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NOTES,,CRITICAL AND PRACTICAL,
ON THE BOOK OF
E XOD U S;DESIGNED AS A GENSRALA HELP TO
BIBLICAL READING AND I.NSTRUCTION
By GEORGE BUSH,
rROF. OF HEB. AND ORIENT. LIT. N. Y. CITY UNIVERSITY.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. 11.
NEW YORK:
JYISON & PHINNEY, 321 BROADWAY,
(SUCCESSORS OF MARK H5. NEWMAN & 0o.)
CHICAGO: S. C. GRIGGS & Co., 111 LAKE STREET.
BUFFALO: PHINNEY & CO.
1 8 59.




ENTERED
According to act 01 Congress, in. toe year 1841, by
GEORGE BUSH,
In tile Clerk's office of the District Court of the Southern District of
INEW 'YORKi.
STEREOTYPED BY
FRANCIS F.-RIPLEY,
No. 128 Fulton Street, N.Y.




THE HEBREW T HEOCRACY.
(INTRODUCTORY TO CHAPTERS XI.-XXIII.)
THE portion of the Book of Exodus comprised in chapters 21, 22, and 23, conlains the record of what God spake to Moses, when he 'drew near to the thick
darkness,' after the people had retired from their close vicinity to the sacred
mount. The contents of these chapters relate for the most part to the judicial
or political regulations which God was pleased to enact for his people, with the
occasional intermixture of precepts pertaining to the system of worship. But
in order to convey an adequate idea of this department of the Pentateuch, it
will be proper to present to the reader a compendious view of the peculiar civil
and ecclesiastical polity of the Hebrews, reserving to our subsequent notes, as
occasion may require, a more detailed exhibition of its several distinguishing
features.
The form of government which prevailed among the descendants of Abraham,
prior to the time of Moses, was the patriarchal. Abraham, Isaac, and Jaco,
governed their respective families in virtue of that paternal authority which was,
in the early ages of the world, universally conceded to the fathers and heads ot
households. The families thus governed were the natural germs of tribes, every
one of which obeyed its own prince (    a'si3 nasi), who was originally the firstborn of the founder of the tribe, but in progress of time appears to have been
elected. In proportion as the numbers of the tribes were augmented their heads
or patriarchs became powerful chieftains, and under the title of princes, elders,
and heads of tribes, answered very nearly to the sheikhs and emirs of the Bedouin
Arabs and other nomade races of modern times spread over the regions of the
East.
Such was the form of the primitive social organization of the chosen people.
But after the deliverance from Egypt, when they were to be set apart, and destined to the great object of preserving and transmitting the true religion, God
saw fit to bestow upon them a new civil and religious polity wisely adapted to
the purposes which, as a nation, they were intended to subserve. Of these, one
of the principal undoubtedly was, to keep alive the grand fundamental truth, that
there is but one living and true God, and that he only is to be u'orshipped and
adored, loved and obeyed. With a view to this a peculiar constitution was
adopted, familiarly known as the Theocracyi; according to which God became
the temporal king and supreme civil magistrate of the nation. Not that it was
possible for Jehovah to sink his character of Lord and Master of the universe in
his capacity as civil ruler of the Hebrews. He was still, as Creator and Judge,
the God of each individual Israelite, as he is the God of each individual Christian;
but he moreover sustained, both to every individual Israelite, and to the whole
collective body of the Israelitish nation, the additional relation of temporal sovereign. In this character be solemnly proffered himself to the people at Mount




4


THEHE BREW THEOCRACY.


Sinai, and in this character he was, with equal solemnity, accepted by their
united voice, Ex. 19. 4-8. This polity was doubtless adopted with the design
that the obedience which they rendered him as King might become in some
measure identified with the reverence due to him as God  as while they yielded
the former, they would be less likely to withhold the latter. And it is to be
noticed, that it was not till after the transaction recorded Ex. 19. 7-9, in which
God was recognised in his character of immediate Ruler of that people, that he
proceeded to promulgate from the clouds of Mount Sinai the system of laws and
ordinances designed for them as a religious community. In this system, however, the moral code of the Decalogue, which was both uttered and recorded in a
different manner from the rest, is to he considered as given, not in his character
of national king of the Israelites, but in that of the Creator and Lawgiver of the
universe. A like distinction is occasionally to be made elsewhere; but it is
clear that in the chapters before us nearly every ordinance and statute can-be referred to some one of the ten commandments, and is to be considered as merely
a developement of its sense and spirit. Yet as they are termed emphatically
'judgments,' they undoubtedly belonged more especially to the civil government,
and formed a kind of common law, very analogous to the common law of other
lands, having respect to matters at issue between man and man, which became
the subject of judicial decision. Though of a temporal character in themselves,
they still involved moral considerations, and were for the most part based upon
some express precept of the Decalogue.
Since then the Jewish polity was strictly a Theocracy, in which Jehovah ap.
peared as the immediate sovereign and the people of Israel as his immediate
subjects, this relation would naturally give rise to certain important results, in
the administration of that economy, which well deserve our notice. In the first
place, no authority was vested, by the Mosaic constitution, in any one man or
body men, nor even in the whole nation assembled, to make new laws or alter
old ones; their sovereign Jehovah reserving this power exclusively to himself.
On the same grounds, the Hebrew constitution recognized no one hereditary
chief magistrate, nor gave any power, even to the whole nation, to elect a supreme governor. It was the especial prerogative of Jehovah to appoint whom.
soever he pleased to preside over the people under the title of i" Ige, as his own
immediate vicegerent. And such men, we know, were frc... time to time raised
up as the exigencies of the state required them, and, under a special commission
from heaven, wrought the most signal deliverances for their countrymen.
Another important consequence of the Theocratic polity was, that idolatry be.
came not only the transgression of a moral precept of most aggravated character,
but also an act of treason against the state. It was a virtual rejection of the
authority of their acknowledged Ruler. It was a breach of the original com.
pact, an open rebellion against God, a positive casting off of sworn allegiance,
and therefore, on the established principles of all governments, justly meriting
capital punishment. We are not to be surprised, therefore, to find idolatry, with
witchcraft, magic, necromancy, and other kindred practices connected with it,
treated as a crime equal to th it of murder, and subjecting all those who were
guilty of committing or abetting it, to the utmost penalty of the law. The
punishment of an idolatrous city was the irrevocable ban or anathema called




TIE HEBREW THIEOCRACY.                       5
min herem, followed by complete destruction, Lev. 19. 31; 20. 6. Deut. 17,2 -6. Nay, so strict was the prohibitioii on this subject, that the inciter to idolatry
was never to be pardoned, even though he should claim the character of a prophet,?
and utter predictions which should be exactly fuliilled, Deut. 13. 2-12. The
nearest relations and the dearest friends were to be delivered up to just punishment if they enticed to idolatry; and the accuser, as the first witness, was required to cast the first stone at the convicted traitor. Even a foreigner who
dwelt among the Hebrews, could not be exempted from capital punishment if he
practised idolatry himself, or tempted others to practise it; for by so doing he
became a rebel, and a leader of rebellion, against the king, and against the whole
civil government.
Again, if it be admitted that God sustained the character of temporal prince and
legislator to he Israelites, nothing is more natural than that what may be termed
the civil or political laws enacted by him in that character sho'lld be enforced
by temporal sanctions. Accordingly, as it is beyond a doubt that the rewards
and punishments annexed to the Jewish civil code were mainly temporal, we find
in this view of the subject a sufficient explanation of the fact. The absence in
the books of Moses of any very explicit notice of the future existence of the soul,
or of a future state of rewards and punishments, has indeed afforded ground of
cavil to the skeptic, but there is certainly something inconsistent in the position,
that God acted as the temporal sovereign of Israel, and yet that while thus acting he administered the laws of the land, not by the sanction of temporal rewards and punishments in this world, but by the sanction of futmre rewards and
punishments in another world. Accordingly, any one has only to turn to the
declarations of the law itself in Deut. 11. 26-28; 28. 1-45, to be convinced that
such is not the character of its sanctions.
It is not, however, to be inferred from this, as Warburton has done, that the
fact of a future existence, and of future rewards and punishments, was unknown
either to Moses or to the nation of Israel. Although the doctrine of future retribution is taught rather by incidental reference than by authoritative declaration,
yet the evidence that it was known and believed under the Mosaic economy is
abundant and conclusive, as has been shown by Graves (Lect. on the Penta.
teuch), Faber (on the Three Dispensations), and others. Certain it is, that we
cannot suppose the nation of Israel to have enjoyed less of the revelation of a
future state than the patriarchs from whom they were descended, and of these
the Apostle expressly assures us, that 'they died in faith, not having received the
promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth, seeking and desiringa
better country, even an heavenly.' But the main purpose for which the Jewish
economy was established did not require, that any other than temporal sanctions
should be explicitly propounded under it. The laws of the Theocracy were to be
enforced by an extraordinary providence, and in accordance with this, the grand
motives placed before the Hebrews to pursue the good and to avoid the evil were
those which were derived from the benefits and calamities, the rewar Is and pun.
ishments of this life. The distinct and prominent exhibition of the doctrine of
future awards was reserved for the developements of that more spiritual system,




6                     THE HEBREW THEOCRACY.
which we enjoy in the gospel of Him who 'has brought life and immortality to
light.'
Once more, it is to be remarked, that in conformity with the peculiar genius oi
that polity, and in order that the Hebrews might have their relation to God kept
constantly before their eyes, the Most High, as their King, caused a royal tent
to be erected in the centre of the encampment, where the pavilions of all kings
and chiefs were usually erected, and to be fitted up with all the splendor of royalty, as a moveable palace. It was divided into three apartments, in the inner.
most of which was the royal throne, supported by golden cherubs; and the foot
stool of the throne, a gilded ark containing the tables of the law, the Magns
Charta of church and state. In the ante-room a gilded table was spread with
bread and wine, as the royal table, and precious incense was burned. The exte.
rior room or court, might be considered the royal culinary apartment, and there
music was performed, like the music at the festive tables of eastern monarchs.
(Lev. 21. 6, 8, 17. Num. 28. 2. Deut. 23. 4. Ezek. 44. 7.) God made choice
of the Levites for his courtiers, state-officers, and palace guards; and Aaron for
the chief officer of the court and first minister of state. For the maintenance of
these officers, he assigned one of the tithes which the Hebrews were to pay as
rent for the use of the land. He finally required all the Hebrew males, of a suit'
able age, to repair to his palace every year, on the three great annual festivals,
with presents, to render homage to their king; and as these days of renewing
their homage were to be celebrated with festivity and joy, the second tithe was
expended in providing the entertainments necessary for those occasions. In
short, every religious duty was made a matter of political obligation; and all
the civil regulations, even the most minute, were so founded upon the relation of
the people to God, and so interwoven with their religious duties, that the Hebrew could not separate his God and his king, and in every law was reminded
equally of both. Consequently the nation, so long as it had a national existence, could not entirely lose the knowledge, or discontinue the worship of the
true God. The succeeding notes will show that this view of the drift and design
of this remarkable structure is by no means inconsistent with its having been
framed throughout with a typical import, and designed to shadow forth the lead.
mg spiritual mysteries of the gospel. But that it actually sustained the character
here ascribed to it, we think there can be no doubt.




THE BOOK OF EXODUS
CHAPTER XXI.


ITOW these are the judgments
which thou shalt a set before
them.
a ch. 24. 3, 4. Deut. 4. 14. & 6. 1.


2 b If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and
b Lev. 25. 39, 40, 41. Deut. 15. 12. Jer.
34.14.


CHAPTER XXI.
This and the two following chapters
contain the record of what God spake
to Moses when he   drew near to the
thick darkness,' after the people had
retired from their close vicinity to the
sacred mount. Their contents relate,
for the most part, to the judicial or political regulations which God, as the
Theocratical sovereign of the chosen
people, was pleased now to enact and
impose upon them. These 'judgments,'
however, though in themselves mainly
of a temporal character, having respect
to matters between man and man, which
might become the subject of judicial
decision, still involved moral considerations, and were in fact based upon some
one or other of the express precepts of
the Decalogue. They are, therefore,
very properly introduced in this connexion, immediately after the moral
code, to which they have continual
reference. In our estimate of the polity
of which these laws form a part, we
must have regard to the circumstances
of the people, and the period for which
they were designed, and though we may
admit that it would he very possible
for God to have given a code intrinsic.
ally more excellent and holy, yet we
shall be ready to conclude that no better one could have been given in the
then circumstances of the Jewish race.
1. These are the judgments, &c. Heb.
Q1%  V': mishpotim; from t323 shaphat, tojudge, and here signifying the


statutes, judicial laws, or rules of judgment, by which their civil government
was to be conducted, and according to
which the magistrates were to give
judgment in disputed cases or differences arising between man and man.
Gr. itKato(lra, just judgments.  As
their government was a Theocracy,
their entire legislation was from God.
No part of their code, whether civil or
ecclesiastical, originated with them.
selves, or was left to be modified by
the dictates of human prudence
Laws respecting Servants.
2. If thou buy an Hebrew servant
&c. Heb.        '=n a  ki tikneh, uwhen
thou shalt purchase, procure, acquire;
a term of which the general import is
that of acquisition or possession in
whatever manner obtained. See Notes
on Gen. 4. 1.-14. 19. The following
instances of the use of the term will go
to show that its sense is modified by
the subjects to which it is applied, and
that it does not by any means necessarily convey the idea of Hebrew servants' being bought and sold as goods
and chattels, as they are under the system of modern slavery, especially in
our own country. Eve said, Gen. 4. 1,
'I have gotten (1LDp1 kanithi) a man
from the Lord.' And she accordingly
named him Cain (C'p kayin), that is,
gotten, acquired. Prov. 15. 32, 'He that
heareth reproof getteth (rmlp koneh)
understanding.' Is. 11. 11, 'The Lord




I


8                         EXODUS.                 [B. C. 1491.
m the seventh he shall go out free  3 If he came in by himself, he
for nothing.                   shall go out by himself: if he were


shall set his hand again to recover
(rtl35 liknoth) the remnant of his peo.
pie.' Ps. 78. 54, 'Ie brought them to
this mountain which his right hand had
purchased (itarld kanethah).' Neh. 5.
8, 'We of our ability have redeemed
(A133: kaninu) our brethren the Jews,
that were sold unto the heathen.' Prov.
8. 22, The Lord possessed me ('DD
kanani) in the beginning of his way.'
Here, as the service among the Hebrews was for the most part voluntary,
the 'buying an Hebrew servant' may as
legitimately imply the buying him from
himself, that is, buying his services, as
any other mode of purchase. Indeed,
as there is no positive proof that Hebrew servants were ever made such or
kept in that condition by force, against
their own consent, except as a punishment for crime, the decided presumption is, that such is the kind of 'buying'
here spoken of. As to the term '^I7
obed, serv(nt, it comes from '1CY  abad,
to serve, which is applied variously to
the serving of worshippers, of tributaries, of domestics, of Levites, of sons
to a father, of subjects to a ruler, of
hirelings, of soldiers, of public officers,
&c. With similar latitude, the derivative noun is applied to all persons doing
service for others, irrespective of the
ground or principle on which that service
was rendered. Accordingly it embraces
in its range of application, tributaries,
worshippers, domestics, subjects of government, magistrates, public officers,
younger sons, prophets, kings, and the
Messiah himself. To interpret it 'slave,'
or to argue, from the fact of the word's
being used to designate domestic servants, that they were made servants by
force, worked without pay, and held as
articles of property, would be a gross
and gratuitous assumption. The meanimg of the present passage undoubtedly
s, ' If thou dost in any way become


possessed of a brother Hebrew, so as
to have a right to command his services
(in consequence of which right alone
he becomes a 'servant'), retain him not
in a state of servitude more that six
years.' —IT In the seventh year. In
what sense 'the seventh year' is to be
understood here is not obvious; whether
as the sabbatical year, in which th3
land lay fallow, or as the seventh year
from the time when the servant was
bought. Maimonides was of the latter
opinion, and this appears on the whole
the most probable; for Moses uniformly calls it the seventh year,' without
using the term 'sabbatical year,' or apparently at all alluding to it. And besides, when he describes the sabbatical
year in Lev. 25. 1-7, he says nothing
about the manumission of servants. Yet
it is to be presumed that if the jubilee
year should occur before the six years'
service had expired, his manumission
would take place of course in virtue of
the general law, Lev. 25. 40, unless
he had been sold for a crime.IT He shall go out free for nothing.
That is, without being required to pay
his master any thing as a consideration
for the shortened term of service. Being nmade free by law he was to pay
nothing for his liberty. Nor was he
required to pay for any thing else. Although he might during the period of
his service have labored under sickness,
and put his master to cost, yet no compensation was to be expected from him
at the time of his release; for a man',s
servant was during his servitude as his
own possession for which he was bound
to provide at his own charges.-One
cannot but be struck with admiration
at perceiving what kind provisions were
made for the Hebrew bondman; how
carefully he was guarded from vio.
lence, injustice, and wrong. The circumstances under which a native He.




B. C. 1491.]


B CCHAPTER XXI.


9


married, then his wife shall go out
with him.
4 If his master have given him a
wife, and she have borne him sons


or daughters, the wife and her
children shall be her master's, and
he shall go out by himself.


brew might become a slave were the
following; (1.) When under the pressure of extreme poverty he sold his
liberty to preserve himself or his family from suffering; Lev. 25. 39, 'If thy
brother be waxen poor and be sold unto
thee,' &c. (2.) When sold for a like
reason by a father; v. 7, 'Ifa man sell
his daughter to be a maid-servant,' &c.
Comp. Neh. 5. 5. (3.) Insolvent debtors might, as a punishment, be sold for
servants, or, by way of payment, put into
the hands of their creditors as slaves;
2 Kings, 4. 1, 'My husband is deadand the creditor is come to take unto
him my two sons to be bondmen.' (4.)
A thief who was unable to make reStitution for what he had stolen, according to the proportion required of him
by the law, was sold by way of requital to him whom he had robbed;
Ex. 22. 3, 4, ' If he have nothing, then
he shall be sold for his theft.' (5.)
Slaves were acquired by the issue of
the marriages of slaves. The condition
of slavery, however, is undoubtedly regarded in the Scriptures as an evil, yet,
as it was an evil that had prevailed in
the world long before the establishment
of the Jewish polity, infinite wisdom
did not see fit at once to root it out, but
enacted such nmeliorating laws in respect to it as would tend to divest it
of its most aggravated and cruel features, and render it as tolerable as a
state of bondage could well be. In like
manner he regulated without extirpating polygamy.
3, 4. If he came in by himself. Heb.
|t= begappo, with his body. That is,
with his body only; in his single person; having neither wife nor children.
Gr. at vro I.,loc, himself alone.  It is
evidently used in contradistinction to
the being married in the next clause.


If a free-born Hebrew, who had sold
himself for a bondman, had previously
had a wife, this relation was not disturbed by his servitude, at the expiration of which her freedom was to be re.
stored along with her husband's. But
a different case is supposed in the next
verse. There the marriage is one that
takes place during the continuance of
the servitude, and seems to be of the
same nature with the I contubernium,'
cohabitation, of the Romans, which, instead of ' conjugium,' wedlock, was the
term applied to the marriages of slaves.
A master gave his servant a wife during the period of his service, but retained her and her children after he re.
gained his liberty, the connexion being
of course dissolved by a divorce. But
it is generally maintained by commentators, that the wife thus given was to
be a heathen or Gentile bond-maid, and
not a Hebrewess, which they gathered
fiom Lev. 25. 44, 'Both thy bondmen
and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt
have, shall be of the heathen that are
round about thee; of them shall ye buy
bondmen and bondmaids.' This passage, however, does not of itself make
it certain that such was the case, although the idea is undoubtedly countenanced by v. 7-11, of the chapter before us, which would seem to intimate
that if a Jewish woman were given in
marriage at all, it must be to her master
or ins son. Moreover, s it appears
from Deut. 15. 12, tnat Hebrew bondmen and bondmaids came under the
same law of manumission at the end of
six years, we cannot perceive on what
lawful grounds such a wife, if of the
Hebrew stock, should be detained in
servitude after the close of the allotted
time. The Jewish critics adopt the
same view. The children produced from




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


5 c And if the serva It shall plain-!y say, I love my master, my wife,
and my children; I will not go out
free:
'6 Then his master shall bring him
c Dent. 15. 16, 17.
uch a contubernium were regarded as
'eing also slaves, and constituted the
class called 'born in the house,' Gen.
14. 14.-17. 23; 'sons of the house,'
Gen. 15. 3; or 'sons of the handmaid,'
Ex. 23. 12. Of those Abraham had
318; and as it might naturally be supposed that servants thus forming a part
of the household, and imbibing attach.
ments to their master from their earliest
years, would be more deserving of confidence than strangers, he puts arms into their hands, when his service required
it; a measure, by the way, entirely inconsistent with the genius of American
slaveholding, which will not admit of
masters' putting swords or fire-arms
into the hands of their slaves.
5, 6. And if the servant shall plainly
say, &c. Heb. 'lR. Ai     amar yomar, saying shall say. That is, shall
say it again and again, so that his purpose shall become a matter of notoriety. This is intimated in order that
there might be evidence of such an intention being in the highest degree voluntary and unconstrained.- T Then his
master shall bring him unto the judges.
Heb. ti:nRi   3R el ha-Elohim, to the
gods. That is, to the magistrates, who
are called 'gods,' Ps. 82, 1, 6. John,
10. 34, 35. Chal. 'Before the judges.'
Gr. 7rpos ro Kptr,iltov Triv Oe')v, to the
judgment, or tribunal, of God. The
phraseology is remarkable, but the.prevalent sentiments of the Orientals in
regard to sovereignty of all sorts tend
to illustrate it. The Egyptians, according to Diodorus Siculus (B. I. c.
90), looked upon their kings in the light
of divinities; and from the travels of
Arvieux we learn that among the mod-. ern Arabs the usual form of citation,


unto the djudges: he shall also
bring him to the door, or unto the
door-post; and his master shall
e bore his ear through with an awl
and he shall serve him for ever.
d ch. 12. 12. & 22. 8, 28. e Ps. 40. 6.


when one is summoned to the place of
justice is in these words, 'Thou art invited to the tribunal of God.' It would
seem that they regarded a judge or magistrate in the administration of justice
as such a lively image of the Deity that
they were led to apply to him in that
capacity a divine title.-It is easily
conceivable that a servant, who had a
good master, might wish to remain with
him permanently during life, particularly if he had lived in contubernio
with one of his master's female slaves
and had children by her, for whom he
would naturally cherish a strong affection, and from whom he must separate
if he accepted his freedom. In such a
case he was permitted to bind himself
forever to the service of the master;
but in order to guard against all abuse
of this permission, and especially that
it might appear that he was not fraudulently or forcibly detained against his
will, it was ordained that the trans.
action should be gone about judicially,
and with appropriate formalities. For
this purpose, after being brought before
the magistrate, and declaration probably
made of his intention, he was taken back
and his ear bored through with an awl at
the door of his master's house, in token of
his being, as it were, affixed to it henceforward the rest of his days. This boring of ears was in the eastern countries,
a badge of servitude. Thus Juv. Sat. I
102, 'Why should I fear or doubt to defend the place, though born upon the
banks of the Euphrates as the tender
perforations in my ear evince?' upon
which the jicient scholiast remarks
'that this was a sign of slavery.' It is
supposed that the Psalmist, Ps. 40. 6,
speaking in the person of the Mes.




3. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXI.


11


iah alludes to this custom; 'Mine ear
last thou opened.' Heb. ' dug, pierced
hrough;' expressive of his entire devoion to his father's service. Michaelis
ernarks, 'That this statute of Moses
nade boring the ears in some degree
gnominious to a free man; because it
ecame the sign whereby a perpetual
dlave was to be known, and that for,his reason he would have been very
glad to have procured the abandon-;nent of the practice of servants' thus
permanently adopting a state of vassal.
age.' — T lie shall serve him for ever.
That is, as long as he or his master
lived. SomriT make it to be till the
period of the next ensuing jubilee, but
the other sense is probably more correct. Thus, 1 Sam. 1. 22, 'That he may
appear before the Lord, and thus abide
for ever;' i. e. as long as he lives. This
will appear still more evident by sup.
posing a case that might easily have
happened. A slave was sold three years
before the beginning of the jubilee.
What was to be done with him at the
expiration of that time? If he were
then released by the law of the jubilee,
how was it possible for him to serve
the six years here prescribed in the
law? This brings us to so palpable an
inconsistency in the law, that we are
an the whole forced to the conviction
that the regulation before us had no respect whatever to the jubilee. Let the
grand object of that institution be considered. It was, that every man might
'return to his possession' —which could
not be alienated for a longer time-and
to his family; Lev. 25. 10-24. But it
does not appear that the privilege extended alike to every class of servants.
A difference would naturally be made
between the case of one made a slave
by his crimes, and one who became such
by his misfortunes. Consequently the
law contained, Lev. 25. 39-42, seems
to have no reference to cases like
that before us; 'And if thy brother
that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor,




and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not
compel him to serve as a bond-servant:
But as an hired servant, and as a so.
journer he shall be with thee, and
shall serve thee unto the year of jubi.
lee: and then he shall depart from thee,
both lie and his children with him, and
shall return unto his own family, and
unto the possession of his fathers shall
he return. For they are my servants
which I brought forth out of the land
of Egypt; they shall not be sold as
bondmlen.' The drift of the enactment
here cited is entirely different from that
of the one under consideration. The
latter speaks of one who was in the
fullest sense of the Jewish law a 'bond.
servant' or slave; the former of one
who was not to be made a ' bond-serv.
ant,' but only a 'hired-servant.' The
latter relates to one who was sold for
his crimes; the former to one who disposed of his services on account of his
poverty, which was no crime. The term
of servit,,de appointed by the law before
us was invariably six years; the period
fixed by the other was till the next jubilee, whicli might be any number of years
from one to fifty. The design of the
law in Exodus, in ordaining that the
thief should be made a slave for six
years, was that he might thereby be
punished for his crime, and that the
money given for him   should make
some compensation to the person he
had injured; while the object of the
law in Leviticus was that the poor man
should be received as a menial into an
Israelitish family, not to punish him,
but that he might find the means of
comfortable support in his necessities.
The design of the statute giving the
slave his option, at the end of six years,
either to leave his master or to remain
with hint 'forever,' could not possibly
be that he should 'return to his own
family and to the possession of his fathers,' for as long as he lived in bond.
age he could not do this, and his crime
was supposed to have cut him off frogt.




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


7 1[ And if a man fsell his daugh- not go out g as the men-servants
ter to be a maid-servant, he shall do.
f Neh. 5. 5.                         g ver. 2, 3.
the right to his paternal estate. But ished parents is related in the subse
the design of the other law in giving the quent history of the Jews, Neh. 5. 1-8
impoverished hired-servant his liberty — r She shall not go out Ms the men
at the next jubilee, was expressly that servants do. That is, shall not go out
he might return to his family and again upon the same conditions, but upon betenjoy his patrimonial inheritance. As ter. She shall be better provided for at
then these two ordinances appear to be her departure; inasmuch as a feeble
entirely distinct from and unrelated to woman is less able to protect herself
each other, there is no necessity for and secure her own welfare, than a
interpreting the phrase 'for ever,' as strong and able-bodied man. There is
signifying the same as 'till the next an apparent contradiction between this
jubilee.'                            passage, and Deut. 15. 17, where, in
7. If a man sell his daughter, &c. speaking of the male servant's having
We must still bear in mind what has his ear bored in token of perpetual servbeen said above respecting the import itude, it is said, 'And also unto thy
of selling persons under the Mosaic law. maid-servant shalt thou do likewise.'
It was simply equivalent to selling one's Michaelis explains this by supposing
services.  It conveyed no ownership. that the Hebrew legislator, after the
It did not recognise the odious doctrine lapse of forty years, made an alteration
of modern slavery that a man may be- in his laws, aud added the ordinance
come a chattel, and be held and treated contained in Deuteronomy. 'He did not
simply as an article of property. So in patronize slavery; at least he endeavthe case before us, a father might be re- ored to mitigate its evils to native Heduced to such an extreme of poverty as brews, and to confine it within certain
to be constrained to have recourse to limits of duration. On their departure
the measure here mentioned, of dispos- from Egypt, he (lid so with respect to
ing of the services of a daughter, when males, and availing himself of an ancient
of a young and tender age, for a con- and merciful usage, which terminated
sideration. But it is clear from the con- servitude after seven years, he introtext that when this was done, it was, duced it by a written statute, as an inusually at least, upon some engagement controvertible right. After the people
or expectation that the person who had been accustomed to this piece of
bought her would take her, when of clemency, he went a step farther in the
age, as his wife or concubine. Her pur. law which he gave forty years after,
chase as a servant was her betrothal as and established the very same ordinance
a wife. This is confirmed by the corn- in behalf of females.' But we think it
ment of Maimonides, who says; 'A He- more probable that there was originally
brew handmaid might not be sold but to a difference in the case of a wonman sold
one who laid himself under obligations for theft, or who had sold herself be.
to espouse her to himself or to his son, cause of her poverty, and of a daughter
when she was fit to be betrothed.' Jar- sold by her father, in expectation of her
chi aiso on the same passage says, 'He being espoused by her master or one of
is bound to espouse her to be his wife, his sons. In this last case, which is
for the money of her purchase is the the one here considered, she would be
money of her espousal.' An example entitled to peculiar tenderness, and pro..- f this selling of daughters by impover- Ivision is made accordingly. But in the




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXI.


8 If she please not her master,
who hath betrothed her to himself;
then shall he let her be redeemed:


-


fornler, which seems to be contemplated
in Deuteronomy, she was to come under the same regulations with the manservant who declined going out free at
the end of his prescribed term. As it
is perfectly conceivable that a woman
might be influenced by the same motives
as a man to remain with her master, and
as there is no proof that such was not
the case, we think this the most natural
mode of reconciling the apparent discrepancy between the two passages.
However this may be, it is certain that
in the time of the prophet Jeremiah it
was conceived that the statutes which
gave freedom to the Hebrew slaves in
the seventh year, extended not only to
the male, but also to the female sex,
Jer. 34. 9-16, a passage which may be
very profitably read in this connexion.
8. If she please not her master. Heb.
-i%1     '~.= r,'I   tX im raah be-ainie
adoniha, if she be evil in the eyes of her
master; a very common Hebraic idiom,
importing, however, not moral evil, but
rather the want of personal attractions.
'Good,' in like manner, is in repeated
instances used in a sense equivalent to
'goodly,' or as an attribute of the outer
man.   See Note on Gen. 39. 6.
If Who hath betrothed her to himself.
As if the purchase under these circumnstances was considered as a virtual betrothal, so that no other formalities
were requisite. But it is to be noted
that the original presents here a various
reading, in which our translation has
followed the margin (15 lo, to him) instead of the text (b  lo, not). In the
one case the correct rendering is,' who
doth not (X)) betroth her;' in the
other, 'who hath betrothed her to himself ('l).'  Either mode of reading
yields substantially the same sense,
only in the latter case 'betrothing' signifies the preliminary engagement or affiVOL. II.       2


to sell her unto a strange nation he
shall have no power, seeing he hath
dealt deceitfully with her.
ancing, which the master is supposed
to have entered into; in the former, the
actual consummation of the marriage;
that is, he hath not acted according
to the mutual understanding of the parties; he hath not fulfilled expectation.
In doing one thing he hath not done another which was virtually implied in it.
It is obvious that according as one or
the other of these senses is assumed,
the particle employed will be X5 lo,
not, or 1) lo, to him. The Scriptures
present several other instances of the
same textual diversity of reading, on
which commentators have labored with
great assiduity. Of these an ample account is given in Vitringa's Obs. Sac.
L. III. c. 14. ~ 14-1 -   Then shall he
let her be redeemed. Heb. no"r hephdah, shall cause her to be redeemed.
Implying not merely consent to the act
of another, but positive efforts on his
own part to effect the step; he shall see
to her being redeemed; i. e. by her fa.
ther, or any of her kindred who has a
ninld so to do. But if this were not
done, he was not allowed to marry her
to another person, or to a 'strange nation,' a phrase which has usually been
understood to mean, a stranger of the
Israelitish nation, one of a different
tribe or family, because it is supposed
no Hebrew slave could be sold to a
Gentile. But we see not why the literal
rendering may not be adhered to. The
Hebrew master must not sell her to one
of another nation, who might desire to
have her as a concubine, and with whom
she might be in danger of forgetting
the true religion. It was an ordinance
by which the highest welfare of the
individual was kindly consulted.-'~r Seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with
her. Heb. Mi  17;i,   be-bigdo bah, in
his deceitfully treating her, i. e. as a
continuation of it. Having wronged




[lB. C'. 149.


14


EXODUS.


9 And if he have betrothed her
unto his son, he shall deal with
her after the manner of daughters.
10 If he take him another wife;
her food, her ra ment, hand her duty
of marriage shall he not diminish.
11 And if be do not these three
unto her, then shall she go out free
without money.
h I Cor. 7. 5.


-


her by frustrating her hope of marriage
in his own family, he was not to add
one injury to another by disposing of
her in a foreign connexion, where her
principles and her happiness might be
alike endangered.
9, 10. He shall deal with her after the,nanner of daughters. That is, he shall
leal with her as a free woman; shall
rive her a dowry, and bestow her in,narriage as if she had been his own
laughter. But whether he or his son
nad married her and then afterwards
taken another wife, still this was not
to operate to her disadvantage. She
was to be suitably maintained, and her
due matrimonial privileges continued
to her, or else she was freely to be set
at liberty. — If Her duty of marriage.
H-eb. 'rlY  anothah.  Gr. rTrv b/lLav
avrrrl, her companying, converse, cohabitation, which Paul, 1 Cor. 7. 3, expresses by the phrase of 'due benevolence,' equivalent to conjugal converse.
IT Shall he not diminish. Heb.
Gha Rh to yigra, shall not keep back,
as the term is rendered Num. 9. 7, 'And
those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back (VYl1 niggara),
that we may not offer an offering of the
Lord in his appointed season among
the children of Israel?' The Gr. in this
place has ovK a7roareprO1ae, shall not defraud, whence the apostle in speaking
of the same subject, 1 Cor. 7. 5, says,
'Defraud ye not one another (,,r airoarf:ire aXXAXovs) except it be with consent, &c.' Gr. 'And he shall not de~ '


12 ~ i He that smiteth a man, so
that he die, shall be surely put to
death.
13 And k if a man lie not in wait,
but God I deliver him into his hand;
then m I will appoint thee a place
whither he shall flee.
iGen. 9. 6. Lev. 24.17. Numb. 35.30,31.
Matt. 26. 52. k Numb. 35. 22. Deut. 19. 4,5.
1 Sam. 24. 4, 10, 18. m Numb. 35. 11.
Deut. 19. 3. Josh. 20. 2.
fraud her of necessaries, raiment, and
converse.' Chal. 'And her nourishment,
raiment, and communion he shall not
prohibit.' Sam. 'And her habitation he
shall not take away.' Arab. 'And her
times he may not diminish.' Syr. 'And
conjugal enjoyment he shall not lessen.'
11. If he do not these three. That is,
either of the three things mentioned
above, v. 10. —    Then shall she go
out free without money. Upon coming
to marriageable age, if the master neither married her himself nor disposed
of her otherwise, he was not only to
set her free without remuneration, but
also, as appears from Deut. 15. 12-17,
to furnish her liberally with gifts.
Laws respecting Murder and Manslaughter.
12. He that smiteth a man. That is,
mortally, as is evident from what follows, and so amounting to wilful murder. See Note on Gen. 9. 6.-  I Shall
be surely put to death. Heb. t': nlh3
moth yumath, dying shall be made to
die. The sentence is here expressed in
the most emphatic language, implying
that no ransom was to be taken for the
life of the wilful murderer. Num. 35.
31, 'Ye shall take no satisfaction for
the life of a murderer, which is guilty
of death; but he shall b &surely put to
death.'
13. If a man lie not in wait. Heb.
"'72 R  J ='2N asher la tzadah, whoso
hath not laid in wait. That is, whoso
hath not done such a deed premeditately; who hath not waylaid another


I




B3. C. 1491.J


CHAPTER XXI.


14 But if a man come n presurmp- him with guile, o thou shalt take
tuously upon his neighbour, to slay  him fomin mine altar, that he may
n Numb. 15. 30. & 35. 20. Deut. 19.11, 12. de.
lJebr. 10. 26.                          o 1 Kings 2. 28, —3. 2 Kings 11.15.
in order to take his life. The original the wilderness, was the tabernacle, as
term i?'IS tzadah is closely related to appears by the mention of the altar in
'2Z tzud, to hunt, and implies that in- v. 14; but after their arrival in the land
sidious watching which hunters prac- of Canaan there were six cities of refuge
tice in securing their game. —  T But appointed, as we learn, from Num. 35
God deliver him into his hand. Heb. 6, et. seq. From the case of Joab, 1
11r' ifhl innah le-yado, doth offer by Kings, 2. 28, it would appear that the
chance to his hand. Gr. 7raupEdJs, 'hath temple was occasionally resorted to for
delivered. The words evidently have this purpose even after the cities of re
respect to a case where the slayer is fuge were established.
not prompted by malice, nor endeavors  14. If a man come presumptuously
by covert means to put to death a fel- &c. Heb. 'lT yazid, deal proudly, prelow being, but the catastrophe is owing sumingly, high-handedly. Chal. ' Shall
solely to the special providence of God, do or act impiously.' The Heb. verb
which had put one man in the way of a "Il zud, which properly signifies to
deadly blow from another without any deal proudly or presumptuously, is apagency or design of his. This consti- plied also to the person who sins, not
tutes what is called in modern codes ignorantly or inadvertently, but wilfl.
accidental homicide or chance-medley, ly, knowingly, of set purpose, inasmuch
and for which, under the Mosaic sys- as such an offender is considered as distem, there was an express provision in obeying the known law of God through
the cities of refuge, hereafter to be de. the pride, self-sufficiency. and presump
scribed. In Deut. 19. 4-6, we have by tuous elation of his spirit. According
way of illustration a specified case in ly Moses, Deut. 17.12 and 18.22, speaks
which the manslayer was to be entitled of presumptuous sins under the denoto the benefit of this provision; 'And mination of )~1if zadon, which comes
this is the case of the slayer, which from the same root, indicating a kind
shall flee thither, that he may live: of transgression entirely different from
Whoso killeth his neighbor ignorantly, sins or errors of ignorance, inadvert.
whom he hated not in time past; as ence, or infirmity. Joab's murder of
when a man goeth into the wood with Abnei comes clearly within the scope
his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand of this statute, and accordingly we find
fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut that his fleeing to the sacred asylum of
down the tree, and the head slippeth the altar availed him nothing. 2 Sam.
from the helve, and lighteth upon his 2. 19-23.-3. 26, 27. 1 Kings, 2. 28 -neighbor, that he die; he shall flee unto 32.-  ~ Thou shalt take him from mine
one of these cities, and live; lest the altar. That is, if he has fled unto the
avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, altar for protection.  But the Jerus.
while his heart is hot, and overtake Targ. gives another turn to the expreshim, because the way is long, and slay I sion; 'Though he be the High Priest
him; whereas he was not worthy of who standeth and ministereth before
death, inasmuch as he hated him not me, from thence shall ye take him and
in time past.'-~r I will appoint thee kill him.' We may perhaps safely ada place whither he shall flee.  This mit that both senses are included. It
olace, during the sojourn of Israel in would certainly be important to teach




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


15 1 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely
put to death.
16 I And p he that stealeth a man,
P Deut. 24. 7.
that no official sanctity would be allowed to screen the wilful murderer from
justice.
Law respecting the Smiting of Parents.
15. He that smiteth his father or
mother, &c. He was to be put to death
even though the blow should not be
fatal, but merely leave a wound or
bruise; otherwise the crime mentioned
in this verse is included in that specified in v. 12. The crime of parricide is
not expressly mentioned in the code of
Moses, any more than it was in that of
Solon, and probably for the same reason; the law did not presuppose a sin
of such horrid enormity.
Law respecting Man-stealing.
16. He that stealeth a man, &c. Gr.
is EaV KXtel rls riva trw  vtO)wv loparl
whosoever stealeth any one of the sons
of Israel.  Chal. 'IIe that stealeth a
soul of the sons of Israel.' And thus
it is explained by Moses himself, Deut.
24. 7, 'If a man be found stealing any
of his brethren of the children of Israel,
and maketh merchandize of him,' &c.
This was no doubt the primary drift of
the law. It had respect to a crime committed by an Israelite upon the person
of an Israelite.  For this crime the
punishment of death was expressly denounced; and that with the utmost degree of rigor. The alleviations which
operated in the case of other thefts was
precluded here. In other cases, if the
article stolen had not been alienated, or," there was reason to look for repentance and restitution, some mitigation
of the punishment ensued. But the manstealer was absolutely doomed to die,
whether he had already sold the person
stolen, or whether he still had him in


and q selleth him, or if he be r found
in his hand, he shall surely be put
to death.
q Gen. 37. 28. r ch. 22. 4.


his own hands, neither alienated nor
used for service. Comp. Deut. 24. 7.
But the spirit of the interdict undoubtedly applies to all cases of man-stealing
or kidnapping. In the sight of heaven
it is a crime charged with the blackest
guilt. This is clear from the penalty
annexed to it, especially as contrasted
with the penalty for stealing property,
Ex. 22. 14. If a man had stolen an ox
and killed or sold it, he was tc lestore
five oxen; if he had neither sold nor
killed it, two oxen. But in the case of
stealing a man, the first act drew down
the utmost power of punishment; however often repeated or aggravated the
crime, human penalty could do no more
The fact that the penalty for man-stealing was death, and the penalty of property-stealing, the mere restoration of
double, shows that the two cases were
judged on totally different principles.
This will appear still more evident from
the remarks on this passage by Mr.
Weld in his tract entitled 'The Bible
against Slavery.' 'If God permitted
man to hold r-an as property, why did
he punish for stealing that kind of property infinitely more than for stealing any
other kind of property?  Why punish
with death for stealing a very little of
that sort of property, and make a mere
fine the penalty for stealing a thousand
times as much, of any other sort of
property-especially if by his mown act,
God had annihilated the difference between man and property, by putting him
on a level with it? The guilt of a crime,
depends much upon the nature character, and condition of the victim. To
steal is a crime, whoever the thief. or
whatever the plunder. To steal bread
from a full man, is theft; to steal it
from a starving man, is both theft and




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXI.


17


17 ~T And s he that curseth his fas Lev. 20. 9. Prov. 20. 20. Matt. 15. 4.
Mark 7. 10.
murder. If I steal my neighbor's property, the crime consists not in altering
the nature of the article, but in taking
as mine what is his. But when I take
my neighbor himself, and first make
him property, and then my property,
the ]t icr a;ct  v.-hich wa;s the sol' (r i2,M
in the former case, dwindles to nothing.
The sin in stealing a man, is not the
transfer from its owner to another of that
which is already property, but the turning of personality intoproperty. True,
the attributes of man remain, but the
rights and immunities which grow out
of them are annihilated. It is the first
law both of reason and revelation, to regard things and beings as they are; and
the sum of religion, to feel and act toward them according to their value.
Knowingly to treat them otherwise is
sin; ant the degree of violence done to
their nature, relations, and value, measures its guilt. When things are sundered which God has indissolublyjoined,
or confounded in one, which he has separated by infinite extremes; when sacred and eternal distinctions, are derided ant set at nought, then, if ever,
sin reddens to its ' scarlet dye.' The
sin specified in the passage, is that of
doing violence to the nature of a manto his intrinsic value as a rational being. In the verse preceding the one
under consideration, and in that which
follows, the same principle is laid down.
Verse 15, 'He that smiteth his father
or his mother shall surely be put to
death.' Verse 17, 'He that curseth his
father or his mother, shall surely be
put to death.' If a Jew smote his neighbor, the law merely smote him in return; but if the blow was given to a
parent, It struck the smiter dead. The
parental ralation is the centre of human
society. God guards it with peculiar
care. To violate that, is to violate all.
2*


ther or his mother, shall surely be
put to death.
18 ~T And if men strive together,




Whoever tramples on that, shows that
no relation has any sacredness in his
eyes-that he is unfit to move among
human relations who violates one so
sacred and tender. Therefore, the Mosaic law uplifted his bleeding corpse,:;jll In;,u,(lislp(el hl!, g;hastl]y  t'rror arol:ind
the parental relation to guard it from
impious inroads. Why such a difference in penalties, for the same act?
Answer. 1. The relation violated was
obvious-the distinction between parents and others self-evident, dictated by
a law of nature. 2. The act was violence to nature-a suicide on constitutional susceptibilities. 3. The parental
relation then, as now, was the focal
point of the social system, and required
powerful safe-guards. 'Honor thy father
and thy mother,' stands at the head of
those commands which prescribe the
duties of man to man; and throughout
the Bible, the parental state is God's
favorite illustration of his own relations
to the human family.  In this case,
death was to be inflicted not fdr smiting a man, but a parent-a distinction
made sacr, d by God, and fortified by a
bulwark of defence. In the next verse
'He that stealeth a man,' &c., the SAME
PRINCIPLE is wrought out in still stronger relief. The crime to be punished
with death was not the taking of prop.
erty from its owner, but violence to an
immortal nature, the blotting out of a
sacred distinction-making men ' chattels.'-  I And selleth him. Jarchi, in
his comment on this stealing and mak.
ing merchandize of men, gives the mean.
ing thus: 'Using a man against his will,
as a servant lawfully purchased; yea,
though he should use his services ever
so little, only to the value of a farthing,
or use but his arm to lean on to support him, if he be forced so to act as a
servant, the person compelling him but?




