27 And '^ if ye will not for all this, hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;
28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also ' in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
29 " And ye shall eat the fTesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.
30 And " I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and " cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall ^ abhor you.
3 1 * And I will make your cities waste, and
Dan. vii. 3 — 6. Psal. Ixxx. 13. And false prophets that da. vour souls. Matt. vli. 15. Rer. xiii. 1, &c. So the prophet* speaking of their punishment by tyrants, says, A LION out of the forest shall slay them; a WOLF of the evenings shall spoil them; a LEO^.^RD shall watch over their cities; eveiy one that goeth out thence shall be torn to pieces, because their transgres' siuns be many. And of their prophets he says, 0 Israel, thy prophets are like FOXES in the desarts, Ezek, xiii. d. Jer. viii. 17. XV.:5."
Verse 26. Ten Women shall hake your bread in one oven\ Though, in general, every family in the East bakes its own bread, yet there are some pulilic bake-houses, where the bread of.several families is baked at a certain price. Mcses here foretels that the desolation should be so great, and the want so pressing, tliat there should be many idle hands to be em* ployed, many mouths to be fed, and very little for each. Ten xuotnen shall bake your bread in one oven, &c.
Verse 29. Ye shall eat the Jiesh of your Sons, &c.] Thil was literally fulfilled at the siege of Jerusalem. Josephus, Wars of tlie Jew,<, Book vii. chap. 2. gives us a particular instance in dreadful detail^ of a woman named Mary, wLo ia
* bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour ot" your sweet odours. 32 "And 1 will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be " astonished at it.
33 And ""I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.
34 ' Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sjibbaths.
35 As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your ^ sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.
36 And upon them that are left alive of you, ^ I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and '' the sound of a ' shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall tiee, as Heeing from a sword; and they shall lall when none pursueth.
.■)7 And " they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ' ye shall have no power to stand beibre your enemies.
38 And ye shall perish among the, heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.
39 And they that ai'e left of you " shall pine
away in their iniquity, in your ene- a.m. esu. mies' lands; and also in the iniqui-.^5^**^ ties of their fathers, shall they pine i the extremity of the famine, during the siege, killed lier suck- 1 iiig child, roasted, and had eaten part of it, when discovered by ihe soldiers! See this threatened, Jer. xix. 9. I Verse 34. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths'] This, I Houbigant observes to be a historical truth. " From Saul to the Babylonish captivity are numbered about four hundxd and ninety years, during which period, there %vere seventy sabbaths of years; for 1, multiplied by 70, make 490. Nou the Babylonish captivity lasted seventy years, and during that time, the land of Israel rested. Therefore the land rested just as vumy years, in the Babylonish captivity, as it should have rested sabbaths, if the Jews had observed the law relative to the sabbaths of the land." Tliis is a most remarkable feet, and deserves to be particularly noticed, as a mo.st literal fulfilment of the prophetic declaration in this verse — Then a/uU the land etyoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate; and ye be in your enenues' land.
40 ^ " If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they tre.spassetl against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;
41 And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their ° uncircunicised hearts be '' humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity j
42 Then will I "^ remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will ' remember the land.
43 ' The land also shall he left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they 'despised my judgments, and because their soul abiioired my statutes.
44 And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, " I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break iny covenant with them: lor I am the Lord their God.
45 But I will ™ lor their sakes, remember the
Verse 38. The land of your enemies shall eat you tip.] Does this refer to the total loss of the ten tribes? These are so completely swallowed up in some enemies' land, that nothing concerning their e.xistence, or place of residence retnains, but mere conjecture.
