^^i ititxcri Cr0g Initemlj fitorj. i wi,«.s«ssi£^^s«^i;^&^ssr,^!; ©^. 'ry> NOTES, CEITICAL AND PBACTIOAL, ON THE BOOK OF NUMBERS: DESIGNED A3 A GENERAL HELV TO BIBLICAL READING AND INSTRUCTION BT GEORGE BUSH, LATE PEOF. OF HEB. AND OEIBNT. LIT. IN N. T. OITT UNIVBESITT. NE AV-TOEK: IVISOlf & PHINNET, 321 BROADAVAY. CHICAGO: S. C. GRIGGS & CO. 1858. Ehtkeed, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1858, by GEORGE BUSH, In the Clerk's office of the Diatrict Coort for the Southern District of New-Torfe. JOHN F. TROW, Printer, Slerentyper, & Electrotypef, 377 & 379 Broadway, cor. 'White, New- York. INTRODUCTION. > § 1. Title, A-uthor, Scope, die. The title by which this book is designated by the Jews is "iSTil «a 3 and he spalce, from the first word of the original, or "laiaa iemidbat, in the.vlil- derness, the fifth word of the first Terse ; the last, probably, from the fact that the contents of the book relate in great measure to the history of the sojourning of the Israelites in the wilderness. The Septuagint terms it API0MOI Arithmoi, of which the Latin Ndmeri, and the English NnjiBEKS are a translation. The fact is somewhat peculiar, as every one ofthe other books of Moses is designated by the Greek title in Anglicised form, viz.. Genesis, Exod-us, Leviticus, Deuter- orwmiy. The present book might as well have been called Arithmoi, were it not that the Latin rendering Numm {Nwmbers) for some reason had an early prefer ence given it over the Greek, and for this reason it has maintained Its ground. The book originally received its denomination mainly from its account of the numbering, mustering, or marshalUng of the people on two different occasions, the first in the commencement of the history, the other towards the close. Be sides which we meet with various lists or enumerations of persons and places, that may have entered into the account with those who first adopted the title. AV^e have endeavored, however, in our Notes to show, from the genuine import of the terms employed, that the precise idea conveyed is not so truly that of rnirn- bering, as of ordering, arranging, marshalling, or, otherwise, mmsteri-ng. As some impprtant results flow from the establishment of this construction, we commend our remarks on this head to particular attention. The authorship ofthe book is, like that of some of the preceding, determined by the general current of evidence which assigns the writing of the entire Pen tateuch to Moses. It is clearly recognized in the subsequent books as pertaining to that body of documents technically termed " The Law," as for instance we find in Josh. 4 : 12, the following distinct allusion to the arrangement made with the .two tribes and a half to settle on the west side of Jordan after first crossing over with their brethren ; " And the children of Reuben, and the children of f!-id,.and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spahe unto them." Compare 2 Chron. 29 : 11. 31 : 3. Ezek. 20 : 13. Matt. 12 : 5. The time embraced in the book extends from the early part of the second year after the exodus to the beginning ofthe eleventh month of the fortieth year after that event ; it therefore comprehends a period of thirty-eight years and nine or ten months. Most of the transactions, however, recorded in the book IV INTRODUCTION. seem to have taken place near the beginning and the end of this period. The date of the events mentioned about the middle of the book cannot now be ascer tained. Up to ch. 10 : 11, we find the people remaining at Sinai, and it is then stated that on the twentieth day of the second month of the second year they were directed to remove and advance towards the Promised Land. They pro ceed as far as Kadesh on its borders, where we find them in ch. 13 : 46, and where, on account of gross rebellion, the nation was condemned to wander in the desert for forty years, till the then existing generation should have died away (ch. 14). From this time onward to ch. 20, it is next to impossible to fix with accuracy the order and date ofthe various transactions, laws, etc. recorded, but at that time we find the Israelites again at Kadesh taking measures to enter Canaan. The book closes with the people resting on the borders of the Promised Laud on the east ofthe Jordan. As to the time of its being written, the evidence adduced in the Introduction to the '* Notes on Leviticus," § 1, relative to the date of the composition of that book, leads obviously to the conclusion, that while the former was written during the encampment at Mount Sinai, the latter, or the present book, was written at the station on the plains of Moab. The authority for this statement is found in Num. 36 : 13, " These are the commandments and the judgments which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho." AVe can glean nothing more definite than this relative to the date of the writing. § 2. General Cemtents. The history presents us with an account of the census-taking of the tribes, the consecration of the Tabernacle, and the offering of the princes at its dedi cation. It describes the journeys and encampments of Israel under the miracu lous guidance of the cloudy pillar, the punishment at Taberah, and the signal vengeance with which, on several occasions, the Most High visited the distrust ful murmurs of the people, and that rebellious spirit which so often broke out in sedition against his appointed ministers. The promptitude and severity with which these rebellious outbreaks were rebuked are relieved by the signal mercy and forbearance of Heaven in listening to the prayers of Moses in behalf of the offending people. The nari-ative is interspersed with various incidents collateral to the main thread of the history, which are full of interest and instruction. Conspicuous among these is the account of the rebellion of Korah and his com pany, the visitation of the fiery fiying serpents, the story of Balaam and his con strained predictions, and the miraculous budding of Aaron's rod. Henry remarks in his usual pithy way that " an abstract of much of this book we have in a few words, Ps. 95 : 10, "Forty years long was I grieved with this generation," and an application of it to ourselves, Heb. 4 : 1, "Let us fear lest we seem to' come short." It is worthy also of reflection that while the annals of many distin guished and powerful nations who were cotemporaries of the Israelites at this period, are all utterly lost, here we have preserved to us the records of a handful of people that dwelt in tents, and wandered strangely in a wilderness but who were thus favored because they were the children of the covenant, and the germ of the Church for countless generations. INTRODUCTION. § 3. Synoptical View. Paet I. — Preparation for Departure from Sinai. OUAPTEES 1. Numbering or mustering the people at large, ... I 2. Order of the tribes in their encampment, ... II 3. The appointment and roinistrations of the Levites, . . Ill, IV 4. Various laws respecting the unclean, the woman suspected, and the Nazarite, ....... V, VI 5. The offerings of the princes, and the consecration of the Levites, VII, VIII 6. Eegulations respecting the celebration of the Passover, the sig nals and order of marching, and the calling of assemblies, . IX, X Paet II. — The Departmre from Sinai and the Journeying to the Land of Moab, with the Murm/wrings on the 'Way. 1. Murmurings from the wearisomeness of the way and disgust with the manna, ........ XI 2. Sedition of Aaron and Miriam, ..... XII 3. Spies sent to explore the land, . . XIII 4. The people murmur at their report and are punished, . XIV 5. Various ceremonial laws, .... XV 6. Rebellion and punishment of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, . XVI 7. Blossoming of Aaron's rod, ... . XVII 9. The duties and the support of the Priests and Levites, . XVIII 10. Law respecting the water of separation and the sacrifice of the red heifer, .... . . XIX 11. Murmuring for want of AVater, unbelief of Moses, perfidy of Edom, and death of Aaron, ..... XX 12. Renewed murmurings of the people and their punishment by fiery flying serpents, ... . XXT Paet III. — Preparation for occupying the Promised Land, and Directions respecting the Occupancy. 1. The summoning of Balaam by Balak, and his compliance, XXII 2. Balaam's sacrifice, and his prophetic benedictions, . XXIII, XXIV 3. The sin of the people with the Midianitish women and their punishment, . ... XXV 4. A new census taken of the people, . . Xx VI 5. Law concerning inheritance, and the inauguration of Joshua, XXVTt 6. Various laws respecting offerings, . . . XXVIII, XXIX 7 Law respecting vows, ¦ . XXX 9. Occupation of part of the promised inheritance by reason of the slaughter of the Midianites, . . . XXXI 10. Allotment of the two tribes and a half in the east of the Jordan, . XXAlI VI INTRODUCTION. 11. List of the stations in the wilderness, .... 12. The appointed boundaries of the land, and the names of the surveyors 13. Law concerning the cities of refuge, 14. Laws respecting inheritances for preserving the succession of estates and the distinction of families. OHAPTEES. XXXIII XXXIV XXXV XXXVI § 4. Commentators. AVe are obliged to repeat here the remark made in the Introduction to Levi ticus, that the commentators on this book are few apart from those who have expounded the several books of the Pentateuch, or the Old Testament at large. Yet we cannot say but our apparatus is sufficiently ample, although every year is adding to its extent. No attempt at unfolding the genuine scope of the Mosaic books can do justice to the theme, which overlooks the resources accumulated by critics and travellers within the last twenty years. In the preparation of the following Notes, the author has pursued the same general plan, and been gov erned by the same principles which characterize his former volumes on the books of Moses. He is happy to acknowledge his indebtedness to the labors of his predecessors, while at the same time he has thought and spoken for himself, and ventures to claim something more for his work than the mere culling out and remoulding of the best critical or practical remarks of others. Having the inspired original, with its collateral ancient versions, continually before him, he could scarcely fail to reach some results which are peculiar to himself, although in a work intended for plain Bible readers as well as teachers, he has been guarded as to launching forth into veins of mere curious or siieculative research. He is admonished by the lessons of advancing years tbat he has no time for any but useful inquiries, and that even in this department his labors henceforth must be bounded by inevitably narrow limits. He has endeavored, therefore, so to conduct his studies, and so to shape the results, as to subserve the highest inter est of the greatest number of his readers. In the way of critical and ethical helps in his undertaking, the most important have been the following, for the use of several of which he has been indebted to the private and public collections which have been kindly placed at his service. "Walton's Polyglot Pool's Synopsis. Ainsworth on the Pentateuch. Attersol on Numbers. Biblia Maxima of de la Haye. Origen's Homilies on Numbers. Theodoret's Qutestiones in Nnmeros, Le Clerc's Commentary. Dodd's do Patrick's do Calmet'8 do Cleaver's do. Kosenmaller's do. Gill's do. Henry's do. Hewlett's do. Barrett's Synopsis of Criticism. Geddes' Translation and Notes. Michaelis' Laws of Moses. " Germ. Translation of Scriptures, Pyles' Paraphrase. Poors Annotations. Babington's Comfortable Notes. Drusius ad Loca Difflcilia. Saurin's Dissertations. Parker's Bibliotheca Eihlica. De "Wette's German Translation. Datbius' Latin Translation. Jnrieu's Critical History. Bishop Hall's Contemplations. Outram on Sacrifices. Kitto's Daily Bible Illustrations. INTRODUCTION. VU Stackhoaee's History ofthe Bible. Vutablus' Biblia Sacra. PfoifFer's Dubia Texata. Junius & Tremellius' Latin Bible. Haak's Dutch Annotations. Kidder on the Pentateuch., Wells' Sacred Geography. " Help to the Sacred Scriptores. Robinson's Researches. Bonar'8 Sinai and tbe Desert Lewis' Hebrew Antiquities. Palfrey's Lectures on Hebrew Antiquities. Kitto's Pictorial Bible. " Biblical Cyclopiedifl. Works of Philo and Josephas. Bishop Wilson's Bible. ABBEEVIATIONS. The Chaldee version, or Targum of Onkelos. The Greeh version of the Seventy. The Latin version, commonly called the Vulgate. The Arabic version of the Polyglot. The Samaritan Pentateuch. The Syriac version of the Polyglot. The Targum or Paraphrase of Jonaiha/n. Chald. Gr. or Sept. Vulg.Arab. Sam. Syr.Targ. Jon. Targ. Jems. The Targum of Jerusalem. In respect to these various versions and Targums, the reader will find ample information in the Introduction to the Notes on Genesis. They are not all of equal value, but all of them will occasionally throw important light upon passages occurring in the sacred text. The Vulg. and the Gr. are generally quoted in the words of the English translation — the former of the Douay, and the latter of Thomson or Brenton. In quoting from the Targums and the Jewish Expositors, the author has usually availed himself of the version given in Ainsworth's very valuable Notes, to which he has had frequent recourse throughout. THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. CHAPTER I. The Israelites, at the date of the opening of this book, had remained about a year in the vicinity of Mount Sinai, whither they had arrived within little more than a month after their de parture from Egypt. During this time of nearly thirteen months they had erected and furnished the Tabernacle, and had received the various laws and institutions recorded in the preceding books, and had been undergoing a cer tain preliminary discipline or training in the matters of divine worship, which infinite wisdom saw to be of the utmost importance for them in the circum stances in which they were placed. They had but recently been delivered from a state of degrading bondage, and had come forth from under the hand of their oppressors as a somewhat rude and uncultivated horde, requiring to be put through a kind of educational process before they would be fit to an swer, in all respects, the ends of their marvellous selection and segregation as a peculiar people. These ends were in a great measure typical and represen tative. A " church in the wilderness " was to be formed that should, in its dis tinguishing economy of rites and cere monies, laws and judgments, fitly fore shadow that future Christian and spir itual Church, in which it was ordained that all those shadows should be turned into substance. It was indeed a bur densome yoke that was to be imposed upon them, and it is not difficult to per ceive that their shoulders must be grad- 1* ually inured to the load which they were called, for so many ages, to bear. Hence their protracted stay at Sinai, which would naturally tend to break them in to the service allotted them iu their typical capacity — a capacity in which it appears from the whole drift of the Epistle to the Hebrews they were mainly called to act. For this end it was necessary, moreover, that a certain external order and organization should be adopted, whereby the analogous arrangements of the ulterior spiritual body, of long subsequent development, should be suitably set forth. Hence it was that a special Tn-usteri-ng and en-u- meration of the people, together with a ^reserib%d form of encampment, -was or dered at the time of the commencement ofthe present history, for which we may in addition suggest a number of collat eral ends to be answered; as, (1.) That the people might have palpable evi dence how fully the Lord had made good his promise to Abraham of multi plying his seed. (2.) That every Isra elite might know for himself and be able to declare to his posterity, from what tribe he descended and to what family he belonged, and this more espe cially with a view that the genealogy of the future Messiah might be clearly ascertained. (3.) That in case of an attack from their enemies, they might know their strength as a military body ; in which character however they are to be looked upon as pre-eminently typi cal of a chv/rch militant, for nothing can be conceived more abhorrent to the 10 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. A CHAPTEE I. ND the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of divine love and wisdom than wars and conquests viewed in any other light. They may be permitted, but never ap proved. (4.) That a more orderly method of march in their journey to Canaan might he secured. "It is a rout and a rabble," says Henry, " not an army, that is not mustered and put in order." With these prefatory re marks we enter upon the critical expo sition of the text. The Mustering of the Tribes. V. 1. And the Lord spake unio Moses in the wilderness qf Sinai. The true rendering of this clause depends upon the determination of the question, whether the census here ordered to be taken is the same with tbat previously mentioned, Ex. 30 : 12. 38 : 26, or an en tirely different one — a point about which commentators greatly differ. In the one case, the present would be the cor rect rendering; in the other it would- be, " The Lord liad said." The iden tity of the two enumerations is favored by the identity of the sum total of each, viz. 603,550, and by the difficulty of conceiving why a second numbering should be ordered within so short a time — not more than a few months — after the first. But on tbe other hand, it is disfavored by the express specifi cation of dates. The census mentioned Ex. 30:12 and 38:26 was evidently ordered in reference to the poll-tax of half a shekel which was to accompany it, and from which a portion of the revenue necessary for the work of the Tabernacle was to be derived. Indeed, it is expressly stated Ex. 38 : 25-27, that the silver sockets of the Tabernacle were made out of the half shekels con- 'jibuted on this occasion. The cen- Sinai", in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day a Ei. 19, 1. Num. 10, 12. sus, therefore, which yielded this fund must have been taken previous to the erection of the sacred edifice, and this, we learn, was finished and set up on the first day of the Jirst month of the second year of the sojourn in the wil derness. But in the passage before us the command to number the people was given on the first day of the second month of the same year, or precisely one month after the erection of the sanctuary. Were it not for this very explicit mention of dates we should be inclined to Mr. Kitto's opinion, who re marks of the present census, that " we may doubt whether the enumeration in Ex. 38 : 26 is the result of a different one. A census must always occupy some time in making, and yet we find an interval of only a few months be tween the two periods ; and if we sup pose them different it is impossible to conceive why a second enumeration should so immediately follow the first Besides, the amount stated in both in stances is the same, namely, 603,550 — an identity of numbers scarcely possi ble even in the interval of a few months, had the enumerations been diff'erent. We therefore think that the census is the same : it was completed doubtless in time to make the poll-tax available for the works of the Tabernacle, and the result is stated incidentally in Ex. 38 ; 26, in connection with the amount; while here we have a more particular account of the same enumeration in or der to show the relative strength ofthe different tribe ." This would be a very probable view of the matter but for the difficulty stated above. If the census was made in time to be available for the work of the Tabernacle, it must have been made prior to the first day of B. 0. 1490.] OHAPTEE I. 11 of the second month, in the sec ond year after they were come the first month of the second year ; but that brings it in conflict with the pres ent, whieh was not ordered till the first day of the second month. In this emer gency RosenmuUer adopts the sugges tion of Vater, that the text has been tampered with by some one who, sup posing that a new census is here spoken of, took the liberty to affix a false nota tion of the time. But as we are opposed from principle to all such gratuitous ex pedients in the way of solving difficul ties, it remains, if possible, to find some solution which shall not impeach the integrity of the sacred text, and we have satisfied our own mind that in the command here given as to numbering the congregation, the previous one was to le assumed as a basis. As far as the bare numbers were concerned, the ta bles or register already made out would answer ; and this accounts for the fact that the sum total is the same in both cases. Prof. Palfrey here remarks, with great probability, that " the sec ond was not so much a distinct count ing, as a more formal verification of the first." " When Eleazar and Ithamar," he adds, " had already so recently made out their enumeration of the people for one purpose, it is altogether unlikely that their lists would be disregarded, and a work so onerous be gone through a second time de i/ntegro. It is safely to be presumed, that the list first made would be put into the hands of the offi cers who were to superintend the new enrolment ; and that as the number, supposing it to have been accurately stated in the first instance, could not have become materially different in so short a space of time, the main purpose would be to authenticate it, without disturbing it any further than to count, instead of each individual in any com- out of the land of Egypt, say ing, pany who had died in the interval, the name of some one who had grown up to full age." (Leet. on Jewish Ant. vo\.l. p. 313.) Thus too Dr. Chalmers {Script. Headings in loc.') : — ** Henry speaks of their being numbered before from Ex. 38 : 25, 26, and remarks on the perfect coincidence of the two censuses. But may it not have been one census, even the present one ? We have only to sup pose that the levy, though begun and proceeded with, was not completed till after the enumeration was finished." The object of the measure in the pres ent case was not therefore precisely the same that it was before. Then it was to obtain a revenue per capita for the service of the sanctuary. Now it was with a view to order and arrangement among the different tribes, as well as to ascertain, perhaps, their relative strength. But this design will disclose itself more fully as we unfold the import of terms in what follows. We simply remark at present that the difference between this and the former numbering we regard as the difference between a census and a jmister. What that is the reader will soon be able to apprehend. II In the tabernacle of the congre gation. Heb. Tp^}2 ^Jlixa beohel mo'ed, in the tabernacle of appointment, or of stated meeting. Gr. " Tent or taberna cle of witness," doubtless from its con taining the book of the law, which is frequently spoken of as the witness of the covenant established between the Lord and his people. See Note on Ex. j 27 : 21. ' Tabernacle of witness.' — Gov 't erdale. ' Tent of the congregation.' — j Ainsworth. ' Tabernacle of the cove- '. nant.' — Donay. ' Public tent.' — Purver. . There were three places in which the Lord gave audience to Moses, and from . which he spake to him. One waa at 12 NUMBEES. [B. 0. 1490. 2 Take 'ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of t Ex. 30. 12. c. 26. 2. 63. 2 Snin. 24. 2. 1 Chr. 21. 2. the door of the Tabernacle, near which stood the Altar of Burnt-Offerings. Ex. 29 : 42. " This shall be a continual hurnt-offering throughout your genera tions at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord : where 1 will meet you, to speak there unto you." Another was out of the cloudy pillar. Ps. 1*9, " He spake to them in the cloudy pillar." Comp. Ex. 33:9. Num 12:5. This, however, concurred for the most part with the other, inasmuch as the pillar of cloud usually stood at the door of the Taber nacle when the Lord spake thence to Moses, ch. 11 : 17. The third was the Mercy-seat, the principal seat of the oracle, Num. 7 : 89. It was hence that the Most High now addressed the com mand to Moses. 1[ In the first day qf the second month of the second year. Heb. " In the one (day) to the second month.*' Gr. ev ,liioi, "In the one." The same phraseology occurs several times in the Greek of the New Testa ment. Thus Matt. 28 : 1, " Toward the first day (Gr. one day) of the week." Comp. Mark 16 : 2. John 20 : 1. Acts 20 : 7. Titus 3 : 10, " After the first (Gr. one) and second admonition," Comparing this with Ex. 19 : 1. 40 : 2. Num. 22 : 11, it appears that the Israelites abode in the desert of Sinai very nearly a whole year; for they came into it on the first day of the third month of the first year, and continued there to the twentieth day of the second month of the second year. This second month is called in the Hebrew calendar Zif, and answers to a part of our April. It is so called fr'om the brightness and beauty of the fiowers which then make their ap pearance, as this is the import of Zif. Within this period God published the Law from Mount Sinai, cominanded the erection of the Tabernacle, which was accomplished in the first day of the second year, and in the subsequent days of the first month the various laws re garding the sacrifices, the distinction of clean and unclean animals, together with all the details of the ritual that form the contents of the after part of the book of Exodus and of the whole of Leviticus, were delivered. But for this comparison of dates we should scarcely be aware of the vast amount of action condensed into so brief a space. It is clear that the sojourn at the foot of the sacred mount was no idle vacation to the chosen people. The intimation is palpable, that in all matters pertaining to divine worship a listless and languid deportment is sadly out of place, and that the utmost activity of mind and heart is called for. "Diligent in busi ness, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord," is the true motto. 2. Take ye the sum of all the congre gation of tlie children of Israel. Heb. BiTi OK 1N1D seoo eth rosh, lit. take up, Uft up, elevaie the head. The expres sion would not seem to be in itself the most natural for conveying the idea of census-taking . We should be inclined, from the force of the words, to render the clause, " elevate the headship," that is, taking "head" as an abstract equivalent to chiff, principal, we would understand it as implying that a special prominence and distinction was to be given to what migbt be deemed the headship of the congregation composed of the males of above twenty years of age, but excluding females, children, and the infirm and aged. These were to be enumerated and registered, which was a kind of elevation predicated of this portion of the people, in contradistinc tion from the others. This construction B. 0. 1490.] CHAPTER I. 18 Israel, after their families, by *he house of their fathers, with is favored by the Gr. AojStTe apxif} take tlie prindpaUiy of all the congre gation, by which we, suppose to be meant the principal or most distinguish ing part. But however probable this interpretation, it is certain that the majority ofthe versions agree with the rendering of the English. Thus, Chal. "Take the sum, or computation, ofthe congregation of the sons of Israel." Syr. " Take the sum of the number of the heads of the whole assembly." Sam. " Take the sum of the congrega tion," etc. Arab. " Take the sum of the sons of Israel." In this rendering we, on the whole, concur, though with some degree of doubt, and take the leading idea to be that of capitation. "Taking the head" is ascertaining the sum total, and it is obvious that the summation of a series of numbers is the bringing them, as it were, into a head. Thus we speak of heading up a row or a column of figures. As in the human body all the different parts are devel oped from the head, and exist in it in potency, so the sum total in any nu merical count is in like manner a head to all the different parts of which it is composed, and into which it may be re solved. So the word capital, from ca put, head, is familiar with us to denote the amount of wealth belonging to an individual or a company. The parallel usage of the Scriptures in regard to this word is worthy of note, Ps. 139 : 17, ¦ How precious are thy thoughts unto me, 0 God, how great is the sum of them (Heb. rosh'ehem, their head)." Ps. 119 : 160, " Thy word is true from the beginning ; " rather, " The sum total (Heb. rosh, head) of thy word is truth." From this general order it is evident from what follows that the Levites the number of their names, every male by their polls ; were to be exempted, v. 47. If After their families, by the house of their fa- tliers. Heb. lemislipehothdm, according to their families ; Gr. Kara (ri/77e- ccias auTai;/, according to their kin dreds, Luke 1 : 61. The precise distinc tion here designed to be understood between "their families" and "the houses of their fathers," is not entirely obvious. In the summoning together of the congregation under Joshua, ch. 7 : 14, for the search which resulted in the detection of Achan, they came by tribes, by families, and by houses, which would seem to imply that fami lies denoted a wider range of kindred than houses. But we find ourselves forced to the conclusion that the phrase "house of their fathers" is merely exe- getical of " families ; " that is to say, that the way in which the different families in any tribe were distinguished, was by denominating them respectively from that individual who could proper ly be termed its father, founder, or head. Otherwise we are at a loss to conceive how the families could be dis tinguished. Thus in the account of the numbering recorded ch. 26 : 5-7, we seem to be furnished with a clew to the diction before us ; " Take the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward ; as the Lord commanded Mo ses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt. Reuben, the eldest son of Israel : the children of Reuben ; Hanoch, of whom cometh the family of the Hanochites . of Pallu, the family of the Palluites : of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites : of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. These are the families of the Reuben- ites : and they that were numbered of them were forty and three thousand 14 NUMBEES. [B. 0. 1490, 3 From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel : and seven hundred and thirty," In this paragraph we see how it is that the families in a tribe are distinguish ed. The eldest son of Reuben is Ha noch, and all his descendants are called from him Hanochites. He was there fore the head or father of that family ; and so, of the rest who are mentioned. We know not what to make of any " houses of fathers " apart from these families, upon whom the fathers' names are thus called. These several families might each of them be numerously sub divided into minor branches, but they would still, as we suppose, be called by the name of their common ancestor, which is perhaps intimated in the Gr, version of the present passage, "Ac cording to their kindred, according to the houses of their patriarchal fathers. " •[ TVith the number of their nxrnies. Heb, bemispar she-moth, in, with, by, or according to their na-mes. If our pre vious suggestions are well founded re specting the relation which this census bears to the preceding, we may reason ably suppose that the actual number of the host was ascertained by the nuraber of half shekels received by Moses on that occasion, Ex, 38 : 25, 26, but the names may uot have been recorded, nor even the people duly classified accord ing to the arrangement here prescribed, nor their pedigree accurately ascer tained, which was a work that would require a considerable time, at least as compared with the collecting the poll- tax above mentioned, T[ By tlieir foils. Heb. legulgeloth&m, according to their skulls. This is equivalent to -man or person. Thus Ex, 38 : 25, " A bekah for every man." Heb, " A bekah for a skull," From the same root thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies. comes " Golgotha," the place of a skull. Gr, " According to their head." " Head by head."— Cot. " Poll by poll."— J/(ri. " Man by man," — Gen. The sum total was to be made up of the separate units, V. 3. From twenty years and upward. Heb. "From the son of twenty years." That is, going on in the twentieth year, but not having completed it, which is the force of the original. This became ever after the age at which one was thought fit for war. According to the Jewish writers, sixty was the age when they were considered to be exempt from military service, but this is no where stated in the Scriptures, ¦ U AU that are able to go forth to war in lerrael. Heb, kol yotze tzaba, every one going forthhost-wise. "Every one that goeth forth (with) the army." — AiTW. That is, every one that usually goes forth, every one that is able to go. The present participle in Hebrew denotes an habitual course of action, thus in volving oftentimes the idea of the fu ture, and occasionally of the past; whence some commentators contend that the phrase here refers properly to those that came forth out of Egypt, as appears from ch, 26 : 4, where the very same Heb, term is thus rendered. This would of course exclude all tbat were not of Israel, all that were under twenty, and all that would naturally be incapacitated from disease, old age, and other infirmities. It is to be ob served, however, that there is nothing in the original corresponding to " able," which word might therefore more prop erly have been printed in italics. 1 Thou and Aaron shall nurriber them by their armies. Heb, tiphkedu othnm rendered by Ainsworth, B. C. 1490.] CHAPTER I. 15 ye shall m-uster them hy their armies. The Heb. term (inpEn tiphkedu), ren dered in our version " number," does not primarily convey this idea. Re course to lexicography will show that the leading sense ofthe word is to visit, either with a view to mercy and bless ing, or to punishment, and hence to in spect, to survey, to loak after, to oversee, to preside, general ideas which include also, fit>m the force of the Hiphil or causative form, the import of gi/oing im, charge, appointing over, ordering, dis posing, and corrmianding. In the use of the terms visit and visitor as applied to a class of men constituting a board of revision and superintendence in con nection with universities and other in corporated institutions, whose duty it is to mark defects, to rectify wrongs, and to enforce statutes, we find an illus tration of the extended meaning which this term bears in the sacred writings. The following examples will throw light upon the usage. Gen, 21 : 1, " The Lord visited Sarah, and did unto Sarah as he had spoken," Gen, 39 : 4, " And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him ; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand." Lev, 26 : 16, " I -will appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague," Num. 3 : 10, " Thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons," i. c. give them their charge; and so very often for appointing, in trusting, and giving charge and power to look after. Ex, 20 : 5, " 'Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the chil dren," The overseer or visitor is clothed with power to punish or ani- mad/vert upon offenders, in which sense the word often occurs. It is fonnd also in the sense ot mustering or numbering, as in the chapter before us, but this is merely an incidental sense, for it does not strictly signify to number, although at the muster or review the people might be numbered. But the idea of numierin.g has become attached to the term because the inspection, survey, ordering, and disposiiion implied in the term was usually an accompaniment of the capitation or census-taking. The proper significance of pdkad, to visit, has thus become extended so as to cover a ground for which it was not originaUy designed. The appropriate term for mnribering is "lEb saphar, with which "pD pakad is not synonymous, the two differing in the manner above stated. The accessory has therefore, in this instance, assumed the place of the principal — a fact which it is de sirable for the reader to know. " To inspect or visit the people," says Mr. Bates (Heb. Lex. sub voce), "related as well to their conduct, religious and civil, as to their number, and at such musters, lustrations, purifications, and typical atonements were necessary." See Ex. 30 : 12. When it is said, there fore, in the passage before us, " Thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies," the import is not so strictly that of numbering as of disposition and arrangement / they were to be inspect ed and marslialled, and set in proper array. We are happy to be confirmed in the above interpretation by the re marks of a valuable writer of the 17th century (Robert Gell), whose work, en • titled " An Essay towards the Amend ment of the last English Translation of the Bible," has come into our hand since the above was written. "They render pdkad, to nuniber, which though it so signifies, yet in the business of this and the next chapter, it is a word too general, and is more properly to be termed to visit, or rather to muster ; as the Latin phrase imports, " exercitum lustrare," " facere militum recognitio- nem." So " armilustrum" signifies mmstering, a viewing of harness, wea pons, and soldiers. For they who m/us- 16 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. ter their forces do not only take account how many their soldiers are, and so nuTnber them, but they also take notice and inquire how able, how well appoint ed, how well furnished they are for war. Besides, the Scripture through out this and the next chapter useth di verse words, as mispar for rmniber, and pakad for visiting or mmstering. So that the translation confounds those acts which the Spirit of God distinguish- eth," To this he adds that the muster prescribed involved the idea of inspec tion as to sex, age, pedigree, etc., and as the design of this was to cull out the choice, the flower of the host, the most hale, vigorous, and valiant, or the truly " excellent ones," therefore the term v'lait'tng or nujnbering is applied to them ; for that " such are highly es teemed, loved, cared for, numbered, ap pears from the contrary ; as it is said of persons despicable and contemned, extra numenim esse ^ nulla numero esse ,' nullius esse numeri — military phrases implying such as are of no reckoning, no accou/nt, who stand for cipliers. But the Lord's soldiers are all numbei-ed, visited, mustered." That there is an ulterior purport in this, would appear from the usage of the term in the following passage : Luke 12:7, "Even the very hairs ofyour head are all numhered" The idea here is not precisely that of nurnbering, which would of course be useless to Omniscience, but of the minutest in spection, of the most intimate provi dential cognizance, a knowledge ac companied with the most watchful and tender care. Is. 13 : 4, " The Lord of hosts mustereth (Heb. mepakked) the host of the battle," The battle here is spiritual, for the Lord wages no other, and mustering the host is arranging, ordering, and arraying the internal states and principles of those who com pose it. Again, Is, 40 : 26, " Lift up your eyes on high, and behold, who hath created these things, that bring- eth out their host by nmniber." So also Ps. 147 : 4, " He telleth the number of the stars, he calleth them all by their names." That by numbering in these passages is signified to ordain, order, or arrange, is evident from the fact that it is spoken of the Most High, who does not in reality number or name armies or stars, but inspects, orders, arranges, and disposes the things represented by them, which are of course things per taining to the kingdom of heaven and the church. As this is the high pre rogative of Jehovah himself, who alone is competent to the task, we may gather from this source, perhaps, the true grounds of the reason why David's con duct in numbering the people was viewed by the Lord in so heinous a light As the people of Israel represent ed typically the church, and as it is the province ofthe Lord alone to order the internal conditions and interests of the church, therefore any measure whicill by its representative significancy would imply that man was invested with that power involved a high degree of pre sumption, and therefore called for pun ishment. Such was the character of David's conduct in the transaction re ferred to. He took it upon him to do that which in its true bearings implied an invasion of the divine prerogative. Hence its enormity. We may farther observe upon this subject of nuniber- ing, that while it evidently has no spe cial moral character when viewed in itself, yet it is occasionally introduced in such connections as to compel us to seek some sense beyond that of the simple letter. Thus for example, Ps, 90 : 12, " So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." As man is ignorant of the number of his days on earth, Ps, 71 : 15, as " the number of his years is B. 0. 1490.] CHAPTER I. 17 hidden,'' not to the " oppressor " only, but to all other men, it is evident that a man can " number his days " only by ordering and regulating the states of his life from one day to another in such a manner as to meet the demands of true wisdom. Is. 88 : 10, " I said, in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave ; I am deprived of the residue of my years (Heb. pik- kadti, lam nunibered as to the residue of my years)." That is, the term of my existence is ordered and arranged, and in the divine counsels brought to a completion. Dan. 5 : 25, 26, " And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. This is the in terpretation of the thing : Mene ; God hathmwnibered thy kingdom ;" i. e. hath brought to an end, hath finished, thy kingdom, after accurately exploring, weighing, and estimating its quality. And so elsewhere. — ^From the whole, then, we gather that the numhering here commanded to Hoses and Aaron has respect rather to the visitation, in spection, and orderly arrangement im plied in the more genuine import of the term, and that in its typical bearings it refers to that inner process which causes the church to " shine forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with ban/ners," in which last expression we are probably to recog nize an allusion to the appearance of the hosts of Israel when marshalled in the order described in this and the fol lowing chapters. The principle we re gard as sound that the nation of Israel sustained a typical relation to the church of after times — the relation, as it were, of a shadow to a substance — and that consequently it is no matter of surprise if we occasionally meet with terms which, though applied in the first instance to the Israelitish economy, yet have not their meaning exhausted in that application, and are therefore to be carried over, as we may say, to the more adequate and substantial subject of the Lord's church under the New Testament. Thus, for instance, the promises in regard to the excessive multiplication of the seed of Abraham cannot he regarded as having been ful filled in the literal history of that peo ple. Gen. 13:16, "And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth : so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered." Gen. 15:5, "And he brought him forth abroad, and said. Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to nuniber them : and he said unto him. So shall thy seed be." Num. 23:10, "Who can count the dust of Jacob, or nu-niber the fourth part thereof? " This language can only he considered as holding good of the spiritual and not of the natural Israel. They became indeed a populous nation, but the expressions cited above far transcend the actuality of their literal increase. It is in the Christian church only that they receive a complete fiilfil- ment. The same remark may be made in regard to the perpetuity of David's throne. 