PRIlSrCETON, N. J.

Divisictt .

Section ...

Shelf. Number.

ANNOTATIONS

THE PENTATEUCH

©r fl&e .ifibt ISoolts of iWoscs;

THE PSALMS OF DAVID

SONG OF SOLOMON

BY HENRY AINSWORTH.

WITH A MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR.

VOL. II.

1? L A C K I E & SO N,

QUEEN STREET, GLASGOW; SOUTH COLLEGE STREET, EDINBURGH;

AND WARWICK .SQUARR, LONPON.

MDCCCXLIII.

GLASGOW: BLACKIE AND CO., PRINTERS.

fiEC. NOV 1881

,^-

THE

BOOK OF NUMBEKS,

CHx\P. XL

1 . The people complaining, God punisheth them with fire, which at Moses' prayer is quenclied. 4. Tltey lust for flesh, and loath manna. 10. Moses, grieved at their murmuring, complaineth to God of his charge. 16. God divideth his burden unto seventy elders whii'h hear it with him, 18, and promiseth to give the peopk flesh. 24. The seventy elders have the spirit of p>rophecy. 31. God by a mind bringeth quails tjito the camp, which the people gathering and eating, do die of a plague at Ki- hrothlmttaavah. 35. T'he camp rcmoveth to Hazeroth.

' And the people was when they were complaincrs, evil in tlie cars of Jeliovah -. and Jehovah heard, and liis anger was kindled ; and a fire of Jeliovah burnt amono; them and consumed them in tlie

Ver. 1. — And the PEorLH,] Ilitlierto in this hook, God's grace to liis people hath been manifested in tlie ordering, directing, and go- verning of them in tlie wilderness, towards their promised inheritance: now followeth their unthankfulness and unworthy carriage among so great blessings, by their many murmnrings and rebellions; whereby both the disobe- dient nature of man, and the impossibility of the law to bring men unto God, is declared.

Whf.N they « ERK CO.MPLAINERS,] Ol", CIS

complaincrs f that is, even complaincrs, very murrnurers f grudging, and showing them- selves discontented with their estate; and (as is likely) for their so long travel in the wilderness, ' three days jomney ' before they came to a resting place, Num. x. 33, and thus Sol. .larchi here expoundeth it. So whereas they should have rejoiced in the Lord now among them, they showed them- selves as mourners, sorrowful, and (as the Gr. translateth) murmuring. Of such 'murmur- crs ' and ' complaincrs,' tlie apostle also spcak- fcth, Judo ver. Ki. l''\ii.,] This seemelh to Vol.. II.

have reference to the first, the people was evil, that is, wicked, and so displeasing the Lord: the Gr. referreth it to the latter, the people muriHured evil tlmigs before the Ijord. A FIRE (1F JEHOVAH,] That is, as the Gr. ex- poundeth \i,from the Lord, and the Chald. from before the Lord : though it may also mean a great and vehement fire. Their re- bellions before the law was given at mount Sinai, God punished not, Exod. xiv. 11 — 15; XV. 21, 26 ; xvi. 2—4, 9, 20, 27, 28; xvii. 2 — 5, save only when they made the molten calf at the mount, Exod. xxxii. 27, 2S, 36. But their sins committed after, he punisheth severely, as here and after is to be seen : for, ' the law worketh wrath,' Kom. iv. 15. And ' all these things happened unto them for en- samples to us,' 1 Coi'. X. 5 — 11. Consumed,] Ur, devoured, Heb. did eat. TheGr. trans- lateth, ^devoured a part of the camp. Li that the fire consumed 'in the utmost part,' it is piobable that there the sin began among them that were faint and weary with tra\ el ; as Deut. xxv. 18.

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utmost 'part of the camp. ^ And the people criea out unto Moses, and. Moses prayed unto Jehovah, and the fire sunk down. ^ And he called the name of tliat place Taberah, because the fire of Je- hovah burnt among them. * And tlie mixed multitude that was among them lusted with lust, and the sons of Israel also returned and wept ; and said. Who shall give us fiesli to eat ? * We remem- ber the fish which we did eat in Egypt for nought : the cucumbers, and the melons, and tlie leeks, and the onions, and the garlick. * But now our soul is dried away, there is nothing at all, only our

Ver. 2.— Sunk Do^^•N,] That is, went out, they had ' for nought,' without price, getting

or, was quenched; in Gr. ceased. Tlieir seeking to the Lord in their afflictions, and his mercies towards them, are mentioned in Psal. Ixxviii. 34— 3S.

Ver. 3. — He called,] That is, Moses called: or, as the Gr. translateth, the name of that place was called : see the notes on Gen. xvi. 14. Taberah,] That is, burn, ing : which name was given to imprint a memorial of their sin and of God's judg- ments in their hearts, as Moses after men- tioneth them, in Deut. ix. 7, 22, 24.

Ver. 4. — The mixed multitude,] Or, the gathered multitude^ so called in Heh. of gathering; in Gr. and Chald. oi mixture: and in the Chald. said to be Jonathans, they are called, the strangers that were gathered among them. These were that ' mixed peo- ple' that came up with Israel out of Egypt, mentioned in Exod. xii. 38. Lusted with LUST,] That is, lusted gieatly and greedily. Returned and wept,] That is, againivept, the Gr. saith, they sat and wept. The Is- raelites that a little before complained, were punished, and repented ; now again, by the example of the strangers among them, return to their sinful course. Chazkuni here saith, " After that (the sons of Israel) had mur- mured already themselves alone, (ver. 1,) they turned and murmured with the mixed multitude, and wept for desire of flesh." So this was another mutiny, diflering from that forespoken of; though in time and place near together. Who shall give,] A wish, meaning, 0 that some ivould give us flesh: and a tentation, as not believing that God could do it. This their lusting is rehearsed, in Psal. cvi. 14; Ixxviii. 18 — 20, 'they tempted God in their heart, asking meat for their soul (or lust:) and they spake against God, they said. Can God furnish a table in the wilderness ? Behold he smote the rock, and the waters giished out, and streams over- flowed: can he give bread also? or can he prepare flesh for his people?

Ver. 5. — We remember,] They stirred and inflamed their lust with remembrance of their former Egyptian diet. For nought,] This may be referred to the ' fish ' which

them out of the rivers freely; or, for nought, that is, for very little, very cheap; as nothing is used for \e.Ty little, Acts xxvii. 33 ; John xviii. 20, none for very few, Jer. viii. 6; 1 Cor. ii. 8. It may also have reference to the former, we remember for nought, that is, in vain: so the Heb. chinnam, and Gr. do- rean, sometimes signifieth a thing done or spoken in vain and without eflect, as Prov. i. 17; Ezek. vi. 10; Gal. ii. 21. Garlic,] These gross meats used to be eaten by the poorer sort in Egypt, and by the Israelites when they were slaves there, they now re- member, (forgetting their slavery;) and pre- fer before the manna which God gave them from heaven, which was both pleasant and wholesome. Of the things here spoken of, and other the like, the Hebs. themselves say: " Some meats are exceeding evil, and it is not meet that a man should ever cat of them, as great fishes that are salted and old, &c. and some meats are evil, but not so bad; therefore it is not meet for a man to eat of them, save a little and very seldom; and he may not use to make them his meat, or to eat them with his meat continually, as great fishes, cheese, &c. and leeks, and onions, and garlic, &c. these meats are naught, which a man should eat of but a very little, and in winter days; but in summer not at all," Maim, in Misn. tom. i. in Degnoth, chap, iv. sect. 9,

Ver. 6. — Our soul is dried,] The soul is often put for the body, or whole man, and for the appetite or desire of meat, drink, and other things: so here they complain that they had no nourishment by the ' wheat of heaven' (as manna is called, Psal. Ixxviii. 24,) nei- ther was their appetite satisfied: and here- upon it is said, they asked ' meat for their souls,' Psal. Ixxviii. 18, to satisfy their fleshly lust. Our eyes are,] Or, our eyes behold only the manna; that is, we see no other food; neither can we expect for any other, but depend upon manna only. For ' the eyes unto' any, signify hope and expectation, as Psal. XXV. 15; cxli. S. Manna was unto them both a corporal food, and a spiritual, figuring Christ himself, with his word and

CHAP. XL

eyes are unto the manna. ' And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour of it as tlie colour of bdellium. " The people went about and gathered it, and j^round it in mills ; or beat it in a mor- tar; and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was, as the taste of the best moisture of oil. ^ And wlien the dew fell down upon tlie camp in tlie niglit, tlie manna fell down upon it. '" And Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families; everij man in the door of his tent; and the anger of Je- hovali was kindled greatly, and in the eyes of Moses it ivas evil.

" And Moses said unto Jehovah, Wherefore hast thou done evil to thy servant ? and wherefore have I not found grace in thine eyes, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me ?

grace, John vi, 31 — 33; I Cor. x. 3. So the loathing of manna, and longing for the meats of Egypt, figured the rejecting of Christ and his graces, for to have nourish- ment and life by the works and righteousness of men, Gal. iii. 3, 10; iv. 9. Such men's 'eyes' cannot see the 'manna which is iiid,' Rev. ii. 17.

Veb. 7. — Manna,] In Ileb. man: the reason of this name, see in the notes on Exod. xvi. 14. Cliazkuni on that place saith, "Man, in the Egyptian tongue, is as mah, (that is, what) in the Heb. : and they asked one of another, man, that is, what is this.?'"' Coriander,] Of it, see Exod. xvi. 31. These are the words of Moses, con- demning the people's ingratitude, by the de- ijcription of mainia, which they disdained. The colour,] Heb. the eye, that is, the col- our, or appearance, as the Gr. and Cliald. explain it: so eye is used for colour, i(c. in Lev. xiii. 55; Ezek. i. Iti; viii. 2; x. 9. Bdellium,] In Heb. bdolach, in Gr. (and by Sol. Jarchi's exposition) crystal: which is white and transparent: so manna is said to be ' white,' Exod. xvi. 31. Of bdellium, see Gen. ii. 12.

V'er. 8 Went about,] Or, we7it to and

fro, to search, find, esjiy, as in Jer. v. 1 ; Amos viii. 12 ; Dan. xii. 4, therefore this word is applied sometimes to the eye, as in 2 Chron. xvi. 9, It figured the labour and diligence that mun should use to get ' the meat which eiiduruth unto eternal lite,' John vi. ,27. Grocnd it,] Tlie grinding and beating of it, &c. figured also the alHictions of Christ, wherei)y he «as prepared to be for us the bread of life, John vi. 48 — 51 ; Heb. ii. 9, 10; 1 Pet. iii. IS, But though the manna was thus hard as wheat to be ground, yet it used to melt as it lay on the earth, with the heat of the sun, that tliey gathered it only in the morning, Exod. xvi. 21. Baked,] Or, boiled, cooked; the word is sometimes used for baking, as in 2 Sam. xiii.

8, though usually it signifieth to boil. The best moisture of oil,] Fresh oil, which hath no rank favour. The Heb. leshad, is the best oily moisture in man's body, Ps. xxxii. 4, so here it is the best sweet mois- ture of oil, which is the uppermost part. It had also the taste of ' wafers with honey,' Exod. xvi. 31. And here the Gr. translatetb it 'wafers of oil,' and the Chald. paste, (or cakes) with oil.' So it was both pleasant and wholesome food, and the taste of ' oil ' and ' honey ' figured the sweetness of grace, which we by faith perceive in Christ the true manna, Ps. cxix. 103; Song v. 10'; 1 Pet. ii. 3.

Ver. 9. — Fell down upon it,] And upon the manna fell dew again, which when it was drawn up by the sun, then the man- na appeared, Exod. xvi. 13, 14, so the man- na lay as it were hidden between two dews. But after was manifested, and given them of God freely e\tiry day, a wheat which they sowed not, nor laboured for, but had for the taking up, a meat which they knew not, neither had their fathers known it: whereby they were taught, that man liveth not by bread only, but by every word that proceecl- elh out of the mouth of the Lord, Dcut. viii. 3.

Ver. 10 Throughout,] Or, by their fa-

viilies; so the sin was generally spread among the people. In the nooR,] That is, openly; and sinned not in secret only, but as it were proclaimed their iniquity, and stirred up themselves, and one another, to follow their lusts.

Ver. 11. — Done evil to thy servant,] That is, afflicted me: for et'// when it cometh from God, meaneth trouble and affliction wherewith he cliastiseth liis servants, and exerciselh their faith and patience; as Jer. xviii. 8; Is. xlv. 7; Amos iii. 6. That thou layest,] \\<ih. for to lay, or to put: so it hath reference to the former part of the speech. See the notes on Gen. vi. 19. The

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'^ ILave I conceived all this people ? liave I begotten them, that tliou shouldest say unto me, Bear them in tliy bosom, as a nursing fatlier beareth tlie sucking child, unto the land wliich thou swarest unto tlieir fathers ? '^ Whence should I liave flesh to give unto all this people ? for they weep unto me, saying. Give us flesh that we may eat. " I am not able myself alone to bear all this people, for it is too heavy for me. '^ And if thou do thus unto me, kill

BURDEN,] The weighty care and charge: so in Deut. i. 12. The Gr. here translattth it anger; but after in ver. 17, violence, or as- sault. This showeth the great charge that lieth upon governors: so Paul mentioneth ' the care of all the churches,' which came npon him daily, 2 Cor. xi. 28.

Ver. 12. — Have i conceived,] So also the Gr. translateth it; but the Chaid. saith, " Am I the fatlier of all this people ? are they my sons?" Begotten them,] Heh. begotten it; or, brought it forth ; speaking of the people, as of one man, begotten, as by a father; or brought forth, as by a mother. So the apostle applieth both similes to himself, saying to the Corinthians, 'Ye have not many fathers ; for in Christ Jesus I have be- gotten you through the gospel,' 1 Cor. iv. 15, and to the Gal. ' My children of whom I travel in birth again, until Christ be formed ia you,' Gal. iv. 19. In this complaint of Moses, the weakness of the law is signified, which begetteth no children to God, Rom. vii. 4, 5, &c.; viii. 3, but by the word of truth, the gospel, and by belief in Christ, we are born of God, Jam. i. 18; 1 Pet. i. 23 — 25; I John V. 1. In thy bosom,] That is, lovingly, tenderly, carefully: which Moses the lawgiver could not do as is done by Christ, of whom it is said, ' He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, he shall gather his lambs with his arm, and bear them in his bosom, he shall gently lead those that are with young,' Is. xl. 11. A ndrsing father,] This showeth the love, mildness, gentleness which should lie in governors ; and so it is said unto the church, ' Kings shall be tliy nursing fathers,' &c. Is. xlix. 23. Aud the apostle saith, ' We were gentle among you, even as a nurse chcrisheth her children: we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,' 1 Thes. ii. 7, 11. Accordingly the Hebs. liave this rule for all governors of the church, " It is unlawful for a man to govern with slateliness over the congregation, and with haughtiness of spirit, but with meekness and fear. And every pastor that bringeth more terror upon the congregation than is for the name of God, he shall be punished, and shall not see himself to have a leamed wise son: as it is said, (in Job xxxvii. 24.) ' Men do

therefore fear him ; he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.' And so it is not lawful for him to govern them with contemp- tuous carriage ; although they be the (com- mon) people of the land: neither may he tread upon the heads of the holy people, al- though they be unlearned and base, they are the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the armies of the Lord that brought them out of the land of Egypt by great might, and by strong hand ; but he must bear the toil of the congregation, and their burden ; as Moses our master, of whom it is said, 'Asa nursing father beareth the sucking child,'" &c. Maim, in Misn. torn. 4, in Sanhedrin, chap. xxv. sect. 1, 2. That which Moses speaketh of a ' nursing father,' the Chald. that goeth in the name of Jonatlian, and Targum Jerusalemy, calleth pedagoga, which word Paul usetb, when he saith, 'the law was our pedagogue (or schoolmaster) unto Christ,' Gal. iii, 24, whose graces were figured by that ' land ' whither Moses now was to lead them ; as is showed in the annot. on Gen. xii. 5.

Ver. 13. — Flesh to give,] By these complaints Moses showeth his insufficiency to govern this people, and to svipply their wants: neither indeed could he bring them into the promised land, but died ere they came thither, Deut. xxxiv. whereby the im- possibility of the law was signified, that it could not bring men unto God, or satisfy, or restrain the Uists that reign in our members, though the law itself ' is holy,' Rom. vii. 5 — 12. 'But what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God (hath done) sending his own Son,' Rom. viii. 3, who giveth us not flesh to satisfy our carnal lusts, but his own flesh to be the food of our souls, which he hath given * for the life of the world,' and which whoso eateth, ' hath eternal life,' John vi. 51, 54.

Ver. 15. — If thou do thus,] To leave the whole burden upon me still. Here the word thou, spoken to God, is of the feminine gender, contrary to common rule of speech, at, for attah: which some think doth intimate Moses' trouble of mind, as if he could not perfectly utter his words: and the like is in Deut. v. 27, where the people, terrified with the majesty of God when he gave his law, said unto Moses, ' Speak thou (at) unto us.'

CHAP. XL

5

me I piay thee, kill me, if I luive foimd grace in tliiiic eyes, and let me not see mine evil.

"* And Jeliovah said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men

Sol. Jarchi here saitli, "The strength of Moses became feeble as a woman, when the holy blessed (God) showed him the punish- ments that he would brinj; upon Ihem (the people-) for this ho said before him, ' If thus, kill me first.' " Kill jie,] Or, /tilling me: that \s, kill me quite, and out of hand ; the word is doubled, for more vehemency and speed. See mine evil,] That is, my misery and affliction. By 'seeing evil,' is meant the feeling or sufl'eriiig of misery ; as to ' see death,' is to die, Luke ii. 2G ; Ps. Ixxxix. 49, and as on the contrary, ' to see the salva- tion of God,' nieaneth the fruition or enjoy- ing thereof, Ps. 1. 23 ; xci. Ifi. Com- pare with this, Elijah's speech, I Kings xix. 4.

Vek. 10. — Gather u.nto me,] In Chald. gather before me; and Thargum Jonathan ex- plaineth it, gather in my name sevent;/ ivorihy men. This is answerable to the number of the seventy souls of the house of Israel, which went down into Egypt, Gen. xlvi. 27; Exod. i. 5 ; Deut. x. 22, and to the seventy elders which went up unto the Lord at mount Sinai, Exod. xxiv. 1, 9. From hence the Hebs. in their commonwealtli, continued their chiefest senate in Jerusalem of seventy- one elders, as here there were seventy, and Moses the prince. So they record in Tal- mud Bab. in Sanhedrin, chap. i. and Maim. in Sanhedrin, chap. i. sect. 3 — 5, explaineth it thus; "there was in Israel, first a great court (or judgment hall) in the sanctuary ; and that was called the great Synedriou, and their number was seventy-one, as it is writ- ten, 'Gather to me seventy men,' &c. and Moses was chief over them, as it is said, ' And let them stand there with thee,' Num. xi. 16, lo here are seventy-one. The great- est in wisdum among them all, they set him for liead over them, and he was called Nasi (the prince) in 'i'^tYy place, and he stood in- stead of Moses our master. And they placed the greatest among the seventy, next unto the liead, and he sat on his right hand, and was called Abbethdin (the father of the judgment hall.) And the residue of the seventy sat before him, according to their years and according to their dignity: whoso- ever was in wisdom greater tlian his fellow, WHS nearer unto the prince on his left hand. And they sat as in the form of an half circle round, so that the prince, with the father of the court, mif;ht see them all. Moreover they set two judgment halls, each of twenty- three judges, the one at the door of the court fiif the sanctuary,) the other at the door of

the temple. And in every city of Israel wlierein were 120, (fathers of families) or more, they set a lesser Synedriou, which sat in tlie gate of the city, as it is written, ' And establish judgment in the gate,' (Amos v. 15.) And their number was twenty-three judges, and the wisest among them was head of them; and the residue sat in a round-like half a circle, that he which was head might see them all. If it were a city which had not 120 men in it, they set therein three judges, for there is no judgment hall of less than three, that there might be more or fewer, if there happened to be among them dissension in judgment. But every city which had not. in it two wise men, the one fit to teach the whole law, and the other skilful to hear, and skilful to demand and make answer; they set no synediion therein, although it had in it two thousand Israelites," &c. The officers,] In Gr. the scribes; and Thargum Jonathan addeth, " in Egypt:" as if these were such as are mentioned in Exod. V. 14, and of them Sol. Jarchi also understandeth it. W'hat these ' ofiicers ' were after in the commonwealth of Israel, is noted on Deut. xvi. IS. Here it seemeth to be meant of such elders and officers as were well known and had approved themselves for wisdom and good carriage, for which they might with comfort be preferred to this high senate: 'for they that have ministered well, (as the apostle saith,) purchase to themselves a good degree,' 1 Tim. iii. lo. Afterwards in Israel about the choice of these chief ma- gistrates, it is thus recorded; " Our wise men have said, that from the great synedrion they sent into all the land of Israel, and made diligent inquiry; whomsoever they found to be wise, and afraiil to sin, and meek, &c. they made him a judge in his city. And from thence they preferred him to the gate of the mountain of the house (of the Lord:) and from thence they promoted liim to the gate of the court (of the sanc- tuary,) and from thence they advanced him to the great judgment-hall," Maim, in San- hedrin, chap. ii. sect. 8. St.and there,] Or, present themselves there with thee. Tliey were to stand before the tabernacle, to present themselves unto God, and to receive authority from him; and with Moses, who was to be chief over tbem. The Hebs. from the word jrith, gather a likeness unto Moses, saying, " They constitute none in the synedrion but priests, Levites and Israelites whose gene- alogy is known, &c. as it is said (in Num. xi. IC,) ' with thee;' which are like thee in

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of the elders of Israel, wliom tlioii knowest, tliat tliey are the elders of the people and tlie officers of tliem, and take them unto the tent of the congregation, tliat they may stand there with thee.

" And I will come down and will speak witli thee there, and I "will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them, and they shall bear with thee the burden of the people, and thou shalt not bear it thyself alone. '^ And say thou unto the people, sanctify yourselves against to-morrow, and ye shall eat flesh ; for ye have wept in the ears of Jeliovah, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat ? foi' it was well with us in Egypt ; therefore Jehovah will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. '^ Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days. ^^ Un- til a month of days, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be unto you loathsome, because that you liave despised Jehovah who is among you, and have wept before liim, saying, Wherefore now came we forth out of Egypt? ^' And Moses said. The people amongst wliom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen ; and thou liast said, I will give them flesh, and they shall eat it a month of days. ^^ Shall the flocks and tlie herds be slain for them to suffice

wisdom, religion, and genealogy," Maim, in Sanhcdrin, cliap. ii. sect. 1.

