Commentary on the Holy Bible

There is no instance in the ScrijUurcs of this kind of ordeal having ever been resorted to; and "probably it never w\as during the purer times of the Hebrew republic. God had rendered himself so terrible by his judgments, that no person would dare to appeal to this mode of trial who was conscious of her guilt; and in case of simple adultery, where the matter was either

We learn from Ferdusi, a Persian poet, whose authority we have no reason to suspect, that the fire ordeal was in use at a very early period among the ancient Persians. In the famous epic poem called the Shah Nanieh of this author, who is not improperly styled the Homer of Persia, under the title Dastan Seeavesh ve Soodabeh, The account of Seeavesh and Soodabeh, he gives a very remarkable and circumstantial account of a trial of this kind.

It is very probable that the fire ordeal originated among the ancient Persians, for by them fire was not only held sacred, but considered as a god, or rather as the visible emblem of the supreme Deity; and indeed this kind of trial continues in extensive use among the Hindoos to the present day. In the code of Gentoo laws it is several times referred to under the title of Purrah Reh, but in the Shah Nameh, the word ^>X^syu/ Soogend is used, which signifies literally an oath, as the persons were obliged to declare their innocence by an oath, and then put their veracity to test by passing through the ^ji^\ j^X kohi atesh, or fire pile; see the Shah Nameh in the title Dastan Seeavesh ve Soodabeh, and Halhed's code of Gentoo laws; Preliminary Discourse, p. Iviii., and chap, v., sec. iii., pp. 117, &c.

A circumstantial account of the different kinds of ordeal practised among the Hindoos, communicated by Warren Hastings, Esq., who received it from Ali Ibrahim Khan, chief magistrate at Benares, may be found in the Asiatic Researches, vol. i., p. 389.

This trial was conducted among this people nine different ways: first, by the balance; secondly, by fire; thirdly, by water; fourthly, by poison; fifthly, by the cosha, or water in which an idol has been washed; sixthly, by rice; seventhly, by boiling oil; eighthly, by red hot iron; ninthly, by images.

There is, perhaps, no mode of judiciary decision that has been in more common use in ancient times, than that of ordeal, in some form or other. We find that it was also used by the ancient Greeks 500 years before the Christian era; for in the Antigone of Sophocles, a person suspected by Creon of a misdemeanor, declares himself ready "to handle hot iron, and to walk over fire," in proof of his innocence, which the scholiast tells us was then a very usual purgation. H/iev d" tToiftoi. Kai fivSpovr aipeiv x^poiv, Kai TTUp StepKeiv, Kai, Scovc; bpKUjioTsiv. Ver. 270.

The scholiast on this line informs us that the custom in binding themselves by the most solemn oath, was this: they took red hot iron in their hands, and throwing it into the sea, swore that the oath should be inviolate till that iron made its appearance again.

Virgil informs us that the priests of Apollo at Soracte were accustomed to walk over burning coals unhurt.

Grotius gives many instances of water ordeal in Bithynia, Sardinia, and other places. Different species of fire and water ordeal are said to have prevailed among the Indians on the coast of Malabar; the negroes of Loango, Mosambique, &c., &c., and the Calmuc Tartars.

The first formal mention I find of this trial in Eu rope is in the laws of King Ina, composed about A. D. 700. See L. 77, entitled, Dom be hacen irene ant) pacep, Decision by hot iron and water. I find it also mentioned in the council of Mentz, A. D. 847; but Agobard, archbishop of Lyons, WTote against it sixty years before this lime. It is afterwards mentioned in the council of Trevers, A. D. 895. It did not exist in Normandy till after the Conquest, and was probably first introduced into England in the time of Ina, in whose laws and those of Athelstan and Ethelred, it was afterwards inserted. The ordeal hy fire was for noblemen and women, and such as were free bom: the water ordeal was for husbandmen, and the meaner classes of the people, and was of two sorts; by cold water and by hot. See the proceedings in these trials declared particularly in the law of King Ina; WiL- KiNs, Leges Anglo- Saxonies, p. 37.

Several popes published edicts against this species of trial. Henry III. abolished trials by ordeal in the third year of his reign, 1219. See the act in Rymer, vol. i., p. 228; and see Dugdale^s Origmes Juridicales, fol. 87; Spelman's Glossary, Wilkins, Ilickes, Lombard, Somner, and Du Cange, art. Ferrum.

The ordeal or trial by battle or combat is supposed to have come to us from the Lombards, who, leaving Scandinavia, overran Europe: it is thought that this mode of trial was instituted by Frotha III., king of Denmark, about the time of the birth of Christ; for he ordained that every controversy should be determined by the swurd. It continued in Holsatia till the time of Christian III., king of Denmark, who began his reign in 1535. From these northern nations the practice of duels was introduced into Great Britain.

I need scarcely add, that this detestable form of trial was the foundation of the no less detestable crime of duelling, which so much disgraces our age and nation, a practice that is defended only by ignorance, false honour, and injustice: it is a relic of barbarous superstition, and was absolutely unknown to those brave and generous nations, the Greeks and Romans, whom it is so much the fashion to admire; and who, in this particular, so well merit our admiration!

The general practice of duelling is supposed to have taken its rise in 1537, at the breaking up of a treaty between the Emperor Charles V. and Francis I. The former having sent a herald with an insulting message to Francis, the king of France sent back the herald with a cartel of defiance, in which he gave the emperor the lie, and challenged him to single combat: Charles accepted it; but after several messages concerning the arrangement of all the circumstances relative to the combat, the thoughts of it were entirely laid aside. The example of two personages so illustrious drew such general attention, and carried with it so much authority, that it had considerable influence in introducing an important change in maimers all ot«

It wiis so much the custom in the middle apes of Christianity to respect the cross, even to superstition, chat it would have been indeed wonderful if the same ignorant bigotry had not converted i( into an ordeal: accordingly we find it used for this purpose in so many different ways as almost to preclude description.

Another trial of this kind was the Corsned, or the consecrated hread and cheese: this was the ordeal to vrliich the clergy commonly appealed when they were accused of any crime. A few concluding observations from Di. Henry may not be unacceptable to the reader: —

" If we suppose that few or none escaped conviction who exposed themselves to these fiery trials, we shall be very much mistaken. For the histories of those times contain innumerable examples of persons plunging their naked arms into boiling water, handling red hot balls of iron, and walking upon burning ploughshares, without receiving the least injury. Many learned men have been much puzzled to account for this, and disposed to think that Providence graciously iaterposcd in a miraculous manner for the preservation of injured innocence.

" But if we examine every circumstance of these fiery ordeals with due attention, we shall see sufficient reason to suspect that the whole was a gross imposition on the credulity of mankind. The accused person was committed wholly to the priest who was to perform the ceremony three days before the trial, in which he had time enough to bargain with hira for his deliverance, and give him instructions how to act his parL On the day of trial no person was permitted to enter the church but the priest and the accused till after the iron was heated, when twelve friends of the acrjser, and twelve of the accused, and no more, were admitted and ranged along the wall on each side

of the church, at a respectful distance. After the iron was taken out of the fire several prayers were s.iid: the accused drank a cup of holy water, and sprinkled his hand with it, which might take a considerable time if the priest were indulgent. The space of nine feet was measured by the accused himself, with his own feet, and he would probably give but scanty measure. He was obliged only to touch one of the marks with the toe of his right foot, and allowed to stretch the oihcr foot as far towards the other mark as he could, so that the conveyance was almost instantaneous. His hand was not immediately examined, but wrapped in a cloth prepared for that purpose three days. May we not then, from all these precautions, suspect that these priests were in possession of some secret that secured the hand from the impression of such a momentary touch of hot iron, or removed all appearances of these impressions in three days; and that they made use of this secret when they saw reason? Such readers as are curious in matters of this kind may find two different directions for making ointments that will have this effect, in the work here quoted. What greatly strengthens these suspicions is, that we meet with no example of any champion of the Church who suffered the least injury from the touch of hot iron in this ordeal: but where any one was so foolhardy as to appeal to it, or to that of hoi xvater, with a view to deprive the Church of any of her possessions, he never failed to burn his fingers, and lose his cause." I have made the scanty extract above fiom a very extensive history of the trial by ordeal, which I wrote several years ago, but never published.