2 Sam: 7 : 10, " Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee : thy throne shall be established for ever." Comp. Ps. 89 : 36, 37. Luke 1 : 33. We are com pelled to have recourse to an ulterior meaning in order to satisfy the demands of these texts. In giving, therefore, a similar scope to the word mwniber in this connection, we consider ourselves warranted by the principle above stated, and which has ever been con sidered sound by the great mass of Christian expositors. The giving up of this principle is in our view a most injudicious and dangerous concession to the spirit of German rationalism, which would fain eliminate from the Word of God every divine element. 18 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 149C 4 And with you there shall be a man of every tribe ; every one head" of the house of his fathers. 5 And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you : Of the tribe of Reuben ; Elizur'' the son of Shedeur. 6 Of Simeon ; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 7 Of Judah ; Nahshon' the son of Amminadab. « Ex. 18, 25. Joah, 22. 14, d ch. 2. 10, etc, ch. 7. 30, etc. 10. 18, etc c Ruth 4. 20. V. 4. And with you there shall be a tnan qf every tribe. Heb. "With you there shall he (plur,) a man, a man to a tribe." This is rendered for the most part hy the different versions as in ours — " a man of every tribe," as the subse quent verses show to have been the fact; although from the plural usage and the repetition of " man," it might seem that more than one individual was intended for each tribe. But as shown from parallel usage it is doubt less a distributive form of expression involving no special peculiarity of sense. Probably the more exact idea is, "there shall be with you some man or other to each tribe," but whoever he were, he was to be one holding a con spicuous rank in his tribe. This is im plied in the appellation " head of the house of his fathers," which however does not signify the first-born in their several tribes, but those who were ac knowledged as prominent on some other account, as their wisdom or valor, or some other distinguishing trait. V. 6. These are the names of the men that shall stand with you. To " stand with " is to " assist," which is evident from the fact that the word "assist" itself is etymologically equivalent to " stand with" (ad and sto). \ Of {the 8 Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar. 9 Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon. 10 Of the children of Jo seph : of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud : of Ma nasseh, G-amaliel the son of Pedahzur. 11 Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of G-ideoni. 12 Of Dan ; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. tribe of) Reuben. Heb. " To Reuben,'' Gr. " Of those of Reuben." The sup ply of " tribe," " sons," " children," or something equivalent is very proper, as appears from comparing v, 10, where instead of simply " of Joseph," as here " of Reuben," we read " of the children of Joseph." — In the ensuing verses to T, 16 we have barely a list ofthe names of the twelve chiefs, princes, or head men who were now selected as assist ants to Moses and Aaron in the muster enjoined. In regard to these there is nothing of special note demanding at tention, excepting, perhaps, that in the order of recital Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, the sons of Leah, and Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel, take the precedence of Dan, Asber, Gad, and Naphtali, the sons of the handmaids Billah and Zil- pah. In the former enumeration, Ex. 1:2, 3, and in the inscription ou the precious stones, Ex. 28 : 9, 10, the order is very nearly the same, although the name of Asher does not come in here as elsewhere. — Levi and Joseph are omit ted ; the first because that tribe was to be numbered by itself, and the second, because Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, representing the double portion that pertained to his birthright, 3. C. 1490.] CHAPTER I. 19 13 Of Asher; Pagieltheson of Ocran. 14 Of Gad ; Eliasaph the son. of Deuel. 15 Of Naphtali; Ahira the son of Enan. were substituted in his place. Gen. 48 : 5, 6. 1 Chron. 5:1. 2, Gad is also omitted, as his tribe was virtually merged in that of Judah, Num. 2 : 10- 14. " Deuel," v, 14, is called " Reuel," ch, 2 : 14. The similarity of the letter T D and 1 e would make the exchange of the one for the other easy, V, 16, These were the renowned of the congregation. Heb. kervX h&edaJi, the called ones of the congregation. The original word signifies Uterally called or named, as if in this instance imply ing those who were designated by the Lord himself to this function, which would of course have the effect to ren der them more distinguished and hon orable than before. The Latin Vulg. accordingly has " nobilissimi principes multitudinis," m.ost noble princes qf the The Gr. f-rriKK-qToi, dietin- 'ustrious. In other connec tions, as Num. 16 : 2, 26 : 9, Ez. 23 : 23, it is rendered to the same eSeot, famous and renowned ; but for the most part the English words answering to it are called, invited, bidden, and also guests. We may here perhaps unite the two senses, and consider the term as denot ing persons .'fSfflowaaZ for the wisdom of age, and therefore called to consult upon all matters of importance pertaining to the tribes. This is favored by some of the earlier English versions, " Ancient men (or elders)." — Gov. " Counsel lors."— Jfoi. " The called."— vlias. " They who are called." — Pu^. Rabbi Sol. Jarchi says these were the same personages who in Egpyt were beaten by Pharaoh's taskmasters. Ex. 6 : 14, 11) These .^ were the renown ed of the congregation, princes of the tribes -of their fathers, heads" of thousands in IsraeL / ch, 7. 2, 1 Chr, 27, 16, etc g Ei. 18. 21, 2b. "And the officers of the children oi Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded. Wherefore have ye not fiil- filled your task iu making brick, both yesterday and to-day, as heretofore?" 1[ Of the congregation. Prom the usage of this term in several instances it would appear that it does not always denote the whole congregation, the en tire mass of the Israelitish nation, but the deputies or representatives of the several tribes convened and acting in the name of the whole. Michaelis {Laws of Moses, P. I. art. 45) draws this infer ence from the fact that while Moses is said to have spoken " to the whole con gregation," yet he could not possibly have been heard by one or two millions of people, and therefore he must have addressed himself to a certain number of persons deputed to represent the rest. These persons he understands to be denoted by " the called of the con gregation " here mentioned. Syr. " The celebrated of the assembly." This im port of a national council or diet, of « representative character, we regard as probably the correct one. The context will generally determine when it bears this sense. If Princes of the tribes of their fathers. Heb. nesie mattoth, princes or rulers of the tribes. " Cap tains," — Gov. "Lords." — Mat., Gran. The original is derived from a root sig nifying to raise, to elevate, and denotes accordingly one who is lifted up and officiaWy preferred above the rest ofthe people. T[ Heads of the thousands in Israel. Gr. x'^"'PX'"! chiUarchs. 20 NUMBERS. [B. C. 1490. 17 And Moses and Aaron took these men which are ex pressed * by their names ' : 18 And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according* to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls. 19 As ' the Lord command- k Rev. 7, 4, etc. i John 10, 3, k ver, 20, etc, I Ter. 2. These " heads " were not only men of note and weight in their tribes, such men as Jethro advised Moses to asso ciate with him in governing the people, Ex. 18 : 21, but also commanders of the bands or companies of thousands into which the tribes were divided, respect ing which see Ex. 18 : 21, 25. The Heb. term for "thousands" is rendered " families " in Judg, 6:15, though re tained in Mic, 5 : 2, where it is trans lated by the Gr, " rulers " or " govern ors," which rendering is sanctioned by the Spirit of inspiration, as it occurs Mat, 2 : 6. V, 17. 'Which are expressed by their nances. Heh. nikkebo, pricked or pierced, i. e. designated. See Note on Lev, 26 : 11, V, 18, And they assembled, etc. As the command was given by the Lord from the Tabernacle on the first day of the second month, v. 1, so it appears it was immediately executed, or began to be executed, on the same day. True obedience is ever a prompt obedience. 1[ And they declared their pedigrees. Heb, yithyaledu, they genealogized them selves. That is, recited their pedigree according to their families and houses. The Gr,, according to one reading, has €Trt(rKE7rr)trtty, recounted, and according to another firTi^ovovtraii, i, c, referred ed Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai. 20 And the children of Reu ben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the num ber of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war ; 21 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of or conveyed to a^ovas, tables, denoting a process of registration. . As they de clared their genealogies, the proper officers took them down. The fair im plication is, that in all matters pertain ing to the order in which the Lord would have his church arranged, while he in a supreme manner controls and overrules every thing, yet his people are not to forego their own agency, but are to do all in their power to number and arrange themselves, Tf By their polls. Heb, "By their skuUs." Gr. " From head to head." V. 20. And the children of Reuben. Reuben holds the first place, not be cause his tribe was the most numerous, for in this respect it fell short of seve ral of the others, but from his being the first-born, 1 By their generations, after their families, etc. See on these subdivisions of the tribes the Note on V. 2. above, " Generations " denotes a larger number than "families," and " families " than " houses, " while " houses," or households, comprised all the individuals pertaining to each. V, 21, Those that were numbered of them, etc. Heb. pekudehem le-mattch re-ub'en, the numbered of them to the tribe of Reuben, or more correctly tlie arranged, the marshalled, the ordered; B. C. 1490.] OHAPTEE I. 21 Reuben, were forty and six thou sand and five hundred. 22 Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were num bered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war ; for we still adhere to the view given above of the purport, in this connec tion, of the original word. We do not regard it as implying strictly to num ber, but rather to review, marshal, or arrange. The numbering of the previ ous census we take to be assumed in this transaction, and made its basis. It will be observed that in every in stance the phrase "according to the number of the names " occurs, which we take to imply that the number al ready ascertained was made use of. What can be understood, for example, hy the expression predicated of the tribe of Simeon " numbered according to the number of the names," especially when the word for "numbered" {peku- ddv) is entirely different from that for " number " {mispar) ? What is it but an unmeaning tautology? But take the term "numbered" here to signify re viewed, marshalled, arranged, and all is clear. In fact, the whole transaction recorded in this chapter, instead of be ing properly a census appointed for the purpose of ascertaining the numbers of the host, was undoubtedly an inspec tion, ordering and classification of the whole body, on the basis of a prior cen sus, with reference to the order of the march and the encampment during the sojourn in the wilderness. What else can we infer from the absolute identity of the totals he-e given with that given 23 Those tbat were number ed of them, even of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred. 24 Of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the num ber of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war ; in Ex, 38 : 26. In regard to each tribe the object is not to ascertain de novo of how many it consisted, but the number already previously ascertained is mere ly restated. We here, after Ainsworth and Adam Clarke, present a compara tive view of the state of the tribes un der the present and a still later census recorded ch. 26, which will preclude the necessity of farther comment upon a large portion of the chapter. In the first column the numbers are given in their decreasing proportion, in the sec ond the increase of some and the de crease of others will be seen at a glance. la^ Census. id Censua. Ch. I, Cb, XXVI, 1, Jndah, 74,600 76,500 2. Dan, 62,700 64,400 3. Simeon, 59,800 22,200 4, Zebulun, 67,400 60,500 5. Issachar, 54,400 64,300 6, Naphtali, 58,400 46,400 7. Eeuben, 46,600 43,730 8, Gad, 43,660 40,600 9. Asher, 41,500 58,400 10. Ephraim, 40,600 32,600 11, Benjamin, 86,400 45,600 12, Manasseh, 82,200 52,700 Total, 603,650 Tot, 601,730 Judah, as being the most distinguish ed, is the most numerous tribe, and Manasseh the least so, tbe difference between them being no less than 42,400. But in the subsequent census, ch, 26 ; 22 NUMBEES. [B. C. 1490. 25 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty. 26 Of the children of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war ; 27 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ju dah, were threescore and four teen thousand and six hundred "*. 28 Of the children of Issa char, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twen ty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; m 2 Chr. 11. 14 34, while Judah has the pre-eminence, Simeon the third iu number before, has become the least, and Manasseh has risen to the seventh place. During the interval between the two enumera tions seven of the tribes had an in crease ; five a decrease. Which they were and to what extent the change oc curred may be learned from the fore going table, — It is remarkable that ex cept in the case of Gad in this -chapter, and Reuben in ch, 26, all the numbers are whole or round numbers, beginning with thousands and ending with hun dreds — Gad and Reuben alone ending with tens. Whether this is to be un derstood as the exact enumeration of the tribes, in which case a special prov idence is to be recognized in precluding broken numbers, or whether it was de signed to give simply round numbers 29 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Is sachar, were fifty and four thou sand and four hundred. 30 Of the children of Zebu lun, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; 31 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred, 32 Of the children of Jo seph," namely, of the children of Ephraim, by their genera tions, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, n Deat. 33. 17, without regard to units andfractions, it is not easy to determine. We are in clined, on the whole, to adopt Rosen- muller's solution, viz., that as the mus ter now instituted was in order to select from the whole body of the people those that were " able to go forth to war," and to marshal them into proper array, they were accordingly divided, as is common in all armies, into divisions of thousands and hundreds, leaving the overplus uncounted, even although it may have consisted in some cases of those who were twenty years and up ward. This remainder would constitute a corps, from which recruits would be taken to supply the places of those who might die or be otherwise disqualified for military service. This confirms our previous suggestion : that the object of the measure here recorded was not B. C. 1490.] CHAPTEE I. 23 all that were able to go forth to war; 33 Those that were numbered of, them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred. 34 Of the children of Manas seh, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twen ty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war ; 35 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred. 36 Of the children of Benja min, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twen ty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war ; 37 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred. 38 Of the children of Dan, by their generations, after their strictly to make out an exact numerical census. This is still farther confirmed by the fact that in every instance of the repetition of the language of v. 21, "those that were numbered of them, even ofthe tribe of Reuben, were," etc. The Heb. has it, "the numbered of them to the tribe of Reuben was," etc., as if setting off or assigning to each from the whole or exact number of which it consisted, a certain definite round number, rejecting the units. This we conceive to be the force of the par ticle to. families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war ; 39 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thou sand and seven hundred. 40 Of the children of Asher, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war ; 41 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thou sand and five hundred. 42 Of the children of Naph tali, throughout their genera tions, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and up ward, all that were able to go forth to war ; 43 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of V. 22-43. The question may perhaps be asked, why was it necessary to re peat the formula of enumeration in every instance instead of stating in one comprehensive passage that the tribes were all numbered, or that each tribe contributed such a quota, and the sum total was so much ? We suggest in re ply that, although it might seem at first view that a revelation from heaven, to give all needed knowledge, and yet be comprised within reasonable limits, coidd not afford to devote space to such repetitions as we find here and else- 24 NUMBEES. fB. 0. 1490. Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred. 44 These ° are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the prin ces of Israel, heing twelve men : each one was for the house of his fathers. where, particularly in regard to build ing the Tabernacle, yet there may be moral considerations amply sufficient to warrant the course pursued. One reason may be, that the Most High is particular to record to the honor of his servants an exact obedience to an exact command. He would, moreover, im pressively teach that he is no respecter of persons, that he has the same care of and regard for one as another ; that as a common Father he neglects none, but remembers all. He thus removes too all ground of discontent and envy on the score of alleged favoritism. The numbers of the fewest shall be as distinctly and minutely specified as those ofthe most numerous, and we can easily see that the fulfilment of the di vine promise in the multiplication of the peculiar people would engrave itself more deeply on their hearts when eaeh particular tribe was specifically remind ed of its own separate increase, A mi nute recital leads to a more minute contemplation. V. 44. These are those that were num bered, etc. Heb. lit, " These are the marshalled or mustered which Moses mustered and Aaron and the princes of Israel : twelve men ; one man each to the house of his fathers were they." Gr. " One man for one tribe according to the tribe of their fathers' houses were they." Here also we express our pre ference for the rendering m/ustered in stead of nunibered. 45 So were aU those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel ; 46 Even all they that were'' numbered were six hundred p Ei, 12. 87. 38 26. c. 2, 32, 26, 51. Deat. 10, 22, Vs, 45, 46. So were all those that were nmnbered, etc. The rendering of these verses is not happy. The strictness of the letter requires the following: — "And they were, all the mustered (ones) of the sons of Israel, to the house of their fathers, from the son of twenty years old and upward, every one that was able to go forth to war in Israel ; they were, (I say), all the mustered ones, six hundred thousand, and three thousand, and five hundred and fifty." The increase indicated by the sum total is certainly remarkable, but not such as to require the operation of a miracle. We recognize the effect rather of an ex traordinary benediction than of a mira culous generation in the multitudinous progeny of seventy persons during the space of 216 years. The Lord had promised that he would make of the seed of Abraham " a great nation," and the record before us shows that the promise was abundantly fulfilled. This promise was renewed from time to time to the patriarchs for their fuller assur ance and consolation, and the result enumerated here is celebrated in wor thy strains, by the Psalmist, Ps. 105: 24. 37, " He increased his people great ly and made them stronger than their enemies.— He brought them forth also with silver and gold, and there was not one feeble person among their tribes • " from which we infer, that though the course of nature was not violated, yet its powers were extraordinarily aided B. C. 1490.] CHAPTEE I. 25 thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. 47 But ' the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. 48 For the Lord had spoken unto Moses, saying. g c, 2. : c 3, 4, 1 Chr, 6, & 21, 6. in accomplishing the result. The grand lesson taught by the history is, that the divine promises will all and always be infallibly performed, as will also the di vine threatenings. It was said that Caleb and Joshua alone should enter the land of Canaan, Num, 14 : 30, and such was the precise fact. All the rest, because of their murmuring, idolatry, and disobedience, perished in the wil derness ; some having been slain with the sword, some swallowed up of the earth, some consumed with pestilence, some stung by serpents, and some hav ing died a natural death. Consequent ly neither their eyes saw, nor their feet trod upon, the goodly land of promise, as the Lord had threatened. To friend and to foe the Lord will be sure to be as good as his word. Analogous to the increase of the natural seed of Israel is that also of the spiritual. The church says in heart. Is, 49 : 21, " Who hath begotten me these ? " The Lord' s king dom began to be preached by the twelve apostles and the seventy disciples, and that immortal seed of the word soon be gat "many ten thousands of Jews," Acts 21 : 20, and many more of the Gen tiles, even an " innumerable multitude," Rev. 7 : 9. V, 47. But the Levites, etc. Heb. "But the Levites, according to the tribe of their fathers, were not muster ed in the midst of them," This tribe was exempt from military service ; ac cordingly when they were numbered the census included all even from chil- 49 Only thou shalt not num ber the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel : 50 Buf thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the r Ex, 38. 21, c, 3, 6, etc dren of one month old. See ch. 3 : 15. 26 : 62. The phrase " after, or accord ing to, the tribe of their fathers " is probably a compendious form of ex pression denoting in brief what is said at length of all the rest, " by their gen erations, after their families, by the house of their fathers," etc. V. 49. Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them. The truth of our previous re marks on the distinction between num bering and musteri-ng is evident from the language of this verse, in which we cannot suppose that " numbering" and "taking the sum" signify the same thing. The original in the former case is tiphkod, which in its different forms we have generally rendered muster, -marshal, etc, for the reasons stated in the note on v, 3, Nothing was to be done towards arranging or marshalling the tribe of Levi together with the others, because they were to be set apart to a peculiar function with which no others were to interfere. V, 50. But thou shall appoint the Le vites over, etc. Heb, haphk'ed, shalt give in charge, or clothe with a tisitorial power, from the rootpakad, to virit, aud in the causative to make to visit, that is, to set over. The special functions allot ted to each of the several families of the Levites are detailed in the third chap ter, ^ Tabernacle qf testimony. So called from its heing the depository of the Ark of the Covenant, within which were contained the tables of the Law, 26 NUMBEES. [B. C. 1490. vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it : they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof ; and they shall minister unto it, and shaU encamp ' round about the taber nacle. 51 And' when the taberna- B ver. 53, t c 10, 17-21, called " tables of testimony," Ex, 31 : 18, •; Over all things that belong to it. Vulg, " And whatever pertains to the ceremonies," This is perhaps favored by the next clause which is nearly equiv alent, and in which " they shall minis ter unto it" seems to answer to the phrase hefore us — " they shall bear the tabernacle, and aU the vessels thereof, and they shall minister unto it," in effect the same as having charge of the cere monies connected with it, "y .ShaU. bear, eic. This service, the burdens of which were appointed by the Lord through Moses, is more particularly specified Num, 4 : 2.5. 31, S6. To aid them in it the use of six wagons was allowed to two of the three main Leviti- cal families, Num, 7 : 7-0, *' Sh'jU encamp round about the t'lbernacle. That is, in immediate proximity to it, between it and the stations of the rest of the tribes. The Levites, therefore, may be said to have constituted a kind of sacred legion around the palace of the Great King, Of this arrangement see in what follows, chs, 2 and 3. V. 51. And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the I.emtes shall take it down. Heb. ubinsoa ham-mishkan, and in the journeying of the tahemaele ; i, e. when ever the signal should he given by the motion of the cloudy pillar that the en campment was to be broken up and the tabernacle removed, then it was the business of the Levites to take off and roll up the curtains, to remove the up- cle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down : and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up ; and the " stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every right boards fi^m their sockets, to gath er together all the component parts of the edifice, with its various utensils, and dispose of them in the most conve nient way for travelling. So, on the contrary, when a new resting-place was indicated, the Levites, and they alone, were to attend to the re-erection of the tabernacle, and the putting in order of all its appurtenances. *^ The stran ger. That is, one who was not of the tribe of Levi. This was their peculiar province, in respect to which every one else was a stranger. So in regard to the priesthood, as distinguished from this inferior ministiy or service, both Israelites and Levites were counted " strangers," Thvis when Eleazer the priest took the brazen censers which had been profaned by Korah and his company, and made them into plates for covering the altar, it is said that they were "to he for a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger^ which is ruA of the seed of Aaron, comt near to offer incense before the Lord," This exclusiveness of fimction is recog nized also by David, 1 Chron, 15:2, " Then David said. None ought to car ry the ark of God but the Levites : for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever," 1| Shall be put to death. Heb, yumoth, shall be -made to die; without expressly indicating whether directly by the stroke of the divine hand, or by the agency of the magis- B.C. 1490.] CHAPTEE I. 27 man' by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts. 53 But the Levites" shall B c, 2, 2. 24, 2. trate. Targ, Jon, " He shall be killed by fire flaming out from before the Lord." The case of Nadab and Abihu, and of Uzzah, 1 Chron, 13 : 10, would seem to imply that a special interposi tion of heaven was to he generally im derstood hy the expression. V, 52, Every man by his own camp. That is, at his own camping-place, in his own allotted station. Gr, " In his own order," equivalent to Paul's phrase in speaking of the resurrection, 1 Cor. 15 : 23, " every man in his own order," The order here referred to is described in the next chapter. 1[ Every man by his own standard. Gr. " By his own regiment." V. 53. That there be no lerath upon the congregation, etc. ; as there would be danger of if the discrimination be tween holy and common were not most rigidly observed. The exterior portion of the encampment was not to press too closely upon tbe consecrated centre. The reason was the same that dictated the prohibition respecting the body of the people approaching too near the sacred mount from which the Law was delivered. Ex. 19: 12, 13, "And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying. Take heed to yourselves that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it : whosoever touch- eth the mount shall be surely put to death : there shall not an hand touch it, but be shall surely be stoned, or shot through ; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live." The order here pre scribed was wholly of a representative character, as there is no reason to sup pose that the interior states of mind of pitch round about the taberna cle of testimony, that there be no wrath " upon the congrega tion of the children of Israel : X c. 8, 19, 16,46, 18, 5, the tribe of Levi were distinguished by any higher degree of spirituality or sanctity than those of the rest of the nation. But a ritual or official sanctity pertained to them, which was a suffi cient ground for the command here given, and the ti^uth or mystery shad owed forth is to be sought in the true spiritual priesthood of the Christian church, which consists of all those who by the graces of their renewed spirits are brought especially near to the Lord, whether belonging to the ranks of the clergy or the laity. The import of the name Levi is adhesion, and wherever there is such a cleaving to the Lord from the force of an internal attraction, there are spiritual Levites, and in re gard to them the above interdict, we leam, is removed under the New Tes tament dispensation. Is. 56 : 3, ' 6, 7, "Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself (niisn hannil- vah, conjoi-ned himself, as it were, Levi- ticalhf) to the Lord, speak, saying. The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people : neither let the eunuch say. Behold, I am a dry tree. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to he his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant ; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joy ful in my house of prayer : their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar ; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people," Adhesion, in this rela tion, is but another term for spiritual 28 NUMBEES. [B. O. 1490. and the Levites " shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of tes timony. 54 And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they. y c. 3. 7, 8, 31, 30, 47. 1 Chr. 23, 32. 2 Chr. 13. 10. conjunction, which is the effect of love, and all the subjects of genuine love to the Lord and charity to the neighbor are spiritual priests. V. 54, And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord command ed Moses. His being able thus to refer every thing to a divine command would effectually preclude the charge that Moses designed to elevate and aggran dize his own tribe. The opponents of revelation have always been disposed to accuse Moses of being actuated by mercenary motives, whereas the whole drift ofthe narrative shows that he was merely an obedient instrument in the Lord's hands for accomplishing his purposes in respect to the chosen peo ple, Heb. 3:5, " Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant," CHAPTER IL The Ordering of the Encampment. V. 1, And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron. The former order re specting the mustering was given to Moses alone; the present respecting the arrangement of the camp is given to both Moses and Aaron, The tvpical bearings of this arrangement had a more important reference to the spiritual or der ofthe church, and therefore Aaron, the high priest, has a prominent part assigned him in the transaction. Mo ses represents that part of the economy which was more distinctively secular. CHAPTER IL AND the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, say ing, 2 Every " man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of V. 2. Every -man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard. Heb, al diglo, by his banner. The origin of the Heb, term is not very obvious, though the Arab, has dagal, to veil, to cover. The Gr. renders it by tagma, an orderly band, a cohort. Vulg. iur- mas, troops. Chald. tiksa, supposed to be derived from the Gr. taxis, order. The idea of a banner, standard, flag, is gen erally by commentators attached to the word, and this is confirmed by the par allel usage in the following instances: Ps. 20:5, " We wUl rejoice in thy sal vation, and in the name of our God will set up OUT banners {nid-gol)." Cant. 2 : 4, "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner {diglo) over me was love," Cant. 5 : 10, " My beloved is white and ruddy, the chief est {ddgul, a bannered one) among ten thousands," The twelve tribes were arranged into four divisions, three in each, and each of the four was distinguished by a ban ner. Comp. vs, 3, 18, 25. J With the ensign of their fathers' house. Heb. be-othoth, in or with the signs. This is usually understood to intimate that not only the several tribes, but also the several families and kindreds had their distinct ensigns or banners. This, how ever, is doubtful, as the original othoth may refer to the signs or devices figured on each ofthe above mentioned stand ards. What these were it is now im possible to determine. Ainsworth sup poses that they were particular colors corresponding with those of the pre- B, 0. 1490.] CHAPTER n. their father's house : far * off cious stones in Aaron's breastplate, on which were engraved the names of the diflFerent tribes. This he derives from the Targum of Jonathan, who expati ates thus : — " The standard of the camp of Judah was of linen of three colors, according to the three precious stones in the breastplate (Chalcedony, Sap phire, and Sardonyx), and in it were engraved and expressed the names of the three tribes, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun ; and in the midst thereof was written, * Rise up. Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered ; * in it also was portrayed the figure of a Lion. The standard ofthe camp of Reuben was of linen of three colors, ans.werable to the three precious stones in the breastplate (Sardine, Topaz, and Amethyst), and therein were engraved and expressed the names of the three tribes, Reuben, Simeon, and Gad j and in the midst thereof was written, 'Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord j' therein also was portrayed the figure of an Hart." And so he proceeds with the rest. Anoth er of the Rabbinical writers, Aben Ezra, says, *' there were signs in every stand ard, and our ancestors have said that in Reuben's standard there was the figure of a Man, etc. ; in Judah's standard the figure of a Lion, etc, ; in Ephraim's, the figure of a Bullock, etc. ; and in the standard of Dan the figure of an Eagle ; so they were like the Cherubim which the prophet Ezekiel saw (Ezek. 1 : 10)." We may perhaps find in this circum stance a clew to the symbolic scenery, Rev. 4 : 6, 7, where mention is made of four living creatures precisely corre sponding with these devices upon the standards of the four tribes here men tioned. Their place in the encampments was between the Tabernacle and the outmost circoit of the tribes. So on the about the tabernacle of the con gregation shall they pitch. Apocalyptic platform the four beasts are said to have occupied the space in the midst between the throne and the circle or semicircle encompassing it at considerable distance. These "living creatures" were symbols of a vast multitude. As we can only give on the subject ofthe standards the conjectures of Jewish writers, it is needless to dwell upon it. It is sufficient to know that the several divisions of the host had each of them a banner to serve as a rallying point to their respective tribes, and to remind them of the necessity of an orderly adherence to whatever posi tion the Lord had assigned them. " As a bird wandering from her nest is a man wandering from his place." The fol lowing is the rendering of the Gr. of the first two verses of this chapter : — ¦ *' And the Lord spoke to Hoses ^id io Aaron saying, Let the children of Israel encamp fronting (each other), every man keeping his own rank, according to (their) standards, according to the houses of their families ; the children of Israel shall encamp round about the tabernacle of witness." T[ Far off about ihe tabe?miicle, etc. Heb. mirme- ged, from heforej i. e. aloof, at a distance from. " Over against round about." — ¦ Ain^. "Away fromthe presence of." — Mat. " On the other side and round about.'* — Cran. "At a distance round about." — Purv. The original imports that the tents should be stationed at some distance from the tabernacle, and yet that the doors of the tents should be inwards towards the tabernacle. The following passages show the usage of the word, Ps. 38 : 11, " My lovers and my friends stand aloof {minneged^from hefore) from my sore, and my kinsmen stand afar ofi";" i. e. they stand at a distance, yet so that their faces look to- 80 NTTMBEKS. [B. C. 1490. 3 And on the east side to ward the rising of the sun shall wards the smitten one, 2 Kings 2 : 7, "And fifty men of the sons of the pro phets went and stood to view afar off {minneged m'eha.roq, in sight, or over against)." Deut, 32 : 52, " Yet thou shalt see the land before {thee) {minne ged), but thou shalt not go thither," etc. By the distant position a due reverence for the sacred structure was inculcated, and it afforded space also for the inter vening camp of the Levites who made a nearer interior enclosure within the general host, and ofthe same form with the camp itself, which was quadrangu lar. From the distance which was re quired to intervene between the body of the Israelites and the Ark of the Covenant in crossing the Jordan (Josh. 3 : 4), it has been reasonably conjectured that the distance of the camp of Israel from the Tabernacle was two thousand cubits, or an English mile, Kabbi Solo mon writes thus on this passage : " Over against ; that is, afar off, a mile, as it is said in Joshua, 'yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure,'" The arrangement was such that the Lord dwelt in the midst of his people, who were round about the sanctuary to guard it. Allusion is probably had to this ar rangement in Rev. 4 : 2-4, where the prophet beholds in heaven a central Throne answering to the Tabernacle and Temple, which in Ezek, 43 : 7 are called God's Throne, and " round about the throne were four and twenty seats (Gr, thrones)," which, as double the number of the twelve tribes, points per haps to the increase and enlargement of the church under the Gospel, Is, 54 : 2, Between the Throne and the circuit round about, which Vitringa supposes to have been a semicircular area, were "four living creatures full they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout of eyes," respecting which see a previ ous note. This feature of the symboli cal scenery is evidently most appropri ate to the Levites, or the spiritual priest hood represented by them ; for as eyes denote inspection and watching, they shadow forth the function of the sacred ministry, which pertained to the tribe of Levi, and not to those of Judah, Eeuben, Ephraim, and Dan. But the scenery of the Israelitish camp under goes various modifications when trans ferred to the stage of the Apocalyptic visions, and as the whole of the tribes are represented to John by the twenty- four elders, and these elders adumbrate the church as. a Kingship, their heads being adorned with " crowns," so the four living creatures may represent the same church viewed more especially as a priesthood, seeing they evidently lead in worship. Tet the two great classes, the Elders and the Living Creatures, are so intimately associated and con joined in their acts, that we cannot easily regard them as two entirely dis tinct and separate orders or castes. — Moses and Aaron were on the east, the Gershonites on the west, the Kohathites on the south, and the Morarites on the north side of the Tabernacle. V. 3. A-nd on the east side toward the rising of the sun sliall they of the stand ard of the camp of Judah pitch. Lit. "And they that encamp eastward (or foremost) toward the rising of the sun," etc, Gr. " They that encamp first to ward the east shall he the order of the camp of Judah." The original Heb. kadmah, denotes either the east, or he fore, foremost, in front, i, e, relative to the Tabernacle, which is at the same time equivalent to east, as in relation to the west the east is said to be before and the west behAnd. The south is B. 0. 1490.] CHAPTER n. 31 their armies: and Nahshon" the son of Amminadab shall ie cap tain of the children of Judah. c cl.' 3.32, , etc. 10.14, 1 Chr, 2. 10. Mat. 1,4, Luke called the right side of the world, Ps. 89 : 13, and the north the left. Comp. Job 23 : 8, 9, The general camp was appointed to be in the form of a square, the four sides of which corresponded with the four cardinal points of the compass. Each side was to consist of the united bodies of three tribes, near est related by blood to each other. The eastern side, as being the most honora ble from its relation to the sun, tlft grand symbol of the Deity, and from looking toward the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle, was assigned to the standard of Judah, to which, as to their chief head, were annexed those of Issa char and Zebulun, to pitch on each side of him, the whole amounting to 186,400 men, 1[ Shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch. Prece dence and pre-eminence are here as signed to Judah as frequently else where in the sacred history. In this we recognize an incipient fulfilment of Jacob's prophecy respecting the rank which he should hold among his breth ren. Gen, 49 : 8, 9. This prophecy was slow in its accomplishment, though abundantly verified in the end. It is true that in point of numbers this tribe exceeded the rest on their coming out of Egypt, and on the present occasion was appointed to take the lead under the standard of Nahshon, But this was but a dim foreshadowing of the future distinction of Judah, for he was still without kingdom or principality. To the eye of sense, moreover, it would seem as if every thing was so ordered, and that too for a long lapse of time, as to frustrate the accomplishment of the prediction. Moses, of the tribe of Levi, 4 And his host, and those that were numhered of them, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred. was clothed with the supreme command of the host, and after his death Joshua, of the tribe of Ephraim, was chosen leader, and he was succeeded by a se ries of Judges who were raised up now from one tribe, and now from another, tiU we come to Saul, the first king, who was ofthe tribe of Benjamin. Meantime, the pre-eminence of Judah was kept in abeyance, nor was it till the time of David that the tree of his predict ed renown began to bud and blossom. David was of the stock of Judah, and from him descended, according to the flesh. He who was to be the " lion of the tribe of Judah," andin whose spiritual supremacy all these prophecies culmi nated to a head. In the character of standard-bearer of the armies of Israel Judah also prophetically represents Michael, who leads the heavenly armies in their contests with the Dragon and his army. Rev. 5:5, 12 : 7, 19 : 11, So in regard to all the divine promises, though the performance may be long deferred, yet it is certain to be realized at last. " Though it tarry, wait for it," IF Throughout their armies. Heb, Ittzibothdm. That is, in the order and disposition of their several bodies or corps, answering to our brigades, bat talions, regiments, etc, 1 And Sah- shon, etc. shall be captain. By compar ing this with the preceding chapter, it will be observed that the commanders- in-chief of the several tribes were the very persons who were selected to pre side over the numbering there related ; which shows that they were men of dis tinction among their brethren. T, 4. And his host, andthose that were numbered, etc. Rather, " And his host, 32 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. 