos., p. 668) assigns to the
Tribe of Judah, A space of
298f cnbits in breadth
Which makes 74,600 square cubits.
" We must observe that we are here merely speaking of the ground which the soldiers of this tribe occupied whilst remaining close to each other in their ranks, and that in this computation there is but one cubit square allowed for each man; wherefore, if we take in the arrangement of the soldiers, the tents, the necessary spaces, the families, the beasts of burden, and the movables, a much larger extent of ground is requisite. All those circumstances do not come into Reyher's calculation. He continues thus: —
For the tribe of Issachar,
cubits in breadth
For the tribe of Gad,
cubits in breadth
For the tribe of Zebulun,
229^ cubits in breadth
For the tribe of Ephraim,
202^ cubits in breadtk
For the tribe of Reuben,
143i cubits in breadth
For the tribe of Manasseh,
161 cubits in breadth 200 io length
Remarks on the
For the tribe of Simeon,
182^ cubits in breadth
castrametation of the Israelites
For the tribe of Benjamin,
177 cubits in breadth
For the tribe of Dan,
156 J cubits in breadth
For the tribe of Asher, 103J
cubits in breadth in length
For the tribe of Naphtali,
133^ cubits in breadth
« If we make the ichnography, or even the scenography, of the camp on this plan, in following it we must first, in the centre, form a parallelogram of 1 00 cubits long and 50 broad for the court of the tabernacle with an empty space all round of 50 cubits broad. We must then place the camp of the Levites in the following order: —
" On the east we must place tents for Moses, Aaron, and his sons, chap. iii. 38.
" At the place where the camp of the Levites ends, a space must be left of 2,000 square cubits, after which we must take the dimensions of the camp of the twelve tribes.
" This plan is in the main well imagined, but it does not afford an ichnography of sufficient extent. To come more accurately to a proper understanding of this subject, I shall examine the rules that are now in use for encampments, and compare them afterward with what is laid down in the Holy Scriptures, in order that we may hereby form to ourselves an idea of the camp of God. the grandeur and perfection of which
surpassed every thing of the kind ever seen. I shaD now mention what I am about to propose as the foon dation upon which I shall proceed.
" In Exod. xviii. 21, Deut. i. 15, we find the advice given by Jethro to Moses respecting political government and military discipline: ' Thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.' [See the note on Exod. xviii. 21.] We may very well compare these tribunes, or rather these chiliarchs, to our colonels, the cenlu rions or hecatontarchs to commanders or captains, the quinquagenaries or pentecontarchs to lieutenants, and the decurions or decarchs to our sergeants. These chiefs, whether they were named magistrates or officers, were each drawn from his own particular tribe, so that it was not permitted to place over one tribe an officer taken from another. Whatever matter the decarchs could not decide upon or terminate, went to the pentecontarchs, and from thence by degrees to the hecatontarchs, to the chiliarchs, to Moses, and at length to Goo himself, the sovereign head of the army. If we divide the whole army (such as it was at its departure from Egypt) by the numbers already laid down, we shall find 600 chiliarchs, 6,000 hecatontarchs, 12,000 pentecontarchs, 60,000 decarchs, which in all make 78,600 officers. Josephus regulates the number of them still more exactly by saying that there were chiefs set over 10,000, 1,000, 500, 50, 30, 20, and 10. We find this regulation in Ant. Jud., b. iii., c. 4: 'Take a review of the army, and appoint chosen rulers over tens of thousands, and then over thousands, then divide them into five hundreds, and again into hundreds, and into fifties, and set rulers over each of them who may distinguish them into thirties, and keep them in order; and at last number them by twenties and by tens, and let there be one commander over each number, to be denominated from the number of those over whom they are rulers.'
" We ought not to pass over in silence this division by tens, for twice 10 make 20, three times 10, 30, five times 10, 50, ten times 10, 100, ten times 50, 500, ten times 1,000, 10,000. It was in this manner, as is pretended, that Cangu, the first of the great Khams, (as he is called,) and after him Tamerlane, drew out an army, i. e., by 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000, mentioned in Alhazen, c. v. Probably these Tartars borrowed from the very Hebrews themselves this manner of laying out a camp. At all events it is certain that nothing more ancient of the kind can be found than that mentioned in the books of Moses. To distinguish it from that of the Greeks and Romans we may with justice call it the Hebrew castrametation, or, if we judge it more proper, the Divine castrametation, and consequently the most perfect of all. For although Moses places the pentecontarchs in the middle, between the hecatontarchs and the decarchs, i. e., 50 between 100 and 10; and although Josephus afterward places 1,000 between 500 and 10,000, and 30 and 20 between 10 and 50, this does not at all derange the progression by tens, which is the foundation of arithmetic. These subaltern officers were equally useful and necessary, as we now see that then •17
Remarks on the
castrametation of the Israelite.
number, far from creating confosion, helps to maintain order, and that the more there are of them Ihc better is order preserved. According to the modem method of carrying on war, the next in rank to the generals of the army (who have the supreme command) are^cW marshals and brigadiers, who command 5,000 men.
" There are then between the chUiarchs or colonels and the hecatontarchs or captains, lieutenant-colonels; and between the hecatontarchs and the decarchs, lieutenant-captains; and these have under them lieutenants and ensigns.