All the forms of adjuration for the various ordeals of hot water, cold water, red hot iron, bread and cljeese, &c., may be seen in the Codex Legum Anliquarwn, Lindenbrogii, fol. Franc. 1613, p. 1299, &e.

The vow of the Nazarite, 1,2. In what it consisted, 3-8. When accidentally defiled, how he is to be purified, 9—13. The sacrifices he is to bring, and the rites he is to perform, when the vow of his separation is fulfilled, 13-21. The manner in which the priests are to bless the people, 32—26. The name of the Lord is to be put on the children of Israel, whom He promises to bless, 27.

NOTES ON CHAP. VI. Verse 2. When either man or woman shall separate, <!fc.\ The word TIJ ruizir, from 1i: nazar, to separate, signifies merely a separated person, i. e., one peculiarly devoted to the service of God by being separated from all servile employments. From the Nazarites sprang the Rechabites, from the Rerhabtlcs the Essenes, from the Essencs the Anchonles or Hermits, and in imitation of those, the different monastic orders. Same contend strongly that the Nazarite was a type of our Lord; but oeither analogy nor proof can be pro- selves to vow a vow oi a IS azante, An Exod. isr. 2. to separate themselves unto the ■'"'^ °' ' ' Lord:

duced. Our blessed Lord both drank wine and touched the dead, which no Nazarite would do: as to his either shaving his hair or letting it grow, we know nothing. His being called a Nazarene, Matt. ii. 23, is nothing to the purpose, as it can mean no more than either that he was an inhabitant of Nazareth, which was a place of no credit, and therefore used as a term of reproach; or that he was in a general sense consecrated to the service of God — eo were Samson, Samuel, Jeremiah, and John Baptist; or rather, that he was the ISJ netser or branch, Isa. xi. 1, and mX

An. Exod isr.2. irom wiiic and Strong drink; and ^" "'' ' • shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.

4 All the days of his ^ separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the « vine-tree, from tlie kernels even to the husk.

5 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no ' razor come upon his head; until tiie days be fulfilled, in the wliich he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

6 All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord, ^ he shall come at no dead body.

7 '^ He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because the ' consecration of his God is upon his head.

tsemach, Zech. iii. 8; vi. 12, which is quite a different word; but this title is expressly applied to our blessed Lord by the above prophets; but in no place do they or any other prophets call him a Nazarite, in the sense in which TH nazir is used. Indeed it could not in truth be applied to him, as the distinguishing marks of a Nazarite never belonged to him. He was, it is true, the IXJ nelser or branch out of the root of Jesse, the genuine heir to the throne of David, whose dominion should extend over the universe, who should be King of kings, and Lord of lords; but the word Naiupaioc, Matt. ii. 23, signifies merely a Nazortean, or inhabitant of Nazareth.

Verse 3. No vinegar of wine, i^c] VOn chomets signifies fermented wine, and is probably used here to signify wine of a strong body, or any highly into.xicating liquor. Dr. Lightfoot supposes that the leper being the most defiled and loathsome of creatures, was an emblem of the wretched, miserable state of man 'jy the fall; and that the Nazarite was the emblem of man in his state of innocence. Wine and grapes are here particularly forbidden to the Nazarite because, as the doctor thinks, being an emblem of man in his paradisaical state, he was forbidden that tree and its fruits by eating of which Adam fell; fur the doctor, as well as the Jewish rabbins, believed the tree of knowledge to have been none other than the vine.

Vinegar of strong drin/i] See the note on Lev. x. 9.

Verse 5. There shall no razor come upon his head] The vow of the Nazarite consisted in the following particulars; — 1. He consecrated himself in a very especial and extraordinary manner to God. 2. This was to continue for a certain season, probably never less than a whole year, that he might have a full

8 All the days of his separation A. M. 2514.

suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall ^ shave hi« head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventli day shall he shave it.

1 0 And ' on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congre gat ion:

1 1 And the priest shall offer the one for a sm offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day.

12 And he shall consecrate unto the Lord the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year "■ for a trespass-offering: but the days that were before shall " be lost, because his separation was defiled.

growth of hair to burn in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace-offering, yer. IS. 3. During the time of his separation, or nazarate, he drank no wine nor strong drink; nor used any vinegar formed from any inebriating liquor, nor ate flesh or dried grapes, nor tasted even the kernels or husks of any thing that had grown upon the vine. 4. He never shaved his head, but let his hair grow, as the proof of his being in this separated state, and under vows of peculiar austerity. 5. He never touched any dead body, nor did any of the last offices, even to his nearest kin; but was considered as the priests, who were wholly taken up with the service of God, and regarded nothing else. 6. All the days of his separation he was holy, ver. 8. During the whole time he was to be incessantly employed in religious acts.

Verse 7. The consecration of his God is upon his head.] Literally, The separation of his God is upon his head; meaning his hair, which was the proof and emblem of his separation. Now as the hair of the Nazarite was a token of his subjection to God through all the peculiarities of his nazarate, a woman, who is married, is considered as a Nazarite for life, i. e., separated from all others, and joined to one husband who is her lord; hence St. Paul, probably alluding to this circumstance, says, 1 Cor. xi. 10: The woman ought to have power upon her head, i. e., wear her hair and veil; for this hair is a proof of her nazarate, and of her being in subjection to her husband, as the Nazarite was under subjection to the LORD by the rule of his order.

Verse 1 0. Two turtles, or Iwo young pigeons] Th« same kind of offering made by him who had an issos. Lev. XV. 14, &c.

An. Exod. isr. 2. JNazaritc, "when the days o\ his 'j""^^"'- separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation;

14 And he shall offer his cfferinir unto the Lord, one hc-lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt-offering, and one ewe-lamb of the first year without blemish p for a sinofTering, and one ram without blemish "i for peace-offerings;

1 5 And a basket of unleavened bread, ■" cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread ■" anointed witli oil, and their meat-offering, and llicir ' drink-offerings.

16 And the priest shall bring them before the Loud, and siiall offer his sin-offering, and his burnt-offering:

17 And he shall offer the ram /or a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat-offering, and his drinkoffering.

18" And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle

of the congregation, and shall A. M. 25U. take the hair of the head of his An. JEiod.V. 2. separation, and put it in the fire 'i" <>' Zif.

Verse 18. Shall lake the hair — and put it in the fire] The hair was permittefl to p'ow for this purpose; and as the Nazarite was a liinJ of sacrifice, offered to God through the whole term of his nazarate or separation, and no human flesh or blood could be offered on the altar of the Lord, he ofTered his hair at the conclusion of his separation, as a sacrifice — that hair which was the token of his complete subjection to the Lord, and which was now considered as the Lord's property.

The Hindoos, after a vow, do not cut their hair during the term of their vow; but at the expiration of it they shave it olT at the place where the vow was made.