Wrse 4-1-. Neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly] Thoiigli God has literally fulfilled all Ins ilireatenings upon this people, in dispossessing them of ilicir land, destroying their polity, overturning their cit^-, demolishing iheir temple, and scattering themselves over the face of the whole earth; yet he has, in his providence, strangely preserved them as a distinct ptople, and in very considerable numbers also! He still remembers the covenant of their ancestors, and in his providence and grace, he has some very impurtant design in thtir lavoiir. All Israel shall yet be saved: and with the Gentile:*, tiiey shall all be restored to hi:< favour, anelundcrCbrist Jesus, the great Shepherd, become with them, one grand everlasting fold f 4 D 2 ' covenant of their ancestors, ^ whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt, in the sight of ^ the heathen, that I
Verse 46. These are tlie statutes and judgments, &c.] See on ver. 15. This verse appears to be the proper concluding verse of the whole book: and I rather think that the 21th chapter originally followed the 25th. As the law was anciently written upon skins of parchment, sheep or goat skins, pasted or stitched together, and all rolled up in one roll, the matter being written in columns: one of those columns might have been very easily displaced, and thus, whole chapters might have been readily interchanged. It is likely that this might have been the case in the present instance. Others endeavour to solve this difficulty, by supposing that the 27th chapter was added after the book had been finished; and therefore, there is apparently a double conclusion, one at the end of the 26th and the other at the end of the 27th chapter.
46 " These are the statutes, and judgments, and laws, which the Lord made between him and the children of Israel * in mount Sinai, by the hand of Moses.
However the above may have been, all the ancient versions agree in concluding both the chapters in nearly the same way; yet the 26th chapter must be allowed to be, by far, the most natural conclusion of the book.
The most important points in this chapter have already been particularly noticed ii> the notes: and to those on the 15th,.34th, and liie 44th verses the Reader is especially referred. How unwilling is God to cast oft" his people! and yet how sure is their rejection, if they refuse to obey and live to him. No nation has ever been so signally elected as the Jews: and yet no nation has ever been so signally and so awfully reprobated.' O Britain! be not high minded, but fear I Behold here, the goodness and severity of God!
Laws concerning vows, 1, 2. Of males and females from ticenty to sixti/ years of age, and their valuation, 3, 4. Of the same from five to twenty years, 5. Of the same from a month to five years of age, 6. Of males and, females from sixty years old and upwards, and their valuation, 7- The priest shall value the poor according to his ability, 8. Concerning beasts that are vozeed, and their valuation, 9 — 13. Concerning the sanctfication of a house, 14, 15. Concerning the field that is sanctified or consecrated to the Jjord, to the year of jubilee, 16—- 24. Every estimation shall he made in shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, 25. The firstlings of clean beasts being already the Lord's, cannot be vozied, 26. That of an xinclcan beast may be redeemed, 27» Mvery thing devoted to God shall be unalienable, and unredeemable, and continue (he Lord's property till death, 28, 29. All the tithe of the land is the Lord's, 30, but it may be redeemed by adding a fifth part, 31. The tithe of the herd aiul the flock is also his, 32. The tenth, that passes under the rod, shall not be changed, 33. The conclusion of the book, 34.
Verse 2. Wheii a man shall make a singular rouj] Tlie verse is s\jprt and obscure, and may be translattd thus — A man who shall have separated a vow, according to thy estimation, of souls vnio the Lord — which may be paraphrased thus. He who shall have vowed, or consecrated a soul, i. e. a living creature, whether man or beast, if he wish to redeem what he has thus TOwed, or consecrated, he shall ransom or redeem it, aceording to the priest's estimation: for the priest shall judge of the
shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the Lord, by thy estimation. 3 ^ And thy estimation shall be
properties, qualifications, and age of the person or beast, and the circumstanres of the person who has vowed it, and shall ngulate the value accordingly; and the money shall be put into his hands, for the service of the sanctuary. A vow, say* Mr..Auiswortli, is a religious promise made unto the Lord,, and for the most part with prayer, and paid with thanksgiving. Numb. xxi. 9, 3. Psal. l.xvi. 13, 14. Vows were eiib r of absmience, such as are spoken of. Numb. xxx. and the vowi: of the Nazarite, Numb. vi. or they were to give something
4 And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.
5 And if it he from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the iemale ten shekels.
• 6 And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the Iemale, thy estimation sfiall be three shekels of silver.