Ver. 17. — I WILL COME DOWN,] To wit,

in sign or apparition ; as the Chald. traiislat- eth, / u'ill reveal myself ; and Thargum Jonathan addelh, " I will reveal myself in tlie glory of my majesty ;" this was in the cloud, ver. 25. I will take,] Or, will se- parate ; iu Chald. will increase of the spirit that is on thee; meaning, the gifts of the Spirit, as ' prophecy,' ver. 25, and other meet for their charge: for • there are diversi- ties of gifts, but the same Spirit,' 1 Cor, xii. 4. So 'spirits' are named for 'spiritual gifts,' 1 Cor. xiv. 12, 32, and the 'Holy Spirit,' for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, John vii. 39 ; Acts xix. 2,G. Thus the 'spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha,' 2 Kings ii. 15, when he had the same gifts and power of prophecy, miracles, &c. Neither was Moses' spirit hereby dimiin'shed ; for as Sol. Jarchi saith, " Moses in that hour was like unto the lamp that was left (burning) on the candle- stick, (in the sanctuary) from which all the other lamps were lighted, yet the light there- of was not lessened any whit." God showed hereby, that none without gifts of his Spirit, are fit for oflice and government, Exod. xviii. 21 ; Deut. i. 13 ; Acts vi. 3. The Hebs. have this rule, " Any synedrion, king, or governor, that shall set up a judge for Israel, that is not fit, and is not wise in the wisdom of the law, and meet to be a judge; although lie be wliolly amial)lc, and have in him other good things, yet l,c that sctteth him up,

transgresseth," &<' Maim, in Sanhedrin, chap. iii. sect. 8.

Ver. 18. — SANCTipy,] In Chald. /jrcjoare yourselves: so to ' sanctify war,' is to prepare therefore, Jer. vi. 4 ; Ii. 28. It meanetli au holy preparation to receive the gifts that they desired. Sol. Jarchi expoundeth it, " Prepare yourselves for vengeance ; and so he saith (in Jer. xii. 3,) Sanctify (that is, prepare) them for the day of slaughter:" the twentieth verse showeth that this may be implied. Wept in the ears,] In ver. 20, ' wept be- fore' the Lord; and so the Ciiald. tunieth it here. It meaneth, that the Lord had seen and heard their complaint: for weeping is often joined with lifting up the voice, or cry. ing out; as Gen. xxvii. 39; Judg. ii. 4; xxi. 2; 1 Sam. xi. 4; xxiv. 16; xxx. 4.

Ver. 20. — Until a month of days,] To wit, ye shall eat, as the Gr. expresseth. Meaning a 'whole month;' as a 'year (;f days' is an whole year, 2 Sam. xiv. 2S. So in Gen. xxix. 14. Loathsome,] Heb. to loathsomeness or alienation; which the Gr. Iranslateth to choler; the Chald. to offence, that is, offensive. Have despised,] Or, contemptnuiisly refused, set at nought; which the Gr. translateth, disobeyed the Lord ; the Chald. rejected the word of the Lord. Who IS,] The Chald. saith, whose majesty (or di- vine presence) remaincth among you.

Ver. 22. — To suffice them,] So the Gi'. and Chald. expound the Heb. mutsa, which usually signifieth to find ; but here is ujed for obtaining that vrhich is sufliciciit: so

CHAP. xr.

Ihem ? or shall all tlie fislics of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them.

^ And Jehovah said unto Moses, Is Jehovah's hand waxed short? thou slialt see now, whether my word sliall come to pass unto thee, or not. ^* And Moses went out, and spake unto the people the words of Jehovah ; and lie gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and made them stand round about the tent. ^^ And Jehovah came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him ; and gave it unto the seventy men the elders ; and it was when the spirit rested upon them, they pro- pliesied, and did not add. ^"^ And there remained two of the men in the camp ; the name of tlie one was Eldad ; and the name of tlie second, Medad ; and the spirit rested upon them ; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto tlie tent, and they prophesied in the camp.

people ; see Exod. vii. 1 ; Gen xx. 7. And thus Paul saith, ' He tliat prophesieth, speak - eth unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort,' 1 Cor. xiv. 3. Sometimes it was a singing of praise unto God ; as they that prophesied ' with harps, with psaltei iis and with cymbals ; to confess and to praise the Lord,' 1 Chron. xxv. 1, 3. Did not ADD,] That is, prophesied no more but that day, as God spake the ten commandments, and ' added not,' that is, spake no more, or after such a manner to the people, Dent. lii. 2. Thus the Gr. here translateth, and they added no more: and Sol. Jarchi saith, '' they did not add, i. e. they prophesied not save that day only ; so it is expounded in Siphre." Howbeit the Chald. translateth it, ceased not; in a contrary signification, which sometimes is in the Heb. words. But seeing the Chald. so expoundetli that also in Deut. v. 22, ttiat the Lord ' ceased not,' which seemelh to mean a continuance till all tliose ten words were finished ; we may likewise understand him liere to mean a continuance for that day; (as Saul in Naioth ' prophesied all tliat day and all that night,' I Sam. xix. 24,) and not a continuance always ; for this seemeth to be a temporary gift and miracle for confirmation of their oflice ; as in 1 Sam. x. 6, 1 1.

Vkr. 2(). — Medad,] In Gr. Modud. The sriRiT,] In Cliald. the spirit of prophecy. That were written,] By Moses in a book ; or in papers (as the liubs. think) and so were appointed among the rest to come to the tabernacle, ver. 16, 24. But went ni»t OUT,] For what cause, the scripture shewelh not: but by comparing this their fact with others, it is probable, that as Saul when he should have been made king, withdrew and hid ' himself among the stull,' 1 Sam. x. 22, so these two, unwilling to take the charge upon them, withdrew their shoulders, and

in Josh. xvii. IG ; Judg. xxi. 14. Here Moses showeth that the thing promised was impossible in man's judgment ; both in re- spect of the multitude of men, and length of time: and therefore he mentioneth beasts and fishes which also are flesh, 1 Cor. xv. 39, but speaketh not of fowls, as thinking least of all that they should be filled with th«m: yet God sufficed them with such, ver. 31. So Philip said unto Christ, 'Two hun- dred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for (this multitude) that every one may have a little,' John vi. 7, 9.

Ver. 23. — Hand waxed short,] That is, power abated; the Gr. expoundeth it. Shall not the Lord's hand he sjifficient ? the Chald. thus, Shall the word of the Lord he hindered? Hand is often used for 'power,' as being the instrument wherewith power is shewed, Deut. xxxii. 30 ; Josh. iv. 24 ; viii. 20, ' shortness ' signifieth lessening; and is applied sometimes to the Lord's Spirit, as in Mic. ii. 7, ' is the Spirit of Jehovah short- tened?' Sometimes to his hand, as here, and in Is. lix. ], 'Behold Jehovah's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save:' and in Is. 1. 2, ' Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem ? or have I no power to deli- ver?' where the latter sentence explaineth the former.

Ver. 25. — They prophesied,] This was a gift and effect of God's Spirit upon them: and is elsewhere so explained : as, ' upon the handmaids in tliose days, I will pour out my Sjjirit,' Joel ii. 29, that is, ' I will pour out ol my Spirit, and they shall prophecy,' Acts ii. IS. So in Acts xix. 2, 6. And when Saul was anointed to be king, ' the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied,' 1 Sam. X. 6, 10. Prophesying was not only a foretelling of tilings to come, but sometimes a declaring of the word of God unto the

NUMB K R S.

'" And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. ^^ And Joshua the son of Nun, the mmister of Moses, one of his choice young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid thou them. '' And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for me ? but O who shall give that all the people of Jeliovah were prophets; that Jehovah would give liis Spirit upon them. ^^ And Moses gathered himself into the camp ; he, and the elders of Israel. '^^ And there went forth a wind from Jehovah, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it ivere a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's

came not to the tabernacle: yet the Lord by his Spirit found them out: tor whither shall men go from his spirit ? or whither shall they flee from his presence ? Ps. cxxxix. 7. The Hebs. have here their uncertain conjec- tures : Sol. Jarchi saith, " They were all written expressly by their names, and should have been taken by lots. For the count was made for the t\YeIve tribes, out of every tribe six, except two tribes, of which were but five. Moses took seventy-two papers (or scrolls) and on seventy of them he wrote an elder, and on two, a part : and he chose six out of every tribe, so there were seventy and two. Then he said unto them, Take up your papers out of the basket. AVhoso took up with his hand (a paper on which was written) an elder, he was sanctified (to that office:) but he in whose hand came up a part, luito him he said, the Lord will not have thee."

Ver. 28. — Of his choice voung sien,] In Gr. his chosen one : the Chald. saith, o/" his young men. The original word signifieth also youth: whereupon some translate it, the minister of Moses from his youth : but this seemeth not fit, for Moses's shepherd's life in Midian, from which he came but a little before this, argueth the contrary. Forbid THOU THEM,] This he spake of envious zeal for his master Moses' sake, (as the ver. fol- lowing showeth ;) that he would not have the use of the gift of prophecy common; or, because they obeyed not Moses to come out as he commanded. So the disciples forbade one that cast out devils in Christ's name, because he followed not with them, Luke ix. 49, 50 , Mark ix. 38. Thargum Jonathan explaiiieth it, ' my lord Moses, request mercy from before the Lord, and forbid them the spirit of prophecy.'

Ver. 29. — Enviest thou,] Or, hast thou envious zeal or jealousy for my sake ? which is a prohibition, have it not: as 'think ye that I am come to give peace on earth ?' Luke xii. f)\; that is, 'think it not,' Matt. x. 34. BOT O WHO SHALL OIVE,] Or, and O who, &c.; this is an earnest wish, as would God, ur the like: the word and, setteth forth the

earnestness of his passion, as Acts xxiii. 3 ; Ps. ii. 6. His spirit,] That is, the gifts of his spirit; as the Chald. saith, ' his spirit of prophesy.' So Paul wisheth that all the church could prophesy, and saith, ' follow after love, and zealously desire spiritual gifts, but ra- ther that ye may prophesy, 1 Cor. xiv. 1.

Ver. 30. — Gathered,] That is, got him- self, or as the Gr. saith, departed. The elders,] Who were authorised of God to be of the high counsel or synedrion with Moses and his assistants: and thus they differed from those inferior magistrates which had been appointed before by Jethro's advice, Exod. xviii. 21, 25. And as then all hard causes were brought unto Moses, Exod. xviii. 26 ; so after this, such causes were brought to the high court or synedrion first ordained here. This is showed by the Heb. canons in Talmud Bab. Sanhedrin, chap. 1 ; and Maim, in Sanhedrin, chap. v. thus : " they set up no king but by the mouth of the senate of seventy-one (elders:) neither make they any lesser synedrion for every tribe and for every city, but by the senate of seventy-one. Neither judge they a whole tribe revolted, (to idolatry,) nor a false prophet, nor the high priest in judgment of life and death, but by the great synedrion. But money matters are judged hy the court of three judges. Likewise, they make (or judge) no elder re- bellious, (Deut. xvii.) nor any city drawn to idolatry, (Deut. xiii.;) neither cause they the suspected woman to drink the bitter water, (Num. v.) but in the great synedrion. Neither do they add unto (or enlarge) the city or the court-yard, neither go they forth to permitted war," &c. [whereof see the notes on Deut. xx. l,]but by the great syne- drion ; as it is said, (in Exod. xviii. 22,) ' every great matter they shall bring unto thee.'

Ver. 31. — A wind,] God ' made an east wind to pass forth in heaven ; and brought on a south wind by his strength,' Ps. Ixxviii. 26. Brought yuAiLS,] Such fowls as he had fed them with before, in Exod. xvi. 13 ; them now God again brought swiftly, and as

CHAP. XL y

journey on tliat side, round about the camp -. and as it were two cubits above the face of the earth. ^- And the people stood up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and they gathered tlie quails ; he thai gathered least, gathered ten liomers : and spread- ing tiiey spread them for tliemselves round about the camp. ^^ The flesh was yet between their teeth ; it was not yet cut off, when the anger of Jehovah was kindled agahist the people, and Jehovah smote the people with a very great plague. ^* And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people that lusted. ^' From Kibroth-hattaavah, the people journeyed unto Hazeroth : and they were in Hazeroth.

with violence ; which the Chald. translateth made to fly. Let theji fall,] Or, spread them abroad j so this word is Englished in I Sam. XXX. l(i. Two cubits,] Sol. Jaichi suilli, •' they flew so high as against a man's heart, that he was not toiled in gelting them, either by reaching high or by stooping low.

Ver. 3'2 — Ten ho.mers,] Or, icn heaps, as the Chald. translateth: for the Heb. homer sometimes signifieth an heap, as in Exod. viii. 3 ; sometimes a kind of measure con- taining ten epliahs or bushels, Ezek. xlv. 11 ; the which measure is called also a cor, Ezek. xlv. 14 ; and so Thargum Jerusalem inter- preteth it here. Thus also the Gr. translat- eth it ten cars ; (for of the Heb. cor, the Gr. coros, in Luke xvi. 7 ; and Lat. corus are derived.) And Chazkuni here explaineth it, " ten homers ; there are in an homer thirty seahs (or pecks,) so ten homers contain three hundred seahs: lo he that gathered least, had asayy day ten seahs." Of the seah or peck, see the notes on Gen. xviii. 6. This abun- dance of fowls was miraculous, whereupon it is said, ' God rained flesh upon them as dust ; and feathered fowls as the sand of the sea,' I's. Ixxviii. 27. And with these they filled their greedy lust ; (' feeding themselves without fear,' as Jude ver. 12;) though the Lord had threatened to punish them, ver. 20.

Ver. 33. — Not yet cut off,] To wit, from their mouth, that i«, not taken from them, which the Gr. translateth hefurc it (that is, the flesh) failed. Thus the phrase is opened in Joel i. 5, ' the new wine is cut ofV from your mouth ;' that is, taken away from you. Or, by cutting may be meant chewing. The psalmist alleging this, saith, ' they were not estranged from their desire ; Vol. II.

the meat was yet in their mouth when the anger of God came up against them,' &c. Ps. Ixxviii. 30, 31. And here Chazkuni observ- eth liow they were plagued of (!od, " after that he had sufficed all of them with flesh ; that men should not say he had not plagued them, but because he was not able to suffice them all with flesh. A very gke.\t plagpe,] Or, vehement great smiUny : Abr. Ezra writ- eth, that ' it was the pestilence; God gave them their request when they lusted for flesh ; but sent leanness into their soul,' Ps. cvi. 14, 15. 'The anger of God came up against them, and slew of the fat of them ; and smote down the choice young men of Israel,' Ps. Ixxviii. 31.

Ver. 34. — He called,] meaning, Moses called, and by the name of the place, left a memorial of their sin and punishment, for a warning to them after, Deut. ix. 22 ; and to us, ' that we should not lust after evil things as they lusted,' 1 Cor. x. (i. Or, as theGr. translateth it, * the name of the place «as called;' see ver. 3. Kibroth-hattaavah,] That is, as the Gr. cxpoundeth it, graves (or monuments) of lust. Where lust may bo used for the men that lusted ; as circumcision, in Rom. ii. 26, is for men circumcised ; pride, for the proud man, Jer. 1. 31, 32 ; Ps. xxxvi. 12; and many the like. See the notes on Gen. xlv. 7.

Ver. 35. — Were in Hazeroth,] Or, Chatseroth, in Gr. yiseiroth ; here they were that is, abode or continued, (as Daniel was, that is, continued, Dan. i.21 ; and they were, that is, continued there, Ruth i. 2.) The cause of w hich abode, was a new trouble which Moseb' sister and brother raised against him, Num. xii.

B

10

N UMBERS.

CHAP. XII.

1 . Mary and Aaron speak against Moses about his wife and office. 4. The Lord calleth them all hefore him, justifieth Moses, magnijietli his office, rehuketh the murmurcrs, and departeth in anger. 10. Mary is made a leper, Aaron confesscth sin, Moses prayeth God to heal her.

1 4. The Lord commandeth her to he shut out of the camp seven days.

15. The people's journey is stayed till she was brought in again ; then they go on into Pharan.

^ And Mary and Aaron spake against Moses, because of tlie Ethiopian woman whom he had taken -. for lie had taken an Etliio- pian woman. ^ And tliey said, Hath Jehovali spoken only indeed by Moses ? hath he not spoken also by us ? And Jehovah heard

Ver. 1. — Mary,] In Heb. Mirjam; in Gr. Miriam ; she was a prophetess, sister of Moses and Aaron, Exod. xv. 20 ; and she it was that began the quarrel, as in the ori- ginal it appeareth, ' Mary she spake ;' there- fore she, not Aaron, was plagued with le- prosy, V. 10. As Satan prevailed first with Eve, then by her with Adam, Gen. i. 3; so here first with Maiy, and then by her, with Aaron the high priest. And as the former sin of lust for flesh began among the baser sort, Num. xi. 4; so this sin of ambition and vain glory began among the chiefest of the church: for these three, Moses, Aaron, and Mary, were the chief guides whom God sent before his people, Micah vi. 4. Because,] Or, upon occasion, for the sake. Ethio- pian,] Heb. Cushite ; which the Gr. trans- lateth Ethiopia7i. This seemeth to be no other than Zipporah the Midianitess, whom Moses had married, Exod. ii. IG, 21; and because the Midlanites dwelt in Cusli his land, they were called Cashites (or Ethio- pians ;) and it may be also because they were tawny coloured like them. For otherwise Cash was the son of Cham, Gen. x. 6; whereas Midian was the son of Abraham, the son of Shem, Gen. xxv. 1, 2. The Chald. instead of Cushith, saith Fair, which may be spoken by the contrary. Josephus, Philo, and some others take this wife not to be Zipporah, but another Ethiopian. Taken,] To wit, to wife, that is, married : so in 1 Chron. ii. 19, 21 ; 2 Chron. xi. 20; Neh. vi. 18; X. 30. By this it seemeth, the mar. rying of that woman (who was not of the stock of Israel, and who hindered him from circumcising his son, Exod. iv. 24 — 26,) was the occasion of their murmuring. Howbeit, the Hub. doctors make in's not companyint;

with his wife, to be the occasion: for that he being a prophet, daily conversant with the Lord, and frequenting his tabernacle, ab- stained from her lest he should have legal pollution, which would have kept him from the sanctuary, Lev. xv. IC — 31. Compare also Exod. xix. 15. Thus the Chald. ex- poundeth it, " for he had put away (or ab- stained from) the fair wife which he had taken." And Sol. Jarchi thus, " for he had taken a Cushite woman, and had now put her away."

Ver. 2. — By Moses,] Or in Moses ; as speaking of inward revelation by the Spirit: the Thargum called Jonathan's, paraphraseth thus ; " hath the Lord spoken only indeed with Moses, who is separated from copulation of the bed," meaning with his wife. Also by us,] Or, in us : as David said ' the Spirit of Jehovah spake in me,' 2 Sam. xxiii. 2. Here Sol. Jarchi addeth for explanation, " hath he not spoken also by us, and yet we have not separated ourselves from the way of the earth;"meaning,from mutual society,such as is between man and wife ; a phrase taken from Gen. xix. 31. But it may be under- stood, as before is noted, that they would not have Moses esteemed the only prophet, who had so stained himself by marriage with a strange woman. Their drift was by disgrac- ing Moses for his infirmity, to grace and ad- vance themselves ; against which it is said, • let us not be desirous of vain-gloiy, provok- ing one another, envying one another,' Gal. V. 26. Heard it,] That is, took notice of this their speech, to reprove and punish it. So of Reuben's sin, it is said, * Israel heard it,' Gen. xxxv. 22. Or, God is said to hear it, as a witness of that which it may be they murmured in secret: as in I's. lix. S, ' swords

CHAP. Xll.

11

it. ^ Now the man Moses ivas very meek, above all the men wJiich ■wc7'e upon the face of tlie eartli.

* And Jehovah said suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Mary, Come out ye tliree unto the tent of the congregation, and they three went out. * And Jehovah came down hi the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tent, and called Aaron and Mary -. and they two came forth. ^ And he said, Hear now my words : if there shall be a prophet among you, I Jehovah will make myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak unto liim in a dream. ' My servant Moses is not so, he is faithful in all mine

are in tlieir lips, for who (say they) doth hear ? and in Ps. Iv. 20, ' God will hear anil aflliit them.' See also Ps. xciv. 7, 8, 9.

Vkk. 3. — ]Meek, ] The original word hatli alllnity with affliction and lowliness, for hy affliction, this virtue is furthered. Lam. iii. 21 — 30 ; and is seated m the heart and spi- rit, as the apostle mentioneth ' a meek and quiet spirit,' 1 Pet. iii. 4. As Moses, so Christ is set forth for an example of meek- ness, Matt. xxi. 5; xi. 29. It is a virtue which keepeth a mean in anger, and avenging of ourselves when we are olliinded, wronged, and contemned. Above all the men,] Or, more than any man. Tliis commendation the Spirit of God giveth of Moses, though by Moses' own pen (as the apostle also writeth in his owji behalf, 2 Cor. xi. 5, 6, 10, 22, &c. ; xii. 11, 12;) although Moses is noted to have beeu \e.yy angry sundry times, Exod. xi. S; xvi. 20; xxxii. 19; Lev. x. 16; Num. xvi, 15 ; xxxi. 14 ; xx. 10, 11 ; com- pared with Ps. cvi. 32, 33.

V'er. 4. — Said suddenly,] So showing the greatness of his displeasure agaiiist them, which sullered no delay, Ps. Ixiv. 7; Prov. vi. 15; Is. XXX. 13; and preventing any that might think Moses complained to (iod and sought revenge. Thus God who will be a swift witness against evil doers, Mai. iii. 5 ; suddeidy rose to ])lead the cause of his meekest servant. Compare Ps. I. 19, 20, 21. Ye three,] Both parties are judicially summoned to appear before the Lord in the tent of liis habitation ; as he riseth up to judgment, ' to save all the meek of the earth,' Ps. Ixxvi. 9. So in Num. xvi. 16.