That the hair of the head was superstitionsly used among different nations, we have already had occasion to remark; (see the notes on Lev. xix. 27;) and that the Gentiles might have learned this from the Jews is possible, though some learned men think that this consecration of the hair to a deity was in use among the heathens before the time of Moses, and in nations who had no intercourse or connection with the Jews.

Verse 21. This is the law of the Nazarite] Wc learn from Maimonides, in his Treatise of the Nazarite, that a man might become a Nazarite in behalf of another; that is, might assist him in bearing the expenses of the sacrifices, &c. " A son may fulfil the vow his deceased father hath made, but did not live to accomplish; — lie that saith, upon me be the sbaviiig of a Nazarite, he is bound to bring the ofTerings of

19 And the priest shall take the ^sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and " shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven:

20 And the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before the Lord: '^ this is holy for the priest, with the wavc-brcast and heaveshoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.

2 1 This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the Lord for his separation, beside that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation.

23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying. On this wise ^ ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

shaving for cleanness, and may ofTer them by the hand of what Nazarite he will. If he say, Upon me be half the oblations of a Nazarite, then he bringeth half the offerings by what Nazarite he will, and that Nazarite payeth his offerings out of that wliich is his."

" By this," says Mr. Ainsivorth, '• we may see the reason of that which James said to Paul, though he had no Nazarite's vow upon him: ' We have four men who have a vow on them; them take and sanctify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, _ that they may shave their heads, &c. Then Paul took ■ the men, and the next day, sanctifying himself with • them, entered into the temple to signify the accomplishment of the days of sanctification, (or Nazariteship,) until ihat an olTering should be oU'ered for every one of them;' see Acts xxi. 2.3-20. For though Paul had not vowed or fulfilled a Nazariteship himself, yet might he contrihule with them, and partake of their charges about the sacrifices."

A'erse 23. On this wise ye shall bless the children, of Israel] The prayer which God makes for his followers, and puts into their mouth, we are sure must be right; and to it, when sincerely, faithfully, and fervently offered, we may confidently expect an answer. If he condescended to give us a form of blessings or a form of prayer, we may rest assured that he will accept what he himself has made. This consideration may produce great confidence in them who come with either prayer or praise to the throne of grace, both of which should be, as far as circumstances will admit.

24 The Lord bless thee, and ^ keep thee:

25 The Lord " make his face thee, and '' be gracious unto

26 ''The Lord lift up his

in the very words of Scripture; for we can readily attach a consequence to the words of God, which we shall find difficult to attach to the best ordered words of men. Ta/ie unth you words, and turn unto the Lord. What words? Why those which God immediately puts into their mouths. Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously; so will we render the calves of our lips; we shall then give the sacrifices of which our lips have spoken, when we made our voics unto thee. See Hos. xiv. 3.

Verse 24. The Lord bless thee] There are three forms of blessing here, any or all of which the priests might use on any occasion. The following is a verbal translation: —

3. May Jehovah lift up his faces upon thee, and may he put prosperity unto thee!

This is a very comprehensive and excellent prayer, and may be paraphrased thus: —

1. May God speai good unto thee, by giving thee his excellent promises! (See the note on Gen. ii. 3.) May he preserve thee in the possession of all the good thou hast, and from all the evil with which thou art threatened!

2. May the Holy Trinity illuminate thy heart, giving thee the true knowledge of thyself and of thy Maker; and may he show thee his graciousness in pardoning thy sins, and supporting thy soul!

27 ^ And they shall put my name upon thf children of Israel; and f I will bless them.

3. May God give thee communion with the Father, Son, and Spirit, with a constant sense of his approbation; and grant thee prosperity in thy soul, and in all thy secular affairs!

This I suppose to be the spirit and design of this form of benediction. Others will doubtless interpret it after their manner. Several wise and learned men believe that the mystery of the Holy Trinity is not obscurely hinted at in it. God the Father blesses and keeps his followers. God the Son is gracious unto sinners in remitting their offences, which he died to blot out. God the Holy Spikit lakes of the things which are Christ's, and shows them unto genuine Christians, and diffuses the peace of God in their hearts. In a word, Christ, the gift of the Father by the energy of the Holy Spirit, came to bless every one of us by turning us away from our iniquities.

1. Every genuine Christian is a true Nazarite. He is separated from the world, and dedicated solely to the service of God. 2. His life is a life of self-denial; he mortifies and keeps the flesh in obedience to the Spirit. 3. All this enters into the spirit of his baptismal vote; for in that he promises to renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh — to keep God's holy word and commandments, and to walk in the same all the days of his life. 4. The person who is faithful has the blessing of God entailed upon him. Thus shall ye bless the children of Israel, &c., &c. See the notes on ver. 5 and 7.

When the tabernacle was fully set up, it appeared that the princes of the twelve tribes had prepared six covered wagons, draivn by two oxen each, one wagon for two tribes, for the service of the tabernacle, 1—3. Moses is commanded to receive this offering, and distribute the whole to the Levites according to their service, i, 5. Moses does so, and gives two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, 6, 7; and four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, 8. The sons of Kohath have none, because they were to bear the ark, dfc, on their shoulders, 9. Each prince is to take a day for presenting his offerings, 10, 11. On the first day Nahshon, of the tribe of Judah, offers a silver charger, a silver bowl, a golden spoon, a young bullock, a ram, a lamb, and a kid, /or a sin-ofkering; two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five lambs, for a PEACE-OFFERING, 12-17. On the second day Nethaneel, of the tribe of Issachar, offers the like, 18-23. On the third day Eliab, of the tribe of Zebhlun, offers the like, 24-29. On the fourth day Elizur, of the tribe of Reuben, offers the like, 30-35. On the fifth day.Shelumiel, of the tribe of Simeon, made a similar offering, 36-41. On the sixth day Eliasaph, of the tribe o/ Gad, made his offering, 42-47. On the seventh day Elisharaa, of the tribe of Ephraim, made his offering, 48-53. On the eighth day Gamaliel, of the tribe of Manasseh, made his offering, 54-59. On the ninth day Abidan, of the tribe of Benjamin, made his offering, 60-65. On the tenth day Ahiezer, of the tribe of Dan, made his offering, 66-71. On the eleventh day Pagiel, of the tribe of A sher, made his offei

On the twelfth day Ahira, of the tribe of Naphtam, made the same kind of offering, 78-83. The sum total of all vessels and cattle which xcere offered was twelve silver chargers, and twelve silver bowls; twelve golden spoons; twelve bullocks, twelve rams, and twelve kids; twenly-four bullocks, sixty rams, si.xty he-goats, and sixty lambs, 84-88. The offerings being ended, Moses goes into the tabernacle, and hears the voice of the Lord from the mercy-seat, 89.

'^" °' ^'^- " set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it, and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all llie vessels thereof, and had anointed thcni, and sanctified llicm;

2 That '■ the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, " and were over them that were numbered, offered:

3 And they brought their offering before the.Lord, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle.

5 '^ Take it of them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service.

6 And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave tbem unto the Levites.

7 Two wagons and four oxen " he gave unto the sons of Gcrshon, according to their service:

8 '' And four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, f under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

9 But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none;

Verse 1. On the day that Moses had fully set up the tahemacle^ The transactions mentioned in this chapter took place on the second day of the second month of the second year after their departure from Egypt; and tlie proper place of this account is immediately after tlie tenth chapter of Leviticus.

Verse 3. Six covered toagons] 2S nSji' tfty shesh egloth tsab, six tilted wagons, the Soptuagint translate H (i/iofaf XafiTTTii'iKai, with which the Coptic agrees; but what lampcnic chariots were, no person pretends to know. Covered or lilted is probably the meaning of the original. The wagons were givpn for the more convenient exporting of the heavier parts of the tabernacle, which could not be conveniently carried on men's shoulders.