7 And if it be from sixty years old and above; if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
8 But if he be poorer than thy estimation, then he shall present himself before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to his
to the Lord, as sacrifices. Lev. vii. 16. or the value of persons, beasts, houses, or lands, concerning which, the law is here given. A man miglit vow or devote lUmsetf, his childrtn, (ver. 5, 6.) his domestics, his cattle, his t;oods, &c. And in this chapter, rules are laid down for the redemption of all these things. But, if after consecratinfj these things, he refused to redeenn them, then they heeaine the Lord's property for ever. The persons continued all their lives devoted to tiie service of the sanctuary; the goods were sold for the profit of the temple or the priests; the animals, if clean, were offered in sacrifice; if not proper for sacrifice, were sold, and the price devoted to sacred uses. This is a general view of the diflcrent laws, relative to vows, mentioned in tlu.< chapter.
Verse.3. Fro)ii twenty years old even unto sixty— fifty shekels] A man from tivaiiy to sixty years of age, if consecrated to the Lord by a vow, might be redeemed for Jffty shekels, which at 3«. each, amounted to II. 10s. sterling.
Verse 4. And if it he a femuli] The vjoman, at the same age, vowed unto the Lord, might be redeemed for thirty shekels, 41. 10s. sttiling, a little more than one half of the value of the man; tor this obvious reason, that a woimm if employed, couid not be of so nuieh use in the service of the sanctuary as the tiKin; and therefore of much less value.
Verse 5. From five years old] The boy that was vowed, might be redeemed Cot twenty shekels, 3/. sterling; ihe girl, for ten shekels, just one lialf, 1 / 10 s.
Verse 6. A month old] The male child. Jive slu'kels, 1 5 s. the/t/H«/e, Mree shekels, 9s. Bemg tioth in comparative infancy, they were aearly of an equal value. None were vowed
9 If And It tt be a beast, whereof x.
all that 0712/ man giveth of such unto the Lord, shall be holy.
10 He " shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.
1 1 And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not otter a sacrifice unto the Lord, then he shall present the beast before the priest:
12 And the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad: '' as thou valuest it, 7c7/o art the priest, so shall it be.
13 ' But if he will at all redeem it, then he shall add a fifth part thereof, unto tliy cstiniation.
14 % And when a man shall sanctif)" his house to be holy unto the Lord, then the priest shall estimate" it, whether it be good or bad: as the
under a month old: the first-born being always considered at the Lord's property, could not be vowed, see ver. 26.
Verse 7. Sixty years old] The old man and the old woman being nearly past labour, were nearly of an equal value; hence the one was estimated at fifteen shekels, 2 1. 5.'. the oiher at ten shekels, I /. 10*. This was about the same ratio of the children, ver. 5. and for the same reason.
Ver-e 10. He shall not alter it, or change it, a good for a bud, &c.] Whatever was consecrated to God by a vow, or purpose of heart, was considered from that moment as the Lord's property; to change which, ^as impiety; to withhold It, sacrilege. Reader, hast thou ever dedicated thyself, or any part of thy property, to the service of thy Maker? If so, hast thou paid thy vows? Or hast thou altered thy purpose, or changed thy offering.» Has he received from thy hands a bad for d good? ^\■ert thou not vowed and consecrated to God in thy baptism.? Are his vows still upon thee? Hast thou " renounced the Devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh?" Dost thou feel thyself bound " to keep God's holy will and conmiandments, and walk in the same all the days of thy life?" Was not this thy baptismal covenant? And hast thou renounced IT.? Take heed! God is not mocked: that which thou sowest, thou shalt also reap. If thou rob God ol thy heart, he will <U prive thee of his heaven.
Ver-e 13. Shall add a fij)h ptiri] This was probably inteiidtd to prevent rash vows, and covetous redemptions. The pnesl alone, was to value llie thing; and to whatever his valuation was, a fifth part must be added by liia\ who
redeem his house, then he shall add the fifth part of the money ot thy estimation unto it, and it shall be his.
16 ^ And if a man shall sanctify unto the Lord some part of a field of his possession, then thy estimation shall be according to the seed thereof: ^ a homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver.
17 If he sanctify his field from the year of jubilee, according to thy estimation it shall stand.
18 But if he sanctify his field afler the jubilee, then the priest shall ^ reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, even unto the year of the jubilee, and it shall be abated from thy estimation.