18


EXODUS.


lB. C. 1491.


and one smite another with a stone,
or with his fist, and he die not, but
keepeth his bed:
19 If he rise again, and walk
abroad t upon his staff, then shall
he that smote him be quit: only he
t 2 Sam. 3. 29.
once to do so, shall die as a thief whether he has sold him or not.'
Law respecting the Cursing of Parents.
17. He that curseth his father or his
mother, &c. Heb. 7i 2 mekalllt, from
the root )5p kalal, signifying primarily to make light of, to disparage, and
thence in Piel to utter violent reproach es,
to imprecate evil, to curse. The denunciation undoubtedly applies to him who
uses light, contemptuous, or bpprobrious language of his parents. Thus also
Prov. 20. 20, 'Whoso curseth (p3
mekallEl) his father or his mother, his
lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.' Such a conduct subjected the
offender to capital punishment, because
it implied the utmost degree of deprav.
ity. He who could break the bonds of
filial reverence and duty to such a degree as in word or action to abuse his
own parents, clearly evinced thereby
that he was lost to all goodness and
abandoned to all wickedness.
Law respecting injurious Strife.
18, 19. If men strive together, &c.
Heb. M"1' yeribun, from the root 'I'
rib, applied properly to verbal strife,
contention, wrangling; just that kind of
angry debate which is apt to lead to
blows. Accordingly the Gr. renders it,
eav Xo(otJo)vraft ivo avSper, if two men
reproach. The law evidently has respect to a case where two men begin
with a quarrel of words, and proceed to
blows, either with the fists or such weapons as come readily to hand. Provided the injury was not fatal, no further punishment was inflicted on the
injurer than that of being obliged to


shall pay for the loss of his time,
and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.
20 ~ And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and
he die under his hand; he shall be
surely punished.
pay the expenses of the other's cure, and
his 'sitting,' or 'cessation' (11n'I shibto),
i. e. the loss of time arising from his confinement. Gr. 'He shall pay for his ceasing from labor, and the charges of healing.' Chal. 'He shall restore his loss
in being idle from work, and pay the
hire of the surgeon.' By the phrase
'he shall be quit,' is meant that he shall
he considered guiltless of a capital of
fence.
Law respecting Injuries to Servants.
20, 21. If a man smite his servant
&c.-he shall be surely punished. Heb
tp3r^:p3 nlakom yinnakgm, avenging
he shall be avenged. This verb, we believe, both in this and other cases, has
at one and the same time a twofold import, viz. that of punishment to the
offender, and of vindication or avenging
to the offended. It is here, doubtless,
to be understood, both of the servant
who should be killed, and of his master
who killed him; the one was avenged
in the very act by which the other was
punished. The precise kind of punish
ment to be inflicted is here left undetermined. But as his smiting with a rod
instead of any more deadly instrument,
showed that it was his intent to correct
and not to kill him, it can scarcely
mean that he should suffer the punishment of death. This derives support
from the next verse, which enacts, that
if the servant survive a day or two, th*,
master shall not be punished, 'for he is
his money,' i. e. purchased with his
money, and therefore the presumption
would be, that he could not have intended to kill him, and he was considered to be sufficiently punished by


i
i:




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXI.


21 Notwithstanding, if he continue
a (lay or two, he shall not be punished: for u he is his money.
22 T If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit
depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely
punished, according as the wou Lev. 25. 45, 46.
the loss which he had incurred. This
remark, however, it will be observed,
applies to the latter case, where the
smitten servant continued a survivor a
day or two; but in the other case, when
he died under his master's hand, it was
to be presumed that undue severity had
been used, for which he was to be punished at the discretion of the magistrate in view of all the circumstances.
The law, moreover, is thought to be
applicable rather to foreign servants
than to Israelites, for over Hebrew servants masters were expressly forbidden
Vn lord it harshly, Lev. 25. 39, 40.
Law respecting Injury done to Pregnant Women.
22, 23. If men strive and hurt a. Woman, &c. Here the original word for
strive (1223 yinnatzu) is entirely different from that above remarked upon,
v. IS, and impliesliterally fighting, as
it is the same word with that employed
to denote the 'striving together' of the
two Hebrews whom Moses endeavored
to separate, Ex. 2. 13. The injury of a
pregnant woman in consequence of a
fray between two individuals is here
treated, as it deserves to be, very seriously; first, because she was no party
in the origin of the fray; and, secondly,
because the divine law would show that
it protects, with preeminent care and:enderness, a woman in that helpless
situation and her unborn offspring. If
the consequence were only the premature birth of the child, the aggressor
was obliged to give her husband a recompense in money, according to his


man's husband will ity upon him,
and he shall x pay as the judges
determine.
23 And if any mischief follow,
then thou shalt give life for life.
24 yEye for eye, tooth for tooth,
hand for hand, foot for foot,
x ver. 30. Deut. 22. 18 19. y Lev. 24. 2(.
Deut. 19. 21. Matt. 5.38.


demand; but in order that his demand
might not be unreasonable, it was subject to the final decision of the judges.
On the other hand, if either the woman
or her child was any way hurt or
maimed, the law of retaliation at once
took effect. —  Then thou shalt give,
&c. That is, either thou, the offender;
or thou, the judge, shalt give in passing
sentence.
Lex talionis, or Law of like for like.
24. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, &c.
This enactment undoubtedly recognises
the prevalence, in the early stages of
society, of the idea that every man has
a right to do himself justice and revenge his own injuries. In the infancy
of all communities, when the redress of
wrongs and the punishment of crimes
is not yet fully settled in the hands of
magistrates, this idea operates with all
its force, and the principle acted upon
is, that the punishment of offenders
shall be an exact equivalent for the injuries sustained. This law, if it may
be so termed, was undoubtedly in vogue
among the Hebrews, as well as other
nomade people, from the earliest periods, and the Most High accordingly,
having to deal with a people but little
accustomed to the restraints of settled
government, and seeing it necessary to
interpose the greatest obstacles in the
way of the exercise of private passions,
was pleased so far to consult their cir
cumstances and notions, as to make
every injury done to the person of another punishable by strict retaliation on
the aggressor. Simple ar 1 natural as




[B. C. 1491


2C


EXODUS.


this principle of justice seems to be, it
is still a species of satisfaction verging
close upon the barbarous, and easily
perverted to wanton caprice and savage
cruelty. For this reason, although the
principle of the lex talionis was retained
in the Mosaic code, yet its harsher features were softened by the exercise of
it being placed, not in the hands of pri.
vate individuals, but of the public magistrate. Nor doe.s it appear that even
ii this form it was ever a compulsory
mode of retribution. Although sanctioned as a general rule by which the
decisions of magistrates were to be
governed, yet it is probable that a pecuniary satisfaction might be made by
the offender in cases of this nature provided the injured party would consent
to it. When it is said, Numb. 35. 31,
'Ye shall take no satisfaction for the
life of a murderer,' the inference is that
for minor offences satisfaction might be
taken. This is confirmed by the testiniony of Josephus, who says, that the
law allowed him who was injured to
estimate his own damage, and to accept of a pecuniary compensation, unless he had a mind to be reckoned severe or cruel.  Selden, a modern authority of great weight, says, 'This
doth not mean, that if I put out another
man's eye, therefore I must lose my
own, (for what is he better for that?)
though this be commonly received; but
it means, I shall give him what satisfaction an eye shall be judged to be
worth.' This is perhaps the most correct view of the lex talionis in its actual
operation, as we find no instance on
record where the law was literally carried into effect. The spirit of it might
be, that the injuring party should in
justice receive a punishment similar to
the injury he had inflicted, but was
allowed to redeem his eye, tooth, hand,
&c., by a suitable payment to the injured person. A law of the same character was in existence among the Greeks
and Romans, and was understood to ad

mit the like commutations. In several
countries of the East, moreover, we
find the law of retaliation obtaining at
the present day in regard to the same
class of injuries as those which came
under its operation in the Hebrew statute book. In some of the Indian principalities, for instance, we learn that it
has been the immemorial practice, that
if one person accidentally wounded another with an arrow, though ever so
slightly, the sufferer, or any of his
family, has a right to demand that he
shall be wounded in the same manner
and a traveller in Persia mentions hav.
ing met with a person who had lost one
of his limbs in consequence, as he was
informed, of having in a scuffle shat
tered the leg of his antagonist so severely that amputation was necessary.
'The practice among the Bedouins may
serve in some degree to illustrate this
subject, as well as the nice balancing
which the law of retaliation operates in
producing.  In case of murder, the
friends of the murdered may, at their
option, either retaliate or accept a
heavy blood fine. But no other offence
is, in practice, liable to capital or corporal punishment. Pecuniary fines are
awarded for every offence, and as they
are generally heavy, in comparison
with the delinquency, the dread of incurring them tends lnuch to keep the
wild natives of the desert in order; the
nature and amount of the fines which
immemorial usage has assigned to particular offences being well known to
the Arabs. Burckhardt says, 'All insulting expressions, all acts of violence,
a blow however slight, (and a blow may
differ in degree of insult according to
the part struck,) and the infliction of a
wound, from which even a single drop
of blood flows, all have their respective
fines ascertained.' The kadi's sentence
is sometimes to this effect:
'Bokhyt called Djolan 'a dog.' Djolan returned the insult by a blow upon
Bokhyt's arm; then Boklyt cut Djo





B.C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXI.


21


25 Burning for burning, wound for him   go free for his eye's sake.
wound, stripe for stripe.            27 And if he smite out his manl
26 ~T And if a man smite the eve servant's tooth, or his maid-serof his servant, or the eye of his vant's tooth; he shall let him go
maid, that i: perisb; he shall let free for his tooth's sake.
lan's with a knife. Bokhyt therefore their own hands, and making this rule
owes to Djolan-                    a plea for the perpetration of acts of
For the insulting expression. 1 sheep  private revenge.  Our Savior is eviFor wounding him in the           dently designing to forbid something tc
shoulder..... 3 camels the Christian which was allowed to the
Djolan owes to Bokhyt-             Jews; and this we conceive was to dis.
For the blow on his arm. 1 camel  suade, or rather to inhibit them from
Remain due to Djolan 2 camels and  rigorously insisting on their right. He
sheep.'                           forbids his disciples 'to resist evil,' by
Other affairs are arranged on the same r-quiring before the magistrate the exe.
principle. It is observable, that in case cution of this law of retaliation upon
of theft in the home camp, or that of a those who might have become liable to
friendly tribe, (for robbery and theft are its operation. They would thus evince
not in other cases considered crimes), a merciful and forgiving spirit, the pethe criminal is condemnned by an an- culiar ornament of the followers of
cient law to the loss of his right hand, Christ. --   Burning for burning.
but custom allows hini to redeemi his That is, a brand-mark or stigma by hot
hand on payment of five she-camels to iron or the like.
the person he purposed to rob.' Pict.
Bib. See on this sutject the remarks Further Law respecting Injuries done
of Michaelis in my 'Scripture llustra-        to Servants.
tions,' p. 83.-The purpose for which  26, 27. If a man smite the eye of his
our Lord alluded to this law in his servant, &c. Throughout these enactsermon on the Mount, Mat. 5. 38-40, ments it is easy to perceive that the
and the construction which lie put upon condition of servitude among the Heit, may here properly receive a passing brews was marked by numerous benigremark. The original law, as we have nant provisions, which no doubt went to
intimated, did not positively bind the render it more mild and tolerable than
injured party to exact its literal execu- the same condition among any other
tion, but left him free to forgive or to people on earth. Here it is ordered
accept the commutation of a pecuniary that the loss of an eye or a tooth,
mulct; but still if the prescribed pen- through the undue violence of a master,
alty were required by him, the judge should be compensated with the gran.
was perhaps bound to inflict it. The of liberty. Although the eye and the
party injured could not be the execu- tooth only are mentioned, yet it is plaintioner of this law, but was obliged for ly to be inferred that the rule extended
that purpose to repair to the magis. to every other instance of serious mutitrate; for to the judges only were the lation of the person. Moses frequently
words addressed, Deut. 19. 21, 'Tline delivers general laws in the form of
eye shall not pity; but life shall go for particular examples; and by here speci.
life, tooth for tooth, &c.,' nor is there fying the noblest of our organs on the
any evidence that private persons in one hand, and on the other one of those
our Savior's time were in the habit of that can be most easily dispensed with,
taking the redress of their wrongs into and are naturally lost on the coming of




22


EXODUS.,B. C. 1491


28 ~ If an ox gore a man or a
woman, that they die: then z the
ox shall be surely stoned, and his
flesh shall not be eaten; but the
owner of the ox shall be quit.
29 But if the ox were wont to push
z Gen. 9. 5.


with his horn in time past, and ii
hath been testified to his owner.
and he hath not kept him in, but
that he hath killed a man or a
woman; the ox shall be stoned,
and his owner also shall be put to
death.


old age, he plainly gives us to understand that all the other organs, of intermediate dignity, are to be included. It
is also reasonable to suppose that all
slaves, whether Israelites or not, were
to have the benefit of this law, though
the Jewish authorities restrict it to the
former.
Law respecting the pushing or goring
Ox.
28, 29. If an ox gore a man or a woman. The present is another characteristic feature of the Mosaic code.
When a man, without having himself
given the fatal blow, was, in consequence of gross carelessness, the cause
of his neighbor's death in any other
way, he became liable to the cognizance
of the law. The case of the pushing
ox is alone here mentioned, but there
can be no doubt that the regulation applied to the case of any other animal
capable of inflicting a mortal injury,
whether by means of his horns, feet,
teeth, or otherwise. 'The Scripture,'
says Maimonides, 'speaketh not of the
ox but as an instance.' The design of
this law was to signify the divine detestation of homicide, and to inspire the
nation of Israel with the deepest horror
at every species of blood-shedding, by
which human life was extinguished. At
the same time the ancient Asiatic notions of retributive justice are clearly
to be traced in the ordinances before us.
Among a people more advanced in civilization and refinement a pecuniary or
other penalty would have the effect of
inspiring the due degree of caution in
restraining noxious animals. But for a
rude people like the Hebrews in the age


of Moses, the present enactment, which
inflicted punishment on the injurious
beast itself, would probably be more
effectual than any other in impressing
their minds with a strong sense of the
value of human life and the certain
retribution that awaited its destroyer.
Accordingly, many of the ancient legislators, who were called to institute
laws to people placed in circumstances
closely resembling those of the Hebrews, proceeded on the same principle
as Moses; some of the wisest of them
ordaining, that a dog that bit a person
should be put in chains; and that if a
stone, or piece of wood, iron, or the
like, was thrown at a man, so as to kill
him, but the perpetrator could not be
discovered, the punishment appointed
by the law should be forthwith inflicted
on the instrument of the murder. In
ancient history we read of a statue.
which, by accident, had fallen down
and killed a bystander, being thrown
into the sea; and in modern history we
meet with a singular instance of severity
displayed towards a tree, in consequence
of an atrocious robbery having been
committed near it. Sir John Malcolm
relates, that a late Persian monarch,
who had signalised his reign by a laud.
able zeal to extirpate every species ol
crime, especially to make travelling
through his dominions safe from the
molestations of robbers, having been
informed by an individual of his being
waylaid and relieved of a considerable
sum of money, issued a proclamation
for the apprehension of the offenders.
No clue, however, was found that could
lead to the discovery; and the king,
determined not to let such an atrocity




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXI.


23


30 If there be laid on him a sum
of money, then he shall give for
a the ransom of his life whatsoever
is laid upon him.
31 Whether he have gored a son,
or have gored a daughter, accordaver. 22. Numb. 35.31.


ing to tils judgment shall it be
done unto him.
32 If the ox shall push a manservant, or a maid-servant; he shad
give unto their master b thirty
b See Zech. 11.12, 13. Matt. 26.15. Phil.
2.7.




pass without a marked expression of
his royal displeasure, sent a herald
through all the neighboring towns and
villages, to announce, that as the robbery was perpetrated at a certain tree,
he had ordei ed the executioners of justice to repair on an appointed day to
the spot, and punish the tree according
to the utmost rigors of the law. At
the period fixed, an immense crowd repaired to witness the spectacle; the
royal messenger inflicted tremendous
blows on the unconscious and unoffending tree; and the consequence was, that
such a feeling was universally diffused
among his subjects of the king's fixed
determination to revenge the theft, that
the delinquents, in the course of the
next night, deposited the stolen property at the foot of the very tree at
which they had taken it, and which had
suffered for their crime. Instances of
this description show us the wisdom
and necessity of lawgivers accommodating their institutions and manner of
procedure to the character and circumstances of the people over whom they
preside. — Ir His flesh shall not be
eaten. Both in order to inspire deeper
detestation, and that the owner's loss
might be greater. — Ir The owner of
the ox shall be quit. Shall suffer no other
punishment than the loss of his ox.
This, however, was on condition of the
owner's not having been previously acquainted with the vicious propensities
of the animal. But if he had been informed of preceding instances of the
same kind, and yet had neglected to
take care of the ox, and through his
neglect any one had lost his life, then
not only must the ox be stoned, but the


owner also punished as a murderer.
Mischief of this kind was provided
against by the statutes or customs of
most nations, but by none so studiously
as those of the Hebrews. The Romans
twisted hay about the horns of their
dangerous cattle, as a caution to all
that came in their way. Hence the
saying of Horace, 'Fcenum habet in
cornu, longe fuge! he has hay on his
horns, flee for life! But the Jewish
law required the confinement of the
beast.
30-32. If there be laid on him a sum
of money, &c. Heb. '1Y  a'd Q'Z ~R
im kopher-yushath alav, if an atonement, or ransom, be laid upon him
This evidently supposes that in view
of alleviating circumstances, the magistrates were permitted to change the
punishment of death into a pecuniary
mulct. The care of the ox, for instance,
may have been committed to a careless
servant; or he may have broken through
the cords or the inclosure by which he
was secured; or he might have been
provoked and enraged by another; all
which were circumstances that should
go in mitigation of the sentence. Whatever the fine were in this case, he was
to submit to it, and it was to be given
to the heirs of him that had been killed.
This fine, in the case of a free man or
woman, was left discretionary with the
judge, but in the case of a male or fe.
male servant was fixed to the sum of
thirty shekels of silver, or about $22 of
our money. This valuation of a slave
was precisely the sum for which Judas
betrayed Christ! Mat. 26. 15. Zech. 11.
12, 13.-In v. 31, the Chal. has, CA son
of Israel or a daughter of Israel.'




24


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


shekels of silver, and the c ox shall
be stoned.
33 T And if a man shall open a
pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and
not cover it, and an ox or an ass
fall therein;
34 The owner of the pit shall make
it good, and give money unto the
owner of them; and the dead beast
shall be his.
35 ~ And if one man's ox hurt
another's that he die, then they
shall sell the live ox, and divide the
- ver. 28.


Law respecting the Pit left uncovered.
33. If a man shall open a pit, &c.
Not only were the statutes of this divine code so framed as to guard against
mischief and injury arising from malice,
but also against that which might be
occasioned by a culpable negligence.
The pits or wells from which water was
procured in those countries, though usually covered when not in use, yet were
very liable to be left open, thus exposing to the utmost peril the lives or
limbs of the animals that chanced to
fall into them. The law contemplates
the two cases of opening an old pit and
digging a new one. The damage accruing in either case was to be made good
by the opener or digger, to whom, however, the carcase of the dead animal
was to be considered as belonging.
Law respecting Injuries done to cattle.
35. If one man's ox hurt another's.
Where cattle fought and one killed another, the owners were to adjust the
matter by selling the live ox and dividing the price equally between them,
and also by making an equal division
of the dead ox. But it is supposed in
this case, that there had been no fault
on the part of the owner of the slaying
ox. On the other hand, if the'animal
was known to be of vicious propensities
and his owner had not kept him in, it


money of it, and the dead ox alsc
they shall divide.
36 Or if it be known that the ox
hath used to push in time past, and
his owner hath not kept him in;
he shall surely pay ox for ox, and
the dead shall be his own.
CHAPTER XXII.
F a man shall steal an ox, or a
sheep, and kill it, or sell it: he
shall restore five oxen for an ox,
and a four sheep for a sheep.
a2 Sam. 12. 6. Luke 19. 8. See Prov.
6. 31.
was manifestly just that he should suffer for his negligence, and was consequently required to give up his live ox
and take the dead one.
CHAPTER XXII.
Law respecting Theft and Burglary.
1. If a man shall steal an ox, &c.
The protection of person and property
from the force of the violent, and from
the frauds of the dishonest, is one of the
chief objects of all criminal law; and
this object is compassed, or at least aimed at, by means of punishments or penalties annexed to crime. Now certainly
the most obvious, appropriate, and efficacious punishment for stealing is, that
the thief should be compelled to restore
many times the value of that which he
had stolen; and in this we find the
principle of the ensuing statutes concerning theft. As the property of the
ancient Israelites consisted mainly in
cattle, it was very natural that the principles on which the magistrates were
to proceed in determining cases of the't
and robbery, should be shown in in.
stances taken from this kind of possession. From this chapter it appears that
the most gentle punishment of theft was
twofold restitution to the owner, who
thus obtained a profit for his risk oI
loss. This punishment was applicable
to every case in which the article stolen




B. C. 1491.]              CHAPTER XXII.                            2
2 ~ If a thief be found b break- die, there shall c no blood be shed
ing up, and be smitten that he for him.
b MWtt. 24. 43.                    c Numb. 35. 27.
remained unaltered in the thiePs pos- built on the outside of no better a ma.
session; that is, was neither sold nor terial than either sun-burnt brick, or
slaughtered. If however either of these Flemish wall, daubed over in as coarse
were the case, and consequently all a manner as can be seen in the vilest
hope of repentance and voluntary resti- cottages. From this dirty way of build.
tution precluded, the punishment was ing, they experience this amongst other
more severe, being fourfold restitution inconveniences, that upon any violent
in the case of a sheep or goat, and rain the whole city becomes, by the
probably of other animals except an ox, washing of the houses, as it were a
where it was fivefold.  This higher quagmire.' As an opening therefore
degree of penalty was annexed to the was effected through dried clay, and
theft of oxen on account of their great not through wood or stone, we perceive
value in the rural economy of the Is- the propriety of the terms employed.
raelites; for they used no horses in The phraseology may be illustrated by
their husbandry.  The ox did every the following parallel passages: Job,
thing on their farms. He plowed, he 24. 16, 'In the dark they dig through
threshed out the corn, and he drew it houses which they had marked for themwhen threshed to the barn or garner. selves in the daytime.' Ezek. 8. 8,
If therefore the theft of an ox was more 'Then said he unto me, Son of Mall,
severely punished than that of any thing dig now in the wall,' &c. Mat. 24. 43,
else, it was on the same principle on 'If the good man of the house had known
which an increase of punishment is in- in what watch the thief had come, he
flicted for the crime of stealing from  would have watched, and would not
the farmer his plough, or any part of have suffered his house to be broken
the apparatus belonging to it. It was, up.' Gr. ' To be digged through.' It
however, afterward enacted, Lev. 6. 4, is plain also from the sequel that the
5, that if the thief were touched in con- burglary is supposed to be committed
science, and voluntarily confessed his at night. —~ No blood for him; as it
crime and restored the stolen property, reads without the italics. Heb. *t
he should only be required to add affth 7ttI 15 ain lo damim, no bloods to
part to it. Comp. Num. 5. 6, 7.     him. That is, no blood shall be im.
2. If a thief be found breaking up, puted to him who killed him; be shall
&c. Heb. tnrnMl   bammahtereth, in not be held guilty of murder, inasmuch
digging through. Gr. Ev rw ioopvyparl, as it could not he known in the dark
id. That is, digging or breaking through who the intruder was, or how far his de.
a house, as the Chal. expressly renders signs might have carried him if not preit. In the eastern countries the walls vented. Gr. ovU crrtv avrw,) oovon, there
of the houses are made very thick in shall not be slaughter for him. Chal.,
order to shelter the inhabitants more Sam., and Vulg. 'The smiter shall not
effectually from the intense heat of the be guilty of blood.' Syr. 'He shall not
climate, and they are very frequently have an action of life.' Arab. 'His
made of dried mud, laid in between up. blood shall be unpunished.' The pro.
right and tranverse pieces of timber. priety of this enactment will appear
Maundrell, speaking of Damascus, says, more obvious. if it be considered that in
'The streets here are narrow, as is usual the night season men are less upon their
in hot countries, and the houses are all guard, and where the precautions a
VOL. II.      3




EXODUS.


IB. C. 1491


3 If the sun be risen upon him
there shall be blood shed for him: for
he should make full restitution; if
he have nothing, then he shall be
d sold for his theft.
4 If the theft be certainly e found
in his hand alive, whether it be ox,
or ass, or sheep; he shall f restore
double.
5 ~ If a man shall cause a field or
dch.21. 2. ech. 21. 16. tSee ver 1. 7.
Prov. 6. 31.


vineyard to be eaten, and shall put
in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field: of the best of his
own field, and of the best of his
own vineyard shall he make restitution.
6 ~ If fire break out, and catch in
thorns, so that the stacks of corn,
or the standing corn, or the field be
consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make
restitution.


necessarily slight, the rigor of the law
should be increased. Besides, a robbery committed in the dead of night,
when no spectators are by, is attended
with great inconvenience for the want
of witnesses, by whose testimony only
the thief could be condemned. The
case was directly the reverse provided
the sun had risen, for then the presumption was that the thief's sole purpose
was to steal and not to kill, and slaying
was not the punishment for stealing.
In God's code punishment is always
duly proportioned to crime; and it
teaches us to be tender of the lives of
bad men.
3. f the sun be risen upon him. Chal.
'If the eye of witnesses shall have fallen
upon him.' Targ. Jon. 'If it be clear
by the sun's light that he did not enter
for the purpose of killing.' -- - He
should make full restitution.  This
clause is designed as a statement of the
reason for what goes before. The killmg of the man under such circumstances
were a mere act of wanton homicide, inasmuch as he could, if spared, have
made complete restitution; or if too
poor for this, he could have been sold
as a slave, according to law, and the
avails have gone to compensate the
theft or the injury. —  Then he shall
be sold. An unhappy rendering when
strictly considered, for the housebreak.
er is supposed to be killed; and if so,
how could he be sold as a slave? The
ersioa ought properly to have run like


the preceding, ' he should or might have
been sold.'
4. If the theft be certainly found in
his hand alive, &c. This is not to be
understood as being at variance with
what is said Prov. 6. 31, 'If he be found,
he shall restore sevenfold;' as the 'sevenfold' here is doubtless but another term
for abundantly, according to the common usage of the number ' seven.' Comp.
Gen. 4. 24. Ps. 12. 6.-79. 12. The pro.
vision in this case seems to be based
upon a mild construction of motives.
The theft being found in his hand would
appear to argue more hesitation and
less management and decision in ini
quitous practices than if he had pro
ceeded to kill or sell it. So nice are
the discriminations that are made in
this wonderful code.
Law respecting Trespass.
5. If a man shall cause afield or vine
yard, &c. This was a case of trespass
upon another man's grounds, where the
intruder sent in his cattle to feed upon
and eat down the grass, vines, or fruit
trees of his neighbor. The penalty was
that he should make restitution of the
best of his own.
Law respecting Conflagrations.
6. If a fire break out, and catch in
thorns, &c. It is a plain principle running through these enactments, that men
should suffer for their carelessness, as
well as for their wickedness; that they






27


B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXli.


Ire to consider themselves accountable
lot only for the injury they do, but also
For that which they occasion through infdvertency. Here it is not necessary to.urppose that he who kindled the fire
lesigned the mischief that ensued. As
it is a common custom in the East to
set the dry herbage on fire before the
iescent of the autumnal rains, the fire
may have been kindled on a mrans own
ground and by his own hand, and Irom
want of proper attention it may have
spreal, and been productive of the
widest ravages over the neighboring
possessions.  An adequate restitution
is all the penalty enjoined in such a case
of accidental conflagration; whereas for
wilfully and maliciously kindling a destructive fire a much severer punishment was undoubtedly to be inflicted.
The danger to property and loss of life
arisig fron this source is strikingly
depicted in the following note on this
pissa;ge in the Pictorial Bible. 'This
(law) doubtless alludes to the common
practice in the East of setting fire to the
dry herbage, before the commencement
of the autumnal rains, under the very
correct impression that this operation
is favorable to the next crop. The herbage is so perfectly dry by the long summer drorhits, that the fire when kindled
often spreads to a great extent and cannot be checked while it finds any aliiWieit. The operation is attended with
great danger, and requires to be performed with a careful reference to the
direction in which the wind blows, and
to local circumstances, that nothing valuable may be consumed in the course
given to the destructive element. Such
a fire kindled accidentally or wilfully is
sometimes attended with most calamitous consequences, destroying trees,
shrubs, and standing crops, and placing
In considerable danger persons who happen to be abroad on a journey or otherwise. Such accidents sometimes happen
through the carelessness of travellers in
e glectmlg, when they leave their sta.


tions, to extinguish the fires they have
used during the night. The dry herbage
towards the end of summer is so very
combustible, that a slight cause is suflicient to set it in a blaze. Dr. Chandler
relates an anecdote, which sufficiently
shows the necessity and propriety of
the law which the text brings to our
notice. When he was taking a plan of
Troas, one day after dinner, a Turk
came near and emptied the ashes out of
his pipe. A spark fell unobserved upon
the grass, and a brisk wind soon kindled
a blaze, which withered in an instant
the leaves of the trees and bushes in its
way, seized the branches and roots, and
devoured all before it with prodigious
crackling and noise. Chandler and his
party were much alarmed, as a general
conflagration of the country seemed
likely to ensue: but after an hour's exertion they were enabled to extinguish
the flames. The writer of this note can
himself recollect, that when one chilly
night he assisted in kindling a fire, for
warmlth. on the western bank of the
Tigris, so much alarm was exhibited
by the Arabs lest the flames should
catch the tamarisks and other shrubs
and bushes which skirt the river, that
the party were induced to forego the
enjoyment which the fire afforded. The
writer has often witnessed these fires,
andl the alppearance which they present,
particularly at night, was always very
striking. The height of the flame depends upon the thickness and strength
of its aliment; and its immediate activity, upon the force of the wind. When
there is little or no wind the fire has no
other food than the common herbage of
the desert or steppe; the flame seldom
exceeds three feet in height, and advances slowly and steadily like a vast
tide of fire backed by the smoke of
the smouldering embers, and casting a
strong light for a considerable height
into the air, sometimes also throwing
up a taller mass of flame where it meets
with clumps of bushes or shrubs which


I




as


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


7 1 If a man shall deliver unto his
neighbour money or stuff to keep,
and it be stolen out of the man's
house; g if the thief be found, let
him pay double.
8 If the thief be not found, then
the master of the house shall be
brought unto the hjudges, to see
whether he have put his hand unto
his neighbour's goods.
9 For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep,
for raiment, or for any manner
of lost thing which another challengeth to be his: the icause of
both parties shall come before the
judges; and whom the judges shall
g ver. 4. h ch. 21. 6. & ver.. 28. Deut 25.
1. 2 Chron. 19.10.
afford more substantial aliment. This
taller mass lingers behind to complete
Its work after the general body of flare
has continued its destructive and conquering march. A high wind throws the
flames forward with great fury, while,
if the ground happens to be thickly set
with clumps of bushes, the tall columns
of flame which start up in the advancing fiery tide, give increased intensity
to the grand and appalling effect of one
of the most remarkable scenes which it
falls to the lot of a traveller to witness.
In the steppes of southern Russia the
writer has passed over tracts of ground,
the surface of which had, for fifty miles
or more, been swept and blackened by
the flames,' Pict. Bible.
Law respecting Deposits.
7. If a man shall deliver unto his
neighbor money or stiff to keep. Heb.
ti    1X r)03  keseph o kitim, silver or
vessels; i. e. furniture, utensils. Perhaps the general word articles comes
the nearest to the original. When valu.
able articles were left for safe keeping
in the hands of any one, and while thus
entrusted were in some way missing, if
the thief were found he was to restore


condemn he shall pay double unto
his neighbour.
10 If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or
any beast to keep; and it die, or
be hurt, or driven away, no man
seeing it:
11 Then shall an koath of the
LORD be between them both, that
he hath not put his hand unto his
neighbour's goods; and the owner
of it shall accept thereof, and lie
shall not make it good.
12 And I if it be stolen from him,
he shall make restitution unto the
owner thereof.
13 If it be torn in pieces; then let
him bring it for witness, and he
k Hebr. 6. 16. 1 Gen. 31. 39.
double. But if the thief were not found,
there was at least a suspicion that he
who had them in keeping had secreted
or abstracted them, and a judicial in.
quiry was thereupon to be instituted.
The depositary was to be summoned
before the magistrates and his oath that
he knew nothing of them was to be considered as a full acquittance. The law
indeed does not expressly mention the
oath, but only says, 'he shall be brought
unto the judges ('^, Elohim, gods),
to see whether not (iS 1O im lo) he hath
put his hand, &c.;' but the phrase tt M
im lo, whether not, is elsewhere so notoriously the usual formula of an oath
among the Hebrews, that we can scarcely understand it otherwise than in reference to an oath; more especially as the
oath is distinctly mentioned v. 11, and
in most cases no other proof of his not
having retained his neighbor's property
could possibly be had. This is confirmed
by some of the ancient versions, as Vulg.
'And shall swear that he hath not put
his hand to his neighbor's goods.' Sept.
and Sam. 'Shall come before God and
swear that he hath not been wicked in
the whole trust of his neighbor.'
9 —13. For ox, for ass, for sheep




B. C. 1491.]              CHAPTER XXII.                            29
shall not make good that which die, the owner thereof being not
was torn.                          with it, he shall surely make it
14 ~ And if a man borrow aught good.
of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or  15 But if the owner thereof be
The rule in the preceding verse has re. the appeal was made, not only as to a
spect to articles of money, plate, or Witness of truth, but as to an Avenger
'urniture; but in the present to live of falsehood and wrong. Even in the
stock intrusted to the care of another case of one who had so far broken
{to keep;' i. e. not gratuitously, as in through the bonds of moral restraint,
the case above, v. 7, but for hire or upon as to offer injury to his neighbor, it
certain considerations, as Jacob had La- might still be presumed that there was
ban's flock to keep, Gen. 30. 31-36. so much regard to conscience as to pre.
That this is the true sense may be in- vent him from profaning 'an oath of the
ferred from the nature of the case. The Lord,' and calling the God of truth to
keeping of money, jewels, &c. required be a witness to a lie.
no care or labor, but simply a safe place
of deposit, and therefore might be gra-  Law respecting Things borrowed.
tuitous; but not so with cattle or sheep,  14, 15. If a man borrow aught of his
which must of course be fed and pastur- neighbor, &c. In the case of a bored, and would thus incur expense. If rowed beast of burden, as an ox, an ass,
the deposit consisted of any of the ani- or a horse, receiving any hurt, or cor.
mals here mentioned, and it met with ing by his death, the borrower was to
any injury, or was driven away from the make it good, provided the owner were
pasture, the depositary, if no man had not present; for it might be fairly pre.
seen it, was obliged to swear he had not sumed that he had injured or destroyed
retained it, nor applied it to his own it by excessive labor or other cruelty.
use; and his oath to this effect the But if the owner himself were present,
owner was bound to accept instead of he would of course be presumed to have
payment. But if, on the other hand, it done his best to preserve it, and would
had been stolen out of the house of the at any rate be a witness to the fact, and
depositary, he was obliged to pay for to its not being owing to the negligence
it; inasmuch as a theft in such circum. or any other fault of the borrower; con.
stances would imply the most criminal sequently as the latter was not required
remissness in him in whose house it had in equity to make it good, so neither
occurred, atid it was just that he should in law. As to the final clause, 'If it be
suffer the loss of it. If, again, the beast an hired thing, it came for his hire,' it
was torn to pieces, the depositary was seems to indicate a distinction between
only bound to bring proof of the fact, things lent for hire, and those lent gra.
a,1d doing so he was under no obliga- tis for good will, the preceding rule ap.
tion to make it good. What proof was plying only to the latter; whereas in
requisite Moses does not say.  The the former, whether the owner were
most natural proof would of course be present or not, the borrower was not
the testimony of an eye.witness, or a required to make restitution, unless in.
remnant of the bloody skin, or carcase; deed the owner could prove that the
Jerus. Targ. 'Let him bring of the loss was occasioned by his culpable
members of it for a witness that it is maltreatment or neglect. When this
killed.' But on this point nothing is was not the case, but the thing were
specified in the text. ---r An oath of borrowed on the condition of the bor.
the Lord. So called because to Him  rower's paying so much for the use of
3*




[B. C. 1491.


EXODUS.


with it, he shall not make it good:
if it be a hired thing, it came for
his hire.
16 ~ And m if a man entice a maid
that is not betrothed, and lie with
her, he shall surely endow her to
be his wife.
m Deut. 22. 28, 29.


17 If her father utterly refuse to
give her unto him, he shall pay
money according to the n dowry of
virgins.
18  ~ o Thou shalt not suffer a
witch to live.
n Gen. 34. 12. Deut. 22. 29. 1 Sam. 18. 25.
Lev. 19. 26, 31. & 20.27. Deut. 18. 10, 11.
1 Sam. 28. 3, 9.




it, then the loss was not to be made
good; 'it came for his hire;' i. e. the
loss was to be considered as balanced
by the profit of the hire. The compensation agreed upon was to be regarded
-A an offset to the hazard run by the
owner in letting out his property; and
with such a risk in view he would naturally fix his price accordingly. The
more these statutes are examined, the
more clearly does their reasonable,
equitable, mild, and humane spirit appear.
Law respecting Seduction.
16. If a man entice a maid, &c. Heb.
MnMt yephatteh, enticingly persuade.
It is assumed that no force was used,
but merely persuasions and blandishments; and that the young woman was
not betrothed to another. This differences the present from the case supposed Deut. 22. 28, where it is to be understood, both that the maid was betrothed, and that some degree of violence was used. See Note in loc. The
penalty prescribed for the seducer in
the present case, was that he should
( endow her to be his wife,' i. e. marry
her and provide for her suitably according to his station. If, however, the
father did not choose to let him have
her, still the seducer was obliged to pay
a certain sum of money as a compensation for the injury. The amount prescribed is no inore definitely fixed than
by the terms, 'he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.' That
is, according to their rank and condition
m life; having respect to their parentage, connexions, and prospects; as a


maid in humble circumstances could
not reasonably look for so ample a
dowry as one of a wealthy or distinguished family.  It has indeed been
supposed that this was a stated mulct
of fifty shekels, but the passage from
which this conclusion is drawn (Deut.
22. 28, 29.) refers to a rape, and not to
simple seduction.-It might appear perhaps at first view that the law by mere
ly appointing to the seducer marriage
with the partner of his crime, and exemipting her fromn punishment altogether, was too mild and lenient for
such an offence. But it is to be considered that the woman suffered the
corporeal and visible consequences, and
the public disgrace of illicit intercourse;
and as to the man, although he did indeed satisfy the civil law by marrying
and endowing the victim of his lust,
yet in the sight of God he was not
cleared from the guilt of his sin by this
mode of making amends, but needed the
cleansing of deep repentance before he
could obtain absolution from his Judge.
Law respecting Witchcraft.
18. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to
live. That is, a reputed or professed
witch; a woman who practised such
magical arts, incantations, and sorceries, as gave her the reputation of be.
ing a witch. The use of the term, how.
ever, determines nothing as to the reality of the preternatural power to which
such persons laid claim.  The Scrip.
tures are wont, in multitudes of in.
stances, to speak of things not accord.
ing to their absolute verity, but accord.
ing to general impression end belief.




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXII.


31


The remark of some commentators,
that 'if there had been no witches such
a law as this had never been made''that the existence of the lau, given
under the direction of the Spirit of God,
proves the existence of the thing'-is
founded upon a very inadequate view of
the general structure of revelation. The
sacred writers speak of false gods, for
instance, as if they were real existences,
but we see at once how gross would be
the error of such an interpretation. So
likewise in regard to witchcraft, and
all those arts and incantations which
are based upon a supposed commerce
with evil spirits. We do not consider
the assumption of the reality of such
intercourse as at all necessary to the
true explication of the passages in
which it seems to be implied, nor to
the enactment of such laws as that under consideration. Pretended arts of
this nature were common among all
the idolatrous nations of antiquity, and
from their intimate connexion with
idolatrous rites and systems, were obviously fraught with the most pernicious effects when introduced among
the chosen people, who were at best
but too much addicted to superstitious
practices. However false and futile in
themselves, they did, in fact, involve a
deep offence against the very first principles of the Mosaic dispensation, and
this accounts for the severity with which
they were treated by its laws. They
were not only built upon systems of
theology that were at war with the doc.
trines and worship of the Theocracy,
but by imposing upon the credulity and
exciting the terrors of the vulgar, they
gave to individuals a very dangerous
power, in a society so singularly constituted as that of the Hebrews. The
practising of these arts was forbidden
therefore under the severest penalties,
as the mischief actually wrought was
about equal, whether the supernatural
power professed were a reality or a mere
imposture.


This is sufficient to justify the law "
here and elsewhere enounced, under tAe
circumstances in which it was given,
but as the subject is somewhat curious
and interesting, we shall devote a little
more time to the consideration of the
import of the term here and elsewhere
employed to designate the class of per.
sons against whom this law is so em.
phatically directed. From the annexed
passage, occurring Deut. 18. 9-14, it
is perhaps to be inferred that the prac.
tice thus severely denounced was not
one which had hitherto been common
among the chosen people, but was one
which they were in danger of learning
from the heathen inhabitants of Canaan;
'When thou art come into the land
which the Lord thy God giveth thee,
thou shalt not learn to do after the
abominations of those nations. There
shall not be found among you any one
that maketh his son or his daughter to
pass through the fire, or that useth
divination, or an observer of times, or
an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer,
or a consulter with familiar spirits, or
a wizard, or a necromancer. For all
that do these things are an abomination
unto the Lord: and because of these
abominations the Lord your God doth
drive them out from before thee. Thou
shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.
For these nations, which thou shalt
possess, hearkened unto observers of
times, and unto diviners; but as for
thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered
thee so to do.'
In the passage which we are now
considering the original term is 1nt10
mekashshephah, the fem. of 9Ct1W   mekashsheph, usually rendered magician
or sorcerer. As to the primitive and
most elementary sense of the root M3:
kashaph, it is a point which philology
has not yet clearly determined. Mi.
chaelis refers to what he considers the
cognate Arabic root kasapha, signifying
to cut, whence in tne time of a solar or
lunar eclipse they are wont to say, 'God




32


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


cuts the sun or the moon;' from a part
of the luminary's appearing to be cut
off from the remainder. Accordingly
eclipses of the sun or moon are called
in that language  kusuph,' cutting;
while our term eclipse comes from a
Greek word signifying fainting or failing. Taking this derivation as a basis,
Michaelis supposes that the word, in
biblical usage, which had respect to the
absurd and superstitious notions of the
times, denotes a person who occasions
solar or lunar eclipses; that is, from
his astronomical knowledge of their
approach; making all manner of grimaces, singing songs, and so affecting to
enchant the heavenly bodies. This,
he says, corresponds with the ancient
rabbinical notions of witchcraft, which
was a kind of unhallowed perversion or
falsification of the powers of nature,
causing them to operate contrary to the
true meant designs of their author. This
etymology, like hundreds of others
which depend upon the affinities of
Arabic and Hebrew, though possibly
correct, cannot be verified, and we are
in fact thrown back upon the biblical
use of the Piel form of the verb, which
is universally rendered to practise prestige, to use incantations, magic, sorcery, in a word, to resort to the arts of
witchcraft. The Greek renders it by
fappaxovs, poisoners, probably because
these sorcerers dealt much in drugs or
pharmaceutical potions, to which potent
effects were ascribed, and which were
often deleterious. But it does not appear that this is a fair representation of
the force of the original tern. As the
female sex were supposed to be more
especially addicted to this kind of forbidden craft, the word here occurs in
the feminine, and is rendered by a term
which perhaps conveys the most adequate notion of the original. Our English word witch is supposed to be derived from the verb to wit (anciently to
weet, i. e. to know) through its adjective form wittigh or wittich, afterwards


contracted to witch. A witch, there.
fore, in its etymological import, is a
knowing woman, as wizard (wise-ard)
is also a knowing, cunning, or wise man.
But the knowledge implied by the terms
is of a peculiar kind-a knowledge of
occult and mysterious things-a skill
in disclosing or foretelling matters that
lie beyond the reach of ordinary human
intelligence, and supposed to be ac.
quired by means of an express or implicit compact with some evil spirit.
Persons of this imputed character were
accordingly invested, by popular belief,
with the power of altering, in many instances, the course of nature's immutable laws, of raising winds and storms,
of riding through the air, of transforming themselves into various shapes, of
afflicting and tormenting those who had
rendered themselves obnoxious to them,
with acute pains and lingering diseases;
in short, to do whatever they pleased,
through the agency of the devil, who
was supposed to be always obsequious
to their beck and bidding. The belief
in the reality of witchcraft, clothed
with this kind of supernatural attri.
butes, has been more or less prevalent
in all ages and countries, and in periods
of abounding ignorance and superstition,
the most cruel laws have been framed
against its alleged professors, and multitudes of innocent persons, male and
female, many of them aged, poor, friendless, decrepid, and sick, condemned and
burnt for powers they never possessed,
and for crimes they neither premeditated nor committed. Happily for humanity, these sanguinary laws have
been mostly abolished from the codes
of enlightened modern nations, and the
prevention or cure of the evils of magical Imposture left to the progress of
general intelligence, of science, and instructed piety among all classes. The
faith in oracles and miracles, the legends of superstition, and the creations
of distempered fancy have died away
in Christian countries before the ad.




13 C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXII.


33


19 ~ pWhosoeverlieth with a beast
shall surely be put to death.
P Lev. 18. 23. & 20. 15.