" It is certain that this method of distributing an anny by tens, and of encamping, which is very concise, has far greater advantages even with respect to expense tlian the very best plans of the Greeks, Romans, or any other ancient nation. On this subject we have the testimony of Simon Steven, Castrametat. c. 1, art. 1, and c. 4, art. 3, Oper. Math., p. 574 and 596, &c. According to this arrangement each soklier, or if more proper, each father of a family, being thus placed by ten and ten in a straight line one after the other, might very easily name themselves^n-^, second, &c. Each troop in hke manner might be distinguished by its ensigns, that of 100 might have them small, that of 1,000 larger, and that of 10,000 still larger. Every officer, from the lowest subaltern to the general officers of the camp, and even to the generalissimos themselves, had only an easy inspection of ten men each; the decarch had the inspection of 10 soldiers, the hecatontarch of 10 decarchs, and the chiliarch of 10 hecatontarchs. After the chiliarchs, which in no troop can amount to ten, there is the chief or head of each tribe. Each then exactly fulfilling the duty assigned him, we may suppose every thing to be in good order, even were the camp larger and more numerous. The same may be said respecting the contentions that might ari.se among the soldiers, as well as every thing relative to the general duty of the officers, as to the labours they were to undertake, whether for striking their tents for works of fortification or for making entrenchments. This arrangement might be easily retamed in the memory, or a general list be kept of the names of both officers and soldiers to distribute to them their pay, and to keep exact accounts.
" It was possible in one moment to know the number of those who were either wanting or were out of their ranks, and to avoid this disorder in future by obligmg each man to attend to his duty and keep in his rank. If by chance it happened that anyone man wished to deson or had escaped, it was easy to notice him and inflict on him the punishment he merited. The ensigns being distinguished by their marks, and the company being known, it was easy to find any soldier whatever.
" The armies themselves might have certain marks to distinguish them, and by that means they might at once ascertain the person in question; for example: 8. 2. 7. 3. might signify the eighth soldier or father of a family, of the second rank, of the serenth company, m the third chiliad; 7. 3. 5. the halberdier of the ieevrion or sergeant of the seventh hne, in the third •ompany, of the Jiflh chiliad or thousand; 5. 8. the htcatontarchs or captams of the fifth company, in the
eighth chiliad; 7. the chiliarchs ox colonels of the seventh rank; 0. finally, the general of the whole army. Farther, by the same means the loss or misplacing of their arms might be prevented. Again, the soldiers might in a very short time be instructed and formed to the exercise of arms, each decad having its sergeant for its master; and the chariots or other carriages might easily be divided amongst several, 10 under the decunon, 100 under the hecatontarch; and by thus following the above method, every thing might be kept in good order.
" We shall finally, in one plate, represent the whole camp of the Israelites, in that order which appears the most proper. For this purpose we must extract the square roots of the preceding spaces, in order that we may be able to assign to each tribe square areas, or rectangular parallelograms. I therefore find for
Reuben 3049 square cubits.
" The tabernacle, which was 100 cubits long and 50 broad, I place in the centre of the camp, at the distance of 840 feet from the camp of the Levites, which is placed exactly in the same manner as described in the sacred writings. I find therefore that the whole space of the camp is 259,600,000 feet. Now, according to the manner we have just divided the camp for each tribe, the sum total being 125,210,000, it follows that the space between the tents contained 134.390,000. If, with Eisenschmid, we estimate the Roman mile at 766 French fathoms and two feet, (consequently 21,141,604 square feet to a Roman square mile,) the Israelitish camp will contain a little more than 12 such square miles."
The reader will have the goodness to observe that the preceding observations, as well as the following plate or diagram, which was made by Scheuclizer on the exactest proportions, could not be accurately copied here without an engraved plate; and after all, the common reader could have profiled no more by the plate than he can by the diagram. It is not eren hoped that disquisitions of this kind can give any thing more than a general idea how the thing probably was; for to pretend to minute exactness, in such cases, would be absurd. The sacred text informs n« that snch and such tribes occupied the east, such the west, &c., &c.; but how they were arranged individually we cannot pretend absolutely to say. Schcuch 7.er's plan is such as we may suppose judgment and skill would lay down; but still it is very probable that the plan of the Israelites' castrametation was more perfect than any thing we can well imagine; for as it was the plan which probably God himself laid down, it must be in every respect what it ought to be, for the comfort and safety of this numerous multitude.
As there are some differences between the mode of distributing the command of a large army among the British, and that used on the continent, which is followed by Scheuchzer, I shall lay down the descending scale of British commanders, which some may think applies better to the preceding arrangement of the Israelitish army than the other.
army: (these divisions consist of 2 or 3 brigades each, which, ou an average, amount to 5,000 men.)
gades consist of from 2 to 3,000 men [2,500 is perhaps the average] according to the strength of the respective regiments of which the brigade is composed.)
command single regiments; they are assisted in the command of these regiments by the majors of the regiments. [I mention the major, that there may be no break in the descending scale of gradation of ranks, as in the event of the absence of the above two officers, he is the next in command.]
5. Captains who command companies: these companies (on the war establishment) consist of 100 men each, and there are 10 companies in every regiment, consequently a colonel, or lieutenantcolonel, commands 1,000 men.
belonging to each regiment in the service, and are solely employed in the disciplining and com manding the men; these are mounted on horseback, and termed field-officers.
Ascending scale of ranks which every officer must pass through. Ensign, Lieutenant, Captain, Major,
Though I particularly refer the reader to the above diagram of the Israelitish camp, taken from Scheuchzer's plate, which I have thought necessary to be subjoined to his description, yet I think it also proper to introduce th.it on the following page, as it gives a general and tolerably correct idea of this immense camp, in the description of which the inspired writer has been so very particular; but still I must.say these things are to be considered aa probable, not as absolutely certain; as comprising a general view of what may be supposed probable, likely, and practicable.
The whole may be said to consist of three camps, viz., 1. The camp of the Lord; 2. The camp of the Leviles; and, 3. The camp of the people. These in the grand camp in the wilderness, corresponded with the holy of holies, the holy place, and the outward court of the Temple at Jerusalem. See Ainsworth.
