12. All these collectively, are termed the law, n*n»TO- *AB, or TWT nitn touts Tsbovah. the low of the L^rd, from rrv voroA, to tUreti, ott etraight and true, ae etoneo in abuiiaing, to teatA and instruct — ^because this whole Bvalem of divine revelation is calculated to direct men to die attainment of present and eternal felidty. To tet Otem right in their nouona concerning the supreme Ood. Te oraer and a^uel them in the several departments ot tivH ■nd nligioae sode^ 1 and dtus ioteaAmai instruct ihem in the knowledge of ibemaelves^ and in the true knowledge of God. Thus diose who receive the truth, become the city of the Hring God — the tempU of the Most High, buUded together, for a habitation of God thitxi^ the Spirit To complete diisdeaeriptionoC tbeword lavt, see the note on Exod. xii. 49. where odiar laopertietof tMUwofCKid arespeotled.
Terse 16. / leitl even appoint over you terror, ftc] How dreadfhl is thb curse I A whole train of evils are here pereonifitd, and wpointed to be the governors of a disobedient people. Twror is to be one or their keepers: how awful a state I tobecontintiallyundertheinfluenceof dismay; feeling indescribabls evils, and fearing worse. ConmmpHon, rwnm thadufiuih, generally allowed to be some kind of atrophy or mararmu; by which the fledl was consumed, aiKl the iriwie body dned up by raging fever, through lack of austenance. See the note on cni^ xi. 16. How circumstantially were all these thrtatenings fulfilled in this disobedient and rdiwilioos people! Let a DaH read over this chapter, and compare it with the state of the Jews since the days of Teapanan, and then let him doubt the authenticity of this word f f he can.
Tme 22. 7 mil aend wUd beaete among you] God fulfilled these ihreaienings at different times. He sent flery BEapBKTa among ihem, Numb. xxi. 6. uoiia, 2 Kings zvii. 26. aaAaa, 2 Bjnn ii. 24. and threatened them with total desolation, so that their land should be overrun with wild beaete, Ac see Ezek. v. 17. Spiritnally, says Mr..dintiaorm, these are imoted rulere and fynifiXi, diat kill and spmLProv. xxviiL 16.Daii.vii3— & Psal. Ixxx. 13. And falae prmhete that devour souli^ HatL vii. IS. Rev. i^iii. I, dfcc So dte nrophet, speakiilg of their punishment hy tyrantt, says, A uoh otu ^ me Jbne$ Mott atey than t a wolp qf the tfentng AaU ovan, and they shall deliver you yom bread afain bf weteht: and * ye shall eat, ana notbeaatiBQed.
27 And ■if ye will not for all this hearken onto me, but walk contrary tinto me;
28 Then I will WEuk contrary tinto you also ' in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times ior your sins.
S9 ■ And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat
30 And ■! will destroy your hi^h places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcasses mon the carcasses of your idols, and my soul shall * abhor you.
31 ' And I will make your cities waste, and * bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.
32 'And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be < astonished at it.
33 And ^ I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword afler you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.
34 < Then shall the land eigov her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, ana ye be in your enemies* land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.
35 As long aa it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your ^ sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it,
36 And upon them that are lefl alive of you, 1 1 will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and ■ the sound of a ■■ shaken leaf shall ehase them; and they shall flee as fleeing from a sword; aod th^ shall &ll when none pursueth.
37 And " they shall fall one upon another, as It were upon a sword, when none pursueth: and rye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.
ftay one that goeih out thence thall be torn topUoet, iecau»e their transgreaeum* be many. And of their profhet»y he Mtvs, O ftrad, thy pnmfuis are like pozbb tn fhe deaerU, Ezek. xiii. 4. Jer, viu, 17. xt. 3."
Vene 2d. 7Vn women Aaii bake your bread in one.oven] lliough, in geneml, every bmiiy in the East bakes its own bread, yet there- are eome public bake-hotue» where tbe breed of several ftmiliea is baked at a certain iniee. Moms here foretelli that the desolation ihould be JK> great and the want eo preating, that there should be many idle hand* to be employed, many moutha to be fed, and very little for each. Ten wmen thaU bake your breifd in one oven, &c.
Verse 29. Ye thall eat fh^jteJi of your eons, Ac] Hia was literally fulfilled at tbe stegeof Jeruaaleni. Joeephus' Wass of the JewM, Book viL 2. gives ua a partieulsr iaMuoe in dreadAil detail, of a woman named Jmnhnrbo in the extremity of die fiunine, during the ait^ kUnd her auckine child, routed, and bad eaten part of tt, when diaoovared by the soldiers I See this threatened, Jei. xix, 9.
Terse "U. "JTun Aatl the land enjoy har Sahbaffu] Doubifmnt observes to be a historical truth. "From Saul to the Babylonisb ci4)tivity are numbered about,^nir hundred and ninety years, during which period, there were teventy etAbathe of years; for 7, multiplied by 70, inake 490. rfow the Babylonish ct^tivity lasted eeventy mar*, and during that ume, the land of Israel reateo. IVrefbre tbe land re«^ just at nmny yeave, in the Babyloniflb capUviQr, as it Aauld Have retted tabbatka, if toe Jewa baa observed the lawreUttve to the aabfafUha the land." This is amost femaricable foci, and deserves to be psnieulariy noticed, m b moat literoj fulfilment of the propheticdMNaratMm in this verse— T^UnsJ^f&e loniJ eni^ her aabbatha, aa long at it lieth deaalate, and ye be in your enemier land.