-


I


vancing light of revelation, and little
children retire to bed without alarm,
and people traverse unfrequented paths
at all hours and seasons without the
dread of witches or ghosts, of spells or
incantations. For our highly favored
exemption from these pernicious forms
of superstitious belief, though they have
indeed sadly darkened one period of the
annals of our own country, we can never
be sufficiently grateful. — -   Shalt not
suffer to live. Heb. n1- n m~ lo tehayeh, lit. shalt not vivify. On the peculiar usage of this term we have elsewhere commented. See Note on Gen.
6. 19. Josh. 6. 25. It implies in some
way a saving, preserving, continuing
in life, after a virtual extinction; and
the import may be, that inasmuch as a
practiser of witchcraft is to be considered as ipso facto condemned to death
oy the law without any previous formality of trial or judicial sentence; the
forbearing to execute such an offender
was a kind of reanimation or resuscitation of him or her in direct contravention of the divine statute. This is, perhaps, the most plausible solution of a
phraseology of which Michaelis intimates that it occasioned him no little
difficulty, as the usual mode of expres.
sion in the Levitical penal statutes is
htT' nt7   moth yamuth, he or she dying shall die, shall die the death, instead
of shall not be suffered to live. But his
proposal to read  Tannt  i shall not be,
is supported by no authority whatever;
and our interpretation renders it unnecessary.
Law respecting Beastiality.
19. Whosoever lieth, &c. This was
a crime of such crying enormity that
the earth itself was defiled by bearing
such a monster of impurity as its perpetrator, and he was at once to be cut




20 ~ q He that sacrificeth unto
q Numb. 25. 2, 7, 8. Deut. 13. 1, 2, 5, 6, 9,
13, 14, 15. &  17.2, 3,5.
off from among the living without mer.
cy. From a comparison of this passage
with Lev. ch. 18. 20, it appears that
this was one of the prevalent abomina.
tions of the Canaanites, from which the
Israelites were to shrink with a holy
horror, and in order to deepen the impression of its ineffable turpitude and
atrocity, the abused beast was to be involved in the doom of the more brute.
like offender.
Law respecting Idolatrous Sacrifices.
20. He that sacrificeth, &c. This is
clearly the sin prohibited in the first
commandment of the Decalogue, but it
is enumerated also under the judicial
laws, and marked with the punishment
of death, not only because it was a high
handed moral offence, but also a crime
against the state. Under the theocracy,
as we have before remarked, God was
the national king of Israel, and idolatry
being the virtual acknowledgment of an.
other sovereign, was of course, to be accounted as nothing less than downright
rebellion or treason against the supreme
authority. Sacrificing, being the principal act of religious worship among the
heathen, is selected as the overt act of
idolatry, which constituted the capital
offence; although under this name are
doubtless included the various idolatrous
services specified in the parallel law,
Dent. 17. 2-5. — r Shall be utterly destroyed. Heb.  }Inl yohoram, anathematrzed, i. e. destroyed as execrable and accursed, put to death without mercy, as
the original ViM herem, a devoted thing,
an anathema, implies.  Gr. tooOppsv
GOqce-ramt shall be destroyed. Chal. 'Shall
be killed.' Targ. Jon. 'Shall be killed
with the sword and his goods consumed.'
This law, however, is understood by
the Hebrew canonists of a knowing and
wilful idolater, sach an one as is do






EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


any god save unto the LORD only,
ne shall be utterly destroyed.
21 ~ r Thou shalt neither vex a
stranger, nor oppress him: for
ye were strangers in the land of
Egypt.
22 ~ s Ye shall not afflict any
widow, or fatherless child.
r ch. 23.9. Lev. 19. 33 & 25. 35. Dent. 10.
19. Jer. 7.6. Zech. 7. 10. Mal. 3 5. s Deut.
10.18. & 24.17. & 27. 19. Ps. 94.. Isai. 1.
17, 23. & 10. 2. Ezek. 22. 7. Zech. 7. 10.
James 1. 27.
scribed Num. 15. 27, 30, as sinning
'with a high hand.' They thus speak of
it; 'Whoso serveth idols willingly and
presumptuously, he is exposed to cut.
ting off (i. e. by the secret stroke of
God); and if there be witnesses that
have seen him, he is to be stoned to
death. But if he have served themr ignorantly, he is to bring the sin-offering
appointed therefor.'
Law respecting the Treatment of the
Stranger, the Widow, and the Fatherless.
21. Thou shalt neither vex a stranger,
nor, &c. Heb. 7'1n1 tonch, afflict, distress. The distinction made by the
Jewish critics between ' vex' and ' oppress' is, that the former refers to upbraiding and opprobrious words, while
the latter points to injurious, oppressive, and cruel actions, more especially
in matters of traffic and other business transactions. By 'stranger,' here
is not meant a transient passenger
through the territories of the Israelites,
-ut a permanent sojourner; though not
an owner of land. That such foreign
residents dwelt among the chosen people is evident from numerous passages,
and as the somewhat exclusive genius
of the Hebrew polity might tend to subject them to-vexatious or humiliating
treatment, God saw fit to protect theIn
by several different statutes. Accord.
ingly we frequently find them conjoined
with other classes of mankind that are
specially entitled to compassion, as the


23 If thou afflict them in any wise,
and they t cry at all unto me, I will
surely u hear their cry;
24 And my x wrath shall wax
hot, and I will kill you with the
sword; and y your wives shall be
widows, and your children fatherless.
tDeut. 15. 9. & 24. 15. Job 35. 9.,uke
18. 7. u ver. 23. Job 34. 28. 's. 18. 6. &
145. 19. Jarnes 5. 4. x Job 31. 23. Ps. 69.
24.  y Ps. 109.. 9.  La. 5. 3.
poor, the widow, and the orphan. It
was in fact an object of heaven to allure
strangers by kind usage to live among
the Israelites, provided they did not
practice idolatry or violate the laws;
and in order that they mnight be induced
to thlink favorably of the true religion
and at length to embrace it, they were
to be exempted from any such harsh or
harrassing treatment as would tend to
harden their minds in prejudice or drive
them back atong idolaters. The duty
of thus behaving kindly to strangers
is enforced by reminding the Israelites
of their having been themselves once
strangers, and nothing is plainer than
that our own experience of privation and distress should school us to
a lively sympathy witli the like suffering of our fellow-creatures. The oppression of strangers may well be termed ' an Egyptian sin, deserving of Egyptian plagues.'
22-24. Ye shall not afflict any widow,
&c. In these verses the humane and
compassionate spirit of the Mosaic law
shines very conspicuous. Jehovah here
avows himself the husband of the widow
and the father of the orphan. He vir
tually says of himself, what is emphati.
cally affirmed by the Psalmist, Ps. 68.
5, 'A father of the fatherless and a
judge of the widow, is God in his holy
habitation.' In thus forbidding his peo.
pie to afflict widows and orphans he
does in fact enjoin it upon them to comfort and assist them, and to be ready on
all occasions to show them kindness.




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXII.


36


25 ~ ~ If thou lend money to any
z Lev. 25. 35, 36, 37. Deut. 23. 19, 20. Neh
5. 7  Ps. 15. 5. Ezek. 18. 8, 17.


of my people that is poor by thee,
thou shalt not be to him as an
usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon
him usury.


-- -




Being deprived in the providence of
God of their natural guardians, and being themselves unversed in business, and
of a timorous and tender spirit, their
destitute condition laid them peculiarly
open to the deceitful arts, impositions,
and oppression of unprincipled men.
And although no one could take an unrighteous advantage of these circunstances without doing violence to some
of the strongest instinctive impulses in
his own breast, yet God is pleased by
this law to give additional force to the
native sentiments of compassion and
kindness which might be supposed to
operate in favor of the friendless and
fatherless. He declares that their case
shall come under his particular cognizance. If any hardship is put upon
them from which a husband and a father
would have sheltered themn, he will interpose and act the part of a vindicator
and protector. Having no one else to
zomplain and appeal to, if they cry unto
him he will assuredly hear and avenge
them. If men will not pity them, he
will. And this no doubt accounts for
the fact that no particular penalty is
prescribed for the violation of this statute. God himself undertakes to avenge
their cause by the retributions of his
providence; and nothing could more
impressively show the divine abhorrence
of the sin. It was no common sin, and
therefore was to be punished in no common way. The equity of the sentence
denounced is too obvious to be overlooked. The oppressors of widows and
orphans shall be punished in kind; their
wives shall become widows, and their
children fatherless. And even at the
present day the judgments of heaven
upon this class of men are strikingly
analogous to what is here threatened.
'Those whom God makes his especial


charge can never be injured or assailed
with impunity. Let the parallel monition therefore of the wise man be
reverently regarded, Prov. 23. 10, 11,
'Remove not the old landmark; and
enter not into the fields of the fatherless; for their Redeemer is mighty; he
shall plead their cause with thee.'
Law respecting Usury and Pledge.
25. If thou lend money to any of my
people that is poor by thee. Rather,
according to the letter of the original,
'If thou lend money to my people, even
to a poor man with thee.' The Israel.
ites were a people but little engaged in
commerce, and therefore could not in
general be supposed to borrow money
but from sheer necessity; and of that
necessity the lender was not to take ad.
vantage by usurious exactions. The law
is not to be understood as a prohibition
of interest at any rate whatever, but of
excessive interest or usury. The clause,
'Thou shalt not be to him as an usurer,'
is equivalent to saying, 'Thou shalt not
domineer and lord it over him rigorous
ly and cruelly.' That this class of men
were peculiarly prone to be extortionate
and oppressive in their dealings with
debtors would seem to be implied by
the etymology of the original term for
usury (1'S: neshek), which comes from
a root signifying to bite; and in Neh. 5.
2-5, we have a remarkable case of the
bitter and grinding effects resulting
from the exercise of the creditor's rights
over the debtor. A large portion of the
people had not only mortgaged their
lands, vineyards, and houses, but had
actually sold their sons and daughters
into bondage to satisfy the claims ot
their grasping creditors. In this emer.
gency Nehemiah espoused the cause of
the poor, and compelled the rich, againa


9




EXODUS.


[1B. C. 1491


26 a If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou
shalt deliver it unto him by that
the sun goeth down:
27 For that is his covering only,
a Deut. 24. 6, 10, 13,17. Job 22. 6. & 24. 3,
9. Prov. 20. 16. & 22. 27. Ezek. 18. 7,16.
Amos 2. 8.
whom he called the people together, to
remit the whole of their dues, and moreover exacted from them an oath that
they would never afterwards press their
poor brethren for the payment of those
debts. This was not because every part
of those proceedings had been contrary
to the letter of the Mosaic law, but because it was a flagrant breach of equity
under the circumstances. It was taking a cruel and barbarous advantage
of the necessities of their brethren at
which God was highly indignant, and
which his servants properly rebuked.
From this law the Hebrew canonists
have gathered as a general rule, that
'whoso exacteth of a poor man, and
knoweth that he hath not aught to pay
him with, he transgresseth against this
prohibition, Thou shalt not be to him
as an exacting creditor.' (Maimonides
in Ainsworth). We no where learn
from the institutes delivered by Moses
that the simple taking of interest, especially from the neighboring nations,
Deut. 23. 19, 20, was forbidden to the
Israelites, but the divine law would give
no countenance to the griping and extortionate practices to which miserly
money-lenders are always prone. The
deserving and industrious poor might
sometimes be reduced to such straits that
pecuniary accommodations might be
very desirable to them, and toward such
God would iMulcate a mild, kind, and
forbearing spit, and the precept is enforced by the lelation which they sustained to him; q. d., 'Remember that
', You are lending to my people, my poor,.;: nd therefore take no advantage of their
icteities. Trust me against the fear


it is his raiment for his skin.
wherein shall he sleep? and it
shall come to pass, when he bcrieth
unto me, that I will hear; for I am
c gracious.
b ver. 23. e ch. 34. 6. 2 Chron. 30. 9. Ps.
86. 15.


of loss, and treat them kindly and generously.'
26, 27. If thou at all take thy neighbor's raiment to pledge, &c. 'This passage, which describes a poor man as
sleeping at night in his outer garment,
exhibits one of the many unchanged
customs of the East. The orientals
generally, of whatever rank, do not undress at night. They merely throw off
their outer and looser robes, unwind
their turbans and vast waist-cloth, sleeping in their caps, shirt, drawers, waistcoat, and gown. The common people
very often do not sleep at all in what
we should call a bed. The details of
their management of course depend
much on the particular costume of the
country; but, speaking generally, a poor
man is quite content to make his cloak
and waist-cloth serve for a bed, lying
on one of the two and covering himsell
with the other, or else making the cloak
or the girdle alone serve all his purposes. A mat, rug, or piece of carpet
is all he desires to render his bed more
luxurious. These observations particularly apply to the Bedouin Arabs, although true also of other Asiatic countries, and is not peculiar to Asia, for,
while travelling in Russia, we have
often, on passing through towns and villages at night or early in the morning,
seen great numbers of men lying about
on the ground wrapped up in their sheepskin cloaks. The poor desert Arab,
whose dress is little more than a shirt
and a woollen mantle, is content to use
the latter for his bed and bed-clothes
when he has nothing better;-drawing
ing it over his head-for an Arab al



B. C. 1491.~


CHAPTER XXII.


3i


28 ~ d Thou shalt not revile the
dEccdes 10. 20. Acts 23. 5. Jude 8.
ways covers his head whether he sleeps
by day or night-and gathering up his
feet, he sleeps with as much apparent
ease and comfort as on a down-bed, his
tough frame seeming quite unconscious
of the hardness of the ground and the
asperities of its surface. There is no
people of the East whose costume seems
to have remained with so little alteration from the most ancient times as
that of the inhabitants of the Arabian
Jeserts; or which is so susceptible of
being, in most cases, identified with the
dress worn by the ancient Jews. We
should therefore, perhaps, not be much
mistaken in considering the garment of
the text as nearly resembling the simple woollen mantle of the present Arabs.
It is nearly square, reaching from the
shoulders to the calf of the leg, or even
to the ancles, and about as wide as long.
A square sack, having il front a slit
from top to bottom, a hole at the top
for the neck, and a slit on each side for
the arms, would give a good idea of this
shapeless but useful article of dress.
Garments of the kind indicated are of
various qualities and texture.  Some
are very light and fine, with embroidery in silk, silver, or gold, or gold on the
breast and between the shoulders; but
the common sort are coarse and heavy,
commonly with alternate stripes, a foot
wide, of blue and white, or brown and
white, but frequently all black or brown.
This robe, called an abba, is commonly
worn loosely on the shoulders, as the
Irish peasantry wear their great coats;
but when active exertion is required it
is either thrown aside, or is drawn close
around the body and fastened by a girdle, the arms being then necessarily
thrust through the arm-holes. This article of dress is certainly as indispensable to a poor Arab, as the garment of
the text could be to a poor Jew.' Pict.
Btble. —.  Thou shalt deliver it unto
VOL. II.     4


gods, nor curse the ruler of thy
people.,..


him by that the sun goeth down. But
it may be asked whether a formal law
would be framed in respect to articles
given in pledge but for a single day?
The implication undoubtedly is, that
the pledge was restored for the night
only, and was returned to the creditor by day. Here again the Hebrew
canons opportunely offer their deductions. 'When one takes a pledge of
his neighbor, if he be a poor man, and
his pledge be a thing that he hath need
of, it is commanded that he restore the
pledge at the ';vie when he needeth it.
He is to restore him his bedding at
night, that he may sleep on it, and his
working-tools by day, that he may do
his work with them. If he do not re.
store the instruments of the day by
day, and the instruments of the night
by night, he transgresseth against the
prohibition, Thou shalt not sleep with
his pledge, Deut. 24. 12. (Maimonides
in Ainsworth).
Law respecting the Contempt of
Authority.,l;


28. Thou shalt not revile the gods.
Heb. tN,   Elohim; i. e. the judges,
rulers, magistrates. See Note on Ex.
21. 6. Thus Eccl. 10. 20, 'Curse not the
king; no, iot in thy thought.' Yet it is
remarkable that both Philo and Josephus
understand this precept as prohibiting
the blaspheming or reviling of the gods
of the heathen. The former thinks that
the Deity should be to us an object of
such sacred veneration, that we ought
not even to blaspheme what is errone.
ously accounted divine; and that the
heathen would, out of zeal and by way
of rataliation, blaspheme the true God,
if he heard the Jew blaspheming his
gods. The latter, in detailing, in his
'Antiquities,' the laws of Moses, quotes
this as one of them; 'No man shall
blaspheme those that are accounted




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


gods by tl tier cities; nor shall any man I
je guilty of sacrilege in strange sanctutries, or purloin what is consecrated to
i god;' and in his treatise against Apion,
ne has these words; 'The Jews adhere
to the customs of their fathers without
concerning themselves with those of
strangers, or deriding them. Their legislator expressly prohibited them from
deriding or blaspheming those whom
others accounted gods, and that out of
respect to the title Gods, which they
love.' It may be admitted, perhaps,
that there is nothing absolutely repugnant to our ideas of moral fitness in this
sense of the passage, and yet there is
very little reason to believe it the true
sense; for the parallel clause, ' nor
curse the ruler of thy people,' seelms
sufficiently to restrict and (de fine the
scope of the statute. But it is to be recollected that when Philo and Joseplius
wrote, the Jews were subljected to the
Romans, a heathen people, and they
would be apt, wherever it were possible, to put such a construction upon tihe
precepts of their religion as would tendl
to procure for it the favorable regard of
their masters, and prevent their hdeming it intolerant. And there is no doubt
something unreasonable and offensive
in the thought of pouring contenmpt upon, or uttering blasphemy against, tlhe
gods and the religion, however false, of
those under whose protection we live.
But the laws given by Moses did not contemplate the chosen people in such a condition. They were not given to a nation
subjected to foreign dominion, but to a
free people, independent and isolated,
among whom every approach to idolatry
was strictly prohibited, and who were
not required to know any but the true
religion. And although we find no gratuitous disparaging or reviling of the gods
of the heathen, yet when needs be we
find Moses himself speaking conteimptuously of them as abominations and idols,
and in the prophets such language is of
much more frequent occurrence. The


law in this place undoubtedly explains
itself by the clause that follows, and a
moment's reflection will convince us
that the institution of magistracy cannot attain the ends for which it was desilged, unless the persons of rulers be
clothed with a degree of sanctity that
shall shield them from popular reproach.
One reason undoubtedly why the name
of ' God' was applied to magistrates
was, that the office might be sanctified
in general estimation, and that the conscience of him who held the office might
be duly influenced by the consideration,
that he was in a sense acting as God's
viceg'rl(tt and representing his person,
authority, and attributes among men.
Accordlingly we find the apostle Paul
distinctly recognlising the obligation of
this law even in respect to one who was
in fact a most unrighteous persecutor,
Acts, 23. 2-5,;And the high priest
Ananias colmmanded them that stood
by him, to sniite hiin on the mouth.
'Thcen sLaid Paul unto hin, God shall
silite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge ime after the law, and
coinllanidest me to be sinitten contrary
to the law? And they that stood by,
said, Revilcst thou God's high priest?
Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren,
tlat lie was the high priest: for it is
written, Thou shalt not speak evil of
the ruler of thy people.' It is observ.
able tlhat no penalty is annexed to the
breach of this law, either because it
was left to the discretion of the judges,
or because it was one of those cases
which distinguish this from all human
codes, where God saw fit to express so
much confidence in the noral sense implanted in the breasts of his creatures,
as to appeal to that alone. He leaves
the law in this and the ensuing verses
in this chapter to their own binding force
upon the consciences of those to whom
theyare addressed.-IT Nor curse. Heb
~ta taor, which though usually ren,
dered 'curse' is by Paul, Acts 23. 5, ex.
plained as equivalent to 'speak evil of.'




B. C. 1491.J


CHAPTER XXIII.


39


29 ~I Thou shalt not delay to o/fer unto me: 1 neither shall } e eat any
h the first of tlh ripe fruits, and of filesh tha(t is torn of beasts in the
thy liquors: f the iirst-bor'll of thy  field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.
sons shalt thou give unto me.                 CHAPTER[      XXIII.
30 g Likewise slialt thou do withll  rI  r   iJ a shalt not raise a false rethine oxen, and with thy sheep:       -  ot:  ut not thine hand with
h seven days it shall be with his tle wicked to be an b unrighteous
dam; on the eighth day thou shalt w itness.
give it me.                            k Iev 22.. Ezek. 4. 14. & 44. 31. a yer. 7.
31 T And ye shall be i holy men      Lev 1 1)'s 15 3. &101. 3. Proi. 10. IP
See 2 Sarn.   19. 27. with   16. 3.  b (:cih. 20. 1(1
e c. 23. 16, 19.  Prov. 3. 9. f  cl. 13. 2, 12.  Deut.  19. i  1 7,,  18.  Ps. 35. 11.  Prov. 19. 5,
& 34. 19. g l)eut. 15. 19. h Lev. 22. 27. i ch.!, 2i. & 24. 28. See I Kings 21. 10, 13. Mlatt.
19.6. Lev. 19. 2. Deut. 14.21.        26. 59, 60, 61. Acts 6. 11, 13.
rrmen of holiness; i. e. men sel.arated
Law respecting Firstlings.     and distinguished from others not only
29. Thou shalt not delay to offer the by inwartd principles, but by outward
first, &c. Heb. ltrlt57  mei'atheka, thy  observances, among which this of abfulness; i. e. fruits of full maturity, stinence froim unclean meats is one.
ripe enough to be gatlered. Gr.,inr,- This was to be a mark of that honorXus a(Xo),-o the first fruits of thyfloor. able distinction which was to pertain to
--   r Of thy liquors.  Heb. He.  '  di- the chosen people, who were not to demaka, thy tear; i. e. tlhe first fituits of mean themselves to eat of the leavings
wine and oil, which when pressed, distil of beasts of prey, especially as they
and drop as tears. The due observance  would be apt to contain blood, which
of this law would be a general acknow. was forbidden, and might also have
ledlgement of the bounty and goodness been torn to pieces by unclean or rabid
of (,od, who had given them the early  aniimals. The words are perhaps to be
and latter rains and crowned the toils considered moreover as carrying with
of agriculture with an ample harvest. themt a latent intimation that the holiThis expression of gratitlude was not to  ess of the people of God depends in
be delayed, for delay in rendering to g reat nlmasure upon their obedience in
God the first fruits would argue a secret small mratters.
unwillingness to yield him any.
~ The first-born of thy sons, &c. See          CHPTER XXIII.
Note on Ex. 13. 2.
30. Seven days it shall be with his        Law resjecting Slalder.
dam. This ordinance probably carries    1. Thonu shalt not raise a false report,
an allusion to the dedication of a hu- &c. Ieb. b': 27     II: XN lo tissa
man being to God by the rite of circuni- shena shav, thou shalt not take upl (or
cision. As this was to take place on receive) a hearing of vanity (or falsthe eighth day, so no animal was to be ity). 'The primary impiort of the orig.
presented before the eighth day from  inal w'.: nasa, is to raise or lift up, to
its birth  Indeed, before this the pro- elevate; but it occurs also in the sense
cess of nutrition in a young animal can of taking, receiving, assuming. Thus
scarcely be considered as completely too tle Gr. ov,ratLsata&   aKorv srCatav,
formed.                              thou shalt not receive a vain hearsay.
Chal. ' Tlou shalt not receive a false ru.
Law respecting Things not to be eaten. nror.' The idea conveyed by the orig.
31. Ye shall be holy men unto me, inal term rendered 'false,' has a close
&c, Heb. Uj7p e'/2      anshP: kodeshl, aflinity iwth that expressed by the word




40


EXODUS.


[B. C. 149,


2 T e Thou shalt not follow a mulc Gen. 7. 1. & 19. 4, 7. ch. 32. 1, 2. Josh.
24. 15. 1 Sam. 15. 9. 1 Kings 19- 10. Job
31. 34. Prov. 1. 10, 11, 15. & 4. 14. Matt. 27.
24, 26. Mark 15. 15. Luke 23. 23. Acts 24.
27. & 25. 9.
(vain,' as is shown in the Note on Ex.
20. 16. And the prohibition comes obviously under that of the ninth commandment.    The Hebrew    word for
'raise,' is of sufficient latitude, in its
legitimate sense, to imply both the
origination and the propagation of a
false report. Targ. Jon. '0 my people,
ye sons of Israel, receive not lying
words from him who would calumniate
his neighbor before thee.' The precept
is no doubt of general application, equivalent to saying, Thou shalt have nothing to do with any false reports; yet it
seems designed to have special reference to judicial proceedings, where a
false report or accusation might do a
man the greatest injury. He who invents a slander, and first raises a false
or vain report, and he who receives and
propagates it, are at all times very
criminal; but the iniquity is most atrocious when the calumny is advanced
and taken up in a court of justice. Yet
when we remember how many there
must have been acting in a judicial capacity amongst the Israelites, who had
judges of tens as well as of fifties and
hundreds; and when we consider also,
how generally in our own and other
Christian countries, men are occasionally called to sit as jurors, we shall
perceive how wide is its just application, and feel that no precept is of more
importance in regulating the private in.
tercourse of individuals. 'The original
bt=   5 lo tissa has been translated,
'thou shalt not publish.' Were there
no publishers of slander and calumny,
there would be no receivers; and were
there none to receive them there would
be none to raise them; and were there
no raisers, receivers, nor propagators
of calumnies, lies, &c., society would


titude to do evil; d neither shalt
thou speak in a cause to decline
after many to wrest judgment.
dver. 6, 7. Lev. 19. 15. Deut. 1.17. Ps.
72. 2.


be in peace.' A. Clarke. Prov. 17. 4,
'A wicked doer giveth heed to false
lips.' —    Put not thine hand with the
wicked, &c. Gr. ov cvyKaraavnao, thou
shalt not consent. It is an allusion to
the act of joining hands as a sign of entering into a compact, or of cordially
uniting in the same enterprise; of which
the wise man, Proverbs, 11. 21, says,
'Though hand join in hand, the wicked
shall not be unpunished.' The primary
import of the precept probably is, 'Take
care that thou conspire not with a wicked man in his cause by giving witness
in his favor.' Vulg. 'Nec junges manum,
ut pro impio dicas falsum testimoium,'
neither shalt thou join thine hand to say
false testimony for a wicked person.
But like the foregoing it is of general
application.
Law requiring Impartiality in Judg.
ment.
2. Thou shalt not follow a multitude
to do evil. Heb.:'1Z' rabbim, many.
From the same root comes 'Rabbi,' a
great man, and some have thought the
more genuine sense of the clause to be,
'Follow not the great, the mighty, the
distinguished, to do evil,' in contradistinction from the 'poor' in the next
verse. The original word occurs in this
sense, Job, 35. 9, 'They cry out by reason of the mighty (btiZ   rabbim.)' We
suppose, however, that the two senses
of multitude and magnitude are both
included in the term, and that we are
taught by the passage that neither the
number, rank, nor power of those who
do evil should avail to make us follow
their example. We are to dare to be
singular, whatever it may cost, if it is
only thus that we can preserve our integrity. It is the example of the mul.




B. C. 1491 ]


CHAPTER XXIII.


41


3 ~ Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.


titude, keeping each other in countenance, that does so much for the general upholding of transgression. Did
the current of public example set in the
contrary direction, the solitary sinner
would be universally shunned and detested. —T  Neither shalt thou speak
in a cause, &c. Heb. 'Neither shalt
thou answer in a controversy to decline
after many to pervert, or wrest (judgment).' The scope of the words is undoubtedly to enjoin it upon the chosen
people not to be unduly influenced or
carried away by the voice of a majority
n pleading or deciding a judicial cause.
They must not by any means allow
themselves to be swayed or overruled
by regard to the Rabbins, the many, or
the mighty, to go against their consciences in giving judgment.  They
must at all events decide according to
their honest convictions, and render an
upright and impartial verdict. Chal.
'Neither shalt thou refrain from teaching that which thou seest to be nieet in
judgment.' Judges and juries especially
were to guard against showing respect
to the persons of their fellow-judges, as
well as to those of the parties. They
were not to suppose, as men are prone
to do, that they could lose their own
individual responsibility by merging it
in the unanimous opinion of a majority.
Accordingly Lyra remarks that it was
decreed by the ancient Hebrews, that
when the judges were numerous those
of least weight and authority were required to give their sentence first, lest
if they followed those of greater weight
and influence, they might be unduly
biassed by their verdict. This would
probably not be amiss with those who
needed an adventitious guaranty to the
actings of sound moral principle, of
whom there are no doubt too many in
the world.
3. Neither shalt thou countenance a
4*


4 ~ e If thou meet thine enenmy's
e Deut. 22. 1. Job 31. 29.;Fav 21. 17. & 25.
21. Matt. 5. 44. Rom. 12. 20. 1 Thess. 5. 15.
poor man in his cause. Heb. R  '511
ut, vedal lo tehdar, and the poor man
thou shalt not honor. The term "'in
hadar, has the sense of beautifying,
adorning, and seems to refer to the arts
of oratory and the sophistry of the law,
by which the badness of a cause is varnished over. The word 5' dal, attenuated, exhausted, and here rendered poor
man, is probably put in opposition to
te'e  rabbim in the preceding verse.
If so, the meaning is, thou shalt neither be influenced by the great to make
an unrighteous decision, nor by the
poverty or distress of the poor to give
thy voice against the dictates of justice
and truth.' And thus the ancient paraphrasts; Chal. 'Thou shalt not pity the
poor man in his judgment.' Targ. Jon
'And the poor who shall be brought intc
judgment thou shalt not compassionate
ly respect, for there is to be no respect of
persons in judgment.' Gr. Kca 7svrnra our
~Xeteais sv KpiaLt, and the poor man tholb
shalt not compassionate in judgment
In Lev. 19. 15, the like prohibition is
given in regard to the rich, 'Thou shalt
not respect the person of the poor, nor
honor ('I;nn tehdar) the person of the
mighty.' In matters of right, right was
always to he done, without regard to
rank, character, or condition. In general there was no doubt more dangei
that the cause of justice would be bi
assed and injury connived at in favor of
the rich than of the poor, yet there
might be such a thing as, under th,
pretence of charity or compassion, mak
ing a man's poverty a shelter for his
wrong.doing. This was by no means
to be allowed. But on the other hand,
the just rights of the poor against in.
fluences of an opposite character, are
guarded by a special precept, v. 6.
Law inculcating Humanity.
4. If thou meet thine enemylsa ae o


*




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


ox jr his ass going astray, thou shalt him, thou shalt surely help with
surely bring it back to him again.   him.
5 flf thou see the ass oft' in that  6 g Thou shalt not wrest thejudghateth thee lying under his bur- rncnt of thy poor in his cause.
den, and wouldest forbear to help     g ver. 2. De)t. 27. 19. Job 31. 13, 21
f  )eeitc:es. 5.8.                  sa. sai. 1, 2.  Jer. 5. 28. &  7.
et. 22...  Amos 5. 12.  Mnl. 3. 5.
his a(ss going astray, &c. '11ov 1ivcll creslpect to be treated alike; that they
more his soul, says 'T'lral. 'i'lis 1 re- were to show killhness as w-ell where
cept is given \vith fulle (dtails Dc!U. ther e ewas a reciprocal hatred, as where
22. 1-3, 'l'lou slialt ot see tlly brol- it was merely cherished on one side.
ther's ox or hi.s tlheep go astray, an I -   I[ And uwouldest.forbear to help
hide thyself from themn l: tllhou.alilt in  imin, &c. The original of this clause
any case bri g tlihe  agimn uni  thy is, peculiarly obscure, and has given
brother. And ii thy brothllr be lnot;ig  rise to a vast variety of renderings by
unto thee, or if thou k;nrow; hin ii t, tl(n di lit(ercnt commentators. The original
thou shalt bring it uItto thinie ou n lilhu.-e e,1^ -?'  1y il r; 'm ve-hadand it shall be willt thee un1til t1ly bro- alta nzaazob lo aob faazob immo, literther seek after it, and thou slalt restore ally signiiies-' th1ou shalt cease from
it to him again. In like Illnler sl.:,lt letaring to hirn thou shalt surely leave
thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou zvith hin.'  The idea we take to be,
do with his raiment; and with all lost that the man who should see his enethings of thy brother's, which lie hIath m y's ass (or other animal) in this conlost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do dition was to cease,-i. e. by no means
likewise: thou mayest not hide thy- to allow himself,-to leave the prostrat.
self:' He who was in the folirer case ed beast to his owner alone, but he was
termed an 'enemy' is here termed a bro- generously to go to his assistance, and
tier,' thus teaching the Israelites that not to desist but with the owner, when
they were to regard all men, even their he had succeeded in raising him up, or
enemies, as brethren. Tihis, we kniow, had left him  as past relief. This is
is in exact accordance vitli the teacli- perhaps the simplest construction, and
ings of the New Testament, and it shows it is confirmed by the parrallel passage
very clearly that it wvas no nmor than  Dent. 22. 4, ' Thou shalt not see thy
the Pharisees' gloss, that 'they should brother's ass or his ox fall down by the
love their frieinds atnl hate their cn'- way, and hide thyself from them: thou
mies.'-~-TThou shalt srtely brin,, it shalt surely help him to lift them up
back. Heb. 13i'C i   'im hia.s'l'b tcssti- a gamil. Gr. 'Thou shalt not pass by the
bh'lau, returning thou shalt v eturn if.  tll same, but shalt raise up the same
5. If thou see the ass ofJ him tihat hal- tcgetlher with hiim. Chal. 'Leaving thou
etfh thee, &c. Heb.  "r-  sraka,, t, shltlt leave that which is in thy heart
hater; a diIeretnt wolrd frll iit i;t ld-  ^ inst him, and help ip with him.
ing for enerimy, "   oyibh. in tlhe l'r- rhe sco}eC (p o the precept is not only to
ceding verse. Tlhe word here eiplloydml  i tculcale mercy towards the brute creasignifies one that liates, without iml ly-ti, ii but also to engendler kindly feelina that he is hated in return; bu t the t's artong brethren. For what would
other implies a mutual enwmity. It is tetid more directly to win the heart of
an easier matter to do a favor to tle an alienated neighbor tlan such an act
former than to the latter, but the design of well-timed benevolence?
of introducing both terms is to intille  6. Thou1 shalt not iwrest the judgment
tuat both classes of haters were in tlis Iof thy poor in his cause. Th't is, of


I




B. C. 1491 1


CHAPTER XXII1.


43


7 h Keep thee far from a false matter; i and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for k I will not
justify tile wicked.
lver. 1. Lev. 19. 11. Luke 3. 14. Eph.4.
25.  i Deut. 27. 25.  Ps. 94. 21.  Prov. 17. 15,
2(. Jer. 7. 6. Matt. 27. 4. k ch. 34. 7. Rom.
1. 18.
thy poor neighbor (Deut. 27. 19), in
whose cause thou shalt not pervert, but
shalt strictly exercise, justice. Though
there were cases im which there was
danger lest compassion should unduly
bias the course of equity in favor of a
poor man, yet the instances would be
far more numerous in which the magistrate would be tempted to neglect or
pervert his cause, cither to oblige a
rich opponent, or to save trouble, or
because he had not money to pay the
requisite expenses. But the expression,
'thy poor,' is supposed to be a counteractive to all such temptations: 'Remember they are thy poor, bone of thy
bone, thy poor neighbors, thy poor
brethren, and cast in providence as a
special charge upon thy justice and
charity.'
7. Keep thee far from a false matter,
&c. This law seems intended as a kind
of security for the due observance of
the preceding.  If they would guard
against perversions of judgment, they
must dread the thoughts of aiding or
abetting a bad cause; they must have
nothing to do with'it; they must keep
themselves at the greatest possible distance from it. And why? Because if
they wilfully or incautiously hearkened
to false testimony, or decided wrong in
a case of life and death, they would be
deemed the murderers of the innocent
and the righteous. Indeed it may be
said that God interprets as slaying the
Lnnocent and righteous that conduct
which tends to such an issue. If then
they would not slay with their own
hands those who looked to them for
justice, let them 'keep far from a false
matter;' for it might terminate in such


S S, And I thou shalt take no gift;
for the gift blindeth the wise, and
pervertetl the words of the righteous.
1 Deut. 16. 19. 1 Sarn. 8. 3. & 12. 3. 2 Chron.
19.7. Ps.26i. 10. Prov. 15. 27. & 17.8, 23.
& 29. 4. Isai. 1. 23. & 5. 23. & 33. 15. Eseik.
22. 12. Amus 5. 12. Acts 24. 26.
an issue as they dreamt not of, and the
righteous God will not leave such wickedness to go unpunished. 'I will not
justify the wiclked;' i. e. I will condemn
himn that unjustly condemns others,
'Cursed be he that pervertetth e judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and
widow. And:.ll the people shall say,
Amlen.' Det. 27. 19.
Law respecting Bribery.
8. Thou shalt take no gift, &c. The
precepts we are now considering still
have respect to the duties of those who
are appointed guardians of justice. They
are instructions to magistrates in the
conduct of judicial cases. They were
to keep themselves studiously free from
every thing that would tend to warp or
bias their judgment, or in any way mar
the rectitude of their decisions. Gifts
from a party to a judge are absolutely
prohibited, even though not given on
the condition of his pronouncing a favor.
able verdict. For as human nature is
constituted, gifts tend exceedingly to
blind the understanding and to pervert
the decisions of those who take them,
and who would otherwise be disposed
to follow equity in their sentences. The
conduct of Sir Matthew Hale, when
viewed by the light of this statute, is
preeminently praiseworthy. Upon one
of his circuits as judge, he refused to
try the cause of a gentleman who had
sent him the customary present ofvenison, until he had paid for it. He would
not run the risque of suffering his feel.
inigs as a man to influence his decisions
as a judge. It is worthy of note in this
connexion, that in Deut. 27. 25, we find
the connexion between the taking ot




44


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


9 ~I Also m thou shalt not oppress a
stranger: for ye know the heart of
a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
10 And u six years thou shalt sow
m ch. 22. 21. Deut. 10. 19. & 24. 14, 17. &
27.19. Ps. 94. 6. Ezek. 22. 7. Mal. 3. 5.
n Lev. 25. 3, 4.
gifts and the murder of the innocent
very distinctly recognized: 'Cursed he
he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person.' This is an expressive
commentary upon the tendency and effects of yielding to solicitations that
come in the form of tempting bribes.
On the contrary, how rich and emphatic
the promises to those who keep themselves aloof from these abominations,,s. 33. 15, 16, 'He that walketh right.
eously, and speaketh uprightly; he that
despiseth the gain of oppressions, that
shaleth his hands from holding of
bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from
seeing evil; he shall dwell on high; his
place of defence shall be the munitions
of rocks: bread shall be given him; his
waters shall be sure.' —  The wise.
Heb. niPj~ ) pikhim, the open-eyed, the
seeing. The case of Samuel's sons, 1
Sam. 8. 1-3, affords an humiliating illustration of the effect ascribed to the
conduct which is here condemned: 'And
it came to pass, when Samuel was old,
he made his sons judges over Israel.
And his sons walked not in his ways, but
turned aside after lucre, and took bribes,
and perverted judgment.' In view of
all this the wise man says, Prov. 17.23,
'A wicked man taketh a gift out of the
bosom to pervert the ways of judg.
ment.' ---~ Perverteth the words of
the righteous. That is, the sentence
of those who are ordinarily accounted
righteous, and who but for the corrupt.
ing influence of bribes would be rightcous.
9. Thou shalt not oppress a stranger.
This verse is little more than a partic

thy land, and shalt gather in the
fruits thereof:
11 But the seventh year thou
shalt let it rest and lie still; that
the poor of thy people may eat:
and what they leave the beasts of
the field shall eat. In like manner
thou shalt deal with thy vineyard,
and with thy oliveyard.
ular application of the general precept,
ch. 22. 21, introduced in this connexion
in order to put the judges on their guard
against the influence of prejudice in deciding causes in which foreigners were
concerned. They were to be sure not
to oppress them; for from their own
experience of hardships and injustice in
Egypt, they knew how strangers felt
on such occasions.-~ Ye know the
heart of a stranger. Heb. L'T: nephesh,
the soul; the sentiments, the feelings.
Knowing the griefs and afflictions of
strangers, ye can the more easily put
your souls into their soul's stead. Our
trials and sorrows in this world go but
little way towards accomplishing their
true object if they do not train us to a
deep sympathy with those who are called to drink of the same bitter cup.
Law respecting the Sabbatical Ycar.
10, 11. Six years thou shalt sow thy
land, &c. We have here one of the
most remarkable ordinances of the Jew.
ish code. As every seventh day was to
be a Sabbath, so every seventh year was
to be a Sabbatical Year, and hence in
the repetition of this law, Lev. 25. 4, it
is called ' a Sabbath of Sabbatism to the
land, a Sabbath to Jehovah.' During
that year the corn-fields were neither
sown nor reaped. The vines were un.
pruned, and there were no grapes gather.
ed. Whatever grew spontaneously be.
longed alike to all, instead of being the
property of any individual; and the
poor, the bondman, the day-laborer, the
stranger, the cattle that ranged the
fields, and the very game, then left undisturbed, could assert an equal right to


i




B. C. 1491.]              CHAPTER XXIII.                           45
it. In short, duing this year, the whole giving on this score, it was at once
of Palestine continued a perfect corn- confuted by the express assurance ot
mon (Lev. 25. 1 —S), and in order to augmented plenty when it became re.
render this law the more sacred, it was quisite. Lev. 25. 20, 21, 'And if ye
not only termed  the year of the Sab. shall say, What shall we eat the seven.
bath,' its sabbatism or resting being eth year? behold, we shall not sow nor
declared holy to the Lord, but even the gather in our increase: Then I will
vines, as if under a vow, were called command my blessing upon you in the
'Nazarites' to which a knife must not sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit
be applied. Comp. Lev. 25. 5, with for three years.' This was a plain in.
Nui 6o. 6.                          tliio  thli;at a mi;racle shoulld a;ttnd
As to the reasons of an ordinance so the strict observation of the law in
remarkable, although we may perhaps question. Had such an extraordinary
admit that some regard was had to the increase immediately succeeded the falphysical benefits accruing to the soil low year, it might have been accounted
from a periodical respite from culture for according to the course of nature.
for one year in seven, yet we cannot The land had had a respite, and would
doubt that they were mostly of a moral naturally bring forth with more vigor.
nature, adapted and designed to promote But when after being exhausted by con.
the general ends of the economy to stant tillage for five years, it produced
which the enactment belonged. As the more instead of less on the sixth, what
Sabbath of the seventh year had the was this but the manifest proof of
same reference as that of the seventh a direct intervention of Omnipotence,
day to the creation of the world, it showing as with the light of the sun
went to cherish all those pious and that a particular providence incessantly
adoring sentiments which were awak. watched over them? And not only so;
ened by the stated recurrence of the the ordinance taught them impressive.
weekly day of rest. This septennial ly upon what tenure they held their pos
sabbatism reminded the Israelites not sessions. They would be forced to ac
only of what they in common with the knowledge God as the lord of the soil,
whole world, owed to the great and and themselves as liege-subjects of ihe
glorious Creator of the universe, but of great Proprietor, upon whose bounty
their more especial obligations to him  their well-being continually hung. In.
as their covenant God, who had made timately connected with this was the
them the peculiar object of his care; lesson of humanity which they were
and who was pleased miraculously to hereby taught to the poor, the enslaved,
overrule the laws of nature in their be. the stranger, and the cattle. The aphalf. It is scarcely possible to conceive pointment of the Sabbatical Year was a
of any more effectual mode of teaching striking demonstration that all classes
them the duty of a continual simple. and conditions of men, and even the
hearted reliance upon a kind and boun- beasts of the field, were mercifully cared
tiful providence, than by the command for by the Universal Father; and what
to let the whole land lie fallow for one violence must they do to every kindly
entire year, and to trust for subsistence sentiment, if they could evince a con.
to the provisions of that power which traryspirit? Once in every seven yearv
made the earth, and which could easily they might freely suspend all the labors
make the produce of the sixth year sutifi of agriculture, and yet rest in perfect
tient for the wants of the seventh or even security of an ample supply for their
the eighth. Were they ever tempted wants; and what could more directly
to cherish the slightest doubt or mis. lend to work the conviction upon their




EXODUb.


[B. C. 149]


12 o Six days thou shalt do thy
work, and on the seventh day thou
shalt rest: that thline ox and thine
ocl. 20.8, 9.  )cut. 5. 13. Luke 13. 11.
minds that heaven had appointed themn
a higher destiny than to be always
drudoginog in earthly toils; that notlinng
wolld be lost by tile prescribed intermission; and that if God could, as we
may sly, afford to be thus munificent
to thein, they were bound to act onll the
like noble, liberal, and generous principles to their fellow-creatures?
Another ordinance connected with the
Sabbatical Year deserves our attention.
On this year, during the feast of tabernacles, when all Israel caine to appe( ar
before God the Law;was to )be ' read in
their hearing, that tiiey I iglit learn,
and fear the Lord their Godl, and observe to (lo all the words of this law;
and that their children which had not
known any thint, mighi, heal auld learnl
to fear the Lor(l their (>-d.' Deui. 31.
10-13. Thus once in eve ry seven years
the congregated nation;:ad ain oIl)portulnity to be instructed in the contlents of
the Law given by Moses; and to render
this ceremony more implressive, it is traditionally held that inl after tiimes tle
king in person was the realder. The
season was the miost eligible that could
have been chosen. During this year the
minds of the people were less occnl)ied(
with worldly concerns than usual. They
had neither to sow nor to reap). They
were therefore peculiarly accessible to
all the good influences connected with
such an ot servance, and were prepared
to look uJoon it as a striking type of
heaven where all earthly labors, cares,
and interests shall cease for ever.
Such was the institution of the Sabbatical Year, and such its effects in
creating a senise of dependence in God,
charity to man, anl humnanity to brutes.
It was atldmirably adapted to be a test
of the faith and obeduience of the chosen
people, and  yet we are unhappily


ass nmay rest, and the son of thy
handmalid, and tile stranger, may
be refreshed.
obliged to record the fact, that they did
not stand the test. Not only is there no
express mention of the actual observance of the law in the historical books
of the Old Testament, but in 2 Chron.
36. 21, that neglect of it is spoken of as
onie of the procuring causes of the seventy years ca"ptivity to lwhich they were
subjected, during which the land was
to enjoy tile miumber of Sabbaths of
whllich it had beenl defraudcu by the rebellion anid unbelief of its inhabitants,
In other words, the years of their captivity wvere to corresplond witl thie nutrlbher of' the ileglected Sabbatical years
and as those were seventy, it would
carry us back altout 500 years to the
close of Samlanel's administration, -\when
tile observance began to go into disuise.
Thus bliindly and madly does depraved
rian xwar against his ownf interest in
neglectilng the salutary appointments
of H:eavei!
Law respecting thme Sabbath day.
12. Six days thou shalt do thy uworklc
&c. A repetition of the law of the
fourth comnrmanl(ment concerninl  the
weekly sabblath. The reason of its in.
sertionl in this connexion has divided
the olinions of commnientators. Somne
suppose it to be mainly with a view to
its cicil e,,ds, viz. the rest and relaxsation of servamnts andl beasts, whereas in
the fourth coliliandmlrent, it is eiijoined
chiefly as a branch of unorship, as a
part of that spiritual service which is
rendered dlirectly to God. Others again,
and we thinlk wcith greater prolbability.
suppose the design to be to guiard
against an erroneous inference, that
might be drawn from the preceding ordinance. As the sabbatical year was a
year euf cessation from the ordinary la.
bors of other years, so they Inigl't pos




B C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXIII.


