Commentary on the Holy Bible

From Virgil we leom, (hat the fop»o«t iocfc of hwr wu dedicated to the inftrnal goda.- aee bia account of the do&th of Dido.

If the hair waa roundod^ and dedicated for purpoaea of thia kind, it will at once aeeouDt fiir the jm^ibttion in Oiia

TV eornert ttf tki/ beard\ Probably meaning the hair of tile cheek that connecta the hair of the head with the beard. Thim waa no doubt cut in aome peculiar manner for the auperatitioua puqMMea mentiotted above; several of our own oountrymen wear this said hair, tn a curioui form; for what purposes they know beat. We cannot aav precise- Iv, that it is the ancient Egyptian custom revivea. From tne images and pointings which remain of the ancient Egvptians, we find that they were accustomed to shave the whole hair off their foce, except merely that upon the chin; which last thev cut off only in times of mourning.

Yerse 28. Any cuttings in your JMi/ortke dead] ThaX the aneienta were very violent in their grie^ tearing the bidr and &ce, beating the breast, &c. is well known: Virgil represents the sister of Dido, "tearing her face with Bcr nails, and beating her breasta with her fists."

N&r jtritit anymarkai^mi you] It waa a very aneient, and a verr general casto^^ to eanr marin on the body in honour « tbe object of thur woranip. All the eastes of the Hindoos, bear on their foreheads, or elsewhere, what are called the teetarian mar/cM, which not only distinguish dwm in a civil, but also in a rel^ioos point of view, from oadi other.

Host of the barbarous nations lately discovered, have Aiir beos, arms, breasta, dbc curiously carved, or talootd, imbafaly far supeiratitious purposes. Ancient writers abound with aecounis of marks made or the face, arms, &c. in honour of different idols — and to this the inspired penman ^fudas, Rev. ziii. 16, 17. ziv. 9, U. zv. 2. xvi. 2. zix. 2U. IX. 4. wbcrefalseworahippers are represented as receiving in their hands, and in Ibeir forehead, the marks of the beaaL These were called my^rm, stt^ma/a, Among the Cheeks^ and to these Sl Paul refers, when he says, I bouabout in my body the marks {tUgmata) <k the Lord Jesus, Oal. vi. 17. I have seen severtu cases where persons have got the figure of the cross, the Virgin Mary, Slc made oa their arms, breasts, Ac. the skin bemg first punctured, and dien a blue colouring matter rubbed m, which is never afterward effiKjed. All these were done for superstitioua purposes; and to such thhiga probably, the pronibition in this verse refers. Calmet on thia verae gives several examples.

Vena 29. Do noi prottituU thy daughttr] Thia waa • very frequent custom|_aod with ezam^es or it, writerB •f uttiqBi^ abound. The Cyprian women, aoooidiiv *■>

33 And p if a stranger sounirn with thee in your land, ye shall not <■ vex turn.

34 ' But the stranger that dwelleth with yon, shall be unto you as one born amoog you, ana ■ thou shalt love him as thyseUj for ve were strancrers in the land of Eeypt: lam the Lmu* your God.

35 * Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.

Justin, gained that portion which their husbands reeeived with oiem at mamage, by previous public proatitutim. And the Phanieian*, according to AtwuvMn, made a gift to Venus of tbe gain acquired by the puslic proetitutiOTi of their daiu^ters, previously to their marriage. Veaeri donum daSani, tt prottitutUma JUiarum artUauatn Jtmgermt eat vtrit.. De Civit. Det, lib. zviii. c. 6. And aee VtUmet.

Verse 31. Regard not them that han/hmiitar sptrttsi TV Hebrew word maN oMA, probably aignifiea akindor tng€utromythi, or ventriloquidt; or audi as the Py tboaess mentioned Acts xvi. 16, 16. persons who, while under tbe influence qf Oieir demon, became greatly ii\flaied, as ths Hebrew won) implies, and gave answers in a sort of phrensy. See a case of thia kind in TUgU, JEneid. L vL V. 4s, dkc iVetlAer teek afler wizarda] D']p'< yideSnim, the wite, or knowing ones, from 7^ yadS, to know or uneter^ Hand I called wixard, in Scotland, tnae or cunning man in England; and hence also the wise woman, the whtfa vilA. Not only all real dealers with bmiliar spirit^ or necromantio or magical superstitions, are here forbidden | but also all pramdert lo the knowledge of futurity, fortune-tellers, astrologers, Ac. dtc. To Utempt to know what Ood has not thought' proper to reveal, is a ain against his wisdom, providence, and goodness. In nercy, great mercy, Qod has hidden the knowled^ of futurity from man, and given him hope, the erpecUUum of fiOmr* good, in its place. See the note on E^od. xxiL 18.

Verse 13. If a atranger tojoum] This law to protect and comfiMI the stranger, waa at onCe humane and politio. None is so desolate as the stranger, and none needs ihs offices of benevolence and cbori^ more: and we may add, that be who is not affeoted by the desolate stale of th* stranger, has neither benevolence nor charity. It was po- Ktic to encourage strangws, as, in consequence, many came not oillj to sojourn, but to settle among the Jews; and thus their political strength became increased; and many of these settlera became at least protefyteo qf th* gate, if not prottlytto iff th» covenant, aitd thus got their souls saved. Hence humanity, (sound policy, and religion^ said, vexnot tiuHranger f thou ihait love him ag Ihjfftifi The ^Mstle mains use of a stnmg arniraenl to indnoa men to hospitality toward strai^rs. Be not/orgeffiU tm erUeriain strangert, for ther^y some have etiierlain<d arigeU unaware*, Heb. ziii. 2. Moses also uses a powerfiil motive; ye wers ttrangtrv in iht iand ^ ^KWf^ The spirit of the precept here laid down, may be well «xpressed in our Lord's worda t Do mUo att mm oa y» would they Amdd do unto yem.

Verse 36. Ye ehali do no unrightwuntoo} Ye sbali not act contrary to tbe strictest justice in any case: and especially in the A>ur following^ which, properly understood, comprise ul that can oecur between a man and his* fellow. 1. JoDomrr in all cases that come before the civil magiatrsto— ha is to judgfe and deoida aeeordtng to the law. 2. Bbns-VAaiH moa bamiddah, in measures of length and outface, sad) as tbe reerf, cubii, foot, tfon. harutt-breadthy among the Jeiet; or ell, yard, foot, and incft, among us. 3. Wsiort, Vpvss ba-mitkekai, in any thing that iaweWkadj the weigbta being all aecscdinglDltas aMOonfo k«^ tor die purpoae.of n^ogdie res^in dis

Ephah, and a just Hin, shall ye have: I am the Lord your God, which broapit you out oC the land of E^ypt.

37 " Therefore Bhidl ye obeerve all my statutes, and all my judsmenta, and do them: I am

3 If ' A^in thou shalt say to the children of Israel, ' WhoBoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strao^era that Bojourn in Israel, that giveth any of ms seed unto Moleeh; he ^lall surely be put to death; the people of the land sb^l stone him with stones.

3 And ' I will set my face against that man, ai^ wilt cut him off from among hie people: because he hath given of his seed unto Moleeh, to ■ defile my swictaary» and ^ to profane my holy name.

4 IT And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, wher> he i^iveth of hie seed unto Moleeh, and ' kill him not;

5 Then ' I will set my face a^inst that man, and 'gainst his family, and will cut him ofi, (and air that ' go a whorins afler him, to commit whoredom with MolechJ from among their

Verse 37. Yc thall ob»er*e aU my rtahitea] '>pn e/tuictu, firom pn MoA', to deteribe, mark, or trace out — the rioht* eauBiieaa which I have described, and the path of doty which I have traoad out. Judgmente, "vtvo mUhpatai from nam tlu^/iat, to <f£«c«m, determine, direct, Ac. that which Divine wisdom has dieeemed to bs best for man, th*tba haM determined- Aail promote his best interests; aod that he has (iircctoi him conscientiously to use. See the note on ehui. xxvi, IB.

1. Mart difficulties occur in this very importaot abapteri butdwy are such <nily tout; forttineeanbsnodouM of their having been perfectly velllroowntotfielaraeliles, to witem the precepts contained in ihia chapter were given. Cooaidereble pains however have been taken to make them plain, and no serious mind can read tbem without profit.

2. The precepts against injitsticet fraud, dander, enmi^, Ac &C. are wdl worth the notice of CTSiy Christiant and thoaa sgaiiMt sitpcrsMNottt tMages, «ra not leas sot um) bv these last we wan, dwt bavins noourse to attrologere, ^frtune-teUere, Ac to get intelugence of lost or stolen goods; or to raww the foture events of oar own or UMMO of others, is hi^ily criminal in the ai^tt <^ Clod. "name who have reeoona to such personiu renooaos their baptism, and in effect renoooce the prwiosfiee, aa well as the v>ord of God.

3- Hie preeepts of humanity and mercy, relative to the poor, the hirehng, and the strong <r, are worthy of our moM aerioua r^ard. Nor are those which conoam weighte and meaeurte, traffic, and the whole system of eowiwniative jostiee, leas ntoemmrj to be ofaaerved for the comfort and benefit of the individual, and the safety ■nd prDueritv of the elate,

Vane 2. That giveOieBj <^ hie eeed unto ASoleih'\ To what has been said in the note oa chap, zviii, 31. we may mMt that ^rabkinadeseribaduidd (who waa pnfaatrfy » raprttnutiw or estblematwal penoniflealion of the

6 H And > the soul that turneth after such aa have familiar spirits, and afler wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even eet my &ce against that eoul, and will cut htm on from among his people.

7 IT'' Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for 1 am the Lord your God.

S > And ye shall keep mv statutes, and do them: ^ I am the Lord which sanctity you.

9 H ' For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed bis - father or his mother; hit bk»d BhaU be upon him.

10 And "Ae man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that commibteth adultery with his neighbour's wife, adulterer and the adolteresB shall sure^ be put to death.

Ill" And the man that lieth with his fhther^s wife, hath uncovered hisfkther's nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood ehall be upon them.

12 p And if a man lie with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death: ^thcgr have wrought confusion: their blood thtiU oe upon them.

13 H ' If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall sorely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

14 It 'And ifa man take a wife and her mother, it w wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among yoo.

solar influence) as made of brass, in the form of a man, with the head of an ox; that a fire was kiiKlled in the inside, aod the child to be sacrificed to him, was put in his arms and roasted to death. Others say, that the idol, whidi was hollow, was divided into sewn compartmeHie within; in one of which they put Jlottr, ia the seeand tmHe-dovee, in- the third an em, in the fourth a ram, in the fifth a cM in ttie sixth an ex, and in the seventh a child, which (by heating the statue on the outside) were all burnt aUve together. I question the whole truth of these BUttements, whether J^m Jewirii or CTfarietian rabbins. There ia no evidence of all this in (he Sacred Writings. And then is but pfesumpttve proof, and that not very stronff, that hitman saerifioes were at all offered to Moleeh by the Jews. The paeeing throueh IKeJtrt, so frequently spoken <A, might mean no mcwe than a simple rite of eoneeeroHon to the service of this idol. Probably a khid of onieai was meant, the persoDs passing auddeit^ through the flame of a large fire, fay wiiieb, though they might be bunU or seorcAsdTyet th^ were neiihar kiUedot consumed. — Or they might have pa ssed Arfwatw tveo larm Jlree, as a sort of purifioaiitm. see the note <m ver. 14. and on chap, xviii. 21.

yeae S. Pamitiar epirile} See the note on chap. xix. 31. and Exod. xxii. la

Verse 9. Cureeth hie father or hie mother] See the notes on Gen. xlviii. 12. Exod.xx. 12. He who consoiencioualy ke^ the JtfOi commandment, can be in no danger of Ais judgmanu The term V^p<yaftaH signifies not only to chfss tut to epeek of a person coniempluotxMly and dUreepect/uUy i to make tight <ifi so that all speeobea which have a tenaenoy to lessen our parents in um eyea of others, or to render their judgment, piety, Ac, sumcied and coniamptibte, may be here included: though the act of eureing. or of treating the parent with injurioui and <^rotarioua language, ia that which ia partioiiUrly intended.