TerseSS. TTt* land qf your anett^ Aall eai you up] Does thia refer to the total loaa of the fen Iri6» 7 These an so completely awallowed up in some sRemiea* land, tfwt nolhii^ ooDeaning their sxiatsno^ or pluoe of lesippaoQ rmtWH 4at mere eon/ecten.
38 And ye shall perish amoiur the healhfen, and the land of your enemieB sball eat you
39 And they that ore left of yog i shall poie away in their iniquity, in your enemies' lands: and also in the iniquities of their Atben, shall diev pine away with them. '
40 1 ' [f they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fhthers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have wiUked contrary unto me;
41 And thai I also have walked contrary unte them, and have brought them into the tend oT their enemies; if then their ■ uneircmndaed hearts be ' humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity;
42 Then will I ■ remoower my covenant with Jacob, and my covenant widi Isaae, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember j and 1 will ' remember the land.
43 * The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she Ueth deeolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniqtiity: because, even because they 'despised my juogments, and because their Botif abhorred my statutes.
44 And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, ' I will not cast them away, neither will 1 abhor them, to destrov them utterly, and to break my cov^tiaat with them: for 1 am the LoRO their God.
45 But I will 'for their sakes, remember the covenant of their ancestors, * whom I t»t>ught forth out of the land of Egypt, in the sight of ■> the heathen, that I might be their Ood: I am the Loan.
46 0 These are tbe statutes, and judgment^ and laws, which the Lord made between him and the diildren of Israel ' in mount Sinai, by the hand of Moses.
Terse 44. Neiiker will / abhor Aam to destroy tham utterly] Tbou^ Ood iiaa literally fiilfilled all his dueateniogs upon this people, in disposaesauig them of that land, destroying toeir polity, overturning their ci^, demolishing their temple, and scattering themselves over the face of the whole earth; ytt be has in lus providence stmngely preserved them aa a dialimU people, md in voy clnlsMel^»le numbers also 1 He still remembers tbe eocenanl their aneeatora, and in his providence and gnc& be baa some very important design in their &voiir. All Israel sball yet be saved: and with the OetitOea, they shall all be restored lo his iavour, and under Christ Jesua^ the pTMt Shepherd, become wim them, one grand everlastisg
Verse 46. Theae are the atatulea and judgmaUa, Ac] See OD ver. 15. ^lis verse ujpeara to be lbs propw eoDchklingveraeofthe vboleboMci and 1 rather thmk that the 27tb chapter originally followed tbe ^di. Aa tbe law was ancienuy written on skins of parchment, sheep or goat skins, pasted or stitched together, and all rolled up in one roll, the matter being written in columns: one of these columna might have been very easily displaced, and thus whole obaptera might have been readily ioterehsinged. It is likely that this mif^t have been tbe ease in tbe present instance. Others endeavour to solve this diffieulrr, bv supposing that tbe Z7th chapter was added after the boos bad been finished i and therefore, there la apparently a double conclusionjone at the end (n tbe 26tb,and the outer at the end of the Z7ih <^iapter. However the above may have been, all tbe apcient verriona agree in eoDchidiiw both tbe cniyrters in nearly the asms way; yet the2Gm chapter must be sllowsd lo b^ fay ftr, lbs ow^ nslusl concluaioD of the book.
Tbe moat important points \a this ch^ter have already been particularly noticed in tbe notes: and to those oo the l£lh, 34th, and the 44th verses the re»der is espedally referred. How unwilling is God to cast off hi* people i and
Set bow sure is their rejection, if they refuse to Mwy sod ve lo bin. No natioa has ever been so signally nadai as lbs Jews; andyst no natkn bay avor baen po aigaaltr l4Ui Erdiiir klndy EAr L«J'<| liandm to iMr br radHniid, V. '
^timSr&^ A the Lord spake nnto Mosee,
.3 Speak anto the children of Israel, and say niito tnem, * When a man shall make a eingular TOW, the persons thaU be for the Lord, by thy cstiinatioD.
3 1 And thy eBtimation shall be of the male from tweaty years old even unto sixty years old, even toy estimation ''shall be fifty shekels of ■Over, > after the shekel of the sanctuary.
4 And if it b« a female* then thy estimation •haU be thirty shekels.
5 And i[ it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten ahekels.
6 And it it be from a month old even unto fire yean old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female, thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver.
7 And if it be from sixty years old and above; if it 6e a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shduls, and fbr the female ten shekels.