A'erse 5. According to his service.'\ That is, distribute them among the Levites as they may need them, giving most to those who have the heaviest burdens to bear.

Verse 7. Two wagons — unto the sons of Gershon] The Gctoihonites carried only the curtains, coverings, luary belonging unto them ' ivas An. Eiod.l»r.2 that they should bear upon their lj»r or Zifshoulders. ■

1 0 And the princes offered for '' dedicating 1 of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before

1 1 And the Lord said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar.

12 And he that offered his offering the first day was ' Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah:

13 And his offering was one silver charger, the weight thereof was a hundred and thirty sJiekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after ■" the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil for a " meat-offering:

14 One spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of ° incense:

1 G One kid of the goats for a 1 sin-offering: 1 7 And for ■■ a sacrifice of peace-offerings,

Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 1 8 On the second day Nethaneel, the son of

and hangings, chap. iv. 25. And although this was a cumbersome carriage, and they needed the wagons, yet it was not a heavy one.

Verse 8. Four wagons — unto the sons of Merari] Because they had the boards, bars, pillars, and socKets of the tabernacle to carry, chap. iv. 31, 32, therefore they had as many more wagons as the Gershonites.

Verse 9. Unto the.ions of Kohath he gave none] Because they had the charge of the ark, table, candlestick, altars, &c., chap. iv. 5—15, which were to be carried upon their shoulders; for those sacred things must not be drawn by beasts.

Verso 10. And the princes offered] ^vety prince or chief ortered in the behalf, and doubtless at the expcnse, of his whole tribe.

Verse 13. One silver charger] Hli'p haarath, a dish, or deep bowl, in which they kneaded the paste. See Exod..\xv. 29.

One silver bowl] pli3 mizrak, a bason, to receive the blood of the sacrifice in. See on Exod. xxvii. 3.

ii^""'^'f- 19 He offered /or his offering one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, me silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering:

20 One spoon of gold of ten shekels, full of

23 And for a sacrifice of '^ peace-offerings,

of the first year: this loqs the offering of Nethaneel the son of Zuar.

24 On the third day ' Eliab, the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, did offer:

weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy.shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering:

of the first year: this was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

It is worthy of remark that the different tribes are represented here as bringing^ their offerings precisely in the same order in which they encamped about the tabernacle. See chap. ii. and chap. x.

It is worthy of remark also, that every tribe offers the same kind of offering, and in the same quantity, to show, that as every tribe was equally indebted to God

3 1 His offering was one silver charger of the weight of a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meatoffering:

of the first year: this was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.

36 On the fifth day ^ Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon, did offer:

weight whereof loas a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering:

4 1 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings,

for its support, so each should testify an equal sense of obligation. Besides, the vessels were all sacrificial vessels, and the animals were all clean animals, such as were proper for sacrifices; and therefore every thing was intended to point out that the people were to be a holy people, fully dedicated to God, and that God was to dwell among them; hence there were Jine flour and oil, for a meat-offering, ver. 13. A bullock, a ram, and a lamb, for a burnt-offering, ver. 15, 16. Five oxen, five rams, five he-goats, 3.nA five lambs, for a peace-offering, ver. 17. Thus, as the priests, altar, &c., were anointed, and the tabernacle dedicated, so the people, by this offering, became con secrated to God. Therefore every act here was religious act.

" Thus," says Mr. Ainsworth, " by sacrifices of all sorts, figuring the death of Christ, and the benefits that were to be received thereby, they reconciled and made themselves and theirs acceptable to God, and were made partakers of his grace, to remission of sins,

A. M. 25it. of the first year: this was the An. kxod. isr'a. oiTeriiig of Sheluiniel tlic son of ^j""^"' Zurishaddai.

42 On the sixth day " Eliasaph, tlie son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad, offered:

43 His offering was one silver charger of the weight of a hundred and thirty shekels, a silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine Hour mingled viilh oil for a meat-offering:

of the first year: this was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

48 On the seventh day * Elishama, the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim, offered:

49 His offering tc-:;: otie silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering:

of the first year: this was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.

54 On the eighth day offered i Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh:

55 His offering was one silver charger of the weight of a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of

and sanctification through faith, and in the work of the Holy Ghost, in the communion and feeling whereof they rejoiced before God."

Verse 48. On the seventh day] Both Jewish and Christian writers have been surprised that this work of offering went forward on the levenlh day, which

fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering:

56 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:

59 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs oi the first year: this was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

'^0 On the ninth day ^ Abidan, the son of Gideoni, p.irtcv; of the children of Benjamin, offered:

6 1 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof tuas a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering:

62 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full ol

of the first year: this ioas the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.

66 On the tenth day "Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan, offered:

weight whereof was a hundred and thirty sAe^"p/s, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering:

they suppose to have been a Sabbath, as well as on the other days. But 1. There is no absolute proof tliat this seventh day of offering was a Sabbath. 2. Were it even so, could the people be better employed tlian in thus consecrating themselves and their services to the Lord? \Vc have already seen that every

weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering:

of the first year: this was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ocran.

78 On the twelfth day ■= Ahirathe son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali, offered:

weight whereof tvas a hundred and thirty shekels, one silvcrbowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering:

80 One golden spoqn of ten shekels, full of

8.3 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings,

act was a religious act; and we may jest assured that no day was too holij for the performance of such acts as are recorded here.

Verse 72. On the eleventh day] The Hebrew form of expression, here and in the 78th verse, has something curious in it. UV Ityj^ ^D'\i/y Dr3 beyom ashtey asar yom. In Ike day, the first and tenth day; DVD DV Ityi* Q'Jiy beyom sheneyni asar yom. In the day, two and tenth day. But this is the idiom of the language, and to an original Hebrew onr almost anomalous words eleventh and twelfth, by which we translate the original, would appear as strange as his, literally translated, would appear to us. In reckoning after twelve, it is easy to find out the composition of the words thirteen, as three and ten, fourteen, four and ten, and so on; but eleven and twelve bear scarcely any analogy to ten and one, and ten and tiuo, which nevertheless they intend. But this is a subject of philology rather than of Biblical criticism.

Verse 84. This was the dedication of the attar, in the day, JfC.] Meaning here the time in which it was dedicated; for as each tribe had a whole day for its representative or prince to present the offerings it

84 This was the dedication of tlic altar, in the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel: twelve chargers of silver, twelve silver bowls, twelve spoons of gold:

85 Each charger of silver weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, each bowl seventy: all the silver vessels weighed two thousand and four hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:

86 The golden spoons were twelve, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary: all the gold of the spoons ivas a hundred and twenty shekels.

87 All the oxen for the burnt-offering were twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the. lambs of the first year twelve, with their meat-offeringand the kids of the goats for sin-offering twelve.

88 And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace-offerings loere twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he-goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty. This luas the dedication of the altar, after that it was ^ anointed.

89 And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation •= to speak with ^ him, then he heard ^ the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy-seat, that luas upon the ark of testimony, from '' between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.

had provided, consequently the dedication, in which each had his day, must have lasted twelve days: the words therefore, in this text, refer to the last day or twelfth, in which this dedication was completed.

Verse 88. After that it was anointed.] By the anointing the altar was consecrated to God; by this dedication it was solemnly appointed to that service for which it hail been erected.

A'^erse 89. To speak with him] To confer with God, and to receive farther discoveries of his will.