Verse 10. Commxitrih adttUerTf] To what has been said ip the note on Exod. xx. 14. we meif add, that t}ia word aduOtfry comes from the Latin adalterium, which is eompounded of od; to orwiA, and aUer, another, or according to Hioshieu, of ad alteriue Ihomm, he that approachea to another man'e bed.

Verse U. Utey ihaUbtbwnU vithfire\ As thareue wane crinea msntiowd hare, see veisea 11. and 17. where dw del^qnent is onfered eimi^Uibe put Is rfssAi arte

15 ^ ' And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye Bhall slay the beaat.

16 And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shalt surely be put to deatli; their blood shall be upon them.

17 ^ ' And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daui^hter, and Bee her nakedness, and she see hia imkedness: it if a wicked thin^ j and they shail be cut off in the siff ht of their people: he aath uncovered his. sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.

18 ^ ' And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath * discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain her hwod: and both of them shidl be cat off from among their people.

19 1r ■ And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of tbv mother's sister, nor of thv father's sister: 'for he uncoveretb bis near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.

20 ■ And if a man shall lie with his unde*s with, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin: they shall die childless.

21 'Andif aman shall take faisbrotber'swife, it is >> an unclean thing: he hath uncovered bis brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

22 jr Ye shall therefore keep all my ' statutes, and all mv judgments, and do them: that the lEuod, whither I bring yoa to dwell tberem, ■* spue you not out.

23 ■ And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nations which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and 'therefore I abhorred them.

24 But 1 1 have said unto you, Ye shall inhe-

be eiU o^, it very likely dial Ihe crime mentioned in this vene, was not puniehed bv bunting alive; but by aome kind of branding, by which they were ever after reiuleted infkmouB. I need not add, that the original iaivi vta ba-tth ifiArephu, may, witnoat violence lo ita grmmmBd- «al meaning, be uixmraiood aa above, though in other placea, it is cenaioly used 10 signify a coBBumiop by fire. But the case in queiiion requires some explanation -, it is thia, a man marries a wife, and afterward takes hia motherin-law, or wife's mother, to wife also; now for this offenoe, the text says, all three ahajl be burnt vUh fin; and (his b andsrdood as siffDifying, that they shall be burnt aiivc. Now the first wiK, we may eofely presume, was completely innocent, and was le^ly married: for a man may take to wife the datif^ter, if nngU / or the mother, if a iMms! and in neither of theae cases, can any blame attach to ihe man or the party he marries 1 the crime tbereibre lies in taking both. Either, tberefbre, they were all branded as n^ammu persons, and this certainly was ■evara flooogh, in the case of the first wife t or the man and ^ woman taken last, were burnt; but tne text myu, both he and they, therefore we should seek for another interpretation of they tkall bt burnt withjhe, than that which is commonly given. — Branding with a hot iron, would certainly aoeomplish every denmble end, both for punishment ana jwevantion of the crime; and because the Hosaie laws an so generally distinguished by Atnnonf^, it aeenu to be neeessaiy to limit the meaaingof the words •a above.

Vetw 16, if a woman approach unio any bMu/] We have the authority of one of the moat eminent historians in the world, Herodotus, to say, that this was a crime not unknown in Egyptt yea, that a cose of diis nature aetutually todc plaec while he was dtere. mytnit V n tm

»«earti*. T««r» it irilt'En dfff m-ixit*. HeroiL in Eut^. p. 10s. Edit Qale. Lond. 1679. " In this district, within my own recollection, this portentous business took plaee; a goat coupled so publicly witliawoman that every person knew it, Ac." After this, need we wonder that Ood should have made hws of this nature, when it appsan, these abominatians were not only prastUed among the Bgyptian^ but were partaoT a miperatitima religioua syatam. This one observatkn will aeeoant tor many of fit their land, and 1 will give it unto you to po^ sesB it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the Lord your Ood, ^ which have separated you from other people.

25 I Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: ^ and ye shall not make your souls abominable \fs beast, or by fowl, or by any manner <^ livinff thing that > creepeth on the ground, wtucb I nave separated from yoa as un-

26 And ye shall be holy unto me; "for I the Lord am holy, and " have severed yon from otter people, that ye ahotild be mine.

27 ll " A man also, or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall sorely be put to deatb: they shall stone tram with stones: ' their blood 9haU be upon ttiem.

of Aaron, and say unto them, i There ehoil none be defiled for the dead among hie people:

2 But for his kin, that is. near unto him, that is, for hui mother, and forlus&ther,fnidforhiBBotif and for his daughter, and for hia brotbw,

3 And for his sister a vir^, that is nigh into him, which hath had no husband; for her may he he defiled.

4 BtU ^ he shall not defile himself, being- a chief man among his pet^ile, to profane himsdC

those strange prt^Utions which we find in the Hoeaie law: others, the reasons of which are not so plun, we should see the preprie^ equally, had we ampler biMstie records of the customs that existed in that countiy.

Verse 22. The land wkithar I bring yon to dmff (Aeretn, spue you not out} See this enervetic proeop^iaia explained in the note on chap, xviii. 2£ Frma this we learn, that the cup of the iniijuiUes of die Oinanitirii o»- tions was full; and that consistently with the divine jamdet, they could be na Irager spared.

Verse 24. A land thai fioweth with mitt axd Aetuy) See this explained, Exod. iii. 8.

Verse 27. A JamUiar spirit] A spirit or demon wfaicb by masieal rites, is auwDoeed to be bound to appear at ^ call oifaia emplmrer. See the notes on Oen. xlL B. Exod. vii. U, 22, and 35. and on ohap. xix. 31.

From the acoouota we have of the abomJoatioDa both of Egypt and Canaaa we maybhnh for human naurai for wberevor it is wilbout oultivatitiii, and without the rv velation of God, it is every thing that is vile in prineiptt and detestable in praetiet. Nor would any part of the habitable globe materially differ from Egypt aod Canaan, had they not that rule of righteousness, the revealed LAW af Oodt ana t^t and immorialily been brought to Ug^t Iw ifaa OosMH. among them. From these accounts, for wbioi we oould easily find parallels in ancient Greece and Italy, we may see the absolute need of a divine revelation, witumt which, man, even in his best estate, differs little bcn^ the bruie,

Verael. Hure ihatt tumt be dMtd for Oie doad\ priest shall asnst in laying out a dead body; or preperinK it for interment. Any contact vrith the dead was suppoaea to. be of a defilinz nature, probably because putrefacckwi had then taken place; and animal putrelaction was evsa held in detestation by all men.

Verse 4. A dtief man amottg Ais people} The woti hj3 baSl signifies a master, dUd^ MuaoofUL Ae. and ia as variously tnuislated hera^ 1. Hebeinga eM^aBMagdis people, tl would be impnmor to see hmi in soeh a bibm eC numiliaiion as aouming tor the dead neeeMrily impttsa. 3. l%oi)^ a A«s6an4wA*U not defile hinaeffeveakt

5 ■ Tber dutll pot malce baldoew upon their h^, neither shall they Bbave off the corner of their beard, nor make anjr Cuttinge in their flesh.

6 It They shall be holy unto their God and

■ not profane the name of their God: ibr the oneringB of the Lotto made by Jre, and ■ the bread of their God, they do oner; therefore they shall be holy.

7 ^ * They shall not take a wife thai i> a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman * put away from her husband: for he t« holy unto his God.

8 Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: " for I the Lord, which sanctify you, am holy.

9 IT ' And the daughter of any priest, if she profane hera^ by ptkyiDs the whore, she uromneth her father: sne shall be burnt with nre.

10 it ■ And he that is the high priest among his Imthren, uj>on whose head the anointing oO was poured, and * that is conseerated to put on the earments, shall not uncover his head nor rend his clothes;

11 Neither shall he < go in to any dead body, nor defile himself fbr his father, or for his mother;

12 ' Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God: for * the crown of the anointing oil of his God is tipati him t I am the Lord.

13 1[ And ^he shall take a wife in her vi/- ginity.

14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or a harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.

,15 Neither shall he profane his seed amoD^ his people: for f I the Lord do sanctify him.

17 gkieak unto Aardn, saying, Whosoever M be of tny seed in their generations, that ha£h any blemish, let him not ■> approach to offer the 1 bread of his God.

18 For whatsoever man he oe that bath A blemish, he shall not approaehl ablkbd man,. 61* a lame, or he that hath a flat nose. Or any ttuiitf ^ superfluous;

20 Or crooked -backed, or la dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or " hath his stones broken:

dte death of a wife, because the ancrintiiig of hia Qod ia upon him. But dw fint lenae nppean to be the besL on dutp. six. Zf. It is wppooed that theae things were psrtioaurly pn^bited; becauae uaed auperatitioualy by nw EgyptMn prieata, wbo^ according to Htrodotus, shaTed the whole bow everr third day, that there might be no aneleaniWM about them when they ministerea in tlteir temples. 'Thii appesra to have been a geneml euatom among the heathen. In die botdc of Barudi, chap. vi. yer. 31. (he prieata of Babylon are represented ntting in thHr tempUa, with their dotha rent, and their headt <md beards that en, and having nothing upon their keadM. Every penoD knows the tmaure of the Catholic priests. Should aot this be avoided as an qiproach to a heauieniah custom 7

I*ut away J^rom her husband\ Because thia very circomatanee might lead to auapicion that the prieat and the divorced woman might have been improperly connected htton-

Verse 9. She AaU be burnt with Jtre] Probably not burnt alive; but atrangled first, and then lumt afterward. IWigh it is barely poaaible that some kind of branding mar be intended.

Verse 10. He that ia the high prieat] This is the firat place where this title ia introduced; the title is very empbatie, ynm \ron Aa-coAen ha^gadot, that prieat toe grial one. For the meaning of tns eaken, see the note on Oen. ziv. 18. As the daieior hi^ priest was a representative of OUT blessed Lord, therefore he was required to be especially holy; and he is represented as God's king amoag the people.

Terse 12L TTu erovn qf the anoiniing oU — is upon JUm.1 By his qfflee tlie priest represented Christ in his aaeryUial character. By hia anointing, the prophetic influenoet and by the ervt^n, the regtU digntly of our

Tene 13. UeAaU take awife in her virginity.] rr^m iathuUyah. I^is is a fUll proof that nW^a betmdah, is the proper Hebrew term for a virgin; from the em[4iBtic root ^ru baihal, to aeparate; because such a person was in her aeparatt stat^ and Iwd never bean in any way witad to man.