8 But ^ he be poorer than thy estimation, then he shall present himself before the priest, and
and mia.wfallyrtmvbtUed! OBritBinl bonothigh-miodedibutfearl Benold hero the goodnen and nreri^ of
NOTES ON CHAPTER XXm TerM 2. When a -man akaU make a ringular vow] The vene is ibort snd obscure, and may bs translaiaa tfiiu — A man vfto Aait have s^parattd o vow, according to Ikjf ettimation, ef touU unto the Lord — whieh may be panphrued thus. He who diall have vowed, or ooiueerated a aoul, L e. a Wvtoe creature, whether man or bmH, if he wiah to redeem whiu he ha« thus vowed, or codmcnxed, he rikaUrantom or redeem it, according to the prien'g estimaiion: for the priest shall judge of the properties, qualiftcatioDs, and age of the person or beast, ana the circumstaneae of the person who has vowed it, and t/baW regulate the vahie aceoidingly; and the money shall be put into his hands, tot the servux of the sanctuary. A vow, says Hr. Ainswortb, is a religious promise made unto die Lord, and Ibr the most part with prayer, and paid with thankmving. Numb. zzL % 3. Psal. Ixri. 13, 14. Vows were either of abstinence, su^ as are spoken of Numb, zzz, and tbe vovof theNazarite, Numo. vi. or they were to give somothing to the Lord, aa sacrifices. Lev. vii. 16. or the value of persons, beasts, houses, or lands, eoneeniing which the law is here given. A nan miriit vow or devote hitnttlft bis tkUirtn, {nr. S. 6.) Ms domMHos, his eatOt, fis rdc, &e. Juid in this di^iler rules are laid domi for redemption of all these things. But if after consecrating these things, he refused to redeem ihem, then they became the liord's proper^ fbr ever. The vawu contmued all their lives devoted to the service of the saneCaaryt the goed» were sold for the profit of the temple or tbe priests; toe anifnaU, if clean, were o^red in saerifioej if not propsr ibr nerifice, wen sold, and ihs priee devoted to saered uses. Ttiis is a ganeral view oi Ibe difierent laws relative to votm, mentioned in this chapter.
Verse 3. PVom twntj/ year* old, even unio tixttf—f^fty $hektU^ A man £rnm twntyto etxty years of age, ifcon- •ecrated to the Lord byavow,mi^tbe redeemed tar My thtkeU, which at 3s. each, amounted to 10*. sterling.
Verse 4. And \f Uht ajanait) The woman, at the same age, vowed unto the Lord, mic^t be redeemed fbr thirty AtkeU, 41. iOs. storling, a little more than one half of the value of the man t fbr this obvious reasoti, that a tsotnon, if employed, could luM be of so much use in tbe service oi tbe swacniaiy the man; and dwrdbrc of imich lass vahte. TsntS. fVsM/ssjpMnsMl Tbeftoytbalwssvowad^
the priest shall value hhn; according to his ability that vowed, shall the priest valne him.
9 n_And if it be a beast, whereof men brine an offering unto the Loan, all that any man giveth of BQch imto the Loan, shall fee tuMy.
10 He ■■ shall not alter it, nor change it, agood for a bad, or a bad for a good: and ifbe shul at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.
11 And if it be any unclean beast, of wfaiefa they do not ofier a sacrifice imto the Lord, then he shall present the beast before the priest:
12 And the priest shall value it whether it be good or bad: i as thou vahiest it, vho art the priest, so shall it be.
13 k But if he will at all redeem it, then he shall add a fiflh part thereof unto thy estimation.
14 If And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the Lord, then the priest shall estimate it, whether it be good or rad: as tho priest shall estimate it, so shall it stand.
15 I And if he that sanctified it will redeem his house, then he shtdL add the fifth part of the money of thv estimation unto it, and itshaU be his.
16 IT Ana if a man shall sanctify unto Lord some part of a field of his posseasion, theo thy estimation shall he according to the seed thereof: » a homer of barley seed SkaU be vaiued at fiAy shekels of silver.
17 If he sanctify his field from the year of jubilee, according to thy estimation it enall stand.
18 But if he sanctify hie field afler the jubilee, then the priest shall ' reckon unto him the money according to the jears that remain, even unto the year of the julnlee, and it shall be abated from thy estimation.
might be redeemed for (tKn<v -shekels, 3i. sterlii^i tbe girl, for tm shekels, just one half, IL 10s.
Verse 6. A month oltfl He maU dtitd, Jh» shfVfili, 16*. the./«ma/& Are« shekels, 9e. Being both iaeompantive inbn<7, they were Dear^ of an equal value. None wen vowed mder a month old: tbe first'bom being always considered as tbe Lord's proper^, oould not be vowed, see ver. 26.
Verse 7. Sixty year* old] The old man and the old \Doman being ncarfy pest laibour, were nearly of an eqttat value: hence the one was estimated atlf/Isen shells, 2/. 5*. the other at ten shekels, II. 10*. "niis was about die same ratio of the children, ver. 6. and for the same reastHt,
Verse 10. He ^laU not alter it, or change it, a good for a bad, dtc.] Whatever was «Hiseemted to Ood E7 a vow, or purpose of heart, was considered from that moment as the Lord's property; to cAan^e which, was imvieiy, to withhold it, saenUge. Retuer, hast thou ever dedicated thyself^ or any part of thy property, to dw service of thy maker? If so, hast thou paid thy vowal Or hast thou altered thy purpooe. or changed thy ofiringf Has he received from thy nanaa a bad ior a gooa? Wert Ihou not vowed and ooiueciated to God in thy baptism T Are his vows still upon thee? Hast thou "renounced the devil and idl his wnlui the pomps and vanities of this wiokedworld,siid^ltheahiAillustsof dtefleshr* Dost thou fbel Ifaysdf boond " to keep Ood's holy will and eommandments, and walk in the same all me days of thy life?" Was not this thy baptismal covenant? And hast thou renoonoed rr? Take heedl God is not moeked; that which thou sowest thou shalt also reap. If tboa nb God of thy heart, he will deprive thee of his htaven.