5 And those that do pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar : and Nethaneel the son of Zuar shall be captain of the children of Issachar. 6 And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fif ty and four thousand and four hundred. 7 Then the tribe of Zebulun : and Eliab the son of Helon shall even they that were mustered," Oth erwise, if we suppose the women and children and servants, together withthe aged and infirm to be included, it would bave made the number much greater. The transition from the words of the Lord himself commanding the order of the encampment, to those of Moses de claring the respective numbers of each division, is not to be overlooked. This remark is to be applied to the whole of the present chapter, Ts, 5-7. Children of Issachai — tribe of Zebulun. Judah, Issachar and Zebu lun were all three bom of Leah, which rendered it natural that they should be associated under one banner, Y, 9. An hundred thousand, etc. This was by far the most numerous of the four grand divisions, as will be evident from a tabular view. The Camp of Jndah,,, ,.186,400 East. " Eenben,.. 151,450 South, " Ephraim,, 108,100 West " Dan 157,600 North, The excess on the part of Judah is not far from 30,000. This tribe, which led the van, and that of Dan, which brought up the rear, were the most numerous. This would contribute to the safety of the sanctuary, and its attendants march ing in the middle between them, ac cording to the well-known rule of mili tary tactics, that the advanced and rear be captain of the children of Zeh- uluQ, 8 And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fif ty and seven thousand and four hundred, 9 All that were numbered in the camp of Judah were an hundred thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred, throughout their guards should be stronger than the centre,. T[ These shall first set forth. Heb. IJDi n;riST rishon&h yissa-u, shall foremost break up ; in reference to striking their tents and thus breaking up the encampment. The original is a term properly used to signify \!m pluck ing up of the stakes, pins, or fixtures to which the cords of the tents were at tached, and by which they were held secure. The corresponding word in Arabic is applied to plucking teeth out of their sockets. See Note on Gen. 11:2. See also Barnes on Is, 33 : 20. As their journeying was mainly towards the East, so the eastern division would naturally be the first to move. As the words stand, they would appear to he uttered by Moses, as the previous part of the verse contains his language in contradistinction from that ofthe Lord ; yet understood as a command they would seem to be more appropriate to Jehovah himself. RosenmuUer, how ever, takes the clause as spoken by Mo ses in his own person, and translates it in the past instead of the future, in which latter form it is found in the ori ginal. We inoUne to favor this con struction. Considering the words as those of Moses, we would take them m the narrative sense as equivalent to— "those uniformly set forth first; " i, e, it was appointed to them, it was made their duty, and it was their uniform B. 0. 1490.] CHAPTER II. 33 armies. These shall first* set forth. 10 On the south side shaU be the standard of the camp of Reu ben according to their armies : and the captain of the children of Reuben shall he Elizur the son of Shedeur. 11 And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were forty and six thousand and five hundred. 12 And those which pitch by him shall he the tribe of Sime on : and the captain of the chil dren of Simeon shall he Shelu miel the son of Zurishaddai. 13 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, practice. See ch, 10:14, This is the frequent usage of the Heb. future when employed to denote an action that is of repeated or customary occurrence. See Nordheimer's Heb. Grammar, Vol. II. p. 167. Vs. 10-16. On the south side shall be the standard of the host of Reuben, etc. The south side of the camp was to con sist of the companies of Reuben, with those of Simeon and Gad on either side of him, pitching under his banner, though under their own commanders. These formed the second great camp, called the camp of Reuben, consisting of 151,450 men, who were in all their marches to occupy the second rank. To the tribe of Reuben is assigned the pre cedency in this division, while those of Simeon and Gad are adjoined to it, Ren- ben was the firstborn, and by birth was entitled to take the lead of all the tribes, but having lost his birthright hy trans gression, the first place fell to Judah, and the second rank became his. Sim- were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred. 14 Then the tribe of Gad: and the captain of the sons of G-ad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel, 15 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were forty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty. 16 All that were numbered in the camp of Reuben were an hundred thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty, throughout their ar mies. And they shall set forth in the second' rank. 17 Then-^ the tabernacle of the congregation shall set for- e c. 10. 18. / c. ll). 17, 21. eon was the next brother to him, of the same mother, and Gad was the first born of Zilpah, maid to that mother (Leah.) This relationship probably governed the arrangement. — It will he observed that the order of falling in, when the tribes took up their march, was from the East to the South, thence to the West, and so on to the North, " according," says Ainsworth, " to the course of the sun, and the climates of the world," V. 11. Eliasaph, the son of Reuel. See ch, 1 : 14, where he is called Deuel, tbe similarity of the Heb. d ( ~ ) and R ( ^ ) doubtless having caused the in terchange of the one for the other, V, 16, They shall set forth in the sec ond rank, Heb, sheniyim yissd.^, tliey shall break up second. See Note on v. 9. This closes the account of the sec ond division. V, 17, Then the tabernacle of the con gregation shall set forward, ^eb.-misa, shall break up ; i. e. by plucMng up the 34 NUMBERS. [B. O. 1490. ward with the camp of the Le vites in the midst of the camp ; as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place by their standards. pins as in the case of the other tents, for the Tabernacle was a tent, though of a different construction from all others. The Tabernacle was to follow the two divisions above mentioned, and to be followed by those of Ephraim and Dan ; but the particular mode of transporting the Tabernacle and its appendages will be more fully considered in the Notes on ch. 10 : 14^21. It appears that in one respect they did not march as they pitched ; for then there was a camp on each side of the Tabernacle, but when they marched there was none on the sides, but two divisions went before it, and two behind. This, however, does not describe the exact order, as we shall see on ch, 10. "RTien the host was en camped a central position was assigned to the Sanctuary, in reference to which it is said of the Church, Ps, 46 : 5, " God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved," The original word here em ployed (bekirbah) is used to denote the interior parts of tbe body, the seat of the various viscera, as the heart, the stomach, the womb, etc, implying that the divine presence is central to his church, constituting its inmost heart and life. The place, then, of the Tab ernacle, the grand symbol of the Lord's habitation among his people, was not in a comer of the host, nor upon one side, nor outside, hut in their very midst. So it is said. Lev, 26 : 11, 12, "And I will set my tabernacle among you : and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my peo ple," Thus placed, with the Shekinah enshrouded in it, it served as a more 18 On the west side shall he the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their armies : and the captain of the sons of Ephraim shall striking pre-intimation of Him who was to be called " Emmanuel, God with us." 1 1n the midst of the camp. It ap pears from ch, 10, that this is to be un derstood with some qualification, as in the march the Tabernacle was in fact carried in two separate portions, one by the sons of Gershon and Merari, and the other by the Kohathites, Still the expression "in the midst" is entirely proper in reference to the fact, ^ As they encamp, so shall they set forward. This doubtless is to be understood of the Levites instead of the tribes at large. IT Every man in his place. Heb. al yado, upon his hand, i. e, to wards the side or quarter to which ho belongs, Vs, 18-24, There is but little to be noted in respect to this third division, except that Ephraim has the prece dence assigned him instead of Manas seh, which, however, was according to Jacob's blessing (Gen. 48 : 19, 20). With him were associated Manasseh and Benjamin, all three being descend ed from Rachel. V,18, Onthe west side. Seh.ydm-mdh, seaward, i. e. towards the Mediterra nean, which lay to the west of Canaan, See Note on Gen, 12 : 8. The west side of the camp was to contain the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin — all three descended from Rachel — un der their several heads or captains, now united, for the sake of order, un der the standard of Ephraim, and mak ing the third great division, consisting of 108,100 men. This, therefore, was the smallest body of all the four, being about 80,000 less than that of Judah. B, C. 1490,] CHAPTER n. 35 be Elishama the son of Ammi hud. 19 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were forty thousand and five hundred. 20 And by him shall be the tribe of Manasseh : and the cap tain of the children of Manas seh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 21 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were thirty and two thousand aud two hundred. 22 Then the tribe of Benja min : and the captain of the sons of Benjamin shall be Abi dan the son of GideonL 23 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred. 24 AU that were numhered of the camp of Ephraim were an hundred thousand, and eight thousand and an hundred, throughout their armies. And they shall go forward in the third " rank. V, 24. And they shall go forward in the third rank. 'B.eb. shelishim yissa-u, shall break up third. There is no ade quate reason for rendering the original in this place by "go forward" when precisely the same word in vs, 9 and 16 is rendered by " set forth." It is far better, as a general rule, not to break the uniformity of rendering where it can well be avoided. Vs, 25-31. The last of the four divi sions is made up of the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali — three sons of Ja cob by the handmaids BiUiah and Zil- 25 The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side by their armies : and the I captain of the children of Dan shatt be Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai. 26 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were threescore and two thou sand and seven hundred. 27 And those that encamp by him shall be the tribe of Asher; and the captain of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran. 28 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were forty and one thousand and five hundred. 29 Then the tribe of Naph tali : and the captain of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahirah, the son of Enan. 30 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were fifty and three thousand and four himdred. 31 AU they that were num bered in the camp of Dan were an hundred thousand and pah — and fiimishing the largest num ber ofmen except the division of Judah, viz, 150,600 men. They were appoint ed, therefore, in all their marches, to bring up the rear, as Judah led the van, for the greater security of the Sanc tuary, which was to be "guarded by them, " The collective encampment enclosed a large open square, in the centre of which stood the Tabernacle, The posi tion which the Tabernacle thus occu pied still remains the place of honor in grand oriental camps, and is usually oc- 11(1 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. Ill'ly and seven thousand and m\ liundri'd. They shall go* cupii'il by tho king or general. The dis- iaui'o between it and the common camp w as iiulicuti ve of respect and reverence. Tho iutoi'ior was not, however, wholly viicnnt, being occupied by the small camps of the Levites, who had the charge and custody of the Tabernacle, and pitched their tents around it ; tbe tents of Moses, Aaron, and the priests occupying the most honorable place, fronting the entrance to the Taberna cle, or rather to the court which con tained it. The Jewish writers say that hindmost with then: stand ards. the circumference of the entire encamp ment was about twelve miles ; a state ment which seems sufficiently moder ate, when we recollect the hollow square in the centre, and consider the vast ex tent of ground required for the tents ot two millions of people." — Piet. Bible. The accompanying sketch will af ford the reader an idea approximating the truth of the plan and order of the encampment, whenever they pitched during their march through the des ert. 15 (S E-iO 186,400 Men, FIRST GEAND DIVISION, JUDAH, 74,60'i. ISSACHAS, and zebulon, 64,400. 57,.100, OS a LEVITES OF MEKAEI, 3-200. MOSES, AAKON, AND THE PEIESIB, LEVITES OP KOHATH, nj'i=i!) SHEKINAH. TASEKIfACLE. ¦0995 'NOHsaaa ao BaiiAaT ¦ont'ss 'ooo'ss •iURTriiaa: pas 'HsesTJiTrc ¦OOS'Of' •noK OOX'801 III V. 31. They shall go hindmost vnth their standards. Heb. Idaharonah yisu lediglehem, they shall break up {march) to tlie rear of their standards, i. e. ofthe standards of the preceding tribes, call ed " theu-s " from their all forming one B. C. 1490.] CHAPTER m. 37 32 These are those which were numbered of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers ; aU ' those that were numbered ofthe camps, through out their hosts, were six hun dred thousand and three thou sand and five hundred and fifty. 33 But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel ; as the Lord com manded Moses. 34 And the children of Israel .¦ Ex. 3S. 26. c. 1. 46, 47. 11. 21. united body. On any other construc tion it is not easy to see how " stand ards" in the plural should be ascribed to one division, when it is clear that each had but a single standard. V. 32. Tli£se are those that were num bered, etc. Heb. " These are the mus tered ones," Gr. ami) 7) miaKei/is, this is the survey or visitation. See Note on ch, 1 : 2, TT By the house of their fathers. Collective singular for the plural, Gr, Kar' oiKovs, according to the houses. V, 33, But the Levites were-not num bered among the children of Israel. Heb, hethok ben'i Yisrael, in the midst nf the sons of Israel, implying that the Levi ti cal tribe was centrally interfused in the midst of the general mass of the tribes. Typically understood it denotes thatthe true priesthood of the church exists in the midst of the body, instead of consti tuting a class distinct from the body. The priesthood consists in the priestly fimction which is to be exercised by those who are possessed of certain gifts and endowments that enable them to edify their brethren. V. 34. And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord command ed Moses. As the obedience of Israel in making and setting up the Tabernacle did according to alP that the Lord commanded Moses: so' they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, every one after their families, ac cording to the house of theit fathers. CHAPTEE III. THESE also are the genera tions of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in Mount Sinai. is borne witness to on a former occasion (Ex, 39 : 42, 43), so here also their exact compliance with the divine directions as to an orderly encamping round about it, and marching before and after it. The practical lesson inculcated through out is the beauty and the benefit of or der in all things pertaining to the Church. The camp of Israel, viewed in its external aspect, was arranged with so much regularity and beauty, that Balaam upon beholding it was led to exclaim, Num 24 : 5, " How goodly are thy tents, 0 Jacob, and thy tabernacles, 0 Israel!" A similar exclamation would be drawn from us if we could see, in clear -vision, the exquisite and heavenly disposition ofthe true church in its in ternal economy. CHAPTER m. The family Stock of Aaron. V. 1. These also are the generations of Moses and Aaron. That is, these are the ofispring of Aaron, and the ge nealogy of the Levites, as also the nar rative, the rehearsal, of the events, acts, or transactions, that occurred in re spect to them. In this sense we find "generations" employed Gen, 5:1. 88 NUMBERS. [B. C. 1490. 2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab" the first-born, and Abihu, Elea zar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the' priests which a Er. 6. 23. b Ex. 28. 41. Lev. 8. 2, etc. 6:9. 25 : 18, where see Notes. — The in spired historian being now about to enter upon a recital of the appointed order and functions of the tribe of Levi, who were exempted from the former numbering or muster, first pauses to advert to the family of Aaron as the head of the priestly caste. He then goes on to relate their numbering and the order of their ministration in the department to which they were devo ted. If In the day that the Lord spake with Moses in Mount Sinai. That is, when he spake on a former occasion; a clause introduced probably with a view to intimate that Nadab and Abihu, mentioned in the next verse, were then living, whereas they were now dead. It is as if he had said, " These are the generations of Aaron aud Moses that were then alive in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in Mount Sinai." It is evident that at the time when this part of the history commences Moses was not in the mount, but in the midst of the camp. V. 2. And these are the names of the so-ns of Aaron. As the first verse nat urally leads us to expect an account of Moses' posterity as well as Aaron's, it becomes a question why that of Aaron only is given. To which it is answered, that Moses' lineage is probably included under the general name of the Amram- ite, V. 27, embracing all the children and grandchildren of Amram, with the exceptions only of Moses and Aaron, The "generations" or descendants of Moses are perhaps thus obscurely men- were anointed, whom he conse crated to minister in the priest's ofiice. 4 And Nadab and Abihu died' before the Lord, when they offered strange fire before c Lev. 10, 1, 2. 0, 26, 61. 1 Chr, 24. 2, tioned from the fact of their being but common Levites, the priesthood being given exclusively to Aaron's posterity, for which reason we may suppose that he is here named before Moses, though generally mentioned after him. V. 3. 'Whom he consecrated. Heb. "Whose hand he filled," Upon this phraseology, see the Note on Ex. 29 : 9, Gr, "Whom they perfected, or accomplished, as to their hands." 1[ To minister in the priest! s office. This is expressed in the Heb, by a single word, lekah'en, the root from whence comes koh'en, a priest. It is a term of peculiar significancy, and sometimes imphea prince as well as priest. V. 4. A-nd Nadab and Abihu died be fore the Lord, etc. Of which, see Lev. 10 : 1, 2, Numb. 26 : 61. 1 Chron. 24 : 1, 2. As they offered strange fire, they per ished by strange fire, showing that men's punishments often bear a strik ing analogy to their sins. 1[ And they had na children. This is mention ed that it might be known in all subse quent time, that none were to be ad mitted to the olBce of Ihe priesthood, but such as could trace their genealogy to Eleazar or Ithamar, Had Nadab and Abihu left any sons, they would have inherited their fathers' ofiice be fore Eleazar. The Rabbins say, "Who ever is foremost in inheritance, is fore most for honor or dignity."- Tf In the sight of Aaron their father. . Heb. " Before the face of" That is, while Aaron lived. So it is said of Haran (Gen. 11 :28) that he died "before the B.C. 1490.] CHAPTER in. 39 the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no chil dren : and Eleazar and Ithar mar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father. face of Terah," L e. while Terah was alive. So "before the moon and the sun " (Ps. 72:5, 17,) i. e. while those bodies continue to give their Ught. Gr, "With Aaron," In 1 Chron, 24:19, they are said to have ministered 4S un der Aaron." Heb. "By the hand of Aaron." From these two descended so large a company of priests, that in the days of David they were distributed into twenty-four courses, sixteen of Eleazar and eight of Ithamar. The He brew Doctors say, " Over every course there was one President, And they went up to Jerusalem to serve by course every week. And every sabbath day they changed ; one course went out, and the next after them came in." Comp 1 Chron. 9 : 22, 25. 2 Kings 11 : 5, 7. The words carry with them the impli cation, that they exercised their minis try so entirely in conjunction "with their .father, that they were little liable to such dangerous lapses as had been fatal to Nadab and Abihu. They kept under their father's eye, and took instructions fi-om him in aU they did. Their breth ren, perhaps, were out of their father's sight when they offered strange fire. The Gift of the Levites to Aaron for the Service of the Tabernacle. Vs. 5, 6. Bring the tribe of Levi near, etc. Heb. hakreb, cause to approach. The word has the double import of lo cal approxiTnation and of setting apart and offering to the Lord in a special dedication to his service. See Note on 5 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 6 Bring'' the tribe of Levi nsar, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. <2 c 8, 6. 18, 2, etc. Deat. 33. 10. Mai, 2, 4. Ex, 29:8. Indeed, so emphatically is the tribe of Levi spoken of in this charac ter, as solemnly dedicated to the service of the Sanctuary, that the very terms are applied to them which are elsewhere employed to denote the sacrificial ofier- ings. Thus ch. 8:11, "And Aaron shall offer (Heb. wave) the Levites be fore the Lord for an offering (Heb. wave-ofering) of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service ofthe Lord," Having spoken of Aaron and his immediate descendants, he now comes to give order respecting the rest of the tribe of Levi, who had been omit ted in the late muster, 1 Present them. Heb, haamadtd otho, cause him (or it) to stand before Aaron, etc. The ¦ whole tribe is spoken of in the singular. Gr, sfeseis autous, thou shalt place, set, or station them. The original, in the Hiphil or causative conjugation, is fre quently rendered to present, as also to set, to establish, to appoint. This tribe had on a former occasion (Ex. 32 : 29) " consecrated" themselves to God hy a signal act of obedience, in consequence of which they had now secured to them selves the "blessing" which they were then promised, If That they may minister unto him. Heb. ve-sHerethu otho, and they shall minister {to or wait ¦upon) him. There is nothing of special importance in the meaning of this term, except that it is a different term in the original from "minister," "minister ed " in vs, 3, 4, which implies the min istry or service of the priests instead of that of the Levites, which was of a low- 40 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. 7 And they' shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do f the service of the taber nacle. e 1 Chr, 26, '20, 2-2, / c. 1. 50. er order. It were desirable that words difiering in the original, even though by a slight shade, should be represented by different words in a version. In this case it is to be observed, however, that the Heb. n"iio sharath, is frequently ap plied to the ministry of the priests, though the other word "jJi^ Icdhan, is never applied to that of the Levites. V, 7, And they shall keep his charge. Heb, shameru eth mishmarto, they shall keep his keeping. In Lev. 18 : 30 it is rendered, "Ye shall keep my ordi nance." Elsewhere the original is ren dered ward, watch, safeguard, ofiice. The leading idea is that of something imposed as a matter of strict observ ance, custody, and care. A part of this charge was evidently keeping watch day and night at the door of the taber nacle. Lev. 8 : 35. By keeping the charge of Aaron and of the whole con gregation is meant the performance of those duties and services about the sanctuary which would otherwise have devolved upon the principals in whose behalf they acted. This clause, there fore, would more properly be rendered, " even the charge of the whole congre gation," as it is in one of the old Eng lish versions. As it now reads, the "charge of the whole congregation" seems to imply the charge which would have devolved upon the whole congre gation, provided the Levitical tribe had not been substituted for this purpose in their stead. This, however, does not exclude the additional idea in regard to Aaron, that he may have delivered 8 And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9 And thou shalt give " the g c. 8. 19. 18. 6, 7. to them a solemn charge' or command ment respecting their services which they are here required to obey. It Before the tabernacle of the congre gation. This expresses very precisely the #ature of their ofiice, which was to minister before the sanctuary and not in it, like the priests. If To do the service. Heb. laabod eth dbodath, to serve the service. We give the literal render ing simply to let the English reader know what it is ; and so in multitudes of other cases. V. 8. All the instrwments of the tab ernacle. That is to say, the tabernacle itself and all its contents, which are particularly described vs. 25, 26, 31, 36, 37. The Levites, as the servants of the priests, were to perform the most com mon and laborious ofiices. It was a special part of their charge to take down, put up, and carry the tabernacle with its various utensils. If And the- charge of the children of Israel. That is, the general charge of the children of Israel, the charge which would other wise have been theirs, but which was transferred to the Levites. V, 9, And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron, and to his sons. Being first virtually presented to the Lord as his pecuUum, they are now, by his com mand, bestowed as a gift upon the priests, ch, 8 : 19, So ministers under the N, T, are called "gifts," Eph, 4:8, 11. If They are wholly given. Heb. nethunim, nethunim, given, given. A Hebraism well represented in our ver sion by "wholly given," implying a B. C. 1490.] CHAPTER in. 41 Levites unto Aaron, and to his sons: they are wholly given imto him out of the children of Israel. 10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's of fice ; and the stranger * that Aver. 38, Eph, 2. 19, Heb, 10, 19-22, complete dedication. In like manner the Gibeonites devoted by Joshua to menial services about the sanctuary "were also called Nethinim, given. If To him. Heb, ip lo, for which the Gr. evidently read "^ li, to me, as it has p.01, to me. V. 10. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons. Heb. tiphkod, shalt cause to preside or superintend; the term which we have so fully explained in the Note on ch. 1 : 3. Gr. katasteseis, thou shalt constitute or set. It is to be re marked, however, that others render it by thou shall number, or muster, as the term is precisely the same with that which occurs ch. 1 : 49, " Only thou shalt not number (Heb. tiphkod^ the tribe of Levi." In that case the Levites were not to be included in the general census; in the present case they also were to be numbered apart by them selves. But we doubt if the precise idea of numbering is intended to be conveyed by the term in this connec tion. The dominant import of the ori ginal, as we have seen, is to order, ar range, adjust in a visitorial way, and this we incline to adopt as the true sense in the present passage. Moses, as clothed with a visitorial or superin- tendin g power, was to order the priestly functions of Aaron and his sons accord ing to the divine will. If A-nd they shall wait upon their pties^so^ice. Heb, shameru eth kehonnetham, they shall d, i. e. "for every cometh nigh shaU be put to death. 11 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites ' from among the chUdren of Israel instead of all the first-born that openeth t Ter, 41, c, 8. 16, thing of the altar and within the veil," ch, 18 : 7, If ITie stranger that cometh nigh. That is, to take upon him the duties of the priests. Gr. " That touch- eth," By the «ifon^er is to he understood any and everyone who was not "ofthe seed of Aaron," as explained ch. 16 : 40 ; for "no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." Even the common Levite was excluded as well as the rest of Is rael from the sacred function of the priests. Comp. ch. 18 : 3, "And they (the Levites) shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle : only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die." If Shall be put to death. That is, by the magis trate, or, hy the immediate hand of God, as in the case of Korah and his com pany. The Substitution of the Levites for the First-bom. V, 12. Ihave taken fhe Levites from among the children of Israel. Heb, m,it- tok, from the midst; a more emphatic form of expression than " from among." The Levites are frequently spoken of subsequently as an element centrally in- terfused throughout the whole mass of the people. As to their substitution for the first-bom and the grounds of it, see the note on Ex, 13 : 2. It is very gen erally conceded that prior to the estab lishment of the priesthood of Aaron and 42 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. the matrix among the children of Israel : therefore the Levites shaU bo mine ; 13 Because aU the first-born * are mine : for on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I haUowed imto me all the first-born in Israel, iEx,13. 2, 12. Lev. 27. 26. Luke 2.2:1. his sons, the first-bom in the patri archal families officiated in that capa city. The Talmud says, "Before the Tabernacle was erected, the use of pri vate Altars and High Places was per mitted, and the eldest of each family performed the sacrifices." {Tract. Mili- kim in Mishna, 14.) See Note upon Ex. 24: 5, respecting the "young men" sent by Moses to perform the office of sacrificers. The conclusion seems fair that priesthood was one of the privi leges of primogeniture. We are aware that this opinion is questioned by Out ram, Patrick, and others, but their ob jections do not strike us as satisfac tory. If That openeth the matrix. Heb, peter rehem, the opening, or open er, of the wonib ; in apposition with the first-born," by which is to be un derstood the first-born of the father, and not merely the first-bom of the mother, V, 13, On the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt. This clause assigns the reason why the first born were especially set apart and dedi cated to the Lord, As Moses says to Pharaoh that the Most High had raised him up (or, Heb, " caused him to stand, to survive ") when he was as good as dead by reason of the destructive plagues, so here the first-bom of Israel, that were graciously exempted when the first-born of Egypt were destroyed, in the midst of whom they were, are claimed as the special property of Jeho- both man and beast; mine shall they be : I am the Lord. 14 And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wUderness of Sinai, saying, 15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families : every vab, inasmuch as they might be consid ered by their parents as having been ¦virtually taken from them hy the aveng ing stroke. It was not because they were intrinsically better than the first born of the Egyptians that they were spared, but merely out of the sovereign good pleasure of the Lord himself, who " giveth not account of any of his mat ters," He therefore says of them, " Mine they shall be," A separate and independent reason is given for the sub stitution of the Levites in their stead, to wit, the devoted zeal they had mani fested on the occasion of the iniquity connected with the worship of the gold en calf, Ex, 32 : 26. Deut. 38 : 9, on which see Notes. 1 1 hallowed unto m'e all the first-bom.. That is, sanctified and set apart from all profane and sec ular use, and appropriated as something holy. The Numbering or Muster of the V. 15. Number the children of Levi. Heb. pekod, visit, m-uster. The com mand is here directed solely to Moses, but it is evident from v. 89 and ch. 4 : 34, that the duty was performed by Moses and Aaron, and by the princes of the congregation, '^ After the house of their fathers. Gr, kat oikous, accordi-ng to the houses. They were counted after the houses of their fathers and not of their mothers, inasmuch as if a woman of the tribe of Levi were B. C. 1490.] CHAPTER m. 43 male ' from a month old and up ward shalt thou number them. 16 And Moses numbered them, according to the word of the Lord, as he was command ed. 17 And these "" were the sons of Levi by their names ; Ger shon and Kohath and Merari. 18 And these are the names / ver, 89, e. 26. 62. m Gen, 46, 11. Ex. 6. 16. married to a man of the tribe of Judah, or any other tribe, her son was not reckoned a Levite. Maimonides, the great expounder ofthe Hebrew Canons, says, " Priests and Levites and Israel ites may lawfully g c, 4. 15. X Ex. 25. 10. y Ex. 25. 23,31, zEx. 27. 1, 30.1. a Ex. 26. 32. for "men of peace and righteous ness." V, 29, Southward. Heb. t'emdndh, to the right. The points of the com pass, according to Scriptural usage, are supposed to be determined by the posi tion of one who looks to the east. In this case the south will be to the right. So Ps. 89 : 12, " The north and the south (Heb. ydmin, the right), thou hast created them," V, 30. Elisaphan the son of Uzziel. This man was of the fonrth and young est family of the Kohathites, and yet was preferred to the chief rank among them. This, according to some of the Hebrew -writers, gave offence to Korah, who was of the second family, or that of Izhar, and prompted the rebellion of which he was the le_ader, recorded in ch, 16 : 1-11, V. 82. Chief over the chief of the Le vites. Heb. " Chief of the chiefs," which is an expression implying somewhat less of ofScial pre-eminence. Eleazar, who was appointed to this dignity, was 46 NUMBERS. [B. C. 1490. over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanc tuary. 33 Of Merari ' was the fam ily of the Mahlites, and the fam ily of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari. 34 And those that were num bered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred. 35 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail : these ' shall pitch on more than a Levite, being a priest, and hence arose the distinction between high-priest and second priest, as inti mated 2 Kings 25 : 18, If Of the Le vites, Heb, hallevi, the Levi. The name of the individual becomes collective by prefixing the article il h. So in all such words as Gershonites, Lib-nites, Kohath ites, Hebronites, Merarites, etc. They are the names of the heads of the fami lies with the article prefixed. In 1 Chr. 12 : 27, "the Aaronites" is "Aaron" in the original without the article, - If Have the oversight. Heb. pekuddah, visitation or visitorial oversight, from the rootpakad, on the import of which we have had such frequent occasion to remark. See Note on ch. 1 : 3, The original is often rendered in the Gr, by episkop'e, bishopric, implying the offce of overseer. The Families descended from Merari, their Number, Position, and Charge. V, 33. These are the families of Me rari. There is nothing peculiarly wor thy of note to be remarked respecting the side of the tabernacle north ward. 36 And under the custody and ¦* charge of the sons of Me rari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the ves sels thereof, and all that serveth thereto, 37 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords. 38. But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle d 0, 4, 31, 32, this branch of the Levites, except that it was fewest in number of all the rest, being 1300 less than the children of Gershon, They had charge of the framework of the tabernacle. As their burden on this account was heavier than that of their brethren the Gershon ites, therefore they were allowed four wagons and eight oxen for their ser vice, whereas the Gershonites had only two wagons and four oxen. See ch. 7 : 7,S. The Encampment of Moses and Aaron. V, 38, Toward the east. Heb, lade- mah, which may also be rendered i/n front, foremost, a rendering probably to be preferred on account of the occur rence of tbe word " eastward " in the next clause. The east, in the Scrip tures, is always supposed to take the precedence of the other quarters, as it is there that the sun rises, and the sun frora the earliest ages has ever been ac counted the most striking symbol of the Deity, The position now assigned to Moses and Aaron was of course the B. 0. 1490.] CHAPTER m. 47 of the congregation eastward, shall he Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping ' the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel ; and the stranger .'^ that cometh nigh shaU be put to death. most honorable, being between the standard of Judah and the door of the tabernacle, which it was their province to guard, If Keeping the charge of the sanctuary foi' the charge of the chil dren of Israel. The original is vari ously rendered by the versionists; — " Keeping the charge of the sanctuary, for the charge of the sons of Israel," — Ains. " That they may wait upon the sanctuary and the children of Is rael," — Gov. " Wait on the sanctuary instead ofthe children of Israel," — Mat. " Wait to keep the sanctuary and to keep the children of Israel." — Cran. Bish. The Latin Vulg. has;— "Hav ing the custody of the sanctuary in the midst of the sons of Israel." The idea is undoubtedly that of a charge allotted to Moses and Aaron and his sons, which would otherwise have devolved upon the Israelites as a body. V. 39. Moses and Aaron. The reader of the original Hebrew will observe that there are in this place a number of ex tra diacritical points over the word Aaron, which doubtless have some pe culiar significancy, but what they indi cate it is not possible to ascertain with certainty. Some of the Rabbinical wri ters say it is to denote that Aaron him self was not embraced in the numbering of the tribe ; but as we find no reason given for this opinion, it can pass for nothing more than a conjecture, al though it may be in itself true. J. H. Michaelis, in the notes to his inyaluable edition to the Heb. Bible, approves the 39 All ' that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the com mandment of the Lord, through out their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand. g c, 26, 62. suggestion of Hiller, who regards these points as a Masoretic symbol to indicate the absence of the entire word in other manuscripts; and accordingly it is act ually found wanting in the Samaritan, Codex, and in vs. 14, 16 of this chapter, Aaron is not named with Moses, Ken- nicott also observes that the word is omitted in the most ancient Hebrew manuscript in the Bodleian library. There are fifteen of these words in the whole Hebrew text, printed with dots over every letter, thus ]"ini!(S ve-aharon, whereas normally there should be but one dot over the whole word, If Twenty and two thousand. A diffi culty here arises from the fact that the sum total resulting from the enumera tion of the several families as given above is 22,300. Thus, Gershon, 7,500 Kohath 8,600 Merari, 6,200 22,800 The prevailing mode among commenta tors of reconciling the discrepancy is to suppose that the first-born qf the Le vites themselves were deducted from the gross, census of the tribe, and their number, if in proportion to the other tribes, would not have been far from three hundred. It would have come sufficiently near to it to warrant the present expression. By the fact of their being the first-born, they belonged to God of course (Ex. 13 : 2. 34 : 20), and could not be exchanged for the first- 48 NUMBERS. [B. C. 1490. born of other tribes, and substituted in their stead, as other Levites were. We know of no more probable solution than this, and yet it is not quite satisfactory, for why should the first-born be enu merated in the census of the several families and yet not counted in the ag gregate sum ? And why did God order all the males to be numbered, without at the same time making express ex ception of the first-bom ? Again, it is thought scarcely credible that out of 22,000 Levites there should have been no more than 300 first-bom. But to this it is suggested that those only were reputed the first-bom in this and the other tribes who were hom subsequent to the slaughter of the Egyptian first- bom, as it was from this date that the Lord claimed them as his own ; and on this supposition 300 may have been but a fair proportion. But after every ex planation the point must be left in some degree of uncertainty. Happily, it is not one ofany great importance, — It is worthy of notice, that the Levites were the fewest in number of any of the tribes, being but 22,000, whereas the least of the others had 32,600, and the greatest 74,400 ; and to make the dis parity still more striking, out of these 22,000 there were but 8,580 that were fit for service in the sanctuary (ch, 4 : 47, 48,) We may safely admit a provi dential ordering in this, for if this tribe had increased proportionally to the rest, there would have been more Levites by far than the first-born of all the tribes, Michaelis and Palfrey, in their peculiar mode of commenting on the Laws of Moses would make more of the follow ing suggestion than we are inclined to attribute to it. "The sacred authority was a balance in the commonwealth, which must not be suffered to become a preponderating weight. It furnished great advantages for political usurpa tion, if other circumstances should fa vor. Accordingly, it was most safely committed to that division of the peo ple, which was much the least for midable through its numerical force." {Palf. Leet,, Vol, I. p. 323.) We recog nize the leading drift of all these insti tutes as spiritual, and not political. We may here recapitulate, in brief compass, the principal items pertaining to the Levites, 1. Numbers, Gershonites, 7500. Kohathites, 8600, Merarites, 6200, 2, Position when encamped. Gershonites, behind westward, v, 23. Kohathites, southward, v. 29. Merarites, northward, v, 35, Moses and Aaron, in front east ward, V, 88, 3. Charges. Gershonites; the tent, coverings, veil, hanging of the court, etc, Kohathites; the ark, table, altar, and instruments of the sanctuary, Merarites ; the boards, bars, pillars, sockets, etc, 4. Special Prerogatives of Kohath, 1. Excelled in the multitude of fam- ihes, or chief fathers, having four, whereas each of his brethren had hut two, 2. Excelled in multitude of chil dren, having 8600, that is, 1100 more than his elder brother Gershon, and 2400 more than Merari, 8. Of him came Moses, "king in Jeshurun," Aaron the priest, and Miriam the prophetess. Thus all the priests were of this family. Ex, 6:18, 20. Num, 26 : 68, 59, 4, His families had the chief place • about the sanctuary, to -wit, the south quarter, next to B. C. 1490.] „ 40" And the Lord said unto Moses, Number* aU the first born of the males of the children of Israel, from a month old and upw8.rd, and take the number of their names. 41 And/ thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the Lord) instead of aU the first-born among Moses, Aaron, and the priests. ch.3:29. 