The generations of Aaron and Moses, 1—4. The tribe of Levi to minister to the Lord under Aaron and his sons, 5-10. They are taken in the place of the first-born, 11—13. Moses is commanded to numberthem, 14—16. Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the names of the three heads of families of the Leviles, 17. Of Geishon and his famili/, 18-21.. TAeir number, 7,500, uer. 22. Their p\sice behind the tabernacle, -weatward, 23. Their chief Eliasaph, 24. Their charge, 25, 26. Of Kohath and his family, 27. Their number, 8,600, ver. 28. Their place, beside the tabernacle, southward, 29. Their chief, Elizaphan, 30. Their charge, 31. The chief of the Levites, Eleazar, son o/ Aaron, 32. O/" Merari and his family, 33, Their number, 6,200, ver. 34. Their chief, Zuriel, they shall pitch beside the tabernacle, northward, 35. Their charge, 35-37. Moses and Aabon to encamp before the tabernacle, eastward, 38. The amount of all the males among the Levites from a month old and upivards, 22,000, ver. 39. Moses is commanded to number the first-born, 40; and to take the Levites and their cattle, instead of the first-born of man and beast among the Israelites, 41. Moses numbers the first-born, who amount to 22,273, ver. 43. At the first-born were 273 more than the Levites, Moses is commanded to take from the people five shekels apiece for them, 44—47, which is to be given to Aaron and his sons, 48. Moses does accordingly, and finds the amount of the money to be 1,365 shekels, i9, 50, which is given to.Aaron and his sons, 51.
T^HESE also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord
Verse I. The generations of Aaron and Moses] Though Aaron and Moses are both mentioned here, yet the family of Aaron alone appears in the list;
Sinai. 2 And these are the names of
hence some have thought that the word Moses waa not origin.illy in the text. Others think that the words nnSn n'7N1 vcdleh toledoth, these are the generations, should be rendered these are the acts, or transactions,
3 Tliese are the names of the sons of Aaron, " the priests which were anointed, " whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.
4 '' And Nadab and Abihu died before liic Lord, when they offered strange fire before the Lord, in tlie wilderness of Sinai, and ihey had no children: and Eleazar and Tthamar ministered in the priest's office, in the flight of Aaron their father.
6 " Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.
7 And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do ' the service of the tabernacle.
or the history of the lives, as the same phrase may be understood in Gen. ii. 4; vi. 9. However this may be, it is evident that in this genealogy the family of.\.aron are alone mentioned, probably because these belonged to the priesthood. Moses passes by his own family, or immediate descendants; he gave no rank or privilege to them during his life, and left nothing to them at his death. They became incorporated with the Levites, from or amongst whom they are never distinguished. What a strong proof is this of the celestial origin of his religion! Had it been of man, It must have had the gratification of some impure passion for its object; lust, ambition, or avarice: but none of these ever appear during the whole of his administration amongst the Israelites, though he had it constantly in his power to have gratified each. What an essential difference between the religion of the Pentateuch and that of the Koran! The former is God's workmanship; the latter is a motley mixture of all bad crafts, with here and there a portion of heavenly fire, stolen from the Divine altar in the Old and New Testaments, to give some vitality to the otherwise inert mass.
Verse 6. Bring the tribe of Levi near] The original word 2ipn hakrcb is properly a sacrificial word, and signifies the presenting of a sacrifice or offering to the Lord. As an offering, the tribe of Levi was given up entirely to the service of the sanctuary, to bo no longer their own, but the Lord's property.
Verse 7. The charge of the whole congregation] They shall work for the whole congregation; and I'ntead of the first-born.
8 And they shall keep all the A. M. 2514. instruments of the tabernacle of An. Exod. i8r.2. the congregation, and the charge 'j»r Q' Zif. of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
9 And ^ thou shalt give th" Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.
10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, '' and they shall wait on their priest's office: ' and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
1 1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
12 And I, behold, ' I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first-born that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine:
1 3 Because ' all the first-born are mine: "/or on the day that I smote all the first-born
itself and all its contents: see all described, ver. 25, 26, 31, 36, 37. The Levites were to perform the most common and laborious offices. It was their business to take down, put up, and carry the tabernacle and its utensils; for it was the object of their peculiar care. In a word, they were the servants of the priests.
Verse 10..iaron and his sons — shall wait on their priesCs office] It was the business of the priests to offer the different sacrifices to God; to consecrate the shewbread, pour out the libations, burn the incense, spnnkle the blood of the victims, and bless the people. In a word, they were the servants of God alone.
Verse 12. / have taken the Levites — instead of all the first-born] The Levites are taken for the s»;rvice of the sanctuary in place of the first-born. The firstborn were dedicated to God in commemoration of his slaying the /ri^-iorn of the Egyptians, and preserving those of the Israelites. Even the cattle of the Levites were taken in place of the first-borti of the cattle of the rest of the tribes. See ver, 45.
Several reasons have been assigned why God should give this honour to the tribe of Levi in preference to all the others, but they do not seem to me to be conclusive. Their zeal in destroying those who had corrupted the worship of God in the business of the golden calf, Exod. xxxii. 28, has been thought a sufficient reason. A better reason is, that this was the smallest tribe, and they were quite enough for the service. To have had a more numerous tribe at this time would have been very inconvenient.
Aaron, says Mr. Ainsworth, being in his priesthood a type of Christ, all these rites are fulfilled in him For unto Christ God gave children, Heb. ii. 13. And they are a congregation of first-bom, whose namet
An. Exia. isr. 2. unto me all the first-born in Israel, ^jjaroi^Z^ both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord.
14 And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: " every male, from a month old and upward, shalt thou number them.
1 6 And Moses numbered them according to the » word of the Lord, as he was com-
17" And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.
18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; i Libni, and Shimei.
1 9 And the sons of Kohath by their families; ' Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20 ^ And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites, according to the house of their fathers.
2 1 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites.
22 Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.
23 ' The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.
are written in heaven, Heb. xii. 23, being of God's own will begotten by the word of truth, that they should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures, James i. 18, to whom he also gives the first-fruits of his Spirit, Rom. viii. 23. These wait on and folloio the Lamb, being first fruits unto God and to the Lamb, Rev. xiv. i; and Christ hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, that wo maij serve him day and night in his temple. Rev. i. 6; vii. 15.