Terse n. Any tmdean beaet] See on ver. 2.
CHAPTER XKV.
l-yVir.2. IKIi^n.
Vme 13. StaU add a pari] His was probably intended to prevent roA vows, and eovetous ledempdons. "nte priest alone was to value the thing; and to whatever his viduadon was, a Jf/Ift part must be added by him who wished to redeem the consecrated thinr. Tnus, if the
Sriest valued it at forty ahekeU, if the wmer owner reeemed it, he was Migtd to give J{/Iy. Verse 14. Shalt aarui{fy hie hoiue] The yearly rent of which, when thus consecrated, went towards ths repairs of the tabernacle; whidi was the house of tbe Lord, Verse 16. Some part qfa JUld\ Though the preceding words are not in the taz^ yet it is genmaly allowed they riiould be supplied her^ as it was not Uwfiil fbr a maa to vow bis tcAow eUate, and tfans make his family beggars, in t>d>r to saridi ttw bald's auMtosvy I thia<3^ voold Dot
19 * And if he that aaiketi6ed the fieU, -will in taf wiM ndeein it, theo he ehall add th« fiuh MTtofdiemoDeyorthy eatimatioaimtoit, and It shall be amurea iinto him.
SO And if he will not redeem the field, or if he hare sold tiie field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more.
31 But the field, f vik&a it goeth outmthe jubilee, Bhall be holy unto the Lobd. aa a field « devoted; 'the poasewion thereof ahall be the priest's.
22 And if a man Baoctify unto the Lord a field which he hath booght, which is not of the fields of * his poBseflsion:
23 t Then the priest shall reckon nnto him the worth of thy estimation, even unto the year of the jubilee: and he shall gire thine eBtunation in tluit day, as a holy thine unto the Lord.
24 ' In the year of the pubOee the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought, even to him to whom the po^salon of the land did be-
And all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary i * twenty gerahs shall be the ehekeL
26 ^ Only the ' firstling of the " beaste, whuh should be the Lord's firstling, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox, or sheep: it u the Lobd's.
permit. The rabbini teach, that the land or field, whether good or bod, was valued >^ J[/^ ihekela, for all the yean of the jubilees Provided the field was la^ enough to sow A komar of barW. The ehomer was differant from the nof Smar—me latter held about three gaarU; the former, »€Bmty-five gaUotu three jAnU; see the note on Ezod. xvi. fS. Some auppoee that land was rated not at JMy ahekeli, for the whole of the yean of the jubilee, for thia would be but about 3fl. per snmiBiibu^ diat it <ira rated ■ecordinj' io ito pfwbie^ J[/)y ritdtek for every A«sur of barley it produeed.
Tem21. AMaJtMdtvoUti ItiBS^neh«reiit,aihing •0 da§ottd to 0o<^ u nevnr mere to be citable of being redeened.— See on ver. 29.
Verse 25. Shtkd of tiu tanetaary] A iiandard shekel j the standard beins kept in the eanetuary to try and regubua all tha weij^te in the land by.— See Gen. xx. 16. xxiii. 16.
Terse 28. No devoUdlkinf(^ihaU be aold or redeemed] This is the otn Aerm, which slwayi meant sn absolute unredeemable srant to God.
Verse 29. Wkieh Aall be devoted men] Every man who is devoted, shall surely be put to death; or, aa some underatond it, be the Lord s property, or be employed in Us sorvioe tUl dcMh. TTwi law mentioned in these two ▼arses, has bees appealed to by the enemies of divine wvelukMi, as a proo( that under the Mosaic dispenaation, Aiisim eaortjteu were ofiored to God, but this can never be eonceded. Had there been sueh a law, it certainly would have been more explicitly revealed, and not left in the compaaa of a few words only, where the meaning is mr diracult io be ascertained; and the words themselves dinrently translated by most interpreters. Iliat there were penaae devoted to destruction, under the Mosaic dispensation, is sufficiently evident: for the whole Canaan' itim nations were thus devoted by the Supreme Being himself; because the cup of their iniquity was fiill — but that they were not aaerifieed to Gt^ the whole history auffieiently declares. Houbigani understands the passage as swdting of these alone; and say% JV«n aliae IkAat tmathemaUvoveri, mam ChajtaiuBoe, mm JueeenU Deiu ad inteneeeUmem dderL " It was not Iswftil to devMe any persona to death but the Canoanitea, whom God had commanded to l»e entirely extirpated." This is perfectly oorrect; but he might have added, that it was because they were the most impure idolater^ and because the cup of their iniquity was full, l^ese God commanded to be pottodeaih; and who can doubt Am rig^Kto doao, who H the maker of masj and the fountain of juatiael But ^tat has this to do with hurnan eacrUeee 7 Just nothing, no more than the execution of an wdinary criminal, or a froiior, in the common course of justice, has to do with a nnrificetoOod. lu the destructioa of such idolatm Do religioiisfiirmslity wliatever was observed ( nor any thing that SMld gife tQS tmnMCtioa svsa ths most dklant sMtt-
27 And if Ae of an unclean beast, thai he shfill redeem it according to thine estimation, ' and shall add a fifth part of it thereto: or if it be not redeemed, ttien it shall be sold according to thy estimation.