47


13 And in all things t'at I have
said unto you, P be circumspect:
p Dent. 4. 9. Josh. 22.5  Ps. 39.1. Eph.
5. 1t.  1 Tin. 4. i6.
sibly take up the impression, that the
ordinary observances of the Sabbath
day were also to be suspended during
that year; that it was, as it were, laid
open in common with tile other days of
the week. But this would be a groundless
and pernicious inflerence, and therefore
the law of the Sabbath is expressly repeatel, and the people reminded that
the observance of that day was of perpetual and paramount obligation, and
not in the slighltest degree annulled by
the occurrence of the Sabbatical Year.
For though they might not di(iing th:lt
year be engaged in the ordinary labors
of agriculture, and the day might not
be so emnlhatically a day of rest to
them as usual, yet even during that
time there were various minor occupations and cares which were to b, reg-llarly suspended as every seventh day
returned. ---- Ir Ma3y be refreshed. i t, l)
'D3    yinnaphesh, nmry be re-spirilcd,
or new-souled, from 's ',, nephesh s'ovl;
i. e. may have a comnplete relnewal both
of bodily and spirittal health.  Gr.
uval:),,, the same exlression with that
occurring Acts 3. 19, 'Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sils
may be blotted out when the times of
refreshing (paa gct.s, re-seovling) sli;ll
cone from the presence of the Lordl.
The very frequent repetition of the law
respecting the sabbath shows conclusively that the sanctificationt of that
day was of great consequence in the
sight of God and tha't lie had a Slecial!
eye therein to its benign bearing lphy sically both upon the welfare of man and
beast. With this institution before us,
we can no more ask the question, 'Doth
God care for oxen?' So far fruoin (disregarding their well being, we find re- i
peated provisions in his law breathing {


and q n.ake no mrention of thename
of other gods, neither let it be
heard out of thy mouth.
q Nurimb. 32. 3S. Deeut. 12. 3. Josh. 23. 7.
lPs. lt.4.  los. 2.17. Zech. 13.2.


Ia lmost tender and beneficent concern
for the brute creation subjected to the
1uss of manl.  -lHow different from the
li ht in whvich they are practically regarile(d by multitudes of civilized and
1nominlllly Christian men! How many
thoulandls of patient drudging cattle
andl inoble horses, have no sabbath!
They cannot remlonstrate when called
firo; their quict stalls on the sabbath,
i,il l!t to thrmir exhausting week-day
toiils, bt tIte barbarous privation of
tlhe ir oi,!liorized rest speaks loudly in
thl e: rs of their merciful Creator, and
tli ir imock eindurance reaches one heart
in tlle muniv.erse that is not insensible
to the a1pl. That heart has a leand
to cexecclte jlidgment adequate to the
\wr\ i'   do(io to a portion of his creatures
which }hiave a capacity to suffer, but
none to comlllain.
Lair eC7join iln caution against Idolatry.
13. Inr all things-be circumespect.
Ic'l!1, 1 '^:'^  tislh-sha.me-ru, keep your
sel/es. It is a strict injunction of universanl l'edtlilness in respect to every
one of tile divine precepts, but with
Imorel eslecial reference to those pro.
hibiting idolatry in any of its forms;
for to this sin Omniiiscience foresaw
that they wouLll be preeminently dis.
pose1d and telmpted. —   Make no menlion, c&. Iheb. '1^ ti h~ lo fazkirlu,
ye shall not cause to be remembered.
They w cre to endeavor to blot out the
remclnmhrance of the gods of the hea.
thell, anid i-r this end their names were
not to be heard from their mouths; or
if rnentioned at all, it must be only in a
way of detestation. The Chal. terms
thlcee othlr gods 'idols of the peoples;'
and (;sol, by the prophet Zech. 13. 2,
says, 'In that day I will cut off the




48


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


14 1 r Three times thou shalt unleavened bread seven days, as I
keep a feast unto me in the year.  commanded thee, in the time apt
15 s Thou shalt keep the feast of pointed of the month Abib; for in
unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat it thou camest out from Egypt'
t and none shall appear before me
r ch. 34. 23. Iev. 23. 4. Deut. 16. 16. a ch, empty:
12.15. & 13. 6. & 34.18. Lev. 23.6. Dent.
16. 8.                                    t ch. 34.20. Deut. 16. 16.
names of the idols out of the land, and evils on this score, we imagine, are a
they shall no more be remembered.' this day but slight.
And ag:tii, los. 2. 17, '! will take awayv
the names of Baaliln out of her mouth,  Law respecting the three great Festiand they shall no more be rememberedvats.
by their name.' It was in accordance  14. Three times thou shalt keep a
with the spirit of this precept that the feast, &c. Heb. t M'5   tU: shalosh
Israelites seem to have made a practice regalim, three feet; i. e. three foot.
of 'changing the names' of idolatrous journies. Gr. rpor racpovc, three times.
places, Num. 32. 38. And under a sim- Chal. id. These three feasts were,
ilar prompting David says, Ps. 16. 4, (1.) The feast of the PASSOVER. (2.)
'Their drink-offerings of blood will I Of PENTECosT. (3.) Of TABERNACLES;
not offer, nor take up their names into each of which continued for a week.
my lips.' In the intercourse of society,As we shall hereafter have occasion to
there is no more emphatical mode of consider these festivals separately in
indicating hatred towards a person than all their details, it will be sufficient at
not mentioning his name, shrinking present to remark in general that this
from even the remotest ailasion to him, thrice-yearly concourse of all the males
and striving, as far as possible, t. for- of Israel at the place of the sanctuary,
get even his existence. Thus would was we!! calculated, (1) To counteract
God have his people do in regard to the all the unsocial tendencies arising from
gods of the heathen. He says to them  their separation into distinct tribes,
in effect of idolatry, as elsewhere, 'Thou and to unite them among themselves as
shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt a nation of brethren. Were it not for
utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed  some provision of this kind, local inthilng' The influence of a familiar ac- terest and jealousies would have been
quaintance with the mythology of the been very apt to be engendered, which
ancient classics would no doubt be far in process of time would probably have
more pernicious than it is, and more ripened into actual hostilities and col.
abhorrent to the spirit of this precept, lisions that would have broken their
were it not for the intrinsic absurdities of commonwealth to pieces. But by bethe system, and the overwhelming light ing frequently brought together, the ac.
of evidence which distinguishes Chris- quaintances of tribes and iamilies would
tianity. These are probably such as to be renewed, all feelings of clannish ex.
counteract any serious injury which elusiveness repressed, and the social
might otherwise result from one's being union more effectually consolidated.
conversant with the names, characters, (2) It was an ordinance well calculated
and alleged exploits of Jupiter, Bac. to perpetuate the memory of the great
thus, Apollo, Mars, Venus and the other events on which they were severally
deities of Pantheon, of whom it seems founded. As the weekly sabbath brought
to be essential to a liberal education to to remembrance the creation of the
have some knowledge. The practical world, so did the Passover the departure




B. C. 1491.J


CHAPTER XXIII.


49


from Egypt; the Pentecost, the delivery of the Law; and the Feast of Tabernacles, the sojourning in the wilderness. Whatever of salutary religious
influence was exerted by the celebration of these memorable events, it would
obviously bear with most weight when
it became the joint act of the whole assembled nation. Moreover, as the Law
was read and instruction imparted on
these occasions, the effect would naturally be, to render them faithful to their
religion, and better disposed to carry
out its principles in their lives and conversation. (3) Another important end
which we may suppose to have been
designed by these assemblages, was to
afford to the people seasons of relaxation and recreation from their necessary
toils. Although the weekly sabbath
brought with it a welcome respite from
labor, yet the Maker of our frame saw
that something more than this was requisite for the highest well-being, corporeal and mental, of his creatures, and
therefore ordained certain seasons of
innocent hilarity in connexion with
those religious observances which would
tend to keep them within proper limits.
It is observable, therefore, that the expression, ' rejoicing before the Lord,'
is of frequent occurrence in speaking of
those festive conventions which brought
the Hebrews together from time to time
during the year; and it is no doubt desirable that the precepts of Christianity
should be so construed as to lay no
chilling interdict upon those harmless
amusements which the constitution of
our nature seems to render occasionally
requisite.
It might seem at first view that there
was signal impolicy in leaving the land
defenceless, while all the adult male
population were congregated at a distance from their families and homes.
Humanly speaking, it is indeed surprising that the hostile nations on their
oorders did not take advantage of their
exposedness,  For the matter was no
VOL. II.       5


secret; it was publicly known that at
three set times every year they were
commanded to be at Jerusalem, and
that at three set times every year they
actually attended. Why then were not
inroads made at these seasons, to slay
the old men, women, and children, to
burn their cities, and carry off the spoil?
How shall we account for the enmity of
their foes being asleep at these particular times, when the land was de.
fenceless; and perfectly awake at every
other season, when they were at home,
and ready to oppose them? Unless the
Scriptures had given a solution, the
matter would have been deemed inexplicable; but from this source we learn
that the same Being who appointed
those feasts guaranteed the security of
the land while they were attending
them. For thus runs the promise in
Exodus 34. 23, 24, 'Thrice in the year
shall all your men-children appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel.
For I will cast out the nations before
thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither
shall any man desire thy land, when
thou shalt go up to appear before the
Lord thy God, thrice in the year.' Can
any thing afford us a more striking in.
stance of a particular providence? He
is a wall of fire about his people as well
as the glory in the midst of them. The
hearts of all men are in his hands. He
inaketh the wrath of man to praise him
and the remainder of that wrath, which
will not praise him, he restraineth.
During the whole period between Moses
and Christ, we never read of an enemy
invading the land at the time of the
three festivals; the first that occurs
was thirty-three years after they had
withdrawn from themselves the divine
protection, by embruing their hands in
the Savior's blood, when Cestius the
Roman general slew fifty of the people
of Lydda, while all the rest were gone
up to the Feast of Tabernacles, A.D. 66.
Again it is asked, how such vast mul.
titudes could find provisions and accom



50


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


16 u And the feast of harvest, the
first-fruits of thy labours, which
thou hast sown in the field: and x the
u ch. 34. 22. Lev. 23. 10. x Deut. 16. 13.


feast of ingathering, which is in the
end of the year, when thou hast
gathered in thy labours out of the
field.


modation in the town where they congregated. The best answer will be
found by a reference to the existing
practice of the Mohammedans who annually repair to Mecca. The account
is derived from our countryman Pitt,
who was there towards the end of the
seventeenth century, but the statement
in its general features is equally applicable at present. After describing
Mecca as a mean and inconsiderable
town, he observes that four caravans
arrive there every year, with great numbers of people in each. The Mohammedans say that not fewer than 70,000
persons meet at Mecca on such occasions; and although he did not think
the number, when he was there, so large
as this, it was still very great. Now
the question recurs, how this vast multitude could find food and accommodation at so small and poor a place as
Mecca?   The following, from our author, is a sufficient answer:-'As for
house-room, the inhabitants do straiten
themselves very much, in order at this
time to make their market. As for
such as come last after the town is
filled, they pitch their tents without the
town, and there abide until they remove
towards home. As for provision, they
all bring sufficient with them, except it
be of flesh, which they may have at
Mecca; but all other provisions, as
butter, honey, oil, olives, rice, biscuit,
&c., they bring with them as much as
will last through the wilderness, forward and backward, as well as the time
they stay at Mecca; and so for their
camels they bring store of provender,
&c. with them.' Ali Bey confirms this
account. He says, indeed, that the pilgrims often bring to Mecca rather more
food than they are likely to need, and
when there, they compute how much


they shall want during their stay and
on their return, and, reserving that, sell
the remainder to great advantage  He
adds, ' Every hadji (pilgrim) carries
his provisions, water, bedding, &c. with
him, and usually three or four diet together, and sometimes discharge a poor
man's expenses the whole journey for
his attendance upon them.' These facts
no doubt apply, in a great extent, to
the solution of the apparent difficulty
as to the management of the Hebrews
in their three annual meetings at the
Tabernacle or the Temple. It will also
be recollected that Jerusalem was a
much larger city than Mecca, and situated in an incomparably more fertile
district.
We have only farther to add, that
the three great Festivals were honored
with three remarkable events in the
Scripture history. The feast of Tabernacles was the time when the Savior
was born, and also the time when, in
his thirtieth year, he was baptized.
The Passover was the time when he
was crucified; and the Pentecost the
time when the Holy Ghost descended
in a visible manner upon the apostles.
16. The feast of harvest. When they
offered two loaves of first-fruits, Lev.
23, ]7, called in Ex. 34. 22,' the feast
of weeks (or sevens'), because it was
seven weeks or forty-nine days from the
feast of unleavened bread, and occurring on the fiftieth day, was thence called the Pentecost, a Greek word signifying fifty.  This was properly the
harvest festival, in which they were to
offer thanksgiving to God for the bounties of the harvest, and to present unto
him the first fruits thereof in bread
baked of the new corn (wheat), Lev.
23. 14-21. Num. 2d. 26-31. As the
period of this festival coincided with




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXIII.


51


17 y Three times in the year all
thy males shall appear before the
LORD God.
y cn. 34. 23. Deut. 16.16.
that of the giving of the Law from
Mount Sinai, which was fifty days after
the Passover, it is usually spoken of as
commemorative of that event, Just as
the feast of the Tabernacles is of their
dwelling in tents for forty years during their sojourn in the wilderness. —
f The feast of ingathering.  Called
also the 'Feast of Tabernacles,' Lev.
23. 34. Deut. 16. 13. This was the
festival of gratitude for the fruitage
and vintage, commencing on the evening of the fourteenth day of the seventh
month, or October, called here c the end
of the year.' It continued seven whole
days until the twenty-first, and then received the addition of the eighth day,
which had probably in ancient times
been the uine-press feast of the Israelites. During these eight (lays the Israelites dwelt in booths, formed of
green branches interwoven together,
which in the warm region of Palestine
answered extremely vell, as in October
the weather is usually dry.-It may be
remarked in regard to all these festivals, that the original term by which
the appointment is expressed is inn
'ahag, from 3Zn hagag, which signifies
to go round in a circle, and thence in
its religious application to move round
in circular dances. As this was no
doubt in early ages one of the leading
features of their religious festivals, the
term came in process of time to signify
in a general way the celebration of a
religious feast or solemnity. See Note
oil Ex. 5. 1. The idea, however, is
prominent that these were to be seasons
of joy and rejoicing; that a sanctified
hilarity was to be xegarded as a part of
the duty connected with these festive
seasons. The fact affords us an abundant vindication of the Mosaic system
from the charge of sullen gloom and


18 z Thou shalt not offer the blood
of my sacrifice with leavened
z ch. 12. 8. & 34. 25. Lev. 2. 11. Dent.
16. 4.


cheerless austerity in its rites and services.
17. Shall appear before the Lord God.
Heb. Ti"' bien a1 t t x el penb haAdon Yehovah, to the face of the Lord
Jehovah. This is, before the symbol of
the manifested presence of Jehovah,
which permanently abode on the ark
and in the temple. We are still to give
prominence to the idea of a visible exhibition which the Israelites were tc
regard as representing the presence of
the Deity. The expression, we have
no doubt, has special allusion to the ark
of the covenant surmounted by the lumninous cloud of glory; and though the
common Israelites were not indeed permitted to go into the Holy of Holies,
yet they were to offer and to worship
tou'ards (aC el) the sanctuary where the
sacred symbols were fixed. Cial. 'All
thy males shall appear before the Lord,
the master or ruler of the world.' Sam.
'Before the ark of the Lord.' Arab.
'In the sanctuary of the Lord God.'
This version is somewhat remarkable
when viewed in connexion with Josh.
3. 11, where, as appears from our Note
on that passage, the epithet, ' Lord of
the whole earth,' is expressly applied to
the Ark of the Covenant.
Law regulating the Offerings at the
three great Feasts.
18. Thou shalt not offer the blood, &c.
That is, the blood of the paschal lamb,
called by way of emphasis the sacrifice.' Chal. 'Of my passover.' —
IT With leavened bread. That is, hav.
ing leavened bread upon thy premises
or in thy possession. All leaven was
to be previously purged out, according
to the statute, Ex. 12. 15, et inf.T Neither shall the fat of any sacrifice
remain, &c. Heb. 'fn haggi, my festi.




52


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


bread: neither shall the fat of my
sacrifice remain until the morning.
19 a The first of the first-fruits of
thy land thou shalt bring into the
house of the LORD thy God. b Thou
shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
20 [~c Behold, I send an Angel bea ch. 22.29. & 34. 26. Lev. 23. 10, 17. Numrb.
1S. 12, 13.  Deut.26. 10.  Nell. 10.35. b(h.
34.26. Deut. 14.21. c ch. 14. 19. & 32. 34.
& 33. 2, 14. Numb. 20. 16. Josh. 5. 13. &
0.2.  Ps.91. 11.  Isai.63.9.
v-ii; a different word from that rendered
sacrifice (HnT zebah) in the preceding
clause. Yet there is no doubt that it
refers to the sacrifice of the passover
as the parallel passage Ex. 34. 26, has
expressly, 'Thou shalt not offer the
blood of my sacrifice with leaven, neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of
the passover be left until the morning.'
The fat was forbidden to remain till
morning, because it was liable to corrupt and become offensive, which was
very unseemly bor any part of the sacred offerings. See Note on Ex. 12. 10.
The fat was in all animal offerings accounted the choicest and most important part, and that which was preeminently devoted to God; and therefore it
was required that it should be immediately consumed without any reservation.
This was especially true of the fat of
the paschal lamb.
19. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his
mother's milk. The original word for
seethe signifies to cook or dress by the
fire, whether by boiling, roasting, or
baking. The true import of the precept
is somewhat doubtful. Most commentators take it as prohibiting some kind
of superstitious custom practised by the
neighboring heathen, a species of ma.
gical incantation, by which they thought
to secure a plentiful harvest. But per.
haps the most probable interpretation
of this statute is, that it forbids the
killing and cooking of a kid or lamb
while it was on its mother's milk; i. e.
during the period necessary for its own


fore thee, to keep thee in the way,
and to bring thee into the place
which I have prepared.
21 Beware of him, and obey his
voice, d provoke him not; for he
will e not pardon your transgressions: for fmy name is in him.
d Numb. 14. 11. Ps. 78. 40, 56. Eph. 4. 30.
IIebr. 3. 10,16.  e ch. 32.34.  Numb. 14. 35.
Deut. 18. 19.  Josh. 21. 19.  Jer. 5.7.  Itebr.
3. 11.  John 5. 16.  f Isai. 9. 6.  Jer. 23. 6.
John 10. 30, 38.
nutrition and the ease of its dam; as
it is well known that all females for
some time after parturition are gener.
ally oppressed with their milk. The
mode of cooking alluded to in this
passage, is not, it appears, wholly unknown among the Orientals at the present day. 'We alighted at the tent of
the sheikh, or chief, by whom we were
well received, and invited to take shelter with him for the night. Immediately after our halting a meal was prepared
for us; the principal dish of which was
a young kid seethed in milk.' Buckingham.
Promise of a Tutelary Angel.
20, 21. Behold, I send an Angel before thee, &c. Heb. nIt  -'1M    Itm
T   ^ IR61F2 hinneh anoki sholah malak
lepaneka, behold me sending an angel
before thee; i. e. about to send. See
Note on Gen. 6. 13, 17. The reader is
referred to the note on 'the Pillar of
Cloud,' p. 164, for an expansion of our
views on the import of the word 'Angel'
in this connexion. We have there, if
we mistake not, adduced satisfactory
reasons for believing that the Angel
here mentioned was the Shekinah, which
was identical with the Pillar of Cloud,
that guided the march of the children of
Israel through the desert. According
to this view, the sensible phenomenon,
and not any unseen agent, whether divine or angelic, is v'hat is primarily to
be understood by the 'Ange..' This
sublime and awful object they were re




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXIII.


b3


22 But if thou shalt indeed obey
his voice, and do all that I speak;
then g I will be an enemy unto
thine enemies, and an adversary
unto thine adversaries.
g Gen. 12. 3. Deut. 30. 7. Jer. 30. 20.
quired to consider as the visible representative of Jehovah himself and to demean themselves towards it as obediently and reverentially as if it had been
a living, intelligent, personal witness
both of their outward actions and their
inward thoughts, which we may not
improperly say that it was, inasmuch
as the Most High was pleased to associate his attributes of omniscience and
omnipotence with it. All the language
employed is such as to warrant this
view of the subject. They were to beware of it, to obey its voice, to provoke
it not, and that under the fearful sanction that an opposite conduct could
not be evinced with impunity; that it
would be sure to meet with condign
punishment. Of this the grand assurance was contained in the declaration,
'My name is in him,' or rather according to the original ('lz~. bekirbo), my
name is in the midst of him, or it. It
is well known to the Hebrew scholar
that the proper expression for being in
a person is I= ho, in him; but here we
find a phraseology strictly appropriate
to being uwithin, or in the central parts
of any gross, inanimate mass of matter.
We cannot but understand it therefore
as carrying the implication that the
name; i. e. the attributes-the intelligence, the power, the majesty, the glory
of the Godhead —were to be considered
as being mysteriously united with and
abiding in the overshadowing and guiding Cloud. Arab. 'My name is with
him.' Chal. 'Ilis word is in my name;'
I- e. he is clothed with my authority.
Syr. and Gr. 'My name is upon him.'
As we have before endeavored to show
that the remarkable symbol of the
5*


23 h For mine Angel shall go before thee, and i bring thee in unto
the Amorites, and the Hittites, and
the Perizzites, and the Canaanites,
and the Hivites, and the'Jebusites;
and I will cut them off.
h ver. 20. ch. 33.2. i Josh. 24. 8, 11.
Cloudy Pillar was a preintimation of
Christ's appearing in flesh, we see how
naturally the apostle's words, 1 Cor.
10. 9, harmonize with this interpretation; 'Neither let us tempt Christ as
some of them also tempted, and were
destroyed of serpents.' By tempting
the Angel that served to them as the
anticipative shadow of Christ, they may
be said to have tempted Christ himself,
as nothing is more usual in the Scriptures than to apply to the type orfigure
the language which belongs to the substance.  It is as proper to recognize
Christ in the Angel of the Covenant before his incarnation, as it is to recognize him in ' the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world.'
22. But if thou shalt indeed obey his
voice, &c.-then I will be, &c. Here
the divine speaker seems imperceptibly
to glide into the person of the promised
Angel of whom he speaks. In the next
verse the person is again changed, and
he speaks as before. It is to be borne in
mind that Moses was at this time on the
summit of the mount, holding communion with God in the Shekinah; but we
perceive nothing in this fact that militates with the view advanced above.
The very appearance that rested upon
Mount Sinai and now conversed with
Moses, might be modified into the Pillar
of Cloud and in that form denominated
the emissary Angel that was to conduct
the people on their journey to Canaan.
23. For mine Angel shall go before
thee-and I will cut them off. Here again
is another interchange of persons, similar to that above-mentioned, and such as
cannot fail to be frequently noticed by
the attentive reader of the Scriptures.




54


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


24 Thou shalt not k bow down to
their gods, nor serve them, 1 nor do
after their works: m but thou shalt
utterly overthrow them, and quite
break down their images.
k ch. 20. 5. I Lev. 18.3. Dent. 12. 30, 31.
mch. 34. 13. Numb. 33. 52. Deut. 7. 5, 25.
& 12.3.
It does not appear that the Jehovah of
the Jews was a different being from
him who is here and elsewhere termed
'the Angel.' Indeed the original phrase,
mu'1 JRiY malak Yehovah, may quite
as properly be rendered 'Angel Jehovah,' as 'Angel of Jehovah,' or 'Angel
of the Lord,' which is equivalent.
Idolatry to be avoided and abolished.
24. Thou shalt not boft down to their
gods. Heb. n'lrnn2r t5 lo tishtahaveh,
properly signifying 'bow down,' though
for the most part rendered 'worship,'
and used to express, in a general way,
all the various external acts and services of religious adoration. See Note
on Gen. 18. 2 —r Nor serve them. Heb.
t'i7nr taobdem. That is, shall not pray
to them, praise them, nor so conduct towards them as to declare thyself bound,
devoted, or dedicated to them. Gr. p/
XarpEvaefs avrot, shalt not perform service to them. But in v. 33, the same
term tIan taabod is rendered in the
Greek by Jovwctan;, from which it would
appear that the Septuagint versionists
used 'the terms Sv\X,(o and AXrcwUo,
in reference to religious worship, sy.
nonymously. —  I Nor do after their
works. It would seem from the construction, that the most natural antecedent to 'their' is 'gods,' in which case
the meaning is, that the Israelites were
not to do after the works which the
service of the heathen gods required,
which naturally flowed out of their
worship, and were incorporated with it.
But Ainsworth understands 'their' as
having reference to the idolatrous uorhtppers, and this may be admitted


25 And ye shall n serve the LORD
your God, and o he shall bless thy
bread, and thy water; and    I wit
take sickness away from the midst
of thee.
n Deut. 6.13. & 10. 12, 20. & 11. 13, 14. &
13. 4. Josh. 22. 5. & 24. 14, 15, 21, 24.
1 Samr. 7. 3. & 12. 20, 24. Matt. 4. 10. o Deut.
7. 13. &28. 5.8. Pch. 15. 26. Deut. 7. 15.
without doing any violence to the text,
though we think the other sense most
correct. — I Thou shalt utterly over.
throw them. Here the pronoun 'them'
refers to the gods, and not to the people their worshippers; which confirms
the construction given above. The subject seems to be the same throughout
the verse, viz. the idol deities of the
Canaamtes. The idol worshippers were
indeed to be destroyed, but that is not
the immediate topic treated of in this
verse. The divine Speaker is here commanding the total excision of all the
memorials of that vile idolatry, which
would be likely to seduce his people
from their allegiance to him. It was
enjoining upon them the same spirit
with that which afterwards prompted
the convicted conjurors to 'burn their
books,' Acts, 19. 19.
Farther Precepts and Promises.
25. And ye shall serve the Lord your
God. Nothing can be more reasonable
than the conditions which Jehovah i-.
poses upon his people-that they should
serve their own God, who was indeed
the only true God, and have nothing to
do with the gods of the devoted nations,
which were no gods, and which they
had no reason to respect. In doing this
they would not only be acting the part
of sound reason, but would assure themselves also of the special tokens of the
divine blessing. They would be secure
of the enjoyment of all desirable temporal prosperity. The blessing of God
would crown their bread and their wa.
ter, and make that simple fare more refreshing and nutritive than the richest




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER K XX111.,


55


26 ~ q There shall nothing cast thee, and will t destroy all the peotheir young, nor be barren, in thy pie to whom thou shalt come, and
land: the number of thy days I I will make all thine enemies turn
will rfulfil.                 their backs unto thee.
27 I will send 8 my fear before  28 And u I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out


Det. 7. 14. & 28.4.   Job 21. 10. Mal. 3.
10, 11. rGen. 25. 8. & 35. 29. 1 Chron. 23.
1. Job 5. 26. & 42. 17. Ps. 55. 23. & 90. 10., Gen. 35. 5. ch. 15.14, 16. Dent. 2 25. &
11 25. Josh. 2. 9, 11. 1 Sam. 14.15. 2 Chron.
14. 14.
dainties without it, while wasting sickness, with its fearful train of evils,
should be effectually banished from
their borders.
26. The number of thy days, &c.
That is, thou shalt not be prematurely
cut off before reaching that good old
age, which in the ordinary course of
things thou mayest expect to attain.
This is the blessing of the righteous,
as is said of Job, ch. 42. 17, 'So Job
died, being old, and full of days,' whereas 'the wicked live not half their days,'
Ps. 55. 23.
27. T will send my fear before thee.
Will strike a panic terror into the inhabitants of Canaan before thine arrival, which shall facilitate the subsequent conquests.  The words of the
historian Josh. 2. 9, 11, show how precisely this threatening was fulfilled.
--      Will destroy all the people to
whom thou shalt come.    Heb. 'h"S
hammothi. But if they were previously destroyed, how could the Israelites
come to them? It is evident that our
translation has followed the Vulg. which
has 'occidam,' I will slay, as if the
original were the Hiph. conjug. of nlh
muth, to die-to cause to die, to kill.
But the pointing on this supposition is
not normal, and there is little reason to
doubt that the root of the verb is not
Mn    to die, but 37Xn to terrify, confound, discomfit, correctly rendered by
the Gr. Ie rlTal, I uwill strike with dismay. So also the Arab. 'I will make
them astonished.'  Chal.  I will put
in disorder.' In Cranmer's Bible it i


the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the
Hittite from before thee.


tDeut, 7.23. u Deut. 7. 20. Josh. 24. 12.
rendered 'I will trouble,' a much better version than the present, for the
context shows that the word cannot
here mean to destroy, but to trouble,
intimidate, dismay, so as to make them
turn their backs to the Israelites. It
is intensive of the former clause, denoting the consternation into which they
should be thrown, and their consequently becoming an easy prey to their enemies. —   Make all thine enemies turn
their backs to thee. Heb. tp:V oreph,
neck. In like manner Ps. 18. 40, 'Thou
hast also given me the necks of mine
enemies, that I might destroy them
that hate me.'
28. 1 will send hornets before thee.
Heb. h.'rT:C, eth hatz-tzirah, the
hornet; collect. sing. like 'locusts,' Ex.
10. 4, for 'the locust.' The same thing
is equally explicitly said, Deut. 7. 20,
'Moreover, the Lord thy God will send
the hornet among them, &c.' As we
are not expressly informed elsewhere
that this annunciation was literally fule
filled, several interpreters have inferred
that it is a mere metaphorical expression for enemies armed with weapons,
as hornets are with stings. Bochart,
however, and others, maintain that the
prediction was literally accomplished,
and this interpretation is said to be confirmed by the words of Joshua, ch. 24.
12, 'And I sent the hornet before you,
even the two kings of the Amorites;
but not with thy sword nor with thy
bow,' and this we consider on the whole
as the most correct opinion.  Some
commentators, however, explain it of




. 56


EXODUS.


LB. C. 1491.


29 w I will not drive them out from
before thee in one year; lest the
land become desolate, and the beast;   of the field multiply against thee.
30 By little and little I will drive
them out from before thee, until
thou be increased, and inherit the
land.
wDeut. 7. 22.
the anxieties, perplexities, and pungent
stinging terrors which should seize the
minds of the devoted Canaanites upon
the approach of Israel. After all, the
reader must be thrown upon the resources of his own judgment as to its
import in this place. See the subject
more fully canvassed in the Note on
Josh. 24. 12.
29. I will not drive them out from
before thee in one year. Nor in fact in
four hundred years was this expulsion
entirely effected. It was only in the
times of David and Solomon that their
enemies could be fairly said to have
been driven out. The reason of this
delay is stated to be, lest the land, being in a great measure left destitute of
its former occupants, should be infested
by great numbers of wild beasts. But
it is a natural inquiry, what grounds
there were to apprehend that the expulsion of the former inhabitants would
leave any part of Canaan vacant, when
there were at least two millions of Isfhelites to fill their place?-a number
sufficient, it would seem, to occupy
every nook and corner of the land. To
this it may be answered, that the words
do not respect merely the country of
Canaan proper, lying between the Jordan and the Mediterranean, but the
larger region embraced ii the promise
to Abraham, Gen. 15. 18, and the boundaries of which Moses immediately goes
on to give. This was an immense territory, and it is obvious that its sudden
depopulation would be attended by the
consequences here stated. It was, therefore, wisely ordered that the extirla

31 And xI will set thy bounds
from the Red sea even unto the sea
of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will y deliver the inhabitants of the land
into your hand: and thou shalt
drive them out before thee.
x Gen. 15. 18. Numb. 34. 3. Deut. 11. 24.
Josh. 1. 4. 1 Kings 4. 21, 24. Ps. 72. 8
Josh. 21. 44. Judg. 1. 4. & 11. 21.
tion of the Canaanites should be gradual, especially when we consider that
the continued presence of enemies would
keep them on their guard, and prevent
them from settling down into that sluggish supineness to which they would
otherwise be prone. Thus too in our
spiritual warfare, it is no doubt ordained for our highest good that our
corruptions should be subdued, not all
at once, but by little and little; that
our old man should be crucified gradually. We are hereby necessarily kept
in an attitude of perpetual vigilance,
and reminded of our constant dependence upon God, who alone giveth us the
victory.
31. I will set thy bounds, &c. On
these boundaries of the promised land
see Note on Josh. 1. 4. This land, in
its utmost extent, they were not to possess till the days of David. Not that
there was any positive prohibition
against it, or any intrinsic necessity
that their occupancy should be so long
deferred; but God saw that their own
culpable remissness would preclude the
speedier accomplishment of the prom.
ise, and according to Scripture language
he is often said to order or appoint
what he does not prevent. —  Sea of
the Philislines. The Mediterranean, on
the coast of which the Philistines dwelt
--   T From the desert unto the river.
From the desert of Arabia to the river
Euphrates.  See Note on Josh. 1. 4.
Thus 1 Kings, 4. 21, 'And Solomon
reigned over all kingdoms f'om  the
river to the land of the Philisti es;' i.e.
the river Euphrates.




B. C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXIV.


57


32 z Thou shalt make no covenant
gith them, nor with their gods.
33 They shall not dwell in thy
land,lest they make thee sin against
me: for if thou serve their gods,
I it will surely be a snare unto thee.
zch. 31. 12, 15.  Dent. 7. 2.  ach. 31. 12.
)cuet. 7. 16. & 12. 30. Josh. 23. 13. Judg.
2.3.  1 Sam. 18.21.  Ps. 106.36.
32, 33. Thou shalt make no covenant,
&c. The import of this precept evidently is, that they should contract no
such alliances, nor cherish any such intimacies with the devoted nations, as
would endanger the purity of their religious worship. If they would avoid
the peril of being drawn into the fatal
snare of becoming worshippers of false
gods, they must keep themselves aloof
from all familiarity with idolaters.
They must not even suffer them to sojourn amongst them, so long as they
adhered to their idolatrous practices.
Evil communications corrupt good manners, and by familiar converse with the
votaries of idols, their dread and detestation of the sin would imperceptibly
wear off, and they would find them.
selves, before they were aware, transferring their worship and allegiance
from the true God to the vanities of the
heathen. The language implies that
the serving of false gods is nothing else
than making a covenant with them, and
that this is a very natural consequence
of making a covenant with those who
worship them.
CHAPTER XXIV.
In the present chapter a transition is
made from the recital of the several
judicial laws embodied in the two chapters preceding, to the narrative which
relates the ratification of the national
covenant, the building of the Tabernacle, and the institution of the various
rites and ceremonies to be observed in
the permanent worship of Jehovah.
The leading incidents here recorded are
the solemn adoption and ratification of


CHAPTER XXIV.
AND he said unto Moses, Come
up unto the LORD, thou, and
Aaron, a Nadab, and Abihu, b and
seventy of the elders of Israel; and
worship ye afar off.
a ch. 28. 1. Lev. 10. 1, 2. b ch. 1. 5. Numb.
11.16.
the foregoing law on the part of the
people, the ascent of Moses and the
elders to or towards the summit of the
mount, and the august vision there
vouchsafed them of the Divine Glory,
or the Shekinah, another term for 'the
God of Israel,' appearing by his appropriate symbol. The true nature and
objects of this remarkable manifesta.
tion will appear more evident as we
proceed in our annotations, from which
the reader will probably infer, and with
great justice, that the whole scene was
one of far richer significance than is
usually imagined.
1. And he said unto Moses, Come up
unto the Lord. That is, God said. It
would probably have been written  the
Lord said unto Moses,' were it not to
prevent a repetition of the word 'Lord'
in the same clause. We are still to
bear in mind the remark so often made
before that the 'Lord' (Jehovah) to
whom they were to come up was the
visible Jehovah now abiding in the sum.
mit of Sinai.  Accordingly the Chal.
has, 'Come up before the Lord;' and
the Arab. 'Come up to the Angel of
God.' It would seem to be unquestionable from a comparison of the context
with Ex. 19, 24-20. 21, that these
words were spoken to Moses while yet
on the mount and before he had retired
from the thick darkness into which he
had entered. Consequently as he could
not be commanded to ascend the mountain when he had already ascended it,
and was abiding on its top, we are
forced to understand the words as im.
plying that he was to come up after
having previously gone down and pro



58


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


2 And Moses c alone shall come
ne ir the LORD: but they shall not
come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.
3 a And Moses came and told the
ver. 13. 15, 18.
pounded to the people the foregoing
code, obtained their assent, and performed the various covenant transactions mentioned, v. 3-9. When this
was done, he and his specified company
were to ascend the mountain to receive
the further instructions and revelations
which God designed to impart.If Nadab and Abihu. These were the
two sons of Aaron who came to such a
fearful end for their presumptuous transgression in offering strange fire before
the Lord, Lev. 10. 1, 2. When we behold their names in the list of the honored company selected for this near
approach to God, and then cast our
thoughts forward to the awful doom
which they not long after brought upon
themselves, we are led to the most serious reflection. How clearly does the
incident show that God's outward gifts
and callings are often different fiom his
'election according to grace!' And how
forcibly is the lesson inculcated upon
us, that no mere external privileges,
prerogatives, professions, forms, or f:avors will avail us ought to the saving of
our souls without an inward renewal to
holiness wrought by the life-giving
spirit of God! —  Seventy of the elders of Israel. That is, seventy of the
aged men of the congregation; men
distinguished, respected, and venerated
among the different tribes. The official
elders mentioned Num. 11.16, were not
yet appointed. This company was selected in order that they might be witnesses of the glorious appearance about
to be made, and of the communion with
God to which Moses was admitted, that
their testimoiy might confirm. the people's faith in their leader and teacher.
— ~   Worship ye afar off. Gr. npoa

people all the words of the LORD,
and all the judgments: and all the
people answered with one voice,
and said, dAll the words which
the LORD hath said will we do.
d ver. 7. ch. 19. 8. Deut. 5. 27. Gal. 3.19. 20.
Kvc7rsvart paKpwOev rTw Kvp(M, they shall
worship the Lord at a distance; from
which it would appear that they understood this direction as having reference
exclusively to those who accompanied
Moses on this occasion. The letter of
the text does not make this distinction,
yet from the ensuing verse it appears
not improbable. From that it appears,
that, while the body ot the people stood
at the foot of the mountain, Aaron and
his two sons, and the seventy elders,
went up probably about half way, and
Moses, being privileged with nearer ae.
cess, went alone quite to the summit
and entered tlhe bright and fiery cloud
which rested upon it. Thus in a typical manner he sustained the person of
Christ, who, as our great High Priest,
entered alone into the most holy place.
This arrangement, which presents to
us the people at the base of the mountain, the priests and the elders half the
way up its sides, and Moses on its summit, affords us a striking view of the
several grades which God has appointed
in his church. Only it is to be remembered that the office represented in Moses is now merged in that of Christ,
and the two grand distinctions of people
and pastors or elders are all that are
known under the Gospel; the order of
deacons being merely a kind of servants
to the people, ordained to superintend
the temporalities of the several congregations.
3. And Moses came and told the people, &c. In this and the eight following verses we have an account of the
important transactions in which Moses
was engaged in the interval between
his descent from the mount and his
subsequent ascent thither in obedience




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXIV.


59


4 And Moses e wrote all the words
of the LORD, and rose up early in
the morning, and builded an altar
e Deut. 31.9.
to the divine injunction, v. 1, and in
company with Aaron and his sons and
the elders. His first business was to
set before the people the body of laws,
moral, civil, and ceremonial, which had
been delivered from Mount Sinai, together with the promises of special
blessings to be secured to them on condition of obedience. This was in fact
proposing to them the terms of a national covenant, which was to be ratified with very solemn ceremonies, and
enforced with solemn sanctions. To
this covenant the people, it appears,
were prompt to give their unanimous
and cheerful consent, saying, 'All the
words which the Lord hath said will
we do.' They had before, ch. 19. 8,
consented in general to come under
God's government; here they consent
in particular to those laws now given.
The Most High might, indeed, in virtue
of his sovereign authority, have enjoined his laws upon the nation without the
formality of any stipulation on their
part to obey them, but he condescended
to give the whole affair the form of
a covenant transaction, as something
more calculated to win upon the generous sentiments of their hearts, and to
draw forth a more affectionate obedience, than a code of precepts enjoined
upon them by simple authority and appealing sternly to a bare sense of duty.
God loves to endear his requisitions to
the hearts of his creatures. But notwithstanding the readiness of the people thus to assume, without reservation
or exception, the responsibilities of the
covenant, it was no doubt done with a
certain degree of precipitation and rashness, without being aware of their innate
impotency to live up to the full extent
of the obligations which they hereby
incurred. On other occasions in the


under the hill, and twelve fpillars
according to the twelve tribes of
Israel.
t Gen. 28.18. & 31. 45.
history of the chosen race we find instances of the same sanguine promptitude in making vows and promises,
followed, alas, but too speedily by the
grossest acts of defection and rebellion;
which led one of the ancient fathers to
Icompare the Israelites to locusts, 'Subito saltus dantes, et protinus ad terrain
cadentes,' suddenly giving an upward
spring, and forthuwith falling upon the
earth again. The figure is but too fair an
illustration of the halting obedience of
the best of God's children in this world.
4. And Moses wrote, &c. Although
it must have occupied a considerable
part of the day, and perhaps of the
night also, yet in a transaction of this
solemn nature it was evidently proper
that the articles of the covenant about
to be entered into should be reduced to
writing, that there might be no mistake,
and that it might be transmitted to
posterity, who are equally to come
under its obligations.  The fact that
God himself had previously written the
words of the Decalogue on tables of
stone does not necessarily militate with
the supposition that Moses now made a
record of them in writing, to be read in
the audience of the people. These tables he had not yet received. It was
only when he came down from the
mount, after the golden calf was erected in the camp, that he brought with
him these divinely written records. ---
rf Builded an altar under the hill and
twelve pillars; the altar as a representative of God, as the first and principal
party to this covenant; and the twelve
pillars as the representatives of the
twelve tribes of the people as the other
party. Between these two covenanting
parties Moses acted as real and ty2ical
mediator. Gr. 'He built an altar under
the mountain, Kai ieWlKa oXLsOI tis ras




30


EXODUS.


fB. C. 1491.


b And he sent young men of the
children of Israel, which offered
burnt-offerings,  and  sacrificed
peace-offerings of oxen unto the
LORD.
6 And Moses g took half of the
blood, and put it in basons; and
half of the blood he sprinkled on
the altar.
7 And he h took the book of the
s Hebr. 9. 18. h Hebr. 9. 19.




w&&ra bv0as roT Iapa)A, and twelve
stones for the twelve tribes of Israel;
as if each of the pillars consisted of a
single stone, which we incline to believe
was the fact; but it is not certain; they
may have consisted of heaps of stones.
5. And he sent young men, &c. That
is, the first-born, who officiated as
priests and sacrificers till the Levites
were appointed by substitution in their
stead, Num. 3. 41. The term, as is remarked in the Note on Gen. 14. 24, does
not imply persons of youthful age, but
those who were qualified to act in this
ministerial service, which would naturally require men of mature years. Chal.
'He sent the first-born of the sons of Israel.' The Targ. Jon. adds, 'For to this
hour the business of worship was among
the first-born, seeing that as yet the tabernacle of the covenant was not built,
neither had the priesthood been given
to Aaron.' It is observable that there
was no solemn religious ceremony in
any part of the Mosaic dispensation, in
which there was not a sacrifice, no approach to God until he was thus propitiated. These of course were typical
of that one great offering of the Son of
God, afterwards to be presented, which
has for ever abrogated all others. By
this, peace was made between God and
his sincere worshippers, who bring that
sacrifice in faith, and lay it on his altar.
But until the fulness of time was come,
the bodies of oxen and sheep, of goats
and calves, prefigured the body of Christ
which he offered up, once for all, upon


covenant, and read in the audience
of the people: and they said, iAli
that the LORD hath said will we do,
and be obedient.
8 And Moses took the blood, and
sprinkled it on the people, and said,
Behold k the blood of the covenant,
which the LORD hath made with
you concerning all these words.
i ver. 3. k Hebr. 9. 20. & 13. 20. 1 Pet
1.2.
the cross, expiating then the sins of
men; and the people were thus taught
the need of a sacrifice to propitiate as
well as of a mediator to stand between
them and God, and to intercede for
them. —    Of oxen. From Heb. 9.19,
it appears that other animals were sa.
crificed on this occasion; 'He took the
blood ofcalves and of goats,' &c. Oxen
or rather bullocks, are mentioned as
being principal.
6-8. And Moses took half of the
blood, &c. The application of the blood
of the victim more explicitly demands
our attention in considering the circumstances of this solemn rite. Being livided into two equal parts, one half
was put into one basin, the other into
another. The first was then taken, and
the blood sprinkled upon the altar, the
representative of God, thereby denoting
that he, on his part, engaged to be
faithful in the covenant relation which
he now condescended to assume, performing all the promises and conferring
all the blessings which their corresponding fidelity would entitle them to
expect. As Moses here says the altar
was sprinkled, but makes no mention
of the book, and as Paul, Heb. 9. 19,
speaks of the book's being sprinkled,
but says nothing of the altar, the presumption is, that the book was laid
upon the altar, and thus both the book
and the altar partook of the sacred affusion.  The irsport of the act was
solemn and awful in the extreme, and
the form of adjuration is supposed to




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXIV.