19 '' And if he that sanctified the field, will in any wise redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be assured to him.
20 And if he will not redeem the field, or if lie have sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more.
21 But the field, ^when it goeth out in the jubilee, shall be holy unto the Lord, as a field * devoted; ^ the possession thereof shall be the priest's.
22 And if a man sanctify unto the Lord a field
wi.^lied to redeem the consecrated thing. Thus, if the priest valued if at foriy shekels, if the former owner redeemed it, he was obhsjed to \i\ve Jifl)/.
Verse 14. SluiU sanclij'y Itis hoiise] The yearly rent of which, when thus consecrated, went towards tlie repairs of iLe tahcrnacle; which was the house of tlie Lord.
Verse 16..Some pan of a Jield] Though the preceding words are not in the text, yet it is generally allowed they should be supplied here, as it was not lawful for a man to ▼ow his li/ioie estate, and thus make his family beggars, in order to enrich the Lord's sanctuary: tiiLs, God would not permit. The Rabbins teach, that the land or field, whether good or bad, was valued at _fiftj/ shekels, for all the years of the jubilee, provi<lcd the field was large enough to sow a homer of barley. The "lOH ckonier was ditfcrent from the ")I31? omer — the latter held about three quarts; the former, ser^enlyfifc gallons three pints; see the note on Exod. xvi. 16. Some suppose that the laud was rated not at f/ty shekels, for the whole of the years of the jubilee, for this would be but about 3s. per annum; but, that it was rated accordin:^ to its produce, fifty shekels for every homer of barley it produced.
Verse 21. As a field devoted'] It is ZDlM cherem, a thing so devoted to God, as never more to be capable of being redeemed.— See on ver. 29.
Verse 25. Shekel of the sanctuary'] A standard shekel; the standard being kept in the sanctuary to try and regulate all the weights in the land by. — See Gen. xx. 16. XTtiii. 15.
Verse 28. No devoted thing — shall be sold or redeemed] Tliis is the CDin cherem, which always meant an absolute unredeemable grant to God.
Verse 29. Ifliich shall be devoted of men] Every man who is devoted, shall surely be put to death; or, as some understand it, be the Lord's property, or be employed in his service till death. The law mentioned in the.se two verses, has been appt aled to by the enemies of divine revelation, as a proof, that under the Mosaic di.spensatJon, human sacrificet which he hath bought, which «« not a.m. 2514. of the fields of " his possession; f S" ^f^-
23 ' Ihen the priest shall reckon 2. unto him the worth of thy estima- ^'''^°''^"''"- tion, even unto the year of the jubilee: and he shall give thine estimation in that day, as a holy thing unto the Lord.
24 " In the year of the jubilee the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land did belong.
25 And aU thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: ' twenty gerahs shall be the shekel.
26 f Only the ""firstling" of the beasts, which should be the Lord's firsthng, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox, or sheep: it is the Lord's.
27 And if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall redeem it according to thine estimation,, "and shall add a fifth j^ar^ of it thereto: or if it ' be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy estimation.
28 ^ " Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that ] a man shall devote unto the Lord of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the Lord.
29 ■* None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed j but shall surely be put to death.