28 IT * Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto uie Lonn, of all tuU he hath, both of man and beajst, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the Lord.
29 ■ None devoted, wtuch shall be devoted of men, diall be redeemed; but shall sordy be pot to death.
30 IF And aU the tithe of the land, rDheOuT of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, it the Lonn's: if it holy unto the Lobd.
31 * And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth peart
" - And concerning the tithe of the herd, or 'jf ilit^ ilitrk, even of whatsoever 'passeth under tiie fchI, \]w tenth shall be holy unto the Loan.
n3 III- sliall not search whether it be good or li;^!.!, ' iii-iilier shall he change it: and if he cliiinrc' it lit alt, then both it and the change ihi-njof be holy; it shall not be redeemra.
^1 Tliiwe ore the commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel in moimt SinaL
blanee of a sacrifice. In this wwr, Jericho was commanded to be destroyed. Josh. vi. 17. and the Amalekites^ Deut. XXV. 19. 1 Sam. zr. 3. But in all Atese cases the people commanded to be destroyed, were such stimers as Qocrs jostiee did not think proper to spare longer. JaA has not every system of law me same power T And do we not etmeede such power to the civil mngistiate, for the welfare of the state 1 Ood, who is ibe sovereign Ariuter of life and deathi acta here in his juridiGtl ana legndative capacity; but these are victims to JuHic* — not rdigiam eaerifteea.
of vows are memioned in this chapter: IsL Die -vn neder, (see on ch. vii.) which comwdtends all those things whi^ when onoe devoted, mig^t oe redeemed at a certam price, according to the valuation of the priest. 2dly. TTie on dUrem, those things vowed to God, of which there remained no power of r«iemptioo; ibey were mott holy; i. e. so absolutely devoted to God, that they could neither be changed, alienated, nor redeemed: probably because no mental reservation bad been made, as in tlie above case, may be mippoeed. On this erouod, the word was afterward aralied to the moat solemn and awfiil kind of txeommuntcatiaa — meaninj; a person so entirely devoted to (lie stroke of Widictive justice, as never to lie capable of receiving pardon i and hence the word may be well a^ plied in this sense to the CanaanUee^ the cup of whose iniquity was full, and who were consignei]^ wltboia nprieve, to final exterTMJudion.
Verse 30. AU the tUhe qf Oie land] This God claims as his own; and it is spoken of here as being a point j>ei^ (ectly settled, and coneeming which there waa ncatbcr doubt nor difficulty^— See my view of diis subject. Gen. xxviii. afiw verse 22. to whidi I do not see the neccarity of addiniF any thing.
Verse32. WhattoeBer jMaedh under the rod] The signification itf this verse is well given by the raUnns: " When a man waa to give the tithe of his sheep or calves to God, he was to shut up the whole flock in one fold, in which there was one narrow door oa^abte of letting ool one at a time. Hie owner, about to give (be tenth to the Lord, stood by the door with a rod in nis band, the end of which was dipped in vermilion, or red ochre. The mothers of those Iambs or calves stood without: die door being opened, the young ones ran out to join themselves to their dams; and as they passed out, the owner stood with his rod over them, and counted, 1, 2; 3, 4, S, Ac ai^ when the tenth came, he touched it with the coloured rod, by which it was distinguished to be die ti(he-eal( sheep, Ac and whether poor or lean, perfect or blemished, diat was received as the legitimate tilbe." It seems to be in reference to this custom, (hat the prophet Ezekiel, speaking to Israel, says^ ImJi eaueeytm to paee under the rea, and wiil bring you into the bond the covenant f— w didl be ones mtin ebimd M Ibe £«rd'«;iraper^ in all ihinn devoted to bia aerviee, being marlud or a«- ' etrtaitud ay Mpeciftl proridcaees wtd muufMUtionj of hia kiitdmsa, to oe his peeuHar peopU.
Terae 34. TVse are the omuMtwiiiMiUal Thia eoD-. dnaiim ii rvey aiinikr to.that at the end of tbs pnoediiig ehapter. I mtve already auspoaed that thia eh^Mar ahoulH have followed the 2Sth, and that the 26th originally terminated the book.
Ur. Aituworth, the whole of whoae writioga ara animated with the apirit of piety, ooDchidea thia book wiUi the following excellent remorka.
"Ttta tWut in larael bdng thua aanctified by the eonkmapdmept of God, to hii AonMir, the maintenance of hia mini$Urt, and the relief Of the poor, it taught them, and it teachea ua, to honour tht Lord vUh oar nbttanct, ProT. iiL 9. aekiMwledging him to be the Author of all our ineretue and ator^ Deal. viii. 13 — 18. Hob. iL S. To hoKmr hia Mnmraas, and to eommunieaU unto Uum in all gtod tlUngs, 1 Tim. v. 17, 18. Oalat. vi. 6. that A^y vhotQWWiouimiriiual things, ^louldrtap our earnat lOor. ix.lL Aoi U giM aimm muk tUmga a*«s Aaaa, Amt mil iking* may bt daon unto n*, Luia xi. 41. Tea, even to oM that we ka»*, and gix* alma t to nraauia «uraatoe« baga that ma lutoUL a tmturo in lha jUtmna tkaifadtA not, Luke zij. 33."— Tbeiy who fbmt their Maker, hia mMatoro, and the foor, are never likehrta hear Uiatbleaaed word in the great day I "Come, ye blaaaed of my CUur, ioberit the kiogdcMn prepared for jfOtt—for I waa hungry, and y< gave me meat, thiraty, and ^-n me drink, oakei, and ye clothed me, aioc, and m prwoo, and yo oame unto me."