Ver. 5.' — Ca.me down,] In Chald. j-cwa/- cd himself: see Gen. xi. 5. Of the cloud,] As the throne of his glory, out of which he nsed to appear and speak unto them, Ps. xcix. 7 ; Num. xvi. 42. Unto these appearances those visions of John hath reference. Rev. x. J, 2, 3; xiv. 14, &c.

Ver. 6. — A i'roi'het a.mong vou,] Or, "f yet'' ; Ileb. your prophet : which the Cliald. cxpouiidelh, " if theic shall be pro- phets to (nr amoM") ycith" What this wnrd

prophet meaneth, sec in the notes on Gen. XX. 7; Exod. vii. 1. I Jehovah,] So the Chald. also explaineth it: or it may be inter- preted, of Jehovah ; that is, a i)rophet of the Lord : sotheGr. translateth, a prophet of you to the Lord. In a vision,] Or, by « vision or siyht ; that is, as the Cliald. saith, in vi- sions y so God appeared to Abraham the prophet in a vision. Gen. xx. 7 ; xv. 1 ; and to Jacob, Gen. xlvi. 2 ; to Eztkiel, Ezek. i. 1 ; to Daniel, Dan. viii. 2; and others. Job iv. 13 ; 2 Cor. xii. 1 ; Acts ii. 17 ; where- upon a prophesy is called a vision, Is. i. 1 ; Obad. i. 1 ; Nahum i. 1. In a dream,] Chald. in dreams : another way by which God revealed his word to the prophets. Gen. xxxi. 11 ; Deut. xiii. 1 ; 1 Kings iii. 5; Jer. xxiii. 25, 28, 32. Dreams are in tlie lu'ght, and then as it were in darkness God spake with the other prophets ; but as W . Menachem here notcth, " it was not so with Moses, for God spake not with him but by day." Moreover, dreams and visions do soon vanish and fly away. Job xx. 8.

Ver. 7 Not so,] Is not such a prophet

that I should speak to him by dreams and visions. Faithful in all mine house,] That is, in all my church ; for the house of God is expounded ' the church of the living God,' 1 Tim. iii. 15; and so the Chald. here translateth it " in all my people ;" and Jona- than, ■' in all the house of Israel my |)eoiile:" and Chazkuni explainetii it thus, " all the men of my house hold him for faithful." This is furtiier opened by the a])ostle, saying, ' consider the ajiostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to liim that made him, as also Moses was in all his house, &c. And Moses verily was faith- ful in all his house, as a servant, for a testi- mony of those things which were to be spoken after, but Christ as the Sor\ ovjer his own house ; whose house we are, if we hold last the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end,' Heb. iii. 1 — 6. Touching Moses' faithfulness, and the confi- dence that Israel reiiosed in him, see the notes on Exod. xix. 9.

12

NUMBERS.

house. ^ Mouth to mouth will I speak with him, and in vision, and not in dark speeches ; and the similitude of Jehovah shall he be-

Ver. 8. — Mouth to mouth,] That is, familiarly, plainly, in mine own presence, without any interposed mean ; as the Chald. translateth, speech with speech. So when Joseph spake without an interpreter, he said, ' it is my mouth that speaketh unto you,' Gen. xlv. 12; and the apostle opposeth it to speech by writing ; as, 'I would not write with paper and ink, but I trust to come unto you and speak mouth to mouth, that our joy may be full,' 2 John ver. xii ; and 3 John xiv. A like phrase is in Exod. xxxiii. 11, ' Jehovah spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend;' and in this manner of communication, Moses excelled all the other prophets, Deut. xxxiv. 10. The Hub. doctors have explained this matter thus; " it is one of the foundations of the law, to know that God maketh the sons of men to prophesy ; and prophesy resteth not but on a wise man, great in wisdom, mighty in his virtuous qualities, that his affections (or natural corruption) prevail not over him in any thing in the world, but he prevaileth by his knowledge over his aflections continually, he. On such a man the Holy Spirit dwel- leth, and when the Spirit resteth upon him, his soul is associated to the degree of angels which are called men, and he is turned to another man, and perceiveth in his own knowledge that he is not so as he was, but that he is advanced above the degree of other wise men, as it is said of Saul, ' and thou shalt prophesy with them, shalt be turned to another man,' (1 Sam. x. t).) The prophets were of divers degrees : as in wisdom one wise man is greater than another, so in prophesy, one prophet was greater than another. And all of them saw not the vision of prophesy but by dreanij by vision of the night, or in the day time, after that a deep sleep was fallen upon them, Num. xii. G ; and all of them when they prophesied, their joints trembled, and strength of body failed, and their thoughts were troubled, and the mind was left changed to understand that which was seen ; as it is said of Abraham, ' and, lo, a terror, a great darkness fell upon him,' (Gen. xv. ;) and as is said of Daniel, ' and my vigour was turned in me unto cor- ruption, and I retained no strength,' (Dan. X. 8.) The things that were made known to a prophet by vision prophetically, were made known to him by way of parable, and forth- with the interpretation of the parable was written in his heart, and he knew what it was. As the ladder that Jacob our father did see, and the angels ascending and des- cending on it, ((Sen. xxviii. 12 ;) and the

living creatures which Ezekiel saw, (Ezek. i.) and the seething pot and almond rod which Jeremiah saw, (Jer. i.;) and the ephah which Zechariah saw, (Zech. v.) and so the other prophets, of whom some spake the parable and the interpretation thereof, some the interpre- tation only ; and sometime they uttered the parable only without the interpretation, as part of Ezeitiel's and Zechariah's words: and they all prophesied by parables and after the way of dark speeches. None of the prophets prophesied at all times when they would ; but prepared their understanding, and sat joyful, and with cheerful heart, and with contem- plation. For prophesy cometh not upon men, either when they are sorrowful, or when they are slothful, but when they are joyful : there- fore the sons of the prophets had before them psalteries, and timbrels, and pipes, and harp?, (1 Sam. X. 6 ;) and they sought for prophesy; and this is that which is written, ' and they prophesying,' (1 Sam. x. 5 ;) as if he should say, walking in the way of prophesy, until they do prophesy. Those which forget to prophesy, are called sons of the prophets: and although they prepared their wits (or under- standing,) it might be the Holy Spirit would come down upon them, and it might be not. All these things that we have spoken of, were the way of prophesy for all the former and latter prophets, except Moses our master, the master of all the prophets. And what differ- ence was there between the prophesy of Moses, and of all the other prophets ? All the prophets prophesied by dreams or by vi- sion : but Moses prophesied when he was waking and standing ; as it is written, ' and when Moses was gone into the tent of the congregation, to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him,' (Num. vii. 89.) All the prophets prophesied by the hands of an angel, therefore they did see that which they saw in parables and dark speeches: Moses prophesied not by the hands of an angel, as it is said, ' mouth to mouth, I will speak with him,' (Num. xii. 8 ;) it is also said, ' the Lord spake unto Moses face to face,' (Exod. xxxiii. 11 ;) and again it is said, ' and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold, (Num. xii. 8 ;) as if he should say, there is no parable there, but he seeth the thing concerning his Creator, without dark speech, without parable. He it is of whom the law testifieth, ' apparently, and not in dark speeches," (Num. xii. 8 ;) for he pro- phesied not by dark speech, but apparently, for he saw the thing concerning his Cieator. All the prophets were afraid, and troubled, and fainted, but Moses was not so ; for the

CHAP. XII.

13

liold : and wlicreforc were ye not afraid to speak against my ser- vant, against Moses? ® And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against tliem, and lie went away. " And the cloud departed from

Scripture saiUi, ' as a man speaketh unto his friend,' (Exocl. xxxiii. 11 ;) as if lie should say, As a man is not troubled to hear the words of liis friend, so there was strength in the mind of Rloses to vmderstaiid the words of prophesy, and he stood on his place safe and well. None of the prophets prophesied at all times when they would: hut Moses was otherwise, for at any time when he would, the Holy Spirit clothed him, and pro- phesy came upon him; and he needed not to prepare his mind and make himself ready for it, for he was prepared and ready, and stood as the angels of ministry, therefore he prophesied at all times, as it is said, ' stand still, and 1 will hear what the Lord will com- mand concerning you,' (Num. ix. 8.) And this God caused him to trust upon, as it is said, ' but as for thee, stand thou here with me, &c. (T)eut. v. ^1 :) whereby thou mayest learn that all the prophets, when prophesy was taken up from them, returned to their tents, which was for things necessary to the body of them all, as the rest of the people ; therefore they were not separated from their wives: but Moses our master returned not to his fust tent, therefore he was separated from his wife for ever ; and his mind was fast bound unto God the rock everlasting, and his glory was never taken up from upon him, but the skin of his face shined, and he was sanctified as the angels." Maim, in JMisn. torn. i. ; in Jesude kiituruh, chap. vii. sect. 1 — (). Now as the apostle compareth Christ with Moses, and preferreth liim before Moses, Heb. iii. ; so in this gift of prophesy he did excel him: for ' the Lord gave liim the tongue of the learned, that he knew how to speak a word in season,' Is. 1. 4 ; and this he learned not by dreams or visions, nor by angels, nor by speech comminiicated mouth to mouth ; but by clean seeing of God, (which no man ever did at any time ;) and being ' in the bosom of the Father,' John i. 18; and having tlie Spirit, not by measure, he testified what he had seen and heard with his Father, John iii. 32,31; viii. 38 ; and in him all fulness dwelt, even ' the fulness of the Godhead bodily,' Col. i. 19; ii. 9. Will I speak,] That is, I usually speak : the time to come is used to signify a continu- ed action. In vision,] Or, by sight, or n/j- pcarancc, that is upparcntli/ : the Gr. trans- lateth, in an appearance or sight : which word is opposed (in 2 Cor. v. 7 ;) to faith, which is of things not seen, Ileb. xi. 1; and here the Lord opposeth it to dark speeches, so it meanelh an a]iparent or dear revelation.

Aben Ezra explaiueth it thus, '' I will show him the thing as it is, as the form of the tabernacle, (Exod. xxv. 40,) and not in a dark speech, (or riddle), like (that in Ezek. xvii. 2;) a great eagle with great wings, &c. Dark spkeciie-s,] Or, hidden spreekes, rid- dles : a dark speech is called in Ileb. Chidah, of sharpness, because it requireth sharpness of wit, both to propound and expound the same, as we have an example in Samson's riddle, Judg. xiv. 13, 14, &c. ; and it is of the nature of a parable, as in Ezek. xvii. 2, 3, ' Son of man put forth a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel ; a great eagle with great wings, long winged, full of feathers which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon,' &c. And all close and hidden doctrine is called a riddle, Ps. xlix. 5. And the Holy Spirit translateth it in Gr. sometime Ainigma, a riildle, 1 Cor. xiii. 12; (as the common Gr. version here hath,) sometime * hidden things,' Matt. xiii. 35; from Ps. Ixxviii. 2; and so the Chald. of Jonathan expoundeth it here. The apostle showeth the meaning of this word, when he said, ' now we see through a glass in a riddle, (that is, darkly,) but then (we shall see) face to face,' 1 Cor. xiii. 12. Thk similitude,] Or, the likeness, image, which the Gr. inter- preteth the glory of the Lord. Sol Jarchi saith, " this was the sight of (God's) back- parts," mentioned in Exod. xxxiii. 23. And this prerogative Moses had above all Israel, which saw no similitude of God, Dent. iv. 12, 15; and above all prophets, who saw no vision of God so clear as he did. For even Moses himself could not see the face of God, Exod. xxxiii. 20. ' No man hath seen God at any time,' John i. 18 ; neither can see,' 1 Tim. vi. 16. Agai.vst my servant, AGAINST Moses,] A manner of speech both earnest and elegant, like that in Gen. xxi. 10, ' with my son, with Isaac;' and that in 2 Sam. vii. 23, ' like my people, like Israel.' Sol. Jarchi noteth, " lie saith not against my servant Moses ; but against my servant, against Moses ; against my servant though he were not Moses ; against Moses, for though he were not my servant, it were meet ye should fear before him, how much more see- ing lie is my servant ? According to this the apostle speaketh in 2 Pet. ii. 10, ' they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.'

Vek. 9. — He went a\vav,J Withdrew the sign of his glorious presence, not vouch- safing to hear their answer; which was a token of his great displeasure.

Veil 10. — '1'iie cluud PErAHTED,] The

14

NUMBERS.

off the tent ; and, behold, Mary became leprous as snow : and i\aron looked upon Mary, and, beliold, she was leprous. " And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas ! my Loid, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wlierein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. '^ I beseech thee, let her not be as one dead, of whom wlien he Cometh out of his mother's womb, half his flesh is even consumed. '^ And Moses cried unto Jehovah, saying, O God, I beseech thee, Ileal her now.

" And Jehovah said unto Moses, And if lier fatlier had spitting- spitted in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days ? let her be shut seven days out from the camp ; and after let her be ga-

Ver. 12. — As ONE DEAD,] By continu- ance of the leprosy upon her, whereby she should be shut out of the communion of the church, Num. v. 2 ; should defile all that touched her as do the dead ; and in the end be consumed, and die utterly with that fret- ting plague, as the words following show. The Chald. expoundeth this verse thus ; "let her not now be separated from among us, for she is our sister: pray now for this dead flesh that is in her, that it may be healed." Is EVEN coNSDMED,] Or, is even eaten, to wit, with the disease: and by coming out of his mother's womb, the Gr. understandeth and translateth, an untimely birtk and coming out, 8(c. for as of such a dead birth the flesh is. half consumed, so is the flesh of a leper.

Ver. 13 Cried out,] That is, as the

Chald. translateth, prayed, but earnestly, and as grieved for her affliction ; so the word usually signifieth. O God,] Hebr. jEI, which is one of God's names, signifying his might, and including his mercy; as is noted on Gen. xiv. 18. So in Thargum Jonathan, it is here explained, " And Moses prayed, and besought mercy before the Lord, saying, I beseech for mercy of the merciful God, I beseech God that hath power of the spirits of all flesh, heal her I beseech thee,"

Ver. 14. — Had spitting spitted,] That is, had but spitted, to nit, in auger. The Chald. expoundeth it, had rebuked. Spitting on the face, is a sign of anger, shame, and contempt, Job xxx. 10 ; Is. I. 6 ; which, if it had been from her earthly father, should have made her ashamed and sorrowful seven days: how much more now that it is from her Father which is in heaven ? Seven days,] So long every leper was to be shut up by the law, for every trial; and also at liis cleansing ; see Lev. xiii. 4, 5, 21, 20 ; xiv. viii. So long was he unclean that touched a dead man. Num. xix. II. Gathered,] That is, received in, or as the Gr. translat- eth, enter in. So gathering is used for re- ceiving or taking in, after that one is neglect- ed or forsaken, Judg. xix. 15; Josh. xx. 4;

cloud of the g'ory of the divine presence of the Lord, saith Thargum Jonathan. Leprous as SNOW,] That is, leprous white as snow ; and this was the sorest leprosy, and most incur- able, see Exod. iv. 6; 2 Kings v. 27; and they that had this disease, were put out of the Lord's camp as unclean, Lev. xiii. ; and therefore God departed now away, for (as Chazkuni here saith,) " It is not the way of the earth, that holiness should stay in an un- clean place." This punishment was very memorable, both for the suddenness and sore- ness of it ; wherefore it is after said, ' re- member what Jehovah thy God did unto Mary by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt,' Deut. xxiv. 9. And if God did thus unto so great a woman for Moses' sake, what will he do to such as rebel against Christ, who is ' counted worthy of more glory than Moses,' Heb. iii. 3. ' For if they escaped not, who refused him that spake on earth ; much more shall not we es- cape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven,' Heb. xii. 25. For Christ is not the servant, but the Son, even * the Lord from heaven, 1 Cor. xv. 47.

Ver. 11. — Alas, my lord,] Or, Oh, my lord, Heb. u7ito me, to wit, have respect ; the Chald. explaineth it, tve pray thee, my lord: see this phrase in Gen. xliii. 20. Aaron as unwoithy of access himself unto God now departed, maketh request unto Moses, hon- oureth him (though Aaron himself was both the elder brother and the high priest,) with the title of hislord,confesseth their sin against him, craveth pardon ; and by Moses' media- tion, to have their sister cured. Sin,] That is, the punishment of sin, (as Lev. xxii. 9 ; Num. xviii. 32 ;) which he desireth that by Moses' intercession, it might not be laid upon them of God. Wherein we ii.we done FOOLISHLY,] Or, because tve are become fool- ish : the Gr. translateth, because v>e have done iynorantly in that we have sinned : in which sense it is a lessening of their sin, as done through unadvisedness and oversight, not maliciously

CHAP. XIII.

15

thcied in. " And Mary was shut out from the camp seven days; and the people journeyed not till Mary was gathered in again. '« And afterward the people joui-neyed from Hazeroth, and en- camped in the wilderness of Pharan.

Ps. xxvii. 10. Here Thaigum Jonathan was a special honour unto Mary above otlicr

addeth this paraphrase, " And I will cause to stay, for thy sake, the cloud of my glory, and the tabernacle, and the ark, and all Israel, until the time that slie is healed, and after- ward she shall be gathered in."

Ver. 15. — Mary was shut,] In Gr. u-us separated: this was an example of jus- tice against sinners, without respect of per- sons: therefore they are after desired to re- member this, Deut. xxiv. 9. And even kings when tliey were lepers, were separated, and dwelt apart, 2 Chron. xxvi. 20, 21. The people journeyed not,] But stayed mourning for her, till she was cured ; which

lepers, for whom there was no such stay, Num. V. 2, 4. Because this Mary was one of those whom God sent before his people, Mic. vi. 4 ; Exod. xv. 20. Sol. Jarchi saith, " The Lord imparted this honour unto her, because she once stayed for Moses when he was cast into the river, as It is written. And his sister stood afar off," &c. Exod. ii. 4.

Ver. 16.. Wilderness of pharan,] Or,

of Paran; which had been ' Ishmael's' habi- tation. Gen. xxi. 21, and the place where they pitched in this wilderness was called < Rithmah,' Num. xxxiii. 18, and ' Cadesh- barnea,' Num. xiii. 3, 26 ; Deut. i. 19, &c.

CHAP. XIII.

1. The Lord cnjoincth Moses to send one man of every trihe, to search the land of Canaan. 4. Their names and tribes. 17. Their instruc- tions. 2\. Their acts and return after forty days. 2Q. Their relation of the goodness of the land, and strength of the inhabitants. 30. Caleb encourageth the people, but the others discourage them, and bring up an evil report upon the land.

SiD3

^ And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, ^ Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give to the sons of Israel: one man, one man for a tribe of his fathers, shall

or at least, permitted the thing which they desired.

Ver. 2.' — Send thou,] Or, send for thee: which Sol. Jarchi expoundeth to tliis sense; " I command thee not ; if thou pleasest, send: forasmuch as Israel came and said, we will send men," &c. Deut. i. 22. That they may search,] Or, and let them search, or Mj5;5/, by searching round about: and the word implicth the action of tlie heart and mind, not of the eyes only, Eccl. i. 13 ; vii. 25. Thus God let them go search or espy the land, which he himself before ' had espied for tliem,' Ezek. xx. C, and went before them in the way, to search them out a place to pitch their tents in, in fire by night, and in a cloud by day, Deut. i. 33. Of Canaan,] That is, as the Gr. translatetli, of the Cu- naaniles: named as the chief, tor it was tiie land of seven mighty nations,' Deut. vii. 1. I (.ive,] Or, am giving: so he spcaketh as of a

BS3 Here beginneth the thirty-seventh section of the law: see Gen. vi. 9.

Ver. 1. — Jehovah spake,] By Moses' re- lation after,it appeareth, thatwhenGodhad led his people from mount Horeb toCadesh Barnea, through the great and fearful wilderness, and they were come to the mountain of the Amo- rites; then Moses said, 'See, the Lord thy God hath given the land before thee; go up, possess it. And all the people came near unto Moses, and said. We will send men before us, and they shall search out the land for us, and bring us word again, by what way we shall go up, &c. That word liked Moses well; and he took of them twelve men, and sent them to spy out the land,' Deut. i. 19 — 24. So where here it is said, ' Jehovah spake,' &c. it is not meant, that this motion came first from the Lord; but the people first spake of it to Moses, he consulted with the Lord about it ; and the Lord approved,

16

NUMBERS.

ye send every one a ruler among them. ^ And Moses sent them from the wilderness of Pliaran, at the mouth of Jehovah : all those men were heads of the sons of Israel. * And these were their names: Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur. * Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori. ® Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. ' Of the tribe of Issachar, Jigal the son of Joseph. ®0f tlie tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nmi. ^ Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu. " Of the tribe of Zabulon, Gaddiel the son of Sodi. '' Of tlie tribe of Joseph, of the tribe of Manasses, Gaddi the son of Susi. '^ Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli, " Of the tribe of Aser, Sethur the son of Michael. " Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi. '^ Of the tribe of Gad, Gevel the son of Machi. '® These are the names of the men which Moses sent

thing present, for more assurance. One MAN, ONE MAN,] An Hebrew phrase, mean- ing, of every tribe one man, excepting the tribe of Levi, for of them none was sent; because they were to have no inheritance in the land, Deut. xviii. 1. A euler,] Or, a prince ; not of the baser sort, because the business was weighty: whereupon their re- bellion following was of the more note.

Ver. 3 — At the mouth,] Or, accord- ing to the 77ioutk, that is, the word of the Lord, as the Chald. translateth ; and the Gr. bi/ the voice of the Lord: and this Sol. Jar- chi expoundeth, " by his permission." So in the commentary called Phesikta, fol. 47, it is said, " The election of the spies was according to the mouth of the Lord; not that God commanded them to send them. If thou sayest, why did he not forbid them to send? To accomplish tlieir desire, and to render them their recompense, and to give unto Joshua and Caleb a good reward." Heads,] That is, as the Gr. saith, chief- rulers ; and Chazkuni expoundeth them, " captains over thousands:" as in Exod. xviii. 25.

Ver. 4. — Shammua,] In Gr. Samiel son of Zacchour

Ver. 6. — Shaphat,] In Gr. Saphat son of Souri.

Ver. 6. — Caleb,] In Gr. Chaleb son of Jephonne. See 1 Chron. iv. 15. His name signifietli hearty : and he brought Moses word again, as it was in his heart, Josh. xiv. 7.

Ver. 7. — Jigal,] In Gr. Igad.

Ver. 8. — Hoshea,] In Gr. ^uses son of Nave.

Ver. 9.— Palti,] Or, as in Gr. Phalti.