61


9 1   Then I went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and
I ver. 1.             seventy of the elders of Israel.
have been substantially the following; whom his lord when he cometh shall
'As the body of this victim is cloven find so doing. Of a truth I say unto
asunder, as the blood of this animal is you, That he will make him ruler over
poured out, so let my body be divided all that he hath. But and if that serv.
and my blood shed, if I prove unfaith-  ant say in his heart, My lord delayeth
ful and perfidious.' Under a stipula- his coming; and shall begin to beat the
tion of this fearful import, the people men-servants, and maidens, and to eat
consent to the conditions of the con- and drink, and to he drunken; the lord
pact, and again declare their purpose to of that servant will come in a day when
abide steadfastly by the divine require- he looketh not for him, and at an hour
ments. Upon this Moses took the when he is not aware, and will cut him
other basin of blood, and sprinkled its in sunder, and will appoint him his
contents ' on the people;' i.e. either on portion with the unbelievers.'  This
the twelve pillars which stood as the 'cutting asunder' alludes to the virtual
representatives of the people, or upon a imprecation of every one who entered
portion of the elders of the congrega- into covenant over the divided members
tion in the name of the whole body. of the victim slaughtered on such oc.
As the sprinklings and purifyings under I casions.  Compare with this Heb. 9.
the law were usually performed with 19, 20. —  Took the book of the covewater, scarlet wool, and hyssop, Lev. nant, and read, &c. In order that the
14. 6. 7, such also, as we learn from  people might be completely aware of
the apostle, Heb. 9. 19, was the case in what they were about to undertake,
the present instance. The application though they had been told before, he
of the blood was the seal of the cove- took the book, and read from it all that
nant, giving to the whole transaction he had there written. He read it that
its crowning and binding sanction. It they might be sure that what was conis, accordingly, with the most solemn tained in it, and what they were goemphasis that Moses adds, 'Behold the ing, as it were, to sign, was the same
blood of the covenant, which the Lord as he had previously spoken to them,
hath made with you concerning all these and they had promised to observe. He
words;' i. e. the blood by the shedding read it that their memories might be
of which the covenant is ratified and refieshed, and their consent given with
confirmed. In like manner our Savior, full knowlege and due deliberation.
in instituting that ordinance which was  9. Then went up Moses and Aaron,
to be a perpetual seal of the new cove- &c. The several preliminary ceremonant of grace, said to his disciples, nies and services mentioned above hav'This is my blood of the new testa- ing been completed, Moses and his cho.
ment, which is shed for many for the sen attendants now make their ascent
rerrission of sins.' And it should not up the mountain, in obedience to the
be forgotten, that all those who adjoin command before given, v. 1. From v.
themselves to the Lord in this sacred 13, it appears evident that Joshua con.
ordinance have the guilt of blood rest- stituted one of the company, though
ing upon them if they prove unfaithful, his name is not here mentioned. The
and that the Savior probably alludes to omission may perhaps have been owing
the understood penalty of this kind of to the fact that he went not in a reprecovenant-breaking, when he says, Luke, sentative character, but simply as a
12. 43-46, ' Blessed is that servant, personal attendant or minister to Mo.
VOL. II.      6




62


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


10 And they m saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet
n See Gen. 32. 30. ch. 3. 6. Juld. 13. 22.!sai. 6. 1, 5. with ch. 33. 20, 23. John 1. 18.
I Tim. 6. 16. 1 John 4.12.


as it were a paved work of a a sap,
phire-stone, and as it were the
o body of heaven in his clearness.
n Ezek. 1. 26. & 10..  Rev. 4.3. o Matt
17.2.


ses.-In tie brief narrative contained
in this and the two ensuing verses, we
enter upon the consideration of one of
the most remarkable events recorded in
the whole compass of the sacred story.
The sublime and glorious spectacle to
which these favored sons of Israel were
now admitted is, no doubt, the germ of
many of the most magnificent descriptions of the symbolical scenery of the
prophets, and especially of the theophanies, or visible manifestations of the
Deity, which we find subsequently recorded, and capable, if expanded into
all its details, of filling a volume.
10. And they saw the God of Israel.
Heb. 7'fT7  'ni'R MtR lR'l1 vayiru
eth Elohe Yisrael, and they saw the
God of Israel. As we are assured upon
the authority of inspiration, 1 Tim. 6.
16, that 'no man hath seen or can see'
God in his essential being, this language
undoubtedly denotes that they were
privileged to behold the visible sign,
symbol, or demonstration of his presence, or in other words, the Shekinah,
perhaps under a form of more distinctness, or circumstances of greater glory,
than it had ever been revealed in before.
It was unquestionably a similar appearance to that vouchsafed to Ezekiel,
chap. 1. 26, of which he says, 'Above
the firmament that was over their heads,
having the appearance of a sapphirestone, was the likeness of a throne, and
upon the likeness of the throne was the
likeness as the appearance of a man
above upon it.' The 'firmament' here
spoken of as over the heads of the livIng creatures was not the celestial firmament, but a splendid flooring or substratum on which the visionary throne
and its occupant rested, corresponding
to the 'paved work of a sapphire stone,'


mentioned by Moses. But it will be
proper, in a passage of this nature to
give the ancient versions, in which the
reader will perceive the most distinct
recognition of the Shekinah, as we have
elsewhere represented it. Gr. 'And they
saw the place where the God of Israel
had stood, and under his feet as it were
the work of a sapphire-brick, and as it
were the appearance of the firmament
of heaven in the purity thereof. And
of the chosen of Israel there perished
not one, and they were seen in the place
of God, and ate and drank.' Chal. 'And
they saw the glory of the God of Israel,
and under the throne of his glory as the
work of a precious stone, and as the
aspect of heaven when it is serene. But
to the princes of the sons of Israel no
injury accrued; and they saw the Glory of God, and rejoiced in the sacrifices,
which were accepted, as if they had
eaten and drank.' Arab. 'And they saw
the Angel of the God of Israel, and under him something similar to the whiteness ofadamant, and like to heaven itself
in its serenity. And against the princes
of the sons f Israel he sent not forth
his stroke, and they saw the Angel of
the Lord, and lived, and ate, and drank.'
Syr. 'And they saw the God of Israel,
and under his feet as it were the work
of a sapphire-brick, and as it were the
color of heaven when it is serene. And
against the elders of the sons of Israel
he did not extend his hand; yea, they
saw God, and ate and drank.' Sam.
'And they saw the God of Israel, and
under his feet as it were a brick-work
of sapphire, and as heaven itself in its
purity. Nor yet against the elect ones
of the children of Israel did he send
forth his hand, but they clave unto God
and ate and drank.'




. C. (1491.]


CHIAPTER X Xi V.


It will be observed that both in the
sacred text, and in these several versions, there is a studied obscurity as
to the form and aspect of the obIject
whose resting or standing place is so
gorgeously described. Yet from a comparison of this passage with the vision
of Ezekiel, ch. 1, of which it is unquestionably the germ, there is some reason to think it was an approximation
to the human form, as he says, that
above the firmament that was over their
heads, having the appearance of a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of
a throne, and ' upon the likeness of the
throne the likeness as the appearance
of a man above upon it.' Even here,
however, the description is so worded
as to leave the image in the mind of the
reader designedly vague and shadowy,
lest a foundation should be laid for
an idolatrous abuse of the symbolical
scenery depicted. While, therefore, the
idea of a distinct personal appearance
in human for;m is excluded, yet we may
perhaps safely conceive that the lurninous and glorious object presented to
their view bore a remote semblance of
such a form; nor does it militate with
this supposition that Moses says, in
describing the phenomena of Sinai, 'ye
saw no manner of similitude;' for this
was spoken concerning the people in
general, at the time of their receiving
the law in an audible voice from the
mount; but the words before us relate
to a few individuals, and what they saw
on a subsequent occasion. It is said of
Moses, Num. 12. 8, the similitude of
the Lord shall he behold,' and as this
vision had a direct reference to Christ,
rwho is 'the image of the invisible God,l
and yet 'made in the likeness of corruptible man,' we seem to perceive an
intrinsic probability in the idea of his
appearing on this occasion, in at least
a faint resemblance to that human form
in which he was afterwards to manifest
himself in accomplishing the work of
redemption.




Still we (do not insist on this inter.
pretation. It may be sufficient to say
this ewas a most resplendent display ot
the divine glory in that form in which
the Shlekinah usually appeared, only
pertnaps in a milder and more mitigated
splendor; for it seems clear that its
usual aspect was that of an exceedingly
bright arnd dazzling effulgence, increasing on some occasions to the intensity
of a glowing and devouring flame. It is
clear that the object seen could not
have been God in the unveiled glory of
his Godlead, for him no man hath seen
nor can see. It must have been that
sensible manifestation of the Deity
which we have so frequently designated by the term Shekinah, and which
we have endeavored to prove to be unifornly the Old Testament adumbration
of Christ. It is.unquestionably the same
object as that mentioned by Isaiah, ch.
6. 1, 'In the year that King Uzziah died,
I saw Ithe Lord sitting upon a throne,
high and lifted up, &c.;' for it was only
as rmatifesteud in the Shekinah that 'the
Lord' (i. e. Jehovah) was ever seen under the old dispensation. It is the same
object also as that described in the
vision of Ezekiel, ch. 43. 1, 2, 'Afterward lie brought me to the gate, even
the gate that looketh toward the east;
and, behold, the glory of the God of
Israel came from the way of the east;
and his voice was like the noise of
many waters, and the earth shined with
his glory.' The personage is evidently
the sanme; it was the 'God of Israel,'
whose theophany is described by both;
and as Ezekiel is here prophetically
setting forth the scenery of the New
Jerusalem, we see no reason to doubt
that the spectacle witnessed by Moses
was the germ ofthat portrayed by lfzekiel, and that that depicted by John was
merely a farthler expansion of the s: me
symbolical embryo.  But leaving us
to form our own ideas as to this part
of the vision, the historian is more particular in describing the footstool upon




64


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491,


11 And upon the nobles of the
children of Israel he p laid not his
Pch. 19. 21.


hand: also q they saw God. and did
r eat and drink.
q ver. 10. ch. 33. 20. Gen. 16. 13. & 32. 30
Deut. 4. 33. Judg. 13. 22. r Gen. 31. 54
ch. 18. 12. 1 Cor. 10. 18.


which the visible Divine Majesty rested.
----  Under his feet as it were a paved
work of a sapphire stone. Heb.,7;Y2.
moDon n3~;  kemadseh libnath hassappir, as the work of brick of sapphire.
That is, a tesselated pavement, apparently constructed of solid blocks of
transparent sapphire moulded into the
shape and size of bricks. The sapphire
is a precious stone of a sky-colored
hue, next in value and beauty to the
diamond, and there seems to be an allusion to this gorgeous substratum of the
throne of the divine glory in the prophet's words, Is. 54. 11, 'I will lay thy
stones with fair colors, and lay thy
foundations with sapphires.' In order
to make the impression of its appearance still more distinct, it is compared
to the 'body of heaven in its clearness.'
That is to say, it had the aspect of the
azure vault of heaven as seen in its
pure native splendor, when the atmosphere is serene and unclouded. The
eye then seems to behold the naked
body, as it were, or the very substance
of the heavenly ether. The whole spectacle, viewed merely as a sensible phenomenon, must have been beautifll and
glorious beyond conception; but its
glory in this respect would no doubt be
far eclipsed by that of its symbolical
import,could we but adequately grasp it.
11. And upon the nobles, &c. Heb.
tJ'5    e! otzelim, magnates, optimates,
the chief'nen, the grandees; evidently
denoting the select and favored persons
above mentioned, who are here probably called nobles' from the honor now
conferred upon them of being admitted
to witness such a spectacle,; as if the
splendor of the divine presence enno.
bled every thing that came within its
sphere. By the 'hand' of Jehovah's
'not Leing laid upon them' is doubt

less meant, that they received no harm
from this amazing manifestation. Con
trary to the usual impression in regard
to the effect of such displays of the divine glory, which were thought to be
fatal to the beholder, they saw God and
lived. That this is the genuine sense
of the phrase will appear from the following passages; Gen. 37. 22, 'And
Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood,
but cast him into this pit which is in
the wilderness, and lay no hand upon
him;' i. e. do no violence to him. Ps.
138. 7, 'Though I walk in the midst of
trouble, thou wilt revive me; thou shalt
stretch forth thine hand against the
wrath of mine enemies, and thy right
hand shall save me.' Neh. 13.21, 'Then
I testified against them and said unto
them, Why lodge ye about the wall?
if ye do so again, I uill lay hands on
you.' Ps. 55. 20, 'He hath put forth his
hand against such as be at peace with
him.' —   Also they saw God, and did
eat and drink. Heb. t1tRtRT tri 7tF'l
va-yehezu eth ha-Elohim, and they saw
the Elohim. It is particularly worthy
of notice, that the original here adopts
a different term for 'seeing' from that
which occurs in the preceding verse'they saw (h1R'  yiru) the God of Is.
rael,' as if that were intended to refer
to the mere outu ard, ocular, and super.
ficial view of the object as at first beheld. Here on the other hand, the verb is, n   hazah, a term applied for the most
part to prophetic vision, or that kind of
inward and spiritual perception which
was enjoyed by holy and inspired men
when in a state of supernatural trance
or extacy. In this state the exercise
of the outward senses was usually sus.
pended, and the objects seen were presented as pictures to the imagination,
the full significancy of which were not




B. C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXIV.


65


always made known to the beholder. himselfshall be with them, and be their
In the present instance we cannot affirm  God.
that the ordinary functions of the eye  This, we are aware, is language
were, after a time, superseded, but we I that the Christian world have somehow
have no doubt that their minds w ere come to interpret vaguely of heaven
gradually raised and sublimated by a considered as a state removed to an unspecial divine influence, so that they k nown distance both of time and space
were made the subjects of a manifesta- from the state in which our present lot
tion or revelation far beyond any thing is cast; but we have greatly mistaken
which their unaided faculties were ca- the drift of the oracles of' God, if the
pable of attaining. They were under conviction does not eventually grow
an illapse of the Spirit of God, and upon the church, that it is in fact a
like Balaamn 'saw the vision of the Al- future and an earthly state, a state to
mighty, falling into a trance, but (prob- be gradually evolved out of the existably) having their eyes open.' In this ing order of things, and to the develentranced and extatic state 'they saw  opement of which every Christian is
God;' i. e. they had a prophetic view  bound unceasingly and strenuously to
of the Shekinah, the symbol of the di- consecrate his efforts. So far as the
vine presence, not only in the form in heaven of the Scriptures is identical
which it might strike the senses, but in with the New Jerusalem, the celestial
its hidden interior import and signifi- city, it is certainly future, for that is
cancy, as pointing to that divine per- future. It is a state which is to be the
sonage who was now involved in it and in result of a great system of influences and
future to be developed out of it, first in providences, now in operation, which
the substantiated form of humlin flesh,  God has designed shall precede and inas the Son of God, humbled, suffering, trodluce it. It is an economy or polity
and dying for the sins of men; and se- which is said to 'come down from God
condly and chiefly as risen, glorified, out of heaven,' because it is to be deand again manifested on earth in the veloped into being in pursuance of a
splendor and magnificence of his second divine plan, —s the execution of a
coming and his eternal kingdom. It is, scheme or program of which God in
we doubt not, to this future and con- his revealed word is the Author. In
eummated glory of the Redeemer, made like manner, it might not improperly
again visible and taking up its abode be said that the Tabernacle and all its
among men, that the symbol of the apparatus came down from God out of
Shekinah always points. Its manifesta- heaven, because Moses constructed it
tion to Israel of old was preintilnative all according to the pattern shown him
of its renewed appearance and estab- in the mount. We suppose that it was
lishment in more sublime and glorious with a view to impart a prophetic in.
state to the subjects of the gospel econ- timation of this great futurity, that the
omy in its ulterior periods, as set forth present vision was vouchsafed and rein the splendid predictions of Isaiah corded; and that a similar end was
and the Apocalypse. It is only in the contemplated in the similar disclosures
realization of all that was shadowed by made to Isaiah, to Ezekiel, to Daniel,
the Shekinah that we are to look for and to John. They all point forward to
the fulfilment of the assurance ratified the blissful period referred to in the anby 'a great voice out of heaven, say- nunciation, 'the tabernacle of God shall
ing. Behold, the tabernacle of God is be with men,' that is. his Shelkinah, his
vith men. and he will dwell with them, manifested p? esence, shall be with men;
and they shall be his people, and God not only with men in their raist I and
6*




66


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


glorified and angelic bodies, hut also
with men in their human flesh, living and sojourning on the earth while
this resplendent throne of Jehovah has
its seat in the midst of them. And
this view, we conceive, affords the true
clue to the introduction of the remarkable circumstance mentioned in close
connexion with that of the vision with
which Moses and the elders were favored, viz., that ' they (lid eat and drink.'
Even granting, as is very probably the
case, that this eating and drinking was
upon the peace-olferings and the libations which accompanied the ratification of the covenant, yet who is not
struck by the juxta-position of things
apparently so remote from each other
in their own nature, as vitnessing a vision of God and satisfying the gross
appetites of the physical man? Who
does not feel it to be a kind of violent
transition from the Spirit to the flesh?
But suppose the incident to be viewed
as having, like the rest, a prophetical
bearing-suppose it be a typical intimation of the fact, that eating and
drinking, that is, enjoying the conditions of our present humanity, are
not in themselves inconsistent with the
visible indwelling of the Most High on
earth which we are taught to expect, and
do we not find a sufficient explanation
of the mystery? If the vision here recorded were truly in its ultimate scope,
prophetical, and pointed to an era when
the glory displayed to the congregation
at Sinai should be far more illustriously
displayed over the face of the earth,
while the race was yet sojourning upon
it, would it not be natural that soime
hint should be afforded of the intrinsic
compatibility of such a manifestation
with such a mode of subsistence?
In the foregoing remarks we have
stated one, and, as we conceive, a
prominent one, of the designs of God
in granting to his servants this signal
manifestation of his glory. But this,
we apprehend, was not all. Admitting


that such an ultimate scope as we
have now supposed was in fact couched
under the vision, it would be natural
tiat a system of rites, types, and shadows should be instituted, adapted to
represent and keep vividly befoic the
minds of the chosen people, the grand
end which infinite wisdom thus proposed to itself eventually to accomplish. To this the Tabernacle with its
various furniture and services, was eminently adapted. This sacred and symbolical structure, with all its appurtenances, was to be erected under the
superintendance of Moses, and that in
conforlmity to a model divinely given.
We are expressly informed that he was
to ' make every thing after the pattern
shown him in the mount.' This pattern
we suppose to have been shown him on
this occasion; and probably one main
reason of admitting Aaron and the elders
to a participation of the vision, was,
that by beholding the pattern they might
bear witness to the fidelity of the copy.
Otherwise, what evidence could Moses
give to the people that he was acting in
obedience to a divine cormmand in erecting such a structure, of so strange a
form and so costly a character? Would
the congregation have parted so readily
with their treasures, their gold and silver and jewels, unless upon the strongest assurance to their own minds that
in so doing they were fulfilling an express requisition of Jehovah? ' The
presence of the elders would give this
assurance, and we therefore deem it
reasonable to presume that the phenomiena of the vision included the entire typical apparatus of the Tabernacle, and especially that of the Ark of
the Covenant, the Mercy-seat, and the
Cherubim, which were in fact the very
heart and nucleus of the entire system,
and of the import of which we shall
speak more fully in a subsequent Note.
In all probability the visible object
termed the ' God of Israel' wus faithfully but feebly shadowed out in the




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXIV.


67


12 ~ And the LORD said unto Moses, s Come up to me into the
mount, and be there: and I will
give thee t tables of stone. and a
aw, and commandments which I
s ver. 2. 15, 18. t ch. 31. 18. & 32. 15. 16.
Dent. 5. 22.
cloud of glory and the accompanying
Cherubim which surmounted the Mlercyseat, except that the sapIphire pavement
was exchanged, for uniformity's sake,
for one of burnished gold. As to the
attendant angelic hosts, which seen to
have been conceived of as an unfailing
accompaniment of the Glory, and which
they probably saw, since they could not
be materialized in their multitude, the
Cherubic device was adopted as a mystic embodiment of this order of beings.
But of this more in the sequel. If our
suggestions in regard to the remarkable
incident here recorded be well founded,
and this were the time when these 'patterns of things in the heavens' were
shown to Moses, it will follow that the
account here given of the vision is extremely incomplete, embracing the mention merely of the leading and most
memorable object which they were favored to behold. This we infer from the
fact that Moses is said to have made
every thing according to the pattern
shown him in the mount. But as he
made many things which lie is not expressly said to have seen, we may fairly conclude that he does not describe
all that he did see.
12. Come up to me into the Mount, &c.
Thus far it would appear that Moses
had remained with his company at some
station part way up the mountain, where
the vision was vouchsafed, but he is
now commanded to leave his companions, and advance towards the cloud
that rested on the summit, and 'to be
there,' i. e. to remain there some considerable time. The design of the summons is stated to be, that he might rereive the engraved tables of the law,


have written; that thou mayest
teach them.
13 And Moses rose up, and u his
minister Joshua: and Moses w went
up into the mount of God.
1 ch. 32.17. &  33. 11.  w ver. 2..


containing that divine code which he
was to teach to the people, for it is to
the people, and not to the commandments, that the pronoun ' them' refers.
13. And his minister Joshua. Heb.
',Z:! 7nmesharetho, his ministering attendant. The root h'l: sharath denotes a personal attendance and ministry less servile than that which is indi.
cated by the term  ^3 abad, to serve.
It points rather to that honorary attendance which is paid by a courtier to
his sovereign or prince, than the menial
obsequiousness of a slave to his master. See Note on Num. 11.28. It was
undoubtedly with a view to his future
office, that Joshua was called to sustain this relation to Moses. He was to
be his successor as leader of Israel, and
it was fitting that he should begin by
degrees to be honored before the congregation, that they might be led the
more readily and cordially to render to
him the deference and respect to which
his station would one day entitle him.
This could scarcely fail to be the result
when they saw him admitted nearer to
the manifested presence of God than
any other individual except Moses him.
self. We must be strangely insensible
to the tokens of the divine will not to
honor those whom God himself honors.
-- -    And Moses went up into the
mount of God. Chal. 'Into the moun.
tain on which the Glory of the Lord
was revealed.' Targ. Jon. 'Into the
mountain in which the Glorious Pre.
sence of the Lord was manifested.'
Moses and Joshua w( at up to the higher
parts of the mountain, where in all
probability the lower extremities or
fringes of the dark enveloping cloud




68


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


14 And he said unto the elders,
Tarry ye here for us, until we come
again unto you: and behold, Aaron
embosomed them in its sombre folds.
The bright interior cloud of the Glory
seems to have been still higher up on
the very apex of the mount, and to have
been only occasionally disclosed to the
sight of the congregation. The common spectacle, we suppose, was that of
a dark majestic mass of cloud, within
which, but invisible, the splendor of
the Shekinah abode. Here it would
seem that Moses and Joshua remained
together for six days, pavilioned within
the lower descending outskirts of the
cloud, engaged in holy conference and
fervent devotion, till on the seventh,
perhaps the sabbath day, Moses was
ordered to leave Joshua, as they had
both left the elders below, and ascend
up to the topmost summit of the hallowed mount, where the divine presence was more especially enthroned.
So in our upward moral progress, be
our attainments what they may at present, we are still to aim at something
higher. Our arrival at one eminence
still leaves us at the foot of another,
which equally claims to be climbed,
and until we reach heaven itself we
must expect to see,
'Hills peep o'er hills, and Alps on Alps arise.'
14. Tarry ye here, &c. Aware, probably, that his absence from the people
was now to be of longer duration than
usual, Moses deems it necessary to
make special provision for the administration of justice, and the general management of the civil affairs of the people in the interval. For this end he
commissions Aaron and Hur to act as
his deputies in judging causes, and tells
them, moreover, to remain where they
were, advanced somewhat up the mountain, patiently awaiting his and Joshua's
return.  It is only thus that we can
understand the plain language of the


and Hur are with you: if any man
have any matters to do, let him
come unto them.


text. Commentators indeed have supposed that as the people were to have
constant resort to them on matters o0
business, and as Aaron is spoken of as
engaged in the midst of the congregation in making the golden calf, the
order was for the elders to remain, not
in the exact spot where Moses left them,
but in the camp at the base of the mountain, in the midst of the people. But
this is surely doing manifest violence
to the letter of the narrative; and besides, if this were the sense, what need
were there of any command at all; for
where else should they tarry but in the
camp? Was there any danger of their
going away fiom it?  The truth is, il
we mistake not, they were expressly
required to abide in the spot where they
had enjoyed the vision till Moses returned. To this spot such of the people
as 'had matters to do' were permitted
and directed to come as often as they
had occasion for judicial decisions;
and we think that the first step in
Aaron's sin was his deserting his post,
and going down, contrary to Moses' direction, into the midst of the camp.
He was probably infected by the contagion of the people's impatience before
he yielded his consent to join in their
idolatry; thus affording us a mlelancholy example of the ruinous effects of
a single step in the way of transgression. No man knows where he may be
landed by the slightest aberration from
the path of duty. Neither the foot nor
the face can be safely turned away from
the post assigned us. Aaron slid down
the mountain both in a moral and physical sense at the same time.-  1 Behold, Aaron and Ilur are uith you.
This was spoken to the elders, but to
the elders as the representatives of the
people, and so in a sense sustaining
their persons. The people, therefore,




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXIV.


15 And Moses went up into the
mount, and x a cloud co ered the
mount.
16 And y the glory of the LORD
abode upon mount Sinai, and the
cloud covered it six days: and the
seventh day he called unto Mo-es
out of the midst of the cloud.
xch. 19.9, 16. Matt. 17. 5. Y ch. 16. 10.
slumb. 14. 10.
were to consider themselves as address.
ed in the address made to their official
heads. This is according to the usual
analogy of the Scripture idiom, of which
we shall find hundreds of examples.IT If any man have any matters to do.
Heb. Vt')' i"n o   mi baal debarim,
whoso is lord or master of words (things,
matters). Gr. and Chal. 'Whoso hath
a judgment or controversy.'
15. And Moses went up into the mount,
&c. That is, Moses and Joshua together, as the whole narrative leads us
to infer. For it was not till six (lays
had elapsed that Moses was called to
enter into the midst of the cloud resting
on tile highest peak of the mountain,
and in the mean time we cannot but
suppose that he and Joshua remained
together.  It no more follows that
Joshua did not ascend with him, from
his name not being mentioned, than it
does that he is not to be associated
with Moses in the final clause of v. 13,
where any one can see that such an inferek.e would be entirely erroneous.
16. And the glory lc the Lord abode,
&c. -Heb. '  n^ yishkan, tabernacled.
From the same root '=: shakan, comes
Shekinah, the etymology clearly indicating the relation of the visible glory
of Jehovah to some kind of tabernacle
as its appropriate dwelling place. In
the piesent instance, we incline to believe that the dark cloud was the tabernacle in which the Glory was enshrined,
and that this is expressly intimated in
the ensuing words, 'the cloud covered
it six days,' i. e. covered the Glory, and


17 And the sight of the glory of
the LORD was like z devouring fire
on the top of the mount in the eyes
of the children of Israel.
18 And Moses went into the midst
of the cloud, and gat him up into
the mount: and a Moses was in the
mount forty days and forty nights.
z ch. 3. 2. & 19. 18. Deut. 4. 36. Hebr. 12.
18. 2.  a  h. 34. 28.  Deut. 9. 9.
not the mountainl; for thus the original
may fairly be interpreted. It is, indeed true that nearly all the ancient
versions render it, 'covered hiin, i. e.
Moses, but the other sense is agreeable
to the original, and were a personal ob
ject intended, we think it more probable
the plural 'them' would have been em.
ployed, as there can be no doubt that
Moses and Joshua were now together,
and both enshrouded within the borders
of the cloudy crown which covered the
brow of the mountain. On the seventh
(lay the divine summons called Moses
up to the utmost heights of the mountain, and then we suppose the dark thick
cloud was rent and opened in the sight
of all Israel, and the inner glory broke
fortl like devouring fire. In the midst
of this opened cloud, Moses was enabled boldly to enter, although to the
multitude below it probably had the appearance of entering into the mouth of
a fiery furnace, which threatened in.
stantaneous destruction.  But Moses
was one whom the special favor of hea.
ven enabled to 'dwell even with this
devouring fire,' without either a hair of
his head, or a thread of his garments,
feeling the action of the consuming ele.
ment. There he continued fasting forty
days and forty nights, receiving further
instructions, and no doubt enjoying the
most transporting discoveries of the divine glory. The six days mentioned,
v. 16, were probably not a part of the
forty; for during those six days Moses
and Joshua were together, and hoth
probably ate of manna as usual, and




70


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


drank of the brook mentioned Deut. 9.
21; but when Moses was called into
the midst of the cloud, his forty days
fasting commenced, while Joshua, in
the mean time, no doubt continued to
eat and drink daily while waiting for
Moses' retwun.
CHAPTER XXV.
THE TABERNACLE.
As we enter in the present chapter
upon the directions given to Moses for
the erection and furnishing of the sacred
structure called the Tabernacle, it will
be proper to dwell a little in the outset
ipon the grand design of an edifice so
remarkable in itself, and holding so
prominent a place in the Mosaic economy. The Tabernacle was, in fact, the
central object in the Jewish system of
worship, and without a tolerably correct idea of its form, uses, and ends,
our view of the genius and scope of the
Hebrew ritual will be essentially defective. It may perhaps be admitted,
that as some of these ends were of
typical import, pointing forward to a
period of the Christian dispensation
which has not yet been fully devoloped,
we may not be able to unlold, in all its
fullness, in the present state of our
knowledge, the entire reach of meaning
which in the divine mind was couched
under this significant structure, and its
successor the Temple. Yet with the
lights reflected upon it from the expositions of the New Testament and the
predictions of the Old, we Inay doubtless attain to an interesting and edifying insight into its leading drift. We
are persuaded that it is a study fraught
with the most important practical results, and though generally considered,
like the other symbolical portions of
the Scriptures, as constituting a field of
mere curious, fanciful, and speculative
research, yet we cannot question that
this opinion will be ere long entirely
reversed by a deeper reverence for every


part of revelation subordinating to itself
the irrepressible spirit of inquiry which
is pervading every department of know.
ledge whether scientific or sacred, na.
tural or supernatural.  The book of
revelation, like the book of nature, is
designed to be of gradual development,
and we know not why it is not as reasonable to look for the opening of new
mines of scriptural wealth, as of new
mineral treasures, that have been imbeddled for ages in the bowels of the
earth.-But to the point which we have
more immediately in hand.
The opinion has been widely enter.
tained, that in the early ages of the
world, under the impression of the
grand truth that God is a spirit, and
that they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth,'-that
this divine spirit filled all things, and
was equally present in all parts of his
creation- men had no sacred places,
but worshipped God wherever and whenever their hearts were drawn forth towards him in veneration, gratitude, or
love. To the soundness of this opinion
thus broadly expressed, we are disposed
to object, on the same grounds on which
we object to the theory that makes the
primitive state of man a savage state.
It is not, ire conceive, in accordance
with the recorded facts of inspired history. We cannot but conclude, fron
the tenor of the sacred narrative, that
from the creation of Adam to the present time, God has dealt with man by
way of express revelation. The infancy
of the race was cradled in the midst of
supernatural disclosures, and the light
of the divine manifestations continued to
shine with brighter or dimmer beams
upon its advancing youth and manhood,
up to the riper age which it has now
attained. With the record of Genesis
before us we cannot question that Jchovah manifested himself betweea the
Cherubims at the east of the garden of
Eden, and that this earliest exhibition
of the Shckinah was the.appointed




B. C. 1491.J


CHAPTER XXV.


71.


place of worshtp for Adam and his famly, the place to which Cain and Abel
brought their oblations, and the place
from which Cain, after the murder of
his brother, retired in miserable exile,
when he is said to have fled from the
presence of the Lord. True it is, that
the major part of the race lapsed, by a
very early defection, into the grossest
idolatry, and the visible symbols of the
divine presence, if enjoyed at all, were
confined to a select few; but we know
not that we are warranted in the belief
that the knowledge of the true God, or
of the right mode of worshipping him,
has at any time become entirely extinct
on earth. As a matter, however, of
historical fact it is unquestionable that
most of the early nations of the world,
under the promptings of a religious
principle, rendered their worship, such
as it was, in a vague and informal
manner, without temple or ritual, to
the invisible Deity in whom they were
taught to believe. It was not unnatural
that in these circumstances they should
have selected the tops of mountains and
the shade of groves as the seat of their
worship, and there fixed their altars for
sacrifice. But in process of time, as
men sank deeper and deeper into idolatry, the practice of worshipping on
high places and in groves became associated with so many vile abominations,
that it was utterly forbidden to the Is.
raelites, to whom God was pleased to
prescribe a localized worship, first
within the precincts of a Tabernacle,
and afterwards of a Temple. The Tabernacle was little else than a portable
temple; as no other kind of structure
would have suited the earlier circumstances of the chosen race. A nomade
people would of course have a moveable
temple; and, among a tent-dwelling
people, that temple would naturally be
a tent or a portable fabric of wood. An
Immoveable temple could only be ex.
pected to be found among a settled race;
and when a moving people become set.


tled. and exchange their tents for houses,
in like manner their moveable tabernacles become fixed temples. 'See now,'
said David, '1 dwell in a house of cedar,
but the ark of God dwelleth between
curtains.' He therefore proposed that
the house of God should no longer be a
tent, but a fabric of stone, in accordance with the altered circumstances of
the people. But until the Israelites
were settled in the land of promise,
their sacred edifice, if they had one,
must necessarily be such as they could
easily take to pieces and transfer from
place to place. The object of such a
building was not, like that of our
churches, as a place of shelter for the
assembled worshippers, for the worshippers assembled not in the temples,
but in the courts before or around them;
nor yet as places for offering sacrifices,
Ibr the sacrifices were also offered in
the courts. Its true design was as a
mansion of the Deity, a dwelling-place
for the divine presence. This was especially and preeminently the object of
the Jewish Tabernacle. It was intended as a habitation of the visible symbol
of Jehovah, or the Shekinah, as the God
and King of the chosen people, who, as
we have seen above, is emphatically
designated 'the God of Israel.'
In ordering the construction of such
a building, we may admit that there
was an accommodation to ideas then
very universally prevalent, and which
from their residence in Egypt had become familiar to the minds of the Israelites.  The Egyptians and other
heathen nations boasted of the presence
of their gods among them in their temples and tabernacles; and as God had
been pleased from the earliest periods
to reveal himself to the patriarchs by
visible manifestation, it was not unnatural that he should at length confer
upon his people the permanent tokens
of a peculiar local presence in some
such striking and glorious symbol as
that of the Shekinah. With this view




.72


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


he directed the Tabernacle to be erected as a suitable abode for his visible
majesty. As such it possessed the twofold character of a Sanctuary, or holy
place, a. place of worship; and of a
Royal Palace; where he would keep
the stale of a court, as supreme civil
magistrate and king of Israel; from
whence he would issue his laws and
commandments as from an oracle, and
nwhere be was to receive the homage
and tribute of his subjects. This idea
of the Tabernacle, as in part that of a
palace for a king, will seem perfectly
clear to every one who carefully notes
the terms in which this building and
also the Temple are spoken of and referred to throughout the Scriptures;
and we doubt not it is a view essential
to the right understanding of these
structures and the things which belonged to them. It is a view also wvhich is
held by the Jews themselves, who carry
out the analogy and regard the utensils
of the Tabernacle as palace furniture
and the priests as its ministers of state
and officers. Take, for instance, the
following comment of Rab. Shern Tob
on Maimonides as cited by Outram on
Sacrifices, Diss. I. ~ 3. ' God, to whom
be praise, commanded a house to be
built for him resembling a royal palace.
In a royal palace are to be found all the
things that we have mentioned. There
are some persons who guard the palace;
others who execute offices belonging to
the royal dignity, who furnish the banquets, and do other necessary services
for the monarch; others who daily entertain him with music, both vocal and
instrumental. In a royal palace there
is a place appointed for the preparation
of victuals, and another [nearer the
Presence] where perfumes are burned.
In the palace of a king there is also a
table, and an apartment exclusively appropriated to himself, which no one
ever enters, except him who is next in
authority, or those whom he regards
with the greatest affection.  In like


manner it was the will of God to have
all these in his house, that he might not
in anything give place to the kings of
the earth. For he is a great king, not
indeed in want of these things: but
hence it is easy to see the reason of the
daily provisions given to the priests
and Levites, being what every monarch
is accustomed to allow his servants.
And all these things were intended to
instruct the people that the Lord of
H-osts was present among us, 'For he
is a great king, and to be feared by all
the nations.' These analogies will be
the more apparent when it is remem.
bered that the comparisons are to be referred to an Oriental rather than a European palace.
We do not, however; consider it sufficient to regard such a view of the Tabernacle as founded solely upon the usages
of royalty as then existing. We are
satisfied that its typical design is necessary to account for those features
which it possessed in common with the
palaces of kings. The Glory that dwelt
both in the Tabernacle and the Temple
was preintimative of the even yet future
manifested glory of Christ, to which the
' earnest expectation of the creature'
has been long looking forward, and of
which the incipient dawnings begin now
faintly to appear. The import of the
ancient visible Shekinah and its material habitation has never yet been
realized as it is destined to be in the
latter day on earth; nor do we conceive
it possible to gain a full and adequate
idea of the kingly features of this typical establishment without looking forward to the time when the Savior, combining sacerdotal sanctity with royal
dignity, shall sit 'a priest upon his
throne,' in the earthly Zion, in accordance with the entire drift of the Old
Testament prophecies. This is the state
to which the anticipations of all Christians are really directed-a state which is
to be ultimately evolved out of the present by a stupendous order of changes




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXV.


73


moral, political, and physical. The
New Jerusalem of the Apocalypse is the
grand object of the Christian's hope, and
it is in that glorious dispensation, the
theatre of which is the earth that we
now inhabit, that we are to look for the
substantial realities so strikingly figured in the ritual apparatus of the old
economy.   It is the state constituted
by the final developement of the Kingdom of Heaven out of the regenerated
and transferred dominions and dynasties of the earth, over which Jesus
Christ is to reign in visible majesty, his
redeemed people being made, in some
way at present inscrutable to us, to
share with him in the beatitudes and
glories of his eternal kingship. It is
in that dispensation, or perhaps we may
say, in that stage of this dispensation,
that the things mystically foreshown by
the Tabernacle structure and the Tabernacle furniture will be made real. It
will then appear how admirably adapted it was in its twofold character of
Sanctuary and Palace to correspond
with the twofold functions of Christ as
Priest and King. But the farther unfolding of this view of the subject would
carry us imperceptibly into the region
of prophetic exposition, which our present plan does not embrace.
The detailed and minute account
which we propose to give of every part
of the Tabernacle may be prefaced with
the following general description, for
the most part in the words of the Editor
of the Pictorial Bible. First there was
the area or court in which the Tabernacle stood. This was of an oblong
figure of a hundred cubits (about 150
feet) long, b: fifty cubits (about 75 feet)
broad; and the height of the inclosing
curtain was five cubits or nearly three
yards, being half the height of the Tabernacle. The inclosure was formed by
a plain hanging of fine twined linen
yarn, which seems to have been work.
ed in an open or net-work texture, so
that the people without might freely
VOL. II.       7


see the interior. The door-curtain was
however of a different texture from the
general hanging, being a great curtain
of ' fine twined linen,' embroidered with
blue, purple, and scarlet. It is described in precisely the same terms as the
door-curtain of the Tabernacle itself,
which was not, as commonly stated, of
the same fabric with the inner covering
of the Tabernacle, and the veil before
the holy of holies; for in the description of the two door-curtains there is no
mention of the figures of cherubim and
the fancy work (' cunning work') which
decorated the inner covering and vail.
The door-curtain of the court was furnished with cords, by which it might be
drawn up or aside when the priests had
occasion to enter. The curtains of this
inclosure were hung upon sixty pillars
of brass, standing on bases of the same
metal, but with capitals and fillets of
silver. (Compare the description in this
chapter with that in chap. 38.) The
hooks also, to which the curtains were
attached, were of silver. The entrance
of the court was at the east end, opposite that to the Tabernacle; and between them stood the altar of burnt
offering, but nearer to the door of the
Tabernacle than to that of the court.
It is uncertain whether the brazen laver
was interposed between the altar and
the door of the Tabernacle or not. Chap.
30. 18, certainly conveys that impression; but the Rabbins, who appear to
have felt that nothing could properly
interpose between the altar and Taber.
nacle, say that the laver was indeed
nearer to the Tabernacle than was the
altar, but still that it did not stand in
the same line with the altar, but stood
a little on one side to the south. As to
the position of the Tabernacle in the
court, nothing is said in the Scriptures
on the subject, but it seems less probable that it stood in the centre than
that it was placed towards the farther
or western extremity, so as to allow
greater space for the services which




74


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


XwrQ to be performed exclusively in
front of the Tabernacle.
The fabric properly called the Tabernacle having moveable walls of board,
was of a more substantial character
than a tent; but it is right to regard it
as a tent, its general appearance and
arrangement being the same, and its
iore substantial fabric being probably
on account of the weight of its several
envelopes which required stronger supports than are usually necessary. It
was of an oblong figure, fifty-five feet in
length, by eighteen feet in breadth and
height. Its length extended from east
to west, the entrance being at the east
end. The two sides and west end consisted of a framework of boards, of
which there were twenty on each side
and eight at the west end. The manner in which these boards were joined
to each other so as to form a wall
which might be easily taken down and
set up again, may be illustrated in some
degree by a reference to the windowshutters of an extensive shop; but the
boards of the Tabernacle did not slide
in grooves, but each was furnished at the
bottom with two tenons, which were
received into sockets in the bases of
solid silver; and to give the whole
greater security, the boards were furnished each with five rings or staples of
gold, by means of which they were successively run up to their proper places
on horizontal poles or bars, which served as the ribs of the fabric, binding its
parts together. The boards as well as
the bars were of shittim wood, overlaid
with thin plates of gold. The east end,
being the entrance, had no boards, but
was furnished with five pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold, and each
standing on a socket of brass. Four
similar pillars within the Tabernacle,
towards the west or further end, supported a rich hanging, which divided
the interior into two apartments, of
which the outer was called 'the holy
place,' and the innermost and smallest


was 'the most holy place,' or the 'Holy
of Holies,' in which the presence of the
Lord was more immediately manifest
ed. The separating hanging was called,
by way of eminence, 'the vail;' and
hence the expression ' within' or ' with.
out the vail' is sometimes used to distinguish the most holy from the holy
place. The people were never admitted
into the interior of the tabernacle. None
but the priests might go even into the
outer chamber or holy place, and into
the inner chamber the high-priest alone
was allowed to enter, and that only
once in the year, on the great day of
atonement.  To this, however, there
was a necessary exception when the
Tabernacle was to be taken down or set
up. The outer chamber was only entered ia the morning to offer incense on
the altar which stood there, and to extinguish the lamps, and again in the
evening to light them. On the Sabbath
also the old shew-bread was taken away
and replaced with new. These were
all the services for which the attendance of the priests was necessary within the Tabernacle, all the sacrifices being made in the open space in front of
the Tabernacle, where stood the brazen
altar for burnt offerings. It will be use.
ful to observe, that the most holy place
contained only the ark with its contents; that the outer apartment contained the altar of incense, the table of
shew-bread, and the great golden candlestick; while the open area in front of the
Tabernacle contained the brazen laver
for the ablutions of the priests, and the
brazen altar for burnt offerings.
This description will give an idea of
the general arrangement and substantial structure of the Tabernacle; and
we may proceed to notice the various
curtains which were thrown over and
formed the outer coverings of the tent.
The first or inner covering was of fin
linen, splendidly er broidered with figures of cherubim and fancy work in
scarlet, purple, and light blue. It is




B. 1491.]               CHAP'
CHAPTER XXV.
A ND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel that they bring me an offerdescribed in the same terms as the vail
of the 'holy of holies,' and was doubt.
less of the same texture and appearance with the vail, which, according to
Josephus, was embroidered with all
sorts of flowers, and interwoven with
various ornamented figures, excepting
the forms of animals. Over this inner
covering was another, made of goats'
hair, which was spun by the women of
the camp. Cloth made of goats' hair
forms the customary covering for the
tents of the Bedouin Arabs to this day,
and it still continues to be spun and
woven at home by the women. Over
this covering was another of rams' skins
dyed red, and over that the fourth and


rER XXV.


ing: a of every man that giveth it
willingly with his heart ye shall
take my offering.
a ch. 35. 5, 21. 1 Chron. 29. 3, 5, 9, 14. Ezra
2.68. & 3.5. &7. 1. Neh. 11.I. 2Cor. 8.
12. & 9. 7.
outermost covering of tahash skins (see
the Note on chap. 25. 5). These curtains, after covering, or rather forming,
the roof, hung down by the sides and
west end of the Tabernacle, those that
were outside being calculated to protect
the more costly ones within, while the
whole combined to render the Taber.
nacle impervious to the rain, and safe
from the injuries of the weather.
The annexed cut will give to the
reader somewhat of an adequate idea
of the frame work of the Tabernacle,
while we have reserved to a subsequent
Note, ch. 26. 14, a view of the structure
in its completed state with its envelope
of curtains.