ItoapM, thou hak imiw gtma throng the iriula of thia moat interesting book; a book, irtioao aut^eet ia too little wgarded by OnriatiaM in geoeraL Hera dkoa nqnM diaeorer the rigid reqoiaitioiw of diviae nutiea | the «nfnlnaaa of ain t die szeeeding breaddi of the oonimand- BMDti and the end of all human peiisetioa. And now what thinkeat thou of that word 1 "Whataoever the law aaidi, it saith to them who ara under the law," Rom. iti. 19. But who are under the law, the condemning power of tta« pofe, rigk^ moial law of Oodl Not Ae Jtwt ^y, but every aool of man; all to whan it k aeo^ and mo BcnHnrlMgeitaaadiviDa nvdation, and have not been redeemed from the guilt of sin by the grace of our Lord Jeaaa Oiriatt for "euraed ia every one that continueth not in all tfaioga tbatare written in the book of the kw to do them." Byihia law than ia the Anoielad^ but not the «itre of sin. Hear then what Gkkl aoith tmtollieet ** I( Iherdbn^ perfcotion WM« by the Levilioal priaadMwd, (fer nnder it nte people neeived the kw.) i^ot fiirUier ■eed waa dien ttat anodier priest dioaM riae aftu- die oeder of MeWiisedec, and not be ealled after the erder of AaFon. For the pnestbood being changed, ihore is made of neoeaai^ a change alao of the law, Heb. vii. II, 12. Now of the thinga which we have apdten, dua is the ■um: We ham aoeh a Hi^ Prieat, who ia aet on the rij^thaad^ ftw throne o€ die maje«» in the heavenat a Buniater of die aanctuary, and of the true tabnnacle wtaidt the Lord pitched, and not man. For it ia not poaable that die blood of bulla and of goata ahould take miwmy mOM, Ibib. z. 4. But Christ bemg omne a Hi^ Prieat of good diingi to ctHoe,— naidm- V ^ Uood of goata and oahrea, but by hia own blood, he ent««d in onoe into the holy plaoe, having obtained etenMl redemptioa ht ua. And for ihia eaoae, be ia the Mediator of the new testament, diat by means of death,— they wfaidi an colled might receive the promise of eternal inherilanee. And wiuunt diedding « blood ia no renuaaion. So Christ waa once oObred to bear die aina of many: uid onto them that look for him ahall he i^pear the aecond time widiout ain unto aalvstion." Heb. iz. 11, \2 — IB — 73 — 28. We see then, diat Chriat waa diexitD of the lawfbr righUoutneto, (for,/uat|;Csarion) to every one that bellievMb. Unto him, therefore, who faath loved ua, and waahed ua from our aina in bis own blood, ud luub made vm kings and prieata unto Gbd and his Father t to him be glory and dominitm fiir ever and ever. Amen. Kev.i.6, 6.
SECTIONS in die Book of Leviticua, carried on firom Kxodu% which ends with the twxntv-thibd.
Theae aeetioiUL aa waa obaerved on Exodoa, have Aaic ledinieal name* man ■one remaricaUe vwd, eidiar ia Um first or aeoond verse of their oommencemienL Maaoaano NoUo on Lavmuua.
liM partaSotk, or larger aaetiooa ara 10, die manorial aymbol of which ia taken from Qen-xxx. U.'UHSiaga^ alrospceauA; in which tdfta atandafiv %«I«A.H for 1, xtaul > for 3, and Ailifti for 4.
Ilaaedarim, orllasaraliesectioflahara23L Tbemntol of wUeh is taken fiiom PaaL i. 2. twn yehag^ In Af law ahall tu kbditatb day and night.
ItafMroAtw, or modem chatters, ara 27. Tbe memorial aign of which ia mwn w-aAayd^ Qen. zxvL 3. Awn i will u with iJxM, and viU bUm tiue.
TTie number of ita opan dMatona ia 62 1 of ita cfoae dt* vtajona,46t lolal96. Hie menmrial sign of which is m taoA, Cbnt t. 10. JMbftaloeeiliawarmaatf rwldhr. Ia diia word, teddf 1 stands for sa and dUA n for a
THIS, wbidi b the fourth book In order, of tbo Pantatoud^ hat been called NtmaaMM, {nta itt ooniaiouv ao aeeount of iba numbering and manhaUing the lamelitM in dwir jotiroey through ths wildecnm to the pnmiaed land. Iim EirausH name ia derived from the title it bean in the Vdlsati Latin, Nunuri, iriiich ia a lit^al tianalation of the Oroek word Afi»^t, its title ia the SmFTUAaani and from both, our Saxoh anoeaton called A InCtif numeration: "because in thii the children of larael vere numbered," pop pam pe Inuliela baajm papn oo Mpa gaeaalbe. Hum titie, however, doea not pr(^>erlT apply to more than the Ikrtt firat ebapun^ and Ibe xnL Tite book, like the preceding, takea ita name anung the Hokiwa, from a diatingujahing word in ue eommeiieemcM. It ia frequentlv called •aro VA-noAaan, and he fokef from tta initial word: but in moat Hdnw Bibtea ila ruami^ title ia "uiss Bxmidbak, in the vribUnuaM, which u the JfftA word in the Jlnt varae.