Verse 15. A month old and upward] The males of all the other tribes were numbered, from tioenty years and npioard; had the Levites been numbered in this way, they would not have been nearly equal in number to the first-born of the twelve tribes. Add to this, that as there must have been first-born of all ages in the other tribes, it was necessary that the Levites,
24 And the chief of the house A. M. 2514. of the father of the Gershonites An. Exod. isr a shall be Eliasaph the son of 'J"""'^'*'- Lael.
25 And "^ the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be ' the tabernacle, and " the tent, == the covering thereof, and ^ the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
2G And ^ the hangings of the court, and " the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and "^ the cords of it for all the service thereof
27 " And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzziehtes: these a7-e llie families of the Kohathites.
28 In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of tlie sanctuary.
29 '' The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward.
30 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
3 1 And " their ciiarge shall be ' the ark, and « the table, and '' the candlestick, and * the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and •' the hanging, and all the service thereof.
32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites,
who were to be their substitutes, should be also of all ages; and it appears to have been on this ground, at least partly, that the Levites were numbered from/our iveeks old and upward.
Verse 16. Moses numbered them] Though Moses and Aaron conjointly numbered the twelve tribes, yet Moses alone numbered the Levites; " for as the money with which the first-born of Israel, who e.xceeded the number of Levites, were redeemed, was to be paid to Aaron and his sons, ver. 48, it was decent that he, whose advantage it was that the number of the first-bom of Israel should exceed, should not be authorized to take that number himself." — Dodd, from Bishop Ktdder.
Verse 22. Seven thousand and five hundred] Perhaps originally 1 resh, 200, instead of "] caph, 600; see the following note.
33 Of Mcrari was the family of tlic Mah- Htcs, and llic family of the Mushilcs: these are the families of Merari.
34 And those that were numbered of them, according to ihc number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.
35 And ihe chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari, was Zuriel the son of Abihail: ' these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward.
36 And '^ under "the custody and charge of the sons of Mcrari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,
37 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.
38 ° But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall he Moses, and Aaron and his sons, >> keeping the charge of the sanctuary "i for the charge of the children of Israel; and ■■ the stranger that Cometh nigh shall be put to death.
39 'All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.
40 And the Lord said unto Moses, ' Number all the first-born of the males of the chil-
41° And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the Lord) instead of all tiie first-born among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel
42 And Moses numbered, as the Lord com manded him, all the first-born among the chil dren of Israel.
43 And all the first-born males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.
45 ' Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am thp
4 6 And for those that arc to be " redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the first-born of the children of Israel, ^ which are more than the Levites:
47 Thou shalt even take ^five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (^ the shekel is twenty gerahs:)
48 And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons.
49 And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites:
Verse 39. Which Moses and Aaron numbered] Tfie word pnxi veaharon, " and Aaron" has a point over each of its letters, probably designed as a mark of spuriousness. The word is wanting in the Samaritan, Syriac, and Coptic; it is wanting also in eight of Dr. KennicotCs MS.S.,and in /oi/r of Dc Rossi's. Moses alone, as Houbigant observes, is commanded to take the number of the Levites; see ver. 5, 11, 40, 44, and 51.
All the males — were twenty and two thousand.] This total does not agree with the particulars; for the Gershonites were 7,500, the Kohalhites 8,600, the Merariles 6,200, total 22,300. Several methods of solving this difficulty have been proposed by learned men; Dr. KennicotCs is the most simple Formerly the numbers in the Hebrew Bible were expressed by letters, and not by words at full length; and if two nearly similar letters were mistaken for each other, many errors in the numbers must be the consequence. Now it is probable that an error has crept into the number of the Grr.s-honilcs, ver. "2, where, instead of 7.500, we should read 7,200, as "] caph, 500, might have been easily mistaken for 1 resh, 200, especially if the down stroke of the caph had been a little shorter than ordinary, which is often the case in MSS. The extra 300 being taken off, the total is just 22,000, as mentioned in the 39th verse.
Verse 43. All the first-born males — were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen] Thus we find there were 273 first-bom
Moses is commanded to CHAP. IV
50 Of the first-born of the chil-
An E,-;od. 1st. 2. Qrcn 01 Israel took he the money; '^""^ "'' ^'''- » a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
beyond the number of the Levites. These are ordered, ver. 46, to be redeemed; and the redemption price is to he five shekels each, ver. 47, about lbs. And this money, amounting to 1,365 sliekcls, equal to jC'204. 15s. English, he took of the first-born of Israel, verse 50. But how was this collected among 22,273 persons ] Rabbi Solomon Jarchi says, " to prevent contention, Moses took 22,000 slips of parchment, and vfrote on each a son of Levi, and 273 others, on which he wrote ^oe shekels; then he mixed them in a basket, and each man took out one; those who drew the slips on which /?('« shekels were written, paid the money; the others went free." This is a most stupid and silly tale, for such a mode of settlement never could have been resorted to by an intelligent people. It would have been much more simple to have paid it out of a general fund; and it is very likely that in this way the expense was defrayed.
numbei tht sons of Kohath
51 And Moses >' gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Loud com manded Moses.
This species of redeeming of men is referred to by St. Peter, 1 Epist. i. 18, 19: "Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious {tiliiu ainari, valuable) blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot," &<!. And it is not the first-born only which are thus redeemed, for he, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man; Heb. ii. 9. Reader, give glory to God that such a ransom has been paid for thy soul, and see that, redeemed from thy vain conversation, thy empty, fruitless, and graceless observances, on which thou hast built thy hopes of salvation, thou walk in newness of life, giving thy whole soul with thankfulness unto the Father who hath translated thee from darkness, and placed thee in the kingdom of his beloved Son. To Him bo glory and dominion for ever and ever! Amen.