He heard the voice of one speaking unto him] Though Moses saw no similitude, but only heard a voice, yet he had the fullest proof of the presence as well as of the being of the Almighty. In this way God chose to manifest himself during that dispensation, till the fulness of the time came, in which the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. No man hath seen God at any time; the only-hegottcn Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

The mercy-seat] See the note on Exod. xxv. 17.

from 13T dabar, he spoke, 1 Kings vi. 23. And as this mercy-seat represented our blessed Iledeciner, so the apostle says that God, who had at stiiidri/ lima, and in divers manners, spoken in time past to the fathers by the prophets, hath, m these last days, spoken unto us by his Son, Ileb. i. 1,2. Hence the incarnated Christ is the true "l"3T debir or oracle, in and by whom God speaks unto man.

On this occasion we find there were offered 12 silver chargers each weighing 130 shekels. 12 silver bowls, each 70 shekels.

A silver charger at 130 shekels, reduced to troy weight, makes A silver bowl, at 70 shekels, amounts to 40 Total weight of the 12 chargers 905 Total weight of the 12 bowls 487

Which, at £i per ounce, is equal to:C278 14*. 2\d And added to the amount of the silver, jC348 make a total of jC627

By which we may at once see that though the place in which they now sojourned was a wilderness, as to cities, villages, and regular inhabitants, yet there was plenty of pasturage, else the Israelites could not have furnished these cattle, with all the sacrifices necessary for different occasions, and especially for the passover, which was celebrated during their sojourning in the desert, and which itself must have required an immense number of lambs, (see chap, ix.,) when each family of the 600,000 males was obUged to provide one for itself.

Directions how the lamps are to be lighted, 1-3. How the candlestick loas formed, 4. The Levites to be consecrated to their service by being cleansed, sprinkled, shaved, purified, and their clothes washed, 5—7. To offer a meat-offering and a sin-offsring, 8. The people to put their hands upon them, 9, 10. Aaron is to offer them before the Lord, 11. The Levites to lay their hands on the heads of the bullocks, djc, 12. The Levites are taken to assist Aaron and his sons in the place of all the first-born of Israel, 13—19. Moses and Aaron do as they were commanded, the Levites are presented, purified, and commence their service, 20-22. They are to begin their service at twenty-five years of age, and leave off at fifty, 23-25. After this they shall have the general inspection of the service, 26.

2 Speak unto Aaron, and say unto liim, When thou " lightest tlie lamps, the seven lamps shall give hght over against the candlestick.

3 And Aaron did so; he lighted ihe lamps thereof over against ihe candlestick, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Verse 2. The seven tamps shall give light] The whole seven shall be lighted at one time, that seven may be ever burning.

Verse 4. This work of the candlestick, 4*.] See many curious particulars relative to this candlestick in the notes on Exod. xxv. 31 and 39. The candlestick itself was an emldem of the Church of Christ; the oil, of the graces and gifts of the Spirit of God; and the light, of those gifts and graces in actum among men. See Rev. i. 12-20. God builds his Church and sends a 642 stick tvas of beaten gold, unto the An. Exod. Isr. 2. shaft thereof, unto the flowers 'J"'' "'' ^'^- thereof, was "^ beaten work: *• according unto the pattern which the Lord had showed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

5 And the Lord spake luito Moses, saying,

6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

forth his.Spirit to dwell in it, to sanctify and cleanse it, that it may be shown unto the world as his own workmanship. The seven lights in the candlesticks point out the seven Spirits of God, the Holy Ghost being thus termed, Rev. iii. 1, from the variety and abundance of his gifts and influences; seven being used among the Hebrews to denote any thing /ui/, com/iZe/e, and perfect. A candlestick or lamp without oil is of no use; oil not burning is of no use. So a Church or society of religious people without the influence of the Holy Ghost are dead while they have a name to ( 42')

An. Exod. Isr. 2. them, to cleanse them: feprinkle ijar or Zif. e water of purifying upon them, and "^let?them shave all their flesh, and let them vash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.

8 Then let them take a young bullock with ** his meat-offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering.

9 ' Ajid thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: ^ and thou shalt gather the v/hole assembly of the children of Israel together:

10 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the TiORD: and the children of Israel ' shall put their hands upon the Levites:

1 1 And Aaron shall ™ offer the Levites before the Lord for an " offering of tlie children of Israel, that ° they may execute the service of

1 2 P And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin-offering, and the other ybr a

live; and if they have a measure of this light, and do not let it shine by purity of living and holy zeal before men, their religion is neither useful to thcmsehes nor to others. Reader, it is possible to be in the Church of God and not be of that Church; it is possible to have a measure of the Spirit and neither profit nor be profited. Feel this dreadful possibility, and pray to God that thou be not a proof of it..

Verse 7. Spi-inkle water of purifying] nsDn '3 mey chattalh, water of sin, or water of the sin-offering. As this purifying water was made by the ashes of the red heifer, cedar-wood, hyssop, and scarlet; and the heifer herself was sacrificed, and her Mood sprinkled seven times before the tabernacle. Num. xix. 3-6; she may be considered as a proper sacrifice for sin, and consequently the water thus prepared be termed the water of the sin-offering. As the ashes were kept ready at hand for purifying from all legal pollutions, the preparation might be considered as a concentration of the essential properties of the sin -ofFering, and might be resorted to at all limes with comparatively little expense or trouble, and no loss of time. As there were so many things by which legal pollution might be contracted, it was necessary to have always at nand, in all their dwellings, a mode of purifying at once convenient and uncxpensive. As the water by which the Levites were here purified must have been the water prepared from the ashes of the red heifer, this ordinance was undoubtedly instituted before this time, though not described till chap. xix. 1-10 of this to make an atonement for the An. Exod. i.sr. 2.

13 And thou slialt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them /or an offering unto the Lord.

14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be 1 mine.,

1 5 And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of tlie tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and ■■ offer them for an offering.

1 6 For they «?"e wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; * instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

1 7 ' For all the first-born of the children of Israel arc mine, hotJi man and beast: on the day that I smote every first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.

1 8 And I have taken the Levites for all the first-born of the children of Israel.

book; but that chapter might be in connection with any of the preceding ordinances, as well as where it is now found. We see from Heb. ix. 13, 14, that these ashes mingled with water, and sprinkled on the unclean, and which sanctified to the purification of the flesh, were intended to typify the blood of Christ, which purges the conscience from dead works to serve the living God, ver. 15; for as without this sprinkling with the water of the sin-offering the Levites were not fit to serce God in the wilderness, so without this sprinkling of the blood of Christ no conscience can be purged from dead works to serve the living God. See the notes on chap. xix. 1-10.

Averse 10. Shall put their hands upon the Lei-iles] It has been argued from this that the congregation had a part in the appointment of their own ministers, and that this was done by the imposition of hands. However that may be, it appears that what was done on tliis occasion meant no more than that the people gave up this whole tribe to God in place vC their firstborn; and that by this act they bound themselves to provide for them who, because of their sacred service, could follow no.■secular work. And surely it was right, that they who served tlie altar should live by the altar. The ministers of God perform ofiices for the people which the people cannot jierforra for themselves; and nothing can be more reasonable than that the people shoukfgive them the npocssaries and comforts of life while they are thus employed in their behalf.,

1 9 And " I have given the Le

of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of liie congregation, and to make an alonemcnt forthe children of Israel: " that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuar)^

20 And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all tliat the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.

21 •■' And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; ^ and Aaron offered them as an offering before the Lord; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.