Terse 17. Wioaoeeei — haih any Uemiah, let htm not apprvach to t^er tha bread iff hia God.] Never was a wiser, a mote ratMual, and a more expedient law enacted relative to aacred mattera. Tlie man who ministers in holy thinj^ who profesaea to be the interpreter of the will of God, Aould have nothing in bis paraon, nor in hia manner, which cannot contribute to render him req>ectable in the eyes of thoee to whom he ministers. onthe contrary, at has any persona/ defeti, any thing that, ma; render him eentemptible or dMpicoble, his usefiilaess wUf be greatly iiyured, if not entirely prevented. however, a man have received any damage in the work m (Sod, by i peraeeution, or otherwise hia aeui «r* honaunlUb sod will add to bis reapecrability. But if ha lie received into the ministry with any of the blemishes FpTTli4?!l har?^ he never will, and never can, have that r»-|" 4:i viMrli rn «- senliolly necessary to secure his usefuliKii^i. Let do man say this is a part of the Mdaaie law, and arc not bound by iL It ia an eternal lav^ founded on reason, praprittvi common atnae, and abaoiute ntetaaity. I'he priesi^ rioB prophet, the Christian minister, is the repreaealsliva d( Jeaua Chrlat — ^let nothing in his person, vnrriage, or daeirine, be unworthy of the peraonoge hefqif^'Cii!.;. A fte- Jbrmad peraon, though consummate iii lif-l'iiuiiil.c wiedoEft, would never be employed as an aiiil!:i^rr!iil.>r, by enlightened court, if any fit person, ubt-l'.'ULiKiicJ, possibly be procured.

Verse 18. A blind man] i. e. in one eye; for he that vMs utterly blind could not possibly be employed in such a service. A Jtat note, like tliat m an ape; so the best version!; — any thing eupeijluotu i aucb aa aix fingera, tix toes, &c.

Verse 20. Crooked-backed] Hunch-backed or gibbous) a dwarf, dak^ a pnson too ahort or too thin, so as to be eiti:^ particularly observable, or ridiculous in his pearanee.

A blemiih in hia eye] A protuberance on the eye, ob^ servable spots or suffusions.

Scurvy or acabhed] A bad habit of body, evklenced bf scorbutic or acrofiilous alTeetions.

Sionea broken] la ruptured?— an infirmity whirhwouU render him incapable of fulfilling the duties of bis office, which might be nften very fatigumg.

In the above list of blemishes, we meet with some that might render the priest eonUmplible in the eyes of men, and be the means <n leading them not only to despise the man, but to despise the miniatry itsHf: and we meet with others that would be a very great jmpedtnunf in the discharge of his ministerial duties, and therefore aay person thus blemished, is by this law prec hided from the miniatry.

The blcmiahes here enumerated, have been conaidsred by some in an allegorical point of view, as if only nfaenag to the necessity of moral purity t bat aldMU^ kMtua* qf tuart, and rlghttaumtm qf be eaamtial^ neeesaary in a minister of God, vet an absence of the defects mentioned above, is, I fully believe, what God intends here i and for die reasons too, which nave been already advanced. It must however he granied, that there hav« been some eminent tnviiies who have been deformed^ and some with certain blemishes have been employed m the Chrisu'an ministry, and Iiave been useful. Tne Hosaia rule, however, will admit of but few exceptions, when even examined according to the more MCleiided interpretation of the Christisn system.

" The Hebrews say there are!n all 140 blemishes which disable (he wfest— eight in the Acad; two ia the nscft/

of AaroQ }he priest, ehall come nigh to *■ offer the offerings of the Lord made bf fire: he hath a blemiEh; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God:

22 He ^all eat the bread of hia God, both of the " most holy, and the p holy.

23 Only he enall not go in unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he bath a blemish; that i he profane not my sanctuaries; for I the Lord do sanctify them.

24 ' And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his ■0U8, aod unto all the children of Israel.

2 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they * separate tbemselveB from the holy thmgs of the children of Israel, and that the^ ' profane not my holy name in those things wuich they ° hallow unto me: I am the Lord.

3 Say unto themfWhoBoever A«&eaf all your seed among your generations, that eoeth onto the holy things, which the children oflsrael hallow unto the Lord, * having his uncleannees upon bun, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the Lord.

4 What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath * a ■ running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, ' until he be clean. And

nine in the ears; five in th« brout; leven in the tydida; nineteen in the eye*; nine in the R4M<; nine in the mouth; three in the 6etty; three in the frocft; seven in the handa; MXteen in Ibe ttereU; eight in any part of the body; eight in the«Mn; and seven in ^strength and in the breatH" Ainsworih. In ancient timea, even among heatliena, per* •onfl of the most respectable appearance were ^pointed to the pheBthood; and the emperor, both among the ancient Greeks and Romans, was both king and prwt..It is reported of H&teliu»,aiai. having lost an m in endeavouring to save the PaUadium from the wunea, when the temple of Vesta was on fire, that he was denied the priesthood, though he had rendered sui-h an excellent piece of eervice to the public; yet the public opinion was, tliat a priest who was defective in any member, was to be avoided as otninotu. — See Dodd. At Elis, in Oreece, the judges chose the finest looking man to carry the sacred vtaaelg of the deity; he that was next him in beauty and sleftance, led the ox: and the third in personal beou^, &e. carried the garlanda, ribands, urine, and the other matters used for the sacrifice. Athen. Dedinesoph. 1. xiii. c 2,

Verse 23. Se AaU not go in unto Vei/] The priest with a blemish was not permitted to enter into the Holy of Holies — nor to bum incense — nor to ofier the showbread — nor to light the golden candlestick, &c. In short, he was not permitted to perform soy esientisl function oi the priesthood.

1. The great perfection required in the Jewish high priest was intended priqpipally to point out the perfection of that priesthood oi which tlie Jewish was only the type. And yet that law made nothing {lerfeet, but pointeo out that mostperfect priesthood and saenfiee, 1^ which we draw near to God.

2. As none who had a blemish coutd enter into the Holy of Holies, uid this Holy of Holies, was a type of the kingdom of Ood, BO nothing that is defiled can enter into heaven; for he gave himself for his church, that he might purify it to himself and present it at lost before the presence of the divine glory, having ntHhertpoL norwrinkte, nor any tuA Ihitfg^ EpiL v. 27. a pasmge wnich evidently refers to the directions in the precedi^ verse. Reader, •It dxM become a,king Kad^trieat unto Qod and the Lamb 1 and hail thou obtain^, or art thou earnestly seeking that

« whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or ■ a man whose.seed goeth from him;

5 Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing*, whereby he may be made unclean, or * a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleannees he hath:

6 The soul which hath touched any such shall 1:^ unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he * wash his flesh with water.

7 And when the sun is down, he shafl be clean, ajod shall afterward eat of the holy things; because 'it is his food.

S ' That which dieth of itself, or u torn mih beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: 1 am the Lord.

9 They shall therefore keep mine ordtnaoce. ( lest they bear sin for it, aod die therefore, if chey promne it: I the Lobd do sanctifr them.

10 Tl There shall no stranger eat in the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or a lured servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.

11 But if the priest bi^ omr soul (with mm money, he shall eat of it, and fie that is bom in his house: ^ they shall eat of his meat.

12 If the prieert's daughter also be married nnto 1 a stran^r, she may not eat of an ofiieriiv of the holy things.

13 But if the priest's danehter be a widow, or divorced, and have no chHa, and is " returned unto her father's house, " as in her vouth, she shall eat of her father's meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.

14 ^ <■ And if a man eat o^the holy tluDg tmwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give tc unto thie pnest with the holy thing.

NOTES ON CHATTER XXD. Verse 2. Speak unto Aaron and hit sans, Aat Aey «e- para^e IhemMlvea] Tbe some subjetA is continued in this chapter, as in the preceding; with the addition, that beside* the perfection of the priests, it was indisponsably nenessary^ that the sacrifices also should be po^/cc^. In the service of God, according to the law. neither an imperfect <iffering, nor an imperfect oj'erer could be admitted. What need thu <tf« mediator between a holy God and air^/iU men I And eas we expect that any of our services, howsoever sincere and ieetl-intentioned, can be accepted, unless offered on that living Altar that sanctifies the g\(t1

Verse i. Ua leper, or hath a running iesue} See (he case of the leper treated at large in the notes on dieplers xiii. and ziv. ^ other unaeannete*, see the uotea <m chap XV.

For tlie meaningof the word atrang^, see the note on Exod. xii. 43. The Jews suppose, that stranger here, means one who has had his ear pierced, see the note on Exod. xxi. 6. and that aofourTier means a servant who is to go free on the sabbatiud vear. Neither of these was permitted to eat of the holy tninn, because they were not properly members of ibepriest's nunily; and nugbtgoout and denlc themselves even with the abominations of dw heathen; but the servant, or slave that was boug^it vilh money, ver. 10. might eat of these things, because be was the property of the master for ever.

We see that it was lawful, under the Mosaic economy, to have slate* under certun restrictions; but these were taken from among the heathen, and instnicled in the tras religion: hencevre find, asintheabovecaBe,thatthrrwere reckoned as a part of Hie priesCs own famitih and treattd as such. They certahily had privileges which did not «stend either to sojourners or to kirei servants; tberefbit^ their situation was incomparaUy better than the sitoatioa of the slaves under different £uropeu\ govenuBents, of whose souls their pitiless possessors, in general, take no care, while diey themselves venture to profess dw ChiisCwi religion, and quota the HMStie lav in vindicatioa of ikeir qrstem of slaverr. How prqiMtaroaB is socb " Mid how intoleraole I

15 And p ther ahall not orofane the bol;^ Uiiiies of the chiulren o£ iBrael, which the/ offer unto the Lord;

16 Or 1 Buffer them ^ to bear the ipiquitr or trespass, when they eat their holy thinffs: for I the LosD do saDctify them.

17 i And the Lord spake unto Moses, Bayingr,. 18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his eons, and unto all the children oflsFael, and say unto them, • Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer bis oblation for all his vows, and for all his free-willofferiogs, whiph they will ofier unto the Lord for a burnt-offering;

19 ' Ye shall cffer, at your own will, a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.

20 ■ But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall je not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for

21 And * whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace-offer ioj^s unto the Lord * to acccnnplieh hit T0W( or a free-wiU-ofiering in beeves or ■ sheep, It shall be perfect to be accepted; there ■hall be no blemish therein.

22 * Bh'nd, or broken, or maimed, or having; a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not oner these onto the Lord, nor make * an offering by fire of them upon the altar, unto the Lord.

23 Either a oullock, or a * Iamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in hisparts, that mayest thou offer for a free-wiU-offering; but ibr a vow it shall not be accepted.

24 Te shall not offer unto the Lord that which 18 brolBed, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither ■hall ye make oMy offering thereqfin your land.

Yene 14. 7VrA« ihaaptil Oie put Qurti^wnto U] 1%» holy thing of wbich he hna uucDOvinaly eaton, ihall be tairly valued, and to this value he ■ball add one Jljih nore, ajidffive the whole to the prieat.

Yem VS. Whattoeftr hath a bUMith} Ute Mune perfection is reqaired in the nerifiee, that ma reouind in the prisat, see on ver. 2. and the notaa on the praeeding chapter.

Tene 23. ITuU hath an^ thing mperjtuout or taelnng] Tbe tfitm pviv taruS, ngnifiea any Uling extmd^ beyond the luual aiie: and the term vhp Jeaiut, signifies any uiiDg ■niiaaallT tsntraettd: and both mean any raoutroeity, wbadwr in ndundanet or tMect. Such things, it •eemi, night be offered for Afrte-mtt't^ermgt beeauie that vaa noTpresciifaedbylbelawi Ood ufk it to a man's pie^ and eratitude to offer audi additional gifts as he cou/o—what uie law reqaired waa in'Jigpensably necessary, because it pointed out Uie Ooi^l ecooomy; — mit he that made a vote, to t^Sar suoh a sacnfice as the law had not required, could of course bring an imperfect ofTeriag. Some contend that the last claaso of this verae should k thus read: 1/ Ihoti q#er it eitlur^rr a/ret-wUl-Qferin^t 'if for tt vow, it malt not be aeeepted. It was the opinion of tbe Jews, and it upears to be correct, that none at these imperfect aoiinaTs was ever offered on the altar; but the person who made the free-will-offerinf of meh things tu he had, sold ^ animal, and gave its price tor the support of ttie sanctua^.