Moses is commanded to take the sum of the sons of Kohath from thirty years old and ujnijard, 1—4. Thi service which they had to perform, 5—15. The office of Eleazar, 16. The family of Kohath to be continued among the Levites, 17-19. They are not to go into the holy of holies, 20. The sum of the sons o/ Gershon, 21—23. The service they had to perform, 24—27. They are to be under Ithamar, 28. The sum of the sons o/" Merari, 29, 30. The service they had to perform, 31—33. The sum of all the families o/ Kohath, 2,750, ver. 34-37. The sum of the families o/ Gershon, 2,630, ver. 38-41. The sum of the families of Merari, 3,300, ver. 42-45. The sum total of the families of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, 8,580, ver. 46-49.
Lord spake unto and, unto Aaron,
2 Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from
Verse 3. From thirty years old] In chap. viii. 24, the Levites are ordered to enter on the service of the tabernacle at the age of twenty-five years; and in 1 Chron. xxiii. 24, they were ordered to commence •hat work at twenty years of age. How can these different times be reconciled ' 1. At the time of which Moses speaks here, the Levitical service was exceedingly severe, and consequently required men full groivn, strong, and stout, to perform it; the age therefore of thirty years was appointed as the period for commencing this service, the weightier part of j which is probably here intended. 2. In chap. viii. 24, Moses seems to speak of the service in a general way; the severe, which was to be performed by the full-grown Levites, and the less laborious work which younger men might assist in; hence the age o{ twentyfive is fixed. 3. In David's time and afterwards, in the fixed tabernacle and temple, the laboriousness of the service no longer existed, and hence twenty years w"as the age fixed on for all Levites to enter into the work of the sanctuary. The rabbins say that the Levites began to learn to do the service at twenty-five, and that having been instructed _/i(;e years, they began the public service at thirty, ami thus they reconcile the two periods referred to above. We may well suppose that the sons of the prophets continued a considerable time under inslructions before they were called fully to exercise themselves in the prophetic ofilce.
Until fifty years old] This was allowing Zio£n<y year.s for public severe service; a very consideratfc
An. Eiod. isr. 2. into the host, to do the work in — ^" °'-^ _'j the tabernacle of the congregation.
4 '' This shall he the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the consrcgation, about " the most holy things:
5 And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down '' the covering veil, and cover the ^ ark of testimony with it:
6 And shall put thereon the covering of l)adgcrs' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in ' the staves
7 And upon the ^ table of shew-bread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to '' cover withal: and the contiimal bread shall be thereon:
8 And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in tlie staves
9 And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the ' candlestick of the light, "^ and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuff dishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it:
1 0 And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins, ind shall put it upon a bar.
1 1 And upon ' the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:
12 And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the
and merciful ordinance. A preacher who devotes his whole time and strength to the service of the Church of Cod from twenty to fifty or si.xty years of age, ihould he then excused from his severer labour, and maintained at the ehar^e of the sanctuary. This would not only be a great comfort to a worn-out servant of Goi but also of great use to the work of the ministry, which, to be faithfully and effectually performed, requires all the powers of the body and mind of man. Old faithful ministers are to be highly respected for their work's sake, and to be.supplied with all the necessaries and comforts of life; but how liule can they do in the public ministry of the word, however willing of blue, and cover them with a An. Exod. lar! 2 covering of badgers' skins, and 'J"wZ'<^ shall put them on a bar:
1 3 And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:
14 And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the flesh hooks, and the shovels, and the " basons, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skins, and put to the staves of it.
15 And when Aaron and bis sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, " the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: " but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. " These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.
1 6 And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, pertaineth i the oil for the light, and the ' sweet incense, and ' the daily meat-ofFcring, and the ' anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels
18 Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:
19 But thus do tmto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto " the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden:
20 ' But they shall not go in to see when
to work, when their eye waxes dim and their bodily strength fails! See on chap. viii. 25. Both for their own sakes, and for the good of the Church, they should be excu.sed from a labour to which they must be almost every way in.adequate. But notwithstanding this comparative inactivity, their counsels, advice, and experience will always be considered as a treasure to the Church of Christ.
Verse 20. When the holt/ things are covered] Literally, i'^J^O hchaUa, when they are stvaUotKed down; which shows the promptitude with which every thing belonging to the holy of holies was put out of sight, for these mysteries must ever be treated with the dcep- C 41*)
22 Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families;
23 " From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shall thou number them; all that enter in ^ to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
24 This is the service of the families of tlie Gershonites, to serve, and for ^ burdens:
25 And ^ they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and tlie hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
26 And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.
27 At the " appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all iheir burdens.
28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall he under the
29 As for the sons of Merari, 'J" °^ ^'fthou shalt number them after tlieir families, by the house of their fathers;
30 '' From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number tliem, every one that entereth into the " sei-vice, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.
3 1 And '' this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of tlie congregation; ^ the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof,
32 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall ^ reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden.
33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
34 ^ And Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Koiiathites after their families, and after the house of their fathers,
35 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in tlie tabernacle of the congregation:
36 And those that were numbered of them
est reverence; and indeed without this they could not have been to them the representatives of heavenly realities. See the concluding note.
Verse 36. Those that were numbered] In chapter iii. 27, &c., we have an account of the whole number of the Levites, and here of those only who were able to serve the Lord in the sanctuary. By comparing the two places we find the numbers to stand thus: — 5 Able men 2750 I Unable 5850
Thus we find that the whole number of the Levites amounted to 22,300, of whom 8,580 were fit for service, and 13,720 unfit, being either too old or too young. What an astonishing number of men, all properly ecclesiastics; all performing some service by which God was glorified, and the congregation at large benefited! See Ainsworth.
From this and the preceding chapter we see the very severe labour which the Levites were obliged to perform while the journcyings of the Israelites lasted. When we consider that there was not less than 10 tons 13 cwt. 24 lb. 14. oz., i. e.,;dmo,st ten tons and fourteen hundred pounds' weight of mclal employed in the tabernacle, (see the notes on Kxod. xxxviii.,) besides the immense weight of tlie.sh'ns, hangings, cords, boards, and post.'i, we.shall find it was no very easy matter to transport this movable temple from place to place.