6. They had chai^ ofthe most holy things -within the Tabernacle, as the ark, table, candlesticks, altar of incense, etc 6. Whereas the whole tribe of Levi had 48 cities allotted them in Canaan, Kohath's posterity had 23 of these ; the priests, 18 ; the other Kohathites, 10 : so that he had, as it were, a double portion, as mach as both his brethren. Josh. 21 : The Numbering of the First-born of Israel and the Substitution of the Le vites. V, 40. Number aU the first-born, etc. Heb, pekod, muster. If the idea is pre cisely that of numbering, it is not easy to see why it should be said in the next clause, " Take the number (mispar) of their names," This goes strongly to confirm our pre-vious suggestion on the subject. The object of this enumera tion was that their number and that of the Levites might be compared, so that the proper adjustment might be made between them. If From a month old and upward. This period is designated, because the first-bom males were to be a month old before their parents were bound to redeem them : if they died be fore, they were not to pay any thing for them. V, 41. And thou shall take the Levites CHAPTER in. 49 the children of Israel ; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Is rael. 42 And Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, aU the first-born among the children of Israel. 43 And aU the first-born for me. Heb. iji li, to or unto me. Chald, " Thou shalt bring near the Le vites before me," The expression in a previous passage, v, 12, "I have taken the Levites," denotes rather the di-vine purpose of taking, which was then communicated to Moses, whereas the language in this connection conveys a command to Moses to declare this pur pose to the people, and to have it exe cuted by actually making the exchange, If And the cattle of the Levites, etc. This does not imply that the cattle were actually to be sacrificed, or taken away fi-om the Levites, but simply that they should be accounted as the Lord's cat tle. They were to be considered as alienated, though still left on the hands of their former' owners. This is a very proper light in fact in which to view all our worldly possessions ; as really be longing to the Lord, but left in tmst with ns. V, 42, And Moses numbered — all the firstborn, etc. Heb, yiphkod, muster ed; on which see above. It will be ob served that it is not said that he num bered either the cattle, or the firstlings of the cattle, of the Levites, inasmuch as the exchange was not made by pre cisely substituting one for one, but was made in the gross, hy taking all the cattle of the Levites for all the firstlings of the Israelites' cattle, V. 43. And aU thi first-born males by the number of names, etc. The phrase- 60 NUMBERS. [B. C. 1490. males, by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thou sand two hundred and threescore and thirteen. 44 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 45 Take * the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel, and the cattle i- ver. 41, ology of the original is here again pecu liar from the use of the substantive verb to be (^iT'l va-yehi, was {were) which, as in V. 17 implies more than simply the fact of existence, namely, the making out to be, the ascertaining, or determining, for it is very seldom indeed that this verb is employed in the specification of numbers. The phrase " by the num ber of names "we suppose to refer to a list or census previously made, and as the subsequent term " numbered " is in the original a different word (ciT'lpS^ liphked'ehem, according to their mustered ones), the distinction between number ing and m-ustering, so completely lost sight of iu our English version, is still, we think, designed to be kept up, If Twenty and two thousand two hu-n- dred and threescore and thirteen. It is no doubt a circumstance well calculated to excite surprise, that out of a body of upwards of 600,000 men, reckoning from twenty years old and upward, there should not have been more than this number of first-born sons. Accord ingly, various solutions have been pro posed to account for the fact, Ains worth and others recognize in it a spe cial providence, designed to bring the first-born of Israel at large and the first-born of the Levites more upon a par in point of numbers. This is a pious suggestion which may be well of the Levites instead of their cattle ; and the Levites shall be mine : I am the Lord. 46 And for those that are to be redeemed ' of the two hun dred and threescore and thirteen of the first-born of the children of Israel, which are more '" than the Levites; 47 Thou shalt even take five " 1 Ex, 13, 13, c. IS. 15. t7. 6. e. 16, 16, m ver, 39..13, founded, although even in that case other considerations are not precluded ; as (1.) there may have been an unusu ally large proportion of female first born, which of course are not reckoned. (2,) It is probable that those only come into the count who were born subsequent to the slaughter of the Egyptian first- bom, which occurred a few months previously, and not those who were born before; fdr thus reads the law. Ex, 13 : 2, " Whatsoever openeth the womb (i, e, hereafter) both of man and beast shall be mine." The Redemption of the Supem/u- meraries. V. 45. Take the Levites, etc. That is, he was to take the two and twenty thou sand Levites above mentioned instead of so many first-bom. As for the cattle, they were not numbered as before re marked, but exchanged in the lump. If And the Levites shall be mine. Chald, " And the Levites shall minister before me." V. 46. And for those that are to be redeemed. Heb. lit. "And the redeem ed." But the participle in the Heb. has often the force of the future. Gr. " And the redemptions (or ransoms.") And so afterwards, vs. 48, 49, 51. V. 47. Thau shalt even take fi/ve shek els apiece. Heb, " Thou shalt take five. B. C. 1490.] CHAPTER ni. 61 shekels apiece by the poll ; after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them : (the shekel ° is twenty gerahs :) 48 And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd num ber of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons. 0 Ex. 30. 13. Lev. 27. 25. Ezet. 45. 12. five shekels." Tf By the poll. Heb. legulgoleth, by the head (lit. the skull.) Gr. hata kephal'en, by the head. This sum of five shekels becanie ever after the fixed price of redemption, as ap pears from ch. 18 : 16. This amount had recently (Lev. 27 : 6) been appoint ed as the valuation of a man-child from a month to five years old. As this was the least of the valuations, it showed that the Most High would burden his people as little as possible with the im positions he saw fit to lay npon them. The arrangement now ordained furnish ed the precedent of a permanent tax, intended to be laid on the first-bom in after times, as one of the perquisites of the priesthood, " In the first instance it could not have been onerous, the number of supernumeraries, on whom it was assessed, being so small, and the whole amount being probably levied on all the first-bom, since one bad no bet ter right than another to consider him self redeemed hy the substitution of a Levite in his place. Once established, the tax would be one likely to be cheer fully paid, both on account of the inter esting associations belonging to its ori ginal institution, and the happy circum stances under which a parent would be called on to pay it for his heir. On the one hand, it would furnish a perpetual revenue to the priesthood, considerable in amount ; while on the other it would come from those whose domestic ex penses were not yet such as to render 49 And Moses took the re demption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites : 50 Of the firstr-born of the children of Israel took he the money ; a thousand three hun dred and threescore and five it burdensome," — Palfrey. If The shekel is ^twenty gerahs. Or, twenty pence. The gerah was a piece of sil ver supposed to have weighed ahout 16 barley-grains, while the shekel weighed 320 grains. Concerning the shekel, see Note on Gen. 20 : 16, V. 48. And thou shalt give the money. Heb. keseph, the silver. This was but reasonable, inasmuch as the Levites being given to Aaron and his sons by the Lord (vs. 6, 7), the money that was paid to make up what was lacking in their proportion to the first-born of right belonged to them, If 'Where with the odd number of them is to be redeemed. Heb. " (The money) of the redeemed ofthe supernumeraries among them. Gr. " The redemptions (or ran soms) of those that are over." V. 49. Of tliem that were over a-nd above, etc. Heb. M-odephim, thai ex ceeded. The original word is the same that occurs in the preceding verses where the overplus of first-bom is men tioned. In these different verses it is variously rendered by "more than," " odd number," and " them that were over and above." The root ddaph, sig nifies to be superabundant or superfl-w- ous, to exceed. In the process of re demption the first-born were redeemed as far as their number would reach ; the rest, forming the excess over the Levites, were redeemed by money, V. 50. Of the first-bom. Heb. bekor, in the singular, whereas the Gr. ren- 52 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. shekels, after ' the shekel of the sanctuary : 51 And Moses gave ' the mo ney of them that were redeem ed, unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as'' the Lord commanded Moses. p ver. 46, 41. q ver 48. ders plurally Trapa ra>v -npoiTOTOKoiv, from the first-born (sons), as imply ing all. As to the precise manner in which this affair of the redemption of the first-born was conducted, it is not possible to speak with certainty. Some of the Jewish writers say it was done by lot, so many scrolls having inscribed on them " A son of Le-vi," and so many, " Five shekels ;" but the assertion rests probably upon conjecture or tradition, and cannot have authority with us at the present day. Still such may have been the method. Tf A thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels. Two hundred and seventy-three, which was the surplus number to be redeemed, multiplied by five gives just this total. V. 51. The money of them that were redeemed. Gr. " The silver, the re demptions (or ransoms) of them that were superfiuous (or over and above,") This was given to Aaron, because the Levites were given to him, v, 9, and when the requisite number of persons fell short, the deficiency was supplied by this redemption money. The re deeming men in this manner by silver foreshadowed a better redemption by Christ, the Lord, and is probably refer red to by the apostle Peter when be says (1 Pet, 1 : 18, 19), " Te know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, etc, but with the precious blood of Christ," Tf Ac cording to the word of the Lord. Heb, " According to the mouth of the Lord." Gr. " By the voice of the Lord." CHAPTER IV. AND the Lord spake unto Mo ses and unto Aaron, saying, 2 Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, 3 From " thirty years old and CHAPTER IV. The Duties of the respective Levitical Families in Connection with the Tdb- V. 2. Take the sum, etc. Heb. ndso eth rosh, take the head. See Note on ch, 1 : 2. Chald. " Receive the count (or reckoning) of the sons of Kohath ; " whose families stand foremost here, be cause they carried the holiest things. Of Kohath's pre-eminence, see Note on ch, 3 : 28. Though Gershon was the eldest, yet Kohath has the precedence by reason of the sanctity of his func tion, TT After their families, by the house of their fathers. See Note on ch, 1:2. V. 3. From thirty years old and up ward, even until fifty years old. Heb. " From the son of thirty years to the son of fifty years ; " of which phrase see Note on Gen, 5 : 32. All the commenta tors here advert to an apparent dis crepancy between this passage and ch. 8 : 24, where five-and-twenty is the age specified, and 1 Chron. 23 : 24. 2 Chron. 31 : 17. Ezra 3 : 8, where twenty is de signated as the age at which these ser vices were to commence. The Greek, with a view apparently to conciliate this passage with ch. 8 : 24, reads tmenty-jme instead of thirty, while Le Clerc sup poses that twenty-five in the latter place to be a wrong reading for thirty. But the intimation of error in the manu script is merely conjectural. The Jew ish writers, for the most part, in order B. 0. 1490.] CHAPTER IV. 53 upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to reconcile these various statements, maintain that Moses here speaks of entering upon their full ministration, which being laborious, involving the carrying the turden of the sanctuary, required the utmost vigor of body and discretion of mind; it therefore began at thirty. But in ch. 8 : 24 the age of twenty-five, they say, denotes the time when they entered npon the prelimi nary work of leaming the duties which they were afterwards to perform. Thus Maimonides says, " A sou of Levi com eth not into the court unto his service, until they have first taught him five years, as it is said Num. 8 : 24, /from five and twenty years old;' but where as it is said Num. 4:3, 'from thirty years old,' lo, five are for him to leam ; and he entereth not upon his service till he hath grown great (attained his full stature) and become a man ; as it is said. Num. 4 : 49, ' Every man accord ing to his service.' " Chasknni, anoth er rabbi, says moreover, "At twenty- five years old they entered all of them to do the lighter works, as to watch that no stranger came into the sanctu ary, etc. etc., and at thirty years of age they were in their strength, and did hear the sanctuary," etc. This solution is on the whole satisfactory, and the arrangement indicated continued till the time of David, who, near the close ofhis life, recognized the present ordi nance, 1 Chron. 23 : 3, but as the ser vice had then, when there was no taber nacle to carry, become lighter and the demand for them at the same time in creased, the period was fixed at twenty years instead of thirty. The following are the words of the sacred historian relative to that subject, 1 Chron. 23 : 24, 27. " These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, tbat did the work for the service ofthe house of the Lord, from the age of twenty years and upward. For Da vid said, The Lord God of Israel hath given rest unto His people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever : And also unto the Levites; they shall no morejparry the tabernacle, nor any ves sels of it for the service thereof. For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above." This would appear to have been done by divine direction, 1 Chron. 28 : 13, 19, in order that by beginning early to be instructed they might be the more fit at thirty to serve the Lord and his people. The age of thirty, therefore, became probably from this circumstance somewhat canonical for full induction into the priestly oflice, as we leam was the case with John the Baptist and with our Lord himself. . Tf Until fifty years old. At this period of life the strength and -vigor of man hood hegins somewhat to decay, and it was therefore ordered that they should be henceforth exempted from the harder kinds of service, but they still retained a lighter species of ministry about the tabernacle, of which see ch. 8 : 24, 27. "i All that enter into the host. Heb. kol bo letzdbd, every one that cometh to the army. "All that are meet for the war," — Cono. "AU that were able to war." — Mat. " All that are able to go forth to the war." — Gran. The term is military, but as it is spoken of the Le vites, the import is spiritual, denoting that kind of ministry or service which the priesthood was expected to perform, for which reason the Greek renders it pas eisporeuomenos leitourgein, every one that entereth in to liturgize, '\. e. to offi ciate sacerdotally. In v. 23, the origi nal phrase embracing this word is ren- B4 NUMBEES. [B. 0. 1490. to do the work in the taberna cle of the congregation. 4 This ' shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the " most holy things. 5 And when the camp setteth dered "to war the warfare," and this probably gave rise to the N. T. diction, in which the work of the ministry is called, 1 Tim. 1 : 18, " warring a good warfare," and where we find mention also of " fighting a good fight of faith," of "the weapons of our "warfare," of " good soldiers of Jesus Christ," etc. ; all which speak of the Christian life as a spiritual warfare. TT To do the work. Gr. panta ta erga, all the works. Chald. " To serve the service." Vulg. "To stand and to minister." This is exegetical of the warfare above men tioned as holy and spiritual. Accord ingly, the bishop's ofiice is called by Paul " a good work," 1 Tim. 3 : 1, as it is to " labor in the word and doctrine," 1 Tim. 5 : 17. Tf In the tabernacle of the congregation. Not precisely in the tabernacle, but about it, for none but the priests were allowed to enter with in. Tf {About) the most holy things. Heb. kodesh hakkodoshim, holiness of holinesses. This stands in the original in apposition with tabernacle, which is Called " most holy " from the holiness of the various utensils, etc. which it contained. See the usage ch. 3 : 28. 10 : 21, where " sanctuary " is the col lective name for all the sacred contents of which it was the receptacle, such as the ark of the covenant, the altar, the table of shew-bread, the candlestick, etc. " In the tabernacle of witness, which is most holy." — Gov. Mat. Bp. Patrick, however, suggests, with considerable show of probability, that the omission forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail '', and cover the ark ' of testimony with it ; 6 And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and d Ex. 26. 31. Ifl, 25, 7, Heb, 9, 3. 10. 20 25. 10-16. of the word " about " would give a pre ferable sense ;—" This shall be the ser- -vice of the sons of Kohath, etc. (even) the most holy things," the ark and its appurtenances, Comp. vs. 19, 20, in the latter of which it is called " the holy," and in the former " the holy of holies," as here. V. 5. And when tlie camp setteth for ward. Heb. bansaa, in the breaking or pulling up. See the term explained in the Note on ch, 2 : 17. " When the host breaketh up." — Cov. " When the host removeth." — Mat. The signal for set ting forward was the removal of the pillar of cloud, Tf Aaron shall come, and his sons. The express law prohib iting any one except the high-priest once a year, entering into the most holy place, which held good while the cloud rested on the tabernacle, must have ad mitted an exception when it was about to be taken up. Then the inferior priests might enter to prepare the sa cred vessels for removal. ^Tf Shall take down. Heb. Iioridu, shall cause to descend. Tf The covering veil. Heb. paroketh hamasok, that is, the veil that hung between the holy and most holy place, as described Ex. 26 : 31, where see Note. Gr. " shadowing veil." Heb, 9 : 3, " The second veil." It was made of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen. V. 6. And shall put thereon the cov ering of badger^ skins. As to the ma terial indicated by the term " badgers' skins," see Note on Ex. 25 : 5. Here the term does not mean the covering of B.C. 1490.] CHAPTER IV. 65 shall spread over it a cloth whol ly of blue, and shall put in the staves-' thereof. 7 And upon the table " of ' shew-bread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal : and the continual bread shall be thereon : 8 And they shall spread upon / 1 K. 8. 7, 8. g Ex. 25. 23-30. h Lev. 24, 6-«, badgers' skins made for the tabernacle, which was carried by the Gershonites (vs, 24, 25), but one made for the pur pose of concealing and sheltering the ark when it was carried. The proper rendering would therefore be, "And shall put thereon a covering of badgers' skins," as in v. 8. ^Tf Shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue. This was one among the "clothes of service" mentioned Ex, 31 : 10, on which see Note, This covering df bine, it seems, in the case of the ark, was put on over the coarser skin-covering, in order doubtless to invest that symbol with higher honor as a type of Christ, in whose heart was the divine law (Ps. 40 : 8), as the two tables were enshrined in tbe sacred chest. Rabbi Bechai in timates that this Sfae-colored cloth spread over the ark was an emblem of the skies which are spread as a curtain hetween us and the Majesty on high, Tf And shall put in the sta/oes there of. Heb, vesanmu badda-uv, a-nd adjust the staves thereof ; i. e. dispose them rightly under the covering, that they might be laid on their shoulders ; for the staves were never taken out of the rings, to which they were no doubt in some way fitted to prevent slipping. V. 7. And upon the table of shew- iread. Heb. shullian pSmim,, tlie table of faces, or of presence, instead of the them a cloth of scarlet, and cov er the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof. 9 And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candle stick ' of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snufi'-dish- es, and all the oil vessels there of, wherewith they minister unto it: i Ex. 26. 31-38. table of the bread of faces, or presence, of the, etc., of the import of which see Note on Ex. 25 : 30, where a full ex planation is given. Instead of blue the Sept, here renders by purple. As it is not said, like the other, to have been wliolly of blue, it was doubtless some thing of a different color. Tf And covers to cover w-itliol; or, Heb. "to pour out withal." Probably some kind of cups or goblets are intended, into which wine was poured. See on this point the Note ou Ex. 25 : 29. " Goblets and pots to pour with," — Bish. " Gob lets and cups to pour the libaments." — Dou. "Libation-vessels," — Gr. Tf The continual bread. That is, the bread which was to stand continually in the divine presence, the old being changed for new every sabbath. The Israelites were doubtless able to pro cure corn enough from the adjacent countries, even when in the wilder ness, to make the shew-bread and to present the daily meal-offerings. The land of Midian, where Moses' father-in- law dwelt, was not far distant. V. 8. Shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet. Of the import of the origi nal for " scarlet," see Note on Ex. 25 : 4. The ark only and the table of shew- bread had three coverings ; the rest of the sacred utensils had but two. None but the table had a covering of scarlet. 56 NUMBERS. [B. C. 1490. 10 And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon a bar. , 11 And upon the golden al tar * they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a cover ing of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof : 12 And they shall take all Of the various minor articles specified in these verses, see a minute explana tion in the Notes on Ex, 25, throughout. V, 10. And shall put it upon a bar. Heb. al hammot, upon a bar, lever, or bier. The original is a different word from that employed to denote the staves inserted in rings, and implies some kind of hand-vehicle carried between two. It is the word used ch, 18 : 23, to denote the instrument of carriage on which the grapes were borne by the spies, though there translated staff. V, 12. AU the instrwments of minis try. By these are probably to be un derstood the various utensils or vessels not elsewhere particularly specified, such as are spoken of 2 Kings 25 : 14, 15, among the different articles enume rated as being carried away from the temple at Jerusalem to Babylon. V. 13. Sliall take ajway the ashes from the altar. That is, from the brazen altar, or altar of sacrifice, which stood in the court, and of which the ashes were to be often cleansed ; but espe cially upon removals. Tf Spread a pu-rple cloth thereon. The brazen altar only was covered -with purple, as the table only was -with scarlet, v. 8. It was probably owing to the large infii- sion of red that these colors were occa sionally used interchangeably for each other. Thus Mat, 27 : 28, " They put on him a scarlet robe ; " for which in the instruments ' of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put them on a bar : 13 And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth there on : I Ex, 25. 9. 1 Chr. 9. 29, John 19 : 2, we read, " They put on him a purple robe," So also Mark 15 : 17, "They clothed him with ^?yfe," Some have supposed that purple was employ ed in this instance as a color that would naturally be formed by afire smothered in blue, and infer that the sacred fire, which was to be kept always burning, and of which nothing is expressly said in this connection, was in fact carried on the depressed or concave grate of the altar, where it might be covered over with some kind' of lid, and still leave the upper surface of the altar even. But we consider it after all as doubtful whether the injunction respecting the continual burning of the altar-fire (Lev. 6 : 13) is to be so strictly construed as to forbid the supposition that it might go out during the actual joumeyings of the people, and be rekindled again from heaven, as at first, when they became stationary, and so resumed their daily worship. The law of the daily sacrifices (Ex, 29 : 38) was equally express as to its being perpetually observed, and yet the observance was no doubt occasion ally interrupted during their marches. Should we be satisfied that the holy fire had at any time disappeared or gone wholly out, still we do not perceive that this would any more have affected its legal perpetuity, than would circumci sion cease to be a sacramental or cove nant sign because it was dropped for a B.C. 1490.] CHAPTER IV. 57 14 And they shaU put up on it aU the vessels " thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the flesh- hooks, and the shovels, and the basons, aU the vessels of the altar ; and they shaU spread upon it a covering of badgers' m Ex. 3S, 3. 2 Chr, 4. 19, course of years in the wilderness. They were both of divine appointment, and both ordained to be of lasting perpetui ty, but both, we suppose, might tempo rarily lapse without doing away the grounds of the language implying such perpetuity. An occasional exception does not destroy a general rule, V, 14. Censers. This word is render ed by " fiire-pans," Ex. 27 : 3, on which see Xote. — It is remarkable that Moses says nothing in this connection respect ing the Laver, which was one of fhe principal of the sacred vessels. The omission is supplied in the Greek ver sion, as at the end of this verse it reads, "And they shall take a purple cloth, and cover the Laver and his base (foot), and they shall pat it into a blue cover of skin, and put it on bars." Upon what authority this addition rests is not known. Capellus, Grotius, and Houbi- gant, however, agree in supposing that this clause has in some way slipped out of the Masoretic copies of the Hebrew text, and with them Hosemnuller is dis posed to coincide. The fact is certainly somewhat singular, when elsewhere the Laver is especially enumerated among the other articles here spoken of. In the absence of any satisfactory light on the point, we may perhaps safely give some weight to the pious snggestion of Ainsworth that the Laver is not men tioned because it was not to be covered, as were all the other sacred things here skins, and put to the staves of it. 15 And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of cover ing the sanctuary, and aU the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward ; after that, the sons of Kohath ° shaU fic7. 9. 10,21. Deat. 31. 9. Jtsfa, 4. 10, 2 Sam. 6, 13, 1 Chr, 15, 2, 15. specified, " It may be conjectured that the Laver is left uncovered and always open to the eyes of the people, that it might be a lively representation of God's " grace in Christ, continued and ojiened as an ever-springing fountain ; "that by the washing of the new birth, by re pentance and faith in this blood, we may in all our travels, at all times, cleanse our hands and feet (our works and ways), as the sacrifices did from the Laver, Ex, 30 : 19, 20 ; that alheit the face ofthe church is someiimes hid fas the tabernacle wrapped up), and the Ught of the Word shineth not, nor public worship performed, yet always God's elect having faith in him may wash and purge themselves in Christ's blood unto forgiveness of 5in5, sanctl fication of the spirit, and salvation," V, 15, Save made an end of covering the sarictuary. Heb, haklMdesh, tlve sanctity or holiness. Gr, ta hagia, the holy thirige. See v. -4, also ch, 3:23, We may safely recognize a spiritual im port in this veiling from the public eye of Israel the holy things of their econ omy. As Moses' covering his face with a veil denoted that "the children of Is rael could not steadfastly look to the end (i. e. the scope or drift; of that which is abolished," or, in other words, were in competent to grasp its typical signifi cancy, so the Tabernacle in like manner and for a like reason was folded np and shrouded -with veils andcovering:s from 58 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. come to bear it : but they shall not touch " any holy thing, lest they die^. These' things are o 2 Sam. S. 6, 7. 1 Chr. 13. 9, 10. p Heb. 12. 29. g c. 3. 31. the burden of the sons of Ko hath in the tabernacle of the congregation. the gaze of the people. They were not in a state to penetrate its mysteries to their spiritual good, and therefore the sight was precluded. But the end and accomplishment of these types we are now enabled, by the light of the Gos pel, to discern, even " the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the command ment of the everlasting God, made known to aU nations for the obedience of faith," Accordingly in the Apoca- h'ptic vision we have God's Throne and the true Tabernacle set forth in all their unveiled glory, Eev, 4 : 2, etc. So also Eev, 11: 19, "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testa ment," TT But they shall not touch any holy things. Heb, hakl:odesh, the sanctity. Gr, ta hagia, the holy things, implying the totality of the sacred things. It does not mean the taberna cle particularly, having, if any thing, a more especial reference to the ark of the covenant, which was the heart and core of the whole typical establishment, to which it belonged, A comparison of the following passages wiU show conclusively the soundness of this con struction, 1 Kings 8:8, "And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy (place") According to the Heb, it is •min hakkodesh, from the holy, i, e, pro jecting out from the holy. The parallel text, 2 Chron, 5 : 9, has it thus : — " And they drew out the staves (of the ark), that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark (Heb. min luiiiron, from. the ark.") The prohibition now utter ed was of equivalent bearing with that respecting Mount Sinai, which, by rea son of the divine presence associated with it at the time, might not be touch ed upon pain of death, Ex. 19 : 12. Heb. 12 : 13. The meaning is, that they were not to touch the things themselves that were covered, although in order to car ry them they must of course touch the staves. These, we may suppose, were sometimes, during the transportation, held in their hands, and sometimes home on their shoulders, as they be came fatigued with one or the other mode. Tl Lest they die. Heb. vd- m'ethu, and they die. Chald. and Gr. " That they may not die." The " not" in this kind of phraseology is some times inserted, and sometimes omitted. The judgment here threatened was exe cuted upon Uzzah, a Levite, who for putting forth his hand to steady the ark was immediately smitten of God and died, 1 Chron, 13 : 10. "i Tliese (things) are the burden of the sons of Kohath. Gr, tauta arousin, they shall bear these things, implying upon their own shoulders, and not by means of wagons or any other mode of convey ance. This was clearly the general province of the sons of Kohath, as a part of the Levitical order contradis tinguished from the priests. But judg ing from several portions of the subse quent history, it does not appear that this arrangement was of such in-riolahle sanctity as never to be infringed upon, for the following passages have only to be consulted to make it evident that the priests did, on particular occasions, assume the office of the Levites in hear- B.C. 1490.] CHAPTER IT. 59 16 And to the office of Elea- ' of aU the tabernacle, and of zar, the son of Aaron the priest, aU that therein is, in the sane- pertaineth the oil "¦ for the light, tuary, and in the vessels there- and the sweet ' incense, and the o£ daily m^it-offering ', and the i 17 And the Lobd spake un- anointing oil', and the oversight 1 to Moses and unto .Aaron, say- r Ex. S. «. I^cl 2*. 4... ¦ Ex- sa. 2S. I ing ihe ark. Dent 31 : 9. Josh. o:Z. , bowls, or lamp-sconces. The Jewish 1 Chron. 15 : 12, 15. It was nndonbt- j writers say that the four following edly fitting in itself that the most wor- ¦ things were to be carried by Eleazar thy things should be handled by the himself to wit, " The oil of the light most worthy persons, provided their - and the oil of anointing, the one in his numbers were snch as would enable ' ri^t hand and the other in his left; &em to do it. But as this was not the ' and the incense in his bosom, and the case at the outset of the Jewish polity, \ meat-ofiering on his shoulder." the burden was devolved upon an in- \ ^ Ar,-! the daily meat-off&'irtg. Heb. ferior dass, to which it was mainly, i minduith hattimiA, the moA (meal) though not exclusively, confined in all (offering rf ihe continual. "" The after times. David's serring the ark '• ocenigit of dU the tiAemade. Heb. on a cart (2 Sam. 6 : 13. 1 Chron. 13 : T) i peiuddath, the same word which in was his infinnitr, for he afterwards the beginning of fhe verse is trans- ct.nJesses (1 Chron. 15 : 1-3) that " the j Iated " office." 1 la the lanetuary. L.jrd OUT God made a breach npon as, Heb. b-iko-iah, in the earietUg, or holi- for that we sought him not after the I n^; that 15, in regard to the holiness, doe order."" But his error being cor- by which is meant especially the art of rected in this matter, he snbseqnently ; the covenant, fhe holiest of the holy returned to flie primitive order, causing j things. " Sancmarr " here is evidently the priests and the Levites to " s^mctify | something distinct from **tabeniacle," themselves i.j bring np the ait of the ; as otherwise we have a mere repetition. Lord God of Israel" '1 Chron. 15 : 13 i, *" In tie Tei*-:U thereof. That is, in regard to the vessels thereof; by which is meant the vessels pertaining to the tabemade and not to the sanctuary. The remarks of Ainsworth on the typi cal purport of all this are very appro priate : — "In this office Bishop Eleazar was a figure of Christ, * the Bishop of onr souls' '1 Pet. 2 : 2,? , unto -whom it which it would seem they did jointly, T?.e C^-ye of Ele'12'ir. V. 16, Aniiofhi r^meeof EUiizar ( pertain^h) ihe oU, etc Lit "And the office (Heb. petnddath, eliorge, onr- iri';}J.. tirif.jli'in,) was the oil, etc." Gr. ** And Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was ' pertaineth to give grace (the oil of the overseer (epUeopos, bishop') — his over- ] Spirit) for tmdastanding the Scrip- sight I tpiseijpi, bkhoprif} was the oil," \ tnres (Lute 4:13, 24 : 45. John 1 : 16) ; etc. The iise of these ecclesiastical ' to ptrt odors of sweet incense, to the temis helps us to apprehend the spirit- prayas of all saints by his mediation nal import whieh runs through the .Rev, 5:3. 1 Tim. 2: -5); to present his ¦^iKJLe. •" The oil for th-: light: that Chnreh as a pure meat (meal) ofiering is, fi)r the golden candlestict with its i and sacriics unto his Father (Eph. 5 : 60 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. 18 Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohath ites from among the Levites : 19 But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most " holy things : Aaron and 26, 27, 1 Cor, 5:7); to give the anoint ing oil of the Holy Ghost for our sanctl fication and the rejoicing of our hearts (John 7 : 39, 1 John 2: 27); to oversee all churches and ministers, and all ac tions in churches where he is present and walks among them till the world's end. Matt. 25 : 10. Eev. 1 : 13, 2:1, 2, etc." A Special Charge to Moses and Aaron. V, 18, Out ye not off, etc. Heb. al takrttitu, cause ye not to be cut off. Gr, mi olothreusate, destroy not. That is, be carefiil lest by your negligence the peo ple give way to vain curiosity, and thus expose themselves to be cut ofi" by a di- -vine interposition, as happened in the case of Xadab and Abihu, The practi cal lesson taught in these words is a very solemn one, to wit, that we our selves become chargeable with those judgments which befall our feUow-men through our procurement, which axe occasioned by our heedlessness or neg lect, "Those who do not what they can to keep others from sin, do what they can to cut them ofi"," — Sen-ry. Tj The tribe of the families of the Ko hathites. Gr, "Te shall not destroy of the tribe the family of Kaath," The form of the expression in the original is peculiar, and would indicate that the word " tribe " is here to be taken in a more restricted sense than usual, as equivalent to stock. The whole of the Levites properly constituted -a tribe, and yet in this instance we read of a his sons shaU go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden : 20 But they shaU not go in to " see when the holy things are covered, lest they die. to Ex, 19. 21. Lev. 10. 2. 1 Sam 6. 19. tribe being cut off "from among the Levites," showing clearly that it must bear a narrower sense than it ordinarily does. V. 19. That they may live and not die. On the import of this phrase see Xote on Deut. 33 : 6. The Targum of Jonathan thus expounds it: — "That they may live in the life of the right eous, and not die with flaming fire," iu reference to Lev. 10 : 2, Tf Appoint them every one to his service, etc. Heb. ** Place or put them man, man, upon his service and upon his burden ; " so that all disorder and confusion of ser vice might be avoided, Maimonides says, " The Levites are to be warned that they do not each other's work, as that the singer help not to do the por ter's work, nor the porter the singer's ; as it is written. Every man unto his ser vice and his burden. The Le-rites that do the priest's service, or a Levite that employeth himself in that work which is not his own, are in danger of death by the hand of God," V, 20. Tliey shall not go in to see. So also in Ex, 19 : 21, the people were charged not to "break through unto the Lord fogaze," and the men of Beth- shemesh, because they " looked into the ark of the Lord," were smitten to the number of upwards of 50,000 men, 1 Sam. 6:19, The real internal ground of this prohibition is the contrariety of state between a holy God and sinful men. As their minds were incapable of perceiving the sacred mysteries couch- B. C. 1490.] CHAPTER rv. 61 21 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 22 Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the ed under the symbols, so it was fitting that the symbols themselves shonld be witbholdenfi^m their eyes. TF When the holy things are covered. Heb. Jprs keballa, as the swallowing up ; a pecu liar phraseology, of which the true im port is not very easy to be determined. The general usage of the term may be judged of from the foUotving instances : Ch, 16: SO, "But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up," etc. Job 20 : 15, " He hath swallowed down rich es," Ex, 7 : 12, "But Aaron's roiswal- lowed up their rods," Ps, 106 : 17, "And the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan." Job 7 : 19, " How long -wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spit tle ? " In other cases it is rendered by devour, destroy, and spend. Its general purport is that of (Asorbi-ng, and thence i&olishing, making way with, and caus ing suddenly to disappear. It is no where else rendered by cover except in the present passage, though that sense is somewhat countenanced by the ver sion of Onkelos, " "WTiile they cover the sacred vessels," and by the Svriac and the Arabic, " "When the holy is cover ed," Tet for reasons soon to be given we doubt if this is the true sense, and Michaelis in his "Supplement to the Hebrew Lexicons" (sub voce -";:) says this sense is unknown to all orient al tongues, Gesenius intimates tbat the expression may perhaps be eluci dated ft^m the phraseology in Job, " till I have swallowed my spittle," i, e, for a moment's time, a proverbial mode of speech in vogue among the Arabs, According to this the sense would be. houses of their fathers, by their famiUes ; 23 From thirty" years old " They shall not see, for one moment, the holy things." But the true render ing we take to be this : — " They shall not go in to see, as it were, to swallow, the holy things ;" i. e, they shall not pre sume to gratify themselves-with a hasty view, with a quick and fiirtive glance, as if they would' swallow the objects with their eyes. Thetwo ideas of sjcai- lowing and of suddenness are obviously included in the expression, and this is corroborated by the Greek, " They shall by no means go in to look suddenly upon the holy things, and die." The concealment thus enjoined plainly point ed to the darkness of that dispensation. " That which is now brought to light by the gospel, and revealed to babes, was then hid from the wise and pru dent. They saw only the coverings, not the holy things themselves; but now Christ has ' destroyed the face of the covering,' " — Senry. The Mustering and the Charge of the Gershonite.s. V. 22. Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon. The literal rendering of the Heb. is here preferable : — " Take the sum of the sons of Gershon, of them also ;" implying that although tbe Ko hathites (the sons of the second bro ther) were first numbered, because they were to carry the holiest things, yet the Lord would not overlook the other fam- I ilies nor permit their ministry to be j discharged any more irregularly. They I also were to be carefully enumerated and assigned their particular charges. V, 23, Shalt thou number them. Heb. tiphiod, shall thou muster. Gr, episk^- sai, survey. Ti All that enter in to 62 NUMBERS. [B. C. 1490. and upward until fifty years old, shalt thou number them ; all that enter in to perform the ser vice, to do the work in the tab ernacle of the congregation. 24 This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens. 25 And ¦' they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congrega tion, his covering, and the cov ering of the badgers' skins ' that If c. 3. 25, 26, E Ex, 26, 14. perform the service. Heb. litzbo tzaba, to war tlie warfare. Gr. leitourgein, to I'lti/rgize, i. e. to minister sacerdotally. Vulg. Qui ingrediuntur et ministrant in tabernaculo fcederis, all who go in and minister in the tabernacle of covenant. " All that are meet for the war to have an ofiice in the tabernacle of witness." — Cov. "All that are able to go forth in war, for to do service in the tabernacle." —Mat. See Note on v. 3. TT To do the work. " To serve the service." — Ains. This is doubtless exegetical or explanatory of the "warfare" just be fore mentioned. A succeeding phrase in this manner is often inserted with the express design of elucidating a pre ceding one. V. 24. This is the service, etc. Gr. leitourgia, liturgy, i. e. sacred ministry. "j To serve, and for burdens. A definite distinction is undoubtedly to be understood here between service and burden, the former refening to their ministry in the Tabemacle while it stood, in which they assisted the priests, and also took down and set up the sa cred structure (ch. 10:21); and the latter denoting their carrying the edi fice and its furniture, when it was to be removed. V. 25. Shall bear the curtains of the is above upon it, and the hang ing for the door of the taberna cle of the congregation. 26 And the hangings " of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabemacle, and by the altar round about, and their cords ', and all the instru ments of their service, and all that is made for them : so shaU they serve. 