Terse 24. BruUed, oreruAed, or broken, or cut] "Hiat is, DO bullock or lamb iha is iiijured in any of tbe above wm, riiall be offered unto the Lord.'

Verse 27. When, a buUoek—ia brought /orttj TTiis is m moat unfortnnate, as welt as absurd, translation. Hie creature called an at, is a bull eaotrated; surely then a btiUock was never yet brouM/oriht the original word ^nv Aor, signifies a bull, or buHock, or indeed any thing of Am fuat kind: — here, even common sense nquued that il whoati be traitsUted eaif. And did I not hold myself SMndly bound to print the text of (be common reroion widi ssrnpatmts exactness, I should translate the former dwsn of litis verse thus, and so enter it in die text When mftar, or a lamb, or a wmio brw^tfarA — instead ot butloek, a wheea, or a geot U brou^ ftrA^-Aa -"y of which is daring.

25 Neither * from a etranger'B haod shall ye offer <>the bread of your Gwl, of any of these t because their * corruption is in them, and blemishes oe in them: they shall not be accepted for

26 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

27 'When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is broueht forth, then it shall be seven days under the &.m; and from the eighth day and thence' forth, it shall be accepted Tor an ofiering made by fire unto the Lord.

28 And whether it be cow or f ewe, ye shall not kill it ^ and her young both in one day.

29 ^ And when ye wiU ■ offer a sacrifice at thanksgivuig unto the Lord, off«r it at your own will.

30 On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of tt tintil the morrow: I am the Lobd'.

31 1 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the Loan.

32 " Neither shall ye prolhne my holy name; but "1 will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the Lord which "hallow you,

33 p That brought you out of the land Of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord.

unto them, Comeminfi: t the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall ' i^octaim to be holy convocations^ even these are my feasts.

priety of this precept, it may be justly asserted, that the fieah of very young animals is comparatively innutri(iv»— and that animal lood is not sufficiently nouridiing and wholeaome. till the animal has arrived at a certain growfli; or aequired the perfection of iu nature. There ts aomsthing Bnrttah in eating the young of beaot, or Jinet, befors iha natr md hoqft are perfect in the one; ana the J%aiftert and datoo in the other. Before this period, their ftedi ia not good for food. — See the note on chap. iz. 1.

Varse 28. Ye ehalt not kiilU and her young-'-tn one day] This precept was certainly intended to inculoue and tenderneso of heart; and so the Jews understood it. When it is necessary to take away tbe lives of innocent animals for tbe support of our owtu we should do it in such a way as not to luunt our moral feelings { and deplore the neceesity, while we feel and express gratitude to God for the permission to do it

Terse 32. Netlher «&oU ye vrqfana my holy name] Ood'a name is profened or renaerra common, when wa treat hia commands, as we often do those of our fellow^ wbMi they do not appear to have edf-iniereit to recommend them. He therefore profanes God's holy name, who does not bolh implicitly believe, and cotuefenKonsfy o6qr all his iBorde, and all his preceptt.

twill be ItaUoved among tfu diUdren of Irroef] "nie words dUldren qfbracl, VM'>Bn beney Yithrael, w\udtt so frequently occur, should be translued either the <!»• eeendanU or posterity Itrael, or the people iff ToratL lie word diiuiren has a tendeiu^ to beget a blse notiai^ especially in tlie minds of young people, and lead them to think, that AUdren, in the proper aense of the word, 1. e. lUile ones, are meant.

Terse33. Brought you out tri' the land qf Egypt] By such a series of miraculous interferences — to beyour uod~ to save you from all id<Aatry,faUe and niperttitiouewtr- «Atn teach you the right way, lead and support you in It atin preserve you to my eternid kingdom and gtory. Go^ infinite in his own perfections, has no need of his ereatnrea; but thev need him; and as a source of endleai city, he opens himself to all his intelligent offspring.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XXIU. TerseS. T^eM an mv/ea*te] Hie original word ^ motdf ii properly ^iplied to solsmn auiivcnaryj bj

3 Tf * Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy con- Tocation; ye slmll do no work therein: It is the sabbatii of the Lord in all your dwelling

4 1T t These are the feaats of the Lord, eren h(^f convocations, which ye shall proclaLim in their seasons.

fi " In the fourteenth day of the first month at even it the Lord's passover.

6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month i» the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord: •even days ye must eat unleavened bread.

7 * In the first day ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile woric therein.

8 But ye shall offer an offering made fire nnto the Lord seven days: in the seventh day ia a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work ther^n.

unto them, " When ye be come into the land which I give imto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a ■ sheaf r of ■ the first-fruits of your harvest uDto the priest;

11 And he shall •Wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

12 And ye shall ofler that day, when ye wave the sheaf, a he-lamb without blemirti, ofthe first year, for a burnt-oflerine unto the Lord.

13 *> And the meat-offering thereof, shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the Lord.fiir a sweet pavour: and the drink-ofiering thereof aJtatt be of wine, the fourth part of a mn.

14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye nave brought an offering unto your God: it shall bf a statute for ever throughout your generations, in all your dwellings.

15 If And 'ye shaU count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave-offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:

16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh ■abbath shall ye number^ fifty days} and ye shall ofler * a new meat-offering unto the Lord.

17 Te shall bring out of your habitations two vavo'loaves of two tenth-deals: they phall be of fine fiour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are ' the first-fruits unto the Lonp.

18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lavabs wil4iout blemish ofthe first year, and one young buUocIc, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt-offering unto the Lord, with their meai-

vhioh great and important eccleawtieal political, or pro> jidential bcu 'were recorded; see on Gen. i. 14. Auni-.mnwiM of this kind were ob«erved in all nationi: and some of dwm, in ecoueciuenoe of scrapuloualy regular ob- ■eiiiUioni beearaa ehronotogieal epodit tiS the greateat inmartanM in hiatory. He OlympiadM, for example.

Tem 3. 77m aevmih day ia Ou aabbath] Thia, beoauM the flrat and greateat lolemnity, ia firat mentioned. He who kept not thia, in the most religioua manner, was.not mfM» of keeping any of the other*. The religioiM obwrwion of the mbbath, standi at the ytn thre4ioH of all religion. See the note on Ckn. iL 3.

-Terwjt. 7%c JU»rd!a panoveA See thia largely explained in dte nolaa on Exod. xii. 21—27.

TeraelL Be Aali toare Oia •luaf} Heehall more it to and fro befiire the people, and thereby call their auentkni to the work of divine providence^ and excite tfaojr gntitude to God, for prMamnrla than Uu Hndly J^ita i^th4tarOt. SeetbeaotMon£zod.xziz.27.HuXavil. vii. at tl)e sad.

T«rwI4. Ye JiaU eat neiOur bread, nor vonh^eorn, «or green eoral It it rigbt that God, the diapenaer of [«TOT Ueeringi ibould be acknowlednd a> auch: and tha >«^Awtt«^d)efiald,&cdedieitaduihim. Codomh- Jng Ae ddiostkm oflha^tt^iiiifa^ aaeihe 00^

ofiering, and their drink-offerings, even an offering rofwe by fire, of sweet savour unto the Lmd. ■19 Then ye shall sacrifice » one kid of the goats for a sin-offering, and two lambs of the first year, for a sacrifice of ' peace-ofterin^

20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of Ae first-fruits for a. wave-oflerihg before the Lord, with the two Iambs: ■ they shall be holy to the Lord for the priest

21 And ye shall proclaim on the self-same day, that it maybe an holy convocation tmto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

22 T And * when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the comers of thy field when thou reapest, i neither sbalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest; thou shalt leave them onto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God.

23 1 And the Lord stutlie tmto Moses; saying,

24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying. In the " seventh month, in the first day of toe month, shall ye have a sabbath, "a memorial at blowiiu: of trumpets, a holy convocation.

25 Ye shall do no servile work cftereui; but ye shall offer an offering made by fire nnto the

27 " Also on the tenth day of this seventh

month there shall be a day of atonemmt; it shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offermg made by fire unto the Lord.

28 And ye shall do no work in that same di^: for it 10 a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you, before the Lord your Ood.

29 For whatsoever soul it he that shall not be afflicted in that same day, rhe shall be eat off from among his people.

30 And whatsoever soul U be that doeUi aw work in that same day, 4the same «otd wiUI destroy from among his people.

31 I e shall do no manner of work: tf shall be a statute fbr ever throughout your generations, in all vour dwellings.

32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shfdl afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye ' celebrate your sablNtth.

34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, ■ The fifteenth day of this seventh mondi, sIumI be the feast of tabernBcles,^ seven daya unto

Terse 15. 7e thall emni unie you — •eren ao&6aA»l Thai ia from the aixteenih of the Jirel month to the auts of the third month. Theae Men teeeka, called- here ao^ balhe^ were to be complete, i. e. the for^-ntne daya amwc be ^iiahed t and 4ia next day, the fiftietb, ia wut, from the Septuagini, we call Pmteaoet. See the note on Luke vL 1.

Terse 22. Keiihar thaU Aau goAer amy gtemnimg} See the note on chap. xix. 9.

Terae 24. 4 manorial qf Uom'ng ^ tntnuMtt] Thia ia generally called tka feaat of trumpeta: and aa it took place on the fret day m ibt eeoenth month, TWri/v^udk anawen to S^tt*jrU?er, which month waa the eommme* ■ maU of whatiaesUed the eivii yean the feast, prohs^fi had no other design than to eeleorate the oomoMaMment of that rear, i( i^eed, auch a disdnctioa obtained amooK the ancxerU Jewa. See lha note on Exod. xiL 2. Soma Ihink creation began at this time.

Yam iQ. A day ^ olonmtnQ See the note on zri. 3, 4c- where tbu aubieot ia largaly explained.

35 On the first day »haU be a holy eoorocar (ion: ye ahall do no servile work Oi^ein,

36 Seren days ye shall ofler an offerinff made by fire anto the Lord: < on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and re shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LiOrd; it ISO. ■solemn assembly i * and ye shall do no ser- Tile work (Aerein.

37 * These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to ofier an ofiering made by fire unto the Lord, a burnt-ofiertng*, and a meat-offering, a sacrifice, anddrink-ofierinf s, every thing upon his day:

38 "Besides the sabbaths of the LofiD, and besides your eifts, and besides all your rows, and besides alTyour ftee-wiil-oflerings, which ye give onto the Lms.

39 Abo in the fifteenth day <^ Ae seventh month, when ye have 'gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord ■even days: on the first dar ahail be a sabbath, and on the eighth day sfudl be a sabbath..

40 And * ye shall take you on the first day the • boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brookf ^and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your Qod, seven days.