'J"'"'' ^'^- 37 These were they that were niiinbercd of the families of the Kohalhitcs, all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
38 And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers,
39 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that enterelh into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,
40 Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty.
41'' These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all thai might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the Lord.
42 And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers,
The Kohathites, who were 8,600 men, had to carry the ark, table, candlestick, altars, and instruments of the sanctuary, chap. iii. 31.
The Mcrarites, wlio were 6,200 men, had to carry the hoards, bars, pillars, sockets, and all matters connected with these belonging to the tabernacle, with the pillars of the court, their sockets, pins, and cords, chap. iii. 36, 37.
The tabernacle was an epitome of the temple: the temple and tabernacle were representatives of the Church of the living God, and of the humanity of our blessed Lord. As God dwelt in the tabernacle and temple, so his fulness dwelt in the man Christ Jesus. These again were types of the Cliristian Church, which is termed the bo<ly of Christ, Epb. i. 23, where he dwells in the plenitude of the {jraces of his Spirit.
Mr. Ainswortli has a very useful note on the 20th verse of this chapter, the most edifying part of which I shall here lay before the reader. He considers the tabernacle and temple, not only as pointing out the old dispensation, the annulling of which was typified by their destruction, but he considers also the former as emblematical of the body of man.
that entereth into the service, for An. Exod. isr.z the work in the tabernacle of the ij" « Zif.
44 Even those that were numbered of them after their families, were three thousand and two hundred.
45 These be those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered ' according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
46 All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their famihes, and after the house of their fathers^,
47 '' From thirty years old and upward, even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the sen'ice of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation.
48 Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore.
49 According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered by the hand oi Moses, ' every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, ■" as the Lord commanded
" The apostle," says he, " treating of the death of the saints, uses this similitude: ' If our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with bands, eternal in the heavens. For we that are in this t.\bernacle do groan, being burdened, not for that wc would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life;' 2 Cnr. v. 1-4. So Peter calls his death the putting oj^of his tabern.\ci.k, 2 Pet. i. 14. And this similitude is very fit; for, as here, in the tabernacle of Moses, the holy things were first covered and taken away, (see ver. 20,) so the soul and its powers are first withdrawn from the body by death. 2. As the curtains and coverings were taken olT and folded up, so the skin and flesh of our bodies are pulled off and consumed. 3. As the boards of the tabernacle were disjointed and pulled asunder, so.shall our bones and sinews: compare Job's description of the formation of man, chap. x. 8—12; and Solomon's account of his dissolution, Eccles. xii. 3, 4. 4. As the disjointed and dissolved tabernacle was afterwards set up again. Num. x. 21, so shall our bodies in the day of the resurrection; see 1 Cor. xv. 61-64."
The Israelites are commanded to purify the camp hy excluding all lepers, and all diseased and unclean persons, 1-3. They do so, 4. Law concerning him who has defrauded another — he shall confess his sin, restore the principal, and add besides one fifth of its value, 5—7. If he have no kinsman lo whom the recompense can be made, it shall be given unto the Lord, 8. All the holy things offered lo the Lord shall be the priesCs portion, 9, 1 0. The laio concerning jealousy, H— 1 4. The suspected ivoman's offering, 1 5. She is to be brought before the Lord, 16. The priest shall take holy water, and put it in dustfro?n the floor of the tabernacle, 17. Shall put the offering in her hand, and adjure her, 18-20. The form of the oath, 21, 22; lohich is to be written on a book, blotted out in the bitter loaters, and these the suspected person shall be obliged to drink, 23, 24. The jealousy-offering shall be waved before the Lord, 25, 26. The effect which shall be produced if the suspected person be guilty,.27. The effect if not guilty, 28. Recapitulation, with the purpose and design of the law, 29, 30.
Israel, that they put out of the camp every * leper, and every one that hath an '' issue, and whosoever is defiled by the " dead:
3 Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, * in the midst whereof I dwell.
Verse 2. Put out of the camp every leper] According to the preceding plan, it is sufficiently evident that each camp had a space behind it, and on on; side, whither the infected might be removed, and where probably convenient places were erected for the accommodation of the infected; for we cannot suppose that they were driven out into the naked wilderness. But the expulsion mentioned here was founded, 1. On a purely physical reason, viz., the diseases were contagious, and therefore there was a necessity of putting those afflicted by them apart, that the infection might not be communicated. 2. There was also a spiritual reason; the camp was the habitation of God, and nothing impure should be permitted to remain where he dwelt. 3. The camp was an emblem of the Church, where nothing that is defiled should enter, and in which nothing that is unholy should be tolerated. All lepers — all persevering impenitent sinners, should be driven from the sacred pale, nor should any such ever be permitted to enter.
Verse 4. And the children of Israel — put them out] This is the earliest account we have of such separations; and probably this ordinance gave the first idea of a hospital, where all those who are afflicted with contagious disorders are put into particular wards, under medical treatment. Though no mention be made of the situation, circumstances, &c., of those expelled persons, we may certainly infer that they were treated with that humanity which their distressed state required. Though sinners must be separated from the Church of God, yet they should be treated with affectionate regard, because they may be reclaimed. It is too often the case when a man backslides
4 And the children of Israel a. m. 2514. did so, and put them out without An. Exod. isr 2. the camp: as the Lord spake jar or Zif. unto Moses, so did the children of Israel.