A.M.25U. 30 ^ And 'all the tithe of the lai)d, ivliether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Loivd's: it is holy unto the
SI " And if a man will at all redeem atght of
his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part
or of the flock, even of whatsoever ' passeth
were offered to God; but this can never be conceded. Had there been such a law, it certainly would have been more explicitly revealed, and not left in the compass of a few words only, where the meaning is very difiiciill to be ascertained; and the words themselves difTtrently translated bj' most interpreters. That there v/ere persons dtvofed to destruction, under the Mosaic dispensation, is sufticlcntly evident; for the whole Canaanitish nations were thus devoted by the Supreme Being himself; because the cup of iheir initjuily was full — but that lliey were not sacrijiced to God, the whole history suflBciently declares. Iloubi^aiit understands the passage as speaking of these alone; and says, Non alios liccbat unathemute voveri, quam Chanunaos, quosjusscrai J3ch.? ad internecionem dekri. " It was not lawful to devote any persons to death but the Canaanitcs, whom God had commanded to be entirely extirpated." This is jjcrfectly correct; but he might have added, that it was because they were ihe most impure idolattrs, and because the cup of their iniquity was full. These, God commanded to be put to death: and who can doubt his right to do so, who is tlie maker of man, and the fountain of ju.stice? But what has this to do with human sucrifices? Just rwthing. No more than the execution ' of an ordinary criminal, or a traitor, in the common course of justice, has to do with a sacrifice to God. In the de- ', struction of such idolaters, no religious formality whatever was observed; nor any thmg that could give ihe transaction even the most distant semblance of a sacrifice. In this way,; Jcneho was commanded to be destroyed, Jo.sh. vi. IT. and i the Ainaiekites, Ueut. xxv. 19. 1 Sam. xv. 3. But in all ' thtse cases, the people commanded to he destroyed, were such sinners as God's justice did not think proper to spare longer. And has not every system of law the same power? I And do we not concede such power to the civil magistrate, for the welfare of the state } God, who is the sovereign Arliitier of lilie and death, acts here in his juridical and legislative capacity; but these are victims to justice — not rtligioits sacnjices.
i It may be necessary just farther to note, that two kinds of ^Vows are mentioned in this chapter: 1st. The TU nedcr, (see on chap, vii.) which comprehends all those things which, *hen once devoted, might be redeemed at a certain pricf, according to the valuation of the priest. 2dly. 'J he SiH thcretn, those things vowed to God, of which there remained
33 He shall not search whether it «.
be good or bad, " neither shall he ^>>''""^^''"'"- change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
34 * These are the commanciments, which the Loud commanded Moses for the children of Israel in motuit Sinai.
no power of redemption; they were most holy; i. e. so abso« lutely devoted to God, that they could neither be changed, alienated, nor redeemed: probably, because no mental reservation had been made, as in the above case, may be sup^ posed. On this ground, the word was afterwards applied to the most solemn and awful kind of excommwiication — meaning a person so entirely devoted to tlie stroke of vindictire justice, as never to be capable of receiving pardon; and hence the word may be well applied in this sense to the Canaa/iiles, the cup of who>e iniquity was full, and who were consigned, without reprieve, to tinal exteniiination.
Verse 30. All the tithe of the land] This God claims as his own; and it is spoken of here as being a point perfectly settled, and concerning which there was neither duubl nor difficulty. — See my view of this subject. Gen. xxviii. after verse 22d, to which 1 do not see the necessity of adding any thing.
Verse,'52. Whatsoever passeth under the rod] The sigiifi. cation of this verse is well given by the Rabl)ins. " \\'hen a man was to give the tithe of his sheep or calves to God, he was to shut up the whole flock in one fold, in yihich there was one narrow door capable of letting out one at a time. Tlie owner, about to give the tenth to the Lord, stood by the door with a rod in his hand, the end of which was dip|icd m vermilion, or red oihre. The mothers of those lambs or calves stood without: the door being opened, the young ones ran out to join themselves to their dams; and as they passed out, the owner stood with his rod over them, and counted i, 2, 3, 4, 5, &c. and when the tenth came, he touched it with die coloured rod, by which it was distinguished to be the tithe calf, sheep, &c. and whether poor or lean, perfect or blemished, that was received as the legitimate lithe." It seems to be in reference to this custom, that the prophet I'lzekiel, speaking to Israel, says, I tvill cause you to pass un* dcr the rod, and ivill bring you into the bond i<f the covenant:— you shall be once move claimed as the Lord's property, and be in all things devoted to his service, being marked, or as» certaiiied by especial providences and manileslations of hiSkindness, to be his peculiar people^
XXVII.
Verse 34. These are the commandn\ents] This ecnclusion i? very similar to that at the end of the preceding chapter. 1 have already sup|X)sed, that this chapter should have I'ollowtd llj» 25th, and that the 26th «iiginail> leiminated (6« bvvk.