Ver. 10. — Gaddiel,] In Gr. Goudiel son of Soudi.

Ver. 11. — Of Joseph,] He was father of Ephraim in ver. 8, as well as of Manasseh

here; and sometime Joseph is named for Ephraim, Ezek, xxxvii. 16, 19; Rev. \ii. 8. Here he is named as father of Manas- seh, who was his first-born, Josh. xvii. 1, although the Heb. give another reason; namely, '' Because both of them uttered an ill report ; Joseph, of his brethren, (Gen. xxxvii. 2,) and the prince of Manasseh, of the land: which Hoshea of Ephraim did not," Chazkuni on Num. xiii.

Ver. 13. — Sethur,] In Gr. Sadour.

Ver. 14. — Nahbi,] Or Nachbi; in Gr. Naabi son of Sabi,

Ver. 15. — Gevel,] In Gr. Goudiel.

Ver. 16. — These are the names,] Chaz- kuni here observeth, " He sent no spy of the tribe of Levi, because he had no portion in the land." Nun,] Called also, Non, 1 Chron. vii. 27, in Gr. Nave. Joshua,] Or, Jehoshua, called sometime ' Jeshuah,' Neh. viii. 17, in Gr. Jesus; and so the New Tes- tament writeth him. Acts vii. 45 ; Heb. iv. 8, that signifieth a 'Saviour,' Mat. i. 21. And this name Moses gave him by the Spirit of God ; either as foreseeing that he should be his successor, and save the people from their enemies the Canaanites ; or, (as Sol. Jarchi here notetli) praying for him, that the Lord would save him from the counsel of the (wicked) spies. But Chazkuni expound- eth it, " Moses had called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua, not that he now first called him Joshua, but before when he was made his minister, and found grace in his eyes." We find him called ' Joshua,' before they came to mount Sinai, Exod. xvii. 9, and after this, when Moses is ready to die, he is called 'Hoshea,' in Deut. xxxii. 44. Where Chaz- kuni saith thus ; " At the first when he was taken to be Moses' minister, Moses called him Joshua ; for so is the manner of kings, to change the name of their ministers. Gen. xli. 45 ; Dan. i. 7. But now when he is

CHAP. XII r.

17

to spy out the land : and Moses called Hoshca the son of Nun, Joshua. " And Moses sent thern to search the land of Canaan, and said unto tliem, Go up this way southward, and go up into the mountain. '^ And see the land what it is, and the people that dwellcth thereon, whether they he strong or weak, whether they he few or many. '" And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it he good or bad, and what the cities he that they dwell in : whe- ther in tents or in strong-holds. ^^ And what the land is, wliether it he fat or lean, whether there be wood therein or not : and be ye of good courage, and take of the fruit of the land ; (Now the days were the days of the first ripe grapes.) ^' And they went up

made king himself, his first name is restored : nevertheless, through ail the scripture he is called Joshua, because he was accustomed tliereto already." By this reason, the change of his name should seem to diminish from his dignity ; whereas it was changed for his hon- our ; as were the names of Abram, Sarai, Jacob, and others, Gen. xvii. 5, 15 ; xxxii. 28; Neh. ix. 7; Is. Ixii. 2; Mark iii. 16, 17.

Ver. 17. — Southward,] Or, by the south; as in ver. 22, meaning, " the south part of the land of Canaan," as Chazkuni explaineth it. For that was nearest unto them, and the worst part of the land, because it was wilder- ness, and waterless, as the original word Neyeb signifieth dry ground: and Caleb's daughter said to her father, ' Thou hast given mc a south (that is, a dry) land, give me also springs of water,' Judg. i, 15, and, 'rivers in the south,' Ps. cxxvi. 4, meaneth, refresh- ing after bondage and affliction. The Gr. here translateth, go np by this wilderness: and so in that part was a wilderness. Josh. XV. 1 — 3. And Sol. Jarchi saith, "Go up this way by the south; that was tlije worst part of the land of Israel : for so is the manner of merchants ; they show the worst things first, and afterward they show the best." The mountain,] Which was inhabited hy AmakkiteSjCanaanites, and Amoiites, Num. 3iiv. 40, 45; Deut. i. 44. Of this, Chazku- ni giveth a reason thus ; " And when ye shall know how to subdue the mountain, the valley will be easy to subdue."

Ver. 18, — The land what it is,] This is again repeated in ver. 19, and the third time in ver. 20, which may thus be distin- guished: by 'the land' liere, is meant, 'the people' of the land, as after Moses explain- eth it; by 'the land,' in ver. 19, is meant, the air of the country, and the cities, villages, tents, wliich were by the hand of man set thereon ; and by ' the land,' in ver. 20, is meant the soil or ground itself, and fruits that grew thereon. And the i-eoi'le,] And is here for explanation, tha' is, or, I mean the Vol. II. I

people: see the notes on Gen. xiii. 15. So in Ps. Ixvi. 4, ' Let all the earth bow down to thee,' that is, all peoples of the earth: likewise in Ps. xcvi. 1, and ex. 1, and often in the scriptures. So, ' house ' for household, or people in it, Gen. xlv. 11, 18. ' Cities' for citizens. Josh. xvii. 12. Whether THEY,] Heb. whether it be strong, &c. speak- ing of the people, as one in multitude.

Ver. 19.' — Good or bad,] This seemeth to respect the wholesomeness of the country, for air, waters, &c. as in 2 Kings ii. 19, ' the situation of this country is good, but the water is bad, and the land causeth to mis- carry.' To this Chazkuni referreth it, saying, "or bad, if it cause the inhabitants thereof to miscarry, or to be barren," as 2 Kings ii. 19, and hereupon they answered, ' It is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof,' Num. xiii. 32. In tents,] Or, in cavips, troops' the Chald. calleth them, villages (or unwcdlcd towns,) the Gr. changeth the order saying, in walled or in unwalled tow7is.

Ver. 20. — Fat or lean,] This respect- eth the soil itself, which if it be 'fat,' is fer- tile ; if ' lean,' barren. The Chald. chang- elh the metaphor, saying, *' whether it be rich or poor." So in Neh. ix. 25, 35, ' They took strong cities, and a fat land ;' and in Ezek. xxxiv. 14, 'fat pasture.' Wood,] Or, trees, as the Gr. and Chald. interpret it. and Thargum Jonathan, trees of food ; that is, of fruit to be eaten. Be ve of good courage,] Or, strengthen, encourage your- selves. The first ripe grapes,] Or, the first fruits of grapes. And then, as Chaz- kuni observeth, " They had need to have courage, because the keepers (of the vine- yards) watched them there.

Ver. 21.— Of zin,] Or, of Tsin : there was a wilderness into which they came be- fore, called ' Sin,' so named of an Egyptian city Sin near it, Exod. xvi. 1 ; Ezek. xxx. 15, It). This desert of 'Zin,' seemeth to be so named, as being a thorny wilderness; fur Zinnim (in the form plural) sit^nifieth 'thorns,' Job v. 5. And as the former

18

NUMBERS.

and searclied the land, from the wilderness of Zm, unto Reliob, to the entrance of Hamath. ^^ And they went up by the south, and he came unto Chebron : and there were Ahiman, Sheshai and Tal- mai, the children of Anak -. now Hebron was built seven years, before Zoan in Egypt. ^ And they came unto the bourne of Esh- col, and cut down from thence a branch, and one cluster of grapes ;

' Sin' bordered upon ' Egypt,' so ' Ziii ' bor- " Who is my brother?" and that he was so dered on the land of 'Canaan,' Num. xxxiv. called, because "none in the world was bro- ther to him (that is, like unto him) in strength;" yet Caleb slew him and his two brethren; Josh. xv. 14; Judg. i. 10. She- shai,] In Gr. Sesei. Talmai,] In Gr. Thelamei. Children of Anak,] In Gr. generations of Enak: in Chald. sons of the giant (or, of the mighty man.) Anak was the son of Arba, whereupon Chebron was in former times called Kirjah Arba, that is, •the city of Arba/ Josh. xv. 13; Gen. xxiii. 2. Before Zoan,] Or, Tsoa?i, called in Gr. and Chald. Tones: (as of Tsor or Zor, is Tyrus in Gr.) This declareth not only the antiquity of Chebron, but by consequence the goodness of the land. For the Anakims which reigned over all, seated themselves in the best places. Sol. Jarchi saith; " It may be that Cham builded Chebron for his younger son Canaan, before he builded Zoan for Miz- raim his elder son, &c. Of all countries, none excelled Egypt; as it is written, 'Like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt,' (Gen. xiii. 10.) And Zoan was the most excellent in the land of Egypt, for there the kings dwelt, as it is written, ' For his princes were at Zoan,' (Is. xxx 4,) but Chebron was seven times better than it."

Ver. 23. — Bourne,] Or, valley, brook. The Heb. nackal signifieth both ' a valley,' Gen. xxvi. 17, 19, and 'a river' or 'brook' running in a valley: our English word ' bourne,' answereth to them both. ' Eshcol' signifieth a 'cluster;' and of the Israelites cutting of the cluster, this place had the name, for a memorial, ver. 24. The Gr. translateth it, the valley of the cluster: this place is reported to have been in the tribe of Dan, within a little of the valley ' Sorek ' mentioned in Judg. xvi. 4. A branch,] To wit, of a vine, " and one cluster of grapes upon it,'' as the Gr. version saith; and so Jarchi explaineth it, "a branch of a vine, and a cluster of grapes hanging upon it." On A STAFF,] Or, on a bar; the Gr. translateth, on bars (or levers) and omitteth the words following, 'by two:' which seemeth to favour the exposition that Chazkuni giveth here, " they bar it on a bar of the branch, with two other bars." But the more simple and plain meaning is set down in Thargum Jona- than, thus, " on a bar, on the shoulders of two of them."

3, 4; Josh. xv. 3. Rehob,] Or, Rechob, called in Gr. Roob, (as ' Rechabham or Re- hoboam,' I Kings xii. 1, is written in Gr. by the Holy Spirit, 'Roboam,' Matt. i. 7.) This ' Rehob' was a city in the west part of the land of Canaan, near unto Sidon, which fell by lot to the tribe of Aser, Josh. xix. 2S ; Judg. i. 31. To THE entrance,] Or, to the entering i7i of Hamath : so in Num. xxxiv. 8; Josh. xiii. 5; Judg. iii. 3; Amo? vi. 14, and so the Chald. here translateth it, Hamath or Chamath, called also ' Hemath the great,' Amos vi. 2, was a city on the north part of Canaan, and on the east side, (as ' Rehob' was on the west) Num. xxxiv. 8 ; Josh. xiii. 6. By this description of their voyage, they went from south to north, and from west to east, so viewing the whole land. This ' Hamath' is in Thargum Jona- than called ' Antiochia,' (and so Hamath was after named of king' Antiochus:) and it was situated under mount Lebanon, by the river Jabok.

Ver. 22. — By the south,] Or, south- ward; Gr. by the wilderness: see ver. 17. And he came to chebron,] Or, unto He- bron; a place in the south parts of Canaan, where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with their wives, had been buried. Gen. xxiii. 2, 19; xlix. 31, see the notes on Gen. xiii. IS. By 'he came,' Sol. Jarchi and others, under- stand " Caleb only;" as if the twelve spies went not in one company, but one or two of them together: and Caleb's coming thither is specially mentioned in Josh. xiv. 9, * the land whereon thy feet have trodden, shall be thine inheritance;' and in ver. 12, 'now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day;' and in ver. 14, Chebron ' therefore became the inheritance of Caleb. Others understand 'he came,' that is, "they came;" as Chazkuni saith, " It is the manner of the scripture, to speak of many spies and liers in wait, in the singu- lar number; as (in Josh. viii. 19,) The lier in ambush rose quickly out of his place.'' TheGr. translateth, " they came;" the Chald. hath in some copies " Atha, he came;" in other some " Atho, they came." Ahiman,] Or, as the Gr. writeth him, Achiman: he was one on the heathen giants dwelling in Chebron: the Hebs. interpret his name,

CHAP. XIII.

19

and they bare it on a staff, by two : and (they brought) of the pomegranates, and of the figs. '^* That place was called the bourne of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the sons of Israel cut down from thence. ^^ And they returned from searching the land at the end of forty days. "^^ And tliey went and came to Moses and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of tlie sons of Israel, unto the wilderness of Pharan, to Kadesh : and brouglit back word unto them and unto all the congregation ; and shewed them the fruit of tlie land. ^' And they told him, and said. We came unto tlie land whither thou sentest us : and surely it fioweth with milk and lioney, and this is the fruit of it. '^^ Nevertheless, tlie people is strong tliat dwelleth in the land ; and the cities fenced very great : and moreover, we saw tlie children of Anak there. "^ Ama- lek dwelleth in the land of the south : and the Chethite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite dwelletli in the mountain ; and the Ca-

Ver. 25. — At the end of forty days,] Fenced,] With strwig holds, high walls and In Gr. after forty days. In Thargum Jona- than there is added, " in the month of Ab (which we call July) at the end of forty days." And Chazkuni cxplaineth it further, that they began on the twenty -ninth "of Si- van (which we name May) and ended on the eighth of Ab (or July.") So many days, our Lord Christ after his resurrection, viewed his disciples, ' being seen of them forty days,' Acts i. 3. And according to this number of days, the Israelites had years allotted them to wander and perish in the wilderness, because they believed not God, but refused to go into the good land proffered them. Num. xiv. 33, 34. Of the mystery in this number forty, see more in the notes on Deut. xxv. 3.

Ver. 26.— To Kadesh,] Called also' Ka- desh-barnea,' Deut. i, 19. There was a city of the Edomites called ' Kadesh,' Num. xx. 16, whereupon the wilderness by it was called also ' Kadesh,' Ps. xxix. 8, and the same was called ' the wilderness of Zin,' Num. xxxiii. 36. Cliazkuni here saith, " The wilderness of Pliaran, and the wilderness of Zin, and Hazeroth, and Kadesh-barnea, and Rithmah, (Num. xxxiii. IS,) were one near to another." This Kadesh in Gr. Kades. The Chald. iiameth Rekam.

Ver. 27. — They told hiji,] To wit, Moses, in the hearing of all the congrega- tion. And ho.n'ey,] That is, with all good things: see the notes on Exod. iii. 8. Thus they acknowledged the truth of God's promises ; they said, * It is a good land which the Lord our God doth give unto us,' Deut. i. 25.

Ver. 28. — Nevertheless,] Or, but that. This latter part of the speech, was from the ten spies (not from Caleb or Joshua) who here take occasion to terrify the i)eople from going to possess the lanil, Deut. i. 28.

munition ; the Gr. expresseth it by two worAi, fenced, walled: in Deut. i. 28, and ix. 1, it is said, 'fenced up to heaven;' and in Deut. iii. 5, ' fenced with high walls, gates and bars.' Children of Anak,] In Gr. the generation of Enak, in Chald. sons of the giant : so in Deut. i. 28, the Gr. translateth them, sons of the giants; see be- fore on ver. 20. Of these there went a pro- verb, ' Who can stand before the sons of Anak?' Deut. ix. 2. And of the Gr. bor- rowed the word Anakes, to signify kings: and by interpretation Anak signifieth ' a chain,' Prov. i. 9, which is an ornament for kings and great personages, and of old, upon their beasts' necks also, Judg. viii. 26. And many such men were chained with 'pride,' as Ps. Ixxiii. 6.

Ver. 29. — Amalek,] That is, the Ama- lekites, the posterity of Amalek the son of Esau; of whom see Exod. xvii. 8, &c. "Be- cause they had been smitten by Amalek, (Deut. xxv. 17, 18,) the spies do now make mention of him, to make them afraid," saith Jarchi on Num. xiii. This Amalek (who was the 'first of the nations,' Num. xxiv. 20, and an enemy to Israel) would hinder, as they thought, their entrance on the south side. In the mountain,] That is, themoun- tains, or, as the Gr. translateth, the moun- tainy part, for these nations here reckoned, were the most mighty; and the Chethites possessed mount Thabor, the Jebusites Jeru- salem and mountains about it, the Amorites mount Heres, &c. Judg. xxi. 31 — 36, and these Amorites were high as cedars, and strong as oaks, Amos ii. 9, so the land seemed in their eyes impossible to be con- quered. The coast,] Or, side, Heh. the hand of Jordan ; which was towards the east, as the sea was to the west.

20

NUMBERS.

iiaaiiite dwelletli by the sea, and by tlie coast of Jordan. ^° And Caleb stilled tlie people before Moses, and said. Going up, let us go up and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it. ^' But tlie men that went up with him, said. We be not able to go up against the people ; for' they are stronger than we. ^^ And they brought up an evil report of the land wliich they had searched, unto the sons of Israel, saying. The land through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw within it are men of stature. ^^ And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, ivhich come of the giants : and we were in our own eyes as grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes.

Ver. 30. — Caleb,] And Joshua with him afterward. Num. xiv. 6, 7 ; though now at first it may be Joshua purposely held his peace in prudence, because he was Moses' minister, and let Caleb speak. Stilled THE PEOPLE BEFORE MoSES,] Or made the people to keep silence before (or unto) Moses: tliat is, the people beginning to murmur and speak unto Moses and against him, Caleb stilled them. The Chald. expoundeth it, " he made the people to attend (that is, to hearken) unto Moses ;" and Jonathan in his Thargum saith, ♦' he stilled the people, and caused them to attend unto Moses." And it appeareth by Deut. i. 29, 30; that Moses himself spake to encourage the people ; but they would not obey. And said,] That is, Caleb said, as the 31st ver. manifesteth ; and the Gr. addeth, he said unto him. We are WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME IT,] Or, prevailing we shall prevail over it meaning the land ; which the Gr. explaioeth, over them, the peo- ple. And this w-as a speech of faith, believ- ing in the power and promise of God, for Caleb now spake as it was in his heart. Josh. xiv. 7.

Ver. 31. — But the men,] Heb. and the men y meaning ten of the twelve, all the other spies except Joshua, Num. xiv, 6.

Ver. 32. — An evil report,] aninfamy or defamation : of which Solomon saith, ' he that uttereth it is a fool,' Prov. x. 18. And for this their sin, these men ' died by a plague befpre the Lord,' Num. xiv. 37. This infamy, the Chald. calleth an evil name ; the Gr. here, a dread of the land } but in Num. xiv. 36, the Gr. expoundeth it, evil tvords. And whereas the Heb. Dibbah, signifieth but a speech or report, though commonly of faults which may be done without sin ; the word evil is added by Moses, in Num. xiv. 37 ; to show that this Uieir defamation was very sin-

ful. Eateth up,] consumeth ; in Chald. killeth the inhabitants • which may be under- stood of their civil wars, whereby they de- voured one another. For the Amorites had conquered the Moabites, Num. xxi. 28, 29; the Caphtorims (or Philistines) had destroyed the Avims, Deut. ii. 23. This phrase was afterwards used against the land, when the heathens had destroyed the Israelites in it, ' thou (land) eatest up men, and hast bereav- ed thy nations, Ezek. xxxvi. 13. Of sta- tures,] Or, of dimensions of measures ; that is, of great stature, tall, and great ; as the Gr. translateth, exceeding tall men. And as the prophet openeth it, ' high as cedars, strong as oaks, Amos ii. 9. An example of such a man of stature, we have in 2 Sam. xxi. 20, ' that had on e\eYy hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes,' &c. ; and ano- ther of an Egyptian five cubits high, with a spear in his hand ' like a weaver's beam,' 1 Chron. xi. 23. So in Jer. xxii. 14, a house of measures, (or of statuixs,) is for a large high house.

Ver. 33. — Giants,] Heb. Nephilim, such as were before Noah's flood ; see Gen. vi. 4, with the annot. As grasshoppers,] Or, as locusts ; that is, low, wealv, base in compa- rison with them, So it is said of God, ' he sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers,' Is. xl. 22. In their eyes,] That is, they so es- teemed us. And by reason hereof, it may be the spies passed through their land more safely, while these mighty men despised and neglected them, as the Philistine disdained to meddle with little David, 1 Sam. xvii. 24. The Heb. doctors to show this, feign this ex- planation, " we heard them say one to ano- ther. There are pismires in the vineyards, like unto men." Chazkuni on Num. xiii. 33.

CHAP. XIV

21

CHAP. XIV.

1. The Israelites neep and murmur at the news thai the spies brought out of Canaan; and speak of rettiriiing into Egypt. 6. Joshtia and Caleb labour to still and encourage them, hut the Israelites would have stoned them. W.God threateneth to destroy llie people. 13. Moses entreatetli for them, and obtaineth pardon. 23. The murmurers are deprived of entering into the land, and condemned to wander forty years in the wilderness and die there. 36. The spies who raised the evil re- port, die by a plague. 39. The people hearing the sentence of God against them, mourn, and offer themselves to go tip ; hut Moses forbid- deth them. 44. Yet they presume to go up, and are smitten by their enemies.

' And all the congregation lifted up, and gave their voice, and tlie people wept that night. ^ And all the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron -. and all the congregation said unto them, Oli tliat we had died in the land of Egypt 1 or, in this Avilderness, oh that we miglit die! And wherefore doth Jeliovah bring us into this land, to fall by the sword ? owy wives and our little ones shall be for a prey : were it not better for us to return into Egypt ? * And they said every man unto las brother, let us

Ver. 1. — Lifted ui',] To wit, theirvoice, as after followetli, and as is expressed in Gen. xxi. 16, ' she lifted up lier voice and wept.' Or, all the congregation took up, that is, re- ceived, to wit, the evil report which the spies gave of the land. Num. xiii. 32. So the phrase is used, in Exod. xxiii. 1, ' thou shalt not take up a vain report.' This latter, the Gr. version favoureth. Gave their voice,] That is, cried out. This manner of speech is used to signify any loud voice, noise, or cry of any creature, or of God In'mself ; as in Ps. xviii. 14, ' the Most High gave his voice;' in Jer. ii. 15, ' the lions gave their voice ;' in Ps. civ. 12, ' the fowls give the voice ;' in Ps. Ixxvii. 18, ' the skies gave a voice ;' in Hab. iii. 10, ' the deep gave his voice;' and in 2 Cln-on. xxiv. 9, men are said to give a voice, when they made a pro- clamation through Judah and Jerusalem. So this people here openly rebelled, and uttered their evil hearts without fear or shame. That night,] Heb. in or through that jiight, which the Gr. expiaineth, that vhnle night.