The oonteota of the bcxA of Numben are briefly the following. On die Jlrtt day of the jlrW month of the imwJ yaor after the departure from Egypt, the tabernacle beiiu erected, and it tad the prieHa eonaeeimieii^ Moaea ia eemnianded to make a caiwa or enumeration of tbe people, the LevileaMeaiiW^wtw were pitch, and carry the tabernacle and ita holy fiimiture — Chap. i.
To foim the vaat maaa of people into a regular can^ eadi tribs by itatU, under iti am capddi^ or due( fcDOm bj hii proper ataodard, and oocupymg an aaaigped place in refNreooe to the tabernacle. — Chap. ii.
luaea ia commanded to aeparate ths Lenlea to the aerTioe of the tobemaelet whom Oon dwoM to tak^ uMtaad of dw flriMxwn of every family, irtuch ho oloimod 00 hio own, Whn theoe ««n aeleetod in tbdr inilie^ oc the on amounted to 22,273.-<auw. tit
All this tribe ia af^Krinted to serve the taberoaole ia a varies of offices, each penao from the age of thirty tiU f^, after wfaidi he waa excused from farther eervioe. — Chap. iv.
When theae pointa were aattled, Ood oooamanda them to purify die camp by the expufaioo of every uaclaaB ptnoiv and oalaUidisa the trkl of ths auapeeted adoherooi by the teal«rt ^ Jaotfusy.— <iHW. t.
Bo next isatituteodielBWi relative 10 Aiuaritw; and li^down ths/>ni»acoardii« toiriueh tbopeo|ilo dmU bo Ueaaed. — Chap, vi
Thm ftrilowB a particular aeeount of the offeringa made to die tabnoael^ by the priaogo or duefa of die twehw tribes, and the amount of tbeae offiuinga. — C3uq>. vii.
When thta woA waa finiahed thcLevites were conaeented to their rsapeetive aenrioei^and (he duration of the acrvieo of each aaoertained. — Chap. viiL
Tbe paasover is commanded to be kept, and the first one is celebrated in thewildemesaoB lite I4th of die first momfa, (f tbe second year after their departure from Egypt.— Chap. ix.
Mooea ia commanded to make two silver tnimpelsi he ia infbrmeA of their nae— in what order die diflbteot tribeo dtall uarefai with die oersmoniea at fizing and removing the tabernacle, and the departure of the people from tha wildenieaa of Sinai on the 20th day of the second month of the aeeond year of their Ezodua from Eg;ypL — Chap. x.
The 'people murmtiring, the fire of the Lord eonaunas many of them; it ceMoa on tha intarceaatoo of Moaea; they murmur again— fitoib are sent, and they are anitlen mdi ajreat plague.— Chap. zi.
Miriam and her brother Aaron rise up aeditioualy againat Hoeei^ having eoneuved some dislike agunst his OukUm wifs; and suppoaing that be bad assumed too ftreat an authority over the people; at diii aedition the L«rd is di^leaaed, and smitea Bfiriam widi the leprosy.— Chap. xii.
Twelve spiea are aent to ezamine the promised land; — they paaa through the whole, return at tbe end of forty dan and, by briaiging an evil report, dishearten the people. — Chap. ziii.
In flooaequence of thii, the whole congregation meditate a return to ^ypt. — Ood ia displeased, and pnmouneea tfaafc all of them, from twen^ years old and upward, shall die in die wil£nwas^'niey repent— aUack the Amakfciteo ooptrary w the oommaadtMot of (Sod, and are diaoomfitted.— CSiap. xiv.
A unidier of Ofdinanceo and direetiMia are given, relative to die manner of conduetiiag the wordiip of Ood bk dM promised land— diflteent laws are repeated, and a sabbath-breaker stoned to death.— Chap. xv.
Eorahj Dalban, Abiram, and their aasOciatea form an insurrection against Moaea — tnciy are iwallowed up byaa earthquow— die oongregation murmur, and 14.700 of diem are cut off. — Cbap. xvi.
Aa a proof that God had called Aaron ana his fomily to the priesthood: his rod, or tlqff', budt^ and miraculously brnUB ftwh fciossoms and /htU, and ia commanded to be laid up before the testimony. — Chap. xvii.
TOe dHVgea ut the pnesta and Lovile% and the portiona tb^ were to have of the Xiotd** tdlbriaga for their aappoif in the wok. — zviii.