Mr. Ainsioorth, the wlwle of whose writings are animated with the spiiit of pjety, concludes this book with the following excellent remarks.
" The tithes in Israel being thus sanctified by the commandment of God, to liis honour, the maintenance of his ministers, and the relief of the poor, it taught them, and teaches us to honour the Lord ■with our substance, Prov. iii. 9. acknowledging him to be the author of all our increase and store, Dent. viii. 13 — 18. Hos. ii. 8. To honour his MI- NISTERS, and to communicate unto them in all good things, 1 Tim. V. 17, IS. Gulat. vi. 6. that tltey who sow unto us spiritual things, should reap our carnal things, 1 Cor. ix. II. And to give ALMS of such things as lue have, that all things may he clear unto us, Luke xi. 41. Yea even to sell that we have, and give alms; to provide ourselves bags that wax not old, a treasure in the heavens thatfaileth not, Luke xii. 33." — They who forget their Maker, his ministers, and the poor, are never likely to hear that blessed word in the great day; " Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you — for 1 was hungry, and j/e gave me meat, thirsty, andj/e gave me drink, naked, and ye clothed me, sick, and in prison, and^e came unto me."
Reader, thou hast now gone through the whole of this most interesting book; a book, whose subject is too little regarded by Christians in general. Here thou mayest discover the rigid requisitions of divine justice; the sinfulness of sin; the exceeding breadth of the commandment; and the end of all human perfection. And now what thickest thou of that word.? "Whatsoever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law," Rom. iii. 19. But who are under the law, the condemning power of the pure, rigid, moral law of God? Not the Jews only, but every soul of man: all to whom it is sent, and who acknowledge it as a divine revelation, and have not been redeemed from the guilt of sin by the grace of oir Lord Jesus Christ; for " cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them." By this law then is the knowledge, but not the cure, of sin. Hear then what God saith unto thee: " If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the ])eople received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law, Hcb. vii. 11, 12. Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: We have such a high-priest, who is set on the right-hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, whicii the Lord pitched, and not man. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats s'hould take away sins. Ibid. x. 4. But Christ being come a highpriest of good things to come,— neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. And for this cause, he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, — they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. And without shedding of blood is no reunssion. So Christ was once ofiered to bear the sins of manv: and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation," Heb, ix. 11, 12 — 15 — 22 — 28. We see then that Christ was the END of the law for righteousness {for Justification) to every one that believeth. Unto him, therefore, who hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Rev. i. 5, 6.
SECTIONS in the Book of Leviticus, carried on from Exodus which ends with the TWF.NTY-THIRB.
These sections, as was observed on Exodus, have their technical names from some remarkable word, either in the first or second verse of their commencement.
Masoretic Notes on Leviticus,
The number of verses in Vayikra, i. e. Leviticus, is 859. The symbol of which is ^'tSi. Pe t\ final stands for 800, nun 3 for 50, and teth t3 for 9.
Its paresltioth, or larger sections, are 10, the memorial symbol of which is taken from Gen. xxx. 11. 1^X3 ba gad, a troop cometh: in which beth 3 stands for 2, aleph N for 1, gimel i for 3, and daleth 1 for 4.
Its sedarim, or Masoretic sections, are 23. The symbol of which is taken from Psal. i. 2. njiT yehegeh. In thy laio shall he.MEDITATE day and night.
lis perakim, or modern chapters, are 27. The memorial sign of which i>s rrnXI ve-eheyeh, Gen. xxvi. 3. AND I WILL BE icith thee, and will bless thee.
The inimber of its open divisions, is 52: of its close divisio7is, 46: total, 98. The memorial sign of which is TVitsach, ClanL V. 10. My beloved zs WHITE and mddy. In this word, tsaddi S stands for 90, and cheth H for 8.