41 ■ And ye shall keep it a feast onto the Lord seven days in the year. It «AaU be a statute for ever in your g^nerationa: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

42 ^ Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; ali that are Israelites born, shall dwell in booths:

43 * That vour generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

44 And Moses ' declared unto the children of Israel the fea^ of the L(»i>.

dw peopla left dwb bouMS, and dwelt in booOu or t«nt% niMa Of the bnauitm <)t gvodly trtet, and OUek inu, (or vhatHod the text doea ootmoiiy) together vith palnttnet, and toUIoim (J the brook, ver. 40. And iatheoelhey dwelt Mben dm, in commemoration of their forty yean ■ojouming and dwelling in fente in (be wiMemen, irtitle destitute of any fixed habitation. In imitation of thia iaaat aroons die peopleof Ood, the Oentileabadlheir^eiwto ^ tent*. Ptutareh epeaka particularly of feasts M Ibii nnd, in hontur of Baeclnu; and tfaink& from the ewtom vi the Jewfl, in calebratinK the feaat or lalmudbay that diST worahip the Rod Baccnua, "beeouaebahadafctstez- •etly of the nunc kind, called the /out tf tab«made», Xm^r^; which ihey celebrated in the time of vintage, brin^ iag tables into the open air, fiimiijied with all sinda of frwit and sittiae under tents autde of Tine-bnuudies and iwj." Purr. fiwiRp. Ifli. iv. Q. 6. According to Ovid, iha faastof Anna Peritna was celebrated much in the same ww^. Sous rsmsuwd in lbs opsn air, othen fimned to dMnaalvM teni* and boe&» wiatU iff branehet tf /rcM ower vfaieii they spread garments, and kept the Hestival wtdl great rejoicings.

Conen-Dtng this feast of tabemaeleo, aee the noia on Jtllii vii. 37, 38. And for the various fesMs among the Jctw:!^ see the note on Exod. xxiii. 14.

Terse 40. Bou^ qf goodly treal] The Jews and msiqr eritiea imagine the atron-tree to be intended, and ^ tMdc ireea— the myrtU.

Tana 43. That your gmeraUon* may know, Ac] By die institution of thia feaat, God had two mat objects in view: 1. To perpetuate the wonderful display of his prorideDoa and giaea m bringing them out of Egypt, ud BBprssarviag them in the wildemeas. 2. To excite and omintsin in them a nnrit of gratitude and obedience by Uxl'mg them to consider deeply, the greatness of the favours which the? bad received from his most merciful hands,

SmtudinbiyBOf the mercy, kiodness, and providential <krs of Ood ihouU be particularly remembered. When we fseoUse^ that we desarn BoOi^ u hishudis sad ih»t

2 ' Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil-(rfive beaten, for the light, to cause the lamps to burn ewitinaally.

3 Without the veil of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the eveningunto the miHiiiDg, before the LcffiD continually: it shall be a statute tar ever in your generations.

4 He shall order the lamps upon < the pure candlestick, before the Lord contmually.

5 1 And thou shatt take fine floor, and bake twelve ' cakes thereof: two tenth-deals shall be in one cake.

6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row,) upon the pure table before the Lord.

7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, et^en an oflering made by fire unto the

8 "Every sabbath he shall set it in order b^ore the Lord, continually, being taken from the children of Israd, by an ererlasUng coro- Dant.

9 And "it shall be Aaron's and his son's; • and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it i» most holy tmto him, of the ofiermgs of the Lord made by fire br a perpetual statute.

10 1 And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose fother wo* an Egyptian, went oat among

the debt of gratitude is all the delrt we can pay, in it we should be cheerful, fervent, and freqoent. An nngiatefiil heart is an nofeeling, unloviw mlwlieving, and diiob»- dientbeut. Reader, pray to uod that ha m^deliTCrflisa from its iafluenee and ils earn.

Verse 2. Pura oH90-oU\ See every thing relative to thisordinaoceezpUioedio the notes onExod. xxrii. 20, 21.

Terse 5. Bi^twtht caJut] See the whole account of the thow-brtadt in the notes on Exod. xxv. 30. and relative to the toAls on which they stood, the golden eandlnHde and tUver trumpeU carried in tmunjrfi to Rome; See the note on Exod. xxv. 31,

Terse 10. 7Tu son oT an bratlUiA woman, teAoM JiUher wu an Egyptum, Ac.] His is a very obscure account, and is encumbered with many difficulties. 1. It seems strange that a person proceeding from such an illegal mixturcu^ should have been incorporated with Iha isnelites. 2. What the cotue of the sUrife between ihia mongrel person and the Israelitish man was, is not even hinted aL — The rabbins, it is tiu& supply, in their way, this deficient^; they say he was (he son of the Eeyptian whom Moses slew, and that attempting to pitch nis tent among those of the tribt tff Dan, to which he belonged by his mother's side, ver. 11. he was prevented by a person of that tribe, as having no right to a station amtng them who were true Israelites, both by fether and modiw. In consequence of this, thc^ say, he blasphemed die name of the Lord. But, 3. The sacred text does not tell as uhat navu he blasphemed: it is simply said isvn rw ajn vayMcab etha-Aemi Ae jriereed through, distinguished, explained, or txpraatd me name. (See below, artiele 10.) As the Jews hold it impioue to promuitce the name mrr Jehovah, ibgf slwaya put either vm Adcnay, Lon^ or tavn ka-them, thx hame, ia lbs place of it: but in this sense, Ao-shsm was never used, prior to the days of raUrinical superstition; and therefore it cannot be put here for the word Jehovah. 4. Blas[riieraing the name of the Lord is mentioned in ver. 16. and there the proper Hebrew term is used mri or Sum JleAovoA. and not ihs rabUnical ovn Ao-s&sm, as in ver. 11. 6. Of all the M8S.eoUaiadbodi IwKeiuttoou sad De Bom not oin the cbildren of Israel: and thifl bod of the Urael- Iti^ voman, and a man«f Israd Btrove together la the camp;

11 And the Israelitish woman's boh p blasphemed the name qf the LORD, and ^ cursed. And they 'brought him unto Moses: (and his mother's name wot Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)

13 And they ■ put him m ward, t that * the mind of the Lord might be showed them.

13 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

14 Bring forth him that hath cursed wiuuiut the camp; and let all that heard him, * lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregatiofi »tone him,

15 And thou shalt speak onto the children of I«rael, saying, Whosoever curseth his God,

16 And he that ^ blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he Bhall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certcunly stone him: as wcjl the stranger, as he that is born in the land.

17 ^ T And he that " killeth any man shall ■urely be put to death.

18 IF' And he that killeth a beast shall main it good; ''beast for beasL

' 19 And if a man cause a blemieh in his neighbour: as 'he hath done, so shall it be done to hmi;

20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as be hath caused a blemiibin aman, M shall it be done to him again.

2\ 0 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: • and he that killeth a man, he diall be put to death.

23 Ye shall have ''one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of yow own country: for I am the Lord your God. ■

23 And Moses spake to the children of Israel, > that they ehoula bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him yri^ stones. And the children of Israel did aa the Lord commanded Moses.

either of the Hebrno or Stmariiart, hu word Jdt»- vah in this plaee. 6. Not one of (he sDcieDtTnaioiin, T&rgum of Onftela^ Hdireo- Samaritan, Samaritan Vinion, Syriac, Arabic, S^jiuagint, or Vulgate LtUin, bu even Uteropted to supply the Bacred name. 7. JIobbigwt gnppoHi that the Eeyptio-Iaraelitiah nuui did not use the luune of the true Goa at al), but bad been swearing by one of his oonntry godi; and if thia vtbm die ease, the BundoQ of the name of a ttraji^a god in the camp of Inel, would conMituta a v«y hig^ erime, and certainly «xpoee to the puniahmeat mentioned in ver. 14. 6. Pro- Wily the ward evn ha-Aem was the proper name of some Egyptian deity. 9. The fifteenth verse seema to.countenance the suppositioD, dt&t the eod whose name was produced on this occaaion waa not die true Ood, for it is there said, whosoMer cw*ih hia God, nrf^M etohaiv, AaU bear A» Mn — diall have the puniahmem due to him as an idolater — but he that bhuphemeth the name qf the Loan,.Tt<7r< sv aftem Jehovah, skaU mrdy be put to death — jshen he btae^uimeth the name (sv a&eni) he ahalt die. mr. 16. 10. Theveibap>naAab,whiehwetTwuilBtsUa*- fkeme^ signifiaa to piare^ bora, make bollowi also to BCFuaa or Dtfmtnrwi byMAia; see Inl.lxiL 2. Numb, i. 17. I Chron. xii. 31. zvi. 41. xxviiii IS. or as the Perjriao tranalator has it, fU y* sUi<( Aerah kerd, mir Sn nam, he expounoea of interpreted the name. Hence all that we term bUupkemy here, may only sif^ify the partietdarixingeimejaUe god, i. e. naming him 1^ his name; or imploring his aid as a helper j and when spoken of the true OocL it may ugnify uMOg that Mcied name as the idolaters did As names of dieir idols. On bla*jAeming Ood, and the nature of Uagphemy, see the notes on Matt. ix. 3.

In whatever point of view we consider the relation which has been the subject of this long note, one thinr ia sufficiently plain, that he vrho ^>eaka irreverently of God, of hii Korke, his peHietionB, his jmmidenee, Ac is destitute of every moral nelingi uid every religious principle t and consequently, is so dangerous to society, diat it would be criminal to suffer him to be at large, though the long' suffering of God may lead him to repentance, and therefore it may m consistent with mercy to preserve his fde,. Verse 14. Lay Aeir hand* upon hie head] It was by dtis eeremony, that (be people who heard him curse, bore their public testimony, in order tohisbeingfiiUyeaavieted; for without this, his puniahment would not have been bnrtuL By this ceremony also, they in eAct said lo the man, Oiv Hood be upon thy own head.

Verse 16. WhoMtver eureeth Ma Ood] yit^h V^P" yekaUl Ehkaiv, he who makee tight of him— who does not treat him and sacred thinga with due reverence— sftatt bear hia ain, shall have die guilt of thia tnnagreadoo imputed to him, and mav expect die punishment.

Tetsal6. BuupkemethAenameqf the Lord] att 3pi> TK^veitokA JiemMmeaK—ite vhopiereee. tran^fixea,or as some translate it, expounde the name of Jenovah; see the sole on the tenth verse. This being the name by whidi especially the Divine Essence was pointed out, it idiould

Si held peculiarly sacred. V7e have already seen that the swa never pronounce this name } and so long has it been disused am<nig them, that the true prtnuadatkm isnov totally lost: seeoikthewordJrrao<ru,Exod.vi.8.

Verse 17. He that kUloA any man] BhuplMBiy soiost Ood, i. e. speaking tafitrioiM^ of his name, bis utnEuies, hie govemmmt, and his revelation, together with mnide^ are to be pvoiahed with death: he that blaaphemes God is a curse in society: and he who takes away wdfiaUy, sad by maliuoua intent, the life of any man, mould oeftsiB^ be put to death. In diis renieet God has absolmely » quired that life shall go for lite..

Terse 20. BreaAjor breadi] Tint is a lepetitioa of the lex talionia, which see explained Exod. xxi. 24.

Verse Ye ahaU have one manner ^ law, ae mU for theetranger, aafor onet^ your own country] E^od laws, \rtiere each individual receives the same protection, and the same privileges, are dw boast oiUy of asevnrf p^ Utieal omHmUion. He who rtapecta and ofraya the law% has a right to pnJtection and aupport; and hia person and pnOteity are as sacred in the sightof justice, as the peraoo atra property of the prince. He who dose not oMy the laws of his country, forfeits all right and title to protection and privilege; his own actions condemn htm; and justice takas him up oo the evidence ot hia own mwgressioBs. He who does what is right, need not /ear. At power of the tivil magistral^ fbr he holds dw smrd oaly to piinidi tranagreeaora. Universal obedience to the laws^ ia the duty of every, citizen: none can do mon; none should do less; therefore each individual in a well-r^nlated state, must have equal rightaanA privilegea in vnrj thing that relates to the safety of bis person, and the s»- oorinr of bis proper^. ReMM*, such wo* dw Jfcssk eode.— Sueh <s dw EMUth ConttUulSoit.