27 At the appointment of tabernacle. That is, the ten fine cur tains that formed the inward hangings of the Tabemacle (Ex. 26 : 1, 2, etc.). As nothing is said of Aaron or his sons being employed to take them down and make them ready for carriage, it may be presumed that all this was done by the Gershonites. The foregoing prohi bition did not include the curtains of the Tabemacle. TF And the tabema cle. Not the boards, the framework, of the Tabemacle, which fell to the charge of the Merarites (v. 31), but the eleven curtains of goats' hair which covered the boards, and which are here called collectively the Tabemacle (Ex. 26 : 7, 8, etc.). See Notes on ch. 3 : 25, 26. V. 26. And all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them. Or perhaps more correctly, " All that is to be done by them." Gr, " All the vessels of service that they minister with they shall attend to," "All the instraments that serve for them, and all that belongeth to their occupying," — Cov. " All the instraments that serve unto them, and all that is made for them," — Mat. It is not easy to fix the precise shade of meaning intended, V. 27. At the appointment of Aaron, etc. Heb. al pi, at the mouth. Chald. "At the word." TF In all their bur- B. C. 1490.] CHAPTER IV. 63 Aaron and his sons shaU be aU the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their bur dens, and in all their service : and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens. 28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congre gation; and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar ', the son of Aaron the priest. 29 As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their famUies, by the house of their fathers ; 30 From thirty'' years old dens, and in all their service. Bather, "as to ail their burdens, and as ^ all their service." Gr, According to all their ministrations, and according to all their works," TF And ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens. Heb, pekadtem, the same word which is elsewhere rendered num ber, and which we have for the most part rendered muster, denoting not so strictly enumeration as arrangement, marshalling, etc. See Note on ch. 1 : 3. Gr, " Thou shalt take account of them (Gr, episkepse) by name in all their works," as in v, 32, The original ren dered " in charge " (Jbemishmeretli) de notes literally m or with observation, and may be understood of the care, dil igence, and exactitude with which the appointments of Aaron and his sons were to be carried out relative to the Gershonites and their functions. V, 28. This is tlie senyice. Gr, leitour gia, liturgy. "i And their charge. Or, their observation, their custody, TF U?ider the hand. That is, under the government and direction. So in v, 33. and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. 31 And this ' is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle ofthe congregation : the-'' boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pUlars thereof, and sockets thereof, 32 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instru ments*, and with aU their ser- « c 3. 36, 37. / Ex. 26, 15, J Ex, 25, 9, The Mustering and the Charge of the Merarites. V, 29, Thou shalt nuniber. Heb. rinci];jal there of. Heb. herosho, in his head, i. e. with the sum total in all its items, every whit. See Xote on ch. 1:2, on the peculiar use of " head " in the sense of sum. ^ Aiul add unto it tlie fifth part theruf. See the Xotes on Lev. 6 : 4, 5. This penalty was enjoined both as a compensation to the injured party for being deprived of the use of his property for a longer or shoner time, and as a proper though mild punish ment to the offender, with a view to pre vent the recurrence of similar wrongs. It is enacted in Ex. 2ii : 1, that "If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it ; he shaU restore five oxen for an ox, ^.nd four sheep for a sheep." But in this instance the law evidently contemplates the case of a high-handed and wilful act of theft, where the perpetrator is convicted by legal process, and not by his own con fession, of the crime ; whereas, in the passage before us, the fraudulent act is regarded as of milder form, and is ex tenuated by the voluntary confession of the guilty party. T. 8. Bvi if the Tnan have no hins- pensed unto the Lord, even to the priest; beside the ram of the atonement, -whereby an atonement shall be made for him. 9 And every oflering of all man. Heb. goel, redeemer. On the im port of this term, see Xote on Gten. 9 : 5. It denotes the person who, according to oriental custom, assumes the office of redeemer, avenger, and general agent in behalf of one who is deceased. On this ground the Hebrews apply this law mainly to the stranger, supposing there would not be apt to be any one in Israel without kinsmen of some kind, either parent, brother, child, or other relative; "but this," says Jarchi and Maimonides, " is meRnt of the stranger that dieth and leaveth no heirs." ^ Let the trespass be recompensed unto the Zord, even unto tJie priest. The Lord and the priest are here, as it were, identified, from the fact that the priest was the Lord's representative or depu ty, acting on his behalf and in his name. The case contemplated is where the man to whom an injury had been done was dead, and he who had committed it was required to make satisfaction to his heir, if he had ohe, by restoring the principal and adding a fifth part to it. In case he had no heir and no kinsman to act the part of a Goel, the restoration was to be made to the Lord, in the per son of his representative the priest, though Jewish writers say, with much plausibility, that it was afterwards equally distributed among all the priests who were then serving in their course. ^. Bc-iide tlie ram of atonement. Comp. Lev. 6 : 6, 7. The guilty party had offended both Grod and man by his tres pass. By restitution he was to satisfy the latter, and by atonement the former. V. 9, Ecei^y offering. Heb. ierumahy B. 0. 1490.] CHAPTER V. 71 the holy things of the children ' any man giveth the priest, it of Israel, which they hring unto shall be his. the priest, shall ' be his. 10 And every man's hallowed things shall be his : whatsoever i Er. S. ss. Lev, 8, IT, IS. 7.S-14. r. 18.8,9,19, Dnit. :l.3,.L Eiek, 44. 3, W. MjO-S-S-IO, 1 Ocr, 9l ij. 11 And the Lohd spake nnto Moses, sajring,* 12 Speak nnto the children of Israel, and say unto them. If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him, heave-offering, taken here in a large sense so as to include the wave-offering, both which, according to Ex. 29 : 26-aj, fell to the portion of Aaron. Chald. '• Separation, or separated thing." Gr. " And every first-frnit according to all the hallowed things." 1 'Which they j irin^ unto the priest. Heb. yakribu, bring near, cz-jse to abroach, i e. bv way of religions offering. As before remarked, it was offered to flie Lord in the person ofthe priest. Comp, ch. 13, Gr. " Whatsoever fliey shall offer to the Lord, to tbe priest to bim shall it be." T ShaU be his. That is, his who officiates as offerer at the time. Compare with this what is said abont the provision for the priests, Ezek, 44 : -S— 3i>, "I am iheirinheritance: andve shall g^re them no possession in Israel : I am their possession. They shall eat the meatK>ffeiing, and the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering; and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. And flie first of all the first-finits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of yonr oblations, shall he the priest's : ye shall also give nnto the priest the first of yonr dongh, that he may caose the blessing to rest in thine boose." These verses appear to have no specially intimate connection with the forgoing, but having spoken of a recompense to be made under certain circnmstances to the prist, he takes ' occasion to deliver some other laws in | which the priests were concerned. 'i V. 10. Every man's hallowed thirigs I shaU le his. That is, every man's hal lowed things are to he considered, in the first instance, as being his own, and subject to his own voluntary disposal; but when he has determined to make a present of any of them to the Lord, then they fall to the share of that priest into whose hand it is delivered, who is to consider it his. The former verse speaks of the holy things of the cbildren of Is rael in general, this of what any partic ular person bestowed upon a priest. The Trial of Jeodaasy. V. 12. If any man's wife go aside. Heb, ish, ish, a man, a man, that is, as rightly rendered, the wife of any man — a not unusual Hebrew idiom. Adidtery was a crime expressly forbidden bj-the seventh commandment, and the punish ment assigned hy the law to both the adulterer and the adulteress was death by stoning, when the commission of the crime was discovered. But sometimes the crime might be suspiected, and a spirit of jealousy, with or without just cause, might come over the mind of the hosband. In snch a case express pro vision was made, by this law, for de termining the gtiilt or innocence of the wife; and although God might have declared her innocence or guilt at once, yet he chose that it should assume the form of a public trial, that the attention ofthe people might be the more called, both to the crime of adultery, as also to his own presence and active agency iu jhe administration of the law he had 72 NUMBERS. [B.C. 1490 given them. The connection of this enactment with the preceding is not very obvious, but it may be that inas much as the precedmg verses allude to various kinds of frauds, this may be in troduced here as the most aggravated form of that iniquity wbich a man could have practised upon him. The law in itself is one of the most remarkable of all the Mosaic institutes. It goes on the assumption that as the Lord is the author of marriage, so he wilLsho w him self the revenger of the breach of it ; and it would nattu-ally carry with it, so far as the predicted results ensued, indu bitable evidence of miraculous agency, and consequently afford fuU proof of the divinity of its origin ; and if this par ticular law were divine, it could not well fail to make out the same character for the whole system. Here is a crime threatened with a punishment wbich could only fall upon it through a special divine interposition, and such a fact would establish a permanent supernat ural administration of the affairs of the Jewish nation. It is one of the earliest specimens on record of what is termed tlm trial by ordeal. Ordeal (Lat, orda- lium) is plausibly supposed to be de rived from the Saxon ordal or ordel, compounded of or, great, and dcel, judg ment, implying the greatest, -most sol emn, and decisive mode of judgment. It always implied an appeal to the im- i.,ediate interposition of God, and was therefore resorted to only in momen tous cases, where there was no sufiicient evidence whereby accused parties could be convicted of guilt. Such were the cases of jealousy described in this chap ter, " Cases would frequently occur," says Mr, Kitto, "where the husband might suspect adultery without being able to prove it, and in that case, the man and wife could not fail to live mis erably together, or else the man would feel inclined to act on his own impres sions, and fake the law into his own hands. To meet such a case, a trial was instituted, by which the innocence or guilt of a suspected wife might be established beyond question. The trial of a case of only suspected guilt, and incapable of proof, could not be other than an ordeal; and no one who pays attention to this awfnl process can doubt that it must have had a powerful effect for the intended purpose, or believe that any really guilty woman conld go through it and brave its results. It must have been an awful thing even fo the innocent, who knew that the result would clear their character from suspi cion ; and this was perhaps intended in order that their conduct might not only be free from actual guilt, but that they might avoid all conduct calculated to give cause for suspicion. We read no instance in which the trial took place; and if the administration of the ordeal were really infrequent, we may regard that as an evidence of its prac tical utility. For it would seem that the trial and its result were so dreadfiil, that the guilty rather confessed their crime, as they were earnestly exhorted to do, than go through it. The inno cent only would then drink the bitter water; and as it produced no marked effect upon them, this may have led to the gradual disuse of the trial, under the impression that it had ceased to be operative. The Jews, however, say that this form of trial continued in use till towards the latter end ofthe second temple ; for they were of opinion that the bitter water would have no effect if the husband himself were guilty of a similar crime; and they add that the adulteries of men became so common, tbat the ordeal ceased to distinguish the guilty woman from the innocent." — Fict. Bible. Although there is good reason to believe, with Spencer, that the ordeal, as a purgation of crime, ex- B.C. 1490.] CHAPTER y. 73 13 And a man * lie with her carnali;f, and it be hid from the eyes of her husLand, and be kept isted in the customs of heathen nations prior to its enactment among the Jews, yet it is probable that this appointment embodied in a divine code has served as an authority, or rather as a prece dent, for various similar usages which have prevailed in later times for the de tection of crimes, such as witchcraft, for instance, of which it was impossible to produce satisfactory proo£ "Wehave grounds for abundant gratitude, that under the milder dispensation in which our lot is cast, no such direct appeals to a divine decision find a warrant. V. 13. An>d a man Ue with her carrtol- ly. Heb. " A man lie with her (with) the lying of seed." 1[ And he kept dose. Heb. mrc: nisterahj she hath heen hidden, or, aded mysteriously y has mystified. Concealment, mystery, is the leading idea, and in fact the very word mystery is supposed to be derived from the root of the original Hebrew mth/ir^ to hide, to conceal. It has evidently a close relation with mistory a hiding- place, formed directly from the above root by prefixing G = m, ^ And tliere he no witness against Tier. For if there were, she must have been punish ed by being put to death. See the law Lev. 18 : 20 and 20 : 10. The remark may here be made, that the case described in this verse is not to be considered as actual, but hypotheticalj that is, the husband has some reason to suspect that his wife has gone aside ; she has gone aside in his opinion ; for it is clear from the context that he had no proof of it, nor indeed does the law seem intended for unequivocal cases, as in all such cases the punishment was death, as just observed ; and it is a saying of the He- Irew doctors ^ha^; " the bitter waters are 4 close, and she be defiled, and there he no witness against her, neither she be taken vnth the manner : never used except in doubtful cases." The ensuing verse makes it evident that the man is .harboring a suspicion which may oi* not be well founded. In this state of suspense he is directed what to do. T[ JSeither she he taken (with the manner.) The concluding phrase " with the manner" conveys no intelli gible s«ise as the words are now un derstood. They might be omitted with out any apparent detriment to the sense. It is in fact a peculiar idiomatic phrase occurring in the older English writers, and now almost wholly obsolete, except iu law documents, to which it originally and properly belongs. It is equivalent to being taken in the act. Johnson, in his Dictionary, under the word " man ner," gives a definition almost identical with that of Blackstone, who says of certain methods of prosecution, that " one was when a thief was taken tcith the -mainour, that is, with the thing stolen upon him in jnanu, in his hand." "Mainour," it seems, was the ancient spelling, which Blackstone says comes from the French mainc&wvre, a manu, and this gradually became changed into 7nani^r, and then into maTi/ner. Whi- shaw*s "Law Dictionary" has the fol lowing : — " ilixyEE (from the Fr, m^a- nier or maiTier, L e. Tnanu tractare.) To be taken with the manier, is where a thief, having stolen any thing, is taken with the same about him, as it were in his hands ; which is called flagrante delicto." So in "Nares* Glossary," which contains the fullest exhibition of the usage of the phrase, it is said, " To be taken wUh or in the manner, is to be caught in a criminal fact ; originally in a theft with the thing stolen in hand." To the above, we may add the follow- 74 NUMBEES. [B. 0. 1490. 14 And the spirit of jealousy' come upon Mm, and he be jeal ous of his wife, and she be de- / Prov. 6. 34, 35. Cant. 8. 6. Zeph. 3.-8. ing from "Junius' Letters" (Let, 68), which goes to confirm all that is said above, " It is worth the reader's atten tion to observe how nearly, in the ideas of our ancestors, the circumstance of 'being taken with the manor" ap proached to the conviction of the felon. It fixed the authoritative stamp of veri similitude upon the accusation ; and by the common law, when a thief was taken with the maner (that is, with the things stolen upon him in manu) he might, so detected fiagrante delicto, be brought into court, arraigned and tried without indictment ; as by the Danish law, he might be taken and hanged upon the spot, without accusation or trial," V, 14, And the spirit of jealousy come upon him. Heb. nN3p-m-i 1i>5 nisi ve-dbar dlauv ruach kindh, and tlie spir it of jealousy pass upon him. Gr. "And the spirit of jealousy (rather, zealousy — ^-tiXuats) come upon him." By the " spirit of jealousy " is implied a jealous or zealous affection of mind, one by which the subject of it is power fully impelled. In like manner the Scriptures elsewhere speak of " the spir it of wisdom, the spirit of counsel, the spirit of knowledge," Is, 11 : 2, Eph. 1 : 17 ; " the spirit of fornications,"' Hos, 4 : 12 ; " the spirit of fear," 2 Tim, 1:7; " the spirit of meekness," Gal, 6:1; " the spirit of slumber," Kom, 11:8; and in 1 Cor, 14 : 12, "spirits" are put for the gifts and movings of the Holy Spirit, Jealousy is a zealous affection taken sometimes in a good and some times in an pvif sense, as zeal is some times spoken of as good and sometimes as evil, John 2 : 17, 2 Cor, 7 : 11, Gal, 5 : 20, and is called bitter zeal, James 3 : 14, The Hebrew has one term filed : or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jeal ous of his wife, and she be not defiled ; by which to express zeal, jealousy, envy, and emulation. Thus Phineas was " zealous for his God," ch, 25 : 11 ; Elias was " very zealous " for him, 1 Kings 19 : 10 ; Joshua was envious for Moses' sake, Num, 11 : 29 ; and jealousy is an affection. termed " hard (or cruel) as the grave, the coals whereof are coals of fire," Song 8 : 6, Jealousy is said also to be " the rage of a man ; therefore he wUl not spare in the day of ven geance," Prov, 6 : 34. The same affec tion is ascribed, by th^ figure termed anthropopathy, to the Lord himself, who is termed " a jealous God," Ex. 20 : 5, In all these cases the original word is the same with that in the pres ent passage. The phrase "spirit of jealousy " belongs to a mode of speech which is usual when any strong, vehe ment, or violent affection, passion, or prompting takes possession of a man, as though his whole soul was carried away by it, and he had scarcely the power of resistance. At the same time, we are doubtless at liberty to recognize an allusion to the power and influence of evil spirits who are present and ac tive in instigating all such promptings of our fallen nature, exciting them when there is no ground, and aggravating them when there is. If we are author ised to recognize the influence of the Holy Spirit in all such affections as are termed the spirit of wisdom and meek ness, the spirit of knowledge and un derstanding, the spirit of grace and supplication, the spirit of prophecy, of faith, and of a sound mind, so on the other we may properly refer the oppo site affections to an opposite source, and see an evil demon in an evil dispo sition, T[ And he le jealous of his B. O. 1490.] OHAPTEE V. 75 15 Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering "" for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal : he shall pour wife, and she be defiled. Two distinct cases are evidently supposed, one in which the woman has committed adul tery, giving thereby occasion for a just and well-founded jealousy ; the other in which she has not been guilty of the crime, and consequently given no legiti mate cause for distrust. Both these suppositions are involved in the lan guage of the present verse. But what ever were Va.'^ facts in the case, the pre scribed course was the same, T[ And That is, whether she be defiled^ IF And she be not defiled. Or whether it be only his suspicion. The language is all along to be understood of the impressions of the husband, and not of the actual fact, V. 15, Tlien shall the man bring his wife unto the priest. Together with the witnesses, if any, who were prepared to testify to the act. According to the Jewish writers, the priest first endeav ored to persuade her to confess the truth, suggesting hypothetically vari ous apologies and extenuations for her, and if she confessed, saying, "I am de filed," she was not put to death, but simply divorced, with the loss of her dowry; if she said, "I am pure," they then proceeded, 1 Thetenth part of an ephah of barley meal. A coarse offering of barley-meal, without oil or frankincense, is here prescribed in ac cordance with- the nature of the trans action and the state of the parties. As all the circumstances were disagreeable, so the offering was not of the usual pal atable material. It was unaccompanied by the other usual requisites, because it no oil upon it, nor put frankin cense thereon ; for it is an offer ing of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing " iniquity to remembrance. » 1 K, 17, 18, Ezok, 29, 16, Heb, 10, 3, was no grateful offering of thanksgiv ing, but an expression of humiliation, grief, and shame. The Hebrew wri ters say, " meal, not flour ; barley, not wheat : she hath done the act of a beast, and her oblation is the meal of a beast." It may here be asked. Why the jealous wife was not equally privileged to ar raign her husband and put him to an oath of purgation similar to that here prescribed for the woman. To this it may be replied (1), that women gener ally speaking are more prone to suspi cion and jealousy than men, and there fore more liable to make an improper use ofsuch a liberty. (2.) -Because, among the Jews the marital pre-eminence and authority was so marked, that the great est violence would have been done to the husband's prerogative by such a concession to the wife. (3.) Because, an injury to the conjugal relation on the part of the wife was a, more heinous offence than one on the part of the hus band, inasmuch as he was thereby made liable to father another man's issue, and to leave his inheritance and estate to children that were not his. (4.) Be cause, wives under the instigation of jealousy, had not so much power to op press and wrong their husbands, as the husbands had to wrong their wives. The law was prompted by a prevailing kindly regard to the welfare of woman, 1[ An offering of memorial h-ing- ing iniquity to remembrance. The char acter and design of the offering deter mined its quality. It was an offering composed of the lowest and meanest kind of grain, such as was used by the 76 NUMBEES. [B. 0. 1490. 16 And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the Lord : poorest of the people, and therefore adapted to remind the woman of the humiliating circumstances into which, for the time being, she was brought. It was to have no oil, because oil was a symbol of love or charity, and its ac companying joy and gladness, in which her reputed conduct showed her lack ing ; while frankincense denoted that sweet spiritual savor which renders all offerings acceptable to the Lord, and this also was supposed to be wanting so long as her innocence was in ques tion. It was an offering that brought iniquity to remembrance, not only in tbe conscience of the guilty party, but also in the minds of others, who would be impressed by its heinousness. Again, it was a memorial offering in that it was a solemn appeal to the Most High, reminding bim that he had engaged to judge, and expecting from him a dis covery of the woman's sin, if sin had been committed, or of her justification if she were innocent. See Notes on Lev. 5 : 11 and 2 : 2. V. 16. And the priest shall bring her -near, and set her before the Lord. Heb. " Cause her to stand." Most commen tators understand the original pronoun otha, Im or it, of the offering and not of the woman ; consequently they ren der "bring it" and " set it before the Lord," instead of " her," as she is com manded to be set before the Lord in v. 18. The Hebrew will admit of either interpretation, and it is not possible to pronounce absolutely which is the true one. He was to place her by tbe sanc tuary, the Lord's dwelling-place, that she might consider herself as in his im mediate presence, and that she and all the spectators might solemnly await his decision. " Before the Lord," signifies 17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel ; and of the dust that is in the at the altar of burnt-offerings standing before the door of the Tabernacle. She was thus to consider herself as stand ing and about to hold up her hand at the bar of God's judgment-seat, where no prevarication was to be allowed. V. 17. And the priest shall take holy water. Heb, mayim kedoshim, holy waters, plur. Chald, "Waters of the laver," Gr, "Clean living water," which would seem to imply that the translators understood it ofthe "water of separation" mentioned ch. 19:9, which was sprinkled with the ashes of the red heifer and applied to those who were separated from the congregation for uncleanness, that after being wash ed and cleansed with it they nfight be again received. But it is with more probability called "holy" as being ta ken from the laver, and thence sepa rated from common to sacred uses. It was from thus being appropriated that it acquired the epithet "holy." Intrin sically it had no more holiness than any other water. This water was to be put in an earthen vessel, inasmuch as what was coarse and plain was most suitable to the occasion. The baseness of the vessel tended to set forth the degrada tion of the party on supposition of her guilt, and being of a fragile material it could be easily broken after being thus employed, so that no monument of the crime should remain. Comp. Lev. 6 : 28. 11 : 33. 15 : 12. f Of the dust tliat is in the floor of the tabemacle. The design of putting dust into the water was to signify the reproach and shame she lay under. Ainsworth re marks, that as dust was the serpent's food, so it was implied that if she had hearkened to the serpent's temptation, she might expect to partake of the ser- B.C. 1490.] OHAPTEE V. 77 floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water : 18 And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord ', 0 Heb. 13. 4. Rev. 2. 19-23. pent's curse. Tet it was to be dust taken from " the floor of the taberna cle," whence it" acquired a certain de gree of sanctity, and thus au honor was put upon every thing pertaining to the place which God had chosen to put his name there, and an awe inspired of the divine judgments. " Nothing could be more unexceptionable than taking dust from the floor, and this in presence of the woman and her ftiends. This was very unlike the case of the ordeals among the heathen, when the persons accused were required to drink things naturally pernicious ; to handle hot iron ; or to dip their hands into boiling water, hot oil, etc., when nothing but a miracle, or some artifice, would save the innocent; whereas here, nothing but a miracle could hurt the guilty. It was therefore an excellent method to set the mind of the husband at ease, in a case which is frequently the occasion of much distress." — Priestly. T[ Put it into ihe water. Heb. el hammayim, to the water; as the Babbinists say, " He put it upon the top of the water, that it might be seen upon the upper part of the water." And again, " If he put in the dust before the water, it was unlawful." V. 18. And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord. Heb. "Shall cause to stand." She was to he placed before the door of the tabemacle with her face towards the ark, where was the symbol of the divine presence. This was a place of constant resort, and the publicity ofthe exposure would not only tend to affect duly her own feelings, but and uncover the woman's head, and put the offering of memo rial in her hands, which is the jealousy-offering : and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse. operate also as a warning to others not " to do after her lewdness." If And uncover the woman's head. A covering upon the head of a woman was regard ed as a sign of subjection to her hus band and of corresponding protection upon his part towards her. It intima ted a tender relation which was sup posed to be broken for the time being, aud a certain degree of exposure to judg ment coupled with deep degradation, indicated by the act of denuding the head. The act would also naturally carry with it the implication, that if guilty it would be in vain any longer to attempt to hide her sin, as the divine Detector would now disclose the facts, and discover to the eyes of all Israel whether she were unjustly accused or not. In addition to this, the Jewish writers say that her hair was loosed, her garments torn open to the breast, and whatever ornaments of gold or jew els she wore were taken from her, all with a view to render her external con dition accordant with her supposed moral state. If And put the offering of -memorial in her hand. This offering having been brought by her husband for her, v. 15, she was now to take and offer, emblematical of her offering her self to the Lord's trial, as the oblation was to be presented to him. If And the priest shall have in his hand. " All the while that her head is bare, and the meal-offering in her hands, the water is to be in a vessel in the priest's hand, that she may see the water." — Maimon ides. If The litter water that ca-useth the curse. Heb. m« hanandrim, waters 78 NUMBEES. [B. 0. 1490. 19 And the priest shall charge her by an oath'', and say unto the woman. If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy hus- p Mat. 26. 63. of bitternesses. Gr. to udor tou elegmou, water of conviction, so called from its conviru-ing of guUt. Some of the He brew writers intimate that the water was made bitter by the infusion of wormwood or something else of similar quality, but the far preferable opinion is, that it was so called from its effects, for if she were guilty, the drinking of the water would prove fatal, and death is said to be bitter, 1 Sam. 15 : 32, " And Agag said. Surely the bitterness of death is past." Eccl. 7 : 26, "Andl findwKwe litter than death the woman," etc. The same is said of afflictions. Is. 38 : 15, 17, " I shall go softly aU my years in the bitterness of my soul." " Behold, for peace I had great bitterness." Solo mon, speaking of an harlot, says, Prov. 5:4, " Her end is litter as worm/wood," that is, both to herself and to her vic tims. We may reasonably conclude, therefore, that " waters of bitternesses," au intensitive form of expression, de note waters which produced the most bitter and baneful effects, as a just pen alty for the offence. Comp. vs. 24, 27. If That ca-useth the curse. Heb. hamoreri-m, rendered by Ainsworth, litter curse-bringing. Syr. "Explor ing." Sam. "Declaring;" both point ing to the effect of the water as deter mining or revealing the guilt of the" delinquent. This, however, is to be attributed to no inherent "virtue of that kind in the water itself; it was due only to the divine power operating in and with it that it produced such bale ful results. V. 19. A-nd the priest shall charge her band, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse : 20 But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, ly an oath. Heb. hishbia, shall adjure, shall cause to swear. Gr. " ShaU adjure her in or by the curses of this oath." The priest was thus, in the most solemn manner, to adjure the woman to tell the truth, and to denounce the curse of God against her if she were guUty, at the same time declaring to her what would be the effect of her drinking the water. Maimonides says that in after times, when the Jews had, in their dispersion, lost their own language, this adjuration was to be uttered in a language that she understood, in order that she might in- teUigently say A-men. Tf .^ no man. That is, no other man than thy hus band. Thus Gen. 36 : 6, " went into the country from the face," etc. Chald. " into another country." \ With another instead of thy husband. Heb, tahath ishekd, under thy h-usland ; that is, by the substitution of another for thy husband. The usage is iUustrated by the foUowing passages ; Gen, 4 : 25, " God hath appointed me another seed instead qf Ahe\ ;" Heb, "«n<^Abel," Ez, 23 : 5, " And Aholah played the har lot when she was nfiine ; " Heb. " wnder me." Hos. 4:12, "They])ave gone a Tfhorvag from under their God;" that is, by adopting some other one in his place. Tf Be thou free from this Ut ter water. Heb. "Be thou innocent," that is, free, guiltless, clear ; this water shaU be innocuous to thee ; thou shalt receive no harm from it. The impera tive for the future. V. 20. Instead of thy husband. Heb. "under thy husband," as in the pre ceding verse. Tf Some man have lain B. 0. 1490.] OHAPTEE V. 79 and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband : 21 Then the priest shall charge ' the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The q Joah. 6. 26. 1 Sam. 14. !4. Xeh. 10. 29. with thee. Heb. " Some man have given with thee his lying." See Note on v. 13 ; also on Lev. 15 : 18. V. 21, Then the priest shall charge the woman, etc. This is not to be un derstood as an additional adjuration, but merely the continuation of that be gun » , 19, Purver renders the verse more accurately thus : " Thus shall the priest go on, causing her to swear with an oath of cursing ; the Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, by his making thy thigh faU and thy beUy sweU," *; The Lord malce thee a curse and an oath. The context here contains a species or formula of adjura tion which the priest administered to the accused party. It was equivalent to saying, " The Lord make thee such an object of cursing, that men may make thee a model of imprecation, say ing, if I swear falsely, let God punish me, as be did such a woman." So Is. 65 : 15, " Ye shaU leave your name for a curse (or an oath) to my chosen ; " L e. for an oath of execration. '' Make thy thigh to rot and thy belly to swell. The precise nature of the punishment here threatened is not perhaps fiilly convey ed by the words employed in onr com mon version- The "rotting" of the thigh is in the Hebrew the "falling" of the thigh, and if we understand " thigh " in the euphemistic sense in which it is nsed Gen. 46 : 26, " the souls which came out of Jacob's thigh" we may in fer that prolapsus -uteri, or falling of the womb, was the real effect implied in the language of this clause and ovarian Lord make thee a curse "¦ and an oath among thy people, when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell : 22 And this water that caus eth the curse shall go into thy dropsy signified by the other. So it is understood by Horsley and others. We find the sense of "rot" given to this word no where else hut in the present connection, though it is often used as equivalent to "die." If it be under stood of the thigh, properly speaking, it denotes doubtless the withering or shrinking away of the muscles and fat, but in that case it is difficult to con ceive why the effect should be confined to one thigh, instead of embracing both, although the original word is singular. The evidence, therefore, on the whole, preponderates in favor of the first con struction. The term "rot" implies an ulcerating process, for which we find no authority in the general usage of the originaL It seems, also, somewhat ac cordant with the laws of the divine Providence, that the penalty of trans gression should be visited upon the offending part, if it be localized at aU. In the Greek, the epithet applied to the belly is "burst" instead of " swoUen," and this is supposed by the Babbinical writers to have been the actual effect, of which, however, there is no special proof. It is also a tradition of the same writers, that the water which Moses made the Israelites to drink with the powder of the golden calf, Ex. 32 : 20, produced a similar effect. V. 22. Shall go into thy bowels. To this there appears to be an obvious al lusion in Ps. 109 : 18, " As he clothed hunself with cursing like as with a gar ment, so lei it come into his bowels Uke water." If And the woman shall say. 80 NUMBERS. [B. C. 1490, bowels", to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot. And the ' woman shall say, Amen, amen. » Ps. 109. 1^. t Den!. L'T. 15. Amen, amen. Gr. y^voiro, yevoiro, so he it, so he it. The response is proha- bly doubled to -express her full consent and concurrence with the import ofthe malediction. Some have supposed an allusion to both parts of the adjuration, viz. that which freed her if mnocent, and that which condemned her if guilty, but this is unnecessary ; such reduplications are common. " This is an instance of what we have already mentioned, that an oath was not pro nounced at length by the persons who took it, but it was read or pronounced to them by a proper officer. "When he had finished, the party swearing appro priated its terms as his own by saying, AiiES, Amen ! — " So let it be " — or some equivalent expression. Although, how ever, this was the fonnulary of assent to an oath, it did not, in all cases, bear that force, being sometimes merely a protestation. The word Am,en, like the words Hallelujah aud Hbsanna, has been retained in the religious services of the "Western Christian church, and is understood as au expression of assent on the part ofthe people to that which the minister has said in their name; thus formally adopting his expressions. It was probably thought that the word, as well as the others we have mentiou- ed, possessed in the original a peculiar emphasis and force, for which it would he difficult to find a precise equivalent in any European tongue." — Pict. JBible. It is difficult to conceive how a woman could respond Amen in such circum stances, if she were really guilty, unless she had become so hardened in sin as to be utterly reckless what she uttered. But if she confessed that she had been 23 And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water : defiled, or, which was equivalent, if she declined drinking, then, according to the Hebrew tradition, she was perma nently separated from her husband, but without dowry. Y. 23. And the priest shall wi'ite these curses in a hook. Heb. hassepher, in a scroll or tahlM. The Hebrew denomi nates all writings by the term we translate " book," whether long or brief, whether bills, bonds, letters, etc. Comp. Deut. 24 : 1. 2 Sam. 11 : 14. Is. 39 : 1, in all which the original is sephcr, hook. "The whole context," says Mr, Kitto, " is quite averse to rendering the Hebrew word by " book" in this place. The word is generally applicable to every roll, scroll, or tablet in which any thing was written ; and the context must in all cases determine the proba bility as to what is intended. The Rabbinical writers think that the curse in this awful ceremony was written on a scroll of vellum or parchment. This we may very well doubt; but without at present inquiring whether the art of preparing vellum was known at this time, it seems more probable that, for such a temporary purpose as the pres ent, the writing was made on a tablet of wood, properly prepared. Such tab lets were very anciently used, and still are so, in some countries, not only for writing intended to be soon obliterated, but for that which is designed to he permanent. Whatever was used in the present instance, it was certainly noth ing at all resembling iu its form the idea which the word " book " suggests to our minds." ^ Shall hlot (them) out with the hitter waier. Heb. mdhdh el me hamm^rim, shall wipe them out to B. O. 1490,] CHAPTER V. 81 24 And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water (or into) the hitter water. The process of obliteration was such that the characters written were to be wiped or scraped off into the bitter water, and this water was then to be drank by the woman. She would in consequence drink the very «?or(is of the execration. "Itwouldseem from this that the ink made no perma nent marks on the skin, linen, wood, or whatever other substance the words were written on. It is precisely the same with the ink now in use in the East. In its composition no calx of iron, or other material that could make a permanent dye, is employed, and al though the writing made with it has an intense and brilliant black color, which will remain unchanged for ages, the characters may at any time be sponged or washed out with water. We have, while writing this note, tried this ; and find it quite easy to obliterate, by the slightest action ofthe moistened finger, words which were written several years since, at different times, with inks pro cured in different countries of Western Asia, It ia unnecessary, therefore, to suppose, with some who judge only from our own ink, that the ink employ ed on the present occasion was prepared in a peculiar manner, and used only on this occasion." — JPict. JSible. The im port of this part of the ceremony is well interpreted by Henry, to wit, that it was the curse which impregnated the water and gave it its strength to effect what was intended ; signifying at the same time, that if she waa innocent the curse should be blotted out, and never appear against her, as it is written, " I am he that blotteth out thy transgres sions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins ; " while on the other hand, if she were guilty, the curse as it was written being infused into the wa- 4* that causeth tbe curse : and the water that causeth the curse ter, it would enter with it into her bow els, even " like oil into her bones," Ps. 109 : 18, as we read of a curse entering into a house, Zech. 5:4. These re marks will afford a sufficient answer to the question, why the curse should be written and afterwards blotted out. If it were to be blotted out, why should it be written ? If it were to be written, why should it be blotted out? It appears that the act had a double significancy, the writing implying one thing, and the obliteration another. T. 24. Shall cause the woTnan to dHnk tlie hitter water. Previous to which, however, it appears that the jealousy- offering mentioned v. 26 was to be presented. The foUowing note by Sir. Kitto will be read with interest in this connection : " There is still a strong im pression entertained among the inhab itants of Africa, aud some Asiatic coun tries, that the full force of a charm, or of a prayer or a curse, is obtained by having it written, and by washing the writing off in water, and drinking the draught. The idea on which this is founded is sufficiently intelligible when the virtue of a written charm is be lieved—and such belief is by no means rare in countries nearer home than those of Africa or Asia. It is then an obvious act of the mind, or ratber of supersti tion, to conclude that the virtue inher ing in the written charm may be best imbibed by its words being swallowed, which they cannot well be by any pro cess more convenient than washing them off in water. Travellers, partic ularly African travellers, abound in in stances of their being applied to for written charms, by drinking the words of which the applicants believed they would obta n some desired good, some security from evil, or a remedy against 82 NUMBEES. [B. 0. 1490. shall enter into her, and become bitter. 