\vM. 2. — And against Aaron,] Which were the Lord's ministers, therefore their nunmuring was not against them only, but against the Lord, as Moses told them, in Exod. xvi. 2, 8 ; and as after appcareth in ver. 3. Oh, that we might die,] Or, (^ would God) that we ircre dead : they arc

words of unbelief and despair, and of great unthankfulness: compare Exod. xvi. 3 ; Ps. cvi. 24, 25. The Gr. translateth, if we were dead: which is a form of wishing, both in the Gr. and Heb. tongues, as in 1 Ciuon. iv. 10, 'if thou wilt bless me,' that is, ' oh, that thou wouldest bless me ;' so in Luke xii.

49, ' if it were (for, oh, that it were) already kindled ;' and so the Syriac version there expiaineth it.

Ver. 3. — To fall,] i. e. thai we should fall, that is, die by the sword. Here they murmur against God himself through unbe- lief; as David saith, ' they contemptuously refused the land of desire, (the pleasant land,) they believed not his word, but murmured in their tents ; they heard not the voice of Je- hovah,' Ps. cvi. 24, 25. Were it not bet- ter,] Or, were it not good? The Gr. changeth the phrase thus, ' now, therefore, it is better for us to turn back into Egypt.'

50, ' are they not written,' 2 Kings xx. 20; is explained thus, ' behold they are written,' 2 Chron. xxxii. 32.

Ver. 4. — Let us make a Captain,] Heb. let us give a head : whereby give is meant make or appoint, as the Chald. ex- pouudeth it ; and by head they mean a cap- tain or chief governor ; as in Num. xxv. 4 ; 1 Chron. iv. 42 ; xii. 20; and as the Gr. here expiaineth it. Tliargum Jonathan pa-

22

NUMBERS.

make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. * And Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congrega- tion of the sons of Israel. ^ And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes. ^ And they said unto all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying. The land which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. ® If Jehovah delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and will give it unto us, a land whicli floweth with milk and honey. ^ Only rebel not ye against Jehovah, and you fear not the people of the land, for they are bread for us : their shadow is departed from them, and Jehovah is with vis, fear them not. " But all the congregation said, to stone them with stones : and the glory of Jehovah appeared in the tent of the congregation before all the sons of Israel. " And Jehovah

raphraseth thus, " let us appoint a king over us for head." Of this their sin, the Scrip- ture saith, ' they dealt proudly, and harden- ed their necks, and hearkened not to God's commandments ; and refused to hear, and were not mindful of the wonders that he had done among them: but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain (or made a head) to return to their bondage,' Neh, ix. 16, 17. So their evil words and purpose is counted unto them as the deed done. Sol. Jarchi openeth their words thus, ' let us appoint a king over us ; and he saith, the Rabbins have expounded this, as meaning idolatry. The same is also noted by R. Menachem, who further liken- eth this sin to theirs that builded the tower of Babel, Gen. xi. So their sia was against God, who is ' exalted as head above all,' 1 Chron. xxix. 11.

Ver. 5. — Fell on their faces,] As much aflected with the murmuring of the people, and they fell down, either to pray unto God for them, as in Num. xix. 22 ; or to entreat them not to proceed in their re- bellion as it followeth, ' before all the assem- bly.' And elsewhere it appeareth, that Moses spake to encourage the people, saying, ' dread not, neither be afraid of them : Jeho- vah your God, who goeth before you, he shall fight for you,' &c. Deut. i. 29, 30.

Ver. 6. — That searched the land,] As appeareth in Num. xiii. 7, 9, 17. Rent THEIR clothes,] In sign of sorrow, for the people's rebellion and blasphemy; for they said, ' the Lord had brought them out of Egypt, because he hated them,' &c. ; neither did they believe the Lord their God, for all that Moses spake unto them, Deut. i. 27 — .32. Of rending garments in sorrow, see (Jen. xxxvii. 29; Lev. x. 6, in the annot.

Ver. 9. — Only,] Or, but rcbd not ye ; «liich the Gr. interpreteth, bttt be not ye

apostates (or revollers) from the Lord: the Chald. but rebel not ye against the word of the Lord. Are bread for us,] Or, shall be our bread, our food, that is, we shall de- vour and consume them. The Chald. ex- poundeth it, ' they are delivered into our hand.' So Balaam prophesied of Israel, ' he shall eat up the nations his enemies,' Num. xxiv. 8. And in Ps. Ixxix. 7, ' he hath eaten up Jacob,' that is, consumed: and in Ps. xiv. 4, ' they eat my people as they eat bread.' Also in Deut. vii. 16, ' thou shall eat (that is, consume) all the people. Their shadow,] That is, God their defence, covert, protection ; which the Chald. cxpoundeth, their strength ; so in Is. xxx. 2, ' the strength of Pharaoh, and the shadow of Egypt,' do ex- plain one another ; and shadow is used often for defence: as, ' the shadow of the Al- mighty,' Ps. xci. 1 ; and ' Jehovah thy shadow,' Ps. cxxi. 5 ; and God saith, ' I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand,' Is. li. 16 ; xlix. 2. Jehovah is with us,] The Chald. explaineth it, the word of the Lord is for our help.

Ver. 10. — Said to stone them,] That is, spake one to another, that they should stone Joshua and Caleb. An example of notorious obstinacy and outrage ; and at ano- ther time, they had almost done the like unto Moses, Exod. xvii. 4. So after this Jeru- salem stoned the prophets, which spake the things pertaining to her peace. Matt, xxiii. 37. Appeared in the tent,] The Gr. explaineth it, appeared in the cloud over the tent of the testimony. This is confirmed by the like appearance in Num. xvi. 42 ; and Sol. Jarchi here saith, " the cloud descended there. It was an extraordinary appearance, to restrain the people's fury, and to help his faithful witnesses.

Ver. 11. — Provoke me,] Or, despite, blaspheme, contemptuottsly provoke me. So

CHAP. XIV.

23

said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me ? and liow long will they not believe in me, for all the signs wiiich 1 liave done amongst them ? '^ I will smite them with the pestilence, and dis- inherit tliem, and will make of tliee a nation greater and mightier than they. '^ And Moses said unto Jehovah, Then the Egyptians shall hear it ; for thou broughtest up this people in thy might, from among tliem. " And they will say to the inhabitants of this land, for they have heard that thou Jehovah art among this people, that tliou Jehovah art seen eye to eye, and that thy cloud standeth over tliem, and in a pillar of cloud thou goest before them by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. ^' Now if thou shalt kill this people as one man, tlien the nations will say, which have heard the fame of thee, saying, '^ Because Jehovah was not able to bring tliis people into the land which he sware unto them ; therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. ^' And now, I beseech thee, let the power of the Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, ^^ Jehovah is long-suffering, and much in mercy, forgiving iniquity

the apostle expoundetli this word blaspheme, in Rom. ii. 24 ; from Is. lii. 5; and it im- plieth also a contempt or despising, Prov. i. 30 ; XV. 5 ; Is. v. 24. Not believe in ME,] In Gr. not believe me ; which the Chald. explaineth, 7iot lelieve in my word. This Unbelief is noted as a chief cause of their re- bellion, and so of their destruction after in the wilderness, Deut. i. 32 ; Heb. iii. 18, 19. For all the signs,] Though many signs and wonders had been showed, yet they be- lieved not: so of their posterity it is said, ' though Jesus had done so many signs be- fore them, yet they believed not in him,' John xii. 37. Among them,] Heb. in the midst thereof, to wit, of the people.

Ver. 12. — Smite them,] Heb. smite liim, that is, the people, spoken of as one man: soever. 15. Pestilence,] In Gr. and Chald. death : see the notes on Exod. v. 3. Disinherit them,] Deprive them of the land promised unto their fathers: the Gr. and Chald. translate, destroy them. Make OF thee,] Heb. make them to a nation : the like speech God used, when they had made the golden calf, Exod. xxxii. 10. The Gr. here addetli, ' I will make thee and thy fa- ther's house,' &c.

Ver. 14. — They will say,] That which after followelh in ver. IG. To the inhabi- tants,] Or, ivith the inhabitants, meaning the Canaaniles ; so both the one and the other people will take occasion to blaspheme. Tiie Heb. word which usually sigiiifieth unto, is sometimes used for with; as in 1 Sam. xxiii. 23 ; Ezra ii. 63. Tiiou Jehovah ART,] The Chald. expoundeth it, that thy divine prese^ice (or majesty) abideth among this people. Art seen,] Or, hast been seen

eye to eye ; that is, visibly, apparently, plain- ly, according to the like phrase in Num. xii. 8, ' mouth to mouth;' and in Exod. xxxiii. 11 ; and Deut. v. 4, ' face to face.' The Chald. here explaineth it thus, that with their eyes they have seen the majesty of thy glory; and by Thargum Jonathan, this is releired to the giving of the law upon mount Sinai. Standeth over them,] As protecting them from evil; which in Thargum Jonathan is explained, " that they should not be hurt with heat or with rain." Compare Exod. xiii. 21, 22 ; Num. ix. 17, &c.

Ver. 15 — As one man,] That is, all of them together and suddenly. The fame of thee,] The hearsay or report of thee; which the Gr. translateth, My name} the Chald. the fame of thy might.

Ver. 16. — Was not able,] Elsewhere MoEes showeth that he had respect unto two things by which God's name and glory might be impeached among the Gentiles; because he could not, or because he would not, but hated his people, Deut. ix. 28 ; Exod. xxxii. 12. And this is the first argument of Moses' supplication, that God's name might not be blasphemed among the heathens.

Ver. 17. — The power of the Lord,] Or, the might, as in ver. 13; that is, as the Gr. explaineth it, the poiver of thee, O Lord. Lord is here in Heb. Adonai, which the Chald. expresseth by the letters for Jehovah, and it signifieth my stays or sustainers : see the notes on Gen. xv. 2. Be great,] That is, be showed to be great; the Gr. translat- eth it, be exalted.

Ver. 18. — Long-suffering,] Heb. long of anger; that is, long ere he be angry. Here Moses mentioiieth that name of Go<l,

24

NUMBER S.

and trespass : and clearing will not clear (the guilty ;) visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons unto tlie thii'd and unto the fourth generation. ^' Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people, according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt, even until now. ^" And Je- liovah said, I have pardoned, according to thy word. ^^ But as- suredly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with tlie glory of Jeliovah. ^' For all tlie men whicli have seen my glory, and my signs whicli I did in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and have tempted me these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice ; ^^ If they

which was proclaimed at mount Sinai, when the people had formerly sinned in making the golden calf, Exod. xxxiv. 5 — 7. In mercy,] The Gr. addeth, and. true ; from Exod. xxxiv. 6. Forgiving,] Or, as the Gr. trans- lateth, taking mvay. Iniquities,] In Gr, iniquities, and unriffkteousnesses, and sins y the Chald. also addeth the word sifis, as was in Exod. xxxiv. 7. This is the second rea- son of Moses' request from the nature and covenant of God. The guilty,] This word is supplied also in the Gr. version. The Chald. pavaphraseth, ' being merciful unto them that turn to his law, but not clearing tliem that turn not.' Visiting,] That is, punisliing ; in Gr. recompensing ; see Exod. XX. 5. Upon the sons,] Or child reti ; iji Chald. upo?i the rchcllious sons. The THIRD,] In Chald. unto the third generation and unto the fourth generatio7i. Thus Moses requested an absolute pardon for all ; but that God would in wrath remember mercy, though in justice he punished the chief transgressors.

Ver. 19. — Even until now,] Or, hither- to ; as for example, when they sinned in mak- ing the calf, Exod. xxxii. (besides other times,) at which time God destroyed them not as they deserved, but some of them only perished.

Ver. 20. — I have pardoned,] Or, / do pardo7i, as the Gr. explaineth it, in the time present. Howbeit, Chazkuni understaudeth it of the time past, that God should say, he had pardoned them once when they made the calf; but now he would not pardon them, but execute vengeance. The formersenseseemeth best with the limitation following, 'according to thy word,' viz. that he would not destroy them all ' as one man,' at once with the pes- tilence, having respect to the gloiy of his name. For which cause he spared them at other times also, both before and after, as he showeth by the prophets, Ezek. x. 8, 9, 13, 14, 21, 22, &c. ; Ps. cvi. 7, 8. And here- upon the people after confessed, ' Thou art a God of pardons, gracious, and merciful, long- sutliering, and of great kindness, and forsakest them not,' Neh. ix. 17.

Ver. 21. — As I live,] lleb. and assured- ly I live, and all the earth shall be filled : which is a form of oath, often used of the Lord, Ezek. xviii. 3; xx. 33 ; v. 11. Whereupon it is said, ' and thou shall swear Jehovah liveth,' &c, Jer. iv. 2 ; and where he saith in the prophet, ' 1 have sworn by myself,' Is. xlv. 23 ; the apostle expresseth it with these words, ' I live, saith the Lord,' Rom. xiv, 11. And the sign of an oath was the lifting up of the hand ; so both of them are joined in Deut. xxxii. 40, ' I lift up my hands to heaven, and say, I live for ever : Wherefore the oath which God here sware, is signified by the lifting up of his hand, in Ps. cvi. 26 ; Ezek. xx. 15. Filled with the glory,] That is, all peoples of the earth shall see and acknowledge the powerful and just administration of the Lord, unto his glo- ry and honour. Compare Is. vi. 3 ; and Ps. Ixxii. 19, where Christ's kingdom is prophe- sied of, with whose glory all the earth is full.

Ver. 22.- — My glory,] Under this, all God's glorious works are comprehended; as powers are used for powerful works. Matt. vii. 22; xi. 20 ; 1 Cor. xii. 10 ; 2 Cor. xii. 12. Signs,] Tliat is, miracles, miraculous and significant works. Ten times,] Hereby may be meant no certain number, but many times, as in Gen, xxxi. 7; Job xix. 3; so ten is for many, in Lev. xxvi. 26, It may also be taken properly, for now they had sin- ned ten times ; first, at the Red sea, Exod. xiv. 11, 12; then in Marah, Exod. xv. 23, 24 ; again in the wilderness of Sin, Exod. xvi. 2 ; then twice about manna, Exod. xvi. 20, 27, 28 ; after that at Rephidim, Exod. xvii. 1 — 3; then by the calf at Horeb, Exod. xxxii.; at Taberah, Num. xi. 1 ; and again at Kibroth-hattaavah, Num. xi. 4 ; and now the tenth time by their rebellion in Pharan.

Ver. 23. — If they shall see,] That is, as the Gr. translateth it, surely they translate not see. This also is an oath, whereby God sweareth they shall not see, that is, not go in to enjoy the land, as is explained by David, in Ps. xcv. 11, ' I swear in my anger, if they shall enter into my rest;' which the

CHAP. XIV.

25

sliall see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it. ^* But my servant Caleb, because there was another spirit in him, and he followed me fully ; even him will I bring into the land, whereinto he went ; and his seed sliall possess it. ^' (Now the Amalekitc and the Canaanite dwelt in the valley :) to-morrow, turn ye, and journey you into the wilderness, 6^/ the way of tlie Red sea.

apostle openeth thus, * he sware that they should not enter into his rest,' Ileb. iii. 18. So ' if a sign be given,' Mark viii. 12; is more plainly expounded, ' a sign shall not be given,' Matt. xvi. 4. Which I sware UNTO,] That is, ' which I sware to give unto your fathers,' Deut. i. 35; this was the land of Canaan, Gen. xii. 5, 7; called 'the holy land,' Zech. ii. 12 ; ' the land of Jehovah,' IIos. ix. 3 ; the land of Emmanuel,' that is, of Christ, Is. viii. S ; for it was a sign of the heavenly inheritance to be obtained by Christ, Heb. xi. 9, 10 ; therefore the keeping of tiiem out of this land, figured also the ex- cluding of them, and of all unbelievers out of the kingdom of heaven, Heb. iii. 12 — 19; iv. 1—11.

Ver. 24. — Spirit in him,] Or, zvith him ; That is, he was guided by another spirit than the ten spies. The same is to be understood of Joshua, as appeareth by Num. xxxii. 12, though not here mentioned. This other spirit was the spirit of faith, which the law cannot give. Gal. iii. 2 ; the spirit of adop- tion of sons, not of bondage to fear again, Horn. viii. 14, 15; by the guidance of this spiiit Caleb constantly followed the Lord, and obtained the promised inheritance. He FOLLOWED ME FULLY,] Heb. he followcd after me : so in Deut. i. 36 ; Josh. xiv. 8 ; ix. 14. By this manner of speech, is meant a full and constant following and obedience unto the end ; the contraiy whereof was in Solomon, of whom it is said, ' he followed not after the Lord, as did David his father, 1 Kings xi. 6 ; and in this people of Israel now generally, of whom God saith, ' they followed not after me,' Num. xxxii. 11. The Gr. translateth it, he follotvcd mc ; the Chald he fulfilled (or acco?iijjltshed) after my fear Chazkuni expoundeth it, " he hath accom plished the word after me ;" and compareth it with that phrase in 1 Kings i. 14, 'I will come in after thee, and fulfil (that is, con- firm) thy words. His sef.d,] In Chald. his sons. Shall possess it,] .S'/iaW inherit it : thus both the Gr. and Chald. do interpret it: or shall cause to inherit it, that is, leave it to tiieir posterity for an iidieritancc ; as it is written, ' It shall be thine inheritance, and tliy children's for ever,' Josh. xiv. 9. The word is also used in a contrary meaning, to

Vol. U. D

disinherit, as befoi'e in ver. 2 ; and so it may be translated, shall disinherit it, that is, dis- inherit and drive out the inhabitants of it, and seize upon it, as in Josh. viii. 7, ' ye shall disinherit (or seize upon) the city ;' and thus it agreeth with Caleb's speech, ' if so be the Lord will be with me, then I will dis- inherit them (or drive them out) as the Lord said,' Josh. xiv. 12. In this latter sense, Sol. Jarchi here expoundeth it, " drive it out, that is, they shall drive out the Anakims and people that are therein." This promise Moses related unto Caleb, and in the name of the Lord, he sware unto him for the pei"- formance of it. Josh. xiv. 9.

Ver. 25. — Now,] Heb. And. Dwelt,] Oi', dwelleth, Heb, sitteth in the valley: after in ver. 45 ; they are said to dwell (or sit) in the mountain; and sitting as it is often put for dwelling, so sometimes for lying iu wait, as in Josh. viii. 9 ; which may be meant here. Chazkuni expoundeth this place thus ; that " as the spies were afraid of Amalek (Num. xiii. 29,) so with them the holy bles- sed (God) made them afraid." And where- as it is here said, in the valley ; and in ver. 45, in that mountain ; he accordeth them thus, that " the most of them sat in the valley, and some few of them in the moun- tain, and those few warred against them, and therefore it is written, ' which sat in that mountain,' to imply that there were of tliem which sat in another place; or it may be they dwelt in the valley, and when they heard that the sons of Israel came against them, they went up into the mountain and lay in wait for them there: and we find that sitting sometimes meaneth lying in wait, as it is written -(in Ps. x. S,) 'he sitteth in the waiting place of the villages.' " To-.mor- Row TURN ye,] The people were now in Kadesh, from whence they sent the sj)ies. Num. xiii. 26; Deut. i. 19; and after this their rebellion, and the slaughter following, they ' abode in Kadesh many days, and then turned and journeyed into the wilderness by the way of the lied sea,' Deut. i. 46; ii. 1. Chazkuni here saith, " to-morrow meanetli after this time ; for lo, tliey abode in Kadesh many days before they began to compass about mountSeir: and it is like that phrase (Exod. xii. 34,) when thy son shall ask thee to-morrow."

26

NUMBERS.

^^ And Jeliovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, " How long (shall I pardon) this evil congregation which murmur against me ? I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they murmur against me. ^^ Say unto tliem. As I live, as- suredly saith Jehovah, if I do not so unto you, as ye have spoken in mine ears. *^ Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and all that were mustered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me. ^" If you shall come into the land concerning which I lifted up my hand to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua tlie son of Nun. ^' And your little ones, which ye said should be for a prey, even tliem will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. ^^ V>yxiasfor you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. ^^ And your children shall feed in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your whore-

JotTRNEV YOU,] Or, journey for you, which some understand to mean, for your good, see G'jn. xii. 1. The way of the Red sea, J That is, the way towards the Red sea: see the notes on Exod. xiii. 17. la this Red sea the people had been baptized, 1 Cor. x. 1,2; Exod. xiv. Baptism was unto repent- ance, and with contession of sins, and unto the death of Christ, Mat. iii. 6, 11 ; Rom. vi. 3; so this sending them back into the wilderness towards the Red sea, was to hum- ble them by repentance, that through faith in Christ they might l>ave entrance into the kingdom of heaven ; otherwise they should perish for ever, as tiieir carcasses perished in this wilderness.

Vek. 27. — How LONG,] To wit, shall I pardon, (as in ver. 19, 20,) or shall I bear with. An imperfect speech, such as men use in passion of mind, when through grief tliey utter not all their words, as may be seen in Moses, Exod. xxxii. 32; Ps. xc. 13; in David, Ps. vi. 4 ; and sundry the like. Which mormur,] Or Mhich cause (the peo- ple) to murmur, as in ver. 36. Thus Sol. Jarchi expoundeth it, referring the congre- gation forementioned to the ten spies ; but the Gr. and Chald. translate, which murmur j so in the sentence following.

Ver. 28. — I live,] It is an oath, as in ver. 21 ; whereby the Lord sweareth in his anger, that they sliould not enter into his rest, Ps. xcv. 11 ; Heb. iii. 18 ; Num. xxxii. 10, 11. Assuredly saith,] Or, the faithful saying ; see Gen. xxii. 10. If I do not,] That is, as the Gr. explaineth it, surely I will do : see before on ver. 23. Spoken in mine ears,] In Chald. sjwhen before me : this hath reference to their words in ver. 2, where they wished they might die in the wilder- ness.

Ver. 29. — Your carcasses,] The Gr- calleth them Cola, that is, meTnbers, which word the apostle also useth in Heb. iii. 17, for carcasses or dead bodies. So in Lev. xxvi. 30. Fall,] That is, die, being destroyed of the destroyer, 1 Cor. x. 10. Mustered,] Numbered as able men for the war, Num. i. This sentence was executed upon them, as is after showed in Num. xxvi. 64, 65.