Verse 23; jlnd sfoiMAfmwfA stout] We are not is suppose that the culprit waa exposed to the unbridled fury of die thousands of Israel: this would be brutality, net JuaHeet for the very worst of tempers and passicsis might be produced ana fostered by such a procedure- The Jews themselves tell lu, that their maiusr of stooing was diis! they brought the condemned person vttbout the camp, because hia crime bad rendered him tmelean,eai whatever was unclean must be put tcilhottt the camp. When they came within four cubits of the plaoe of exeeotion, they stripped the criminal, if a man, leaving him nothing but a eloth about the waist. The place on which he was to be executed was elevated, and the witnesses went up with him to it, and laid their hands upon him, foe the purposes mentioned ver. 14. Then one of the witnesses Btnick him with a stoee upon dw lohu: if be wss not killed with that blow, thni the witnesses took i^ a great stone, as much as two men eould lift, and ihmr it upon hia breasL "Riis was the coup rfe^ron^ and fimrfwd ue tragedy. When a man wis atoned die mob, tbeo brutal rage armed every man; justiee was set aside^ and the lottt and J^ry of the people were law, judge, jury, and executioner. Such duKmcend aionings as these were, ao doubt, Creqnent among &t Jews.- See Caimttt Diet artt- ' cle STOtoNO; and ^tneiwrA on this plaoe.

What the crime of Shelomith's son was, we cannot fisdnotly say; doubtless it waa some ipecies of blasphemy: however, we find it was a new and unprecedented ease] and as mere was no law by which the ouantom of ^oih could be aseertidned, nor omseqaently the degree of pomtfyment, it was necessary to conadlt dw great lawgiver OB oeeadiRL tlw man was diexeforo secure^ till ihs wSm nih*«iBMf^llM«ilitiMln]DrinnUir«v.niMUd,l— T. TlNUvraliUn U tbttaMlH, orlfiieUirwT, udilN hiUfmrliicet iht BlUdli, 8— IX. ui ihs jtu flf tttbiJif >gT«fT Me to rtam nttto hh powtiwnni, IX Nona to lujiub uMbmr

unto them, When ye come into the land which I give yon, then Bhall the land >* keep i a sabbath

3 Six years thou shalt bow thy field, uid six fears thou shalt prune thy Tioeyard, and ^father m the fruit thereof:

4 But in the seventh year, shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lobd: thou shdt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

b- ■ That which rroweth of its own accord of Ay harvest, thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapefi ' of thy vine undreased: far It is a year of rest unto ue land.

o( tbe Lord ihould be Imown. Moeea, no dwbt, had iceoune to the taberoBcle, and raceived the direedons aftor- WKrd mentioned, from him who dwelt bet?reen the cheni- Um. In wfa&t way the answer of the Ijord was eommunieatad we know nott (prolMbly by Urim and 7%ummfm) but it came in such a nenner. aa to preclude all doubt upon the ■ubiecL HiemanwaaaeclaredCobe£ui1^, and was aentencea to be itoned to death. And on thia occasion, a law i* made relative to Uaapbemy in ^neial. However sinful the Jew mu^t have been at this times have reason to beUeve that they did not lake the name of the Lord in vain t and blasphemy was not known amons them. But what shall we say of CluiatianM, so called, whoaa mouths ore full of cursing and bitteroeasl Were every blambcmer among us to be stoned to death, how manjr of tae people would fall in every comer of the land 1 Ood is looi^^uffaring: may this leaditbem to repentance 1 W« ham excellent la?rs against ell profaoenesa; but alas for our eountry 1 they are not enforoedi and he who attempts to put the laws in force against pro&ne swearers, sabbath-breakers, &c. is consider^ a litigious man, and a disturber of 4he peace eocietv I Will not God visit for these thinnl This is npt otAj contempt ^ CfotPa holy word aMoommandmenU, but rebellion agamit the lam.

Yerse 2. The land AaU keep a sabbath\ See this ordinaooe explained in the note on Exod. xxiu. 11. It may be asked here, if it required all the annual produce of Ikie fisM to support the inhalutants^ how couU the people be nourished the seventh year, when no produce was received from the fields'! To this it maybe answered, that God sent his bleasiiut in an especial manner on the tixtk year, see verses21,!£f.anditbrou£htforthfruitfort&reeyears. How aatonishingandconvincingwasthia miracle! Couldthere possiblv be any deception here 1 NOl The miraele speaks for itself proves die divine autbentici^ of the law, and lakes every prop and stay from the ^siem that wishes to «onvict the Mosaic orainances of imposture. See Exod. xxiii. II. It is evident from diis, that Uie Hoaaic law must have bad a divine origin, as no man in his senses, without Ood's authoritv, could nave made such an ordinanea as thisi for fhe tixlk year, from its promulgadon, would have amply refuted his pretensions to a divine mission.

Verse 8. Than akall number teven tabba&t of years] TUs seems to stale that the jubilee was to be celemied on the fiirttf-niiiJh year; but in ver. 10. and 11. it is said. Ye dtaa kabow IheMieth year; and a fubiUe ehall OtUJlftUOi year he. Probably in this verse, Hoses either includes the ireooding jubilee, and thus with the forty-nirUh, makes the mimber Jlflv} or be speaks of ^rodamiag tba jabflw on the ^iIl uidoelebnting it on the 60d)yeai\ OVTCOL SoDkadUnkUwaamlebntMondMybrViifiiA

6 And the saMAth of the laad shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for ihy stranger that sojourneth with thee,

7 And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, sliall all the increase thereof be meat.

8 IT And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; niH the space of the seven sabbatiis of yews, shall be unto thee forty and nine years.

9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet "of the jubilee to sound, on the tenth day of the seventh month, 'in the day of atonement, shall ve make the trumpet sound throughout all your

10 And ye shall hallow the fiflieth year, and "prodajm liberty throughout ail the -uuid unto afl the inhalHtants thereof: it shall be a jabHee unto yon } p and ye shall return every man unt* hie possession, aind ye shall return every man imto his family.

11 A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto yoa: « ye shall not bow, neither rew that wiiich ^rowetn of itself in it, nor gather me grapt* in m it, of thy vine undressed,

13 For It iM the jubilee; it shall be holy unto you: ■* ye shall eat the increase thereof oat of the field.

13 ■ In the year of Uiis jubilee ye shall retora every man unto his possesuon.

year, as is stated in ver. 6. and this prevented the »ahhatuxuyeKT, or seventh year of rest, from being confounded with the jubilee, which it must o^erwise have been, had the celebration <tf this great solemnity taken place on tha ^j^ieAyear; but it ia most likely that the jffHoA was Ihr real jubilee. ■

Verse 11. A jubilee tkaU that JtMeOi year be\ literal meaning of the word jubUee, yooel, in Hebrew, and yai> wAitin the Samarilaii, has not been welt ascertained. JbsepAtM and the rabbina have caused many to err: the fortner says the word ligniGeB liberty; sxivSi^ov tt r^^mm^ rmtft*. Antio. 1. 3. cop. 12. Edit.Uaverc. vol, i. p. 184: but the word liberty signifies rather the intetition of the {nstifttiion, than the meaning of the Hebrew term. Tba rabbins say, it signifies a ram'« horn, because the trumpets which were used in proelaimirig thia solemnity, were made out of rams' horns. This meaning i» adopted in a few places in our traiulation, but none o{ the ancient versions acknowledge this sense of the temv the Chaldee excepted. Some derive it from yofro^ U bring, carry away, because the Israelites^ at this tinu^ earned away, the n^ht of repossessing their inheritances which had been forfeited or alienated. Tite moat natural derivation is from S^avi habit, to cause to bring back or recall, because estatM, Ac. which bod been alienated, were then brought back to their primitive owners. 'Hiiswask wise and excellent institution, but appears to have beea little regarded by (he Jews after the Bid^lomsh oaptiviv. Indeed it is not mentiooed under the aeeond templ^ and the obeervanee nuuA have ceased amimg the Jews, when they were brought under a foreign yoke.

The jubilee seems to have been typical, Ist. of (he great time of release, the GJospel dispensation, when all who believe in Christ Jesus, are redeemed from the bondage of sin— repossess the fovoor and image of Ood, the only iaheritanee of the human aoul, having all debts eancsUed, and the right of inheritaztce restored. To this ths prophet seems lo allude, see Iiai. xxvi. 18. and particularly chap. IxL

2dly. To the general resurrocUon— " It is," says Ur. Porkhurat, "a lively prefigiiradon of the (fnuid coommmalion of time, which will be introduced, in like manner, by the trump nf God, I Cor. zv. B2. when the children and heira of Ood shall be delivesed from all their forfoUures and restored to the eternal in-'uritane* allotted lo them by (heir Father: and ibenoeforlh rest from dieir labours, and be supported in life and happiness hj what the field of Ood shall supply."

It is worthy of remark, that (be jubilee was sot pnolaimed tUl the lOth day of the seventh month, on the stry day when the great annual attmemeni was made for die aina of ihs paapU: and doea sot dtis pnnre that tha grsit Hberiy, or rtdSi^ition from thrabton, pubbAed onder the

14 IT And if thou sell ooght unto thy neighbour, or bu/est oUg-ht of thy neighbours hand, *ye shall not oppresB one another:

15 "According to the number of years after the jubilee, thou ahalt buy of thy neighbour; and according unto the number of years of the fruits, he shall sell unto thee:

16 According to the multitude of Tears, thou almlt increase the price thereof; and according to the fewness of years, thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the year* of the fruits, dothne sell unto thee.

17 'Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; "'but thou shaft fear thy God; for I am the LoBDVOur God.

18 If " Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; ' and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.

19 And the land shall yield her frmt, and ■ ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein hi safety.

80 And if ye eball say, ' What shall we eat the aerenth year? behold, ''we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:

21 Then I will ■ command mr blesaing vpou you in the sixth year, and it shall bring fbrth fimit for three years.

88 'And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat iwt of *old fruit, until the nii^ year; until her fruits come in, ye shall eat of the old store.

23 IT The land shall not be sold ' for ' ever; for ^ the land ia mine; for ye are ' strangers and Boiourners with me.

84 And m all the land of your possession, ye ■hall grant a redemption for the land.

85 « If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath

GmmI, could not take place till the great atonement, the ncnfice of the Lord Jesui, bad been offered upl— See verse 9.

Verfe 14. Ya aAoU not opprui tme another] Te shall take no ttdvaotage of each other*! ignorance either in buying or aeUing; for he that buys an article at Um than it ts worth, or sells one for mort than it is \rorth, taking advantage, in both cases, of the igjioranee at the vender or buyer, is no better than a ttt^f, as he actually robs his neij^ibour of as much property as ne has bought the article atoelote, or told it aiove ita current value.

Verse 15. According to the number ^ ytar»\ The por^iues that were to be made of lands were to be ref^- kted \ff the number of yeara unel&patd of the current jubilee. This was sometbinK like buying the unexpired term of a lease among us; the purchase is always regulated by the number qf yeare between the time of purchase and the npiration of the term.

TerseSO. What ehaU ice tat the Meeen^ year 7\ ^.-verj nstund question, which could only be laid at rest by the ■overeigB promise in the next verse. IvriU commamd my >UMenM upon you *n Ou eisth ytar, and it ^uUl bring forth fruit for -rn^tM yiabs. — See on ver- 2-

Verse 23. TTie land ehaU not be told for ever — the land is mtn<] As Ood, in a miraculous mamier, gave them possession of this land, thev were therefore to consider ttiemselvee merely as tenantt to him: and on this ground, fti^ aa the freat landholder, or lord of the soil, n escribes to them au dse oonditiona on which dwy mil bold it. Dus one circumstance wis peculiarly hvourable to ilieir advancement in religion, in righteousneas, and true holiness: for feeling thai they haa nothing wnich they couM oal] their own upon earth, they must frequendy, by this, be put in mind of the necessity of haviiw a permanent dwelling in the heavenly inhentance: ana of tbat prepanticHi, without which it could not be possessed.