25 Then the priest shall take the jealousy-offering out of the woman's hand, and shall wave " the offering before the Lord, and offer it upon the altar : 26 And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even disease. One instance from Mungo Park wiU iUustrate this subject : ' At Koolkorro my landlord brought me his writing-board that I might write him a saphie to protect him from wicked men. I wrote the board full, from top to bottom, on both sides ; and my land lord, to be certain of having the fuU force of the charm, washed the writing from the board into a calabash, with a little water, and having said a few pray ers over it, drank this powerful draught; after which, lest a single word shonld escape, he licked the board untU it was quite dry.' " (Travels, p. 236.) — Piet. Bible. T[ Shall enter into her, (and become) bitter. Heb. " Shall enter into her to bitterness." Chald. " Shall en ter into her to cursing ; " that is, they shall work in her the evil and bitter effects of a curse. V. 25. Shall wave the offering l^ore the Lord. Shall move it to and fro in token of presentation or dedication to the Lord. " The priest took the minis tering vessel wherein the meat-offering was, and put it npon her hands, and the priest put his hands under hers, and waved it." — Maimonides. V. 26. Sliall take an handful. This handful was to be the memorial imme diately after spoken of. See Note, Lev. 2 : 2, where the nature of the "memo rial " is explained. The portion of the offering that remained after the memo rial-handful was taken out was eaten the • memorial thereof and bum it upon the altar, and afterward shall catise the woman to drink the water. 27 And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done tres pass against her husband, that V Lev. 2. 2, 9. by the priest, unless the husband was a priest, when it was scattered among the ashes. This offering, in the midst of the transaction, was a solemn ac knowledgment that the whole affair was to be conducted under the Lord's aus pices, and that he was appealed to as a God "from whom no secret is hid." V. 27. Then it shall come to pass, dc. All things being thus performed accord ing to the tenor of the divine directions, the issue was to be awaited. If the woman charged with the crime was really guilty, the water she drank would prove in effect a deadly poison to her, operating ^n the manner above de scribed, in addition to which the Jew ish writers say that her face would turn pale and yellowish, her eyes were ready to start from her head, and the cry was raised, " Carry her forth, carry her forth, lest she defile the court of the temple," i, e, by dying within its pre cincts. Such signal effects could not of course be attributed to the water viewed in itself, but only to the efficacy of the divine operation working in and with the external agent. The mingled water and dust had in themselves no more power to produce the effects de scribed than had the clay and spittle, employed by our Saviour, to open the eyes of the blind. The effect in either case was equally supernatural. It is a tradition of the Jews that the adulterer also died the same day and hour that B. C. 1490.] CHAPTER V. 83 the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, ' and her thigh shall rot : and the ' woman shall be a curse " among her people. 28 And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean ; then she shall be free, and shall con ceive ' seed. 29 This is the law of jeal ousies, when a wife goeth aside" w Deul, 2S, .',1. Is. 65, 15, J,.r. i4, 9, 29, 18, 22- 42. 1^. Zech. 8. 13. z Ps. 113. 9. Is. 57. S. y ver. 19. the adulteress did, and in a sinular manner; which may or may not have been the fact. The Jewish doctors add also, that the waters had this effect upon the adulteress only in case the husband had not offended in the same way. V. 28. Then she shall le free. That is, shaU receive no harm from the draught; as in v. 19. Dou., "ShaU not be hurt." 7 Shall conceive seed. Heb. nizredh zera, shall le sown with seed. Chald. " ShaU prove with child." The Jewish writers speak in high terms of the effects of this water npon the in nocent woman, as may he seen from the words of Maimonides : — " K she he undefiled, when she hath drunk she wiU was strong, and her face wax clear; and if she have any sickness, it wiU leave her ; and she shall conceive and bear a man-child ; and if she were wont to have hard travail, she shaU have speedy travaU ; and if she were wont to bring forth females, she shaU bring forth males." V. 29. When a woTnan goeth aside to another instead of her h-usha-nd. Heb, " Goeth aside under her husband," Our version gives the correct idea, but some what paraphrasticaUy. See Note on V. 19, V. 30. ShaU set the woman before the to another instead of her hus band, and is defiled ; 30 Or when the spirit of jeal ousy cometh upon him, and he be jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall exe cute upon her all this law. 31 Then shall the man be guiltless from inicjuity, and this woman shall bear ' her ini quity. z Lev, 20. n-20. Lord. Heb. "ShaU cause to stand;'' i. e. in the manner and for the end be fore described. Tf Shall execute upon her all this law. Heb. " ShaU do unto her aU this law." V. 31, Then shall the man be guilt less. 'That is, he shall be blameless in this matter, inasmuch as he has done what in him lay towards detecting and removing the evU which he suspected in his wife. The law which we have now consid ered is fertUef of suggestion, (1,) It in volved a striking proof of that special providence which governed the affairs of the Jews, The inquest was not re ferred to the scrutiny or ingenuity of human judges, but was carried to the tribunal of God himself for his express decision. There was clearly nothing in the water itself when thus mixed that could have the effect described, or in deed, any injurious effect at aU, The effect was whoUy supernatural. The offender might brave the trial, though conscious of her sin, in rmbelief of the declared providential results, but she would nevertheless assuredly find there was a God in Israel who would verify and vindicate his own ordinance. It is supposed that the crime committed had been so secret that no human being, ex- 84 ITDMBEES. [B. 0. 1490. cept the guilty persons, were cognizant of it. It is supposed, also, that no clew to the discovery of it could possibly be found. But the issue of the ordeal brings the truth into the light of noon day. Could any doubt remain whether the Lord's hand was in the detection of the crime ? Every such instance would tend to work the powerful conviction in the minds of aU the Israelites that the Most High ruled indeed among them, and that his providence would fulfil all his threatenings, as well as all his prom ises, (2,) Such a direct appeal to the Lord 'himself would serve to mark, in the strongest manner, the guUt of adul tery. Not only was that sin punished with death when discovered, but here was a particnlar mode appointed for its detection when suspected, in which God thought it not below him to act imme diately as judge, and to inflict a fear ful punishment upon the transgressor, What could serve more effectually to stamp the impress of a peculiar enor mity npon this above most other forms of evil in the sight of heaven ? (8.) It would operate as a powerful preserva tive of public morals. It is the hope of concealment that gives an edge to temptation, A thief wUl not steal, if he knows that he must infallibly be de tected ; nor will the adulterer or sedu cer lay their plans for compassing the ruin of their victims, if they know that they cannot possibly conceal their guilt. In view of such a law as this, all parties would be put upon their guard. Every man of common feeling would shrink from being the occasion of exposing a woman to so unerring a test and so cer tain and dreadful a punishment. He could not but feel for the danger into which he would bring his partner in guilt, and fear the sting of a perpetual ly accusing conscience in case he should be the cause of her condemnation and death. And then its influence upon fe males would be exceedingly great. It would tend to preserve them not only from the actual commission of the sin, but from the slightest approximation towards it. How careful and circum spect must every wife have been ren dered by knowing that she might at any time be subjected to such an ordeal even upon suspicion, and what shame and punishment, and what a miserable death was before her, if she became guilty. Add to this, that whenever an instance of the execution of this law oc curred, aU who saw it, both male aud female, would be deeply affected by it ; the innocent would feel themselves yet more afraid of the sin and be more fully resolved to abstain from it. All Israel would hear and fear, and do no more so wickedly, (i.) It would be a guardian of domestic peace, and a great comfort to the oppressed. The " spirit of jeal ousy " is a formidable enemy to family quiet. It corrodes and eats out all do mestic happiness, and among a people so hard-hearted as the Jews, and so ready to put away their wives on the slightest occasions, would naturally lead to the most cruel treatment. But when a woman of blameless character was made the victim of her husband's jealousy, with what holy confidence would she drink the appointed cup, and make her appeal to Him who searches the heart ! With what triumph would she depart from the tabemacle when God himself had borne a public testi mony to her innocence ! The Jewish "law of jealousy " has now ceased, but let us not suppose that the Lord is any less observant of sin, any less opposed to it, or any less intent npon its punish ment. His providential interpositions may not be so immediate or so visible in this world as they were among the Jews ; but in the world to come, if not before, every transgressor wiU leam, that " his sins shall find him out." Not B. O. 1490.] CHAPTEE VI. 85 more plainly did the Most High make manifest the guUt of the adulteress un der this law than he wiU bring out the wickedness, however secret, of adulter ers and adulteresses, and aU other transgressors of every kind, in the fear ful revelations of the future. So like wise they who labor nnder false accu sations; tbey may securely commit their cause to God. Any person may be unjustly accused, and not always having at hand the means of clearing himself, he may Ue long under the weight of injurious suspicions, but the truth win eventually come to Ught, and every wrong be abundantly redressed. CHAPTER TI. TTie Law of the Nazarite. Among the reUgious practices of the Jews, that of making vows, from a vol untary prompting, was one of the most remarkable. It does not appear, in deed, that vows originated with that nation ; they seem rather to have been one form in which the religious senti ment of aU nations and ages was prone to express itself. But, though not a product of the Mosaic system, yet it was adopted into it and laws made for its conduct. These vows consisted of some solemn engagement voluntarily assumed by those who made them, or of the consecration of some person or thing to some particular use or service, such as might redound to the honor of God. The vow of the Nazarite, de scribed in the present chapter, is one of the most remarkable of these, espe cially when viewed in its typical rela tions. The vow of the Nazarite in volved the dedication of a person to God, either temporarily or permanently, and impUed in its own nature a peculiar aspiration towards a closer conjunction with heaven in the acts of piety and devotion than was ordinarily enjoyed by those who were occupied simply with the common routine of life and its du ties. It was for the time being a sepa ration from and a renunciation of the pleasures of the world, and of all flesh ly gratifications and indulgences. The Nazarite was one who had purposed, for the good of his soul, to lead an asce tic life and to " mortify his members which were on the earth," Uving in all purity and holiness, and manifesting to the utmost that character and conduct which under the Gospel consists in " de nying ungodliness and worldly lusts, and living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." The va rious abstinences involved in the Naza rite vow wiU be considered iu detaU as we proceed, but we here remark on the institution in general, that it was de signed to prefigure the Lord the Sa viour, who, though not observant of the laws relating to that order of men, was nevertheless consecrated by divine de signation and by voluntary engagement to the service of God in the work of human redemption, to which he was devoted without intermission, and from which he desisted not till he could say, " It is finished." In pointing typicaUy to him, it points also to his people. The formal vow and its ceremonies have now indeed ceased; but the general duty of devoting ourselves to the Lord, in aU the branches of a holy life, stUl subsists in all its binding force, being founded on the most powerful obliga tions and motives. "Ye are bought with a price," says the Gospel, *' there fore glorify God in your body and your spirit which are his." It inculcates an entire separation from the world in its corrupt principles, its erroneous les sons, its vain pleasures, its ambitious projects, its sinful works. Its language is, " Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, aud 86 ITUMBEES. [B. 0. 1490. A CHAPTER VI. ND the Lord spake unto Mo ses, saying, touch not the unclean thing, and I wiU receive you, and will be a father unto yon, and ye shaU be my sons and daugh ters, saith the Lord almighty." The spirit of this injunction is plainly Naza- ritic, containing an express allusion to the separation and the danger of un cleanness which were incident to that class of men. Although we cannot fair ly draw from this chapter an absolute prohibition of the use of wine, or of other worldly enjoyments of a harmless kind, yet we are taught from it to study a holy superiority to aU the pleasures of sense as tending to subject the soul to the body, and thus retard our ascent to heaven. Though not required to aban don the world and its secular cares, yet we are required to " use the world as not abusing it," and to repose our bur dens on the Lord. Though not called to that singularity of dress which marked the Nazarite to public view, yet neither are we called to be conformed to every idle fashion, or to run into all the ab surdities wbich characterize the world. Though we are not to shrink from vari ous "contacts forbidden to the Jewish votary, yet we are to keep at the remo test distance from aU moral poUution, in the profound dread of walking un worthy of our holy profession, and bringing dishonor upon the Lord's ven erable name. Thus let us walk, and as the Nazarite, after his term of separa tion was fulfiUed, " might drink wine," so after the short period of mortification and self-denial here we shaU "enter into the joy of our Lord," even into "his presence, where there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore." V. 2. JVhen either man or woman shall separate. Heb. yaphU, shall sig- 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman nally separate. See Notes on Ex. 8 : 22, Lev, 27 : 2, where the import of the ori ginal tenn is largely unfolded. The root from which yaphU comes (paid), signifies the doing of something ex traordinary and marvellous, and is the word that occurs Lev. 27 : 2, concerning the making of a singular vow, and con veys doubtless the idea of one's acting from an extraordinary zeal for God and religion. To separate, in this connec tion, is to exempt in a special and mar- veUous manner. Gr. " Whosoever shall greatly vow a vow." A vow is a reli gious promise made to God, and it is here supposed that it might be made by either a man or a woman ; but it is presumed in this case that the parties are free, each in their own power or at their own disposal ; as otherwise a su perior might annul the vow of an infe rior by the law recorded Num. 30 : 4, etc. So in respect to this particular kind of vow the Hebrew canons say, "The father (of a chUd) or the husband (of a wife) may disannul the Nazariteship of his chad or his wife, if he wiU, as in other ways." PhUo, in his treatise " On Animals fit for Sacrifice," after de scribing the voluntary or votive obla tions which were occasionally made by the people, goes on to say, "And when they have no longer any materials left in which they can display their piety, they then consecrate and offer up them selves, displaying an unspeakable holi ness, and a most superabundant excess of a God-loving disposition, on which account such a dedication is fitly caUed the great vow; for every man is his own greatest and most valuable posses sion, and this even he now gives up and abandons." The more particular na B. O. 1490.] CHAPTER VI. 87 shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite", to a Jadg. 13. 5. Acts SI. 33, 34. ture ofthe Nazarite vow wiU be consid ered in what foUows. f Of a Naza rite. Heb. nazir, from the root ndsar, to separate, denoting one who was espe- ciaUy separated and set apart, either by the act of his parents or his own, to the worship and service of God, and that either for life or for a temporary season. Such vows are recognized in the Mosaic laws, although there is good reason to beUeve that they were of far more an cient origin. That the present, at any rate, was not the first occasion of the institution is evident from the fact, that the ordinance here mentioned was given in the second year after the departure from Egypt ; but in an earlier law con cerning the Sabbatical year, which was made in the first year, a figurative ex pression drawn from Nazaritism occurs, in calling the vines which in that year were not to be pruned, vines or grapes of separation ar Nazariteship. (SeeNote on Lev. 25 : 5.) This impUes that the thing itself must have been already in vogue, and that too, probably, for a long time. Spencer also shows, in his great work on the " Hebrew Laws," that the custom of special consecration prevail ed from the earUest ages among the Gentile nations, so that under the Mo saic dispensation the object was to reg ulate a pre-existing custom, tbat it shonld not minister to superstition or idolatry, and to establish a usage which carried with it a rich typical signifi cancy. On this head Mr. Kitto remarks, that the practice was probably aUowed to the chosen people, " with a reference to the true God, in order to take away occasion for its being preserved in hon or of idols. A rooted custom, in itself harmless, but applied to purposes of evil, may with less difficulty have its separateLord; themselves unto the object altered than be whoUy eradicated. In viewing the laws of Moses, it is al ways usefid, so far as may be possible, to distinguish those which originate usages, fiom those which only correct, modify and alter usages already exist ing." — Piet. Bible. It does not appear that the assumption of the Nazarite vow is anywhere positively enjoined or recommended, yet neither is it dis couraged where one's spirit moved him, from devout impulses, to undertake it. From the following aUusions we may infer that the institution was in itself capable of being made subservient to a good and acceptable use. Lam. 4 : 7, " Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire." Am. 2 : 11, " And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites." Of the Nazarites who were such by reason of a vow made by their parents, Samson, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and probably Samuel, are con spicuous instances : of examples of vol untary Nazaritism we meet with scarce ly any in the sacred history, though the case of Paul, Acts 18 : IS, approach es it, as it is said of him that he had shorn his head in Cenchrea in conse quence of having made a vow. But it is certain that there is nothing of this nature that is now obUgatory on Chris tians, althongh monastic institutions would seem to have had their origin in promptings very similar to those which operated with the Jewish Nazarite. To the due accomplishment of this kind of vow, we leam that the foUowing requi sites were indispensable. 1. Total abstinence from wine and every thing that could intoxicate. This 88 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. interdiction was so severe, that they were not only obliged to avoid the use of any strong Uquor, and were to taste no vinegar made of wine, nor wine made by macerating grapes in water, after the juice had been pressed out, but they were not even permitted to eat moist or dried grapes, nor paste or sauce that had any of the juice of grapes in it, nor pulp or stone, or even so much as the bark of tbe vine. 2. Letting the hair grow withont cut ting. No razor, or scissors, or any other instrument was to come upon the head tiU the expiration of the vow, which was seldom less than thirty days. 3. Avoiding the touch of a dead body, whereby pollution might be contracted. He was not at liberty to enter a house where a corpse lay, nor to follow it to the gi'ave, nor, if we may believe the Hebrew writers, was he so much as to wear mourning even at the decease of his nearest relatives or friends. The reasons of these prohibitions, as well as the ceremonies observed during the continuance and at the close of the vow, will be considered in the sequel. Writers ofthe school of Michaelis and Palfrey, who have a very dim percep tion of the spiritual drift of the Mosaic institutes, are prone to recognize in this a civil and prudential use in addition to the religious ; and we may safely admit that the sobriety and temperance which the Nazarites were obliged to observe were very conducive to health. But whether they were intended to be cele brated by the prophet for their fair aud ruddy complexion, when it is said (Lam. i : 7) that they were " whiter than milk and more ruddy than ru bies," inasmuch as these are sure signs of a sound and healthy constitution, may weU be questioned. We are prompted ourselves to recognize a far deeper import in these expressions, whUe at the same time, we would not undervalue any of the secondary or in cidental results that may have accrued from the usage. But in our view the principal impor tance of this institution arose from its typical or representative significancy. The Jews as a nation were but little addicted to ascetic devotion, and it was probably only now and then that an individual was found disposed thus to sequester himself from the routine of ordinary life and give himself up for a longer or shorter time to the rigid exer cise of a purely religious course. Nev ertheless, as the Nazarite institute had obtained in the world, the divine wis dom saw that important ends could be answered by incorporating it into the Levitical system as a foreshadowing mainly of that pre-eminent consecra tion which was to distinguish Him who was "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners." One of the ap pellations by which he was to be known was that of " Nazarene," and although we are weU aware that other grounds may be assigned for this title, yet we see no sufficient reason for excluding this from among those grounds. The original term -nd-zar, as we have ob served, signifies to separate, to set apart or dedicate to a holy use. It is clear from the prophetical writings that the Messiah was to be a person of eminent sanctity. He is called by the Psalmist " the Holy One," and the actual record of his Ufe shows that holiness was his grand distinguishing trait. How rea sonable, then, to suppose, that an epi thet derived from the word ndzar may be applied to him by the pen of inspi ration in caUing him a " Nazarene." It is admitted that our Lord's external life was not conformed to the rules of tbe order, for he ate and drank like other men, and mingled indiscriminately with all classes, though stUl iu such a man ner that it could ever be said of him B. 0. 1490.] CHAPTER VI. 89 3 He shall separate himself from' wine, and strong drink, h Jer. 35. 6-8. Amos 2. 12. Luke 1. 15. that he was "undefiled and separate from sinners." StUl we may recognize the substance of the Hazaritical character in his ineffably pure aud spotiess life, wherein we recognize the essential ver ity of all that was typicaUy reflected in the quaUties and actions of such men as Joseph, Sampson, Samuel, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist, who are regard ed as personal prefigurations of the Lord himself. It is perhaps for the reason that the Nazariteship of Christ is to be seen in his general character and deportment instead of a specific conformity to the laws of the institu tion, that commentators have been un able to point to any express prediction in the prophets which could be said to have been fulfiUed by his being caUed a Nazarene. It may have been solely upon the ground of the general tenor of the ancient oracles respecting him. Add to this, that when it is said, " he shall be called a Nazarene," it is equiv alent to its being declared that he shall actually be such, as verbs of naming are in multitudes of cases used for verbs of being. Comp. Is. 56 : 7 with Luke 19 : 40. From aU this the reader wUl perceive the Ught in which we regard the Nazarite law as mainly important. V. 2. Unto the Lord. Chald. " Before the Lord." Targ. Jon. " To the name of the Lord." This indicates the motive and end proposed in a Nazaritic vow, which was a nearer approach to the Lord with a view to his honor and glo ry, to the expression of gratitude for mercies received, and for the strength ening of faith and love, and aU the graces and virtues of the servant of God. On this subject the Hebrew wri ters teach, "He that saith, Lo, I wUl and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liq^uor be a Nazarite if I do so, or if I do it not, and the like, he is a wicked man, and such Nazariteship is like wicked men's. But he that voweth' to the Lord by way of holiness is honest and com mendable; and of him it is said, the crown of his God is upon his head (Num. 6 : 7), and the Scripture com- pareth him with a prophet. Am. 2 : 11." It appears from 1 Mace. 3 : 49, that in public calamities this vow was more severely kept. T. 3. Se shall separate (hi-mself) from wine and strong drink. Heb. "ShaU be a Nazarite from wine," etc. Gr. " ShaU be sanctified from wine." Vulg. " ShaU abstain from wine and from every thing that wiU make a man drunk." On the original term shekar, here rendered strong drink, see the Note on Lev. 10 : 9. In strict propriety the term shekar denotes strong drink made from any kind of fruits, such as dates, etc., but the Hebrews restrict it in this connection to such only as is made of the fruit of the vine. " Three species of things are forbidden to the Nazarite, viz., poUution, shaving, and the fruit of the vine ; but strong drink made of dates, or such like, is lawful for the Nazarite ; and the strong drink forbidden him by the law is strong drink made with mixture of wine." — Maimonides. The same writer observes, that by the sobriety and sanctity thus enjoined, and especiaUy by tbeir avoid ance of dead bodies, the Nazarites were raised, as it were, to the dignity of the high priest, who was laid under similar restrictions. The special design ofthe prohibition is supposed to have been tbat they might reduce to subjection the sensual man, retain their faculties 90 NUMBERS. [B. C. 1490. of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. clear and unclouded, and thus be better qualified for that devout study of the law to which they would naturaUy ad dict themselves during the period of their separation. "By this prohibi tion," says Ainsworth, " God taught the Nazarites sanctlfication in mortify ing the lusts of the flesh ; for the drink ing these beverages endangereth men to " forget the law " of God, Prov. 31 : 45, to mock and to rage (as "wine is a mocker and strong drink raging"), Prov. 20: 1, they "take away the heart," Hos. 4 : 13 ; and the priest and the pro phet through them " err in vision and stumble in judgment," Is. 28 : 7, There fore Daniel in his mourning drank uo wine, Dan, 10 : 3 ; John Baptist, the Nazarite, drank no wine, and was there fore counted a mourner, Luke 7 : 32, 33, and the Nazarites, by this abstinence, were taught, instead of wine, "to be filled with the Spirit," Eph, 5 : 18, and with the love of the Lord, which is " better than wine," Cant, 1 : 2, IT Vinegar of wine. Heb, yah, hometz, which implies acid fermentation. 1 Vinegar of strong drink. Both these drinks were forbidden because they had virtually the same intoxicating effect with the principal liquors themselves, "i Liquor of grapes. Or, Heb. "prepa ration of grapes." Gr. " Whatsoever is made of grapes." Vulg. "Any thing that is pressed out of the grape." The import of the original is that of some thing macerated or steeped in water al most to solution. Grape-skins steeped in water after the juice is pressed out, form the drink here alluded to. H Nor eat moist grapes nor dried. This was doubtless forbidden on the ground that the grapes either in a moist or dried state (as raisins) might tend to stir up the appetite for the juice, or 4 All the days of his separa tion shall he eat nothing that is wine, and it conveys the important les son, that we are not only to avoid sin with the utmost care aud caution, but every thing that borders upon it and leads to it, every thing that would serve as an occasion, or operate as a tempta tion, to it. " Abstain from every ap pearance of evil." The Hebrew doctors teach that "it is unlawful for a Naza rite to stand in the company of them that drink wine, but he -is to keep away, for there is a stumbling-block before him. Our wise men have said (moreover) that he should not come near a vineyard." — Maimonides. V. 4. All the days of his separation. Heb. 1-iTD nizro, of his Nazariteship. Gr. " Of his vow." T[ Eat nothing that is made of the vine tree. That is, nothing which is yielded or produced by the vine, for a tree is said to mahef-ruit when it yields or brings it forth. See Note on Gen. 1 : 11. Instead of vine tree the literal rendering is vine of the wine, to which, however, -vine tree is equivalent. The only other passage in which this phrase occurs is, Judg. 13 : 14, " She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine (Heb. "that cometh of the vine of the wine"), implying in both cases not so much artifieial prepa rations of the finiit of the vine as its native growth or product. From the above passage in Judges it appears that the mothers also of such as were sanc tified to be Nazarites from the womb were required, during their pregnancy, to abstain from the things which were forbidden to the Nazarites themselves, inasmuch as the unborn child was sus tained by the mother's food and drink. It is easy to infer that its symbolical import was that of a full and complete renunciation of worldly pleasures from the commencement of the new birth B. C. 1490.] CHAPTER VI. 91 made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. 5 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no ra zor ' come upon his head : until c Judg. Ifi. n, 19. 1 Sam. 1. 11. through the whole period of sanctifl- cation. ^ From the kernels even to the h-ush. Or, fixim the stones to the outer skin. "From the grape-stones to the rind." — Gid. Booth. This is but a repetition of the charge given in the preceding verse relative to abstaining from whatever might serve as an occa sion or provocation to sin. So we are commanded not only to avoid poUution, but to " hate even the garment poUuted by the flesh," 1 Thes. 5 : 22. Thus too are idols not only to be renounced, hut "ye shaU defile also the covering of thy graven linages of sUver, and the orna ments of thy molten images of gold." As occasionaUy gleams of Ught are re flected upon these laws from the com ments of the Babbius, we fiimish the reader with suitable specimens. " All things forbidden of the vine are equal one with another; so that if he put green grapes with dry, or with unripe grapes, and with kernels and husks, and eat of this mixture but so much as an oUve, he is to be beaten. Also if he drink a quarter of a log of the mixture of wine with vinegar, he is beaten. If he eat the like quantity but ofthe husks, which are the outward skins, or of the kernels, which are the seeds within, he IS beaten." — Maimonides. It appears also from Judg. 13:4, 14, that as the Nazarite was not to taste of wine, so neither was he to eat any unclean thing, wbich was an additional sign of the sanctlfication impUed iu the observ ance. v. 5. All the days of the vow of his separation. Heb. neder nizro, vow of his Nazariteship. Gr. " Of his sanctity. the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he ' shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. or purity." If Shall no razor come upon his head. Heb. "Pass upon his head." On this the Rabbins say : "The Nazarite that shaveth his head is to be beaten, whether it be with razor or with scissors ; likewise if he pluck off his hair with his hand, he is to be beaten." If U-ntU the day sle fulfilled. There is nothing expUcit in Scripture as to the length of time which the Nazarite's vow might embrace. The shortest term fitxed by the Jewish writers is thirty days, but from the example of Paul it would appear that it might be for a week only. Acts 22 : 26, 27. The peri od, however, was in fact left optional with the votary, though we are natu raUy led to suppose it was of sufficient duration, in ordinary cases, to allow of the growth of the hair to a considerable length, so that there should be enough to be burnt at the conclusion ofthe term, V. 18. II ShaU let the locks of the hair of his head grow. Heb. " Letting his locks grow, the hair ofhis head." The reasons assignable for this appointment are various. (1.) It served as a sign of mortification to worldly deUghts, as the cutting off or pulling out of the hair was a usual accompaniment of deep sorrow and affliction, of humilia tion and self-abasement. It is, more over, a fact unquestionable, that aU forms of ascetic and monastic life tend to the cultivation of the hair and the beard, although the tonsure is charac teristic of certain orders of religious devotees. Particular causes may ope rate in these cases, hut there can be no doubt that the tendency is what we have stated. (2.) It was a testimony to the 92 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. 6 All the days that he sepa rateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no dead body ''. 7 He shall not make himself rf Lev. 21. I. 2, 11. c. 9. 6. 19. II, 16. purity which the Nazarite professed, for when the Nazarite (v. 9), or the lep er (Lev. 14 : 8, 9) was cleansed from impurity, the hair was shaven off; wherefore the keeping it from being shaven implied that the parties had kept themselves from uncleanness. Ac cordingly, when the Lord would denote the rejection of Israel, as being unclean before him, he did it by this sign of cut ting off tbe hair with a razor. Is. 7 : 20. Ez. 5 : 1-10. (3.) It was to be kept un shorn as a symbol or badge of the pecu- Uar strength and virtue which should mark a prevaUing holiness of spirit and life. The case of Samson illustrates this idea of the import of the long hair of the Nazarite, although it is carefuUy to be borne in mind that the strength was not intrinsicaUy in the hair, any more than the healing virtue by which Naaman was cured of his leprosy was in the Jordan, but in the divine potency which cooperated with the outward sign. (4.) As the long hair of woman is regarded in the Scriptures as a sign of her husband's power over her, and her subjection to him (1 Cor. 11 : 5-10), so the Nazarite's hair might properly be regarded in the same light, as a to ken ofhis special subjection to the Lord, to whose power and auspices he had committed himself by his vow. Y. 6. Shall come at no dead body. Heb. al nephesh meth, at the soul of a dead person. Another instance of the pe culiar usage by which the original word for " soul " is applied to a dead body. On this usage see Note on Lev. 21 : 1. Num. 5 : 2. Targ. Jon. " ShaU not come at the son of man that is dead." AU death refers the mind naturaUy to sin, unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die ; be cause the consecration of his God is upon his head. and that which is pure and holy cannot come in contact with that which is sin ful without poUution. Others might touch dead bodies without contracting any thing more than a temporary cere monial poUution ; indeed, some must do this, or the dead would remain un- buried ; but it was forbidden to the Nazarite on the pain of forfeiting aU the honor and advantage of his vow. The tendency was to remind them of the necessity of keeping their consciences pure from dead works, and of not touch ing the unclean thing. y. 7. Shall not make himself unclean, etc. That is, by touching, mourning for, or burying them. This rule would teach them to moderate their affections and griefs, on account of earthly rela tives, and to consider themselves more entirely consecrated to their Father in heaven. In this respect they stood up on a par with the high priest himself. Lev. 21 ; 11. \ Beca-use the consecra tion of his God is upon his head. Heb. nezer, the Nazariteship, or separation. Gr. " The vow." Chald. " The crown of his God ; " as the original, nczcr, is also rendered. Lev. 21 : 12. The allu sion is to the unshorn locks of hair upon his head, constituting the principal ex ternal badge of the Nazarite. The high priest was in Uke manner distinguished by what is " the crown (nezer) of the anointing oil ofhis God," and both the one and the other in their consecration were types of Christ, on whose head it is said, Ps. 132 : 18, "tbe crown (nezer) shaU flourish." So also Christians, "made kings and priests unto God," have " on their heads crowns of gold," Kev. 1:6. 4:4. B. C. 1490.] 8 All the days of his separa tion ' he is holy unto the Loed. 9 And if any man die very e 2 Cor. G. 17, 18. CHAPTER VI. T. 8. Soly imto the Lord. The lead ing idea conveyed by the term " holy " in this connection is undoubtedly that of external ceremonial holiness, evinced in scrupulously abstaining from what was forbidden, whUe at the same time, if an inward and spiritual sanctity could be superadded to this it would redound so much the more to the ad vantage of the votary. But the Jews, as a general fact, were a people very little receptive of the deeper internal workings of spiritual life. Their func tion was rather representative or typi cal, and this function could be dis charged independent of the interior state of the subjects. V. 9. If any man die very suddenly by him. Heb. "If the dead dieth by him suddenly unawares." That is, by apoplexy, violence, or in any other way. A provision is here made for the cleans ing of a Nazarite in case he happened unavoidably to contract a ceremonial pollution by the touch of a dead body. Should such a thing occur at any time after the commencement of his separa tion, the uncleanness would nullify the proceedings up to that point, and be would have to begin anew. The cere monies for such an occasion are here prescribed.- — -If Sath defiled the head of his consecration. Heb. rosh rmzro, the head of his Nazariteship. Gr. " Im mediately shaU the head of his vow be deflled." It was requisite that he should be strictly exempt from poUu tion by the dead during aU the days of his Nazariteship. In the case supposed there was evidently no blame to be at^ tached to the person who happened to be providentially present at the death of a fellow-being ; still defilement was suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecra tion; then he shall shave -^ his / Acta 18. 18. imputed and purification enjoined. It is a legitimate, practical inference from this, that even sins of infirmity, or faults in which we are overtaken by surprise, and to which we are moved by no ill-intention, are a proper ground of repentance and humUiation. IT Shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, etc. The sense of the origi nal is not perfectly clear, but the proba ble import is, that the shaving of the head was not to take place immediately upon the occurrence of the defilement, but on the seventh day afterwards, at the close of the season for which he was to consider himself unclean. Accord ing to this the final clause of the verse, " on the seventh day shaU he shave it," is merely exegetical of the preceding. Theodoret, however, and some others suppose a twofold shaving to be indi cated, the one on the first day of his uncleanness and the other on the last. But in this case, it is diflicult to un derstand why the first day that he was to he considered unclean should be called " the day ofhis cleansing." The shaving now enjoined was to cleanse from the incidental poUution contract ed, and was entirely different from tbe shaving prescribed upon the fulfilment of the vow, V. 18, which was to be done at the door of the Tabemacle, where also the hair was to be burnt. " When the Nazarite shaU shave himself for his uncleanness, he need not shave him at the door of the Sanctuary, nor cast his hair into the fire. But whether he be shaved within or without the Sanctu ary, his hair is unlawful to be put to any use, but must be buried," — Mai monides. The import of all this waa equivalent to that of the shaving of the 94 NUMBEES. [B. C. 1490. head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it. 10 And on the eighth day he shall bring two ^ turtles, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabemacle of the congregation : g Uv. 5, 7, 14. 2!. 15. 14, 29. leper when cleansed. Lev. 14, signify ing the renunciation of one's own right eousness by any works he can perform, and the acknowledgment of poUution even in his best doings. Comp. PhU. 3 : 8, 9. 1[ The seventh day. The day when all who were defiled by the dead were made clean hy the sprinkling of holy water, ch. 19 : 11, 12, 19. T. 10. Shall bring two turtles. That is, two turtle-doves. The appointment accords with that which the law made for atonement in behalf of those who had unclean issues, and went through a process of cleansing on account of them. See Notes on Lev. 15 : 14, etc. ** When a Nazarite is defiled with any uncleanness for which he is to shave himself, one is to sprinkle upon him on the third day, and on the seventh day (Num. 19 : 12), and he is to shave off tbe hair of his head, in the seventh day, and to wash in the seventh day, after he is sprinkled, as do all that are defiled by the^ dead, and when his sun is set, he shaU bring his offerings on the eighth day, and they are two turtles, or two young doves." — Maimonides. Y. 11. And the priest shall offer. Heb. dsdh, shall do. This is a peculiar phrase ology, made use of where mention is made of sacrificial rites. It is equivalent to sacrificabit, pardbit, jnactabit in Lat in, i. e. to make ready and offer up in sacrifice. The paraUelism in the fol lowing passages will unfold the usage. 1 Chron. 21:23, "Let my lord do that 11 And the priest shall offer the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day. 12 And he shall consecrate unto the Lord the days of his which is good in his eyes." 2 Sam. 24 : 22, " Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him." So also Ps. 66 : 15, " I will offer (Heb. will do) buUocks with goats." The same word occurs Ex. 29 : 36. Gen. 18 : 7. 27 : 17. IF For that he sinned by the dead. Heb. 1DE3 p? al nephesh, upon or over a soul. Chald. " By the dead," The act is termed sinning, though not with strict propriety, as it was merely a casual and undesigned contraction of legal uncleanness. The original term is NCon hdtd, to miss, to fail of one's aim, and such was the effect in the present instance. Though done without his agency and against his will, yet in the eye ofthe law it was a defilement, and as such was to be atoned for. It was designed to make men very cautious how they came in contact with any thing that should cause pollution, ^ Shall hallow his head. Heb. kiddesh, shall sanctify. By " his head " is meant " the head of his Nazariteship," as v, 9, The observance of his vow was to commence anew by the consecration of the hair of his head, which was to be suffered to grow without cutting henceforth to the expiration of the period embraced in his vow. Kabbi Sol. Jarchi says, " Sanctify his head, i. e. to begin again the count of his Nazariteship." This is confirmed by the ensuing verse. V. 12. And he shall consecrate. Heb. hizzir, shall separate as a Nazarite, the original root from which comes ndzir. B. C. 1490.] CHAPTEE VI. 95 separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass-offering * : but the days that were before shaU be lost, because his separation was de filed. 13 And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his a Lev. 5. 6. the Nazarite. The import is, that he shall begin, with the eighth day, a new term of self-consecration or separation, to continue for the same length of time that he had first vowed. 