A'^erse 21. And A aron made an atonement for them^ Thougli the Levites had been most solemnly consecrated to tlie Lord's service, and though all legal washings and purifications were duly performed on the occasion, }'et they could not approach God till an atonement had been made for them. How strange is it, after all these significations, of the will and purpose of God relative to man, that any priest or any people will attempt to draw nigh to God without an atonement! As sure as God hath spoken it, there is no entrance into the holiest but through the blood of Jesus, Heb. x. 19, 20.

Verse 24. From twenty and Jive years old] See the note on chap. iv. 47, where the two terms of twentyfive and thirty years are reconciled.

Verse 2G. To keep the charge, and sluill dono service.] They shall no longer be obliged to perform any laborious service, but act as general directors and counsellors; therefore they were to be near the camp, sing praises to God, and see that no stranger or unclean person was permitted to enter. So the Jews and many other persons have understood this place.

1. If it required so much legal purity to fit the Levites for their work in the tabernacle, can we sup-

Levites in to do their service in ai.. E.xod isr.z the tabernacle of the congrega- ij" °r Zif.

tion before Aaron, and before his sons: ■ as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

24 This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: *" from twenty and five years old and upward, they shall go in "= to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:

25 And from the age of fifty years they shall '' cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:

26 But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, " to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shall thou do unto the Levites toucliinK tiieir charge.

pose that it requires less spiritual purity to fit ministers of the Gospel to proclaim the righteousness of the Most High, and administer the sacred ordinances of Christianity to the flock of Christ I If these most be without spot, as the priests before without blemish, and these were only typical men, we may rest assured that a Christian minister requires no ordinary measures of holiness to prepare him for an acceptable and profitable discharge of his office.

S. If the Christian ministry be established to prepare men for the kingdom of God, of the holiness of which the purity of the camp was but a faint emblem, how can any man expect to enter that place of blessedness, who has not his heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, and his body washed with pure water; his life and conversation agreeable to the sacred precepts laid down in the Gospel of Christ? If the law of Moses were more read in reference to the Gospel, the Gospel itself and its requisitions would be much better understood. Reader, however it may be with thee, Antinomianism is more general among religious people than is usually imagined. What multitudes of all denominations are expecting to enter into the kingdom of God without any proper preparation for the place! Without holiness none shall see the Lord; and from this decision of the Divine justice there shall never be any appeal.

The Israelites are reminded of the taw that required them to keep the passover at its proper time, and with all its rites, 1-3. They kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, 4, 5. The case of the men who, being unclean through touching a dead body, could not keep the passover, 6, 7. Moses inquires at the Lord concerning them, 8; and the Lord appoints the fourteenth day of the second month for all those who through any accidental unclcanncss, or by being absent on a journey, could not keep tl at the usual time, 9-12. Those who neglect to keep this solemn feast to be cut off from among his people, 1 3. 644 a.

The stranger who wishes to keep the passover is at liberty to do it, 14. The cloud covers the tabernacle loth by day and night, from the time of its dedication, 15, 16. This cloud regulates all the encampments and marchings of the Israelites through the wilderness, 17—22. Their joumeyings and rcslings were all directed by the commandment of the Lord, 23.

second year after they were come out of the

2 Let the children of Israel also keep ' the passover at his appointed season.

3 In the fourteenth day of this month, '' at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.

4 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.

5 And '^ they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did the children

A'erse 1. The Lord spake unto Moses^ The fourteen first verses of this chapter certainly refer to transactions that took place at the time of those mentioned in the commencement of this book, before the numbering of the people, and several learned men are of opinion that these fourteen verses should be referred back to that place. We have already met with instances where transpositions have very probably taken place, and it is not difficult to account for them. As in very early times writing was generally on leaves of the Egyptian flag papyrus, or on thin lamince of different substances, facts and transactions thus entered were very liable to be deranged; so that when afterwards a series was made up into a book, many transactions might be inserted in wrong places, and thus the exact chronology of the facts be greatly disturbed. MSS. written on leaves of trees, having a hole in each, through which a cord is passed to keep them all in their places, are frequently to be met with in the cabinets of the curiovis, and many such are now before me, especially in Singalese, Pali, and Burman. Should the cord break, or be accidentally unloosed, it would be exceedingly difficult to string them all in their proper places; accidents of this kind I have often met with to my very great perplexity, and in some cases found it almost impossible to restore each individual 5eaf to its own place; for it should be observed that these separate pieces of oriental writing are not always paged like the leaves of our printed books; nor are there frequently any catch-words or signatures at the bottom to connect the series. This one consideration will account for several transpositions, especially in the Pentateuch, where they oocur more frequently than in

6 And there were certain men a. m. 2514. who were ''defiled by the dead An. 'E.xod. isr. 2. body of a man, that they could ^^* °' ^''''"'•

not keep the passover on that day: " and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:

7 And those men said unto him. We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore arc we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the Lord in his appointed season, among the children of Israel?

8 And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and ^ I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you.

1 0 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or he in a

any other part of the sacred writings. Houbigant, who grants the existence of such transpositions, thinks that this is no sufficient reason why the present order of narration should be changed: " It is enough," says he, non ignorare libros eos Mosis esse acta rerum sua tempore gestarum, non historiam filo perpeluo elaboratam, " to know that these books contain an account of things transacted in the days of Moses, though not in their regular or chronological order."

Verse 3. According to all the rites of if] See all those rites and ceremonies largely explained in the notes on Exod. xii.

Verse 7. We are defiled by the dead body of a man] It is probable that the defilement mentioned here was occasioned by assisting at the burial of some person — a work both of necessity and mercy. This circumstance however gave rise to the ordinance delivered in verses 10-14, so that on particular occasions the passover might be twice celebrated: 1. At its regular time, the 14th of the/wZ month; 2. An extra time, the 14th of the second month. But the man who had no legal hinderance, and did not celebrate it on one or other of these times, was to be cut off from the people of God; and the reason given for this cutting off is, that he brought not the offering of God in his appointed season — therefore that man shall bear his sin, ver. 13. We have already seen, from the authority of St. Paul, that Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us; and that it was his sacrifice that was pointed out by the paschal lamb: on this, therefore, we may observe, that those who do not sooner or later eat the true Passover, and get the salvation procured by the sprinkling of his blood, shall be cut off from among those that shall enter into the rest prepared for the people of God;

A. M. 2511. journey afar off, yet he shall keep An. Exoil. isr.2. thc passovcr unto the Lono. ^^"^°''^''"'°- 11 s The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and '• eat it with tinleavened bread and bitter herbs.

12 'They shall leave none of it unto the morning, '' nor break any bone of it: ' according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.

13 But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul " shall be cut off from among his people: because he " brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season, that man shall ° bear his sin.

14 And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the Lord; according to the ordinance of thc passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: p ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.

1 5 And 1 on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and "■ at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.

16 So it was alway: the cloud covered it hy day, and thc appearance of fire by night.

17 And when the cloud ^was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the

and for the same reason too; they bring not the offering of God in its appointed season, and therefore they shall bear their sin.

Verse 15. The cloud covered the tabernacle^ Sec the whole account of this supernatural cloud largely explained, Exod. xiii. 21; and xl. 34-38.

Calmet observes that the 15th verse, beginning a new subject, should begin a new chapter, as it has no connection with what goes before; and he thinks this chapter, begun with the 15th verse, should cud with the 28th verse of the following.

Verse 21. Whether — by day or by night'] As the heat of the day is very severe in that same desert, the night season is sometimes chosen for the performance of a journey; though it is very likely that in ihe case of the Israelites this was seldom resorted to.