Ver. 30. — I lifted up my hand,] That is, stvare, as the Chald. expoundeth it, / sware by my word : see Deut. 32, 40 ; and the notes before on ver. 21 ; and Gen. xiv. 22.

Ver. 31. — Your little ones,] Your children under twenty years of age : see ver. 3. Shall know,] In Gr. shall inherit, rightly explaining the sense: for to know the land is to enjoy the same. And so Moses relating this promise, saith, ' they shall pos- sess the land,' Deut. i. 39.

Vek. 32. — But as for you, your car- casses] Heb. and your carcasses, you: where the latter you is for explanation, to exempt their children, you or yours only.

Ver. 33. — Shall feed,] Or, shall be feeding; so likewise the Gr. translateth it: by feed, meaning wander as sheep for pas- ture in the wilderness: the Chald. of Onkelos expoundeth it, " tarry or abide ;" but Jona- than saith, "wander;" and Chazkuni ex- plaineth it, " fued as sheep sometimes here and sometimes there, so your sons shall remove hither and thither till their carcasses be con- sumed." Thus may we understand that in the prophet, ' the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place,' Hosea iv. 16; that is, will let them wander to destruction. So in other languages, wander is used for feeding, as in Virgil, Bucol. eclog. 2, mille me(s Sicu- lis errant in moniibtis agncc. Forty years,]

CHAP. XIV

27

doms, until your carcasses be consumed in the wilderness. " After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, forty days, a day for a year, a day for a year ye shall bear your iniquities, forty years ; and ye shall know my breach (of promise.) ^' I Je- hovah have spoken, if I do not this unto all this evil congregation, tliat are gatliered togetlier against me ; in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and tliere they shall die. ^'^ And the men wliich Moses had sent to searcli tlie land, and which returned, and made all tlie congregation to murmur against liim, by bringing up an evil report upon the land ; ^' Even the men died that did bring up

Num.xxxii. 23, ' wherefore break ye the heart (that is, discourage ye) the sons of Israel from going,' &c. ; and in Num. xxx. 5, ' if her father break (that is, disallow) her, disannul her promise.'

Veb. 35. — Have spoken,] The Chald. explaineth it, have decreed by 7ny word. If I DO NOT,] That is, surely I will do, as the Gr. expoundeth it: it is an oatii, as ))efore in ver. 23. This sentence decreed, seized upon them, that all this generation died in the wilderness. Num. xxvi. C4, 65 ; and upon tliis occasion, Moses made the xc. Psalm, wherein he bewaileth the shortness and misery of man's life, being finished now in 70 or 80 years ; and entreateth God for mercy. And of this and other the like punishments, the apostle saith, ' they happened unto them for ensamples ; and they are written for our ad- monition, upon whom the ends of the world are come,' 1 Cor. x. 11 ; 'so we see that they could not enter in (to the rest of God) because of unbelief: let us study therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief,' Heb. iii. 19 ; iv. 11.

Ver. 36. — The men,] The ten spies. M.4DE TO M0RiMUR,] And murmured them- selves ; as the Heb. signifieth both their own act and that which they caused in others. So the Gr. translateth it, " murmured against it, unto (or before) the congregation. A- GAiNST HIM,] Against Moses, as in ver. 2, or, as the Gr. translateth, against it ; for they murmured also against the land. Num. xiii. 32 ; xiv. 3. Evil REPORr,] Or, defamation ; in Gr. evil words -^ in Chald. an evil name. The word evil is expressed in the next ver. see the notes on Num. xiii. 32.

Ver. 27. — The plague before Jeho- vah,] That is, by an extraordinary plague from the hand of God ; either the pestilence before threatened, ver. 12 ; or some other death. And before Jehovah may mean sud- den death there by the sanctuary, where ' the glory of Jehovah appeared,' ver. 10 ; as it is said of Uzzah, ' there he died before God,' 1 Chron. xiii. 10 ; which another prophet

Implying the time past also, from their com- ing out of Egypt: for one whole year, and part of the second were now past already, when God gave this sentence against them, Num. x. 11. Bear your whoredoms,] That is, bear the punishment of your sins ; as the Chald. for whoredoms translateth sins; though this name whoredom is commonly used for idolatiy, Jer. iii. 9 ; Ezek. xvi. 15 — 17, &c. See Exod. xxxiv. 15, 16; Lev. xvii. 7.

Ver. 34. — After,] Or, according to the number; in the Heb. in is used for as, or according to, as the Gr. translateth it : see the notes on Lev. xxv. 15. A day for a YEAR, A DAY FOR A YEAR,] That is, each day for a year, or a year for every day : so in Ezek. iv. 6, where the prophet in a figure, bare the iniquity of Israel so many days as they had sinned years. Hereupon in pro- phecies, days are put for years, Dan. ix. 24, &c. ; Rev. xi. 3. Ye shall know my BRE.VCH,] To wit, of promise ; or simply, iny breaking off: that is, ye shall know and have experience by the punishment which you shall suli'er, how great your sin is in breaking promise and disannuling your word and cove- nant with me, and in breaking oil' from me. Tlius my breach may be understood, breach, or breaking with me, or from me, as, ' he that eateth my bread,' Ps. xli. 10, is ex- pounded, ' he that eateth bread with me,' John xiii. IS. Or my breach, that is, when I brake promise with you, or break oil' from you, ye shall know how great evil is upon you. For when men forsake God, he also forsaketh them, and breaketh his covenant with them, that is, performeth not his pro- mise, which is conditional if men continue in his faith, Deut. xxxi. 16, 17; Zecli. xi. 10; Jude v. 6; Rom. xi. 22. The Gr. translateth, " ye shall know the wrath (or in- dignation) of mine anger:" the Chald. " ye shall know that ye have murmured against me." Sol. Jarchi expoundeth it, " my breach in that yo have broken (that is, turn- ed away) your heart from (following) after me. This word is after used by Moses, in

28

NUMBERS.

the evil report of the land, by the plague, before Jeliovah, ^^ But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, lived, of those men tliat went to searcli tlie land. ^^ And Moses spake these words unto all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned greatly. ^^ And they rose up early in tlie morning, and went up into tlie top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which Jehovah hath said, for we have sinned. ^' And Moses said. Wherefore now do you transgress the mouth of Jeho- vah? but it shall not prosper, *" Go not up, for Jehovah {s not among you, that ye be not smitten before your enemies. ^* For the Amalekite and tlie Canaanite is there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword, for because ye are turned from after Jehovah, and Jehovali will not be with you. ^* But tliey loftily presumed to go up to tlie top of the mountain : but the ark of the covenant of

explainetli, ' there he died by the ark of God,' 2 Sam. vi. 7. The Heb. (as Sol. Jar- chi and Thargum Jonathan on this place) re- port these men's death to have been by an inflammation of their tongues, and worms issuing out of them, as a just recompense, be- cause with their tongues they had sinned.

Ver. 3S. — Lived,] That is, remained alive, safe, and in health. So the Judge of all the earth did judgment, and would not slay the righteous with the wicked ; as Gen. xviii. 25. And they survived not only the other spies, but all the rebellious Israelites, and went in and possessed the land of pro- mise, Josh.xix. 10; xix, 49. This showeth the small number of God's elect, though many be called to the profession of the faith. The Heb. doctors, speaking of Jer. iii. 14, where it is written, " I will talie you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion, do say, as of six hundred thousand Is- raelites, only two entered into the land of promise, to wit, Joshua and Caleb; so shall it also be in the days of Christ." Talmud, in Sanhedrin. chap, xi.; wherein they bear witness against themselves, that they fulfilled the measure of their fathers in rebelling against Christ, and despising the gospel of their salvation.

Ver. 40. — And went up,] That is, gird- ed their weapons of war about them, and pressed forward of themselves to go up, as Moses explainetli it, in Deut. i. 41. For tilings which men endeavour and are ready to do, are said to be done by them, as Reuben delivered Joseph out of his brethren's hand, when he endeavoured, by exhorting and per- suading them, ' that he might deliver him, Gen. xxxvii. 21, 22. See also the annot. on Exod. viii. IS. Will go up,] And fight, Deut. i. 41. We have sinned,] Against Jehovah, Deut. i. 41. Thus they showed a Kind of repentance and sorrow for their sin.

which was not sincere, nor a godly sori'ow, for they turned from one evil to another, and overthrew themselves-

Ver. 41. — Moses said,] Being first com^ manded of the Lord so to say, Deut. i. 42. The mouth,] That is, as the Gr. tianslateth, "the word of the Lord:" and the Chald. addeth, " against the decree of the word of the Lord." But it,] Or, for it, that is, the thing which ye do shall not jMosper, that is, not have good success: in Gr. " it shall not be prosperous unto you." R. Menachem re- ferreth this word it, to Shechinah, the divine majesty which would not prosper them ; and compareth herewith a like phrase in Ezek. i. 13, ' it went up and down among the living creatures.'

Ver. 42. — Jehovah is not among you,] Thus, God bade him say, ' for I am not among you,' Deut. i. 42. The Chald. ex- poundeth it, " for Shechinah (the majesty or presence) of the Lord is not among yon." Not smitten,] In Chald. not broken^ in Gr. and ye shall fall before your enemies.

Ver. 43.' — From after Jehovah,] In Chald. "from after the service of tht Lord," which the Gr. translateth, " disobeying (or not believing) the Lord." Chazkuni ex- plaineth it thus, " Because the spies made you afraid of the Canaanite and Amalekite that abide there, ye are turned from after tiie Lord, and are afraid to go into the land, and you trust not in him, therefore he will not be with you if you transgress his mouth, to go to fight till after 40 years. Jehovah WILL not be with vou,] This the Chald. expoundeth, " the \vord of the Loid will not be for your help."

Ver. 44. — They loftily presumed,] Or, took upon them by violence with a lofty presumptuous mind: in the Chald. " they dealt wickedly or turbulently." The origi- nal word Aphal, (from which Ophel a tower

CHAP. XV

29

Jeliovali and Moses, departed not from within the camp. ^* And tlie Amalekite came down, and the Canaanite, which dwelt in that mountain ; and smote them, and discomfited tliem even unto Ilor- mali.

or fori is derived, 2 Ciiron. xxxiii. 14,) sig- nifietli ' lifting iijJ,' as in Abak. ii. 4, whicli the apostle showeth, to mean a ' drawing back' frona God by unbelief, Ileb. x, 38, 39. So here in this their prusumptuoiis enterprise, their souls were lifted up in them, but with- drawn from God. And Moses explaineth this by two other words, ' ye pressed forward,' Deut. i. 41, and ' ye were presumptuous,' Deut. i. 43. The Heb. commentary Tan- chuma, compareth it with another like word which signifieth darkness, and explaineth it, *' they went dark (or obscure) for that they went without leave from God :" and Thargum Jonathan, thus; "they set forward in the dark, before day dawning:" to which the Lat. version agreeth, translating it " darkened." Departed not, J In Gr. moved not. The ark removed not, but at the removal of the cloud, Num. ix. 15, &c., which God not taking up, showed thereby liis dislike of their action. Moses obeying the Lord, would not accompany the presumptuous sinners: so they went without the Lord, and without the signs of his grace, or company of his ministers.

Ver. 45. — The canaanite,] That is, the Amorite, Deut. v. 44, which was of the pos- terity of Canaan, Gen. x. 15, 16. Which DWELT,] Or, which sat, lay in wait. Dis- comfited THEM,] Pursued them as bees do, and destroyed them, Deut. i. 44. Because 'they rebelled against God, and vexed his Holy Spirit, therefore he was turned to be

their enemy, he fought against them,' Is. Ixiii. 10. Unto Horbiah,] In Gr. Henna, the name of a place, so called of the event, signifying utter destruction, or anathema: so after in Num. xxi. 3. After this discomfi- ture, the Israelites ' returned and wept before the Lord:' but he would not hear their voice, nor give ear unto them ; so they abode in Kadesh many days, Deut. i. 45, 46. These things which ' happened unto them for types,' 1 Cor. x. 11, do show the nature of man, of his free will, and works without faitli, that they procure nothing but wrath from God, and destruction unto men. And as Israel carried themselves under Moses, so did they under Christ: for the Lord Jesus himself, and John the Baptist (as Joshua and Caleb) faithfully testified the truth of God's promise, and persuaded the people to enter into the kingdom of God, Matt. iii. 1—3; iv. 17. But the priests, scribes, and pharisees (like the unfaithful spies) discouraged the people, and would neither go themselves into the kingdom of heaven, nor sufier them that were entering, to go in. Matt, xxiii. 13^ but pretended worldly fears, John xi. 48. Yet after they would seem to enter by force, ' going about to establish their own righteous- ness,' but not submitting themselves * unto the righteousness of God,' Rom. x. 3, so they pleased not God, but filled up their sins al- way, and wrath came upon them to the utter- most, 1 Thes. ii. 15, 16.

CHAP. XV.

1 . The Lord teacheth Israel how they should sacrifice unto him in the land of Canaan, and what measure of meat-offerings and drbik- offerings should be for every sacrifice. 13. The stranger is tinder the same latv. 17. The law of the first of the dough for an heave-offering. 22. The sacrifice for sin of ignorance, done by Israelite or stranger. 30. The ■punishment of sin done with an high hand. 32. A man that was found gathering sticks on the Sabbath, is by the com- mandment of God stoned to death. 37. The law of fringes on the bor- ders of their garments, and use that the people should make of them.

' x\nd Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, " Speak unto the sons of Israel, and say unto them : When ye be come into the

Ver. 1. — Si'AKE UNTO Mo.ses,] After the should perish in the wilderness, God now re- judgment upon the disobedient Israelites, who peateth and culargeth the law of satTificing,

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NUMBERS.

land of your habitations wliicli I give unto you. ^ And ye will make a ^ve-offering unto Jehovah, a burnt-offering or a sacrifice, to separate a vow, or a voluntary offering ; or in your solemn feasts, to make a savour of rest, unto Jehovah, of the herd, or of the flock. * Then he tliat offereth his oblation unto Jehovah, shall

which tlieir children should observe in the land of Canaan: whereby their reconciliation unto him, and his grace towards them in Christ, was figured : thus after the curse of the law for sin, is annexed the grace of the gospel through faith. In like manner after the destruction of twenty-four thousand for the sin of Baal-pehor, in Num. xxv. the Lord causeth the people to be mustered, Num. xxvi. and appointeth the land to be given them for inheritance, and repeateth again the law of sacrificing at the solemn feasts, in Num. xxviii. and xxix. that upon the exam- ple of wrath on the sinful parents, he might show his remembrance of mercy in Christ, unto the repentant believing children.

Ver. 2. — Land of your habitations,] Wherein you shall dwell: not in the wilder- ness, but in the land of promise, (which figured the state of grace in Christ) did God require the sacrifices of his people, and pro- miseth to accept them. So after by the pro- phet Ezekiel, he saith, * I will bring yuu into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, &c. and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me, &c. For in the mountain of mine holiness, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the laud, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your ofltjrings, and the first fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things; with a savour of rest will I accept you,' &c. Ezek. xx. 35 — 38, 40, 41.

Ver. 3. — A fire offering,] In Chald. an oblation hcfore the Lord. Burnt-offer- ing,] The law whereof was given in Lev. i. A sacrifice,] To wit, of peace-offerings, as the Chald. explaineth it: the law concern- ing them, see in Lev. iii. And the word 'sacrifice' being put absolutely, is often used for 'peace-oll'erings;' as in Exod. xviii. 12; Lev. xvii. 5,8; xxiii. 37; Deut. xii. 27. So it is meant here ; for the meat and drink- offerings following, were not added to the sin or trespass-oflerings. The Heb. canons say, "They are not charged with meat and drink-ollerings, save for the burnt-offering of beasts, and for peace-offerings only ; whether

they be the oblation of the congregation, or of a private person, or the lamb of a woman after child-birth (Lev. xii. 6,) and those that the high priest oflereth, forasmuch as tlujy are burnt-offerings, they are charged to have meat and drink-ofl'erings. But the (burnt- offerings of) fowls, and the trespass and sin- offerings, they bring no meat or drink-of- ferings with them, save with the sin-offering of the leper, and his trespass-oflering, whose meat-ofl'erings are expressed in the law," (Lev. xiv. 10,) Maim, in Magn. hakor- banoth, chap. ii. sect. 2- To separate,] Or, in separating a vow: whereof see the notes on Lev. xxvii. 2. Voluntary offering,] What these are, and how they differ one from another, is noted on Lev. vii. 16, After in ver. 8, it is called ' peace-ofierings.' And from hence the Hebs. gather, that sin and trespass-offerings were not required to have meat and drink-ofl'erings with them ; for, "sin and trespass-offerings, and first- fruits, and tithes, and the passover, for as much as they come not by vow or voluntary ofiering, they are not charged with the meat and drink-offerings," Maim, in Magnus, ha- korbanoth, chap. ii. sect. 3. Solemn feasts,] Whereof see Lev. xxiii. So the peace-of- ferings of the chagigali (or passover men- tioned in Deut. xvi. 1, 2, &c.) and the burnt-offerings, were to have meat and drink- offerings with them: Maim. ibid. chap. ii. sect. 3. Savour of rest,] That is, of sweet smell, as the Gr. translateth it; which the Chald. expoundeth, to be accepted with favour: see the notes on Gen. viii. 21; Lev. i. 9. Or of the flock,] To except the burnt-offering of fowls, as before is noted,

Ver. 4. — His oblation,] In Gr. his gift; so the Heb. korban is interpreted, a gift, in Mark vii. 11. Shall bring near,] Or, shall offer: so after. Meat-offering,] Iu Heb. minchah: of it, and the signification thereof, see the notes on Lev. ii. A tenth part,] To wit, of an ephah, as is expressed in Num. xxviii. 5, and as the Gr. version here addeth: of the 'ephah' or bushel, see Exod. xvi. 3C. Hence the Heb. gather, as Chazkuni here noteth from R. Nathan, "that whosoever would voluntarily offer a meat-of- fering, might not bring less than a tenth deal. An hin,] a measure in the sanctuary for liquid things. " The liin is twelve logs," saith Maim, in Magnas. hakorbanoth, chap, ii. sect. 7. The log was as much as six

CHAP. XV.

31

bring near a meat-offering of a tenth jxtrt of fine flour, mingled with the fourth jiart of an hin of oil. ■' And the fourth part of an liin of wine for a drink-offering, shalt thou make ready for the burnt-offering, or for the sacrifice, for one lamb. ^ Or for a ram thou shalt make a meat-offering of two tenth parts of fine flour, mingled with the third part of an hin of oil. ' And for a drink- offering, the third /?ar^ of an hin of wine shalt tliou offer /or a sa- vour of rest unto Jehovah. ° And when thou shalt make a young- ling of the herd, a burnt-offering or a sacrifice, to separate a vow or peace-offerings unto Jehovah ; ^ Tiien shall he bring near with tlie youngling of the herd, a meat-offering of three tenth parts of fine flour, mingled with half an hin of oil. " And thou shalt offer for a drink-offering, half an hin of wine for a fire-offering of a savour of rest unto Jehovah. ^' Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or for one ram, or for a lamb of the sheep, or of the goats. '" According to tlie number that ye shall make ready, so

eggs, as is noted on Lev. xiv. 10; Exod. XXX. 24. So the 'Ilia' contained as much as seventy-two eggs: tlie fourth part of an hin, as much as eighteen eggs. Oil,] To wit, oil olire, as in Thargum Jonathan is ex- pressed.

Ver. 5. — Wine,] Expounded in Thargum Jonathan, red wine of the grapes. So in those that follow. It is called ' shecar,' or, ' strong wine,' in Num. xxviii. 7. A drink- offering,] Or, an effusion, a poured out ottering, because it was " poured out upon the altar, but not upon the fire," as Maim, showeth, in Magn, hakorbanoth, chap. ii. sect. 1. Or for the sacrifice,] To wit, of peace-offerings, as the Chald. expoundeth it; and by this word or, he showeth that he is to bring " for the one by itself, and for the other by itself;" saith Chazkuni on Num. xv. For one,] That \s, for every one severally, as in ver. 12.

Ver. 6. — Or for a ram,] The Gr. inter- preteth it, and for a ram. A ram was of the second year, or upward: the lamb of the first year. Two tenth parts,] Two omers, which was double the measure for a lamb, ver. 4, and this the Hebs. understand for the ram only, not for the ewe, or goat ; as they write, "The quantity of the meat and drink- ofierings, for an he-lamb, cr she-lamb, is a tenth of flour, and the fourth part of an hin ol wine. Likewise for a goat, whether it be little or great, male or female; also for an ewe, though slie be great. But for a ram, two tenth deals of flour, &c. and the third part of an hin of wine," Maim, in Magnus, hakorbanoth, chap. ii. sect. 4.

Ver. 7. — Of rest,] In Gr. of sweet smell, Dv good odour: as in ver. 3.

Ver. 8. — AViien tho0 shalt make,] In

Gr, if ye shall make, that is, shall sacrifice. Youngling,] Heb. a son of the herd: mean- ing a bullock: as in Exod. xxix. 1. And here is no diflerence between young or old, as was before between lamb and ram ; but one .quantity is for the calf, and for the bull. " The bullock or the calf, be it male or female, hath for the meat-ofiering three tenth deals of flour," &e. Maim. ibid. chap. ii. sect. 4.

Ver. 9. — He bring,] Or, he offer: here the person is changed; before he said, 'when thou,' ver. 8, now he saith, ' then shall he .' the Gr. keepeth the person as before, then shall ye offer. Three tenth parts,] Three omers ; that is, three times so much as for a lamb, ver. 4.

Ver. 10. — A fire-offering,] In Chald. an oblation. This is meant, as Sol. Jarchi saith, "but of the meat-ofl'ering and of the oil: for the wine was no fire-oflijring, because it was not put upon the fire."

Vek. 11. — Or of the goats,] Be it kid, or goat-buck, male or female, old or young; for the law putteth no dilTerence, as is ob- served; and so noted by Chazkuni here. As for the manner of oflering these meat-olFur- ings, the Heb. canons say, that they were not charged to bring ' frankincense' with thtni (as they were with the meat-oliiirings that were brought alone. Lev. ii. 1,) but they were charged to have 'salt,' (according to the law in Lev. ii. 13,) "and this meat of- fering was all of it burnt upon the altar in the courtyard, (whereas of all the other nieat- oflering, an handful only was burnt, and the residue eaten by the priests. Lev. ii. 2, 3,) and the wine was poured upon the altar," Maim, in Magnas. hakorbanoth, chap. ii. sect. 1.