1 For a trespass-offering. Which was the pro per offering for involuntary sins. Lev. 8 : 15. 22 : 14. IT The days that were before shall be last. Heb. yippelu, shall fall, or fall out. Chald. "ShaU he frustrated." Gr. "ShaU not be reck oned." Vulg. "ShaU be made void." This single act of defilement, however insignificant it might appear in itself, would stiU he sufficient to annul all that he had done before, so that it should be accounted for nothing. "It teaches us," says Henry, " that * if a righteous man turn away from his righteousness,' and defile himself with dead works, aU his righteousness that he hath done shaU be ' lost to him,' " Ezek. 33 : 13. V. 13. This is the law of the Naza rite, etc. That is, that which foUows is the law in regard to the closing cere monies of the Nazariteship, the speci fied period having expired. It points out the maimer in which the votary was to express his gratitude to God, on the fiilfilment of his vow, and receive an orderly discharge. TT Se shall be brought. Heb. yabi otho, he shall bring him. As the original leaves it doubtfol who are meant hy "he" and "him," three different modes of interpretation have been suggested. (1.) That the man bronght himself, which is appar- separation are fulfilled' : he shall be bronght unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; 14 And he shall offer his of fering unto the Lord, one he- lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt-offering, and one ewe-lamb of the first year t Acts 21. 36. ently, though not certainly favored by the Gr. (2.) That the priest brought him. (3.) That the word "him" should rather be rendered "it," referring to the lamb which the man was to bring as an oblation. We prefer the construc tion which makes the subject of the verb indefinite, " one shaU bring him," i. B. he shaU be brought, as our version has it. T. 14. Se shall offer. Heb. hikrib, shall bring near, the appropriate term for sacrificial and other offerings. See Note on ch. 8 : 9, 10. \ Of the first year. Heb. " Of his first year," and so in the subsequent clause respecting the she-lamb, " of her first year." ^ For a burnt-offering. One of each of the three great classes of offerings men tioned Lev. 1 : 3 : 4 : is here prescribed, corresponding to the threefold prohibi tions of wine, tonsure, and corpse-defile ment specified above. The design of them is well expressed by Patrick : — "A bumt-offeri-ng, as an acknowledg ment of God's sovereign dominion. A sin-offering, imploring pardon for any omissions of which he might have been guilty during liis vow; and a peace- offering, in thankfulness to God, who had given him grace both to make, and to keep, and to fulffi this vow." The duty of bringing these offerings, though the vow had been fulfiUed without any poUution, would teach the Nazarite that so far from meriting any thing by his pious consecration of himself a secret 96 NUMBEES. [B. C. 1490. without blemish * for a sin-offer ing, and one ram without blem ish for ' peace-offerings, 15 And a basket of unleav ened bread, cakes •" of fine flour mingled with oU, and wafers of unleavened bread " anointed with oil, and their meat-offering, and their ° drink-offerings. 16 And the priest shall bring them before the Lord, and shall i Lev. 4. 3, 28, 35. Mai. 1. 13, 14. I Pet. 1. 19. / Lev. 3. 6. m Lev. 2. 4. n Ex. 29. 2. o c. 15. 6, 7, 10. and unseen guiltiness still clave to him even in his best and most perfect works, and though " he knew nothing by him self (i. e. against himself), yet was he not thereby justified, but he that judged him was the Lord." 1 Cor. 4 : 4. V. 15. A-nd their meat-offering a-nd their drink-offerings. The possessive "their" in this connection seems to refer to the burnt-offering and peace- offering mentioned in the preceding verse, and which were always to have the meat-offering (meal-offering) and drink-offering as an accompaniment, besides the basket of unleavened bread, with the cakes and wafers. See Lev. 7 : 12. Num. 15 : 2, 3, etc. V. 16. Sliall bring (them.) Heb. hikrib, lit. shall cause to come near ; a term which is interchanged with " of fer," 1 Chron. 16:1, " they offered {yak- rihu) burnt-sacrifices," etc. compared ivith 2 Sam. 6 : 17, " And David offered (yaal) burnt-offerings," etc. IT Shall offer his sin-offering. Heb. " ShaU do his sin-offering." See Note on v. 11. For an account of the nature and use of the sin-offering, see Note on Lev. 4 : 1. This, though mentioned second, was offered first, according to the Hebrew writers: — "He killed the sin-offering first, and after the burnt-offering, and after that the peace-offerings, and af- otfer his sin-offering, and his burnt-offering. 17 And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace- offerings unto the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread : the priest shall offer also his meat-offering, and his drink- offering. 18 And the Nazarite shall shave ^ the head of his separa tion at the door of the taberna- p Acl8 21. -4. ter that he was shaved." — Maimonides. Having made his peace with God by the sin-offering, the other two which followed were made acceptable. v. 17. Shall offer the ram. Heb. " Shall do the ram," as in the preceding verse. On the nature and design of the peace-offering, see Note on Lev. 3 : 1. It was here a token of thankfulness that he had been enabled to fulfil his vow, and a kind of rejoicing festival before the Lord, as the flesh of the peace-offer ings was eaten by him who brought the sacrifice after the Lord and the priest had had their portions. 1[ With the basket of unleavened bread. From Lev. 8 : 26, it would appear that not the whole contents of the basket were thus offered to the Lord, but one of each kind of the cakes was dedicated to him as a wave-offering, and the rest was eaten by the offerer and his friends invited on the occasion. If The priest shall offer. Heb. " Shall do." ^rom this it is obvi ous that the meat-offering (meal-offer ing) and the drink-offering were distinct from the basket of unleavened bread, although Boothroyed and Geddes are disposed to identify them. V. 18. The Nazarite shall shave the liead of his separation. Heb. " Of his Nazariteship." That is, the hair ofhis head, which was the grand visible dis- B. C. 1490.] CHAPTER VI. 97 cle of the congregation ; and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sac rifice of the peace-offerings. 19 And the priest shall take the sodden ' shoulder of the ram, and one ' unleavened cake out of the basket, and one un leavened wafer, and shall put g 1 Sam. 2, 15, r Ex, 29, 23-28, tinguishing badge of his separation or consecration to the Lord as a Nazarite, The Hebrews call this " the shaving of purity," for having now fulfiUed his vow, this hair was holy, not having been defiled like that which he was or dered to shave off before, v. 9. The ceremony, therefore, was like canceUing a bond when the condition is perform ed. % At the door of the tabemacle. That the act might receive an appro priate notoriety ; that it might be pub licly known that he had completed his vow. After the Tabemacle was suc ceeded by the Temple, this was done in the precincts ofthe latter. Acts 21 : 26. IT Fut it in the fire which is under fhe saorifiee of the peace-offerings. Be ing considered consecrated and holy it was consigned to the fire, where it was consumed in honor of the Lord whom the fire represented. The fire, how ever, in this case, was not the fire of the altar, which was too pure for such an oblation, but the common fire under the pot or caldron in which the peace-offer ings were boUed. This might be caUed, in one sense, holy, because it was em ployed to boU holy meat, and for that rea son was more sacred than common fire. v. 19. Shall take the sodden shoulder. That is, the boiled shoulder, which was the left, the right, caUed the heave- shoulder, V. 20, being by a previous law (Lev. 7 : 32, 33) appropriated raw 5 them, upon the hands ofthe Naz arite,- after the hair of his sepa ration is shaven : 20 And the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before the Lord : this is holy for the priest, with the wave-breast and heave-shoulder : and after that the Nazarite may drink wine. 21 This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and to the priest. In this case, accordingly, the left shoulder was added to the right as a special token of the Nazarite's thankfuluess to heaven for the many mercies vouchsafed. If After (the hair of) his separation is shaven. Heb. "After his Nazariteship is shaven." The thing signified heing put for the sign. V. 20. And the priest shall wave them. On the import of the words "wave," " waving," " wave-offering," see Notes on Ex. 29 : 24^28. Whatever were the distinction between wave-offering and heave-offering, the act was performed by the priest's putting his hands under those of the offerer, thus intimating that the acceptance of all our services is through the mediation of our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, by whom we are to offer " the sacrifice of praise to God continually." T This is holy for tlie priestj Heb. kodesh, holiness ; that is, a holy portion for the priest to eat. 1[ With the wave-breast and heave-shoulder. Heb. " Upon, or in ad dition to, the breast of waving and shoulder of heaving," which were the perquisites of the priests, of all the peace-offerings. IT May drink wine. Heb. " Shall drink," i. e. if he pleases, being now discharged of his vow and restored to his former freedom, to Uve as other men. V. 21. This is the law of the Naza- NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. of his offering unto the Lord for his separation, beside that that his hand shall get : accord ing to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation. -rite, etc. The common rendering and interpretation of this verse does not strike us as satisfactory. It is for the most part understood to mean that all the observances above mentioned he was bound to comply with, however poor he might be, besides which he might add whatever his circumstances and inclinations might prompt him to over and above what was thus pre scribed. (* Beside that that his hand shall get.') But to this it is a serious objection, that the preceding law makes no allusion to any such additional vol untary offerings, and yet the writer is professing to recite the terms of the law. We propose, therefore, the fol lowing, as the literal and more correct rendering of the passage : — " This (i. e. what is said above) is the law of the Nazarite who shall vow, (and the law of) his gift (korbano, his korlan) unto the Lord according to his Nazariteship, beside that which his hand shaU have attained ; according to the vow which he shall have vowed, so shaU he do ac cording to the law of his Nazariteship." The phrase, " beside that that his hand shaU get," denotes, we think, that which fell within the measure of his ordinary abUity. Over and above what he ordi narily did iu the way of gifts or obla tions, he was especially bound as a vo tary to discharge punctUiously all the requirements above specified which were involved in his vow. The phrase ology in the clause " for his separation " (al nizro), which we have rendered "according to his Nazariteship," is in the original closely akin to that which 22 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying. On this wise ye shall bless " the chil- 8 Lev, 9, 22, Deut. 10, 8, 21,5, Josh, 8, 33, occurs in the final clause of the verse, " after the law of his separation (al torath nizro"). If the preposition ^? al may be properly rendered in one case after, i, e, according to, we see not why it may not be also in the other, If According to the vow whieh he vowed. Heb. k^ nidro, according to the mouth of his vow. That is, according to the tenor, purport, and intention ofhis vow. It is reiterating the general declaration, that he must conform, with the utmost strictness, to the terms ofthe vow which he has voluntarily made. On the gen eral purport of the latter part of this chapter, in which various offerings are commanded, the following remarks of Calvin wUl be seen to be very appro priate : " Here we clearly perceive, that however cheerfully and earnestly men endeavor to offer themselves altogether to God, yet they never attain to the goal of perfection, nor arrive at what they desire, but are always exposed to God's judgments, unless He should par don their sins. Even when the work of the Nazarites is complete, God com mands them to confess their guilt, and suffers not this service to intrude into the place of merit, but requires of them a sacrifice, that they may borrow from elsewhere what belongs not to them selves, though they appear to be the most perfect of aU men." — Sarm. of Pent. The Formula of .Blessing pronouneed upon the People. V. 23. On this wise shall ye lless, etc. The Lord here prescribes the form of B. 0. 1490.] CHAPTEE VI. 99 dren of Israel, saying unto them. blessing which Aaron and his sons were to pronounce upon the people, espe ciaUy at the close of the daUy services. The office of benediction was in a pecu liar manner committed to them, as ap pears from Dent. 22 : 5, " And the priests the sons of Levi shaU come near ; for them the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the Lord." And 1 Chron. 23 : 13, "Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to bum incense before the Lord, to minister unto him, a-nd to lless in his name for ever." In this act they represented one grand prerogative of Christ, the great High Priest of the Church, who is pre-emi nently the fountain of blessing, and " in whom aU the nations of the earth are (to be) blessed." The uniform practice of the Apostles in blessing the people, leads us to infer that it was to be con tinued under the Christian dispensa tion ; and accordingly, in conformity to their example, the Christian Church has universally retained the custom of closing the service with a pastoral bene diction. Not that ministers can, by any power or authority of their own, con vey a blessing ; but as stewards of the mysteries of God, and mediums be tween himself and his people, they may stiU act as the appointed vehicles of blessings which he sees fit to impart. The priesfly benediction was in itself very simple, yet as the divine appoint ment it undoubtedly brought down many blessings upon those upon whom it was pronounced. And shall we sup pose that the Most High will put any less honor upon his ordinances under the Gospel? Let not then the benedic tion be slighted, as though it were a 24 The Lord bless' thee, and " keep thee ; ( Pa. 134. 3. u Ps. 121. 7. John 17. 11. mere signal for the breaking up of the congregation, but be looked upon as the expression of the Lord's good wiU to each of his worshippers involving the exhortation io do aa well as to lea-m his commandments. The threefold repe tition of the name " Jehovah " undoubt edly carries with it an allusion to the divine mystery set forth in the august titles Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as evangelicaUy explained by the apostle, 2 Cor. 13 : 14, " The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love ofthe Father, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you aU." Indeed, the Hebrew writers confess that as the name " Je hovah," in this connection, is differently pointed each time, some mystery un known to them is couched under it. Under the Christian dispensation this mystery is unfolded. The term " bless," though here predicated of the priests, is properly to be understood of the Lord himself, and the part of the priests was simply that of invocation, for they could not bless of themselves. At the same time, as they acted as official interces sors, and spake in the name of Him who commanded the blessing," the prayer on that account involved a vir tual promise, and was uttered with a certain authority which gave assurance of its accomplishment. This blessing was pronounced in a standing posture, with uplifted hands, and probably with a loud voice, and the face turned to wards the people. Deut. 10 : 8. Lev. 9 : 22. With the Levitical priests this was typical. In our Lord himself it was veritably fulfiUed. Luke 24 : 50, "And he led them out as far as to Beth any; and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them." V. 24. The Lord lless tliee, and keep 100 NUMBEKS. [B. 0. 1490. 25 The Lord make his face " shine upon thee, and be gra cious *" unto thee ; P Pb. 31. 16. 67. 1. 80. 9. 17 w Gen. 43. 119. 135. DaD. 13.19. MaLl.9. thee. The blessing is here pronounced inthe singular ("thee"), although its import is of course plural. In this re spect it is like the precepts of the Deca logue, which address themselves to every man in his individual capacity, the implication being in either case that no one is to lose himself in a multitude, but to make a personal application of whatever is included in the blessing or the command. Tbe leading import of hlessing, when spoken of tbe Lord, is abundant increase and multiplication of good things both temporal and spir itual. " The Lord bless thee and keep thee," therefore, is equivalent to, tbe Lord bestow upon thee plentifully the favors of bis providence and his grace, and kindly guard and preserve thee in the happy enjoyment of them. The original term for " keep " is often em ployed to signify the tutelary care, the faithful guardianship, whicb the Most High exercises towards those who put tbeir trust in Him. Thus, Ps. 121 : 7, " The Lord shaWpreserve tbee from all evil, he s\iqX[ preserve thy soul." Y. 25. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee^ etc. Heb. yderpdnauv elekd, make his face (lit. faces) to he Ught (UghtsoTne or l/wmiTious) to thee. The Targ. Jon. adds, "when thou art studying tbe law, and reveal to thee its bidden things." The ancient versions, though somewhat various In tbe form of expression, evince a substantial agreement. Chald. "The Lord display bis Shekinah (or Divine Majesty) upon thee, and have compassion upon thee." Syr. "The Lord illuminate thee with his countenance, and vivify thee." Arab. "Tbe Lord kindle the splendor 26 The Lord lift up =" his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace ". X Fs. 4. 6. John 14. •27. 89 15. vPfl. 29. 11. PhU. 4. 1. 2 Thefl. 3. 16. of his countenance upon thee, and be propitious to thee." Gr. "The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be merciful to thee." The face of God sometimes denotes his anger. Lev. 20 : 6. Ps. 21 : 10. 34 : 17, and sometimes his favor, Ps. 21 : 7. But the Ught or the shining of his face usually carries with it the idea of loving-kindness and salvation in Christ, as Ps. 80 : 7, " Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved." Comp. Ps. 44 : 3. It is equivalent to, " smile upon thee," and this impUes the opposite to the hiding of the face, and covering it with a cloud. Tbe term gracious, it will be observed, has, in most of the ancient versions, the sense oi pity, compassionf meray, while with us it has somehow received a sense in conformity with the idea of aton&nent or propitiation upon which it is sup posed to be built, and therefore is usu ally explained, in this connection, as implying ^Jix^forgive/ne^ of sin. Prob ably, however, tbe leading idea is that of benignity, and the clause may be para phrased, " Tbe Lord bless thee with the sensible effects of his favor, and visit thy soul witb an influence like that of tbe sun upon the face of nature, cheer ing and enlivening it." V. 26. The Zord Uft up his cou/nten- ance upon thee, and give thee peace. Heb. " The Lord lift up his countenance to thee, and put, or dispose, unto thee, peace." Chald. " The Lord take away bis anger from thee, and impart to thee peace." Vulg. "The Lord turn his countenance to thee, and give thee peace." The phrase "lift up the coun tenance," when spoken of men, implies a free, open, and cheerful air and de- B. 0. 1490.] CHAPTEE VI. 101 27 And they shall put my une ' upon the children of I Dent. 28. 10. 18, 19. 2 Clir. 7. 14. Is. 43. 7. Dan. 9. portmeut, the opposite of downcast and melancholy, as Job 29 : 24. 2 Sam. 2 : 22 ; so when spoken of God it imports that favor and complacency which pro duce such an elevation of face in the subject of it, being attended with an in ward calm of conscience, a peace and assurance which could flow from no other source. This peace is but anoth er name for aU manner of prosperity and welfare, being opposed to war, to discord and enmity, to tumult and con fusion, and also to adversity. This threefold invocation, therefore, is very comprehensive in its range of import, being laden with the richest blessings which heaven can impart to men. "There be many that say. Who wiU show us any good ? Lord, lift thou up the Ught of thy countenance upon us." We may here remark, that some in terpreters are of opinion, that the last clause of each benediction explains the foregoing, as if it were said, " The Lord bless thee, by keeping thee ; the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, by being gracious unto thee ; the Lord Uft up his countenance upon thee, by giv ing thee peace." This may be admit ted, without at the same time supersed ing any of the other senses which we have attributed to the language. " As I came along the road, 1 met Baman, and he lifted up his face upon me ; but I knew not the end ; " which means, he looked pleasantly. Does a man com plain of another who has ceased to look kindly upon him, he says, " Ah ! my friend, you no longer lift up your coun tenance upon me." — Boberts. V. 27. Tliey shall put my name upon the children of Israel. Heb. sdmu, shall put, orimpose; aphraseology of apecu- Israel, and I will " bless them. o Gen. 12. 2. 3. c. 23. 20. Pa. 5. 12. 67.7. 115. 12, 13. Acts 3. 26. Eph. 1. 3. Uar kind, implying mainly the invoca tion of the divine name upon the chosen people, whereby is understood the min isterial or mediatory communication, in a measure, of the very quaUties and attributes for which the name of Jeho vah stands. Chald. " They shaU put, or Impose, the blessing of my name." We may doubtless suppose that the threefold blessing above mentioned in volved the essential import of the name Jehovah, so that in pronouncing that blessing they did in effect impart the virtue of that divinely signiflcant name ; and it may be questioned whether this verse is not, in fact, the Lord's own in terpretation of the purport of the bless ing which he ordered to be pronounced, and which is given in the preceding verses. It is not, at any rate, clear what more is intended to be conveyed by the language of this verse tban is embraced in the true sense of the three preceding. Ainsworth remarks, that it is apparently meant of the priests' ges ture in lifting up their hands " towards the people," as did Aaron, Lev. 9 : 22, as a sign that the name and blessing of God was imposed upon them. But this was probably done in. the benediction itself, and therefore cannot weU indi cate a distinct act here. Why may we not regard the benediction pronounced by Aaron and his sons upon the chU dren of Israel as a dim, but real fore shadowing and revelation of that great truth whicb Ues at the very foundation of the Christian system — the love of the Everlasting Father, the grace of the In carnate Son, the comfort, the teaching, and the communion of the Holy and Blessed Spirit — not as three Gods, but as one God viewed under a threefold 102 NDMBEKS. [B.C. 1490. A CHAPTER VII. ND it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully aspect. According to this suggestion, God the Father is referred to in the 24th verse — " The Lord bless thee and keep thee ; " the Son, the Redeemer, is re ferred to in the 25th verse — "Make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee ; " and the Holy Spirit is al luded to in the 26th verse — " Lift up the light of his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." This view appears to us a reasonable one, and therefore, on the whole, we would read the passage as if written, " And (thus) shaU ye put my name," etc. That is, by pronouncing the above blessing ye shall in effect put my triune name upon the chUdren of Israel, and thereby chaUenge them as mine ; as especially bound and conse crated to me in tbe acknowledgment of my divine nature and perfections. 1[ And I will lless them. Targ. Jon. " I wUl bless them in or by my Word." Gr. " 1 the Lord wUl bless them." That is, both the people and the priests. For the strengthening of their faith the Lord promises to bless the blessing of his appointed servants. CHAPTER TH. 1'he Offering of the Princes at the Dedication of the Tabemacle. v. 1. On the day. That is, about the time. The Tabemacle was fully set up on the first day of the first month of the second year after the departure from Egypt, Ex. 40 : 17, 18. The history here seems to revert to that period, and yet we are not to interpret it in such a strictness of sense as to confine what is here said to the space of a single day ; for the anointing or consecrating process occupied seven days (Lev. 8 : set up " the tabernacle, and had anointed it', and sanctified it, i Ley. 8. 10, II. 35), and the dedication here spoken of took place after that. It must be un derstood, therefore, that after the Tab ernacle had been erected, and conse crated with aU its appurtenances, the priests anointed, their services defined, the tribes registered and arranged un der their several standards, the Levites distinguished into their appropriate classes; that "in that day," or about that time, the chief heads of the differ ent tribes entered upon the work of ded ication as described in what foUows. — The general scope of tbe Israelitish his tory as typical of the Christian church undoubtedly warrants the idea of such a bearing in the present narrative. The Tabemacle, it wiU be observed, is first set np, and then, with aU its imple ments and utensUs, anointed and sanc tified, and thus made fit to be conse crated to the holy uses for which it was designed. The actual dedication fol lowed, and this was signalized by the voluntary gifts of the heads of the tribes, as recorded in the present chap ter. The ceremony of unction in the 0. T. is a standing symbol of the effu sion of the Holy Spirit in his purifying and gladdening influences. As applied to the Tabemacle and its contents it points typically to the inauguration of Christ as head of his church, and in and through him to the universal church it self, which is the fulness of his spiritual body. The representative import of the Altar is not materially different, though it has a more especial reference to the Lord and the church in respect to the worship rendered by the one and received by the other. We may say, then, that the dedication of the altar is the consecration of the church. The day of the anointing of the altai denotes B. 0. 1490.] CHAPTER Vn. 103 and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the ves- the time of the Lord's inauguration, when, after the resurrection and ascen sion, the Holy Spirit was poured out in rich abundance, and his precious gifts imparted to beUevers. "As a recom pense in the same " their hearts were also opened " as the hearts of a willing people," and they were ready to bestow at once their goods and themselves up on the Lord as a holy dedication, " Thy people," says the Psalmist, Ps. 110 : 3, " sbaU be wiUing in the day of thy pow er; " Heb. "shaU be a people of volun tarinesses, or Uberalities ; " and it is perhaps with a tacit reference to this noble, Uberal, generous spirit and prompting tbat the chiefs of the tribes are here termed " princes." The char acter thus typicaUy given to the Chris tian church in its primitive period, when its disciples were in this respect of one heart and one mind, ready to possess aU things in common, is to he consid ered as virtuaUy the character of the Lord's disciples in aU ages ; for of them it may be properly said, "the liberal soul deviseth liberal things." In the present case, it might be said of the Is raelites, as of the early Christians, that "their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their Uberality," for though tbey had Uttle to spare, yet they gave it with a princely generosity. The in ventory is here made out, and the names of the donors stand recorded to their honor, as we oflen see in modem times the names of contributors to mis sionary and other benevolent enter prises published to the world, not to trumpet or eulogize their benefactions, but to attest their zeal, and serve as an encouraging example to others. On this subject we quote the apposite re marks of Mr. Cummings, in his " Scrip ture Readings on Numbers," (m loc.) : — sels thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified them. "Some people seem to think, that to publish one's name in a Ust, or in an advertisement, as the donor of so much to a charitable object, is wrong. It may be right or wrong ; in the thing itself there is nothing necessarily wrong, nor is there any thing necessarily right. If it he done from vain glory, it is wrong ; but if it be done simply as expressing one's gratitude to God, and one's sym pathy with His cause, then it has prece dents in the Old Testament, it has a precedent in the J^ew. That woman's name, who anointed the Saviour's feet with the precious perfume, is recorded, and recorded as a precedent for us. And it may be done to induce others, who have more in their coffers, but at present less liberaUty in their hearts, to go and do likewise. We are not caUed upon ostentatiously to display what we do ; that is sin : it is not only sin, it is absurd; but we are at the same time caUed upon to let our light, whether it be bright or dim, so shine before men, that others seeing our good works — our names recorded in the annual list — may glorify not us, but our Father who is in heaven. And if these men, the princes of the ancient tribes of Israel, gave so much, aud so UberaUy — for it was a vast amount of gold and of sU ver — to that tab emacle that was to be taken down, how should we rejoice in every opportunity, as it presents itself, in the Providence of God, of contributing to buUd up a Uving temple of Uving stones on Christ the foundation rock, untU that com pleted and perfected temple shaU sound with the praises of TTim that redeemed it — ' Grace, grace unto it.' " "j Had anointed it. That is, with oU, accord ing to the command, Ex. 30 : 23-28, the execution of which is related Lev. 8 : 10, 11. As the Tabemacle and the Al- 104 NUMBEES. [B. 0. 1490. 2 That tho princes ' of Is rael, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered : 3 And they brought their tar were the principal things, and what sanctified the oblations (Mat. 23 : 17, 19), therefore the princes' offerings were de ferred tiU these were duly set up and inaugurated. V. 2. That the princes, etc. offer ed. See ch. 1:16, where the same term occurs, which Geddes renders " patri archal chiefs." The word "offered," which in our version is the last word in the verse, is in the Hebrew the first. Accordingly, Ainsworth renders, "Then offered the princes," etc. TI Seads of the house of their fathers. For " heads of the houses." See Note on ch. 1 : 20. T[ A-nd were over them tliat were numbered. Heb. " That stood by, upon, or over them tbat were mus tered." As this is the same term that occurs ch. 1 : 5, in speaking of the num bering of the people by Moses and Aaron and their assistants, " these are the names of the men that shaU stand with you," the inference would seem fair, that the writer intended to say these were the same persons who offi ciated with Moses and Aaron on that occasion. Gr. "That presided over the visitation," i. e. the muster. Vat. " That stood by while the people were numbered." Calvin, however, does not recognise any aUusion to these twelve assistants. His explanation is, that after the people were numbered, and separated into their several divisions, these were chosen as the chiefs of the tribes. This may have been so, and yet the men chosen may have been the twelve above mentioned. offering before the Lord, six covered wagons, and twelve ox en ; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox ; and they brought them be fore the tabernacle. V. 3. And they brouglit their offering. Heb. korbdnaim, their korban. The de sign of this offering was to perform a public service, by affording convenient vehicles to transport the heavier mate rials of the Tabernacle when it was re moved from place to place. 1[ Before the Lord. That is, before the door of the Tabernacle, as appears from the final clause of the verse. 1[ Six cov ered wagons. Heb. shesh egloth tzdb. The original tzdb is from a root signify ing to swell, to grow turgid. It is em ployed in reference to the swelling of the adulterous woman under the opera tion of the waters of jealousy, and is the term rendered tortoise. Lev. 11:29, from the tu/rgid form of his shell. The simi lar form of a covered wagon wiU show the ground of its usage in this sense in the present instance. The same word in Is. 66 : 20, is translated " Utter." The Gr. has a/to|as \aijnr-r\viKas, coach wagons, the epithet implying, according to lexicographers, a kind of vehicles such as were used by Ulustrious men and women. Though comparatively of a rude structure, they were doubtless the best and most costly that could be furnished under the circumstances. TI And twelve oxen. " It appears that each cart was drawn by two oxen, and a greater number does not seem to have been employed on any of the different occasions mentioned in Scripture. Oxen seem to have been generally used for draught in ancient times among other nations as weU as the Hebrews; and they stiU continue to be employed in B.C. 1490.] CHAPTER vn. 105 4 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 5 Take it of them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation ; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man ac cording to his service. 6 And Moses took the wag ons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites. 7 Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Ger- dragging the few carts which are in use in some parts of Western Asia." — Piet. Bible. T[ A wagon for two of the princes. Heb. " A wagon upon two of the princes ; " i. e. according to, or for two. Such is the peculiar force of the Heb. particle al. From which it ap pears that there was a certain kind of concert in this presentation ofthe wag ons, as if each two of the princes com bined to furnish a wagon, whUe each one contributed an ox. V. 3. Take it of them. It is perhaps in reference to this expression that Jo nathan in his Targum says that Moses at first refused the presents, to which Rab. Sol. Jarchi adds, that " he received them not from their hand tiU he was commanded by the mouth of God." The words imply, perhaps, some de murring on the part of Moses until he had taken time, according to his usual custom on aU doubtful points, to con sult the Lord, and definitely ascertain his wUL IT That they may be to do the service. Heb. " And let them be to serve the service." Gr. "And they shaU be for the ministerial work of the Tabemacle of testimony." Vulg. "To serve in the ministry of the Tabema cle." TI To every man according to his service. Heb. "According to the month of his service." That is, accord- shon, according to their ser vice '' : 8 And four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari ', according unto their service, under the hand of Itha mar the son of Aaron the priest. 9 Butunto the sons of Kohath he gave none; because 'the ser vice of the sanctuary belonging to them was, that they should bear upon their shoulders. e c. 4. 23-33. / c. 4. 4-15. ing to the measure and proportion of his service ; or, in other words, accord ing as every one had a greater or less burden to carry. Accordingly, to the Gershonites, who had the lightest bur den, the curtains and hangings, ch. 4 : 24^28, he gave but two wagons and four oxen. V. 8. Four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari. The largest aUowance of wagons was made to this fanuly both because it was the most numerous, and was charged with the heaviest burdens, ch. 4 : 31, 32, 48. The boards, bars, piUars, sockets, etc., fell to their lot. T[ According unto their service. Heb. " According to the month of their service." 1 Under the hand of Ithamar. Heb. "In the hand of Ithamar," tbat is, under his guidance and direction. He had the general superintendence of both the Gershonites and the Merarites, ch. 4 : 28, 33. V. 9. Beca-use the service of the sane- tuary, etc. Heb. abodath hakkodesh, the service of the holy, that is, of the holy things, such as the Ark, Table, Candle stick, Altar of Incense, etc. Gr. " Be cause they have tbe ministrations of the holy (tou ayiou).- TI ( That) they should bear upon their shoulders. This was with a view to the greater honor 106 NUMBEES. [B. 0. 1490. 10 And the princes offered for dedicating^ of the altar in g Deut. 20. 6. I K. 8. 63. 2 Chr. 7. 5, 9. Ezra 6. 16. Neh. I'i. 27. Pb. 30. title. and dignity of the Ark and of the Law contained in it. The violent motion of a wagon might injure the exquisite workmanship of the sacred chest, and shake and ruffle the ephod and breast plate, which by carrying on the shoul der would be effectuaUy avoided. From the fearful judgment tbat befell Uzzah, 2 Sam. 6 : 3, 7, it would appear that the order as to this mode of transportation was exceedingly strict. The bearing of the Ark and the other holy things was not, however, so exclusively the province of the Kohathites that it might not be assumed by the priests, the sons of Aaron, on certain special occasions, as appears from Josh. 3 : 3. V. 10. The princes offered for dedica ting of the altar, etc. Heb. eth ha-nmk- kath, the initiation, or consecration. Although our version renders the clause "yew dedicating," etc., yet there is noth ing in the original to answer to " for," and the true sense undoubtedly requires the rendering : — " Offered the dedica tion of the altar,'' etc., i. e. the sacri fices which constituted the dedication- offering, or, as Geddes proposes, the initial-offering, by a figure of speech simUar to that by which the Heb. " sin " is sometimes used to signify a " sin- offering." The usage in regard to the original term (from the root hdnak) is peculiar and somewhat important. When spoken of men it denotes cate chising, initiation, inst-mction, train ing up to any new thing to which they were previously unaccustomed. Thus Prov. 22 : 6, Train up (hanok) a chUd in the way he should go," etc., where the margin has catechise. When ap plied to other things, as temples, altars, houses, etc., It indicates the first using the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before the altar. or enjoying of them, which was usual ly done with some special solemnities. Thus, Solomon "dedicated the house of God," 2 Chron. 7 : 5, and kept " the dedication of the altar seven days," 2 Chron. 7:9; and at the return from Babylon " they kept the dedication of the house of God with joy, and offered at the dedication thereof an hundred huUocks," etc., Ezra 6 : 16, 17. In lUce manner the people kept " the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem with gladness, thanksgiving, singing, cymbals, psal teries, and harps," Neh. 12 : 27-43. Da vid also composed the thirtieth Psalm on the occasion of the dedication of his house ; and it appears from Deut. 20 : 5, that aU the Israelites were in the habit of dedicating their dweUing-houses. In the time of the Maccabees " they kept the dedication of the altar eight days," with sacrifices and gladness, and or dained it to be so kept yearly, 1 Mac. 4 : 54, 56-59, which ordinance was ob served in our Lord's time, John 10 : 22, in what is termed " the feast of the dedication." A like ceremony obtained among the GentUes, as is evident from what is said Dan. 3 : 2, 3, of Nebuchad nezzar's " dedicating the image " which he had set up. We may trace the con tinuance of these usages in the custom of dedicating or consecrating church es and chapels, and other public build ings, and in the ceremonies connected with the * opening ' of roads, mar kets, bridges, and occasionally with the launching of ships. In aU these cases the original word is the same with that employed in this passage. The custom is expressed in Greek by iyKaiviaiios, and the feast by eyKati/eio, Lat. encae nia, from Kaivos, new, implying renova- B. C. 1490.] CHAPTER vn. 107 11 And the Lokd said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the al tar. tion, restoration, or fhere-appropriation of any thing to its intended use. So the solemnity of covenant-making at Mount Sinai, related Ex. 24 : 3-8, is caUed by the Apostle, Heb. 9 : 18, a dedication; as he says "it was not ded icated without blood," and Christ is said to have ** dedicated a new and Uv ing way " into the holy heavens, Heb. 10 : 20. So in the present case, in or der that the altar might be consecrated for the oblations of Israel at aU times, the princes of the twelve tribes are moved to dedicate it with gifts and sac rifices of various kinds, continued with great solemnity for twelve days, thus representatively testi^ing their faith and joy in Christ, who was symbolized by the altar, and hy whom they should offer the sacrifice of praise to God con tinually, Heb. 13:10-15. It is to he observed, however, that this is a dis tinct offering from that of the wagons above-mentioned. Rabbi Sol. Jarchi observes : " After they had voluntarily given the wagons and oxen to carry the Tabemacle, their heart stirred them up to offer voluntary offerings to the altar to dedicate it." Though not expressly intimated, it is yet to be presumed that the offerings made by the princes on this occasion were not exclusively an expres sion of their own personal promptings, but made on the behalf and at the ex pense of the tribes to which they sever- aUy belonged. Calvin appropriately re marks, that " althongh mention is only made of the 'princes,' it is probable that each of them presented what the whole tribe had subscribed, since there was DO person at that time wealthy 12 And he that offered his offering the first day was Nah shon * the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah : enough to give so much gold and sU ver of his own." — Sarm. of Pent. TI In the day that it was anointed. Heb. "In the day of its being anointed." That is, about or near the time ; not precisely on the very day. See Note on V. 1. V. 11. And the Lord said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day. Heb. " One prince for a day, one prince for a day, shall they offer their offering." Repeated for the sake of emphasis and the greater solemnity of the proceeding, as weU as to indicate the equal right which aU the princes and tribes had in the altar to he dedicated. It would probably be better to render the first clause of the verse, " For the Lord had said," inti mating that God had previously re quired this tribute of the people. As it now stands, it would seem as if Moses had not been ordered to receive it be fore it was actuaUy presented by the princes and the people. A preferable sense results from considering the whole verse as parenthetical, with the pluper fect rendering. TT For the dedicating of the altar. The dedication here men tioned is not to be understood as if the altar was now for the first time to he inaugurated into its stated use. This had in fact heen done before, and seven days spent in the ceremony; but the idea conveyed is that of its beginning to be used after having been previously set apart and sanctified. V. 12. TI Nahshon, fhe son of Ammin adab. It wiU be noticed that in every other instance throughout the chapter, the tiUe "prince" is attached to the 108 NUMBEES. [B. O. 1490. 