6 Speak unto the children of Israel, " When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty;
7 ^ Then they shall confess their sin which
from the way of truth, he is abandoned by all; finding his case desperate, he plunges yet deeper into the mire of sin, and the man who, with tender treatment, might have been reclaimed, becomes incurably hardened. One class says, he cannot finally fall, and shall in due time be restored; another class says, he may finally fall and utterly perish. If the unfortunate person be restored, his recovery is taken as a proof of the first doctrine; if he be not, his wretched end is considered a proof of the second. In the first case the person himself may presume on his restoration as a point infallibly determined in the Divine counsel; or in the second, he may consider his case hopeless, and so abandon himself to profligacy and desperation. Thus both parties leave him, and both opinions (misunderstood certainly) render him secure or desperate; and in either case totally inactive in behalf of his own soul. Who is he that properly estimates the worth of one immortal spirit t He who does will at once feel that, in a slate of probation, any man may fall through sin, and any sinner may be renewed again unto repentance, through the infinitely meritorious sacrifice, and all powerfully efficacious grace, of Ch];ist. This truth properly felt equally precludes both pre- ' sumption and despair, and will induce the followers of God to be active in preserving those who have escaped from the corruption that is in the world, and make them diligent to recover those who have turned back to earth and sin.
Verse 7. Shall confess their.?m] Without confession or acknowledgment of sin, there was jg hope of mercy held out.
He shall recompense] For withouf restitution, in every possible case, God will not forgive the iniquit)-
unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto
8 But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the Lord, even to the priest; beside ^ the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him.
9 And every ' offering '' of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring unto the priest, shall be his.
10 And every man's hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever any man giveth the priest, it shall be ' his.
1 1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
12 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,
13 And a man "lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there he no witness against her, neither she be taken with the manner;
1 4 And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, ajid he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:
15 Tiien shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley
of a man's sin. How can any person in a case of defraud, wilh liis neighbour's property in his possession, expect to receive mercy from the hand of a just and holy God? See this subject considered in the notes on Gen. xlii. at the close.
Verse 8. If the man have no kinsman\ The Jews think that this law respects the stranger and the sojourner only, becau.se every Israelite is in a state of affinity to all tlie rest; but there might be a stranger in the camp who has no relative in any of the tribes
Verse 14. The spirit of jealousy] HNJp nn rtwcA kinah, cither a supernatural diabolic influence, exciting: him to jealousy, or the passinn or affection of jealousy, for so the words may be understood.
Verse Ji. Holy water} Water out of the laver, called hofylaecvisc consecrated to sacred uses. This is the most ancient case of the trial by ordeal. See at the end of the chapter.
1 6 And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the Lord:
17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water:
18 And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord, and uncover the woman's head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy-offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:
1 9 And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness " vnth another ■" instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:
20 But ifthou hast gone aside to another msXcAA of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband:
2 1 Then the priest shall ' charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, ' The Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the Lord doth make thy thigh to ' rot, and thy belly to swell;
22 And this water that causeth the curse
In an earthen vessel] Supposed by the Jews to be.such as had never been previously used.
Dust that ts >n the Jloor] Probably intended to point out the baseness of the crime of which she was accused.
Verse 18. Uncover the woman's head] To takeoff a woman's ved, and e.xpose her to the sight of men, would be considered a very great degradation in the East. To this St. Paul appears to allude, I Cor. xi. 5, 6, 10.
Let thy name and punishment be remembered and mentioned as an example and terror to all others. Like that mentioned Jer. xxix. 22, 23: "The Lord make thee like Zedekiah, and like Ahab, whoin the king o^ Babylon roasted in the fire, because they have commilled villany in I.srael, and have committed adultery with their neighbours" wives." — Ainsworth.
thigh to rot: " And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.
23 And the priest shall write these cm'ses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:
24 And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water tliat causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter.
25 Then tiie priest shall take the jealousyoffering out of the woman's hand, and shall ■^ wave the oifering before the Lord, and offer it upon the altar:
26 '" And the priest shall take a handful of the offering, even the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water.
27 And when he hath made her to drink the
water, then it shall come to pass, A. M. 25U. that, if she be defiled, and have An. Exod. Ur'. 2. done trespass against her hus- Ijar w Zif. band, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly siiall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman ^ shall be a curse among her
28 And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.
29 This is the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth aside to another ^ instead of her husband, and is defiled;
30 Or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him, and he be jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall execute upon her all this law.
3 1 Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman ^ shall bear her iniquity
What is meant by these expressions cannot be easily ascertained. 1"i' SdJ 7 lanpel yarech signifies literally thy thigh to fall. As the thigh, feet, &c., were used among the Hebrews delicately to express the parts which nature conceals, (see Gen. xlvi. 26,) the expression here is probably to be understood in this sense; and the falling down of the thigh here must mean something similar to the prolapsus uteri, or falling down of the womb, which might be a natural effect of the preternatural distension of the abdomen. In 1 Cor. xi. 29, St. Paul seems to allude to the case of the guilty %voman drinking the bitter cursed waters that caused her destruction: He who eatelh and drinketk unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation (Kpi/ia, condemnation or judgment) to himself; and there is probably a reference to the same thing in Psalm cix. 18, and in Dan. ix. 11.
And the tooman shall say, Amen, amen.] This is the first place where this word occurs in the common form of a concluding wish in prayer. The root ["^X aman signifies to be steady, true, permanent. And in prayer it signifies let it be so — make it steady — let it be ratified. Some have supposed that it is composed of the initial letters of pxj I^O 'JTN n.donai Melech tieeman, My Lord the faithful King, but this derivation is both far-fetched and unnecessary.
Verse 23. The priest shall lorite these curses — and he shall blot them out\ It appears that the curses which were written down with a kind of ink prepared for the purpose, as some of the rabbins think, without any calx of iron or other material that could make a permanent dye, were washed off the parchment into the water which the woman was obliged to drink, so that she drank the very words of the execration. The ink used in the East is almost all of this kiiid — a wet sponge will completely efface the finest of their writings. The rabbins say that the trial by the waters of jealousy was omitted after the Babylonish captivity because adulteries were so frequent amongst them that they were afraid of having the name of the Lord profaned by being so frequently appealed to! This is a most humiliating confession. " Though," says pious Bishop Wilson, " this judgment is not executed now on adulteresses, yet they have reason from this to conclude that a more terrible vengeance will await them hereafter without a bitter repentance; these being only a shadow of heavenly things, i. e., of what the Gospel requires of its professors, viz., a strict purity, or a severe repentance." The pious bishop would not preclude the necessity of pardon through the blood of the cross, for without this the severest repentance would be of no avail.