THE FRAME-WORK OF THE TABERNACLE.
2. Speak unto the children of Israel, bestow them upon men, as expounded
that they bring me, &c. Heb. ' 'npr  by the apostle, Eph. 4. 8, 'gave gifts
tva-yikhu li, that they take for me. The unto men.' Thus too 1 Kings, 3. 24,
original word for 'take' very frequently -And the king said, Bring me a sword;
has the import of take and bring, take Heb. 'take me a sword.' 1 Kings, 17.
and give, or take and offer. Thus Gen. 10, 'Fetch me a little water;' Heb.
15. 9, 'Take me an heifer of three years 'take me a little water.'-  r An offer.
old;' i. e. take and offer. So Ps. 68. 18, ing. Heb. nI'tI   terumah, an eleva.
' Thou hast received gifts for men;' tion, a heave-offering, so called from
Heb. 'thou hast taken;' i. e. in order to its being lifted up when it was laid on




76


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


3 And this is the rffering which
ye shall take of them; gold, and
silver, and brass,


4 And blue, and purple, and scar
let, and fine linen, and goats'
hair.


I


the altar in the act of presentation. voluntary, and free-hearted offering,
Chal. Separate a separation before me;' and the correlative derivative ntl'i"d
that is, such things as they should be nedaboth occurs with a parallel meaning
disposed to set apart from their effects Ps. 110. 3, 'Thy people shall be willand consecrate to the Lord. The orig. ing (gh tV   nedaboth, lit. uillingnesses)
inal term comes from 131' rum, to lift in the day of the power;' where the
up, to be lifted up, and is generally ap- drift of the Psalmist appears to be, to
propriated to sacrificial offerings, which compare the abundance of the free-will
were at least lifted up on the altar, if offerings made to the Messiah in the
not previously heaved or waved in the latter day for the beautifying his sanc.
air by way of oblation. It is elsewhere tuary (2"iD  'Irn1   behadr' kodesh,
employed as a very general term for with the adornments of the holy) with
any thing separated and made a dona- the profusion of the gifts that were so
tion to God, and is applied, Ezek. 48. largely poured forth at the setting up
9-20, even to the land which was to be of the Tabernacle. They shall come
sacredly devoted to God and the priests forth as copiously as the drops of dew
of the Temple, and which is rendered from the womb of the morning; in a
in our version ' oblation.' In this con- bountifulness at least equal to that
nexion it seems to imply, that the offer- when the dew of its noble munificence
ings thus voluntarily made under the was upon the youth of the Israelitish
promptings of a noble and liberal spirit, church. A very appropriate commentwere as acceptable to God, as truly ary on the present passage is afforded
hallowed in his sight, as if they had I in the subsequent account of its execubeen real sacrifices. Thus we read ofi tion, Ex. 35. 21, 22, 'And they came,
good men offering 'sacrifices of praise.' every one whose heart stirred him up,
It is no doubt with a view to intimate i and every one whom his spirit made
the same idea, that the Gr. and Vulg. willing, and they brought the Lord's
render it 'first-fruits;' as if it would be offering to the work of the Tabernacle
deemed the best and choicest of every of the congregation, and for all his serthing that they could offer. What is vice, and for the holy garments. And
done from upright motives and in agen- they came, both men and women, as
erous spirit for God will always be sure many as were willing-hearted, and
of being rated and denominated as it brought bracelets, and ear-rings, and
deserves. —   That giveth it uillingly rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold:
with his heart. Heb. 12  3:nl' DiZER  and every man that offered, offered an
asher yiddebennu libbo, whose heart offering of gold unto the Lord.' As the
moveth him to willingness, or liberality. Lord loves a cheerful giver, so the spirit
The proposed oblation was neither to of a true servant of Jesus Christ prompts
be exacted by compulsion nor regulated him to ask not only what he must do
by prescription, but every one was left for his heavenly master, but what he
to give after the promptings of his own may do. See a farther consideration of
heart. Gr. ' Of all to whom it shall the conduct of the people on this occaseem good in their hearts.' Vulg. 'Of sion in the Note on Ex. 35. 29.
every man that offereth of his own ac-  3. Gold, and silver, and brass. 'Here
cord.' The original 11't nadab is fre- and elsewhere we find mentioned tooluently used in the sense of a liberal, gether, the metals which were procured




X  C. 1491.1               CHAPTER XXV.                             77
the Earliest, and first applied to pur- any knowledge. Even the silence of
poses of use and ornament. No other the Pentateuch, as to particulars which
metals were employed in the construe- a later writer than Moses could scarcetion of the Tabernacle, nor any others ly have failed to notice, is not the least
mentioned but in such slight allusions valuable of the internal evidences which
as to show that they were indeed known, the book bears of its own antiquity and
but not in common use. The Hebrew   truth.'-Pict. Bible.
has the same word for both copper and  4. Blue, and purple, and scarlet.
brass, but our translation always ren- These are merely the names of certain
ders it by brass, even when the context colors, while no mention is made of the
shows that the simple metal (copper) thing or things colored. But as we find
is intended-as in Deut. 8. 9, 'Out of from the apostle, Heb. 9. 19, that scarwhose hills thou nayest dig brass'- let wool was employed in the sprinkling
i. e. copper, brass being a compound of blood, the probability is that wool of
factitious preparation. It is not always those colors is intended which was afeasy to distinguish where the word in terward fabricated by the women into
the original denotes brass, and where the curtains of the Tabernacle; for
copper. Perhaps we should always un- however difficult it may be to conceive
derstand the latter in the more early that they should have had in the wilderpassages where it occurs; and in later ness the implements necessary to such
times we may assume that brass is in- a process, the following passage, Ex.
tended where something refined and or- 35. 26, puts it beyond a doubt; 'And
namental is implied in the text. The all the women whose spirit stirred them
three metals, gold, silver, and copper, up in wisdom spun goats' hair.' Thus
were naturally the first which men ap- the Heb. doctors; 'The blue spoken of
propriated to their service; and the in any place was wool dyed like the
Scripture exhibits them as in use, and body of heaven; the scarlet, wool dyed
even abundant, in Egypt and Palestine in scarlet, &c.'- T  Blue. Heb. nlrn
a few ages after the flood. We know tekeleth, blue, azure, skyy-color.  So
not precisely when these metals first Maimonides;  This color is like the
became known; but at the time now firmament.' Thus too in the Gemara
immediately under our notice, the art (Menach. 4.) Rab. Meyr says, 'Whereof metallurgy had certainly attainedin differs the h:n1   tekeleth from the
considerable perfection; various per- other colors?  Answer, because the
sonal ornaments, various utensils, and  l n  tekeleth is like the sea, and the
even images, of gold and silver, have sea like the firmament, and the firmaalready been often mentioned in the ment like the throne of glory, as it is
sacred text. It seems to our minds said, Ex. 24. 10, 'Under his feet as it
that a large mass of evidence in favor were sapphire bricks such as is the asof the verity of the Pentateuch remains pect of the serene heavens." Gr. vaKIvOos)
yet untouched-the evidence resulting hyacinth. This was a color distinguishfrom the perfect conformity of all its ing the dress of princes and potentates
allusions to the state of the arts and among the ancients with whom the art
the materials on which the arts operate, of dyeing was carried to a high degree
as well as the agreement of its state- of perfection. The splendor and mag.
ments concerning the condition of men, nificence of dress seem to have consist.
with the natural progress of men and ed very much in the richness of colors,
of the arts they cultivate, and with the and the blue, which we learn from many
condition of things at the most early passages of the Scriptures to have been
times of which profane history exhibits in great request, was imported from re.
7,




78


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491,


mote countries as an article of expensive and elegant luxury.  It is supposed by some to have been the pro.
duct of the indigo, a plant deriving its
origin, as it doubtless does its name,
from India, where its beautiful dyes
have long given value to the fine linens
and cottons of that ancient empire.IF Purple. Heb. I2;IN argaman, rendered purple by all the ancient versions.
This is the name of a very precious
color extracted from the purpura, or
murex, a species of shell-fish, called in
English the purple.  This colors the
same with the famous Tyrian dye, and
the most celebrated of all the ancient
dyes, is now lost, and it is doubted by
many whether the moderns have any
thing which equals it in richness and
brilliancy. It is known, however, that
the coloring juice of the purple was
contained in a vessel found in the throat
of the murex, and that only one drop of
liquid was obtained from each. A sa.
cred character was very early attached
to the purple, and it was the predominant color in things pertaining to the
worship of God among heathen nations.
In modern times, although the Tyrian
purple has been long lost, yet the pride of
the name is still preserved in the sacer.
dotal hierarchy. It was also an attribute of exalted birth and of dignities.
It served as a decoration to the first magistrates of Rome, and finally became
a symbol of the inauguration of the
emperors.  To assume the 'imperial
purple' was but another name for succeeding to the throne, and the punish.
ment of death was at length decreed
against any of inferior grade who should
presume to wear the royal color. To
this penalty it was undoubtedly owing
that the art of dyeing purple gradually
disappeared from among the nations of
Europe. From the epithet 'purple' being
applied by Homer and Virgil to blood, it
is probable that this color anciently approached much nearer to scarlet than the
modern purple. Indeed the two, in the


writings of the ancients, are frtquently
confounded together. And so also in the
New Testament we find them inter
changed, as Mark, 15. 17, 'they clothed
him with purple,' compared with Mat
27. 28, 'they put on him a scarlet robe.'
See also John, 19. 2. 'It is important,
says the Editor of the Pictorial Bible
'to understand, that the word 'purple
in ancient writings does not denote onparticular color.  Pliny mentions thwl
difference between some of the purples;
one was faint, approaching to our scarlet, and this was the least esteemed;
another was very deep approaching to
violet; and a third was of a color compared to coagulated bullock's blood.
The most esteemed Tyrian purple seems
to have been of this last color. We
say 'the most esteemed,' because it appears that even the Tyrian purple was
not one particular color, but a class of
animal dyes, as distinguished from
vegetable, varying in shade from the
most faint to the most intense.' The
purple has been styled the most sublime of all earthly colors, having the
gaudiness of the red, of which it retains
a shade, softened with the gravity of the
blue. —   Scarlet. Heb. lUW:l in
tolaath shani, worm of repetition. This
tincture or color is expressed by a word
which signifies ' worm-color,' as 'vermillion,' comes from vermiculus, a little worm, from its being produced from
a worm or insect which grew in a coc.
cus, or excrescence of a shrub of the
oak kind. This shrub is sometimes
called the 'kermez-oak,' from 'kermez,'
the Arabic word both for the worm and
the color; whence the Latin 'carmasinus,' the French 'cramoisi,' and the
English 'crimson.' The color produced
from the coccus was a lively bright red,
approaching to the hue of fire. In the
original of the passage before us, the
Hleb. word rthY n tolaath, for the worm
or coloring matter, is connected with
'Shani,' which signifies repeated or
double, implying that to strike this




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXV.


color the wool or cloth was twice dipped, hence the Vulgate renders the
original 'coccum bis tinctum,' scarlet
twice dyed. The scarlet also was an
hcnorable color, being that of the Roman emperors in time of war, while the
purple was the raiment of peace. Accordingly in the book of Revelation the
scarlet color, being that of blood, is a
symbol of slaughter, and attributed especially to the woman drunk with the
blood of the saints, who is represented,
Rev. 18. 3, riding upon a beast of the
same color, another symbol of a persecuting and sanguinary power. 'Professor Tyahsen, supposing the identity of the Scripture 'scarlet' with the
kermes established, properly concludes
that the kermes dye was known before
the time of Moses;-that the dye was
known to the Egyptians in the time of
Moses; for the Israelites must have
carried it along with them from Egypt;
-that the Arabs received the name
'kermes,' with the dye, from Armenia
and Persia, where it was indigenous,
and had been long known; and that
name banished the old name in the east,
as the name 'scarlet' has in the west.
Kermes signifies always red dye; and
when pronounced short it becomes deep
red. Beckmann thinks that in later
times the Tyrian purples were superseded by the improvements of this dye;
but we do not feel satisfied with his
authorities for this conclusion.  The
kerme. itself has now long been superseded by the American cochineal, which
is far superior to any pigment employed in ancient times for dyeing reds. Indeed we have perhaps little cause to regret the loss or disuse of any ancient
dye, particulary in bright reds, which
owe so much to discoveries of chen.
istry, that we have every reason to conclude them infinitely superior to any
which ancient art could produce. Pliny
complains that scarlet dyes could not
be made sufficiently durable and adhelive; and the statements in ancient au

thors as to tlie brilliancy of scarlet may
be admitted by recollecting that they
had nothing better with which to cor
pare it.' Pict. Bible. —  Fine linen.
Heb. MZ0 shesh; denoting the fabric
made from the plant of that name which
grew in Egypt and Palestine, and which
is rendered by the Gr. and Chal. 'Byss,'
from the Heb. Y'T1 butz. It was either
a species of soft, delicate, and downy
cotton, or a superior kind of flax, from
which garments were made of the most
pure and exquisite white. Moses in.
tdeed does not employ the term 'Butz'
in speaking of linen, which appears In
no author prior to the age of the books
of Esther and Chronicles, but the words
'Bad' and 'Shesh,' rendered 'Byssos,
linen, by the Sept. appear to have been
the only ones in use in his day. That
which is of most importance in respect
to the 'Shesh' or 'Byss,' is the fact here
mentioned, that it was the material of
which the priestly garments were made
which we are told were designed for
'glory and for honor' to the wearers.
They were in fact the garments of kings
and of nobles. In Gen. 41. 42, we see
that Joseph in his exaltation was clothed in one of them, rendered by the Gr.
'stole of byss.' So likewise David appeared in a similar robe on a day of
solemnity, 1 Chron. 15. 27. In short,
the byss garments were the most resplendent and valuable of all the white
apparel in use among the Israelites.
Our Savior, therefore, in the parable of
the rich man describes him as clad 'in
purple andfine linen, Gr. 'byss.' Again,
when the marriage of the Lamb is described in the Apocalypse, ch. 19. 8, it
is said of the bride, that 'it was granted to her that she should be arrayed m
fine linen (byss) clean and white; for
the fine linen is the righteousness of
saints.' From what we have already
said the symbolical import of this will
not be of difficult solution. The byes
being the most valuable species of white
garments, constitutes I significant em.




80


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1451.


5 And rams' skins dyed red, and


badgers' skins, and shittim-wood,


I

blem of the highest and most perfect
holiness. The resurrection is the state
of perfect holiness; the byss, therefore,
is the attribute of the saints in a state
of resurrection. In like manner we suppose the ' man clothed in linen,' so frequently mentioned by Ezekiel, ch. 9.
and 10, to be a symbolical designation
of Christ in his post-resurrection state,
in which state we know he is for tile
most part represented as clothed in
white raiment-. --   Goat's hair. Heb.
VITYL izzim. That is, the down or finest
part of the hair; of which much finer
cloth was made in those countries than
of the wool of the lamb or the sheep.
The hair of the eastern goats, particularly of the Angola species, is of the
most delicate and silky softness, and
wrought into the kind of cloth known
by the name of camlets.  The word
'hair' does not occur in the Hebrew,
but the sense evidently requires its insertion.
5. Rams' skins dyed red. Heb. AlVY
t   'iRhJ   t:r  oroth ilim meoddamim,
skins of red rams. That is, either those
which were naturally of this color, for
such are found in the Levant, or those
which were made so by dyeing, and
thus converted to a kind of red morocco. —~   Badgers' skins.  Heb. rl'
l1'Mnil oroth tehashin. It is very uncertain what is intended by the original word 1n21 tahash here rendered
badger.' The ancient versions for the
most part evidently consider it as designating some kind of color, either
purple or violet.  But as it appears
from Ezek. 16.10, that it denotes a substance from which shoes were made, it
is probably safer to consider it as the
appellation of some of the animal tribes
whose skins would serve for a rough
exterior covering of the Tabernacle to
protect the more delicate work of the
inner curtains from injury by the weather. Yet that it could not have been


the animal now called 'badger,' there
is the strongest reason to believe. The
badger is an inhabitant of cold countries, nor can any evidence be adduced
that it ever existed in Palestine, Arabia,
or Egypt. Whence then could the Is.
raelites have procured its skin to cover
the Tabernacle, especially in such quantities as would be requisite? It is by
no means a prolific animal, and in the
countries in which it breeds, as in England, it is comparatively rare. Noreover, as it is pronounced unclean 3y the
Mosaic law, it would scarcely have
been employed for such a sacred purpose. But if it were an animal at all,
of what species was it? Aber; Ezra
thinks, from the force of the tern, that it
was some animal which was thick and
fat, and 'in this sense the word appears
to be the same as the Arabic dastsh,
fat, oily. The conjecture, then, of tLose
who refer the tahash to the seal, is
every way credible; as in our own island
the seal is famous for its fat or oil,
which, in default of whale oil, is used
for similar purposes. Moreover, sealskins, on account of their durability,
are used to cover trunks and boxes, to defend them from the weather; and as the
skin of the tahash was used for making
shoes, (Ezek. 16.10.), so the skin of the
seal may be, and is, tanned into as good
leather as calf-skin itself. It remains,
then, to be proved that.an animal, fit for
the purpose, was readily procurable by
the Israelites in the wilderness; for this
we quote Thevenot (p. 166.), who, being at Tor, a port on the Red Sea, says,
'But they could not furnish me with any
thing of a certain fish, which they cail
a sea-man. However, I got the hand of
one since.  This fish is'taken in the
Red Sea, about little isles, that are
close by Tor. It is a great, strong fish,
and hath nothing extraordinary but two
hands, which are indeed like the hands
of a man, saving that the fingers are




B. C. 1491.J


CHAPTER XXV.


6 b Oil for the light, c spices for
anointing oil, and for d sweet incense.
b ch. 27.20.  ch. 30. 23. d ch. 30. 34.




joined together with a skin like the foot
of a goose; but the skin of the fish is
like the skin of a wild goat, or chamois.
When they spy that fish, they strike him
on the back with harping irons, as they
do whales, and so kill him. They use
the skin of it for making bucklers, which
are musket proof.' Whether this be a
species of seal must be left undetermined; as nothing is said of its coming
ashore, or being amphibious; nevertheless, it may be the tahash of the Hebrews. Niebuhr says (p. 157, Fr. edit.),
'A merchant of Abushahr called dahash
that fish which the captains of English
vessels called porpoise, and the Germans sea-hog, or dollhin. In my voyage
from Maskat to Abushahr, I saw a prodigious quantity together, near Ras
Mussendlom, who all were going the
same way, and seemed to swim with
great vehemence.' Gesenius adopts the
same opinion, on account of the similarity of the Arabic name dahash, which
means, properly, the dolphin, but is also applied to the seal genus. On many
of the small islands of the Red Sea,
around the peninsula of Sinai, are found
seals; (hence insula phocarum, Strab.
16. p. 766.) likewise, a species of seacow, called also sea-man or sea-camel,
the skin of which is an inch thick, and
is used by the Arabs of the present day
for shoe-leather. Burckhardt remarks
that he ' saw parts of the skin of a large
fish, killed on the coast, which was an
inch in thickness, and is elmployed by
the Arabs instead of leather for sandals.' Robinson's Calmet.-IT Shittim-wood. Heb. tPot   '7. atzi shittim, wood of the shittah tree, mentioned
Is. 41.19. It is rendered by the Gr. 5voa
aawnrra, incorruptib.e wood. Though not
certainly known, it is supposed, with
great probability, to be the acacia, or


7 Onyx-stones, and stones to be
set in the e ephod, and in the
f breast-plate.
e  h. 28.4,.  fch.  28. 15.
species of thorn that still grows in great
abundance in the deserts of Arabia; the
wood of which, according to Jerome,
is extremely light, solid, strong, and
smooth; qualities rarely found together
in any one wood. The tree is of the
size of a large mulberry-tree, large
enough, says the father above mientioned, to furnish very long planks. ' The
Acacia-tree,' says Dr. Shaw, ' being by
much the largest and most common tree
in these deserts (Arabia Petrea), we
have some reason to conjecture that the
shittinm wood was the acacia.'
6. Oil for the light. For the lamp
that was to burn continually in the
sanctuary. This it appears, from Ex.
27. 20, was to be 'pure olive oil beaten.'
— T Spices. I-eb. Vl21/   besamim.
Gr. Ovu/tiI/iir,, incenses. The term includes all the odoriferous ingredients.
which were employed in the composition of the 'anointing oil' or the ointment by which the altar of incense and
all the vessels of the ark were hallowed, and lastly, in the incense which was
burnt upon the altar.-I For sweet
incense. IHeb. t7OhTi: fi"Tj  liktoreth hassammim, for the burning oJ
sweet odors; i. e. upon the golden altar
that stood in the holy place. Comp
Ex. 30.22-28.
7. Onyx stones. Heb. uin't "'1  abne
shoham, stones of shoham. See Note
on Gen. 2. 12. It is acknowledged that
there is great difficulty in ascertaining
lwhat stone is meant by the 'shoham.'
The Gr. translates the word in different
places by no less than six different
terms. In the three Chaldee Targums,
as also in the Syriac, Arabic, Persic,
and Ethiopic versions, it is rendered by
'beryl,' which Ainsworth adopt, in his
Annotations. As it was one of the
jewels in the breastplate, and as two




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1493.


q And let them make me a g sanc

tuary; that hI may dwell among
them.


Sch. 36. 1, 3,4. Lev. 4. 6. & 10.4. & 21.12.  h ch. 29. 45. 1 Kings 6. 13. 2 Cor. 6. 16.
Hebr. 9. 1, 2.                           Hebr. 3. 6. Rev. 21. 3.


of them were borne on the High Priest's
shoulders, each containing the names
of six of the twelve tribes of Israel, it
must have been a stone of very considerable size. On this account it is
less likely to have been the onyx which
is a very small stone.  There were
several kinds of ' beryls,' the most approved of which were of a sea-green
color, though Pliny describes one as
inclining to a hyacinthine or azure
color. But of the ' beryl' see Note on
Ex. 28. 9, 20. —  ~ Stones to be set.
Heb. 'i ^tI '  t abnt' millumi, stones
of fillings; i. e. stones to be set in, or,
as artists say, enchased in the cavities
of gold of the ephod. For a description
of the Ephod and Breastplate, see on
Ex. 28. 4, and 15.
8. Let them make me a sanctuary.
Heb. "1p3t mikdash, a holy place; from
Z'~p kadash, to sanctify, to hallow.
The term denotes a holy habitation expressly consecrated to the residence of
the visible divine majesty in the midst
of them. —   That I may dwell among
them. Heb. "nr1=U   veshakanti, and I
will dwell. Gr. oO0-rToall Ev,p/.v, I will
be seen among you. Chal. 'I will make
my Glory to dwell in the midst of them.'
Arab. 'That I may make my Splendor
to inhabit among them.' The import
plainly is, that God would dwell among
them by the signal manifestations of
his glory in the Shekinah, the visible
token of his presence. The original
word Zln'Z   shakanti comes from 3P.
shakan, to dwell in a tent or tabernacle,
and from the same root comes both
n3I'V t shekinah, and the Gr. aKrvoW,
to tabernacle, from which latter is the
derivative oKrpvr7, a tent or tabernacle.
The radical consonants (sh)s, k, n, are
the same in both languages, to which
the vowels are mere factitious append.


ages. In express allusion therefore to
the mode of the divine residence among
the Israelites, it is said of Christ, John
1. 14, 'the Word was made flesh and
duelt (EaKVWoase tabernacled or shekinized) among us, and we beheld his glory;' i. e. at the transfiguration, when the
cloud or vail of his flesh, by being temporarily rent asunder, disclosed the true
inner glory of his Godhead, answering
to the luminous cloud of the Shekinah,
which is in numerous instances called
iJVa, glory. In like manner, in allu.
sion to the sensible mode in which God
manifested himself to his peculiar people. Christ is said to be the 'brightness
of the Father's glory,' Heb. 1. 3, lan.
guage which goes to identify the person
of the Son with the glorious apparition
of the Shekinah. The term again occurs in evident allusion to these words
of Moses, Rev. 21. 3, 'And I heard a
great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,
and he will dwell with them.' This is
the fulfilment of the prediction uttered
by Ezekiel 37. 26, 27, 'And I will set
my sanctuary in the midst of them for
evermore; my tabernacle also shall be
with them; yea, I will be their God,
and they shall be my people,' announc.
ing a period yet future when this earth
shall again be distinguished by some
visible manifestation of the divine presence under circumstances of far more
glory than those in which he appeared
of old to the chosen people, and answer
ing the same purpose in respect to the
whole human race which the Shekinah
of the Tabernacle did in respect to a
single nation. It is the period, as we
have elsewhere remarked, of the New
Jerusalem, of which the same prophet
says, Ezek. 48. 35, 'The name of the
city from that day shall oe, The Lord




B. C. 1191.]


CHAPTER XXV.


9 1 According to all that I shew
thee, after the pattern of the tabi ver. 40.
is there (in 't l nli. Yehovah shammah).' But 'the Lord' (Jehovah) is
the Shekinah, and the Shekinah is the
Logos and the Lamb who is to be the
Light and Glory of the heaven-descended city, and the intimation is clear that
this manifested presence of the Deity
is there to form so prominent and conspicuous an object, that the city itself
is to receive from it its characteristic
denomination. At the same time it is
not to be forgotten that it will be a
residence 'among men,' men inhabiting
this terraqueous globe; for there is no
greater mistake than to interpret the
sublime representations of the latter
part of the Apocalypse of an extramundane state of glory, having no relation to the present condition of man, or
to the original scene of his existence.
Time and the Providence of God will
doubtless work a great change in the
views of believers in reference to the
genuine scope of the visions contained
in this wonderful book, a portion of
revelation which unfortunately has fallen into a disesteem never enough to be
deplored.
9. According to all that Isheu. Heb.
JrI,ilQ'!X m.tu 5')i kekol asher
ani mareh otheka, according to all that
I make thee to see. We have before remarked, Ex. 24. 10, 11, that we suppose
the pattern of the Tabernacle and its
furniture, but more especially the Ark,
the Cherubim and the Glory, to have
been shown to Moses in the presence of
Aaron and his'sons and the seventy elders, and the phraseology of the present
passage does not militate with this
idea. The designation of time by the
Hebrew verbs and participles is very
indefinite, and in this instance the usus
loquendi will admit of the showing being understood of the past as well as
te present. The whole time of Mo.


ernacle, and the pattern of all
the instruments thereof, even so
shall ye make it.
ses' sojourn on the mount, after leaving
the camp with his companions, seems
to be spoken of as one continuous term,
not requiring to have its periods accurately distinguished. --  After the
pattern of the tabernacle. Heb. nI'=
T      a:7 tabnith mishkan.  We have in
p2~i mishkan another derivative from
the root 3p  shakan, rightly rendered
tabernacle. The other term t'1= tabnith, comes fromn i33 banah, to build,
and properly signifies in this connexion
a model, a prototype, an exemplar, implying something sensible, corporeal,
or substantial in contradistinction from
rn1'l demuth, a likeness, which is applied rather in the general sense of representation, picture, or image, than
of a framed model of any kind of structure. The distinction is very clearly
indicated in 2 Kings, 16. 10, 'And king
Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, and saw
an altar that was at Damascus: and
king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the
fashion (r1lt7 demuth) of the altar,
and the pattern (.ilfl tabnith) of it,
according to all the workmanship thereof;' where fhift undoubtedly signifies
a model, and lnlt'l some other kind of
representation, either verbal or picto.
rial. In like manner we find a striking
parallel, not only to the phrase, but to
the general fact here recorded, in the
history of the building of the Temple,
1 Chron. 28. 11, 12, Then David gave
to Solomon his son the pattern (LTIn)
of the porch, and of the houses thereof,
and of the treasures thereof, and of the
upper chambers thereof, and of the in.
ner parlors thereof, and of the place of
the mercy-seat, and the pattern (n3'3l)
of all he had by the Spirit, of the courts
of the house of the Lord, and of all the
chambers round about, of the treasuriie
of the house of God, and of the treasu.




94


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


ries of the dedicated things.' David,
it seems, was furnished by divine insplration with a visionary archetype of
the Temple which he would have Solomon build to the Lord, and in accordance with this vision he procured a pattern or model to be executed, which
should answer the purpose of guiding
his son in the construction of the sacred
edifice. In the present instance, we
do not indeed Imagine that there was
any miniature model in wood or stone
of the Tabernacle made by Omnipotence and shown to Moses; but we do
suppose that the supernatural spectacle
presented to his view was so ordered as
to convey to his mind all the impression
which would have been produced by an
actual objective presentation of the
scenery to his outward senses in the
form of substantial realities. On this
strong, clear, and vivid impression of
the objects seen, we suppose the use of
the term model or pattern was founded.
The vision was to him in the place of a
pattern.
It may not be inapposite in this connexion to dwell somewhat upon the fact
of the remarkable, and we doubt not
designed, inter-relation between the
general plan of the Tabernacle in its
different parts, and the ideas usually
entertained among the ancient Hebrews
of the structure of the heavens. How.
ever it may be accounted for, we think
the position is unquestionable, that the
Scriptures, in their peculiar phraseology, do recognise a singular correspondence between at least the inner
sanctuary, the holy of holies, both in
the Tabernacle and Temple, and the
supernal regions called heaven or the
heavens, considered especially as the
residence of God, where he sat upon
the throne of his glory, surrounded by
the angelic hosts. Indeed Gussetius, an
eminent Hebrew Lexicographer, contends that all the 'pattern' shown to
Moses on this occasion was the heavens
themselves. This is perhaps too vague


an explanation to meet the demands of
a rigid exegesis, but that there was a
eremarkable symbolical affinity, running
occasionally into absolute identity, in
the ideas of heaven and the holy of
holies, may doubtless be shown beyond
dispute. Such a fact, if it can be made
to appear, will be of great importance
in giving distinctness to our conceptions
of the mystic scenery of the Apocalypse, which may be said to be almost
entirely made up of elements furnished
by the Tabernacle and Temple ritual. It
will also go far to account for the alle.
gorising expositions of Josephus and
Philo, who evidently confounded the
symbolical with the philosophical import of these sacred ordinances. Of
these writers, the latter says expressly
when speaking of the Tabernacle, that
' as for the inside, Moses parted its
length into three partitions. At the
distance of ten cubits from the most
secret end, he placed four pillars, each
a small matter distant from his fellow.
Now the room within these pillars was
The Most Holy Place; but the rest of
the room was the Tabernacle, which
was open for the priests. However this
proportion of the measures of the Tabernacle proved to be an imitation of the
system of the world; for that third
part thereof which was within the four
pillars, to which the (common) priests
were not admitted, is, as it uere, an
heaven peculiar to God; but the space
of the twenty cubits, is, as it were, sea
and land, on which men live, and so
this part is peculiar to the priests only.'
Again, in accordance with this idea, he
says of the Candlestick, that ' it terminated in seven heads, in one row, all
standing parallel to one another; and
these branches carried seven It mps, one
by one, in imitation of the number of
the planets.' In another passage, where
he feels himself called upon to vindi.
cate the wisdom of the Mosaic institu.
tions, he renarks, 'Now here one may
wonder at the ill-will which men beat




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXV.


to us, and which they profess to be on  Probably few readers of the Revela.
account of our despising that deity tion have failed to be struck with the
which they pretend to honor; for if any fact, that while the scene of the vision
one do but consider the fabric of the is apparently laid in heaven (rather
Tabernacle, and take a view of the gar- 'the heaven'-g-v r(? ovpatcq)) yet the
ments of the high priest, and of those presence of many of the appurtenances
vessels which we make use of in our of the Tabernacle or Temple is consacred ministration, he will find that stantly recognised. Thus in ch. 4. 1,
our legislator was a divine man, and 2, John says, 'After this I looked, and
that we are unjustly reproached by behold a door was opened in heavenothers; for if any one do without preju- and immediately I was in the Spirit;
dice, and with judgment look upon and behold a throne was set in heaven,
these things, he will find they were and one sat on the throne.' Now as he
every one made in way of imitation and goes on to describe a ' sea of glass' anrepresentation of the universe. When swerable to the 'brazen sea' which
Moses distinguished the Tabernacle stood before the sanctuary; the 'four livinto three parts, and allowed two of ing creatures' identical with the 'cheruthem to the priests, as a place acces- bims' that spread their wings over the
sible and common, he denoted the land mercy-seat; and 'seven lamps of fire
and the sea, they being of general ac- burning before the throne,' correspondcess to all; but he set apart the third ing with the seven lamps of the candle
division for God, because heaven is in- stick placed before the vail in the holy
accessible to men.'                 place; how can we resist the concluIn what manner these astronomical sion that the 'heaven' of which he
ideas became grafted upon the peculiar speaks is really nothing else than the
fabric we are now considering, would holy of holies, and that the throne is
no doubt be a difficult problem to solve, the mercy-seat on which the Shekinah,
were it not for the clue afforded us in the visible Glory, rested? This is conthe scriptural diction which we are now firmed by the annexed circumstance of
about to lay before the reader. From  seeing a door, or rather a door-way, an
this it will appear that it originated in entrance (ovnr), which had been previa perversion or distortion of the dins in- ously opened (,wsy!scvr), and through
timations which were then enjoyed of which he was enabled to see the throne
the true symbolical import of these sa- and its occupant. Now where a doorcred institutions. And no doubt a large way is mentioned, the idea of an apart.
portion of the ancient mythological fic- nent or apartments naturally suggests
tions could be traced by a rigid inqui- itself to the mind, and if John saw the
sition to the same source. They are throne through the opened entrance, he
the distorted relics of an early revela- must have been in one apartment, and
tion abounding in types and symbols.  the throne in another, as otherwise it is
We have said that our present en- impossible to discover a reason for the
quiryderives importance from its fur- mention of the door-way at all in this
nishing a key to the mystic scenery of connexion. All this accords perfectly
the Apocalypse. Let us then take our with the local arrangements of the
starting point from this wonderful book, Tabernacle and Temple, which consist.
and if we should be led into somewhat ed of two apartments, commonly sepa.
of an extended array of the prophetic ated by the vail of partition. In the
usus loquendi, we may still hope to find outer apartment, or holy place, stood
the result richly rewarding the time and the seven-branched candlestick, and
loil of the investigation.          throughout the three first chapters the
VOL. II.      8




86


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


scene of John's vision is confined altogether to this first or outer room, where
he beholds Christ in his priestly dress
engaged about the lights of the lamp,
which in the language of symbols are
said to be seven stars that he holds in
his right hand. Up to this time John
had not seen the mercy-seat; the vail
therefore was then in its place, and the
Ovpa or entrance-way was closed. But
now a fresh illapse of the Spirit comes
upon him, the vail is removed, and his
entranced eye looks into the inner hallowed shrine of the sanctuary.
If then the scene of this vision was
the earthly sanctuary, and not heaven
above, as has been generally imagined,
why does he call it 'the heaven?' To
this we answer, because it is so called
in the Old Testament, and because it
was intended as a type or adumbration
of the true heaven, the place of final
happiness and glory of the saints. As
this is a fact of some importance and
one that goes to correct the interpretation of many passages in which the
word 'heaven' occurs, a strict examination of the Old Testament usage in regard to this word will be necessary.
And first it is clear that the mercy-seat
is called God's seat; and the sanctuary
which contained the mercy-seat God's
dwelling or sitting-place. Respecting
this seat or throne, God says to Moses,
Ex. 25. 22, 'There will I meet with
thee, and commune (ano'n dibbarti)
with thee from above the mercy-seat,
and from between the two cherubims
which are upon the ark of the testimony,' &c. The place of the mercy.
seat being intended for oral communication, it receives a name answerable
to this in 1 Kings, 6 and 8, and in 2
Chron. 5, where it is called 'Tt' debir, word-place, speaking-place, oracle,
which term in I Kings, 8. 6, is plainly
put in apposition with  T13'1In 'zIll
kodesh hakkodoshim, the holy of holies,
the name given to the inner apartment of
the sanctuaty; 'And the priests brought


in the ark of the covenant of the Lord
unto his place, into the oracle (of':') of
the house, to the most holy place (l'Tp
U'ir;ri) even under the wings of the
cherubims.' In the dedication of the
temple by Solomon the phraseology in
different passages is to be especially
noticed.  Thus in 1 Kings, 8. 13, he
says, 'I have surely built thee a house
to dwell in, a settled place (1%Wp   mekon, lit. a prepared place) for thee to
abide in for ever.' Here it is to be
observed that Solomon calls the house
which he had built the 3'p1D mekon or
prepared place, putting these terms in
apposition; and consequently leaving us
to infer that whatever other terms may
in the context be found put in apposition with either of these, they are to
have a similar application. With this
remark premised let the phraseology in
the sequel of the chapter be observed.
In v. 30, it is said, 'Hearken thou to the
supplication of thy servants, and of thy
people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in
heaven thy duelling-place: (tI1pt3  t
~'~2Cn fX TM':   el mekom shibteka el
hash-shamayim, in thy sitting-place, or
dwelling-place, even in the heaven): and
when thou hearest forgive.' With this
compare v. 39, 'Then hear thou in
heaven thy dwelling-place (j1"1  ~re
mekon shibleka, the prepared place of
thy sitting, or dwelling), and forgive,'
&c. Here there is a change of terms in
the original which is lost sight of in our
version, but which is quite important m
making out the point before us. In the
one case we have ltUw   1j:3   mekom
shibteka, the place of thy dwelling; in
the other Jl=J 'qD1   mekon shibteka,
the prepared place of thy dwelling. But
it is clear from the comparison thus
made in the Hebrew text, that the terms
' heaven,' house,' and ' prepared place'
are used as equivalents. But Solomon
says, v. 13, that he had built the )'1
mekon or prepared place; consequently
ho bad built the heaven in whrch God is




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXV.


87


here said to dwell. It is true indeed
that in other texts in this chapter ' heaven' is clearly employed in the sense
of the upper regions of ether, or the celestial firmament, as it is ordinarily un.
derstood. Thus v. 23, 'And he said,
Lord God of Israel, there is no God
like thee in heaven above, or on earth
beneath.' So also v. 27, 'But will God
indeed dwell on the earth? behold the
heaven and heaven of heavens cannot
contain thee; how much less this house
that I have builded?' But while this
is admitted, it is impossible to resist
the evidence that prepared place and
heaven are synonimous terms in this
connexion, and consequently that the
heaven was a place which Solomon had
built for the residence of the Most High
by his appropriate symbol. In thinking of 'the heaven' of which Solomon
here speaks we are to bring before our
minds the imagery connected with the
holy of holies, viz., the ark of the covenant, the mercy-seat or throne, the overshadowing cherubinis, and the luminous
cloud of the Shekinah.
This view will be confirmed by the
parallel recital in 2 Chron. chps. 6 and
7, particularly 7. 1, 2, where a circumstance of great importance is noticed,
which is not stated in the book of
Kings; 'Now when Solomon had made
an end of praying, the fire came down
from heaven (     MitS   mehash-shsamayim, from the heaven), and consumed
the burnt-offering and the sacrifices;
and the glory of the Lord filled the
house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled
the Lord's house.' The answer thus
given to the prayer of Solomon in the
presence of all the worshippers, gave
evidence -that God had accepted the
house, the sanctuary, the heaven, the
place prepared for his sitting; for the
fire here spoken of descended undoubtedly not from heaven above, but from
the cloud which covered the mercy-seat


in the holy of holies. It is to be ob.
served that the cloud had filled not only the inner apartment in which the
priests had placed the mercy-seat, but
the holy place or outer apartment, in
which the priests usually officiated, so
that the priests could no longer continue there (I Kings, 8. 10). All were
in the court without, in that part where
the altar stood, before the sanctuary;
and when Solomon had ended his pray.
er, fire came forth from the sanctuary,
from which the priests had been expelled by the luminous cloud, the prepared place of God's sitting, the heaven,
and fell upon and consumed the sacri.
fice. This is to be presumed from the
analogous circumstance mentioned Lev
9. 23, 24, 'And Moses and Aaron went
into the Tabernacle of the congrega.
tion, and came out and blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appear.
ed unto all the people. And there came
a fire out from before the Lord, and
consumed upon the altar the burntoffering and the fat: which when all
the people saw, they shouted and fell
on their faces.'  By this is doubtless
meant that the fire came out from the
presence of the Shekinah, which had
now taken its station in the holy of holies, though the glorious effulgence had
spread itself on this occasion over all the
Tabernacle and appeared in the view of
the whole congregation. Consider more
over the coincidence of the circumstati
ces stated respecting this heaven, the
place prepared by Solomon for the God of
Israel to dwell in, and those stated by
John respecting the heaven he describes.
In Solomon's heaven there was a seat or
throne (the mercy-seat); so there is in
John's. Solomon's heaven was a speaking-place or oracle, and from Solomon's
heaven came fire to consume the sacri,
fice; so also from the throne described
by John proceeded voices and light.
nings, Rev. 4. 5; and the seat m earlt
is occupied by One to whom dviiHl
honors are paid.




88


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


The foregoing are not the only passages which serve to prove that 'the
neaven' in which John saw the opened
entrance and the throne, was the earthly sanctuary. In proportion as the relation which subsists between the different things mentioned in the Apocalypse is discovered, our knowledge of
the particulars will be extended. At
present we will simply advert to a single passage which will receive a striking light from the exposition given
above. In Rev. 13. 1-10, we have the
description of a symbolical beast identical with the fourth beast of Daniel,
which is all but universally admitted
to shadow forth the persecuting power
of the Roman empire. Among the other
disastrous doings of this baneful monster, it is said, v. 6, that 'he opened his
mouth in blasphemy against God, to
blaspheme his name, and his Tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.'
That is, to blaspheme, reproach, vilify,
lord it over, and persecute the true worshippers of God, represented by the Cherubims that were placed over the Ark of
the Covenant, in the holy ofholies. So
that in blaspheming the tabernacle, he
blasphemed those that dwelt in it, or in
other words, those that dwelt in heaven.'
On the whole, we cannot question
but that this idea of the import of
the term ' heaven' is important to a
right view of that blessed expectancy
which, under the same name, sustains
and fires the hope of the Christian in
his toilsome pilgrimage through this
vale of tears. If we conceive the subject aright, the heavenly state is the
substance of the mystery of the Most
Holy Place of the Tabernacle and Temple. This mystery is explained in the
closing chapters of the Apocalypse,
which affords us the only adequate clue
to the prophetic purport of the Tabernacle-structure. There indeed the inner oracle is expanded into a glorious
city, but it is enriched with the possessiou of the same celestial sanctities,


unfolded into their full dimensions, and
shining forth in a splendor suited to
their divine nature. The link of connexion between the type and the antitype, the shadow and the substance, we
doubt not, is clearly disclosed in the following passages; 'And he carried me
away in the spirit to a great and high
mountain, and showed me that great city
the holy Jerusalem, descending out of
heaven from God, having the glory of
God: and her light was like unto a stone
most precious, even like a jasper-stone,
clear as crystal; and the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the
breadth: and he measured the city with
the reed, twelve thousand furlongs.
The length, and the breadth, and the
height of it are equal.' Here we recognise in the ' Glory of God' the Shekinah of the ancient economy, and in
the four-square form of the city the
substantiated verity of the holy of holies
of the Tabernacle and the Temple, in
each of which this apartment was a
perfect cube. Again it is said, 'And I
saw no temple therein: for the Lord
God Alnighty and the Lamb are the
temple of it.' By the 'temple' here is
to be understood the pronaos, or anterior structure, which contained the
outer room, as contradistinguished from
the sanctum sanctorum, which in this
ulterior economy of glory has absorbed
within itself the distinguishing features
of every previous, imperfect and shadowy dispensation, and become the all
in all. 'And the city had no need of
the sun, neither of the moon, to shine
in it; for the glory of God did lighten
it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
And there shall be no night there; and
they need no candle, neither light of
the sun; for the Lord God giveth
them light: and they shall reign for
ever and ever.' This is language evidently borrowed fiom Isaiah in speaking, chap. 19. 20, of the same halcyon
period; 'The sun shall be no more thy
light by day: neith(r for orightness




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CHAPTER XXV.


309


shall the moon give light unto thee:
but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself:
for the Lord shall be thine evcrlasting
light, and the days of thy mourning
shall be ended.' It contains another,
and still more emphatic, recognition
of that Resplendent Presence which under the title of Jehovah, Angel of Jehovah, Shekinah, Glory of the Lord,
&c., pointed Ibrwvard to Christ in his
risen and glorified theanthropy, when he
should be revealed, as he is here, as
the Luminary of the New Jerusalem,
superseding the sun, and throwingr all
created glory into eclipse. In the idea
of this transcendent illumination we
may safely include all the moral elements, which in the pious mind naturally connect themselves with the manifested presence of the God of Truth,
and at the same time admit the sense
of the visible personal display which
seems to be called for by the explicitness of the letter. Still we are reminded that the scene, however minagnificent
and beautiful, is sublunary. Whatever
physical changes of a renovating nature
nmay take place upon the surface of the
globe, or in its relation to the planetary system, the locality of this state
of 'accomplished bliss' will be upon
the earth which we now inhabit, at
least for the period to which the Scriptures carry forward the heirs of life in
their revelations of eternal destiny.
What new phases of felicity may come
over their lot in the boundless tract
of time and space into which their existence is launched, revolving ages can
alone determine. But the disclosures
of revelation still retain us within the
precincts of the inhabited earth. 'And
the nations of them which are saved
shall walk in the light of it; and the
kings of the earth do bring their glory
and honor into it.' This is strikingly
oaralleled by the kindred prediction of
8*


Isaiah, ch. 60. 2 3-11, 'The Lord shall
arise upon thee, and his glory shall
be seen upon thee. And the (entiles
(nations) shall comie to thy light,'and
lkings to the brightness of thy rising.
Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; tlhey shall not be shut day
nor night, that men may bring unto thee
the forces (wealth) of the Gentiles, and
that their kings may be brought.'  All
this supposes a scene still earthly.
A few more extracts pointing out the
identity of the heavenly city witli the
substance of the most holy place of tle
Tabernacle, and we bid a reluctant
adieu to the inslpiring theell. 'And lie
shewed me a pure river of water of life,
clear as crystal, proceeding out of the
throne of God and of the Lamb. And
there shall be no more curse; but tlhe
throne of God ant the Lamb shall be in
it; and his servants shall serve him:
and they shall see his face; and his name
shall be in their foreheads.' These servants are the cherubic legions, whose ap.
propriate device in the sanctuary looked
from the extremities of the mercy-seat
directly upon the bright cloud of the
Presence, now developed into myriads
of happy human existences, rejoicing
before the throne, and making their
perpetual oblations ofservice and praise.
In view of this blissful inheritance,
who does not feel involuntarily prompt.
ed to exclaim with the prophet, 'Glory
to the righteous!' And who but must
be profoundly impressed with the ineffable misery of those who shall finally
come short of this 'exceeding and eter.
nal weight of glory?' May then the
solemn concluding intimation of the
Apocalypse sink into the deepest recesses of the souls both of the writer
and his readers; 'Blessed are they that
do his commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life, and may
enter in through the gates into the city.
For without are dogs, and sorcerers,
and whoremongers, and murderers, and
idolaters, and whosoever loveth and




90


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


10 ~ k And they shall make an
ark of shittim-wood: two cubits
and a half shall be the length therek ch. 37. 1.  Deut... 1.3.  ebr. 9. 4.
maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine
angel to testify unto you these things
in the churches. I am the root and the
offspring of D vid, and the bright and
morning.stir. And the Spirit and the
bride say come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is
athirst come. And whosoever will, let
him take the water of life freely.'
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT.
10. They shall make an ark of Shittimwood. Heb. 1'?qb aron. From the identity of rendering, it might be thought
that the ark of the Tabernacle and that
of Noah were expressed by the same
term in Hebrew. But such is not the
case. The former is called 1'lM aron,
and the latter 1T1= tebah; but the Greek
having rendered both terms by xI/3wroS,
this has been followed by our own and
many other versions. The object itself
was properly a chest or coffer of shittimwood, overlaid with gold, in which was
deposited the tables of the ten commandmnents, together with Aaron's rod that
budded, and the golden pot of preserved
manna. This chest seems to have been
of the dimensions of three feet nine
inches in length, by two feet three
inches in breadth and depth, according
to the common cubit of eighteen inches.
Around the upper edge was a rim or
cornice-called in the text 'a crown'of pure gold; and on each side were
fixed rings of gold to receive the poles
of shittim-wood covered with gold, by
which the ark was carried from place
to place. The staves always remained
in the rings, even when the ark was at
rest. The ark had at top a lid or cover
of solid gold; for such was what the
text calls 'the mercy-seat,' and which
the Septuagint renders iXa-ripiov or the
propitiatory, by which name it.s men

of, and a cubit and a half the
breadth thereof, and a cubit and a
half the height thereof.