13 And his offering was one silver charger, the weight there of was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of sev- name of the person designated. Here it is omitted, for which the reason may he, that the distinction of offering first involved in itself a kind of principality, inasmuch as the tribe of Judah, in the person of Nahshon, represented the Lord the Saviour, descended from him, and who was, " in aU things to have the pre-eminence.'' Chazkuni, a Rabbini cal writer, remarks thus upon the fact : — " He is not called prince, tbat he might not be puffed up because he offered first ; and all the others are caUed princes, for that they submitted themselves and offered after him." It is not, however, very easy to perceive how the recording or not recording of his title should have had any effect in the way of inflating his spirit, when for aught that appears the history of the transaction might have been written years after its occur rence. ^ Of the tribe of Judah. Heb. lematteh, for the tribe. Several versions render '\t"of the tribe," but the above is the most literaUy exact, and doubt less the true sense. As such it confirms the remark made above, that the offer ings were not made so much by tbe princes in their own names, as in the names of the tribes to which they per tained, and over which they presided. It wrU be observed that the offering of the chiefs of tribes, each in his day, is not in the order of their births, or as they stand in ch. 1, but according to the order in which they were ranged around the Tabemacle, ch. 2, beginning at the east, proceeding thence to the south, next to the west, and ending at the north. This order we may present in tabeUated form, thus : — enty shekels, after the shekel'' of the sanctuary : both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil, for a * meat-offering : 1. Judah : Ma'hslion, v. 12 \ 2. Issachar: Methaneet, v. 13 vEast. 8. Zebulun: Eliab, v. 24 ) 4. Eeuben : Elizur, v. 80 ) 5. Simeon : Shelumiel, v. 86. >¦ South. 6. G-ad: Eliasaph, y.4S, ) 7. Ephraim : EUshama, v. 48 1 8. Manasseh : Ga'maliel, v. 54 . . >- West 9. Benjamin : Abidan, v. 60 J 10. Dan : Ahiezer, v. 66 i 11. Asher: Pagiel,Y. 72 J- North. 12. Naphtali : AMra, v. 78 ) This ceremony of offering was con tinued for twelve successive days, on each of which the prince or chief at tbe head of his tribe, forming a grand pro cession, marched forward and laid his rich offering upon the common altar, in regard to which all the tribes stood on a footing of dignified equality. And in order stUl further to cement the union of the whole body of the people, each day of the celebration was made a day of festivity for the whole, by the Feast Offering which made part of the tribute. V. 13. O-ne silver charger. Heb. kaarath, dish, platter, or deep bowl. Gr. " Trablion," which in Mat. 26 : 23, is rendered dish. Its precise use has not been clearly determined, but it would seem to have been designed for receiv ing the fine flour of which the meat (meal) offering was made, or for the mixing of the flour into a paste. See Ex. 25 : 29. TI An hundred andthirty shekels. About sixty-five ounces. TI One silver bowl. Heb. mizrok, bowl, basin. Gr. "Phiale," translated vials, Rev. 16, which however does not con vey a correct idea to the JEnglish read er, as the vessels intended were of very B. C. 1490.] CHAPTEE vn. 109 14 One spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense ' : different construction from our vials. " Goblets " would be a rendering nearer the truth. The use of these vessels in the holy things was to hold the blood which was carried to the altar and there poured out or sprinkled, Ex. 27 : 3. It is obvious, too, from the concluding clause, that it was used for containing the fine flour mingled with oU, the me morial of which was to be burnt in the fire of the altar. Lev. 2 : 2. TT Shekel of the sanctuary. Heb. shekel hakko desh, shekel of the holiness or sanctity ; that is, the shekel employed as a stand ard in regard to the weight of aU holy things. TI For a meat offering ; that is, for a meal-offering, or min cha, which was to be an accompaniment of the hurnt-offering and peace-offering men tioned vs. 15, 17. V. 14. One spoon. Heb. kaph, cup ; a vessel for holding incense, caUed a spoon from its concavity. See Note on Ex. 25 : 29. Geddes and Boothroyd ren der by " incense-pot." As this was of gold, it doubtless pertained to the altar of incense, and not to the brazen altar standing in the outer court ; and this woidd indicate that both altars were now dedicated, that is, began to be first used for the purposes of the whole congrega tion. As to the use of incense in connec tion with the meat-offering, see Note on Lev. 2 : 1, et seq. If these dedication- offerings have, on the whole, as we have endeavored to show, a Christian aspect, then it may be presumed that these va rious vessels of gold and sUver come in to the general category of typical, and we see nothing more probable than the suggestions of the old commentator Ra- banus Maurus, who says : — " These dif- 15 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for "* a burnt-offering : m -Lev. 1. 2, 3. ferent kinds of vessels, made for offer ing Ubations, were intended to denote the varying capacities of men in respect to the reception of divine things. One and the same kind of teaching is not equally adapted to aU classes of men. The wise, the simple, the rich, the poor, the sound, and the infirm, require dif ferent modes of instruction. The rude race of the Jews, abiding under the shadow of tbe Law, were to be trained in one way ; in quite another way is a Christian people, beholding the myste ries of the Law unfolded in the verity of the Gospel, to be nurtured into a perfect man." He theu goes on to ex plain the symbolical purport of the dif ferent kinds of vessels, the howls, goblets, cups, etc., intimating that they here represent the various capacities of truth distinguishing different per sons in the church, aU of whom, how ever, are prompt to present their seve ral faculties to the Lord to be fiUed from the fulness of his Spirit, and then solemnly dedicated to his service. V. 15. O-ne young bullock, etc. The offerings here mentioned, the plate and the sacrifices, of which latter there were no less than twenty-one, were very costly, and must have constituted a magnificent donative for a people now sojourning in a wUdemess beyond the bounds of civilization. "The occasion must have been one of great and strik ing solemnity, and, from the account here given, reminding us strongly of the annual festival of Nurooz in Persia, when the king sits in great state and glory, with the nobles of his court at tending in their most gorgeous attire, and thus receives in succession a long 110 NUMBEES. [B. O. 1490. 16 One kid of the goats 'for a " sin-offering : 17 And for a sacrifice of • peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 18 On the second day Netha neel '' the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, did offer. 19 He offered ''for his offer ing one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary ; both of them full of fine flour min gled with oil, for a meat-offering : 20 One spoon of gold of ten shekels, full of incense : 21 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering : 22 One kid of the goats for a sin-offering : 23 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Nethaneel the son of Zuar. 24 On the third day Eliab ¦¦ n Lev. 4. 25. g ver. 13, etc. 0 Lev. 3. 1. ^ c. 1. 8. -i, tt. r c. 1. 9. 2. 7. series of costly offerings, which the princes who govern the provinces of his empire send, at that season, to the capital for his acceptance, and which are of such value as to form one of the principal portions of his yearly reve nue." — Piet. Bible. V. 17. And for a saerijice of peace- The victims here are much the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, did offer : 25 His offering was one sil ver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shek els, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary ; both of them fuU of fine flour mingled with oil, for a meat-offering : 26 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense : 27 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering : 28 One kid of the goats for a sin-offering : 29 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Eliab the son of He lon. 30 On the fourth day Elizur" the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, did offer : 31 His offering ' was one sil ver charger, of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctua ry; both of them full of fine « c. 1. t>. 2. 10. ( Ter. 13, ete. more numerous than in the case of the burnt-offerings or the sin-offerings for the reason that the priests, the princes, and as many of the people as were in vited had their share of them, and feast ed together before the Lord with great rejoicing. V. 18. On the seeond day Nethaned did offer. It may here be remark- B. 0. 1490.] CHAPTER vn. Ill flour mingled with oil, for a meat-offering : 32 One golden spoon of ten shekels, fall of incense : 33 One young buUock, one ram, one Iamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering : 34 One Md of the goats for a sin-offering : 35 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur. 36 On the fifth day Shelu miel " the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Sime on, did offer : 37 His offering ' was one sil ver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shek els, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary ; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil, for a meat-offering : 38 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense : 39 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering : > c 1. «. 9. II. . ver. 13, etc. ed that every tribe, through its prince or chief, offers precisely the same kind of offering, and in the same quantity, and that the offering of each is distinct ly described, although it necessitates a repetition in the same words, whereas we should doubtiess have supposed that, after specifying the first, the sacred writer would have said : — " And so in like manner with aU that foUowed ; each one made the same offering." But in- 40 One Md of the goats for a sin-offering: 41 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai. 42 On the sixth day Elia saph " the son of Deuel, prince of the chUdren of Grad, offered ; 43 His offering' was one sil ver charger, of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, a silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctu ary; both of them fuU of fine flour mingled with oU, for a meat-offering : 44 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense : 45 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering : 46 One Md of the goats for a sin-offering : 47 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of DeueL « e. 1. 14. 3. 14. X Ter. 13, etc finite wisdom has seen fit to adopt another course, and it may have been npon the same principle with that to which we have adverted, ch. 1 ; 20-43, with which compare Note on Ex. 36 : 8-38. The witnessing of the actual pro cessions and offerings continued fiom day to day would have produced a deep and solemnizing impression upon the mind, and it may be that the leisurely perusal of the distinct account of each. 112 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. 48 On the seventh day Eli shama ", the son of Ammi hud, prince of the children of Ephraim, offered : 49 His offering ^ was one sil ver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shek els, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary ; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil, for a meat-offering : 50 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense : 51 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering ; 52 One Md of the goats for a sin-offering : 53 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Elishama, the son of Ammihud. 54 On the eighth day offered " G-amaliel, the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manas seh : 55 His offering ' was one sil ver charger, of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctu ary ; both of them fuU of fine flour mingled with oil, for a meat-offering : y c. 1. 10. 2. 18. 2 Ter. 13, etc. acl 10. 2. 20. 6 ver. 13, etc. when set hefore us in written recital, was presumed to be productive of a somewhat simUar effect. V. 48. On the seventh day. As twelve days were occupied in tbe celebration, 56 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense : 57 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering : 58 One Md of the goats for a sin-offering : 59 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. 60 On the ninth day Abidan ', the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, offered : 61 His offering ¦* was one sil ver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shek els, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary ; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil, for a meat-offering : 62 One golden spoon of ten shekels, fuU of incense : 63 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering : 64 One kid of the goats for a sin-offering : 65 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Abidan, the son of Gideoni. 66 On the tenth day Ahie- c c 1. 11. 2. \ d ver, 13, etc. one, or perhaps two sabbaths must have intervened in the time, and yet it ap pears that the ceremonies sjaffered no interruption on that account. But the Lord is " Lord also of the sabbath," and B. 0. 1490.] CHAPTER vn. 113 zer ', the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan, offered : 67 His offering ¦'^ was one sil ver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shek els, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary ; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil, for a meat-offering : 68 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense : 69 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering : 70 One Md of the goats for a fiin-offering : 71 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai. 72 On the eleventh day Pa giel*, the son of Ocran, prince ofthe children of Asher, offered: 73 His offering * was one sil ver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shek els, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary ; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil, for a meat-offering : 74 One golden spoon of ten shekels, fuU of incense. eel. 12. 2.27. / Ter. 13, etc g c. 1. 13. h V. 13, etc the work which he himself appoints for that day is holy work, suitable for that sacred season. V. 84. This was fhe dedication of the altar. Targ. Jon. " This was the dedi- 75 One young btdlock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering : 76 One Md of the goats for a sin-offering : 77 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ocran. 78 On the twelfth day Ahi ra ¦ the son of Enan, prince of the cMldren of Naphtali, off'ered : 79 His offering * was one sil ver charger, the weight where of was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of sev enty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary ; both of them full of fine flour mingled with on, for a meat-offering : 80 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense : 81 One young buUock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering : 82 One Md of the goats for a sin-offering : 83 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Ahira, the son of Enan. 84 This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it i c I. 15. 2. 29. Ic ver. 13, etc cation of the anointing of the altar." It was dedicated by the oblations and sacrifices above recited, which, though simple and plain, were of great value, leaving us to infer that we are to serve 114 NUMBEES. [B. C. 1490. was anointed, by the princes of Israel : twelve chargers of sil ver, twelve silver bowls, twelve spoons of gold ; 85 Each charger of silver weighing an hundred and thirty shekels, each bowl seventy : all the silver vessels weighed two thousand and four hundred shek els, after the shekel of the sanc tuary : 86 The golden spoons were twelve, full of incense, weigh ing ten shekels apiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary : aU the God with the chiefeist and choicest of our possessions, and that too in a large and liberal spirit. Comp. Ex. 25 : 22. ¦ T[ In the day when it was anointed. That is, at or about the time when it was anointed, for as the pageant oc cupied twelve days, the term "day" must of course be taken in an extended sense. " When it was anointed," is plainly equivalent to " after it was anointed." V. 85. All the silver vessels weiglied, etc. The sum total of aU these various offerings in sUver, gold, and cattle, may be thus exhibited : — 12 Silver Chargers, each 130 shekels. 12 Silver Bowls, " 70 " 12 Gold Spoons, " 10 " Total Shekels of Silver, 2400 " " of Gold, 120 Of beasts for sacrifice : Bullocks, 12 Bams, 13 Lambs, 12 Goats, 24 Earns, - 60 He-Goats 60 Lambs, 60 gold of the spoons was an hun dred and twenty shekels. 87 All the oxen for the burnt- offering were twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the lambs of the first year twelve, with their meat-offering : and the kids of the goats for sin-offering, twelve. 88 And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace-offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he-goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty. This was the dedication Total,.. . 240 "By this,'" says Adam Clarke, "it is easy to see, that though the place iu which they now sojourned was a wil derness, as to cities, villages, and regu lar inhabitants, yet there was plenty of pasturage, else the Israelites could not have furnished these cattle, with aU the sacrifices necessary for different occa sions, and especiaUy for the passover, which was celebrated during their so- jouming in the desert, and which it self must have required an immense number of lambs, when each family of 600,000 males was obliged to provide one," (ch. 9.) It is not, however, to be disguised, that there are serious diffi culties to be encountered in the attempt to show how such a vast multitude of cattle as would be requisite for the pur poses of the people of Israel could be subsisted in this desert, rocky region. Mr. Stanley, in his recent work on Sinai and Palestine, alludes to this subject, and though he does not consider any solution of the problem yet given as whoUy satisfactory, yet he offers seve ral suggestions calculated greatly to weaken the force of the objections brought against the Mosaic history on this score. He remarks, that there is abundant evidence that the resources B. G. 1490.] CHAPTEE vm. 115 of the altar, after that it was anointed '. 89 And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the con gregation to '" speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaMng unto him from off the mercy-seat " that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims : and he spake unto him. I ver. 1. nt c 12. S. Ei:. 33. 9, II. n EjL 2J. 22. of the peninsula were anciently far greater than they are now. V. 89. Andwhen Moses was gonei-nto, etc. Heb. lebo Mosheh, in Mose^ going in. The meaning undoubtedly is, that from this time henceforth, whenever Moses went into the Tabemacle to con sult the divine oracle, he was privileged to hear the voice speaking to him, as here described. TT To speak wUh him. That is, with God. ^ Seard the voice of one speaking with him. Gr. "Heard the voice of the Lord speak ing." Targ. Jon. "Heard the voice of the Spirit speaking." This was in ac cordance with the prerogative vouch safed to Moses of being admitted to more intimate converse with the Lord than any of the rest of the prophets. See ch. 12 : 8. \ From off the mercy- seat. Heb. "From above the mercy- seat." In this was fiilfiUed the promise made Ex. 25:21, 22, "And thou shalt put fhe mercy-seat above npon the ark and there I wiU meet with thee, and I wiU commune with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubims." For this reason, the most holy place of the Sanctuary, where the ark and the mercy-seat were stationed, was caUed debir, speaking- place or oracle, from the root ddbar, to speak. Into this sacred recess Moses alone was then thus privileged to enter. unto CHAPTEE, VIIL AND the Lokd spake Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him. When thou lightest the lamps", the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick. 8 And Aaron did so : he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the Lo£i> commanded Moses. a Ex. 25. 37. 40. 25. But now every Christian has in effect aU the rights that Moses had. The humblest heUever is a priest in the truest and only existing sense of the word; and has access as a priest into the immediate presence of God. The monopoly of the few is now the privilege of aU mankind that beUeve. The nar row gate that once gave access to a sin gle nation, is now opened so wide that aU nations may pass freely through it. CHAPTER vm. The Lighting of fhe Lamps a-nd fhe Workmanship of fhe Gandlestitk. V. 2. 'When fhou lightest the lamps. Heb. "In thy causing the lamps to ascend." See the import of this phrase fuUy explained in the Notes on Ex, 25 : 37. Gr. " When thou shalt set up, or put up, the lamps." Chald. "When thou shalt kindle the lamps." The lamps or sconces containing the oU, were so constructed as to he capable of being detached, and taken down from the branches, to be fiUed and then raised up (made to ascend) to their proper places on the candlestick. TT Sliall give their light over agai-nst fhe candlestick. Heb. " Over against the face (Ut. faces) ofthe candlestick." The meaning is not en- 116 NUMBEES. [B. 0. 1490. tirely obvious from the Uteral render ing, but the explanations drawn from the Rabbinical comments throw a satis factory light upon it. " Over against the candlestick" we take to be equiva lent to " towards the central shaft," for the term " candlestick" is occasionaUy applied by way of eminence to the shaft from which the branches issued. See Notes on Ex. 25 : 31-37. At other times it stands for the whole structure. The meaning undoubtedly is, that the wicks should be so disposed in the lamp-cups or sconces tbat they should incline to the edge nearest the centre, and thus should shine towards the candlestick emphatically, so caUed. The central lamp, it is supposed, was lighted from the fire of the altar, and all the others from that. We give in this connection the form of the candlestick as we have been enabled to deduce it from the words of the sacred historian, as con tained Ex. 25 : 31-40. Candlestick. The Hebrew doctors say, "The six lamps that were fastened unto the six branches that w^ent out of the candle stick, all ofthem had their faces towards the middlemost lamp which was on the branch (the shaft) of the candlestick ; and this middlemost lamp, the face of it was towards the Most Holy Place, and it is caUed the western lamp." — Maimon ides. In like manner Sol. Jarchi says, " Over against tbe face of the candle stick, that is, the middle lamp, which is none of the branches, but of the body of the candlestick. The seven lamps shaU give light ; the six which are upon the six branches, the three that are eastward having the wicks in them turned towards the middlemost; and so the three that are westward having the tops of the wicks towards the mid dlemost." The same thing is briefly expressed in the latter clause of Ex. 25:37. It is indeed said that "the seven lamps shall give their light " in the manner above described, but we are stiU at liberty to understand this with the due discrimination as implying that the words strictiy considered hold good B. 0. 1490.] OHAPTEE vm 117 4 And this work of the ' can dlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flow ers thereof, was ' beaten work : i Ex. 25. 31. ff Ex. 25. IS. of the ma; branches only in their rela tion to the central shafb. SimUar modes of diction could easUy be cited. Thus, what our Lord says of the twelve apos- ties sitting upon twelve thrones and judging the twelve tribes of Israel, must be understood as exclusive of Judas. The opposite interpretation to this is, that by giving Ught over against the candlestick is meant, causing the Ught to faU npon the north side of the Tabemacle, especiaUy iUuminating the table of show-bread, whereas the can dlestick itself stood upon the south side. This is the sense affixed to the passage hy the Vulg., which, however, is rath er a paraphrase than a translation : — " When thou shalt place seven lamps, let the candlestick be set up on the south side. Give orders, therefore, that the lamps look over against the north, towards the table of the loaves of prop osition ; over against that part shaU they give Ught, towards which the can dlestick looketh." For ourselves, we give a decided preference to the other construction. The typical be:iring of the candlestick with its lamps is largely unfolded in our Notes on Ex. 25 : 31-37, and in consistency with that the sug gestion flows easUy from what is here said, that as the central shaft more espe ciaUy represents the Lord the Saviour, who is to the chnreh what the vine is to the branches, and as whatever of spiritual Ught and heat is possessed by his ministering servants flows fi^m him, so it is eminently proper that they shonld by a reciprocal turning or in clination, reflect their Ught towards its divine source, as in grateful acknow ledgment of its derivation therefrom. according nnto the pattern'' which the LoRn had showed Moses, so he made the candle stick. V. 4. And this work of the candle stick (was of) beaten gold. Or, as the Heb. wiU admit, " This was the work of the candlestick, (viz. it was) beaten gold," etc. For a detaUed account of the fabrication of the candlestick, see Ex. 25 : 18, 31-39. 37 : 17-24, where, in our Notes, we have endeavored to show that the epithet ** beaten " impUes sim ply hard, solid, as the Gr. has it, and that it impUes the nature of the mate- -rial and not the mode of construction. The candlestick with the branches, bowls, knops, and flowers, was con structed of one piece, although not by beating or hammering, but the lamps were formed apart, Uke the tongs and snuff-dishes. So one of the Babbinists says, " The lamps were vessels by them selves, and might be removed from the branches." — Chazkuni. TT U-nto fhe shaft thereof, etc. That is, both the shaft and the flowers. The word "nnto" is equivalent to "including," and the clause is thus expounded by SoL Jarchi: — "As if he should say, the body of the candlestick, aU of it, and aU that pertained to it." •; According u-nto the pattern. Heb. kammareh, ac cording to the sight, show, vision, ap pearance; the word being derived di- recfly from the root rddh, to see. The reference, however, is undoubtedly to the visionary pattern or model exhibit ed to Moses in the mount, Ex. 25 : 40, al though in this latter passage the original word for pattern is tabnith, and not that which is here so rendered. -TT Whieh the Lord had showed Moses. Heb. " Which the Lord had caused Moses to see." The phraseology of the Hebrew impUes a peculiar effect wroaght upon 118 NUMBERS. [B. C, 1490. 5 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. his interior vision, by which he was enabled to behold what otherwise would have been beyond his power. He was favored with a spiritual perception. The objects seen were seen by the in ward and not by the outward eye, and to this he was incompetent unless the Lord had m^jde him to see. The Consecration of the Levites. Y. 6. Take the Levites, etc. That is, not the whole body of the Levites, but all besides the priests, who had been consecrated on a former occasion, Lev. 8. To them the other Levites were to be adjoined as ministers and assistants, ch. 3 : 6, etc., and their consecration forms the subject of the present chap ter, Tf From arnong the children of Israel. We see in this the basis of the familiar distinction of the chosen peo ple into the different classes mentioned 1 Chron, 9 : 2,- " The Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims." ^ And cleanse them. Or, " puriiy them," i. e. in the manner about to be described. Although it was required, as a general rule, that aU the people, when they approached the sanctuary, should be free from any ceremonial un cleanness, 2 Chron. 23 : 19, yet there was a manifest propriety in the minis ters of the Lord's house complying with the words of the prophet, Is. 52 : 11, "Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord ; " and such a purification was represented by this external washing of the body in water. So the apostle makes "pureness" one ofthe requisite characteristics by which the ministry is to be distinguished, 2 Cor. 6:4:, 6. 7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them : Sprinkle Tvater * of purifying upon them, and •'^ let them shave e c 19. 9, IT, etc / Lev. 14. 8 "The mere circumstance of birth did not entitle the Levites to enter abruptly upon the duties which devolved on them. They were to receive a sort of consecration, which is described in this chapter, and which, although solemn, is different from, and more simple than, that which the priests received. They were properly purified by sprinkling and shaving, and after suitable offer ings and sacrifices, were presented be fore the Lord. They were not washed, or anointed, or invested with ofificial robes, like the priests." — Piet. .Bible. V. 7. Sprinkle water of purifying upon them. Heb. " Sprinkle upon them the sin-water;" that is, the water of purification from sin ; which we leam from ch. 19: 9, 10, ^as prepared from the ashes of a red heifer, cedar-wood, hyssop, and scarlet. It is called "sin- water" (Heb. me 'hattaath, waters qf sin) as the sacrifice of atonement for sin is called "sin-offering." Indeed, we may say with Adam Clarke, that as the heifer herself was sacrificed, and her blood sprinkled seven times before the Tabemacle, ch. 19 : 3-6, she may be considered as a proper sacrifice for sin, and consequently the water thus prepared be termed the water of the sin-offering. "As the asli£S were kept ready at hand for purifying from all le gal pollutions, the preparation might be considered as a concerctration of the essential properties of the sin-offering, and might be resorted to at all times with comparatively little expense or trouble, and no loss of time. As there were so many things by which legd pollution might be contracted, it waa B. C. 1490.] CHAPTER vm. 119 all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make them selves clean. 8 Then let them take a young necessary to have always at hand, in aU their dweUings, a mode of purifying at once convenient and unezpensive. As tbe water by which the Levites were here purified must have been the water prepared from the ashes of the red heifer, this ordinance was undoubtedly instituted before this time, though not described tiU chap. 19 : 1-10 of this book ; but that chapter might be in connection with any of the preceding ordinances, as weU as where it is now found." — A. Clarke. If Let them shave all their fiesh. Gr. " Let them shave all their body." " Let a razor go over their whole body." — Con. "Make a razor to run along npon all the ffesh of them." — Mat., Cran. " Let them cause a razor to pass over aU their flesh." — Ains. This was another symbol of purification simUar to that of'the leper, who shaved off aU his hair as weU as washed his flesh, as a part of the pro cess of his cleansing. Lev. 14 : 8, 9. The same ceremony was ordaiued also in the case of the poUuted Nazarite, ch. 6 : 9. One of the Hebrew doctors re marks, that there was a moral signifi cancy in the act, to wit, that the Levites were thereby admonished "to cast away aU worldly cares, as much as might be, and give themselves whoUy to their sacred ministry." The exam ple may also be properly understood as teaching that aU Christians, and espe ciaUy all Christian ministers, should "purify tiiemselves from aU filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God," 2 Cor. 1:1. It is worthy of remark, that Herodotus says expressly of the Egyptian priests, that hullock with his meat-offering ', even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin ofiering. g Lei. S. 1. they shave their whole body every third day, lest any vermin or other foulness should cleave to the worshippers ofthe gods. As to the Levites, it does not ap pear that the direction here given was to be observed except on special occa sions. '^ Let them wash their clothes. Another rite prescribed in purifying the unclean. Comp. Ex. 19 : 10, in aUu sion to which it is said of the redeemed, Eev. 7:9, 14, 15, their garments are " washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb," that they may "serve him day and night in bis temple." V. 8. Let them take a young bullock. Heb. " A youngling the son ofthe herd." That is, of the second year. See Note on Ex. 29 : 1, where the same ofiering was brought for the priests. This was to constitute a burnt-offering or holo caust "to make an atonement for the Levites, and as the Jewish Babbins say, " For the consecration of their service." 1 Wifh his meal-offering. That is, meal-ofiering, composed of fine flour mingled with oil, and which wan under stood to be an accompaniment of course of the burnt-offering. The ordinary meal-offering for a buUock was " three- tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oU," and for a drink offering " half a bin of wine," ch. 28 : 12, 14. See Sotes on Lev. 2. Tf Another young bullock. Heb. "A second buUock the son of the herd." This, though mentioned second, was offered first, v. 12. Lev. 8 : 14, 18. 14 : 19. The only case in which a bul lock was offered for a sin-offering was that in which the priest, and through him the whole congregation had sinned. Lev. 4 : 3, 13, 14, 22, 23, and the reason 120 NUMBERS. [B.0. 1490. 9 And ' thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation : and ' thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together : 10 And thou shalt bring the A Ex. 29. 4, etc. 40. 1*2, that this kind of offering was made on this occasion was, that it was offered for the Levites in a body who represent ed, as it were, the whole congregation. V. 9. And thou shalt bring the Levites. Heb. hikrabtd, thou shalt bring near, or ca-use to approach; a sacrificial term almost constantly in use in speaking of the offerings made upon the altar. It denotes that the Levites were viewed in the light of a species of sacrifice ded icated and devoted to the Lord. For this purpose they were to be brought like other sacrifices to the door of the tabernacle, which is usually to be un derstood by the phrase "before the Lord."- II Thou shalt gather the whole assembly. The occasion was one iu which the whole body ofthe people were equal ly interested, for the Levites being now to be taken for the first-born, it was proper that the whole congregation should signify their concurrence in the transaction. This was according to the estabUshed rule in law, Quod omnium interest, ab ommibus fieri debet, what con cerns all ought to be done by all. In like manner the congregation was assembled at the consecration of the priests, Lev. 8 : 3, 4. V. 10. The children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites. Heb. sdmeku, shall leam, their hands, etc. That is, not the whole body of the peo ple, but some of the chief of them, the elders, in the name of the rest. Ains worth suggests from Chuzkuni that the first-born performed that office, as the Levites were substituted in their place Levites before the Lord : and the children of Israel shall put ' their hands upon the Levites : 11 And Aaron shall offer ' the Levites before the Lord for an offering of the children of Is- and made atonement for them, vs. 18, 19. The act of imposition of hands in this instance denoted a certain kind of transfer from one party to another of a right, function, or prerogative which originaUy pertained to the transferring party. The act, therefore, as Mr. Kitto suggests, had virtually the same signi ficancy as that of the Levites in laying their hands on the bullocks which were to be sacrificed for them (v. 12), or to suffer and die for them ; and the appli cation from the first-born to the Levites would express, not only the consecra tion of the latter, but their substitution to attend to the service of the sanctuary in the room of the first-born. The Le vites represented typically the minis ters in the Christian church ; and the transaction before us carries with it the implication, that the functions which they discharge are inherently appropri ate to the whole body to which they pertain, and that it was never intended that they should be absolutely and en tirely alienated to a particular class perpetuating itself by an ordination rite in which the people at large have no share. Even when the imposition of hands devolves upon those who have been themselves set apart in this man ner, it should StiU be distinctly under stood that the act is performed in the name and behalf of the mass of the peo ple. Under the present dispensation all true Christians are "kings aud priests unto Grod," and they should not lightly part with their birthright. V. 11. A-nd Aaron shall offer the Le- B. C. 1490.] CHAPTER vm. 121 rael, that they may execute the service of the Lord. 12 And the Levites shall lay -vites, etc. Heb. heniph, shall wave. A sacrificial term appUed to the wave- offeiing, respecting which see Notes on Ex. 29 : 23-28. The original is render ed in the Gr. by aphoriei, shall s^iarate, which is transferred into the N. T. in reference to the setting apart of Barna bas and Saul (Paul) for the work to wbich the Lord had called them, Acts 13 : 2. In like manner Paul speaks of himselfj Rom. 1:1, as " separated unto the Gospel of God." As the leading idea of the Heb. term is that of agita tion, so the Gr. appUed to ministers and apostles denotes more than simple sep aration, viz., the trials, tossings, and aflUctions which, for the most part, should accompany their dedication to the special service of the Lord and the church. The rendering of the Arab, is here remarkable: — "And Aaron shaU lead them about by a circuitous lead ing," implying that they were conducted about through the camp, somewhat as in the East a bride is conducted in a procession from her father's house to the house of the bridegroom, to whom she is ever after to be solemnly dedi cated and devoted. The agitation or waving to and firo indicated by the ori ginal Heb. term implied the solemn con secration of fhe things waved to God, as a sacrifice ; and therefore the Levites were presented to him under the same consideration as were the first-born. As, however, it was impossible for Aaron to wave them as he did the ordi nary sacrifices, and yet the term would seem to express something which he did to them, it is not unlikely tbat they were made to perform some kind of locomotion, although it might not have been precisely that indicated by the Arabic version. Patrick suggests, that 6 their hands upon the heads of the bullocks : and thou shalt offer the one for a sin-offering, Aaron " lifting up his hands, and turn ing about to aU ,sides, as he did when he offered a wave^offering, they, at his command, imitated the same motion, and so were offered up to God, and be- * came whoUy his." Le Clerc, however, conjectures that they were led round about the altar, thus favoring the con struction of the Arabic, which we on the whole are inclined to adopt IT For an. offering. Heb. tenuphdh, a wave-offering. See Note on ch. 3 : 6. Gr. apodoma, a gift, as the ministers of the church are also caUed Eph. 4 : 8, 11. 1 That they may execute the ser- vice. Heb. " That they may serve the service." Gr. "That they may be to - work, or do, the works of the Lord ;" as also in v. 15. The same phraseology occurs in the original of 1 Cor. 16 : 10, "For he worketh the work ofthe Lord, as I also do." The language of 1 Cor. 9 : 13, is equivalent : — "Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things, Uve," etc. T. 12. Shall lay their hands upon the heads. Heb. "Hpon the head," sing. doubtless because the ceremony was performed upon the head of each one separately. U Thou shalt ofer. Heb. " Thou shalt do." See Xote on ch. 6 : 11, 16, 17. As the words are addressed to Moses, the meaning is, that he should cause the sacrifice to be offered by the hands of Aaron the priest. There is something which strikes us as very plausible in the suggestion of Vitringa and Patrick, tbat the Levites were them selves considered in this transaction as an expiatory saerijice; for being given to God instead of the first-bom, in the sanctification of whom the whole family was sanctified, and their sin in a certain sense expiated, the offering of the Le- 122 NUMBERS. [B. 0. 1490. and the other for a burnt-offer ing, unto the Lokd, to make an atonement for the Levites. 13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and be fore his sons, and offer them /or an offering unto the Lord. 14 Thus shalt thou separate "" the Levites from among the vites in this manner was to be consid ered as having the same effect as had the offering of the first-bom, viz. the sanctification and atonement of the peo ple at large. This idea seems to be countenanced by the phraseology of v. 19, " to make atonement for the cMldren of Israel," whicb may properly be un derstood as equivalent to making atone ment in behalf of the children of Israel, i. e. viewing the Levites themselves as the atoning sacrifice, and not the minis ters by whom it is made. In the pres ent verse the Levites are evidently re garded as a sacrificial offering, and yet, as they were not devoted to death, any more than the first-bom, but still lived, therefore the sin-offering and the burnt- offering were substituted in their stead. Upon these they accordingly laid their hands, that the sin which the cMldren of Israel laid upon them (v. 10) might in the same way be transferred to the victims, which thus became the real sacrifices. The soundness of the pro posed interpretation wiU depend upon the true import of the phrase lekapp'er al, to make atonement upon, for, or in behalf of, whether it refers to the sacri fice or to the sacrificer. We incline, thpugh not without some wavering, to the former. As to the actual usage, there is no .doubt that the making atone ment is predicated both of sacrifice and of tlie officiating priest. V. 13. And thou shalt set. Heb. children of Israel : and the Le vites shall be mine ". 15 And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congre gation : and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer ° them for an offering. 16 For they are wholly given " Thou shalt cause to stand," i. e. thou shalt present, as a token of their being given to him and to his sons, as in v. 19. See also ch. 5 : 16, 18, 30. IT And offer them (for) an offering u-nto the Lord. Heb. "And thou shalt wave them (as) a wave-offering." This sense of the original makes it probable that the true rendering is, " After thou hast waved them for a wave-offering," im plying that they were presented to Aaron and his sons after having been thus offered to the Lord. It is doubt less in allusion to this that Paul, in writing to the Eomans, says, " I be seech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living saaifiee, holy, acceptable un to God, which is your reasonable ser vice." T. 14. The Levites shall le mine. Chald. " Shall be ministers before me." See Note on ch. 16 : 9. V. 15. A-nd thou shalt cleanse them and offer them. Heb. "Wave them." Gr. " Give them before the Lord." As this is evidently no new order for their cleansing, the sense is unquestionably, " Thou having cleansed them, and offer ed them." See vs. 7, 11. V. 16. For they (are) wholly given unto me. Heb. " For they are Nethinim, Nethinim to me ; " repeated for the sake of emphasis. On the import of "Ne thinim" see Note on ch. 3 : 9. Gr. " For these are given to me for a present." B.C. 1490.] CHAPTER vm. 123 unto me from among the chil dren of Israel ; instead ^ of such as open every womb, even inr stead of the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me. 17 For aU the first-bom ' of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast : on the day that I smote every first-bom in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself. 18 And I have taken the Le vites for all the first-bom of the children of IsraeL 19 And I have given ' the »c.S-ia,45. jEr.13.5, H-15. t 3. 13. Lake 3. 33. r c 3. 9. Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the chil dren of Israel, to do the service of the chUdren of Israel in the tabemacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel : that ' there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come ni