Verse 26. Any ((f hie kin come to redeem U] The land that was sold, might be redeemed in the interim between nilnlee and jubilee, by the former tnener, or by one of bis itinemen or rdativee. This kineman is called in the text 'no goet, or redeemer: and was not this a lively emblem tt the redemption of man by Christ Jesus 1 Thai ht night have a right to redeem man he took upon him hutMn nature, and thus became a Mneman of the great isinilf of the human race, and thereby poeaeeeed the right ^redeeming that bllen nature, t4 which be took part, wrn of bmftng back to man thtf iiUurUanet wbidi had sold away tome of his possession, and if lanyoT liis kin come to redeem it, then ohaU he redeem that which his brother sold.

26 And if tlw man have none to redeem it, and " himsdf be to redeem itj

27 Then "let him count the rears of the tale thereof, and restore the overpliu unto the nao to whom he sold it, that he may return onto his possession.

88 But if he be not able to r^stOTe U to him, then that which is sold, shall rwnain in the hand of him that hath bought it, vmtit the year of nibilee: « and in the jubilee it shall go otit, and ne shall return unto his possession.

29 ^ And if a man sell a dwelUng-honse in a wallea city, then he nmy redeem it withhi a whole year after it is soul; toit/Un a fuUyear, may he redeem it.

30 And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that t# in the walled city, shall be established for ever to him that bought it, throughout his generatitms: it dudl not go out in the jubilee.

31 But the houses of the viHages, which have no wall round about them, shall be counted as the fields of the country, ' they ma^ be redeemed, and thev shall go out in the jubilee.

32 NotwithstaiBung ■> the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.

33 And if ' a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of Us possession * shall go out in the vear of jubilee: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their poasCBBion among the children of Israel.

Verse 29. Sett a dwelltng-hettee in a watted city} A very proper difference is put between kmuta in a eiijf, and houan in the country. If a man sold Iris house m ttw city, he might redeem it anv time in the course of a year; but if it were not redeemed wilMn thai time, it couM no more be redeemed; nor did it go out even in the jubilee. It was not so with a houae in the country i watAx a booaB might be redeemed during any part of the interim; and if not redeemed, must go out at the julnlee. Tbe reason in both cases is sufficiently evident: the house in the ci^ might be builded for purposes of trade or tn^gtc merely — the house in tbe country was buitded on, or ^t^wftfd to* the iiOieritance which God had divided to the lemeetivo femilies. It was, therefore. ^Molutely neetemry mat lbs same law riioutd B^ply to the Aotue, as to the hMerilanee: but the same necessity did not hold good with respect b the houea in the dty. And as we may pmtlme the kemm in the eiiy was merely for the purpose of trade; wbea a man bought suiii a house, and got nis business esfajtliaksri there, it would have been very inconvenient for Um to have removed; but as it was possible that the former owotr might have sold the house raahly, or throu^ the pttatiat Iff aome very urgent neceeeity, a ^eor was allowed him, Uiat during that time, he might have leisure to reoonsidm' tiia rash act — or so to get through his present nceessity, as to be able to get back his dwelling. Tfiis time was sufficiently Um^ in either of the above cases; and as socfa occurrences might have been the cause of his selling lia house, it was necessary that he might have the o|»mamtf of redeeming his pledge. Again, as the poronMr, having bought the house merely for the purpose of troA, manitfaeture, dbc must have been at gnat pains and expense to fit the place for his work, ana establiob his binineas. in which himself and his chiulren, and his <liilAcn*s diiluren, were to labour and get their bread; bence it wee necessary, tbat Ae Aould have some certainty df permaoent possession: without which, we may naturally conjectuM, no such purchases ever would be made. This seema to be the simple reason of the law in both cases.

Verse 3l The dtiet iff the Levitee] The law in itm and tbe following verses, was also a very wise one^ A Ifceitt could not ultimately sell fm bouat— if sol^ ba could redeem it atany time in the interim between the two ^bileee: but if not redeemed, it must go out at the followmg jubilee. And whv7 "b««use Hoses framed his I&m so much in favour of the prteethood, that ibcy bad psmfc'ar privil^e^" 4se.^JnMtbe reverse ihw were solar hem being peeoliaily favottra^ that they baa no fnAsrOsHSto

84 But > the fidde of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.

35 If And if thy brother be waxen podr, and ■fUlen in decay with thee; then thou stialt * re- Ueve him: * yea, though he b«& stranger, or a

36 ' Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but 7 fear thy God; tliat thy brother may live with thee.

37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon ttsury, nor lend him thy victaals ior Increase.

38 * I am the Loan youf Ood, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give to you the land of Canaan, and to oe your God.

39 D And ' if thy brother thai dweUeth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou •halt not ^ compel him to serve as a bondservant:

40 Bttt as a hired servant, and aa a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of ji^ilee:

41 And then shall he deinrt from thee, both he and his children ' with him, and shall return onto his own family, and ^ unto the possession of his Others shall he return.

42 Ffv they ore * my servants, which I biangfat forth out of the land of Egypt: they ■halTnot be sold ' as bondmen.

43 ' Thou shalt not rule over him ^ with rigour; but ' shalt fear thy God.

44 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, whiiA thou Shalt have, ehaU be of the heathen that are round about you} of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.

45 Moreover of * the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you. of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, whieh tiiey begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.

46 And lye shall take them as an inheritance

Iwael, only their oHea to dwell in; snd because their Xotun in then ciUei were the whole that tbey could call thar own, therefore theee houMs could not be ultimately alienated. All that they had to live oo betidea, was firon that moat precarioua source of support, the free-will.oS'er^ togs of the people, which dependeo on the prevalence of pure relicion in the land.

TeraelS. 7W» thou no tuury of him] Uaury, at pnseitt, sigi^lba unlavfiil interest for money. Properly, It mesM the reward or compauaUm given for the use of a diing, but u principally spoken of money. See the definition of the original term in the note on Ezod. xzii. 26.

Terse 42. /br thxj/ are mv tervanU} As Ood redeem* ed every Ismelite out of ti^j^ptian bondage, they were tharelbre to conaidei themselves as his proper^; and that eonsenucntly, they should not alienate themselves from hha. It ms in Demc hii trvantB, and devoted to his wori^ that both dieir nUgiouB and politieal serriee consisted. And although their poHtieal liberty might be lost, tl^ knew that meir qriritual Hber^ never could be forfeited, except by an utter alienation trom Ood. Ood therefore cbums the same right to their person^ which he does to their lands. See the note on ver. 23.

Terse 43. Thau *KaU not rule over Atm with r^ffour] What is riMroas serviesi ** Service Irtdeh fi not orfsrvUntd. uu service whereof A«re U no negd." His is the denoition given by the Jews: but much more It implied in this command than is expressed here. Labour beyond the person's strength— or labour too long continued— or in unbealdiy or noeomibrtable places anf circumstance^ or without sufficient Ibod. &o. is io&wr eraefed wU& r^gmi^-oad conseqaaotly inhuman: and this law is made, not for the Moaaw dispensatioii, snd the Jewidi people: bat far every dispeoaatton, sbq for evwy people UDW heaven.

Ters« 60. mica qf Ma tdU AaU he, Act Tlia wsa a very equltablO law, both for the sojtnimer to whom ttw man was sold, and to the Israelite wTio had been thtn sold. The Israelite might redeem himself, or one of his kindred might redeem him— Init this muM not bedone to the prekidice of his muter, the soioiimer. Tbey were

for your children after you, to inherit them fitr a posHcesion; " they shall he your bondmen ever: hut over your brethren the children of Israel, " ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.

47 IT And if a sojourner or stranger "w^ rich by thee, and f> thv brother tAot ^eUeth by him wax poor, and sell himself nnto the stoaoger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family:

48 Ailer that he is sold he may be redeemed again: one of his brethren ^ may redeem him:

49 Either his Uhcle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him, or of his family, may redeem him: or if 'he be able he may redeem himself.

50 And he shall reckon with him ihaX bought him, from the year that he was sold to him tmto the year of jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be according unto ihe number of years. ■ according to the time of a hired servant elull it be with byn.

51 If there be yet many years hAvad^ according unto them, he shall give again the price of his redemption, out of the money that be was boiight for.

53 And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee, then he shall coimt with him, and according unto his years, shall he give him again the price of his redemption.

53 And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight

d4 And if he be not redeemed < in these veartj then " he shall go out in the year of jubilee, both he, and his children with him.

55 For ' unto me the children of Israel are servuits; they ar« my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt; I am the Lo«a your God.

dierefore to reckon the years he must have served, from that time, till the jubilee; and then taking the current wages of a servant, per year, at that tim^ multiply die remaining years by that sum, and tho aggregate was the sum to be given to his master for his redemption. The Jews hold, that the kindred of sach a person were bowx^ if in their power, to redeem him, lest he should be swal' lowed up among the heathen; and we find from Neb. v. 8. that this was done by the Jews on their return from the Babylonish ci4>ttvity — We, t^fter our abOUy, have redeemed our bretluin ihe Jem, teho were aold unto A« heaikai.

Terse 66. unio me At ehiidren tff bratt are »ervanUi] Hie reaton of this law we have already seen, see 00 ver. 42. but we must look fiuiher to see the great end of iL The Israelites were a typical people, they repra- •ented those under the Gospel dispensation, who are diildren of Ood, by faith in Christ Jesus. But these last have a peculiarity of blessing — tbey are not merely tervanU, but they are sons; though tntj also serve Cnd, yet it is in tbancwTwqf the SptrU, and not in the oldnw A« letter. And to this dinerence of state the apoetle seems evidently to allude, Oaht iv. 1, Ac And beetaue ye ore wmn, God hath tent forth tM Spirit ttf hie Son into your hearts, crying, Awo, F\tAer. VPhar^rre thM art no more a saavAiiT, bvl a sow i and {f a bok, then an hSir of Ood through Oiriet; genuine beHevers in Chriati not bemg heirs of an earthly inheritance, nor merely of a heatetUy one, for they are heirs ot God. God himself therefore, is their pwtion, without whom, aven Asomm itself would not beaswaef cooaummate blessBdnaas ig an immortal spirit.

Ihe jubilee was a wonderfhl inatitution,aadwasofTSiy great service to (be rtiigion. freedom, and independmee of the Jewish people^ "The motive of this law," saye Calmet, " was to prevent the rich from oppressing the pooi^- andrecmcingthemtoperpetual slavery; ura that they snoala not get possession of eJl the lands by way d purchase, mor&age, or lastly, OsurpatioiL l^at debte should not be multiplied too nmeh, lest thereby the poor should be entirely ruined ] sadlhatsfinMe Aould notconthnwaHrqay

graven images, neither rear you up a ' standing image, neither shall ve set up any ' image * of atone m your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord,

2 ■ Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am tne Lobd.

3 T[ * If ye wtdk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

4 " Then will I give you rain in due season, ' and the land shall vield her increase, and the trees of the field ehall yield their fruit.

5 And ' your threshing shall reach unto the Tintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the flowine-time: end ^ ^[e ahail eat your bread to the full, and k dwell m your land safely.

they, their wives and ^tdren, in tarvUuda. Besidea, MoseB intended to preserve, u much u ponibk, personal liberty, an eqaaK^ of proper^ and the re^lar order of faioiliea among the Hebrews. Lastly, he designed that the people should oe itrMiglT attaehed to Ihev country, lands, anainheritaneea: (hat tney should have an alTecUoo for them, and consider them as estates which descended to them from (heir ancestors, which they were to leave to their posterity without any fear of their going ultimataly out at their families."