--------


tioned by St. Paul in Heb. 9. 4, and
which was probably so called, because,
on the great day of atonement, the blood
of the expiatory sacrifice was sprinkled
on or before it. Upon the two ends of
this lid, and of the same matter with it,
that is, solid gold, were placed two
figures of cherubim which looked towards each other, and whose out.
stretched wings, meeting over the cen.
tre of the ark, overshadowed it completely. It was here that the Shekinah
or Divine Presence more immediately
rested, and both in the Tabernacle and
Temple was indicated by a cloud, from
the midst of which responses were delivered ia an audible voice whenever
the Lord was consulted in behalf of the
people. Hence God is sometimes mentioned as he that 'dwelleth' or ' sitteth
between the cherubim.' In its removals
the ark was covered with a vail, Num
4. 6, and might only be carried on the
shoulders of the priests or Levites. The
Rabbins think, with some reasons that
it was only carried by the priests on
extraordinary occasions9 being ordinarily borne by the Levites. No other form
of conveyance was allowed, nor were
any other persons permitted to interfere
with it. The fate of Uzzah, 2 Sam. 6. 3,
admonished the Israelites, in a very
solemn manner, of the consequences of
even a well meant officiousness in a
matter where the divine will had been
so clearly expressed to the contrary.
After the Israelites had passed the
Jordan, the ark generally occupied its
proper place in the Tabernacle, and was
afterwards placed in the Temple built
by Solomon. From the direction given
by Josiah to the Levites, 2 Chron. 35. 3,
to restore the ark to its place, it would
seem to have been previously removed,
but it is not known whether this was




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CHAPTER XXV.


91


done by the priests, to preserve it from  miah, the Maccabees, nor Josephus,
profanation, or by the idolatrous kings mention the ark as extant in the second
Manasseh or Amon, to make room for Temple, and the last authority ex.
their idols. It seems that the ark, with pressly says that there was nothing in
the other precious things of the Tem- the sanctuary when the Temple was
ple, became the spoil of Nebuchadnez- taken by Titus. It certainly does not
zar, and was taken to Babylon; and it appear in the Arch erected at Rome in
does not appear that it was restored at honor of that conqueror, and in which
the end of the captivity, or that any the spoils of the Temple are displayed;
new one was made. What became of although some writers have attempted
the ark after the captivity cannot be to identify it with the table of shew.
ascertained. Some of the Rabbins think bread which is there represented.
that it was concealed, to preserve it  It is to be remarked that similar arks
from the Chaldeans, and that it could or chests, containing the mysteries of
not again be discovered, nor will be till their religions, were common among
the Messiah comes and reveals it. nearly all the ancient heathen nations,
Others say that it was indeed taken the hint of which was probably taken
away by the Chaldeans, but was after- from that of the Jews. The Egyptians,
wards restored, and occupied its place for instance, carried in solemn procesin the second Temple: but the Talmud sions a sacred chest, containing their seand some of the Jewish writers confess, cret things and the mysteries of their rethat the want of the ark was one of the ligion, of which the following cut, from
points in which the second Temple was the hieroglyphic remains of that coun.
inferior to that of Solomon: to which try, shows a very remarkable conform
we may add that neither Ezra, Nehe- ity to the Hebrew model.
EGYPTIAN ARK BORNE BY PRIESTS.
The Trojans also had their sacred holy ofholies, in which the ark was de.
chest; and the palladium of the Greeks posited, so had the heathen, in the m
and Romans was something not very un- most part of their temples, an adytum
like. It is remarkable too, that as the or penetrate, which none but the priests
Hebrew Tabernacle and Temple had a might enter. Something very similar




92


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


11 And thou shalt overlay it with
pure gold, within and without shalt
thou overlay it; and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
12 And thou shalt cast four rings
of gold for it, and put them in the
four corners thereof; and two rings
shall be in the one side of it, and
two rings in the other side of it.
13 And thou shalt make staves of
shittim-wood, and overlay them
with gold.
may also be traced among barbarous and
savage nations. Thus, Tacitus, speaking of the nations of Northern Germany, of whom our Saxon ancestors were
a branch, says that they generally worshipped Hertham, or the Mother Earth
(Terram matrem); believing her to in:
terpose in the affairs of men, and to
visit nations; and that to her, within a
grove in a certain island, was consecrated a vehicle covered with a vestment, and which none but the priests
were allowed to touch. The same thing
has been frequently noticed in con:
nexion with the religious systems of
other heathen nations, and among the
inhabitants of Mexico and the South
Sea Islands, very curious analogies with
the Mosaic ark have been discovered,
of which the reader will find an account
in Parkhurst's Heb. Lex. Art. )'.
11. Make upon it a crown of gold
round about. Heb. =e0    Aht 1I zCr
zahab sabib, a golden border round
about. Gr. Kvparta Xt"ra arerrra, golden wreathed waves round about. This
'crown' was an ornamental cornice,
moulding, or border, which went round
the top, as a kind of enclosure serving
to make firm the propitiatory in its
place, and called a 'crown' from its encompassing the whole outer extremities
of the upper side of the ark somewhat
as a crown encircles the temples of the
head. The term is only employed in
reference to the rims or crowns of gold
made round the ark of the covenant,


14 And thou shalt put the staves
into the rings by the sides of the
ark, that the ark may be borne
with them.
15 1The staves shall be in the
rings of the ark: they shall not be
taken from it.
16 And thou shalt put into the ark
m the testimony which I shall give
thee.
I 1 Kings 8. 8. m ch. 16. 34. & 31. 18. Deut.
10. 2, 5. & 31. 26. 1 Kings 8. 9. 2 Kings 11.
12. Ilebr. 9. 4.




the table of shew-bread, and the altar
of incense. From the rendering of the
Greek it would appear that the work of
this cornice was somehow exquisitely
wrought in graceful flexures or undulations, resembling the waves of the sea.
12. Thou shalt cast four rings of
gold, &c. Doubtless of solid gold, as
they were to sustain a very considerable weight when the staves were inserted and the ark borne by the priests.
Whether these rings were placed lengthwise or breadtlwise of the ark is not
clear.  We infer the latter, however,
as otherwise, when carried, the front
part of the ark with its cherubim woull
be sideways, which is not likely. Besides we are told, I Kings, 8. 8, that in
the Temple 'the ends of the staves were
seen out in the holy place, before the
oracle;' consequently, as the ark fronted the entrance, the staves must have
run along the extremity of its breadth,
instead of its length.
16. Thou shalt put - the testimony,
&c. That is, the two tables of stone on
which the Law of the ten Commandments was written; called 'the testimony,' because God (lid in them testify
his authority over the Israelites, his regard for them, his presence with them,
and his displeasure against them in
case they transgressed; while they on
the other hand by accepting and depositing this Law in its appointed place,
testified their professed subjection and
obedience to its requirements.-On the




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXV.


93


17 And n thou shalt make a mercyseat of pure gold: two cubits and a
half shall be the length thereof,
n ch. 37. 6. Rom. 3. 25. Hebr. 9. 5.


and a cubit and a half the breadth
thereof.
18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work


difficulty supposed to be created by the
comparison of this passage with Heb.
9. 4, see the commentators on that text,
particularly the XVIIth Excursus in
Prof. Stiart's Commnlentary on Hebrews.
17. Thou shalt malc a lmercy-scat of
pure gold. Heb. >nm'  kapporeth, fiom
'i= kaphar, to cover. The verb is,
however, used for the most part in a
moral sense, being applied to the covering, that is, the expiation, of sins. The
Gr. version unites the two senses by
rendering Xaerry7pOv enrOczX that is, a
propitiatory covering, or mercy-seat,
a rendering sanctioned by the Holy
Spirit, as we find it employed, with the
omission of the last word, by the apostle, HIeb. 9. 5, 'And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat (;X,,ri70,ot),i).'  The same term in
Rom. 3. 25, is applied to Christ, 'whom
God hath set forth to be a propitiation
(iAXo-rrilo, v) through faith in his blood.'
So also 1 John, 2. 2, 'He is the propitiation (iaXncr7otv) for our sins.' From
whence the conclusion is probably fairly to be drawn, that this mercy-seat was
in some sense an adumbration of Christ
as the grand medium of expiation for
the sins of men. This mercy-seat,
which was made of solid gold instead
of wood overlaid with gold, like tle
rest of the ark, was the upper side of
the sacred chest made to be removed
entirely, or, as Josephus says, raised
by hinges, when the tables of testimony
were to be taken out or put in.
THE CHERUBIM.
18. Thou shalt make tvwo cherubims
of gold, &c. Heb. tVle   kerubim. Gr.
X.pov0ql, Cheroubim. Our English word
Is the plural untranslated of the original sly3  kerub, a term of which the
etymology is very much of a contested


point with critics and lexicographers.
According to the regular analogy of
the language, it has the form of the
past participle of the verb 11: karab.,itt no such verb exists among the livinlg ruots ol tile litbrlew.  It \waS  therefore regarded by most of the ancient
Christian fathers as a compound word
made up perhaps of '1- nakar, to know
and =1' rub, multitude, equivalent to
multitudo scienties or multitudo cognitionis, abundance of knowledge; or of
Z ke, ='1 rub, and s3i  binah, quasi
multitudo cognitionis, of equivalent import. But this mode of derivation is
so utterly at variance with the laws
which regulate the process of formation
in Hebrew words, that it cannot be sustained for a moment when tried by the
test of sound criticism.. Yet it is remarkable that in nearly all the ancient interpretations the idea of multitude was
prominent, indicating that they regarded 31'  multitudo as beyond doubt one
of its constituent elements. We have
no doubt they were correct ini assigning
this as one of the meanings of the symbol, but they were unquestionably wrong
in eliciting this idea from the etymology
of the term. At the sametime, although
the genius of the language will not admit the legitimate developement of the
sense of knowledge or intelligence from
any part of the word, yet it is very
possible to account for this sense being
deduced from it by the philosophizing
fathers of the church; for with the
Platonists wings were deemed an emblem of w-isdom and knowledge, and the
same import was thought to be conveyed by the Cherubim being ' full of
eyes before and behind.' Taking therefore this apprehended import of the
symbol itself, and applying it reflexly
to the structure of the term, they gave




94


EXODUS.


[B..  491


as the result the interpretation abovementioned. which is no unfair specimen
of patristic philology.  Others again
with more regard to intrinsic probability have proposed, by a transposition
of letters, to trace the word to the root
='3 rakab, to ride, as the Cherubim
are described in the remarkable vision
of Ezekiel, ch. 1, as forming, together
with the mystic animated wheels, a
kind of living chariot on which the symbol of the divine glory is exhibited as
upborne and transported; whence the
Psalmist, Ps. 18.10, describes the Most
High as ' riding upon the Cherub;' and
the Cherubim in Solomon's temple, 1
Chron. 28. 18, are called 'a chariot.'
By others various other etymologies
have been suggested, but none entirely
satisfactory. After a pretty extensive
and elaborate investigation we have on
the whole been inclined to give the preference to the root abovementioned,
viz., ':  karab, now obsolete in Hebrew, but existing in Syriac and Arabic
in the primitive sense of ploughing or
making furrows in the earth; and
thence, secondly, of making incisions
in metals, or engraving, and finally by
natural transition, of making sculptured
figures, or glyphs, of any kind. This
is confirmed by Rosenmuller, who remarks that as one and the same word
in Syriac and Arabic is used to denote
expressing, sculpturing, and fabricating, so in the verb A'1 karab and its
derivates the same complex idea is involved, as is to be inferred from the
fact that the Syriac korubo signifies not
only a ploughman, but also a former of
images. It may also be observed that
as b, v, and f are in all languages per.
mutable, being letters of the same organ, this etymology presents us with
some remarkable affinities. For beginning with the Heb. =:"I karab, to make
incisions, we find in the Teutonic family
for incidere, to cut. as in engraving.
Qerm. kerben, Angl. Sax. keorfan, Eng.
carve; and then as g and k are inter

changeable, we have the Gr. ypatco,
grapho, Germ. graben, Angl. Sax. gra.
fan, Eng. grave, engrave, and Fr. griffon (griffin), an imaginary animal compounded of beast and bird, evidently derived from a distortion of the cherubic
figure. In all these words the idea of
sculpturing or engraving is predominant, and according to the analogy of
Hebrew formations 't:i kerub would
properly signify that which was carved,
sculptured, or wrought with a graving
tool, thus corresponding very well with
what is said of the Cherubim as a kind
of statuary or wrought images placed
over the mercy-seat.
In the annexed cut it may be thought
that we have but loosely followed the ex.
ample of Moses in 'making every thing
after the pattern shown in the mount,'
inasmuch as Moses says nothing of the
fourfold variety of faces which we have
here given to the Cherubic emblem. But
our design is taken from the Cherubim
of Ezekiel, which are thus described,
ch. 1. 4-14. 'And I looked, and be.
hold, a whirlwind came out of the
north, a great cloud, and a fire unfold.
ing itself, and a brightness was about
it, and out of the midst thereof as the
color of amber, out of the midst of the
fire. Also out of the midst thereof came
the likeness of four living creatures
And this was their appearance; they
had the likeness of a man. And every
one had four faces, and every one ha I
four wings. And their feet were straight
feet; and the sole of their feet was
like the sole of a calf's foot; and they
sparkled like the color of burnished
brass. And they had the hands of a
man under their wings on their four
sides; and they four had their faces and
their wings. Their wings were joined
one to another; they turned not when
they went; they went every one straight
forward. As for the likeness of their
faces, they four had the face of a man,
and the face of a lion, on the right side:
and they four had the face of an ox on




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CHAPTER XXV.


95


the left side; they four also had the appearance of lamps: it went up and
face of an eagle. Thus were their faces: down among the living creatures; and
and their wings were stretched upward; the fire was bright, and out of the fire
two wings of every one were joined one went forth lightning. And the living
to another, and two covered their bodies, creatures ran and returned as the ap.
And they went every one straight for- pearance of a flash of lightning.' That
ward; whither the spirit was to go, these visionary beings, though here call.
they went; and they turned not when ed 'living creatures,' were in fact symthey went. As for the likeness of the bolically identical with the 'cherubim,'
living creatures, their appearance was (erroneously written 'cherubims' in our
like burning coals of fire, and like the version), will appear in the sequel.


ARK OF TIlE COVENANT AND TIlE CHERUBIM.


The inquiry now arises respectii g
the symbolical design of these very remarkable creations, which, from being
mere lifeless sculptured statues in the
Mosaic Tabernacle, became animated,
intelligent, and active agents in the
mystic visions of the prophets. It is
certainly one of the lowest aims of infinite wisdom in any part of its dis.
pensations to adopt a system of sym.
bols which should merely address thenselves in beautiful or singular forms to
the senses, or to the imagination. They
approve themselves worthy of the di

vine source in which they originate only as they disclose a rich and instructive significancy under their outward
aspect. That such is preeminently the
case with the symbol before us, we
shall hope to make appear in the remarks that follow, in the outset of
which it will be necessary to show the
identity of the Cherubim of Moses with
the Living Creatures of Ezekiel. In
order to this it is to be observed, that
Ezekiel was in captivity in Babylon
when this vision was vouchsafed him
But it appears from Ezek. 8. 1-3 that




96


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


while there he was transported in spirit
to Jerusalem, and set down in the precincts of the Temple, where he beheld,
among other objects, the Living Creatures and the Throne, previously described, standing in the inner court.
'Then,' says he, ch. 10. 18-22, 'the
glory of the Lord (the Shekinah) departed from off the threshold of the
house, and stood over the cherubims.
And the chlcrulhins lifted up their
wings, and mounted up from the earth
n my sight: when they went out, the
wheels also were beside them, and
every one stood at the door of the east
gate of the Lord's house; and the glory
of the God of Israel was over them
above. This is the living creature (i. e.
collection of living creatures) that I
saw under the God of Israel by the river
of Chebar; and I knew that they were
the cherubims. Every one had four
faces apiece, and every one four wings;
and the likeness of the hands of a nan
was under their wings. And the likeness of their faces was the same faces
which I saw by the river of Chebar,
their appearances and themselves: they
went every one straight forward.' The
import unquestionably is, that although
the fact was not at first made known,
or the idea did not occur, to him, yet
now upon farther pondering the subject, he became fully convinced and assured in his own mind that these Living
Creatures were beings of the same symbolical purport with the Cherubim that
stood on the Mercy-seat of the Ark in
the Temple. This is an important step
in the progress of our elucidation. It
authorises us to set it down as a point
fixed and settled beyond all debate, that
the Cherubim and the Living Creatures
are, in symbolical significancy, one and
the same.
We are now prepared to consider the
very remarkable usage of the sacred
writers in regard both to the Hebrew
and Greek original of the term rendered
living creatures (Heb. DInT hayoth.


Gr. (oa zoa), in each of which lan
guages the respective roots of the words
signify to live. Yet who would have
thought a priori that these would have
been the terms employed in the follow.
ing passages? Ps. 68. 9, 10, ' Thou, 0
God, didst send a plentiful rain, where.
by thou didst confirm thine inheritance
when it was weary. Thy congregatior
(c  1un hayatheka, thy living creature
Gr. Trl (IJ n01), thy living creatures) hath
dwelt therein.' On what grounds, philologically, this usage is to be explained,
we know not, but it is clear that it involves the idea of multitude, if the English equivalent, congregation, can be any
evidence of the fact. A striking parallel
occurs, 2 Sam. 23. 11, 'And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop
(irn> lahayah, into a living creature.
Gr. ems Oil(pu,, into a wild beast), where
was a piece of ground full of lentiles:
and the people fled fiom the Philistines.'
See also, v. 13, 'And the troop (M'N
hayah, the living creature) of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.' The Gr. rendering in the latter
passage does not conform, being raT)/a,
a rank, order, and in military phrase a
battalion, a body of soldiery. But it is
clear from these citations viewed together, that the import of numbers actually enters into the usage of the original word for living creature, and as
the living creatures and the cherubim
are symbolically the same, the idea of
multitude is equally common to both.
This idea, however, it is to be recol.
lected, arises wholly from the interpretation, and not fiom the etymology of
the terms.
As then the four.~am, the living creatures, of Ezekiel are identical with the
cherubim, so they are plainly identical
also with the four beasts ((<.)) which
figure so conspicuously in the mystic
machinery of the Apocalypse. Passing
from the visions of the river of Chebar
to those of the Isle of Patmos, we behold the following scene depicted upon




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXV.


97


the prophetic canvass, Rev. 4. 6-8,
And before the throne there was a sea
of glass like unto crystal: and in the
midst of the throne, and round about
the throne, were four beasts, full of
eyes before and behind. And the first
beast was like a lion, and the second
beast was like a calf, and the third beast
had a face as a man, and the fourth
beast was like a flying eagle. And
the four beasts had each of them six
wings about him; and they were full
of eyes within: and they rest not day
and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty, which was, and is,
and is to come.' As the Cherubim in
this vision are nearer to the Throne and
the incumbent Majesty than in the other,
they are represented as having six wings
instead of four, to denote the propriety
of having their persons more fully vailed from the glance of that holy eye to
which even the heavens are unclean.
But what is the song sulng by these emblematic agents? Ch. 5. 8-10, 'And
when he had taken the book, the four
beasts, and four and twenty elders fell
down before the Lamb, having every
one of them harps, and golden vials full
of odors, which are the prayers of saints.
And they sung a new song, saying,
Thou art worthy to take the book, and
to open the seals thereof: for thou wast
slain, and hast redeemed us to God by
thy blood out of every kindred, and
tongue, and people, and nation; and
hast made us unto our God kings and
priests: and we shall reign on the
earth.' Can the reader have failed, from
these ample quotations, to anticipate
the conclusion of the whole matter?
The Cherubim of the Tabernacle and
Temple, the Living Creatures of Ezekiel, and the hymning beasts of John,
are all one and the same symbol. And
what is the truth and mystery of this
symbol? What do we recognise in it
but human instead of angelic beings,
even a multitude of the redeemed from
among men? What else is the burden
VOL. II.      9


of that grateful anthem which resounds
from their lips? 'Thou nast redeemed
us to God by thy blood out of every
kindred, and tongue, and people, and
nation.' Can this possibly be the language of angels?-especially when we
hear the apostle saying, Heb. 2. 16,
'For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the
seed of Abraham,' and when, moreover,
we find in this very context the angels
expressly distinguished from the four
beasts.
Conceiving this then as a point clear.
ly ascertained, that the Cherubim of the
Apocalypse adumbrate a human and not
an angelic order of beings, let us go back
and apply this result to the Cherubim
of the Pentateuch. We behold them
stationed on the Propitiatory, with the
symbol of the Divine Presence resting
between them, somewhat like Moses
on the mount with Aaron and Hur supporting his arms on either side. In this
position, as we have seen that they
strictly represent men and not angels,
what more natural than that their pri.
mary and proximate drift as symbols
should be to shadow forth the race of
Israel and the great fact of God's peculiar residence among them? In tho
cherubic emblems of the Tabernacle,
therefore, we behold a mystic embodiment of the congregation which, in the
wilderness, was ordinarily encamped
round about the holy fabric without.
Accordingly the high priest who enter.
ed into the holy of holies and there
looked upon the Ark of the Covenant
and its cherubic appendages, with the
Shekinah enthroned between, beheld in
fact but a miniature model of what he
saw on a large scale when standing in
the midst of the many thousands of Israel abiding in their tents. There were
the Cherubim resolved into their con.
stituent multitudes, and over the host
rested in calm majesty the Pillar of
Cloud, the visible token of the Divinity
permanently residing among the chose




98


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


tribes.  But even this was a typical
scene, presenting to the eye an image
of that state which shall he disclosed
when the last chapters of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and John shall be fulfilled, when
the Tabernacle of God shall again be
with men, and he shall set his sanctuary in the midst of them for ever more.
Whether Moses or Ezekiel or John
were themselves aware of the true import of these hallowed hieroglyphics,
is by no means essential to the validity
of our conclusions respecting them. We
think it highly probable, on the whole,
that they did not understand, at least
but partially, their true-meant design.
They were doubtless among the things
respecting which they enquired diligently,' but were obliged to leave their
full significancy to be elicited for the
edification of subsequent ages of the
church. Yet even in the description
quoted from Ezekiel there are occasional hints and intimations which might be
supposed to lead to a strong suspicion
that the Living Creatures were intended to shadow forth men instead of angels. Thus for instance, it is said, Ezek.
1. 5, And this was their appearance;
they had the likeness of a man;' that is,
their predominating aspect was human,
notwithstanding their otherwise singular and unearthly form. Again, v. 8,
'And they had the hands of a man under their wings.' The same circum.
stance is afterwards mentioned concernmg the Cherubim, ch. 10. 8, and a second time repeated, v. 21, as something
peculiarly note-worthy, that 'there appeared in the cherubims the form of a
man's hand under their wings.' These
remarkable items in the description
may be regarded as furnishing at least
a slight inuendo as to the true solution
of the symbol. But it was reserved for
that pen which was to complete the sacred canon, and afford a key to the de.
velopement of so many preceding mystenes, to give to the student of revela*tion an inspired exposition of this re

inarkable symbol, about which ve can
no longer doubt, when we heai them
ascribing their redemption to the blood
of the Lamb.
It may go, moreover, to remove any
lingering hesitancy on this point, to
consider more closely their relation to
the other parts of the typical apparatus
of the Tabernacle. They were an abiding
fixture upon the Ark of the Covenant;
they were stationed upon the extremi.
ties of the Mercy-seat with the bright
cloud of the Presence beaming between
them; they were constructed of the
same material with the Mercy-seat,
and in every thing seemed to have the
most indissoluble connexion with the
latent import of this system of shadows,
of which Buxtorf remarks; 'It is the
opinion of the Jews, that the Ark, with
the Mercy-seat and the Cherubim, form
the foundation, root, heart, and marrow
of the whole Tabernacle, and so of the
whole Levitical service.' Now we are
authorised to ask, whether it be conceivable that angels are as much interested
in the truth and substance of the typical
Mercy-seat or Propitiatory, as ransomed sinners, whose happiness, and song,
and salvation, all centre in this grand
mystery? We would detract nothing
from what is justly due to angels; but
we see not why, in the very heart of a
system of symbols shadowing forth our
recovery by a Savior, so prominent a
place should be given to the hieroglyphics of a foreign race of beings,
however deeply they may be interested
in contemplating this work, or serviceable in promoting it. Nothing is more
plainly taught in the word of God, than
that it is in virtue of the atoning sacrifice of Christ that the Most High dwells
amidst the children of men. And this
great truth we suppose to have been
visibly represented by the habitation of
the Divine Glory between the Cherubim
and over the Expiation cover of the Ark.
But nothing of the nature of an atonement it necessary to propitiate the pres



B. C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXV.


ence of God among the sinless angels.
Why then should we assign to them,
however much we love them, and prize
their kind offices, a symbol so preeminently appropriate to ourselves?
Until therefore we are convinced on
solid grounds of the untenableness of
our position, and pointed to some passage of holy writ expressly affirming
or clearly implying, that the Mosaic
Cherubim were emblems of angels, we
shall hold therm to be representatives of
human beings, and of no others.
At the same time we find no difficulty in admitting, in perfect consistency with this theory, that the Cherubim were popularly regarded by the
ancient Jews, as they still are by modern
Christians, as a current designation of
some portion at least of the angelic order of beings. Nor do we doubt that
Peter, in saying that the things of redellption were things ' which the angels desired to look into,' had direct;llusion in his own mind to the position
of' the Cherubim on the Ark of the
Covenant, which stood as if intently
poring upon tle mysteries couched under both it and the surmounting Glory.
Angels usually appeared as winged
messengers; and uings were a striking
appendage of the Cherubim. Angels
too were always considered as a race
of beings abiding near to the Divine
Presence in heaven, and as an accompaniment of the Shekinah, whenever
and wherever it appeared; the Cherubirn, also, in their relation to the Cloud
of Glory, were regarded as a materialized representation of this great fact,
and the Holy of Holies in which they
stood was dimly conceived of as a type
of heaven. Under these circumstances
it was natural that the idea of angelic
beings should attach to the symbol,
and that this idea should be traditionally perpetuated, at least until a more
rigid research into the nature and genius of the symbolical language should
bring to light its genuine import. That


the Cherubim do actually in their true
intent represent human beings instead
of angels, is a conclusion to which we
seem to be brought irresistibly by the
chain of scriptural induction in the
foregoing remarks; and if it should
still remain problematical in the mind
of the reader on what grounds a device
so strikingly angelic should have been
adopted to represent a human reality,
we do not hesitate to suggest that the
true clue is to be found in the fact, that
the cherubic symbol, in its ultimate
scope, pointed forward to that condition
of regenerate, redeemed, risen, and glo.
rified men, when they shall have as
sumed an angelic nature. Our Savio.
declares of the happy sons of the resur.
rection that they shall neither marry
nor be given in marriage, but slall b,
as the angels of God in heaven; ant
when John fell down before the reveal
ing angel of the Apocalypse, and waa
about to worship him, lie was imet by
the rebuke, 'See that thou do it not,
for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy
brethren the prophets, and of them
which keep the sayings of this book.'
Such, we doubt not, is the final desti.
nation of the children of God in that
future economy to which the eye ol
faith looks forward; and in the mean
time, if the visions of the prophets
should portray the scenes of that coming dispensa t.on, where the actors were
to be truly men in their post-resurrec.
tion natures, how should such actors be
symbolically represented but by angels?
The Cherubim then may be considered
as representatives of angels, so far as
angels themselves'are representatives
of men; but, in our opinion, no farther.
If then our main position in regard to
the representative character of the Che.
rubimn, may be considered as establish.
ed, it only remains to make use of this
proof by way of explication of the
strange, anomalous, and, we had almost said, monstrous, diversity of forms
and faces of which the symbol was




100


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


composed. Were the Cherubim menmen standing in covenant relation with
God-men possessed of renewed spiritual life, and thus enjoying the divine
favor-then may we not conclude, that
this unique combination of forms represents some marked and definable attributes in the character of those whom
the symbol adumbrates? What then are
the distinguishing traits in the character of the people of God, which may be
fitly represented by emblems so unique?
How shall the hieroglyphic be read?
The face of the Ox reminds us of the
qualities of the ox, and these, it is well
known, are patient endurance, unwearied service, and meek submission to
the yoke. What claiims has he to the
title of a man of God who is not distillguished by these ox-like attributes?
The Lion is the proper symbol of undaunted courage, glowing zeal, triumph
over enemies, united with innate nobleness, and muagnanimnity of spirit. The
Man, as a synmbol, we may well conceive as indicating intelligence, meditation, wisdom, sylmpathy, philanthropy, and every generous and tender emotion. And, finally, in the Eagle we recognise the impersonation of an active, vigilant, fervent, soaring spirit,
prompting the readiest and swiftest
execution of the divine commands, and
elevating the soul to the things that are
above.
We admit the affixing of these interpretations to be in a great measure arbitrary, and we hope they miay be rejected or improved upon, according as
the evidenr e for or against them may
weigh in ti e mind of the reader. They
certainly mean something; they have
not been adopted without wise reasons;
and we would wish to fix upon such
a solution as shall carry with it the
highest intrinsic probability.  In the
nature of the case. much must be left to
the private judgment, perhaps we might
say fancy, of expositors in tracing analogies and assigning meanings to sym.


bols which we yet know in the main to
be possessed of meaning.
In adverting, however, to the symbolical import of the straight for
ward motion of the Cherubim, we have
perhaps a more explicit warrant of the
Scriptures for our explication.  In
speaking of this peculiarity, Ezekiel
says, 'They went every one straight
forward; whithersoever the spirit was
to go, they went; they turned not as
they went.' Their locomotive progress
was directly and undeviatingly forwuard.
They turned neither their faces, nor their
wings, nor their bodies. There was no
digression, regression, wandering, or cir.
cuitous wheeling in their movements.
In the direction in which their eyes or
faces were fixed, their progress tended.
Is it not then a rational supposition
that by this is indicated that steady and
undeviating course of obedience, that
determined adherence to the right ways
of the Lord, from which the faithful are
not to be seduced? Is not rectitude the
prevailing tenor o' a good man's life,
and is not his course onward, according
to the Apostle's motto, 'forgetting the
things which are behind and reaching
forth unto those things that are before
I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus.' Again, let the following passages be noticed in this connexion.
Prov. 4. 25-27, 'Let thine eyes look
right on, and let thine eyelids look
straight before thee. Ponder the path
of thy feet, and let all thy ways be
established.  Turn not to the right
hand nor to the left: remove thy foot
from evil.' Ps. 125. 5, 'As for such as
turn aside unto their crooked ways, the
Lord shall lead them forth with the
workers of iniquity.' Heb. 12.13, 'Make
straight paths for your feet lest that
which is lame be turned out of the way.'
Thus plainly are we taught the teaching of the rectilinear course of the Cherubim, i. e. of the people of God.
Upon the various other items of the




i


B C. 1491.]               CHAPTER XXV.                            101
shalt thou make them, m the two      20 And   o the cherubims shall
ends of the mercy-seat.            stretch forth their wings on high,
19 And make one cherub on the covering the mercy-seat with their
one end, and the other cherub on wings, and their faces shall look one
the other end: even of the mercy- to another; toward the mercy-seat
seat shall ye make the cherubims shall the faces of the cherubims be.
on the two ends thereof.             1 Kings 8. 7. 1 Chron. 28.18. Hebr. 9. 5
prophet's description of these visionary in contradistinction from being hollow
creations, it will scarcely be necessary inside, or made of wood overlaid with
in this connexion to enlarge. Sufficient gold. Besides, it must be evident to the
has probably been said to establish our slightest reflection that such a mode of
main position, that the Cherubim of the construction is utterly beyond the art
Scriptures are a symbol of holy men, or power of man; it must have been noand not, primarily, of holy angels. The thing short of a miracle. The cherubic
importance of this clue to the mystic figures were doubtless either cast in a
device will be obvious to every reader, mould or sculptured by the engraver's
and will no doubt justify the adaptation tool, as the Greek renders the word, and
of our figure to Ezekiel's rather than then permanently attached by soldering
to Moses' description. We could not to either extremity of the Mercy-seat.
otherwise so well have expanded our   19. Of the mercy-seat shall ye make
remarks in the form of a systematic the cherubims, &c. A marginal readinquiry into the genuine scope and de- ing, designed to be explanatory of this,
sign of this extraordinary symbol, of is here given, which rests upon no suffiwhich Josephus says, 'They (the Che. cient authority, viz., of the matter ot
rubim) are flying creatures, but their the Mercy-seat.' The meaning is simform is not like to that of any of the ply, that when finished the Cherubim
creatures which men have seen; though should be seen shooting up from the ends
Moses said he had seen such beings near of the Mercy-seat, not that they should
the throne of God.' The field of in. be continuously fabricated out of the
vestigation, however, in reference to same mass by a process of beating,
this sacred hieroglyphic is but just en- which in the nature of the case was
tered, and the most enriching results absolutely impossible. Of this any man
still await the future explorer.-We may be convinced who shall take the
now return to the material construction most plastic and malleable piece o.
of these mystic appendages of the Ark. lead, and, with no other instrument than
Of beaten iwork shalt thou make them. a hammer, endeavor to work it into the
Heb. 7r2p7 mikshah, hard work shalt shape of a human head or body, or that
thou make it. Gr. ypacoropevra, gold- of a bird or beast, much more into the
en-turned-work. This is generally complex configuration of the cherub
explained as importing, that the Che- The common interpretation of this pas.
rubim were to be beaten out with the sage respecting the formation of the
hainmer from the same solid mass of mercy-seat and the Cherubims has been
gold with the Mercy-seat, but no such j derived from the groundless conceits
meaning can be gathered from the gent. and puerile glosses of the Rabbinical
nine sense of the original. The term  critics, who wished to multiply as mnch
rT'^,2 miashal1, from i{:2  kashah, to as possible the number of miracles per.
be hard, implies simply that the ma- taitning to their economy.
terials of the Propitiatory and the Che-  20. Covering the mercy-seat with their
rubim were to be of solid massive gold uings. Gr. avaxKiavret cv rate; nrropvSt
9*




102


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491,


21 p And thou shalt put the mercyseat above upon the ark; and q in
the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
22 And r there I will meet with
thee, and I will commune with
thee from   above the mercy-seat,
from s between the two cherubims
which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will
give thee in commandment unto
the children of Israel.
23 ~ t Thou shalt alsomake a table
of shittim-wood: two cubits shall
be the length thereof, and a cubit
P ch. 26. 34. q ver. 16. r ch 29. 42, 43. & 30.
6 36. Lev. 16 2. Numb. 17. 4. s Numb. 7.
89. 1 Sam. 4. 4. 2 Sam. 6. 2. 2 Kings 19. 15.
Ps.. 8.. &  90. 1.  Isai. 37. 16.  t ch. 37. 10.
1 Kings 7. 48. 2 Chron. 4. 8. Hebr. 9. 2.
a)r(or ETrt roV [Xacrrptiov shadowing over
the propitiatory with their wings. This
word 'shadowing,' instead of 'covering,'
is adopted by the apostle, Heb. 9. 5,
'Over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy-seat;' where it is to be
noted that the phrase 'cherubims of glory' might perhaps be rendered cherubims
of the glory;' i. e. the glory of the Shekinah, the luminous splendid appearance
which was visibly enthroned between
them, the mystery or substance of which
is disclosed to us in the visions of the
Apocalypse, ch. 5, where we learn that
the symbol of the divine glory dwelling
between the Cherubim was the hieroglyphic of the Son of God dwelling in
the midst of his redeemed people, reeiving their adorations and bestowing
upon them the tokens of his complacency. —T Shall look one to another.
Heb. ~iMR ~R UIn ish e! ahiv, a man
to his brother; a common Hebrew
idiom for expressing the idea of our
version.
22. There Iwill meet with thee, Heb.
v 1T InVns niadti leka sham, I will
convene with thee there. Gr. yv^,aOr,,oyai (oo sEKtcCev, I will be known to thee
there. Chal. 'I will appoint my Word to


the breadth thereof, and a cubit
and a half the height thereof.
24 And thou shalt overlay it with
pure gold, and make thereto a
crown of gold round about.
25 And thou shalt make unto it a
border of an hand-breadth round
about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof
round about.
26 And thou shalt make for it four
rings of gold, and put the rings in
the four corners that are on the
four feet thereof.
27 Over against the border shall
the rings be for places of the staves
to bear the table.
28 And thou shalt make the staves
of shittim-wood, and overlay them
thee there.' That is, on the mercy-seat,
between the cherubim. Here the vis.
ible Glory of Jehovah was to reside and
to give audience, as a sovereign on his
throne, having the ark as his footstool,
as it seems to be termed, Ps. 99. 5 -132. 7. From the same root with
n:f~l niiadti, viz. I"Y yiiad, to meet
by appointment, comes 'I.l  miad appointed meeting or convention, whence
the Tabernacle is dalled 7I.l,i{"
ohel mead, tabernacle of Convention.
See Note on Ex. 33. 7.
THE TABLE OF SHEW-BREAD.
23-28. Thou shalt also make a table,
&c. This part of the sacred furniture
keeps up still farther the analogy with a
royal palace, to which we have before
adverted as pervading the entire structure of the Tabernacle. Yet a purely
spiritual drift is at the same time sufficiently discernible in the typical ali.
ment with which it was provided, and
which pointed to the nourishment of
the soul, and not of the body. As to
the table itself, it was constructed of
the same material with the Ark, viz.
shittirn-wood overlaid with gold. It
was also furnished with rings or sta



B. C. 1491.]               CHAPTER     XXV.                        103
with gold, that the table may be I dishes thereof, and spoons thereof,
borne with them.                    and covers thereof, and bowls there29 And thou shalt make u the of, to cover withal: of pure gold
u ch. 37. 16. Numb. 4. 7.    shalt thou make thenm.
ples, through which were passed the sashes put in. This border was to be
staves by which it was carried, in tihe of a hand's breadth and ornamented on
same way as the Ark. These staves, its upper and lower edge with a beautihowever, did not remain in the rings fil golden cornice or moulding, which
when at rest, like those of the Ark, v. is here also, as in tle case of the Ark,
15, but were, as Josephus informs us, called a 'crovn.' The upper rim of the
removed, that they might not be in the border rose of course somewhat above
way of the priests in their weekly min- the superficial level of the table, and
istrations at the table. The table was was well adapted to prevent what was
inferior to the Ark in breadth by half a deposited thereon from falling off. The
cubit; but it was of the same height, Table, as seen in the Arch of Titus at
and stood lengthwise, east and west, at Rome, on which the spoils of the Temthe north side of the Holy Place. From  ile are represented, shows but very
the obscurity of the ancient terms there little of the ornamental work described
is some difficulty in determining with j in the text; but this, it is supposed, was
precision the details of its formn; but not the Table of the Tabernacle. It is
what we seem to learn from the text is, generally agreed that this was among
that the platform or surface of the table tle spoils carried away by Nebuchad.
had its edges faced with a perpendicular nezzar, and that when the Jews were
border, or enclosure, somewhat resem. restored to their own land, they made
bling a window-frame before it is in- a new Table. The view given in the
serted into the wall of a building or the cut is deduced fromn the text.


TABLE OF SHEW BREl:AD.




104


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


30 And thou shalt set upon the ta- 29. Dishes.  Heb. n1p ke-aroth,
dishes, or chargers, as the word is
translated Num. 7. 13.  Gr. rpv,/ta,
plates or platters, on which it is supposed by some, that the loaves of bread
were placed. Others, however, assign
different uses to these dishes. It is a
point which cannot be positively deter.
mined. —I Spoons. Heb. rF      kappoth, more properly cups or censers of
concave form like spoons, or like the
hollow of the hand, which is the priinitive meaning of the original Cp kaph.
They were for holding incense (Num.
7. 14), which it is evident from Lev. 24.
7, was employed in conjunction with
the holy bread. It is supposed there
were two of them, one placed on each
pile of loaves. — r Covers. Heb. rnlm p
kesoth; probably for covering both the
loaves and the incense. The Gr. renders the word wherever it occurs by
7rov&6Ea, libation-vessels. —   T Bou'ls.
Heb. Ir3'2 menakkiyoth. Gr. KV1Oot,
wine-cups. 'For though we do not read
that any wine was set upon this table,
yet as libations were made to God by
pouring out wine before him in the
Holy Place, there is nothing improbable
in the Jewish tradition, that a bowl of
excellent wine was always kept upon
the table; and that once a week, when
the bread was changed, the contents
were poured out as a libation before the
Lord. Josephus confirms this tradition
by relating that when Pomnpey went
into the Holy Place, he saw there cups
for libation among the sacred vessels.'
Pict. Bible. - I To cover withal. Heb.
= 10w      'N-i  asher yussak bahen,
with which it was poured out; with
which the drink-offerings were made.
This sense agrees better with the meaning of the original '-, nasak, and with
the probable uses of the 'bowls.' There
is no sufficient authority for rendering
the original by 'cover.'


ble w shew-bread before me alway
w Lev. 24. 5, 6.
30. Show-bread. Heb. Itl; trn le.
hem panim, bread of faces, or ' bread of
presence (presence bread).' This title
is usually supposed to be derived from
its being continually set before the face
or presence of God, as manifested in his
visible symbol in the sanctuary, and
that too although they were deposited
in the Holy, and not in the Most Holy
place. But the true grounds of the ap.
pellation will be fully considered in the
sequel. The Gr. of the Sept. renders it
by a(prv;s eVWrtovs, fore-placed loaves,
and that of Sym. aprovS rri; irpoOscews,
loaves of proposition, which is the con.
stant reading of Jerome in the Latin
Vulgate. Twelve cakes or loaves of
this bread answering to the twelve
tribes, were set upon the table in two
separate rows of six each, which were
renewed every sabbath; when the old
were taken away and eaten by the
priests. This is not particularly men.
tioned in the present text, supplementary to which is the information more
expressly given, Lev. 24. 5-9, 'And
thou shalt take fine flour, and bake
twelve cakes thereof: two tenth-deals
shall be in one cake. And thou shalt
set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord. And
thou shalt put pure frankincense upon
each row, that it may be on the bread
for a memorial, even an offering made
by fire unto the Lord. Every sabbath
he shall set it in order before the Lord
continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. And it shall be Aaron's and his
sons'; and they shall eat it in the holy
place; for it is most holy unto him of
the offerings of the Lord made by fire
by a perpetual statute.'
Of the spiritual or typical design of
this part of the apparatus of the Taber.
nacle, we cannot speak with much colfidence, because we consider the lull




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXV.


10G


realization of its import, like most
other things pertaining to the Tabernacle and Temple, to be yet future.
They look forward, as we conceive, to
that final earthly consummation of the
Gospel economy which is announced in
the predictions of Scripture under the
title of the New Jerusalem. This state,
we consider as one in which the terrestrial and the celestial are to be merged
together in a manner which we cannot
at present adequately understand. It
is only, therefore, by studying profoundly what is vaguely and mystically
intimated of that coming glorious dispensation, that we can attach their
proper significancy to the various symbols of the Mosaic economy. It is a
period when Christ's kingdom is to be
fully manifested, and he himself says,
Luke 22. 30, that he has a table in his
kingdom, at which all his saints shall
for ever eat and drink with him.  le
will then sup with them and they with
him, and they shall be abundantly satisfied with the goodness of the Lord's
house. As to any more distinct application of these emblems to the particular features, institutions, or ordinances,
of the present Gospel economy, which
may seem to aflord their counterparts,
we are not disposed to object to it, or
deny that it may be well founded, but
for the full and complete substantiation
of the Mosaic shadows we look to the
future.
But we will enter into a little fuller
examination of the subject, and in order
to give as much precision as possible to
our inquiries, it will be necessary to
weigh with the utnmost practical accuracy the import of the title Vt':{~ Vn5
lehem happanim, the bread of the face
or presence. This, as intimated above,
is usually understood as equivalent to the
bread set before Gods face. But whether
this was mainly with the ideal purpose
of being seen by God, i. e. the Shekinah,
dwelling in the holy of holies, or by
men, is not entirely obvious. Accord.


ing to the first supposition, it would be
viewed either merely as a kind of of.
fering presented in token of gratitude
for the daily bread by which life is sus
tained, and upon which Jehovah might
be considered as looking down from his
throne on the mercy-seat with special
complacency; or as directly the ap
parent food of God himself regarded
as theocratic king of Israel, having his
abode in a palace richly furnished with
all the common necessaries and comforts of life. According to the second
hypothesis, the Shew-bread was something which was to be viewed by the
people as a sign of the divine care and
providence in their behalf, intended to
awaken a thankful recollection -of the
source from whence flowed the daily
bread which went to the sustentation of
their natural life. This is the view
taken by Lightfoot and Carpzov. But
to this whole mode of exposition it is
justly objected, that there is no suffi.
cient authority for ascribing to 0.D=n
happanim when standing alone the sense
of before or in the sight or presence of
any thing, as if it were equivalent to
1rP 3r) tnb lehem liphne; Yehovah,
bread before the Lord. It will be observed that the original in the passage
before is, ' and thou shalt set upon the
table '3, 'Dr rnb lehem panim liphnai, bread of Jace before me alway.'
Here then as that which the interpretation we are considering understands
by DPo3 panim, face or presence, is
actually expressed by ":Z liphnai, be.
fore me, it follows that VID= panim
must necessarily convey some other
idea than merely that of proposition or
setting before. The same consequence
follows also from the denomination of
the Table, Num. 4. 7, viz., 'tO't   'lh3
shilhan happanim, table offace or presence. If this article were called the
table of the presence, simply from its
position, what reason can he assigned
why the Candlestick, and more espe.
cially the Altar of Incense which stood




106                          EXODUS.                      LB. C. 1491
between the Table and the Candlestick  ('InDn 1Rt) saved them,' &c. So also
and still more directly in front of the Ex. 33. 14, 15, 'And he said, My presthrone than either, should not equally he ence (.1. panai) shall go with thee,
distinguished by the same epithet? Yet and I will give thee rest. And he said
we nowhere find them so denominated, unto him, ifthy presence (.'tz pnn'lea)
though it is said of the Altar, Lev. 16. 18, go not with me, carry us not up hence!
ItlhP    bi5 t'MIT  asher liphnie Yehovah, Compare with this Deut. 4. 37, 'And be.
which is before the Lord; from which it cause he loved thy fathers, therefore'he
appears how the original expresses it- chose their seed after them, and brought
self, when it would convey the idea so thee out in his sight (T':rZ bepanav,
erroneously attributed to  DtUi/ hap- with, by, or through his presence; i. e.
panim.                              the angel of his presence), with his
On the same grounds, we are con- mighty power out of Egypt.' But the
strained to reject the idea of the Shew. Angel of the divine Face or Presence,
bread's being intended as an offering of whom God says, 'my name is in
and sign of national thankfulness for na- him,' we have before shown to be no
tional favors. For if it received on this other than the Shekinah or the visible
account the predicate 12'i,, the ques- manifestation of Jehovah, as he was
tion immediately occurs, as before, why anciently pleased  to make himself
this predicate is applied to the Table known to his people. His essential beand not to the Altar of Incense, which ing will no doubt for ever remain inno less than the Table,tood before the scrutable to created intelligences. If
Lord in the holy place? And as to its he reveals himself it must be through
serving as a visible remembrancer of the some medium which will bring him
divine providence towards the chosen measurably within the comprehension
people, how is this consistent with the of his creatures. This medium he decircumstance of its being placed in the' nominates his face or presence; and as
sacred apartment, entirely hidden from  the human face is the principal means
public view, and visible only to the of revealing the inward being and cha.
priests in the discharge of their offices? racter of a man, so the Shekinah is
How could that be a visible sign which called the face of God, inasmuch as it
was not seen? And why should that is through this medium that the Divinity
bread which, from its symbolic rela- comes within the sphere of human cog.
tions, might be readily presumed to nition. Now let it be borne in mind
point forward to a future spiritual sus- that the Shekinah, i. e. the Angel of
tenance, be understood as emblematic the Presence, is but the Old Testament
of a present physical aliment daily sup- designation of Christ, and the phrase
plied by a bounteous providence?   PDeD tn, lehem panim, bread of the
We are thrown then upon another in- presence, is brought into immediate
terpretation of the phrase before us, and identity of import with bread of Christ,
though the idea which we suppose to who was the true presence indicated by
be conveyed by it is somewhat complex, the term. But what is the bread of Christ
yet we flatter ourselves with being able but that divine spiritual sustenance
to make it intelligible. It is clear that which maintains the inner, higher, and
the expression in the original t'n:t nr  eternal life of his believing followers?
lehem panim, bread of the presence, is In order then to gain a full apprehen.
strikingly analogous with tI3   a2t sion of the purport of the Table of
malak panim, angel of the presence, Is. Shew-bread and its mystic loaves, we
63. 9, 'In all their affliction he was af- must have recourse to such passages as
flicted, and the angel of his presence the following; John, 6. 32-58, 'Then




B. C. 1491.J


CHAPTER XXV.