■< This, which is the fourth book in order, of the Pentateuch, has been called Numbers, from
■ its con'tainin.^ an account of the numbering and marsMUng the Israelites, in their journey
' through the wilderness to the promised land. Its English name is derived from the title it bearskin the Vulgate Latin, Numeri, which is a literal translation of the Greek word A^i^^o/, its title in the Septuagint; and from both, our Saxon ancestors called it Detei, numeration:
.ereai.. This title, howevcr, does not properly apply to more than the three first chapters, and the xxvi The book, like the preceding, takes its name among the Hebkews, from a distmguish- inc. word in the commencement. It is frequently caUed inTi Va-yedabber, and he spoke, from its" initial word; but in most Hebrew bibles, its running title is 121,02 Bemidbar tn the
The contents of the book of Numbers arc briefly the followmg: On the/r^/ day of the > st month of the second year after the departure from Egypt, the tabernacle being erected and it and the priests consecrated, Moses is commanded to make a census or enumeration of the people, the Levites excepted, who were appointed to watch over, guard, pitch and cany the
To form the vast mass of the people into a regular camp, each tnbe by itself under its own captain or chief, known by his proper standard, and occupying an assigned place lu
Moses is commanded to separate the Levites to the service of the tabernacle, whom God chuses to take, instead of the first-born of every flimily, which he clauned as his own. When these were selected in their families, &c. the sum amounted to 22,273.-Chap. in.
All this tribe is appointed to serve the tabernacle in a variety of offices, each person from the age of thirty till fifty, after which he was excused from farther service.-Chap. iv.
When these points were settled, God commands them to purify the camp, by the expulsion of every unclean person, and establishes the trial of the suspected adultress by the waters of jealousy. — Cliap. v.
He next institutes the laws relative to Nazarites; and lays do^nl the Jorm according to which the people shall be blessed. — Chap. vi.
Then follows a particular account of the offerings made to the tabernacle, by the princes or chiefs of the twelve tribes, and the amount of those offerings. — Chap. vii.
When this work was finished, the Levites were consecrated to their respective services, and the duration of the service of each ascertained. — Chap. viii.
The pass-over is commanded to be kept, and the first one is celebrated in the' wilderness, on the 14th of the first month, of the second year after their departure fr^m Egypt;^Chap. ix.
Moses is commanded to make two silver trumpets; he is informed of their use — in what order the different tribes shall march; with the ceremonies at fixing and removing the tabernacle,, and the departure of the people from the wilderness of Sinai, on the 20th day, of the second month, of the second year of their Exodus fi-om Egypt., — Chap. x.
Tiie people murmuring, the fire of the Lord consumes many of them; it ceases on the intercession of Moses; they murmur again — Quails are sent, and they are smitten with a great, plague. — Chap. xi.
Miriam and her brother Aaron rise up seditiously against Moses, having conceived some dislike against his CusJiite wife; and' supposing that he assumed too great an authority over the people; at this sedition the Lord is disijleased, and smites Miriam with the leprosy. — Chap. xii.
Twelve spies are sent to examine the promised land; — they pass through the whole, returnat the end of forty days, and by bringing an evil report, dishearten the people. — Chap. xiii.
Li consequence of this, the whole congregation meditate a return to Egypt — God is displeased,, and pronounces that all of them, from twenty years old and upwards, shall die in the wilderness.— They repent — attack the Amalekites contrary to the commandment of God, and are. discomfited. — Chap. xiv.
A number of ordinances and directions are given, relative to the manner of conducting the worship of God in the promised land — different laws are repeated, and. a sabbath-breaker; stoned to death. — Chap. xv.
Korah, Dathan, Abiram and their associates, form an insurrection against Moses- — they are swallowed up by an earthquake — the congregation murmur, and 14,700 of them are cut off. — Chap. xvi.
As a proof that Gotl had called Aaron and his family to the piiestliood: his rod, or stajf, luds,, and miraculously brings ibrth blossoms and Jhiit, and is commanded to be laid up before the Testimony.— Chap. xvii.
The charges of the Priests and Levites, and th« portions they were to have of the Lord's offerings, for their support in the work. — Chap, xviii.
The ordinances of the red heij'er; — the xcater of furljication, and its uses. — Chap. xix.