Verse 24. The bitter water that causeth the curse] Though the rabbins think that the priest put some bitter substance in the water, yet, as nothing of the kind is intimated by Moses, we may consider the word as used here metaphorically for affliction, death, &c. These waters were afflicting and deadly to her who drank them, being guilty. In this sense afflictions are said to be bitter, Isa. xxxviii. 17; so also is death, I Sam. XV. 32; Eccles. vii. 26.
Verse 29. This is the law of jealousies] And this is the most singular law in the whole Pentateuch: a law that seems to have been copied by almost all the nations of the earth, whether civilized or barbarian, as we find that similar modes of trial for suspected offences were used when complete evidence was wanting to convict; and where it was expected that the object of their worship would interfere for the sake of justice, in order that the gu'lly should be brought to punishment, and the innocent be cleared. For general informalion on this head see at the end of this chapter.
That is, her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot; see on ver. 22. But if not guilty after such a trial, she had great honour, ami, according to the rahhins, became strong, healthy, and fruitful; for if slie was before barren, she now began to bear children; if before she had only daughters, she now began to have sons; if before she liad hard trafail, she now had ••asy; in a word, she was blessed in hor body, her soul, and her substance: so shall it be done untu the holy aniS faithful woman, for such the Lord delighielh to honour; see 1 Tim. ii. 15.
On the jirincipal subject of this chapter, I shall here introduce a short account of the trial by ordeal, as practised in different parts of the world, and which is supposed to have taken its origin from the waters of jealousy.
The trial by what was afterwards called orde.\l is certainly of very remote antiquity, and was evidently of Divine appointment. In this place we have an institution relative to a mode of trial precisely of that kind which among our ancestors was called ordeal; and from tliis all similar trials in Asia, Africa, and Europe, have very jirobably derived their origin.
Ordeal, Latin, ordalium, is, according to Vtrslegan, from the Saxon ojibaul, ordal and ordel, and is derived by some from oji, great, and d;el, judgment, signifying the greatest, most solemn, and decisive mode of judgment. — Hides. Others derive it from the Francic or Teutonic Urdela, which signifies simply \o judge. Bui Lye, in his Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, derives the lertii from op, which is often in Anglo-Saxon, a privative particle, and ba;l, distinction or difference; and hence applied to that kind of judgment in which there was no respect of persons, but every one had absolute justice done him, as the decision of the business was supposed to belong to God alone. It always signified an appeal to the immediate interposition of God, and was therefore called Judicium Dei, God's Judgment: and we may naturally suppose was never resorted to but in very important cases, where persons accused of great crimes protested their innocence, and there was no sufficient evidence by which they could be cleared from the accusation, or proved to be guilty of the crime.aid to their charge. Such were the cases of jealousy referred to in this chapter.
The rabbins who have commented on this text give us the follow ing information: When any man, prompted by the spirit of jealousy, suspected his wife to have committed adultery, he brought her first before the judges, and accused her of the crime; but as she asserted her innocency, and refused to acknowledge herself guilty, and as he had no witnesses to produce, he required that shi; should be sentenced to drink the xoaters of bitterness which the law had appointed; that God, by this means, might discover what she wished lo conceal. After the judges had heard the accusation and the denial, the man and his wife were both sent to Jerusalem, to apjjcar before ^le Sanhedrin, who were the sole judges in such matters. The rabbins say that the judges of the Sanhedrin, at first endeavoured with threatenings to confound the woman, and cause her to confess her crime: when she still persisted in her innocence, she was led to the eastern gate of the court of Israel, where she was stripped of the clothes she wore, and dressed in black before a number of persons of her own sex. The priest then told her that if she knew herself lo be innocent she had no evil to apprehend; but if she were guilty, she might expect to sufler all that the law threatened; to which she answered, Amen, amen.
The priest then wrote the words of the law upon a piece of vellum, with ink that had no vitriol in it, tha it might be the more easily blotted out. Tlie words written on the vellum were, according to the rabbins, the following: —
" If a strange man have not come near thee, and thou art not polluted by forsaking the bed of thy husband, these bitter waters which I have cursed will not hurt thee: but if thou have gone astray from thy husband, and have polluted thyself by coming near to another man, may thou be accursed of the Lord, and become an example for all his people; may thy thigh rot, and thy belly swell till it burst! may these cursed waters enter into thy belly, and, being swelled therewith, may thy thigh putrefy!"
After this the priest took a new pitcher, filled it with water out of the brazen bason that was near the altar of burnt-oflering, cast some dust into it taken from the pavement of the temple, mingled something bitter, as wormtcood, with it, and having read the curses above mentioned to the woman, and received her answer of Amen, he scraped off the curses from the vellum into the pitcher of water. During this time another priest tore her clothes as low as her bosom, made her head bare, untied the tresses of her hair, fastened her torn clothes with a girdle below her breasts, and presented her with the tenth part of an ephah, or about three pints of barley-meal, which was in a frying pan, without oil or incense.
The other priest, who had prepared the waters of jealousy, then gave them to be drank by the accused person, and as soon as she had swallowed them, he put the pan with the meal in it into her hand. This was waved before the Lord, and a part of it thrown into the fire of the altar. If the woman was innocent, she returned with her husband; and the waters, instead of incommoding her, made her more healthy and fruitful than ever: if on the contrary she were guilty, she was seen immediately to grow pale, her eyes started out of her head, and, lest the temple should be defiled with her death, she was carried out, and died instantly with all the ignominious circumstances related in the curses, which the rabbins say had the same effect on him with whom she had been criminal, though he were absent and at a distance. They add, however, that if the husband himself had been guilty with another woman, then the waters had no bad effect even on his criminal wife; as in that case the transgression on the one part was, in a certain sense, balanced by the transgression on the other.