Hm ordiDonoeo a ib»r»dluy«ri — dieiMler ^imri^cafion, snd ita uses. — Chap. xix. ' The death of Miriam— tbe waters of Bleribah— the Lord tella Moses, that because he did not sanctify him in the eyes of the congregation, he shall not bring the people into die promised land. Thekingof £<fotnreluses thelamehtea a passage through hia terntnriea — Aaron is striiqted of his aaoerdelal vestments on Mount Hor, and they are [Mt so Eleaiar his son, ^o is to be high priest in his stead. Aaron dies, snd the pec^ mourn for him thirty days. — Chap, xx-
Arod^ one of the CanaanitiA kings^ attacks Iwael, and he and bis peiqile are utterly dcBtroyed — the people mummr for lack of bread and wtMr—Jlay nrpmU are sent among them, they repent— are healed by looking at a frraxsw Mrmnl— they joumer and oome MBetr, where they find water— iStAon, king of Ibe Amoritea, attacka them, and ia denoted— 00 IS likewise Of, king of Banan, and the people possess tbe lands iA both.— Chap. xxL
Boloft, king of Moah, sends for Baiaam to curse Israel j be depart^ ia onnoed by an ao~' ' a whom OmI, Itx ths purpose, miraeuloualy endued widi the |pit of speech. Ho cmneo shows him that Jehovah had limited bis power.— Cbi^ xxii. Balak offers sacrifice^ and Balaam, nn^ ttie influmoe « God, prophoeieo good coaeemiqg larael.— CSiap. xxnL Continuing to foretell the prooperi^ of Isia^ and the destinotkiir of their enemies the king of Moob disBiimoi Balaam in great wiatb. — Ch^. zxiv.
The Israelites, seduced by the women of Jlfeot and ARifiaH, eoaaniit faiDi^ biod act of Phinebaa.— Chifk xxv.
A oaoond emtit^ or onumnatioii of die people takea plaee, and the amount is 001,730^ amonf whom not one of difloo of tha first emsiM waa now faani^ oxcqpt JoAua and CaW.— Chap. xxvi.
FMn ibe am o( ibs daoghten of ZdofikAadt a law is made to eoBbla daa^era to inberiL Moms aioeikli momt Abuio^ MM Uw prombed Utnd, and constitutes Joduia his nicoesaor. — Ch^ zzrii.
A repetition of the laws reluive to bvnU-ifff'eringtt the tabbaA, the paM9mw,JirH'fntiia, Ac — Chap, xxviii.
Tb» three solemnitiea of the sereolfa month are eommanded to be held on the fivt, tenUi, iad/ourieaiA days of tbft month.— Chap. xxix.
Serend laws and ordinaaeee concenunc vows of aiSerent kindi^ naoe bj Tarxnu peisona i when they ibould bo oon finned, and in what ease* annulled.— (3»ap. xxx.
Twelvo thooMuid Israelitea go egainat the people of Htdian, and slay them, their fire kings, and Balaam Uieir pitnihet; and the lanelitM take immense boot^ in person*, came, gold, nlver, and predotu aUmet, of which tbejr mm a great ofiertng to the Lord, because in this contest they loet not one roan.— Ch^. xxxi.
The uiildren of Reuben and Gad, and the kai^ tribe tff MtxruiMA, request (o receive for their inheritance, the territories of iStA«n and Og on the east side of Jordan; their desire is granted on the condition of their going over •need with their brethren, to assist tfaem in conquering die land. — Chap, xxxii.
A oircumaCantlal afi^wim of the forty- two joumen of the Israelitea from their departure from AoguM^ till their arrivd at Jbnfaa. Ib^ are ooanuuiaM to expel all the ancient inh^tants. — Chq>. xxziiL
Tlie border* of the land are deaetibed, ad the pecsotu appointed by Qod, who shooki asMt Joshoa in diriding tha land among tlie nine tribea and halt — CIuh). xxxiv. '
Porty-ei^t cities are to be assigned to the Levite* oat of the twelve tribes, for theti goods and for their cattle; and oat t{ these, they were to appoint six cities of refuge, for the person who had unawares slain his neigbboor: to one of vhich dtiea the manslayer was to eecapc, and tariv there dll the death of the hig^ priest, — C%ap. xxxv.
A law establiited Aat the daiufaiera to whom me satemal inheritance descendiL shall not mar^ out of their own tribes, lest dieir iidteritaiwe ahoiiM become alienated and los^ fay being blended with iboee of other tribes, chap. xxxvL — See me eaae of Zctophebad's daariiters.— Chap, xxvii.
In this beak, whicb eonqweheou the history of between Airty-ei^t md thntrfuna jMrs, we have, in one word, a distinct account of the several stage* of the Israelites' joomer ut tm wilderness^ the various occurrences on the way; their Iriala rebel! toitf, punishments, deliverances, eonquesti^ sc. with several laws and ordinances, not mentioned, in the jitMeduw bo^i logelbcr with a repetition and ttplaoatlot of aaaae othera whidk had been pceviouely delivered. TheirtiatoHnBiigaiBOMiittenttiagbiftoiyof the jiMi^ t^nft ptwridenee of Qod.
B. ciioa A Lord spake unlo Moeea
' in the wiidernesB of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the con^eg;ation, first day of the eecond month, in the after on the. second rear after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
2 * Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, afler their familieB, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls;
3 From ^ twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel; thou and Aaron shall number them by their * armies.
4 And with you thiere shall be a man of every tribe: every one head of the house of hia &thers.
5 If And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe qf Reuben; Elizur the son orShedeur.
6 Of Simeon; Shetumiel the son of ZurishaddaL
7 Of Judah; Nahehon the aonof Amminadab.