Verse 22. Tteo days — a month — a year] It was by the Divine counsel alone that they were directed in all their peregrinations; and from the above words 64*'

18 At the commandment of the A''i'> <" ^"»"- Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they j)ilchcd: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.

19 And when the cloud "tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel ' kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not.

20 And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed.

2 1 And so it was, when the cloud " abode from even unto the morning, and '.hat the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.

22 Or whether it ivere two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel ^ abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.

23 At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed: they >' kept the charge of the Lord, at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

Verse 23. Kept the charge of the Lord] When we consider the strong disposition which this people ever testified to follow their own will in all things, we may be well surprised to find them, in these journcyings, so implicitly following the direction of God. There could be no trick or imposture here. Moses, had he been the most cunning of men, never could have imitated the appearances referred to in this chapter. The cloud, and every thing in its motion, was so evidently supernatural, that the people had no doubt of its being the symbol of the Divine presence.

God chose to keep this people so dependent upon himself, and so submissive to the decisions of his own will, that ho would not even give them regular times of marching or resting; they were to do both when and where God saw best. Thus they were ever kept ready for iheii march, though perfectly ignorant of the time when Ihey should commence it. But this was all well; they had the [iresence of God with them; the cloud by day and the fire by night demonstrated that God was amongst them. Reader, thou art here a tenant at will to God Almighty. How soon, in what place, or in what circumstances, he may call thee to march into the eternal world, thou knowest not. But this uncertainty cannot perplex thee, if tliou be properly subject to the will of God, ever willing to lose thy own in it. But thou canst not be thus subject, unless thou have the testimony of the presence and approbation of God. How awful to be obliged to walk into the valley of the shadow of death without this! Header, prepare to meet thy God.

Moses is commanded to malce two silver trumpets /or calling the assembly, 1,2. On ivhat occasions these trum pets should be sounded. First, for calling the assembly to the door of the tabernacle, 3. Secondly, to summon the princes and captains of the thousands of Israel, 4. Thirdly, to make the eastern camps strike their tents, 5. Fourthly, to make those on the south do the like, 6. No alarm to be sounded vihen the congregation only is to be assembled, 7. The sons of Aaron alone shall sound these trumpets, it shall be a perpetual ordinance, 8. Fifthly, the trumpets are to be sounded in the time of loar, 9. Sixthly, on festival occasions, 10. On the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, the Israelites began their journey from the vnlderness o/" Sinai, and came to the wilderness of "Pman, 11, 12. Bi/ the co?nmandment of God to Moses the first division, at the head of which loas the standard o/JUDAH, marched, first, 13, 14. Under him followed the tribe of Issachak, 15; and after them the tribe of Zeeulun, 16. Then the Gershonites and Merarites followed with the tabernacle, 17. At the head of the second division loas the standard and camp of REUBEN, 18; and under him were that of Si.meon, 19; and that o/Gad, 20. Next followed the Kohathites, bearing the sanctuary, 21. Then followed the third division, at Ike head of which was the standard of the camp of EPPIRAIM, 22; and under him M.\nasseh, 23; and Benjamin, 24. At the head of the fourth division tvas the standard of the camp of DAN, 25; and under him AsHER, 26; and Naphtali, 27. This was their ordinary method of inarching in the ivilderness, 28. Moses entreats Hobab the Midianite lo accompany them through the ivilderness, 29. He refuses, 30. Moses continues and strengthens his entreaties with reasonings and promises, 31, 32. They depart from Sinai three day s^ journey, 33. The cloud accompanies them by day and night, 34. The words used by Moses when the ark set forward, 35, and when it rested, 36.

2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shall thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the '^ calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.

3 And when '^they shall blow with them, all the assembly sliall assemble themselves to thee

Verse 2. Make thee two trumpets of silver] The necessity of such instruments will at once appear, when the amazing extent of this numerous army is considered; and how even the sound of two trumpets could reach them all is difficult to conceive; but we may suppose that, when they were sounded, the motion of those that were within reach of that sound taught the others in succession what they should do.

As the trumpets were to be blown by the priests only, the s<ms of Aaron, there were only two, because there were only two such persons to use them at this time, Klcazar and Ilhamar. In the time of Joshua there were seven trumpets used by the priests, but these were made, accordmg to our text, of rams' horns, Josh. vi. 4. In the lime of Solomon, when the priests had greatly incrca.scd, there were 120 priests sounding wilii trumpets. 2 Clirun. v. 12.

4 And if they blow but with ^'"'' °' ^"■•'"- one trumpet, then the princes, lohich are " heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.

5 When ye blow an alarm, then "^ the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.

Josephus intimates that one of these trumpets was always used to call the nobles together, the other to assemble the people; see ver. 4. It is possible that these trumpets were made of ditferent lengths and wideness, and consequently they would emit ditferent tones. Thus the sound itself would at once show which was the summons for the congregation, and which for the princes only. These trumpets were allowed to be emblematical of the sound of the Gospel, and in this reference they appear to be fiequently used. Of the fate of the trumpets of the sanctuary, see the note on Exod. XXV. 31.

Verse 5. When ye blow an alarm] n;'l"\il leruah, probably meaning short, broken, sharp tones, terminating with long ones, blown with both the trumpets at once. From the siniilarily in the words some suppose that the Hebrew teruah was similar to the Roman tara tantara, or sound of their clarion.

*''"'"^'^''"- lie on " the south side sliall lake tlicir journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

7 But wlicn the congregation is to be gathered together, 'ye shall blow, but ye shaU not s sound an alarm.

8 '' And tlie sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and tlicy shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.

9 And ' if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that ^ oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be ' "remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

1 0 Also " in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of

Verse 6. When ye blow an alann the second lime] A single alarm, as above slated, was a signal for the eastward division to march; two such alarms, the signal for the south division; and probably three for the ivest division, and four for the north. It is more likely that this was the case, than that a single alarm served for each, with a small interval between them.

The camps, or grand divisions of this great army, always lay, as we have already seen, to the east, south, west, and north: and here the east and south camps alone are mentioned; the first containing Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; the second, Rculen, Simeon, and Gad. The loest and north divisions are not named, and yet we are sure they marched in consequence of oxpress orders or signals, as well as the other two. There appears therefore a deficiency here in the Hebrew text, which is thus supplied by the Septuagint: Koi aa'/.-^Tteirc atifiaaiav -pi-r/v, aat e^apuvaiv al Tzapefi- (SoTint. al TTapefitjaX^Mvaai Trapa Ba^aaaav Kai aa'k- TTteiTC OTj/inatav reraprTjv, Kai t^apaoniv al napefi(3o?.at. al Trape/i!3a'X7.ovtmc vpor (iopfiav. "And when ye blow a third alarm or signal, the camps on the west shall march: and when ye blow a. fourth alarm or signal, the camps on the north shall march." This addition, however, is not acknowledged by the Samaritan, nor by any of the other versions but the Coptic. Nor are there any various readings in the collections of Kennirott and De Rossi, which countenance the addition in the above versions. Houbigant thinks this addition so evidently necessary, that ho has inserted the Latin in his text, and in a note supplied llie Hebrew words, and thinks that these words were originally in the Hebrow text, but happened to be omitted In consequence of so many.similar words occurring so often in the same verse, which might dazzle and deceive the eye of a transcriber.

your months, ye shall blow with A. M. 2514. the trumpets over your burnt- An^E^od^Ur 2. offerings, and over the sacri- ^bih or Nisan. fices of your peace-offerings; that they may be to you " for a memorial before your God: I ajfi the Lord your God.

11 And it came to pass, on a.m. 2514. the twentieth day of the second An.Exod.isr'.z. month, in the second year, that 'i^r or Zil. the cloud " was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.