Ver. 12. — So shall ye make ready,]

82

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shall ye make ready for (every) one, according to their number. '•^ Every liome-born of the country shall tlius do tliese things, to offer a fyre-offering of a savour of rest unto Jehovah.

" And if a stranger sojourn with you, or yfho-soever be amon^ you in your generations, and will make a five-offering of a savour of rest unto Jehovah ; as ye do, so he shall do. '' Ye of the church, one statute shall be for you, and for the stranger that so- journeth: a statute yor ever in your generations; as ye are, so shall the stranger be before Jeliovah. '^ One law, and one manner shall be for you, and for tlie stranger tliat sojourneth with you.

'^ And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, ^^ Speak unto the

Or, thus shall ye do: the Hebs. say, " These sanctification of his people, and of their sci'-

meat and drink-offerings, whether they be for humt-offerings or peace-oflerings, must be ac- cording to this measure for every one; (Num. XV. 12,) they may not add more to these mea- sures, nor diminish ought from them: and if they do diminish, or add more, the whole is made unlawful. Except it be the lamb of burnt-offering which they bring ou the day that they wave the omer of first-fruits (Lev. xxiii. 12, 13,) for the meat-offering thereof is two tenth deals of fine flour, mingled with the third part of an hin of oil: but though the flour thereof be doubled, yet is not the wine doubled, but the wine for the drink-offering, is the fourth part of an hin. When they measure the meat or drink-offering, either of a particular person, or of the congregation, they mete it not by a measure of three tenth deals for a bullock, or of two for a ram ; but they measure all in one tenth deal, which is in the sanctuary, and likewise the oil, &c. The flour with the oil of the meat-offerings, hinder not the wine; neither doth the wine hinder them: neither do the meat or drink- offerings hinder the sacrifice. But a man may bring his oblation to-day, and his meat and drink-oflerings ten days after; provided that he have not sanctified them in a minis- tering vessel. For if he have put them into a ministering vessel (of the sanctuary) if they abide all rdglit, they become thereby unlaw- ful. They may bring no meat or drink-of- ferings, save of the common things ; they may not bring them of the heave offering, nor of the second tithe, nor of the first-fruits, but of common things only," Maim, in Mag?ias. hakorbanoth, chap. ii. sect. 5, 8, 12, 13. The burnt and peace-offerings, served (as other sacrifices) ' to make atone- ment for the house of Israel,' Ezek. xlv. 17; Lev. i. 4, and figured Christ's oblation of himself, to reconcile us unto God his Father, and to be o\ir peace, Heb. ix. 14 ; x. 8, 10; Eph. ii. 14 — IG. The meat-ofl'ering (besides the signification that it had of Christ, Eph. v. 2,) figured in special manner the faith and

vice of God, Is. Ixvi. 20; Rom. xv. 16; Ps. cxli. 2; Mal. i. 10, 11. So the Lord by this addition of the meat-offering to the other sacrifices in Canaan, taught his people sanc- tity in the faith and profession of the gospel, both touching their persons and actions: and the drink-offerings, of vrine poured out upon, and sanctified by the altar, were not only a type of Christ's blood shed ' for remission of sins,' Matt. xxvi. 28, 29, but of our fellow- ship with him in his afllictions, even to be 'poured out upon the sacrifice and service' of Christian's faith, Phil. ii. 17 ; 2 Tim. iv. 6. See the aimot. on Lev. ii.

Ver. 13. — Home-born,] The natural Is- raelite.

Ver. 14. — Stranger,] In Gr. proselyte: the Gentile converted to the Jewish religion. In your generations,] Oj', throughout, that is, in all ages successively: so in ver. 15.

Ver. 15. — Ye of the church,] Or, 0 church, or congregctiion : or, concerning the church; which in Thargum Jonathan is ex- pounded, " the whole church." Before je- hovah,] In the exercises of religion before the Lord: for in civil things there was not one law for both Israelites and strangers.

Ver. 16. — One manner,] That is, one manner of practice and obedience, and one punishment for transgression: Heb. one judg- ment. So in ver. 24.

Ver. 17. — And jehovah spake,] A se- cond ordinance by the Lord's authority, is here imposed upon them that should come into the land of Canaan ; that they should give him a cake of the first of their dough: which law is nowhere mentioned by Moses, save in this place. And as the former law for sacrificing taught them holiness by faith in Christ, who should be sacrificed for his church; to this commandment of first-fruits, taught them to show forth the fruits of faith, by good works, which God appointed his people to walk in.

Ver, is. — When ye come into tub

CHAP. XV.

33

sons of Israel, and say unto them. When ye come into tlie land wliither I brmg you ; '^ Then it shall be, when ye eat of tlie bread of the land, ye shall heave an heare-offering unto Jchovali. *" 0/ the first of your dough, a cake shall ye heave Jbr an heave-

LANDjl As a promise is here included, that God would bring them into that good land: so a duty of thankfulness is commanded, that they might remember and acknowledge his mercy, and have his blessing continued upon them. The Hebs. do observe, that "this com- ing dillereth from all the comings mentioned in the law: for, in them all it is said. When thou art (or shalt) come ; when ye are come, meaning, after the possession thereof, and dwelling therein: but here it is said, when ye come, meaning, after they were entered into it, and did eat of the bread thereof, they were hound to give the cake," saith Sol Jarchi on Num. XV. Now this they did, before the land was parted for inheritance, as appeareth in Josh. V. 11, 12, where ' they did eat of the old corn of the land;' and then 'the manna ceased.' And as an omer of manna was reserved before the Lord, for the genera- tions of Israel, that they might see and thankfully remember ' the bread ' which God gave them to eat ' in the wilderness,' Exod. xvi. 32, 33, so a cake of the bread which he should give them in Canaan, was to be given unto him, that they might acknowledge him to be the preserver and nourisher of them in the land ; for it is he ' that givetli bread unto all flesh, because his mercy endureth for ever,' Ps. cxxxvi. 25. Whither i bring yoo,"] Or, am bringing yoic thither. Hence the Hebs. say, " They were not bound by the law to give the cake save in the land of Israel only, and when all Israel were there, &c. Fruits without the land, that are brought into the land, owe the cake: but the fruits of the land, that are carried out of the land, are discharged ; as it is said, ' whither I bring you:' there are you bound, both concerning the fruits of the land, and the fruits without the land. But by the doctrine of the scribes, they were to separate a cake also out of the land, that the law of the cake might not be forgotten out of Israel," Maim, in Biccurim (or treatise of first-fruits,) chap. v. sect. 5 —7.

Ver. 19. — Of the bread,] That is, of the brcad-com, as in Is. xxviii. 28. ' Bread 'that is, corn) is bruised ; and out of the earth cometh bread,' Job xxviii. 5; Ps. civ. 14. The Chald. of Jonathan here para- phraseth thus; " Of the bread of the revenue of the land: and not of rice, and millet, and lesser seeds." So by the Ileb. canons; " Nothing oweth the cake, but the five kinds of gi-ain only ; which are, wheat, and barley,

Vol.. II.

and rye, and fox- ear barley, and oats: for nothing is called bread, save that which is made of these. But he that maketh meat of rice, millet, or other like pulse (or seeds) they owe no cake at all," Maim, in Biccurim chap. V. sect. 2, and Talmud Bab. in Chal- lah. chap. i. Ye shall heave,] That is, shall offer up; or, as the Gr. and Chald. translate, shall separate; for it was separated by the owner, and oflered to the Lord ; and so was one of the ' heave-ofierings ' which God gave unto his priests, Num. xviii. 19. Wherefore it was holy, and " whosoever se- parated a cake, he first blessed God who sanctified them by his commandments, and commanded them to separate a cake," Maim, in JSjccwrm, chap. v. sect. 1). " An hea- then that separated a cake, though in the land of Israel, it was no cake," Ibid. chap, vi. sect. 10. Unto jbhovah,] In Chald. before the Lord. Not that it was brought into the sanctuary, or offered on the altar, but given to the Lord's minister: as it is written, ' Ye shall also give unto the priest, the first of your dough,' Ezek. xliv. 30. By the Heb. canons, " The first-fruits, and the heave-offerings, and the cake, and the prin- cipal, and the fifth part, [spoken of in Num. V. 7, 8,] and the gifts of the beast [that is killed, Deut. xviii. 3,] these are the priests' goods: with them he may buy servants, and lands, and unclean beasts, and pay his debts, or wives' dowry, and buy books," Maim, in Biccurim, chap. iv. sect. 14.

Ver. 20. — Of the first,] Or, the frst- fruits: with the first-fruits of all things, God was to be honoured, Prov. iii. 9, that thereby all the rest of their food might be sanctified unto them: 'For if the first-fruit be holy, the lump (or dough) is also holy,' Rom. xi. 16, and a promise of 'plenty' is added to them that thus do, Prov. iii. 10, as of this particular it is said, ' ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house,' Ezek. xliv. 30. Of your DOUGH,] Of your paste, or lump. They gave of their corn, fiist-fruits and tithes, and other gifts, to the priests, Lcvites, and poor, when they first reaped and threshed if, Exod. xxiii. 19; Num. xviii. 12, 26; Lev. xxiii. 22. After them, when they made bread of it, they separated also this cake. And as the Levites separated an heave-offering, out of their tithe, Num. xviii. 26, so the poor that gleaned, separated of their dough; as the

NUMBERS.

offering, as the heave-o^nw^ of the tlireshing floor, so shall ye iieave it. ^' Of the first of your dough, ye shall give unto Jelio- vah an he&ve-q^ering in your generations.

Hebs. write, " That which is gleaned, and which is forgotten (Deut. xxiv. 19,) and the corner, Lev. xix. 9, &c. though they be free from the trumah (or heave-ofFering) yet they owe the cake. Likewise the first tithes," &c. Maim, in Biccurini, chap. vi. sect. 3. And though other seeds or pulse, owe not the cake, as is before noted, yet they say, " He that mixeth the meal of wheat, and the meal of rice, and maketh dough of them, if it have the taste of the wheat, it oweth the cake; and if not, it is discharged. Though it be but the leaven of wheat among dough of rice, if it have any taste of the wheat, it oweth the cake. Dough that is kneaded with wine, or oil, or honey, &c. if they bake it ill an oven, or on the hearth, or pan, or in a frying pan, &c. oweth the cake. But he that maketh dough to dry it in the sun only, or to boil it in a cauldron, it is discharged of the cake, &c. Also parched corn, that is kneaded with water, or honey, and eaten without baking, is discharged ; for nothing oweth the cake, but dough, the end whereof is to be bread baken for man's meat," Ibid, sect. 11, 12. And for the quantity of dough, out of which a cake is to be given, they say, " An omer full of meal, whether it be of one of the five sorts of grain, or of all of them mixed together, the dough thereof oweth a cake. And it is unlawful for a man to make his dough of a lesser quantity, that it may be free from payiug the cake," Ibid. sect. 15, 16. What the omer is, see Exod. xvi. 36. And from that measure of manna which God gave every one for a day, did they gather their quantity, that an omer of meal should pay a cake to the Lord, as Sol. Jarchi on this place showeth. A cake,] Or, loaf, made of the dough aforesaid. "He that separateth meal for his cake, it is no cake: but the resi- due of the dough oweth a cake. When they put water to it, and the meal is mixed with the water, they separate a cake of the first thing which is kneaded, as it is written. The first of your dough. That dough which oweth a cake by the law, he that eateth thereof is to be beaten," Maim, in Biccu- rim, chap. viii. sect. 1, 2, 5. Of the THRESHING-FLOOR,] That is, of the corn in the threshing-floor; as it is your duty reli- giously to separate first-fruits of yoin- corn in the floor; so of the dough in your houses. Thus the ' floor' is used for the ' corn' there- in, in Deut. xvi. 13. Sol. Jarchi under- standeth it thus; " as the heave-oflering of the floor, of which there is no stinted mea-

sure (by the law ;) and not as the heave-offer- ing of the tithes, whereof there is a stinted measure:" so for the quantity, it should be voluntary, so much as men would give. Howbeit, their wise men (they say) set a measure; viz. "that they should separate the four and twentieth part of the dough, that it might be a gift meet to be given. But the baker, that maketh bread to sell in the street, separateth the eight and fortieth part: for because his dough is much, there is in this quantity sufficient for a gift," Maim. in Biccurim, chap. v. sect. 2. So the Chald. of Jonathan expoundeth this verse, "The first-fruits of your dough, a cake, one of twenty-four, (that is, the four and twentieth part) shall ye separate as a separated oflering for the priest," &c.

Veb. 21. — Ye shall give,] The repeat- ing of the commandment, showeth it to be of importance ; and though the priest had it, yet was it given ' to the Lord,' whose bles- sing therefore was promised to the observers of this law, Ezek. xliv. 30. And as all things given unto God, were to be holy, pure, and clean ; so of this the Hebs. write, " A man may not make his dough in uncleanness at all; but is to be admonished, and must be careful that he be clean, both he and his ves- sels, that he may separate a pure cake," Maim, in Biccurim, chap. ix. sect. 11. In YOUR,] Or, throughout your generations, in all ages: wherefore this ordinance was kept by Israel, after they were returned out of Babylon, Neh. x. 37. And besides that all their bread was sanctified unto them by these first-fruits, and God was honoured, by whose word man liveth, and not by bread only, Deut. viii. 3, it seemeth to have a further significa- tion of the chosen people of God, as Paul ap- plieth this phrase of the first-fruits, and of the lump of dough, unto the state of Israel, Rom. xi. 16, as the prophet speaking of the first-fruits also saith, ' Israel was holiness to the Lord, the first-fruits of his increase; all that eat him shall be guilty,' &c. Jer. ii 3. And thus the Jews of old understood this "commandment of the cake, that it sig- nified in mystery the congregation of Israel, called the first-fiuits of the world ; which when it is put into the oven that burneth with the fire of the holy blessed God, it is necessary to separate therefrom a cake, that it be not partaker of severe judgment; and therefrom is a blessing reserved in the world," (Ezek. xliv. 30,) R. Menachem on Num. XV.

CHAP. XV.

35

" xVnd when ye sluiil liave sinned ignorantly, and have not done all tliese comniandnients which Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses : ^ Even all tliat Jehovah liath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day tliat Jeliovah commanded Moses, and hence- forward, througliout your generations: ^* Then it shall be, if

by the governors, and practised by the pco- pie, concerning idolatry ; as is showed in tlie annot. on Lev. iv. 13, and so Sol. Jarchi ex- poundeth this place. Shall wake ready,] That is, shall offer for a sacrifice, Lev. iv. 14. And this the Hebs. understand not of one sacrifice for the twelve tribes, but for every tribe so much. " If the error be in idolatry, that they (the governors) have erred, and taught it; they bring a bullock for a burnt-offering, and a goat-buck for a sin- offering, for every tribe, and this oblation is that which is spoken of in Num. xv.," saith Maim, in Shegngoth, chap. xii. sect. 1, and Talmud in Horajoth, chap. ii. See the notes on Lev. iv. 14. This exposition for the number, may seem probable, because the people returned from captivity, oflered 'for all Israel,' in burnt-oflerings ' twelve bullocks, and twelve goat-bucks for a sin-offering,' ac- cording to the number of the tribes, Ezra viii. 35. Youngling,] Ileb. son of the herd: a bullock was always of the second year or upward: so, the goat-buck following. BtJRNT-OFFERiNG,] Which signified atone- ment and sanctification by the death of Christ, as is showed on Lev. i. Of rest,] That is, of sweet smell, as the Gr. translat- elh: the Chald. saith, "to be accepted with favom- before the Lord." To the manner,] Or, right, ordinance: Heb. to the judgment: meaning, the measure prescribed of God, in ver. 9, 10. For a sin-offerino,] In Gr. for sin. This word in Heb. is written with want of a letter, which elsewhere usually is expressed: whereupon Sol. Jarchi notcth, "that it is not as other sin-oflerings; for all sin-offerings that are by the law brought with the burnt-olTering, the sin-ofi'ering is before the burnt-offering, as it is said, (in Lev. v. 10.) And the second he shall make a burnt- cOering, but this burnt-oflering is before the sin-offering." The manner of offering this sin-offering was like the bullock, in Lev. ir, it was killed in the court-yard, the blood was carried into the sanctuary, and sprinkled seven times before the Lord ; the fat was burned on the altar in the court-yard ; and the body of the beast was carried forlii, and burnt without the camp; so figuring Christ, who should be slain for the sins of his peojile, and by his own blood enter into heaven; bis body being crucified without the gate of Je- rusalem, Heb. ix. II, 1'^, 21; xiii. 11, 12. "If the creat assii^e (of magistrales) igna-

Ver. 22. — When ye shall have sinned IGNORANTLY,] Or, if ye have erred, that is, (lone unadvisedly of ignoiance, eiTor, or oversight; whereto is opposed sinning 'with an high hand,' ver. SO. See the annot. on Lev. iv. 2. As in the two former laws, the Lord repeated and enlarged the doctrines of faith, and of good works: so here he doth the like concerning the forgiveness of sins, which his people through infirmity do fall into; that all the chief points of Clnistian leligion are here renewed unto them. Have NOT done all,] The words of this law dif- fer from the former in Lev. iv. 2, 13, which spake of doing that ' which should not be done ;' whereas this speaketh of not doing all which should be done. There also, the sa- crifice, which the congregation should bring, was ' a bullock for a sin-oflering,' Lev. iv. 14, here (in ver. 24,) they are willed to bring ' a bullock for a burnt-offering ; and a goat- bnck, for a sin-offering.' Whether is this dilierence, in respect of the commandments, forbidding evil works, and requiring good, as the words seem to import? Or, as the Hebs. expound it, doth this here respect the sin of idolatry only ? Or, as others understand it, is that for all the tribes generally, and this for the several tribes, cities and towns as they were severed in the land of Canaan? Or, is this (in mystery) an increase of the sacri- fice in Canaan ; as in prophesy of the days of tlie gospel, the meat and drink-offerings (whicrh Cliristians should spiritually offer with tlieir sacrifices) are of greater quantity, than those which were offered under Moses, Ezek. xlvi. 5, 1 1, compared with Num. xv. 4 — 7; xxviii. 20, &c.

Ver. 23. — Even all,] This showeth the large extent of this law, and the weight thereof, by repeating things so expressly. The Hebs. which understand this of idolatry only, say, "that that one commandment is as all the commandments, &c. and that this showeth, that whosoever professeth idolatry, is as if he denied all the law wholly, and all that the prophets have prophesied ; as it is written, And hence forward:" Sol. Jarchi on Num. XV., and Maim. tom. i. treat. (A Idola- try, chap. ii. sect. 4.

Ver. 24. — Ry ignorance,] In Gr. un- willijigly: see Lev. iv. 2. Fro.m the eyes,] Understand, hidden from the eyes, as is ex- pressed in Lev. iv. 13. This the Heb. doc- tors understand of things erroneously taught

30

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ought be done by ignorance, from the eyes of the congregation, that all tlie congregation shall make ready one bullock, a young- ling of the herd, for a burnt-oifering, for a savour of rest unto Jehovah; and his meat-offering, and liis drink-offering, according to the manner: and one goat- buck of the goats, for a sin-offering. ^ And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and it shall be mercifully forgiven them : for it is an ignorance, and they have brought tlieir oblation, a ^re-offer- ing unto Jehovah, and their sm-offeritig before Jehovah, for their ignorance. ^^ And it shall be mercifully forgiven, all tlie congre- gation of the sons of Israel, and the stranger that sqjourneth among them, because all the people was in ignorance.

^^ And if one soul sin through ignorance, then it shall bring near a she-goat of her first year for a sin-offering. ^^ And the priest shall make atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when it hath sinned by ignorance, before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, and it shall be mercifully forgiven him. ^^ For the home- born amongst the sons of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourn- eth among them, one law shall be to you for him that dotli througli ignorance. ^" But the soul that shall do with an high hand, wlie-

rantly sin in teaching idolatry, the whole congregation bringeth twelve bullocks for

burnt-offerings, and twelve goats for sin-offer- ings, and they are burned, because their blood is carried into the sanctuary, &c. Though but one tribe only commit (the sin) if it be the most part of the church; then all the congregation bring, for idolatry, twelve bullocks, and twelve goats," Maim, in SAe- gagothy chap. xii. sect. 1.

Ver. 25. — For all the congregation,] Or, for every congregation ; whereby may be implied the several tribes, cities, towns, and synagogues. So in ver. 26. An ignorance,] Or, an error, in Gr. an icnwitling sin, so in ver. 26. Brought their oblation,] In Gr. have brought the gift thereof. A fire- offering,] In Chald. an oblation before the Lord: and this is meant of " the bullock the burnt-offering," as Sol. Jarchi noteth. Their SIN-OFFERING,] " This is the goat," saith Sol. Jarchi. Before jehovah,] R. Meua- chem fiom former authors speaketh of these phrases here used, "unto the Lord, and be- fore the Lord, that it is meant of him and his judgment-hall;" whereby it appeareth that the mystery of the Trinity in the God- head, was of old believed by the Jews, though now they oppugn it. For there was no court or judgment-hall in Israel, less than of three judges: and being by them here and in other places applied unto God, and in case of sacrifice and expiation of sin, which they did hold peculiar unto God alone; it showeth that they once acknowledged a Trinity of per-

sons in the Godhead, to whom sacrifices for the sins of men were offered.

Ver. 26. — And the stranger,] The be- lieving Gentile, as the Gr. translateth, and the proselyte that cometh unto you. Thus the Lord showed himself to be ' the G od of the Gentiles also,' Rom. iii. 29.

Ver. 27. — Of one soul,] Or, any soul; that Is, any person: the Chald. expoundeth it, 07ie 7nan. So in Lev. iv. 27. Through IGNORANCE,] In Gr. utiwillingly. This also by the Hebs. (as Sol. Jarchi here) is ex- pounded of the sin of idolatry. Of her FIRST YEAR,] Heb. daughter of her year, in Gr. a yearling: see the notes on Exod. xii. 6; Lev. iv. 32; he might also bring an ewe- lamb for his sin; which may likewise be understood here. But Sol. Jarchi saith, " For other transgressions, a particular man bringeth an ewe-lamb, or a she-goat: but for this (of idolatry) a she-goat is appointed,

Ver. 29. — One law shall be to you,] That is, ye shall have one laiv: the Gr. trans- lateth, one latv shall be among them {or for them.) That doth,] Or, that committeth, to wit, the sin, through ignorance: in Gr. whosoever doth wiivillingly . Thus the law promiseth grace in Christ, in that it appointed sacrifices and priests that can have ' compas- sion on the ignorant, and on them that err,' Heb. v. 2. In this faith, David prayeth unto Ged, ' Ignorances (or, unadvised errors) who doth understand? cleanse thou me from secret sins,' Ps. xix. 13.