But this institution especially pointed out the redemption of man by Christ Jesus: I. Tliroug^ him, he who was in debt to CkhI's justice, had his debts discharged, aitd his sin fbigiven. 2. He who sold himself for noueht, who was a bondslave of sin and Satan, r^Biains his l£erty, and beeomes a son of Ood, through faith in his blood. 3. lie who by transgression had forfeited all iiG;ht and title to &e kinfldom of God, becomes an heir of God. and a joint b«ir with Christ Heaven, his forfeited inheritance, is restored, for the kingdom of heaven is opened to all beliesera: and thus redeemed from his delu, restored to his liberty, united to dw heavenly family, and re-entitlcd to hu ioneritanM, he goes on his way rejoicing, till he entcrii dia Paradise of his Maker, and is for ever with the Lord. Header, hast thou applied for this redemption 1 Does not thft trumpet of the jubilee, the glad tidings of solvation, by C3irist Jesus, sound in (he land 1 Surely it does. Why then continue a bond-atate qf ain, a child of wrath, and an heir of hell, when such a salvation is offered umlo thee wiih(Hit money and without price 1 O. sufier not this provision to be made ultimately in vain for thee 1 For what art thou advantaged if thou gain the whole world, and loM thy tnU!

Vem 1. Ve sftaU make you no idols] See die note on Exod. XX. 4. and see the note on Gen. xxviii. 18. and 19. oonceming conaeerattd aUmea. Not only idolalry in geneml is forbiddeo here, but also the taperatUioua use q/* <moesnf and latqfui ilUnga. Probably the aiorua or piltan wtiah were first set up, and anottUed by holy men, ia eommeoMnaioD of itRDBl interpositions of God in (heir bebal^ wore afterward abused to idolatrous and supersti' tious punioses, and therefore prohibited, lliis we know wartne caae with the brazen serpent, 2 Kings xviii, 4.

Verse 3. ye walk in my statutbs] For the meaning of this and similar words used in the law, see the note OD ver. 15.

. Verse 4. Hain in due season] What in Scripture is dtUed the tarly and the loiter ma. lie first Ml at Ate annaMMeinent of epring in Palestine, and the laUsr ia oK/umn. — Cabnti.

Vera 5. Vintr ArtAiiuf lAall reoA unto the vintagt] Aceordiiw to Pliny, mat^Nat. 1. xviu. c. la the E^-

6 And I w31 give peace in tbe land, and > je

shall tie down, and none shall make jiouaftaid; and I will >■ rid ' evil beiiets out of the Iimd, neither shall ~ the sword go through your land.

7 And ye sludl chase your enemieS) and they shall fall before you by tne sword.

S And ' five of von shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; and your enemies shEul fall before you the sword.

9 For I will ohave reratect unto you, and p make you fruitftd, and multiply you, and estsbli^ mv covenant with you.

10 And ye shall eat i old store, and bring, forth the old because of the new.

11' And i will set my tabernacle among yon: and my soul shall not ■ abhor you.

12 ( And I will walk among you, and " will be your Ood, and ye shall be niy people.

13 * I am the Lord your God, which brooght you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; * and I nave brt^en tbe bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.

14 ^ ' But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;

15 And if ye shall ' despise my statnt^ or if your soul abhor my judgments, ao that ye vill not do all my comnuindments, met tint ye break my covenant:

tians mped their barley six moalhs, and their oats seven monthiL after aeed-tiine; for they sowed all thdr graia about the end of summer, when dw overflowines M the Nile had ceased. It was nearly the same in Judea; tbiy sowed their corn and barley towards tbe end of sutumn, anid ■about the month trf October} and dtey began their faarWbarvest after the Paaaovor^ about the middle of Ifaccb: and in one month or six we^ after, about Pentecotl, ihey be^ui that of their wheaL After their vfaeot-barveM, their vintage Mmmenced. Moses here leads the HcUews to hope, iTlhey continued &ithful to God, that betweep their harvest cmd viataoe, and between their vintage and seed-time, there should oe no interval, so great should the abundance be; and these promises would ajqiear to them the more impressive, as they had just now come out of a country wtiere the inlud>itants vgk obliged to remain, for nearly tliree months, shut up within their cities, because the Nile nad then inundated the whole counoy. See CalmtL

" niis a a nervous and beautiful promise of Buch enlira plenty of corn and wine, that before they could have re^Mil and ihreahed out their com, the vintage should be ready; and before they could have pressed out their imne, ^ would be time to aow again. The prophet Amoo, diop. ix. 13. expresses the same blessing in Ine same manner; TTicj^mghman ^aUocertaJce the reaper, and the bmd' er or grapes him vho soweih seed." — Dood.

Verse II. I will set my tabematU among you] Tbm and the following verse contain the grand promise of die Goapet diapenaaiioti, viz. the preaetice, manifeatation, and indwuiing qf God, in human nature: and his constant indwelling m the souls of his followers. So John i. 14. tlw WOIu) was made flesh, intvarir >■ vt*. and aiADS HIS TABXBMAcu omoDg UK. And to this jmsnise of tbe lav, Sl Paul evidenlly tdeoy 2 Car. vi. 10— la and vii. 1.

Verse IS. Ifyt despiae my ^attde»—^hor my Jicdlgmenta] As these words, and others of a similar impoii which point out difierent properties of the reveladoo oi God, are frec^ucntly occurring, I judge it best to take agoierol view of them once for all in this place, and ihow bow ihey diSer among themselves, and what property of cbs divine law each points ouL

1. Staiwu, npn ehtuUot&jfrom pncft4ut^tostantMA d^ne, &a. Tnis term seems to signify (be things vbia God 1ms defimd, marked, and traced out, that men migjit have a perfect copy of pure conduct always before dieir eycs^ toteaobthemhovtlu^ might walk so as to please him in all Uiiiun, which they could not do, without such instruotioD OS God gives in hu word; and die help which be aflbfde by his Spirit.

to diUinguiak, raulats, and dcJsrmtes; nmaiag dmn things which Godnos determined that men shall punas |

16 I alM wIU do this mto you; I win even appoint ■ over you ■terror. '•conflumpt ion, and toe Imrnin^ a^e, that ehall * consume the eyes, and cause Borrow of heart: and ' ye flhalt sow yoor seed m vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

17 And ■! will set my face againat you, and 'ye shall he slain before your enemiee: «they that hate you shall reign over you; and ** ye shall flee when none parsueth you.

18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you ■ seven times more for your sina.

19 And I will * break the pride of your power; and I t will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as braaii:

30 And your ■ strength shall be spent in vain: for ■ your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their rruits.

bjr which dieir vhole conduct flboll be regiiUUedy mnking the imper ^aHmHion between virtue ana vice, good and tm\, right dnd vronff, joatics and injtwticv— in n won), between what ii proper to be cUmt, and what ia proper to be Isttun(fon«.

3. CoxHAmnrrTs. mis mitctvoth, from rni Uunah^ to eommand, ordatn, nnd appoint, at a Usiislator, "niii term ie properly applied to tboie parte of the Law whidi contain the dbligntton the people are under, to act acrordins lo the ttatttUt, iudgmtnU, Ac. already MaUiibed; ana wbidi prohibit nien fay penal aateti<Hi% from acting eontnuy to the lawe.

4. CoTXNANT. mys BEirni, from "ts bar, toefear, efMnae, or purjify I becauK the covenant, the whole eyitem of revelation given to the Jewt, waa intended to teparate them from all tlw people of the.earth, and to make them Aoly. BtriA alao rigaifiea the eatenoKt-taarifict which m-c- Jlgurad lha aionemeot made by Chriat fer the ain of the wofU; l^wfaidiliepiirf^CMbelievan atttohiiDad( and nakea them a peamar V'orts, xtaicm good worln. Beeidea thoee,/bitr, waaod toe following from other places of Scripture.

6. Tcvnxoxias. rrrvf kdotb, from Ad, heg<md,furtt«r, frcaidu; becauae the whole ritual law referred to mameH&DKfiiTther on, or beyond the JewiA diepeniation: even to that lacrifice, whidi in the fiilneaa of time vaa to be offered for the tins of men. Thus all the aaertficea, Ac, of the Hoeaic law rtferrtd to Chritt, and bore teMmmy to him who woa to come.

6. OaowAncaa. D^niitnra iubhvmxrotih, from -vsv ihamar, to ruard, keep t^f^ wateh over: Those parts of divine revwtion, which exhorted men lo iBotth their wsjv, k&ep Adr hearU, and promised them, in eonae- ^enoe, the continual prot«tim and blessing of God their

7. PaBcsm. onpn fikudim, from ipspoiocf, to owrhokf take care, ornotiee^, to tiiit — a very expressive cfaaraeler of the divine testimonies, the oceraeersof a man's condaet, thoM -vho ^and by and look on, to see whether he acts according to the commands of his master; also, the tititer*, because Qod's precepts are suited to all the circumstances of human life; some are applicable in advernty, others in prosperity; some in times of temptation and ■adness, others to seasons of spiritual joy and exultation, Ac. &«. ITius they may be said to overlook and vUU man In all times, places, and circumstances.

6- Tain-n. noN xmstr. from oh am, to tupport, tiutain, confirm: because God u immtitoUt who ma promised, dueatened, commanded; and therefore all hia promises, threatening, commandments, &e. are unalterable ana ttemat. Krror and falsity promise to direct and nutain, but theyj^ia. God's word is supported by his lytraJaiOi- Jidneew, and it eupporii and oottfirmt diem who eonaeientioudy believe it.

9. KHWiwHiaiiiss. npTi TfiDUCATH, from tm Uadak, wlild), tbougfa not oaed as a ver6 in uie Hebrew Bible, aeems to convey from its tise as a noUn, the idea of f^'^ng fust weight, or good measure, see diap. ziz. 36. This ib one of the enaractera which is attributed to the revelation Ood makes of himself inPsBl.cziz. And by diis the jmfartiMlyrat the divine leaUiaonlei b pointed oub Ood Civcatoilllhtirdu^&nd bis word dMribttfet to eveiy

will not hearken unto me } I will bring

23 p I will also send wild beasts among 3rou, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number: and 'your hiffh ways shall be desolate.

23 And if ye ' will not be reformed by me by these things, hut will walk contrary tmto me:

24 ■ Then will I also walk contrary unto yon, and will pmiish you yet seven times for your sins.

25 And ( I will bring a sword upon yon, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within yocir cities, ■! will send the p^tilence among yov; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

26 ' And when I have brdcen the staff of yow bread, ten women shall bake yoor bread in one

10. WosD of JEHOVAH, mn* -lai oabab TmovAit, tma lan dabar, to drifte, lead, bring forward i hence, to bring Jbrward, or utter onit aen/iniMils sodte word of G<kL iswhntOodhesfrrra^U./^rAfofflan, from his owtt mind and counsel; it is a perfect «imiii/ude of his own rigHwvmeu, holineet, gaodtu*», and fruA. This divuaa law is sometimes-expreMed by

U. niOH uiunH, srssca or won, varioasly nodifiet^ from -UM amor, to bratiA oul, baeauae of the inieresting delaile into which the word of God eniers, in order to ia struct man, and make him wise unto salvation; or, as the apostle expresses it, " Ood, who at sundry times, and in divers maoners, spake unto the hdiers by the proitet^" wtkM/Hfrnt nmi v*iiuTf«nK, in tBottydtstmct stmslr, aiH by varioue tropee m Jigurm t acurious ana stegant description of divine reraiuion. Ikb. i. 1.