12 And the children of Israel took p their journeys out of the 1 wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the 'wilderness of Paran.

13 And they first took their journey ' according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

14 'In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judali, according

Verse 0. If ye go to war] These trumpets shall be sounded for the purpose of collecting the people together, to deliberate about the war, and to implore the protection of God against their enemies.

Ye shall be remembered before the Lord] When ye decamp, encamp, make icar, and hold religious festivals, according to his appointment, which appointment shall be signified to you by the priests, who at the command of God, for such purposes, shall blow the trumpets, then ye may expect both the presence and blessing of Jehovah in all that ye undertake.

Verse 10. In the day of your gladness] On every festival the people shall be collected by the same means.

Verse 1 1. The twentieth day of the second month] The Israelites had lain encamped in the wilderness of Sinai about eleven months and twenty days; compare Exod. xix. 1 with this verse. They now received the order of God to decamp, and proceed towards the promised land; and therefore the Samaritan introduces at this place the words which we find in Deut. i. 6-8: " The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying: Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount, turn and take your journey," &c.

Verse 12. The cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.] This was three days' journey from the wilderness of Sinai, (see ver. 33.) and the people had three stations; the first at Kibroth-hattaavah, the second at Hazeroth, chap. xi. 35, and the third in the wilderness of Paran, see chap. xii. 16. But it is extremely difficult to determine these joumeyings with any degree of exactness; and we are often at a loss to know whether the place in question was in a direct or retrograde position from the place previously mentioned.

15 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar.

1 6 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.

17 And ^ the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon, and the sons of Merari, set forward, "■" bearing the tabernacle.

1 8 And ^ the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward, according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur.

19 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

20 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

2 1 And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the y sanctuary: and "^ the other did set up the tabernacle against they came.

22 And " the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward, according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.

of marching explained at large on chap. ii. The following is the order in which this vast company proceeded in their march: —

Verse 29. Moses said unto Hobab] For a circumstantial account of this person see the notes on Exod. ii. 15, 16, 18; iii. 1; iv. 20, 24; and for the transaction recorded here, and which is probably out of its place, see Exod. xviii. 5, where the subject is discussed at large.

We are journeying] God has brought us out of thraldom, and we are thus far on our way through the wilderness, travelling towards the place of rest which

23 And over the host of the A. M. 2514. tribe of the children of Manas-.-in.Exod.isriz. seh was Gamaliel the son of ijar or Zif. Pedahzur.

24 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin luas Abidan the son of Gideoni.

25 And '' the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was the rereward of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host ivas Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

26 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Ashur tvas Pagiel the son of Ocran.

27 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahirajhc son of Enan.

28 " Thus '' were the journeyings of the children of Israel, according to their armies, when they set forward.

29 And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of " Raguel, the Miilianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, ^ I will give it you: come thou with us, and? we will do thee good: for '' the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.

30' And he said unto him, I will not go;

he has appointed us, trusting in his promise, guided by his presence, and supported by his power. Come thou with vs, and toe will do thee good. Those who wish to enjoy the heavenly inheritance must walk in the way towards it, and associate with the people who are going in that way. True jeligion is ever benevolent. They who know most of the goodness of God are the most forward to invite others to partake of that goodness. That religion which excludes all others from salvation, unless they believe a particular creed, and worship in a particular way, is not of God. Even Hobab, the Arab, according to the opinion of Moses, might receive the same blessings which God had promised to Israel, provided he accompanied them in the same way.

The Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.] The name Israel is taken in a general sense to signify the followers of God, and to them all the promises in the Bible are made. God has spoken good of them, and he has spoken good to them; and not one word that he hath spoken shall fail. Reader, hast thou left thy unhallowed connections in life? Hast thou got into the camp of the Most High ^ Then continue to follow God with Israel, and thou shall be incorporated in the heavenly family, and share in Israel's benedictions.

Verse 30. / loill not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred.] From the strong expostulations in verses 31 and 33, and from Judg. i. 16,

we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou

32 And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that ^ what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.

33 And they departed from ' tiic mount of the Lord three days' journey: and the ark of

iv. 11, and 1 Sam. xv. 6, it is likely that llobab changed his mind; or that, if he did go back to Midian, he returned again to Israel, as the above scriptures show that his posterity dwelt among the Israelites in Canaan. Reader, after having been almost persuaded to become a Christian, to take Christ, his cross, his reproach, and his crown, for thy portion, art thou again purposing to go hack to thy own land, and to thy kindred ^ Knowest thou not that this land is the place of destruction — that the children of this world, who are not taking God for their portion, are going to perdition 1 Up, get thee hence, for the Lord will destroy this place by fire; and all who arc not of the kindred and family of Christ shall perish at the brightness of his appearing! Verse 31. Thou mai/c.it be to us instead of eyes.] But what need had they of Hobab, when they had the pillar and fire continually to point out their way? Answer: The cloud directed their general journeys, liut not their particular excursions. Parties took several journeys while the grand army lay still. (See chap,.xiii., xx., xx.xi., xxxii., &c.) They therefore needed sucli a person as Hobab, who was well acquainted with the desert, to direct these particular excursions; to point them out watering places, and places where they might meet with fuel, &c., &c. What man cannot, under the direction of God's providence, do for himself, God will do in the way of especial mercy. He could have directed them to the fountains and to the places of fuel, but Hobab can do this, therefore let Ilobab be employed; and let Hobab know for his encouragement that, while he is serving others in the way of God's providence, he is securing his own best interests. On these grounds Ilobab should be invited, and for this reason Hobab should go. Man cannot do God's work; and God will not do the work which he has qualified and commanded man to perform. Thus then the Lord is ever seen, even while he is helping man by man. See some the covenant of the Lord "' went a. m. 25H. before them in the three days' An. Exod. isr.2. journey, to search out a resting 'i" or Zif. place for them.

34 And " the cloud of the Lokd was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.

35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, "Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.

36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, unto the p many thousands of Israel.

valuable observations on this subject in Harmer, vol. ii., 286. Instead of. And thou mayesl be to us instead of eyes, the Septuagint translate the passage thus. Koi eat) tv y/iiv Tipeaj^L'Tijc, And thou shalt be an elder among us. But Moses probably refers to Hobab's accurate knowledge of the wilderness, and to the assistance he could give them as a guide.

Verse 33. The ark — loent before them] We find from ver. 21 that the ark was carried by the Kohathites in the centre of the army; but as the army never moved till the cloud was taken up, it is said to go before them, i. e., to be the first to move, as without this motion the Israelites continued in their encampments.

Verse 35. Rise up. Lard, and let thine enemies be scattered] If God did not arise in this way and scatter his enemies, there could be no hope that Israel could get safely through the wilderness. God must go first, if Israel woidd wish to follow in safety.

Verse 36. Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel.] These were the words spoken by Moses, at the moment the divisions halted in order to pitch their tents. In reference to this subject, and the history with which it is connected, the 68th Psalm seems to have been composed, though applied by David to the bringing the ark from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem. See the notes on Psa. Ixviii. Many thousands, literally the ten thousand thousands. Unless the ark went with them, and the cloud of the Divine glory with it, they could h.ave neither direction nor safety; unless the ark rested with them, and the cloud of glory with it, they could have neither rest nor comfort. How necessary are the word tf God and the Spirit of God for the direction, comfort, and defence of every genuine follower of Christ! Reader, pray to God that thou mayest have both with thee through all the wilderness, through all the changes and chances of this mortal life: if thou be guided by his counsel, thou shalt be at last received into his glory.