Ver. 30.— The soul,] Iu Chald. the

CHAP. XV

37

tlier he he liomc-borii; or a stranger, the same reproachetli Jehovah ; and tliat soul shall be cut off" Irom among his people. ^' Because he hath despised the word of Jehovah, and hath broken his com- mandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off", his iniquity shall be upon him.

^^ And the sons of Israel were in the wilderness : and they found

riian. With an high hand,] That is, So/rf/y, ye frustrate the commandment of God.'

proudly and presumptuously, as the Gr. traiis- lateth, ivith the hand uf pride; and Thargnm Jonathan, luith pride, {or presumption ) This phrase, when it is spoken of good works, mean- eth boldness, courage and magnanimity, in heart and carriage ; as, Israel went out of Egypt ' with an high ha<id,' Num. xxxiii. 3; Exod. xiv. 8, but here of evil, it meaneth pride and presumption showing itself openly and boldly ; which Onkelos in Chald. ex- poundeth, " with an uncovered head," as being not ashamed of the deed (for when men were ashamed, they used to ' cover their heads,' Jer. xiv. 4.) Of like sort, is 'the high arm,' in Job xxxviii-. 15, where the Gr. also expoundeth it, the arm of the proud:) and ' the high (or lofty) eyes,' Ps. xviii. 28; cxxxi. 1. Reproacheth,] Or, i/ai'juAewie/A; which the Gr. and Chald. translate, iirovoketh to anger. It meaneth a reproaching with words, as 2 Kings xix. 6, 22, and is applied here unto deeds, as also in Ezek. xx. 27, 'yet in this your fathers have reproached (or blasphemed) me, in that they have trespassed a trespass against me.' So a presumptuous sinner is counted as a blasphemer of God, and hath no sacrifice for his sin, but is to be cut oil". And this word Christ hath respect unto, in Luke xii. 10, ' unto him that bias- phemeth against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven.' That soul,] Iq Chald. that man. Cut off,] In Gr. and Chald. des- troyed: which phrase the apostle useth in Acts iii. 23, ' shall be destroyed from among the people.' That word meaneth destruction by the hand of God, as in 1 Cor. x. 10; Heb. xi. 28. So the Heb. doctors under- stand the cutting off, mentioned in the law of Moses : which sometimes is so explained, as in Lev. xvii. 10. God saith, ' I will cut him off from among his people.' But if there were witnesses of the fact, the magis- trates punished them, either by death, or beating: see the notes on Deut. xxv. 2.

Ver. 31. — Despised the word,] Or, contemned, set it at nought, as vile ; dis- honoured it. Hereupon is that proverb, 'He that despiseth tlie word, shall be destroyed ; but he that feareth the commandment, shall be rewarded,' Prov. xiii. 13. Broken,] Or, disannulli'd, frustrated; made void: it is op- posed unto establishing or confirming. This word Christ useth in Mark vii. 9, ' Full well

Usually it is applied to the breaking of the 'covenant' of God, as in Gen. xvii. 14; Lev. XV. 44, and often in the prophets; some- times of the law and commandments, Ps. cxix. 126; Ezra ix. 14; Heb. x. 28. Shall utterly be cut off,] Or, shall be cut off with cutting off: the doubling of the word, is for more certainty, and speed ; and as the Heb. doctors gather from it, " in this world, and in the world to come:" see the annot. on Gen. xvii. 14. So R. Menachem here saith, "Although we find apostates (from God) to live more than fifty years, and that they are not cut oH" from the life of this world ; yet know that their deserts hang upon them in this world, and vengeance shall be taken on them abundantly in the world to come." His iniquitv,] Or, the iniquity of it, (of the soul, that is, of the person) shall be upon it; or, in it; or, with it. By ini- quity, understanding punishment for iniquity, as in Gen. xix. 15, and as sin, is for the punishment of sin, Lev. xxii. 9. Or, we may take iniquity properly ; as Sol. Jarchi expoundeth it, " when iniquity is iu him, that he repenteth not." R. Menachem here allegeth an exposition ef the ancients, " that soul shall be cut off, and the iniquity thereof with it: as if he should say, the iniquity shall cleave unto it after it is cut off, to be punished for ever; according to that (in Is. Ixvi. 24.) Their worm shall not die; which Jonathan (the Chald. paraphrast) expoundeth. Their soul shall not die. And our doctors have said. It shall be cut off in this world, it shall be cut off from the world to come." So the Chald. on Moses, which goeth under the name of Jonathan paraphraseth, "that man shall be destroyed in the world that is to come, and shall give account of his sin at the great day of- judgment."

Ver. 32." — ^VERE in the wilderness,] " For so (saith Chazkuni) it was decreed con- cerning them, that they should not come into the land (of Canaan.) In the former com- mandments of the drink-offerings, and cake, it was written. When ye be come into the land, &c. to teach, that they were not to practise them save in the land: but the Sab- bath was to be kept both within the land and without, though it were in the wilderness ; and therefore it is wiitten concerning it. In the wilderness.

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a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. " And they that found him gathering sticks, brouglit him near nnto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto all the congregation. "** And tliey put liim in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.

^* And Jehovah said unto Moses, Tlie man shall be made to die the deatli: all tlie congregation shall stone him with stones without tlie camp. ^'* And all the congregation brought him forth without tlie camp, and stoned liim with stones, and he died, as Jehovah commanded Moses.

^' And Jehovah said unto Moses, saying, ^^ Speak unto the sons

Ver. 34. — In ward,] That is, in prison. So they dealt with the blasphemer, in Lev. xxiv. 12. It was not declared,] In Gr. they had tiot judged, oy determined. Wliere- fore was it thus? seeing the law had twice said, that the breaker of the Sabbath should die, Exod. xxxi. 4 ; xxxv. 2. Sol. Jarchi saith, " it ^vas not declared what manner of death he should die: but they knew that he that profaned the Sabbath was to die." And the Chald. called Jonathan's paraphraseth thus; "This judgment was one of the four judgments that came before Moses the pro- phet, which he judged according to the word of the holy (God.) Some of them were judgments of lesser moment, and some of them judgments of life and death. In the judgments of les- ser moment (of pecuniary matters) Moses was ready, but in judgments of life and death he made delays. And both in the one and in the other, Moses said, I have not heard, [viz. what God would have done.] For to teach the heads (or chief) of the Syne- drious (or assizes) that should rise up after him, that they should be ready to dispatch in- ferior causes (or money matters) but not hasty in matters of life and death. And that they should not be ashamed to inquire, in causes that are too hard for them; seeing Moses who was the master of Israel, had need to say, I have not heard. Therefore he impri- soned him ; because as yet it was not de- clared, what sentence should pass upon him." The four judgments which he speaketh of, were about the unclean that would keep the passover. Num. ix. 7, 8, and the daughters of Zelophehad that claimed possession in the land, Num. xxvii. 4, 5, (these were the causes of less importance:) about the blasphemer, Lev. xxiv., and the Sabbath-breaker here: both which he kept in ward, till he had an answer from the Lord.

Ver. 35. — Stone him,] This was es- teemed the heaviest of all the four kinds of death that malefactors suffered in Israel: see the notes on Exod. xxi. 12. Without the cAMi',] Hereupon they used to carry such o\it of the cities, and execute them far o&' from

the judgment-hall, as Sol. Jarchi noteth. So they dealt with Stephen, casting him out of the city, and stoning him, Acts vii. 58, like- wise with Naboth, I Kings xxi. 13, also with the blasphemer, Lev. xxiv. 15, which was a circumstance that aggravated the punishment, being a kind of ' reproach,' as the apostle noteth, Heb. xiii. 11 — 13. And this se- verity showeth of what weight the command- ment touching the Sabbath is, the profana- tion whereof God would have thus to be avenged. And it further signified the eter- nal death of such as do not keep the Sabbath of Clnist, entering into the rest of God by faith, and ceasing from their own works, as God did from his. Heb. iv. 1—4, 10, 11.

Ver. 37. — And jehovah said,] After the violating of the Sabbath, and punishment for it, God giveth a law, and ordaineth a sign of remembrance, to further the sanclification of his people, that they might think upon his commandments, and do them.

Ver. 38. — Sons of Israel,] This law for fringes concerned Israel only, not other na- tions; and as the Hebs. say, ''men only were bound to wear them, not women. Women and servants, and little children, are not bound by the law to wear the fringe. But by the words of the scribes, every child that knoweth to clothe himself, is bound to wear the fringe, to the end he may be trained up in the commandments. And women and servants that will wear them, may so do, but they bless not [God, as men do when they put them on:] and so all other command- ments which women are not bound unto, if they will do them, they do them without blessing first," Maim. tom. i. in Zizith, (or treat, of Fringes) chap. iii. sect. 9. That they make,] They themselves, and not hea- thens for them: " a fringe which is made by an heathen, is unlawful; as it is written, Speak to the sons of Israel, that they make unto them,'' Maim, in Zizith, chap. i. sect. 12- A frisce,] That is, fringes, as in Deut. xxii. 12. Moses speaketh of many: and so the Gr. and Chald. translate it here. A fringe is in Heb. called Tsitsilh (or Zizith)

CHAP. XV.

39

of Israel, and say unto them ; that they make unto them a fiinge on the skirts of their clothes, throughout their generations ; and that they put upon the fringe of the skirt, a ribband of blue.

which in Ezek. viii. 3, is used for a ' lock of hair' of the head; and is here applied to a fringe, the threads whereof hang down as locks of hair. And the Heb. doctors call it also Gtianaph, that is, a branch, because it hangeth as branches or twigs of a tree. "The branch which they make upon the skirt of a garment, is called Tsitsith, because it is like to (Tsitsith) a lock of the head, Ezek. viii. 3. And this branch is called white, because we are not commanded to dye (or colour) it. And for the threads of this branch, there is no set number by the law. And they take a thread of wool, which is died like the colour of the firmament, and tie it upon the branch (or fringe;) and this thread is called blue," Maim, in Zizith, chap. i. sect. 1, 2. The fringe is called in Gr. craspeda, and this word is used by the Holy Spirit in Matt. xxiii. 5, and of it, the Chald. also calleth it cruspedhi. The word gedilim, used for fringes, iu Deut. xxii. 12, were the thrums of the cloth which was woven: and Tsitsith the fringe here spoken of, were threads tied unto those thrums with knots. On the SKIRTS,] Heb. on the iviyigs. This is ex- pounded in Deut. xxii. 12, 'on the four skirts' (or wings.) The skirt end, or border of a garment, is usually called a vving, as in Ruth iii. 9; I Sam. xv. 27; xxiv. 5, 11 ; Deut. xxii. 30; Zach. viii. 23; Ezek. v. 3; Hag. ii. 12, so the four ends or corners of the earth, are called the ' four wings ' thereof. Job xxxvii. 3; xxxviii. 13; Is. xi. 12; Eiek. vii. 2. " The garment which a man is bound to make the fringe on by the law, is a garment which hath four skirts, or more than four: and it is a garment of woollen or of linen only. But a garment of other stufl', as of silk, or cotton, or camels' hair, or the like, are not bound to have the fringe, save by the words of our wise men, that men may be admonished to keep the precept of the fringe. For all clothes spoken of in the law absolutely, are not, save of woollen and linen only. When he maketh a fringe on a garment that has five or six skirts, he maketh it but on four of the skirts, as it is said. Upon the four skirts, Deut. xxii. 12. A garment that is borrowed, is not bound to have the fringe for thirty days; after and thencefor- ward it is bound. A garment of wool, they make the white thereof of threads of wool : and a garment of flax (or linen) they make the white thereof of threads of flax; and so of every garment after the kind thereof, &c. Every man that is bound to do this command- ment, if he put ui)on him a garment which

is meet to have the fringe, must put on the fringe, and then put the garment on ; and if he put it on without the fringe, he breaketh the commandment. But clothes meet to have the fringe so long as a man puts them not on, but foldeth and layeth them up, they are not bound to have the fringe: for it is not a duty in respect of the garment, but in res- pect of the man which hath the garment," Maim, in Zizith, chap. iii. sect. 1 — 5, 10. Upon the fringe,] Or, with the fringe. A RIBBAND,] Or, a thread, as the word is Englished in Judg. xvi. 9, or, a lace, as in Exod. xxxix. 31, it hath the name of twist- ing or wreathing. The Gr. and Chald. translate it, a thread : and so it is explained by the Heb. doctors ; who also say, " whe- ther they were threads of white, or threads of blue, if he would make them of twisted threads, he might so do ; and though the thread were twisted of eight threads, and a ribband made of them, it was counted but one thread. The threads of the fringe, whe- ther white or blue, must be spun for the fringe by name," Maim, in Zizith, chap. i. sect. 11. Of blue,] Or, of sky-colour. The Hebs. say, "the blue spoken of in the law in everyplace, is wool dyed, and like the clear firmament. And the blue for the fringe must be dyed in a known dye that will continue in the fair colour and not change: and whatsoever is not so dyed, is unlawful for the fringe, though it be like the colour of the firmament. The dye for this bkie was made (they say) with the blood of the Chala- zon, which is a fish of blue colour, and the blood of it is black as ink, and it is found in the salt sea. And with that blood they mix Vermillion, &c. Also it must be dyed for the fringe by name," Maim, in Zizith, chap. ii. sect. 1 — 3, and Talmud in Menachoth, chap. iv. As for the fringe (which they usually call the white, because it was not commanded to be dyed, it might be of any colour, as the garment itself, except blue, whereof they write thus; " The garment which is all red, or green, or of other dyed colours, they make the white threads (or fringe) thereof, like the dyed colour thereof; green, if it be green ; or red, if it be red. If it be all blue, then they make the white (the fringe) thereof of other colours, any save black, for that will turn and appear bluish: and they tie upon all, one thread of blue, like as they do in other fringes whic'h are not dyed," Maim. ibid, chap. ii. sect. S. By reason of this diller- ent colour, they also say, " There are found in this commandment (nf the fringe) two

40

NUMBERS.

^^ And it shall be unto you for a fringe ; that ye may see it, and remember all the commandments of Jehovah, and do them ; and that ye seek not after your own heart, and after your own eyes, after

commandments ; that a man make on the skirt, a branch issuing out of it ; and that he tie upon the branch a thread of blue, (Num. XV. 38.) And the blue hindereth not the white ; neither doth the white hinder the bhie. As if a man have no blue, he maketh the white alone, &c. Though one hindereth not another, yet are they not two command- ments, but one. Our former wise men have said (from these words,) And it shall be unto you for a fringe. Num. xv. 39, this teacheth that both of them are one commandment. And the four fiinges (on the four skirts) do hinder one another [so that one may be with- out another] for tliey four are one command- ment (Deut. xxii. 12.) And he that weareth a garment wherein is the white (fringe) or the blue (ribband) or both of them together, he keepeth one commanding precept," Maim, in Zizith, chap. i. sect. 3 — 5.

Ver. 39. — For a fringe,] By the insti- tution of God it was made unto them a fringe, and so a religious sign to help their memo- ries, and to further their sanctification: where- fore they used to sanctify this, as all other like divine ordinances, by prayer; and when they put on this garment, they "blessed the Lord their God, the King of the world, which sanctified them by his commandments, and commanded them to array themselves with fringes. And whensoever they clothed them- selves herewith in the day-time, they blessed for them before they put them on. But they blessed not for the fringes at the time of the making of them, because the end of the com- mandment is, that they should be arrayed herewith," Maim, in Zizith, chap. iii. sect. 8. That ye may see it,] Or, and ye shall see (or look upon) it; on yourselves, and on one another. Wherefore the Hebs. say, " A blind man was bound to wear the fringe: for though he saw it not, others did see it," Maim, in Zizith, chap. iii. sect. 7. By many mearis of sundry sorts, God warned his people of old, to walk religiously and holily before him; and it is observed by some of themselves, " that the holy blessed God left nothing in the world, wherein he gave not some commandment to Israel: if they went out to plow, (he said) ' Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together,' Deut. xii. 10; if to sow, ' Thou shalt not sow with divers kinds,' Lev. xix. 19; if to reap, 'Thou shalt not wholly reap the corner of thy field,' &c. Lev. xix. 9; if to knead their dough, 'Of the first of your dough, ye shall offer a cake,' Num. XV. 20; if they killed (a beast,) 'They shall give unto the priest, the shoulder and

the two cheeks,' &c. Deut. xviii. 3 ; if they found a bird's nest, ' Thou shalt send away the dam,' Deut. xxii. 6, 7; if they caught wild beast or fowl, ' He shall pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust,' Lev. xvii. 13; if they planted, 'Ye shall count as uncir- cumcised the uncircumcision thereof,' &c. Lev. xix. 23 ; if they had a man-child born, ' The fore-skin of his flesh shall be circum- cised,' Lev. xii. 2; if they buried the dead, ' Ye shall not cut yourselves,' &c. Deut. xiv. 1 ; if they shaved themselves, * Ye shall not round a corner of your head,' &c. Lev. xix. 27; if they builded an house, 'Thou shalt make a battlement,' &c. D^ut. xxii. 8 ; ' And thou shalt write them upon the posts,' &c. Deut. vi. 9 ; if they clothed themselves, ' Ye shall make ye a fringe,' " &c. Chazkuni on Num. XV. And remember all,] This was the spiritual use of this ordinance, that it might lead them unto a continual remem- brance and practice of all the law; without which the outward rite was vain. The many threads of the fringes on the four skirts of their garment, signified the many commandments of God which they should put upon them, to be as it were clothed with them, and to walk in them: the heaven-col- oured riband, taught them an heavenly affec- tion to all the law, and an holy conversation; and led them spiritually to put on the ' wed- ding garment,' Matt. xxii. 11; 'the Lord Jesus Christ,' Rom. xiii. 14; ' the whole armour of God,' Eph. vi. 11; 'and the new man, which after God is created in righteous- ness and holiness of truth,' Eph. iv. 24 ; that their conversation might be ' in heaven,' Phil. iii. 20. From these words, the Heb. doctors say, " A man should always be care- ful to array himself with such a garment as was bound to have the fringe, that he might keep this commandment: and in the time of prayer, he is to be warned hereof more espe- cially. It is a great shame for wise men, that they should pray, and not be arrayed herewith. A man must for ever be warned of this commandment of the fringe, for the scripture maketh it of great weight, and all the commandments, every one depend upon it," Maim, in Zizith, chap. iii. sect. 11, 12. But they abused this, as other divine ordi- nances, to superstition and hypocrisy; and were reproved by our Saviour for making their ' phylacteries ' broad, and enlarging ' the borders (or fringes) of their garments,' Matt, xxiii. 5. And this their vanity (neg- lecting the spiritual end) appeareth in their wiitings ; for unto the thrums or threads of

CHAP. XV.

41

which you go a whoring. ^" Tliat yc may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. " I am Jehovah your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to be unto you a God j I am Jehovah your God.

the garment, " which were three inches, they fastened threads doubled in the midst, wliose length (they say) might not be less than four inches, but more than so they might be, though a cubit, or two cubits," Maim, in Zizitk, chap. i. sect. 6. And for tlie virtue hereof, they say, "Whoso dili- gently keepeth this law of fringes, is made worthy, and shall see the face of the majesty of God:" (Baal hatturim on Num. xv.) "and when a man is clothed with the fringe, and goeth out therewith to the door of his habita- tion, he is safe, and God rejoiceth, and the destroying angel departeth from thence, and the man shall be delivered from all hurt, and from all destruction," &c. (R. Menachem on Num. XV.) Thus easy it is for men to abuse holy things, and to pervert the right use and end of tliem by their own inventions. See the annot. on Exod. xiii. 9- And although tliey put so great religion in these fringes, yet as they have lost the spirit and life of this commandment, so God hath deprived them of the outward rite, that they have not at this day, (by their own confession) the blue or heaven-colourtd riband ; '' The blue (tecektk) is not found in our hands at this day, because we know not to make the dye (or colour) of it: for every blue in wool is not called teceleth. But the teceleth (or blue spoken of in the law,) it is known that it is impossible to make it at this day; and there- fore we make tlie white only," saith Rambam (or IMaim.) in his exposition on Talmud Bab. in Menachoth, chap. iv. And that ye seek NOT,] Or, and ye shall not seek, (or search, as Num. xiv. 36,) which word Solomon ap- plieth to his heart, 'searching out' things by wisdom, Eccl. i. 13; vii. 25. The Gr. here translateth it, turn aside; the Chald. err, (or go astray.) YoDR heart,] In Chald. the imac/ination of your heart. Here God calleth men from their own wisdom and inventions to his law only ; for ' every ima- gination of the thoughts of man's heart, is only evil every day,' Gen. vi. 5. And 'he that trusteth in his own heart, is a fool,' Prov. xxviii. 20. Your eyes,] In Chald. the sight of your eyes. So the Holy Spirit saith, ' Walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment,' Eccl. xi. 9. And the apos- tle mentioneth ' the lust of the eyes, as tiiat Vol.. II.

which is not of the Father, but of the world,' 1 John ii. 16. The Hebs. say, "The heart and the eyes are the spies of the body, and brokers to bring it into transgression ; the eye seeth, and the heart lusteth, and the body actetli the transgression," Sol. Jarchi on Num. xv. The Lord condemning the heart, which is the most noble of all the inward parts, and the eyes which are the most excellent of all the outward, teacheth that the whole man is corrupted throughout, and to be reformed by the law and Spirit of God. For, 'except a man be born of water aud of the Spirit, he catmot enter into the kingdom of God,' John iii. 5. You GO A whoring,] In Chald. you err (or go astray.) To go a whoiing after other gods, is a usual phrase for idolatry, Exod. xxxiv. 15; Deut. xxxi. 16; 1 Chron. v. 25; Judg. ii. 17, the same is implied here, as God saith, ' I am broken witli their whorish heart, which hath departed from me; and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols,' Ezek. vi. 9, but it meaneth also all other sins which men's unclean hearts and impure eyes carry them unto, with con- sent and delight: see Lev. xx. 5, 6 ; Ps. cvi. 39; Jam. iv. 4. The Hebs. say, "If any man be drawn after