The death of Miriam — the waters of Mcribah.— The Lord tcUs Moses, that because he didv aiot sanctify Iiim in tlie eyes of the congregation, lie shall not bring the people into tlie promised land. Tiic king of Edom refuses the Israelites a passage througii In's territories* — -Aaron is stripped of his sacerdotal vestments on mount Hor, and they are put on Eleazar, his son, who is to be high-priest in his stead. Aaron ches, and the people mourn for him thirty days. — Chap. XX.
ylrad, one of the Canaanitish kings, attacks Israel, and he and his people are utterly destroyed— the people murmur lor lack of bread and water— //V/y serpents are sent among them, they •repent— are healed by looking at a brazen scrpetit — they journey and come to Beer, where they id water — Si/io/i, king of the Amorites, attacks them, and is defeated — so is likewise Og, king of Bashan, and the people possess the lands of both. — Chap. xxi.
Balak, king of Moab, sends for Balaam to curse Israel; he dejjarts, is opposed by an angel, and reproved by his ass, whom God, for the purpose, miraculously endued with the gift of speech. — He comes to Balak, king of IMoab, and shews him that Jehovah had limited his power. — Chap. xxii.
Balak offers sacrifices, and Balaam, under the influence of God, prophesies good concerning \ Israel. — Chap, xxiii.
f Continuing to forctel the prosperity of Israel, and the destruction of their enemies, the king I of Moab dismisses Balaam in great wrath. — Chap. xxiv.
The Israelites, seduced by the women of Jlfuab and Midiaji, commit fornication and idolatry: — the chiefs are hanged — bold act of Phineas — Chap. xxv.
A second census, or enumeration of the people takes place, and the amount is 601,730, among whom not one of those of the first census was now found, except Joshua and Caleb. — Chap. xxvi.
From the case of the daughters of Zelopliebad, a law is made to enable daughters to inherit. ]Moses ascends mount Abarim, sees the promised land, and constitutes Joshua his successor. — Chap, xxvii.
The three solemnities of the seventh month are commanded to be held on tlio Jii'st, tenth, anil juurteenth days of the month. — Chap. xxix.
Several laws and ordinances concerning vo'ws of different kinds, made by various persons: -when they should be confirmed, and in what cases annulled. — Chap. xxx.
Twelve thousand Israelites go against the people of Midian, and slay them, their five kings, and Balaam their prophet; and the Israelites take immense booty in persons, cattle, gold, silver, and precious stones, of which they make a great offering to the Lord, because in this contest, they lost not one man. — Chap. xxxi. •
The children of Ecu ben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, request to receive for their inheritance, the territories of Sihon and Og on the east side of Jordan: their desire is granted on the condition of their going over armed with their brethren, to assist them in conquering the land. — Chap, xxxii.
A circumstantial account of the forty-two journies of the Israelites from their departure fr©in liameses, till their arrival at Jordan. They are commanded to expel all the ancient inhabitants.
Tlie borders of the land are described, and the persons appointed by God, who should assist Joshua in dividing the land among the nine tribes and half. — Chap, xxxiv.
Forty-eight cities are to be assigned to the Levites, out of the twelve tribes, for tlieir goods and for their cattle; and out of these, they were to appoint six cities of refuge, for the person who had unawares slain his neighbour: to one of which cities the manslayer was to escape, and tarry there till the death of the high priest. — Chap. xxxv.
A law established that the daughters to whom the paternal inheritance descends, shall not marry out of their own ti'ibes, lest their inheritances should become alienated and lost, by being blended with those of other tribes, chaji. xxxvi. — See the case of Zelophehad's daughters. — Chap, xxvii.
In this book, which comprehends the history of between thirty-eight and thirty-nine years, we have in one word, a distinct account of the several stages of the Israelites' journey in the wilderness, the various occurrences on the way; their trials, rebellions, punishments, deliverances, conquests, kc. with sevei-al laws and ordinances, not mentioned in the preceding books; together with a repetition and explanation of some others which had been previously delivered. The whole forming a most interesting history of the Justice, Mercy, and Providence of God.
Year before the common Year of CJirist, 149O. — Julian Period, 32'24. — Cycle of the Sun, 27. — Dominical Letter, D.' Cycle of the Moon, 0. — Intliction, 6.— Creation from Tisri or September, 2514.