31 ~ x And thou shalt make a canx ch 37. 17. 1 Kings, 7. 49. Zech. 4. 2.
llebr. 9.2. Rev. 1. 12. & 4. 5.






diestick of pure gold: of beaten
work shall the candlestickbe made:


-


Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I
say unto you, Moses gave you not that
bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For
the bread of God is he which cometh
down from heaven, and giveth life unto
the world. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life.
Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the
bread which cometh down from heaven,
that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
I am the living bread which came down
from heaven: if any man eat of this
bread, he shall live for ever: and the
bread that I will give is my flesh, which
I will give for the life of the world.
The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give
us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said
unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son
of man, and drink his blood, ye have no
life in you.  Whoso eateth imy flesh,
and drinketh my blood, hath eternal
life; and I will raise him up at the last
day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and
my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,
dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the
living Father hath sent me, and I live
by the Father: so he that eateth me,
even he shall live by me. This is that
bread which came down from heaven:
not as your fathers did eat manna, and
are dead: he that eateth of this bread
shall live for ever.'
Now it is well known that this is the
great evangelical truth which is significantly shadowed forth in the sacramental bread of the Lord's Supper, the
lively emblem of that spiritual aliment
which he gives to his faithful household.
The mystery of the Table of Shew-bread
is substantially the same with that of the
Table spread with the emblems of the




Lord's body and blood. It was a sensible and lively, though still inadequate
'shew' of the nourishment of that holy,
hidden, spiritual life which is to be consummated in that coming world of glory, where the face of God will be revealed without a cloud, in joyful fore.
sight of which the Psalmist exclaims
Ps. 17. 15, 'As for me, I shall behold
thy face in righteousness; I shall be
satisfied, when I awake with thy likeness,'-a plain allusion to the beatific
vision in heaven. Then shall his servants 'see his face,' and because they
shall 'see him as he is,' therefore shall
they 'be like him.' 'In his presence is
fullness of joy, and at his right hand
are pleasures for evermore.' This rav.
ishing and transforming view of the
glorious presence of the Lord shall be
an eternal feast to the blessed beholders, and it is doubtless from the intimate ideal relation between this seeing
and eating that the bread of the Tabernacle is called the bread of the face or
presence. The whole points directly to
Christ, and is fulfilled only in him when
he shall come the second time without
sin unto salvation, shedding the light
of his countenance in one endless and
soul-.satisfying blaze upon his redeemed
ones.  Their vision shall be eternal
fruition. Thus we have obtained a
view of the subject which shows the intimate connexion of the ideas of 'Bread'
and 'Face' or 'Presence,' and with how
much propriety the adjunct tro3 panim
is applied to the Tabernacle-table, while
it is withheld from any other article of
the sacred furniture.
THE CANDLESTICK.
31. Thou shalt make a candlestick.
Heb. rh)73 menorath, a candelabrum
a lamp-bearer. As 'candlestick' with
us imports but a single upright shaft,
the term fails to give us an idea at all


i




108


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491,


adequate of the construction of this
article of the Tabernacle furniture. It
consisted of a base or shaft, with
seven branches, three on each side, and
one in the middle. These branches were
all parallel to one another, and were
worked out in bowls, knobs (knops),
and flowers, placed alternately, of
which we shall shortly give a more
particular description. On the extremity of each branch was a golden lamp,
whose light was supplied by pure olive
oil, prepared in a peculiar way, as
will be seen by the Note on Ex. 27. 20.
This Candlestick, which is affirmed by
Josephus to have been hollow within,
was wholly of pure gold, and weighed
a talent (about 1251bs.), although no.
thing is said of its height, thickness,
or any of its dimensions.   Nor is
mention made of any kind of foot or
pediment on which it rested, though
we cannot doubt that it had one. The
Jewish writers suppose that its height
was about double that of the Table of
Shew-bread and of the Altar of Incense,
which would give it a very majestic appearance, and probably require a stool
for lighting and trimming it, while at
the same time it was not so much raised
as to endanger the curtain-roof of the
Tabernacle. It was placed on the south
or left hand side of the holy place, as
one entered, the row of lamps being
probably parallel with the wall, though
Lightfoot thinks that that described,
Rev. 1. 12, 13, was perpendicular to it.
It is a point, however, which it is difficult to determine, and about which the
Rabbinical writers are not agreed. The
oil for the seven lamps was to be supplied in such quantities as to keep them
always burning. It is indeed imagined
by some expositors that they did not
perpetually burn, but were lighted every
evening and went out one after another
in the morning, an opinion which is no
doubt favored at first view by several
passages in the sacred writers. Thus
for instance in 1 Sam. 3. 3, mention is


made of the lamp of God going out in
the Temple; and in 2 Chron. 13. 11, we
read of 'setting in order the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to
burn every evening.' So also in Ex. 30.
7, 8, it is mentioned as the duty of the
priest to 'dress' the lamps every morning, and to 'light' them every evening
But then on the other hand in the paralle
text, Lev. 24. 2, it is said that the lamps
were to burn continually, and though
this term is not in itself absolutely decisive of the fact, as continually is often
used in the sense of regularly, statedly,
yet when we add the authority of Josephus, who was himself a priest, and
not likely to be ignorant on this subject, it would seem to put the matter
beyond question. He says expressly
that the lamps continued to burn day
and night. And there would seem in
fact to have been a necessity for this,
unless the priests ministered in the
dark; for as there were no windows in
the Tabernacle, light could only be ad.
mitted through the curtained entrance
at the east or unboarded end; and unless that entrance were left open, which
we do not learn that it was, the holy
place might have been so dark as to
render artificial light not less requisite
by day than by night. At any rate, it
is obvious that the most holy place,
where the Ark lay, was entirely dependent for light, when it had any, up.
on the lamps of the golden Candlestick.
This fact explains another allusion in
reference to the heavenly city in the
Apocalypse, the connexion of which
with the holy of holies we have endeavored to show on a preceding page.
In Rev. 22. 5, it is said, 'And there
shall be no night there; and they need
no candle, neither light of the sun; for
the Lord God giveth them light.' In
this respect the substance differed front
the shadow. The typical heaven needed the artificial light of the lamps of
the Candlestick; the anti-typical did
not. 'The Larrb is the light thereof.'




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXV.


109


his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, his flowers, shall
be of the same.
Having thus given a general view of the tinguishing parts of plants and trees,
plan and uses of the golden Candlestick, indicating a striking affinity in its struc
we enter upon the more minute descrip- ture, with the forms of the vegetable
tion of its individual parts.       world. The reason of this singular fact
Of beaten work. Heb. nit~   mik- we shall hope to elucidate in our re.
shah, of hard or solid work; i. e. made marks on the typical import of the
of the solid material, having no wood- Candlestick. In the present case the
work about it, though Josephus repre. original term, though singular in form,
sents it as being hollow. Our present has really a plural import, being inrendering 'beaten work' is peculiarly tended to denote all the branches col.
unfortunate, as it leads the reader to lectively, as appears from  the next
suppose that several of the most ex- verse, and from the Greek rendering
quisite fabrics of the Tabernacle were KaXapIaa-Kot, little reeds or canes.  Oi
wrought out by a process of beating' these the middle one, constituting the
with a harnmmer, than which nothing, we main trunk of it, was of course the most
conceive, can be farther from the fact, as important. And hence in v. 33, 34, and
they were undoubtedly cast in moulds. Chron. 3. 20, it is actually called by the
So far as the present term is concerned, name (n37:2 menorah) of the whole
which is used several times in the narra. Candlestick. It is not indeed expressly
tive, it is designed to acquaint us solely so distinguished in the present text, and
with the character of the mnaterial, and the reason we suppose to be, that all
not with the process offormation. See i the lower part of the stock or trunk up
the remarks above on the use of the to the point where the different arms
term, v. 18, in reference to the construe- branched off, three on either side, was
tion of the Cherubim.-  T His shaft. called I"D  yerek, or thigh. Of the
Heb. rnOT   yeri'kah, her shaft; and so thickness of the central or the side
in all the following terms, l kanah, branches we have no intimation, but
her branches, &c., instead of 'his.' The Jarchi and Abenezra agree with Jose.
original term '1' yerek, properly sig- phus, who denominates them Xarrovg,
nifies a thigh, but here is understood by slender. — T His bowls. Heb. 3ee.
the Rabbins of the base or thick lower gebia, calyx or cup; so called from its
part on which the main branch (~]p)  resemblance to that part of the plant
rested and from which it rose. We from which the flower springs. The
suppose, therefore, the term 'l" yerek Gr. however has Kparrjpes, bowls, and
to have been applied to that thick and the Vulg. scyphos, cups, from which the
massive portion of the stock which ex- English rendering has flowed. The
tended upwards from the foot or bot- appendages here called 'bowls,' iknops,'
tom to the point where the lowermost and I flowers,' were mere ornamental
pair of branches separated.- IT His devices, intended, it would seem, to
branches. Heb. ij kanah, herbranch. give to each of the branches the ap.
The word properly signifies a reed or pearance of a succession of fruits and
cane, which each of the branches prob- flowers. As to the form of the bowls'
ably somewhat resembled; indeed no. it is clear from v. 33, that they had
thing is more remarkable, as we shall some relation to the ( almond,' but in
soon see, throughout this description of what respect, it is not easy to deter.
the Candlestick, than the employment mine. The phrase in the original is
of terms evidently drawn from the dis..t" 't  Y V l ti l gebiim meshukkadim.
Vor,. II.       10




110


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


which is to be literally rendered cups
made orfigured almond-wise, by which
perhaps is to be understood nothing
more than that this calyx-shaped ornament was to be fashioned in imitation
of the calyx of the almond, rather than
of any other plant. The expression is
less likely to have denoted the flower
of the almond, because the flower-work
is denoted by another term, and because
the term 'almond-wise' is in some way
inseparably connected with the orig.
inal foi cups or bowls, as if to indicate
their form. For this purpose the calyx
would be much more suitable than
the corolla.  But it may be asked
whether the bowls were not shaped
like thefruit or nut of the almond, the
shell of which when divided into its
halves presents the appearance of small
scolloped vessels like our spoons. To
C
o       /j
J ^


this we can only say, that if such ap.
pendages were intended as containing
vessels, they would not only be useless
in the place which they occupied,-for
what were they to hold?-but would
be very unsightly and out of keeping as
ornaments. If, moreover, they were in.
tended to represent the fruit of the almond, then besides the intrinsic inap
prolriateness of the term, they would
trench upon what we suppose to have
been the design of the ' knops,' which
is soon to be explained. On the whole,
therefore, we seem to be shut up to
the conclusion stated above, that the
' howls' were exquisitely wrought orna.
ments in the shape of the calyx of the
almond flower; and the annexed cut of
the blossoms, flowers, and fruit of this
plant may essentially aid our conception of this part of the workmanship.


TIE ALsONTD.
His knops.   Heb. b'lr'rn    kaph- biblical usage.   It is only in Amos,
lorim. Gr. qalapwrarpEs, spheres. Vulg. 9. 1, and Zeph. 2. 14, that  1rt: kapho
sphaErulas, little spheres. The term here tor, occurs, in the first of which it is
employed receives but little light from  rendered 'door' and in the other ' la




, '. C.  1L.]


CHIAPTER XXV.


1ll


tel,' and doubtless erroneously in lotli. di ct slpport from what is said Num.
It is prob;tbly to be unclerstoccd ill cacli 17.,,I' the budding and blossoming
case of some round moulding, rou's jf of AXirol's rod  'Andi it came to pass
knobs, or other architectural ornallcnl s on Ithe iorrow Moses went into the
of spherical forn  about the heads of' tabeirnale of witness; and, behold, the
pillars.. The Rabbins with somewhat rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was
remarkable unanimity interpret it here budded (in,  parah), and broughtforth
by 'apple,' and Josephus expressly buds (piD     l"' yotze   perah), and
likens it to the 'pomegranate' (granate- bloomed  blossoms, and yielded alapple), of which a cut and a full ac- monds.' In both passages we find r1D
count is given hereafter; and we learn perah used in connexion with the al
from 1 Kings, 7. 18, that the chapiters mond, and we shall see in the sequel
of the pillars in Solomon's Temple were that the evidence in favor of this inter
adorned with pomegranates. Maimon- pretation is much increased by what
ides says, 'The kaphtor had the figure will be shown to have been the spiritual
of a little globe, yet not exactly round, or typical uses of the Candlestick.
but somewhat oblong, like an egg.' He  As to the manner in which this threedoes not, however, it will be observed, fold variety of ornament was arranged
recognise any allusion to the form of relatively to each other on the branches,
the pomegranate, and as the proper the text is not free from ambiguity. If
Hebrew for pomegranate is not ng     our conception of the form were governkaphtor, but  h'1w rimmon, we incline ed solely by what is said v. 33, we
to think that the shelled fruit of the should perhaps infer that there was but
almond itself is intended, which the one knop and one flower to the three
reader will perceive bears a striking re- bowls on each of the branches, as the
semblance to the form of an egg, and two former are expressed by words in
was well calculated for a decoration of the singular, while 'bowls' is in the
such a fabric as the Candlestick. We plural. Yet upon comparing the subunderstand then by the term in this con- sequent verses, and making up our idea
nexion those rounded spherical suells of the whole, we cannot well resist the
or knobs occurring alternately with the conclusion, that the bowls, knops, and
calyxes and flowers, along the length flowers formed together one complex
Df the several branches, and which   ornament which was three times rewere expressly intended to represent peated on each of the six side-branches,
some kind of fruit; and that fruit, and four times on the central one. And
if we rightly conceive of the mat- thus we have represented them in the
ter, was the nut of the almond. —    annexed original draft of the CandleIT His flowers.  Heb. n'n&D perahe- stick, in which the reader will recognise
hah. Gr. Kpeva, lillies. Vulg. lilia; and the results of the foregoing researches
so also Maimonides and Josephus. But and reasonings. It will be found to difthe word in the original is the general fer very considerably from the model
word for flowers, or rather for the blos  given in the Candlestick represented on
soms of trees; and we have nothing to the Arch of Titus. But it is to be remem.
guide us, in fixing upon any particular bered that the utensils carried away by
species. Yet as the other connected Vespasian were not the same with those
terms have a dominant reference to the made by Moses; and Josephus says the
almond tree, we seem to discover an Candlestick was tspecially altered from
intrinsic probability that the allusion is its original form. The Mosaic Candlethe same in the case before us; and stick was transferred to the Temple and
this suggestion receives perhaps an in- lost in the Babylonish uaptivity.




.12


EXODUS.


[B. C..1491.


32 And six branches shall come almonds, with a knop and a flower
out ofthe sidesofit; three branches in one branch; and three bowls
of the candlestick out of the one made like almonds in the other
side, and three branches of the can- branch, with a knop and a flower:
diestick out of the other side:  so in the six branches that come
33 Three bowls made like unto out of the candlestick.


THE GOLDEN CANDLESTICK.


As the Candlestick of the Tabernacle
forms a constituent part of a system
preeminently symbolical and typical,
no good reason can be assigned why it
should not, like the other sacred things
with which it is connected, possess a
meaning suited to the economy of which
it formed a part. Its adaptation to its
primary or material uses is evident;
and equally obvious, if we mistake not,
will appear its fitness to the spiritual
ends which it was intended to answer.
In the attempt to ascertain and settle
these upon satisfactory grounds, it will
be important to draw largely upon vari.
ous portions of holy writ, through which
the light of the Tabernacle-lamps shines
more or less distinctly, and from the
concentrated rays of which we are to
deduce its ultimate scope. The inquiry
naturally divides itself into two dis.


tinct heads, the one in reference to
the typical purport of the Lignts, the
other, that of the Candlestick viewed
as a whole composed of its shaft and
branches.
(1.) The Lights. As our grand object in this part of the investigation
is, to obtain the unequivocal sanction
of the Scriptures themselves for the solution which we propose to give to the
symbol before us, we are naturally re.
ferred to those passages where an express mention of the Candlestick occurs, or which contain such allusions
to its mystical import as will serve to
guide us to correct conclusions. Several
such places may be cited from which
it will appear that Light, in its most
genuine usage as a symbol, stands for
knowledge, or rather that kind of sacred intelligence or moral illumination




B. C. 1491.]           CHAPTER XXV.                       113
34 And in the candlestick shall  monds, with their knops and their
he four bowls made like unto al- flowers.


which has for its object the things of
God, and for its author the Holy Spirit,
the great fountain of all spiritual light.
The remarks of Pres. Edwards in his
'Notes on the Bible' may be pertinently
cited in this connexion. 'In the golden
Candlestick that stood before the throne,
on the left side was a representation
both of the Holy Spirit and of the
Church.  The pure oil olive that etd
the lamps is indisputably a type of the
Holy Ghost; and it is evident, from
Rev. 4. 5, compared with chap. 1.4, and
v. 6, and Zech. 3. 9, and 4. 2, 6, 10. The
burning of the lamp represent.s that divine, infinite, pure energy and ardlor
wherein the Holy Spirit conlsists. The
light of the lamrps filling the Tabernacle with light which had no vindows,
and no light but of those lamlls, represents the divine, blessed conlmunication and influence of the Spirit of
God, replenishing the church and filling
heaven with the ligllt of' divine knowledge in olpposition to the darkness of
ignorance and delusion, with the light
of holiness in opposition to the darkness of sin, and with the light of comfort and joy in opposition to the darkness of sorrow and nlisery. '
As this light however is commnunicated for the most part through the intervention of certain agencies set apart
for that purpose, it is quite natural that
it should be symbolically exhibited in
concentrated form, in those artificial
luminaries with which all men are familiar. The light of the Tabernacle
answers to the light of the church; and
the light of the church is the light of
the Spirit of God dispensed through such
mnedia as it has pleased infinite wisdom to adopt. Of these the sacred ministry is perhaps the chief; and thou(gh
the ministers of Christ shine with a borrowed lustre, merely reflecting, like
mirrors, the rays of the great fountain
10*


of light, yet we see a peculiar propriety
and lelicity in their being symbolised by
the lamps or lights of the golden Candlestick. This will appear more strikingly evident by recurrence to the mystic
scenery of the Apocalypse. In the opening vision of that book, chap. 1. John,
hearing a voice behind him turns and
beholds seven golden candlesticks and
in tlle midst of them one like unto the
Son of Man clothed with a long priestly tunic or robe, and girt about the
breast with a golden girdle. This indicated that the character in which he
now appeared was a priestly character,
and that the action which lie performed
was a priestly action. What this action
was and what it was designed to shadow
forth, will be easily inferred from the
circurmstances of tlle vision. Tlie scene
of it is undoubtedly laid in the outer
room or holy place of the Tabernacle,
where the priests were wont to officiate,
and where among other things it was the
duty of some one of tile number to see
to the lighting, trimming, and snuffing
the lamps of tlhe golden Candllestick,
which was done just as it began to grow
dark in the evening. Imagine the apos.
tle~then, about the hour of twilight,
standing without, near the entrance of
the holy place, and looking in to the
further endi of tile room, and there be.
holding the Great High Priest of tile
Christian Church occupied about the
lights of the seven distinct golden can.
dlesticks into which the one large candelabrum of tlhe Tabernacle is multiplied under the New Testament economy. These lights thus seen from a dis.
tance in a room otherwise dark woulc/
have very much the appearance of stars,
and it would be scarcely a stretch of:langrage to say that the person em.
ployed in trimming and dressing the
lamps, with his hand passing to and fro
from one to tlhe other, held the stars in




114


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


his right hand. Such at any rate we
doubt not was the imagery presented to
the entranced perception of the seer,
and as the action was unquestionably
symbolic, our next object is to ascertain its meaning. But to this we have
a luminous clue in the words of the divine hierophant himself v. 19,20, 'Write
the things which thou hast seen, and the
things which are, and the things which
shall be hereafter; the mystery of the
seven stars which thou sawest in my
right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels
of the seven churches: and the seven
candlesticks which thou sawest are the
seven churches.' Here then we learn
that the seven stars are the seven angels
of the seven churches, while the seven
Candlesticks are the churches themselves. But the angels of the churches
are, in symbolical diction, the ministers,
the elders, the collective pastorship, of
the churches; and as we have shown the
stars and the lights or lamps to be
equivalent symbols, it follows that the
lights set upon the respective Candlesticks are the spiritual teachers, the
moral luminaries, appointed to impart
spiritual and moral light to the churches.
Viewed in connexion with this, how
striking is our Savior's language, Mat.
5. 15, as applied to ministers of the gospel, to whom it was no doubt primarily intended to apply, 'Neither do men
light a candle and put it under a bushel,
but on a candlestick; and it giveth light
to all that are in the house.' But the
Apocalyptic visionings referred to require still farther explication.  John
not only saw the emblematic objects
and action described, but he received a
command also which disclosed the drift
of the whole. He was ordered to address, in the name of Christ, seven epistles to the seven Asiatic Churches filled
with reproofs, counsels, admonitions,
and urgent exhortations, the design of
which was to revive the decaying light,
or in ot.er words to quicken the lanl

guishing graces, both of the pastors and
people of those churches, which from
being embraced in the number of universality (seven) appear to have stood as
rprpresentatives of all Christian churches
dow.n through the successive periods ol
time to the era of his second coming
This work, therefore, put forth by John
in the name of Christ upon the churches
by these epistles was the very work
which was symbolically represented by
the action of the Savior in trimming
and dressing the lamps of the golden
candlesticks. Each epistle was the application of the symbolical snuffers to
each of the churches; but in a more es.
pecial manner to the ministers or teachers of the churches.
We gather from this explanation the
clearest evidence of the truth of our
main position, that the material lights
of the Candlestick represented the spiritual lights of the church. The same
view of this symbolical fabric applies
to the object presented under some circumstantial varieties of form and aspect
in the vision of Zechariah, ch. 4. 1-3,
'And the angel that talked with me
came again, and waked me, as a man
that is wakened out of his sleep, and
said unto me, What seest thou? And
I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick, all of gold, with a bowl upon
the top of it, and his seven lamps there
on, and seven pipes to the seven lamps,
which are upon the top thereof; and
two olive-trees by it, one upon the right
side of the bowl, and the other upon
the left side thereof.' The candlestick
seen by the prophet differed from that
made by Moses by being surmounted by
a bowl, out of which, as from a reservoir
the oil was conducted through golden
pipes to each of the lamps; and this
bowl was moreover supplied by oil that
flowed in a peculiar manner through
two branches of two olive-trees standing on either side of the Candlestick,
v. 11-14. This part of the vision especially attracted the curiosity and in.




B. C. 1491.]              CHAPTER      XXV.                       115
terest of the prophet. 'Then answered the two candlesticks is here expressly
I, and said unto him, What are these asserted by the Holy Ghost. How vain,wo olive-trees upon the right side of then must be every attempt to settle the
the candlestick and upon the left side significancy of these mystic agents ol
thereof? And I answered again, and the Apocalypse without first determinsaid unto him, What be these two olive ing the genuine import of the Old Testabranches which through the two golden ment imagery here depicted? This we
pipes empty the golden oil out of them- have endeavored to do in the foregoing
selves? And he answered me and said, remarks, and just in proportion to the
Knowest thou not what these be? And evidence there adduced of the truth of
I said, No, my lord. Then said he, our explanation is the evidence that by
These are the two anointed ones (Heb. the ' two witnesses' of John is meant
'sons of oil'), that stand by the Lord the Scriptures and the Churches-that
of the whole earth.' These variations is, the true, genuine, duly constituted
from the Mosaic model are certainly apostolical churches-which have in
very remarkable; still in general sig- fact been in all ages, except when sup.
nificancy we have no doubt the symbol pressed, the main witnesses of God to the
in each case is the same. The Candle- eyes and ears of corrupt and apostate
stick with its branches and its lighted christendom. In the prophecy of the
lamps, represents the church in its mul- Apocalypse it is clearly announced that
tildied unity, as a medium for shedding the evil predominance of a great Antiatlroad the beams of revealed truth christian power, called the Beast, should
amidst the darkness of a benighted avail to cause these witnesses to proph.
world.  But as the natural light of esy in sackcloth, or in an embarrasslamps is sustained by oil, so spiritual ed condition, for the space of twelve
light is sustained by truth. Truth is hundred and sixty years, and at last for
its appropriate and genuine pabulum; a short period to suppress them altoand in the imagery of the vision before gether; after which they were again to
us, the obvious design is to represent rise from their extinction and recomthe manner in which the churches are rnence in an open, public, and acknowfurnished with the nourishment of truth. ledged manner the exercise of their sus.
Is not this from  the Scriptures of pended functions. This is undoubtedly
truth, and are not the Old and New  the great truth which the Imagery was
Testaments strikingly and adequately intended to shadow forth, and for the
shadowed forth by the two olive-trees verification of this truth we are thrown
out of which the mystic oil was elabor- upon the resources of history. But this
ated and conveyed to its golden recep- process we must necessarily leave to be
tacles? Here then we have the true followed out by others. It constitutes
clue to the ' two witnesses' of the Rev- the appropriate province of the expositor
elation, ch. 11. 3, 4. 'And I will give of the Apocalypse.
power unto my two witnesses, and they  To the reader who would desire a
shall prophesy a thousand two hundred more full expansion of the idea here adand threescore days, clothed in sack- vanced respecting the typical import of
cloth. These are the two olive-trees, the Lights of the golden candlestick,
and the two candlesticks standing be- we have great pleasure In recommend.
fore the God of the earth.' The two ing 'Stonard's Commentary on the Vi.
witnesses are two kinds of witnesses, sion of Zechariah,' Lond. 1824, an abone of each, but most intimately re- stract of which will be found in Robin.
lated to each other, and their symbolical son's edition of Calmet, under the article
identity with the two olive-trees and 'Candlestick.' This work exhibits one




116


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


of the most admirable specimens of the
sober and scriptural interpretation of
prophetic symbols to be found in the
English or any other language. The
German treatise also of Balir, entitled
'Symbolik des Mosaischen Cultus,' will
be found an important auxiliary in this
field of Biblical exposition. It is exceedingly desirable that both these
works should be made accessible to the
mass of English readers of the Scriptures. Our own conclusions, however,
have been arrived at by a process conducted for the most part independently
of either.
(2.) The Candlestick. To the symbolical purport of the Candlestick, considered more particularly in reference
to its construction with ornamented
shaft and branches, we have already
obtained a clue in the express declaration of the Savior to John; 'The mystery of the seven candlesticks is the
seven churches.' Since then a candlestick in general is the scriptural symbol
of a church, a candlestick with seven
branches must be the symbol of the universal church, spread abroad through
all its numerous particular congregations, each one in its allotted station,
shining through both its members and
ministers, and giving light to the world.
For the number seven being used by the
sacred writers to denote not merely an
indefinite multitude, but totality and perfection, the seven branches are doubtless to be understood as denoting all
the various and dispersed congregations
of the great spiritual body; while their
all proceeding from one shaft plainly
imlplies, that all those congregations
are united in the one body of the universal church. ' In this character,' says
Stonard, ' the church began to show itself, when the children of Israel, grown
into a numerous people, were first collected and incorporated into a regularly
formed body of believers in the true
God, obeying, serving, and worshipping
him according to his known will; and


yet more conspicuously, when they were
planted in the land of Canaan and spread
over it, presenting to view many congregations of religious persons, spirit.
ually united in one general conmmunity.
The unity thereof was sufficiently guarded by the unity of the tabernacle, and
afterwards of the temple in 'the place,
which God had chosen to put his name
there.' At the same time, there were
doubtless many synagogues scattered
over the whole country, somewhat in the
nature of our parish churches, wherein
the several congregations met to celebrate divine worship and receive religious instruction. The Jewish church
still more completely answered to this
symbol, on the return from the Babylonian captivity, when in almost all
cities, towns, and populous villages,
synagogues were erected and numerous congregations assemibled, professing the belief, service, and worship of
the true God, reading, teaching, preaching, and hearing his holy word; and
that not within the narrow bounds of
Palestine only, but through almost every
part of the civilized world. But doubtless the real, proper, perfect antitype
of the Candlestick is to be found in the
Christian church, when the gospel was
published and its light diffused among
all the nations of the world, illuminat.
ing its dark corners with the knowledge
of truth and salvation.'
As to the material of this remarkable
fabric, it is described to be of pure gold
in all its parts and appendages; and in
the vision of Zechariah the oil by which
its light was supplied is termed 'golden
oil,' from its perfectly pure consistency,
which resembled it to liquid gold. Now
it is well known that gold is the most
beautiful and precious of all metals.
and no one needs to be reminded of the
happy adaptation of this substance to
represent the church, that object which
of all others that the earth contains, is
beyond comparison the most excellent,
precious, and glorious in the sight of




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXV.


117


God, whose judgment is according to
truth.
It only remains to account for the
stock and branches being wrought in
such exquisite resemblance to the leading parts of the almond-tree, from which
the mod.l of its fruits and flowers appears to have been derived. The mention of the almond-tree is not of infrequent occurrence in the Scriptures, and
it would  set'ill,  loOlll its  pwculi:ir,. ical properties, to be well adapted to
stand among moral emblems as symbolical of that spiritual prosperity,
thrift, vigor, and early productiveness,
which we naturally associate with our
ideas of the operations of divine principles in the souls of the riglteous. Its
Hebrew name 'l J shakid comes from
7   J3V  shakad, to make haste, to be
in a hurry, and thence especially to
awake early, to be vigilant, to watch.
The almond-tree therefore is called
1-'gJ shakCd,  quia prima inter arbores evigilat,' because it.awakes before all other trees from its winter's repose. In southern climates it flowers
often in the month of January, and by
March brings its fruit to maturity. Such
a tree, of which it is said Fccl. 12. 5,
'the almond-tree shall flourish,' naturally forms a very suitable emblem of
the vigorous vitality of the people of
God, who are like 'a tree planted by
the rivers of waters, which bringeth
forth his fruit in his season, and his
leaf doth not fade.' We do not indeed
find it any where expressly affirmed that
such is the designed import of figures
and illustrations drawn from this member of the vegetable kingdom, but we
do find it introduced into the sacred
things for some reason or other, and
this reason we are doubtless left to deduce from the intrinsic adaptedness of
its properties to the end in view. Thus
we are told, Num. 17.6-8, that 'Moses
spake unto the children of Israel, and
every one of their princes gave him a
rod apiece, for each prince one, accord.


ing to their fathers' house, even twelve
rods: and the rod of Aaron was among
their rods. And Moses laid up the rods
before the Lord in the tabernacle of
witness. And it came to pass, that on
the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and behold, the rod
of Aaron for the house of Levi was
budded, and brought forth buds, and
bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.'
I"  hlis  \wis  sli:,flowcd  fo h l   Ite  frict,
that the priestly olice, in the fruits and
flowers of its functions, should bloom
and flourish in the family of Aaron;
and we have here only to transfer the
essential significancy of the symbol to
the body of Christians to see its applicability to the work of the goiden
Candlestick. But waving all attempts
to account with assurance for the employment of the almond-tree rather than
any other in this relation, the main
fact remains indisputable, that blossoms,
flowers, and fruits were wrought into
the ornamental work of the branches,
and that a symbolical intention governed this part of the workmanship. Now
we have se-n that the Candlestick, in
its New Testament bearings, represents
the Churches of Christ. But the churches
are composed of Christians, and Christians are a flouer-decked and fruit.
bearing people. They are distinguish.
ed by the beautifying graces of the
Holy Spirit, fitly represented byflowers,
and by the substantial fruits of holy
living. 'Every branch in me that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may
bring forth more fruit.' A multitude
of passages will at once occur to the
reader, in which comparisons drawn
from plants are made use of in order to
portray more vividly the leading attri.
butes of the Christian character. Why
then should not a similar device, ad.
dressed to the eye, have been Inwrought
into the structure of a symbol express.
ly designed to adumbrate the churchet
of the saints? Is it a mere work of
fancy to recognise a meaning worthy




118


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


35 And there shall be a knop under
two branches of the same, and a
knop under two branches of the
same, and    a knop    under two
branches of the same, according to
the six branches that proceed out
of the candlestick.
36 Their knops and their branches
of the subject and worthy of its divine
Author in the unique decoration of this
remarkable portion of the Mosaic apparatus?  It was, at any rate, a view
of the subject which commended itself
to the gifted mind of Edwlards, who thus
comments upon the passage before us;
' The Candlestick was like a tree of
many branches, and bearing flowers and
fruit, agreeable to the very frequent representations of the church by a tree, an
olive-tree, a vine, a grain of mustardseed that becomes a tree, the branch
of the Lord, a tree whose substance
is in it, &c. The continuance and propagation of the church is compared to
the propagation of branches from  a
common stock and root, and of plants
from the seed. In this Candlestick,
every flower is attended with a knop,
apple, or pomegranate, representing a
good profession attended with corresponding fruit in the true saints. Here
were rows of knops and flowers one
after another, beautifully representing
the saints' progress of religious attainments, their going from strength to
strength. Such is the nature of true
grace and holy fruit, that it bears flowers that promise a further degree of
fruit, the flowers having in it the prin.
ciples of new fruit, and by this progress
in holiness, the saint comes to shine as
a light in the world.' Notes on the Bible, p. 265, For a still further confirmation of the truth of this solution,
see Notes on Ex. 28. 33-35, respecting
the pomegranates and bells on the robe
of the ephod of the high priest.-We
now resume the thread of our annotations.


shall be of the same: all of it shall
be one beaten work of pure gold.
37 And thou shalt make the seven
lamps thereof: and y they shall
light the lamps thereof, that they
may z give light over against it.
y ch. 26. 21. & 30. 8. Lev, 24. 3, 4. 3 Chron.
13. 11. z Numb. 8.2.
35. A knop under tuo branches, &c.
From this being thrice repeated it would
seem to import that, beginning from the
bottom pair of branches, there was to be
on the main shaft one knop under each
pair, near where it branched out, which
would leave one knop with its bowl and
flower to ornament the upper part of
the shaft, between the upper pair of
branches and the middle lamp.
36. Shall be of the same. That is,
of the same material; all pure solid
gold.
37. Thou shalt make the seven lamps
thereof. Shalt cause to be made. By
'lamps' here is meant the lamp-sconces
or receptacles for holding the oil, attached to the upper extremity of the
shaft and each of the branches. This
is rendered in the Gr. by v)'Xvot, lamps.
--      And they shall light, &c. Heb.
niDY  healah, he shall cause to ascend;
i. e. he, the priest; whose duty it was
to attend the Candlestick.  Yet the
phrase is collective implying the succession of priests, and therefore proper.
ly enough rendered in the plural in out
translation. The rendering ' shall light;
is rather a paraphrase than a literal
version. The meaning of the original
will be plain if we bear in mind that
the Ilamps' or sconces were to be detached and taken down from their sockets in the top of the Candlestick. When
they were cleaned, filled with oil, and
lighted, they were to be put up again
in their places, and this is the exact
sense of the Heb. rin~   to make to
ascend, i. e. to raise, to elevate. Gr.
esritf noct rov()v Xvntov, thou shalt put on
the lamps. So also the Vulg. 'Thou




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXV.


38 And the tongs thereof, and the  40 And a look that thou make
snuff-dishes thereof, shall be of pure them  after their pattern, which
gold.                              was shewed thee in the mount.
39 Of a talent of pure gold shall  a ch. 26. 30 Numb. 8. 4. 1 Chron. 28. 11, 19
he make it, with all these vessels. Acts 7. 4. I ebr. 8. 5.


shalt set them upon the Candlestick.'
As the lamps were thus put up in a
lighted state, it is easy to see how the
term came to be rendered by the verb
to light.  When the lamps were all
lighted below, and duly raised up to
their proper places, the Candlestick
might be said to be lighted. —  Give
light over against it. Ileb. L.S '.Y
'^:.D al iber paneha, over against the
face thereof; i. e. right forward, or
straight before it, as the phrase signifies Ezek. 1. 9, 12. As the Candlestick
stood near the wall on the south side of
tile Holy Place, its light would naturally fall in the opposite direction, inore
especially upon the Table of Shewhread, which faced it on the north.
Comp. Num. 8. 2, 3.
38. The tongs thereof. Heb. {-pnp
malkahiha, literally takers from  riD)
lakah, to take, to receive; supposed to be
a kind of scissars or snuffers for trimming the lamps. Chal. 'Forceps.'~T Snu ff-dishes thereof. Heb. '~rl
mahtothiha, probably a kind of vessels
or pans for receiving the snuffings of
the lamps after they had been cut off
by the 'tongs' above mentioned. Their
precise form cannot now be determined.
39. A talent of pure gold, &c. That
is, a talent of gold in weight was used
in making the Candlestick, and the dift
ferent vessels and instruments belonging to it; and this according to the
most approved estimates of the value
of Jewish coins amounted to not less
than $30,000.
40. Look that thou make them after
their pattern, which was shewed thee,
&c. Heb. IwIl inns '=X asher attah
morih, which thou uast caused to see.
The command here given to Moses, enioining upon him a scrupulous adher

ence to the model proposed, undoubtedly carries with it an intimation that
God regards his own appointments in
matters of worship as of the utmost importance, and at the same time of a
tendency in man to vary from his patterns and trust to his own inventions.
Probably some more latitude is allowed
under the Christian dispensation to the
dictates of human wisdom in regard to
externals, provided certain great fundamental principles be adhered to, and
no onerous impositions be laid upon the
conscience; but the Tabernacle service
was throughout a sytem of instituted
worship, which derived all its authority
from the express appointment of Jehovah. On this account it was manifestly
proper that every item of the apparatus
should be fashioned according to the
model set before Moses on the mount.
It is to be observed, therefore, that this
order was given to him repeatedly, and
with very peculiar force and emphasis;
and his strict adherence to it is, in the
last chapter in this book, noticed no
less than eight times, once after the
mention of every separate piece of
furniture that was made. In the New
Testament also his compliance with
the command is repeatedly adverted
to, and the very order itself expressly
quoted, Acts, 7. 4, Heb. 8. 5. What then
was the reason of such minute particularity? Why must such and such things only be made, and they too of such pre.
cise materials and shape? Undoubtedly
because the whole was intended to be
of a typical character, shadowing the
leading features of the gospel dispensation. Now as none but God could
know all the things that were to be pre.
figured, so none but he could know how
to adjust and designate them in the way




120


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


CHAPTER XXVI.
n    OREOVER, a thou shalt make
the tabernacle with ten cura ch. 36. 8.
best adapted to their end. Had M.oses
been left to contrive any thing fro:n his
own ingenuity, there might have wanted a correspondence between thl. type
and the antitype. But when a model
of every tlii:ir was sliown Ilim ly (;(Go
himself, the whole Inust of n.cessity
accord most perfectly with tie mind
and purpose of the divine Designer.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE CURTAINS OF THE TABI:RNACLE.
1. Thou shalt make the tabernacle
with ten curtains, &c. Ileb. )11;.72
hammishkan, the habitation. It will be
observed, that as nothing is said of the
frame-work of wood till we arrive at
the 15th verse, and yet the' term 'talernacle' is here employed, the original
Z'.72 mishkan must be understo; d in
somewhat of a restricted sense as dLenoting the inner set of curtains. Fro:n this
Is distinguished the second or goals' hair
set, expressly called fnR ohel. a tent,
and from both, the other two NA hich ar:
called simply by the more ge:.eral teri
3D, mikseh, covering. There is no
doubt that the two first of ihese terms
i'hl mishkan and 1CR ohcl elsewhere
occur as a designation of the whole tabernacle without special re erence to its
several parts, yet it is ilways imlprtant to notice the minutest shades of
peculiarity in the use of Scriptural
terms; and we shall s,-e as we proceed,
that the distinction now adverted to is
amply supported. S'-e Note on Ex. 40.
19. The ten curtains which the s cered
writer goes on to describe did not, as
we have remarked above, forum the.
whole envelope of the Tabernacle, but
simply one set, of which there were
four in all. Of these the inner set, here
described, was by far the richest and


tains of fine twined linen, and blue,
and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou
make them.
most exquisite. They were made of the
finest linen, dyed of the most beautiful
colors, blue, purple, and scarlet, and
curiously embroidered all over with
Cherubim, as if it were intended to in.
timate that the beings which they represented were vitally interested in the
great truths shadowed forth by the most
recondite and central mysteries of the
Tabernacle. This is evilently a rela.
tion too intimate to be sustained by
angels, and therefore we are to look to
men, men redeemed by the blood of the
Lamb, for the substance of the symbol
But as the symbol points more especially to men in their saved and glorified state, there is less impropriety in
giving them an angelic emblem, because
they will then be raised to an angelic
condition. Our Savior's words, Mark,
12. 25, 'They shall be as the angels in
heaven,' we have no doubt when rightly
understood go rather to identify than
to assimilate the sons of the resurrectioni with the angels of heaven. --
Fine twined linen; by which is meant
linen made of threads finely twisted in
the process of spinning. Hence in the
Hebrew canons it is said, 'Wheresoever
fine linen twisted is spoken of in the
law, it must be six-double thread.' It
is conjectured that this is the reason
why this exquisite kind of linen, the
Byss, is called IlyU shesh in the original, which properly signifies ' six.'~T Cherubims of cunning work. Ileb.
ZIln nt2Y)  maaseh hoshib, the work
of an exquisite craftsman. Gr. pyai al
vpavrTov, with the work of a weaver.
Chal. 'With the work of the artificer.'
Arab. 'A picture of the most sagacious
art.' Vulg. 'Variegated with embroidered work.' The meaning is, that figures
of the Cherubim were to be embroidered
into the tapestry of which the linei




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVI.


2 The length of one curtain shall
be eight and twenty cubits, and the
breadth of one curtain four cubits:
and every one of the curtains shall
have one measure.
3 The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and
curtains were composed. Considering
that the inner set of curtains here described was ornamented throughout with
thils splendlid coloring and embroidery,
we are on the whole strongly inclined
to adopt the opinion of Bahr (Symbolik
des Mosaischen Cultus, p. 64.), that no
part of it hung on the outside of the
structure, but that it served as an interior lining to both the outer and inner rooms of the Tabernacle. To say
nothing of the fact that otherwise it is
not easy to conceive why the linen curtains were not as much an }TR or tent
as the goats' hair, it follows fiom the
ordinary interpretation, that all that
part of the beautiful embroidered work
which fell outside of the walls was entirely concealed from view; that is to
say, that out of 1120 square cubits of
this exquisitely wrought tapestry, only
300, or the portion over-head were visible, leaving 820, or about three-fourths
of the whole, entirely excluded from
the eye, either within or without, except when the Tabernacle was taken
down or set up; and then they would be
exposed to the general gaze, which was
equally abhorrent to the sacredness of
their design. It may then be safely asked, whether this is probable? Would
infinite wisdom have authorised such a
superfluous expense of workmanship,
such a prodigal waste of splendid imagery? Suppose this curtain-work, on
the other hand, to be wholly suspended
within the rooms, and the whole of the
embroidery was or might be visible.
And in accordance with this, we find
that in the Temple, which was modelled after the Tabernacle, the figures
of the Cherubim were carved on the inVOL. II.      11


other five curtains shall be coupled
one to another.
4 And thou shalt make loops of
blue npon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make
in the uttermost edge of another
side walls all round about the Holy and
Most Holy Place, 1 Kings, 6. 29. It
is true indeed that this view of the subject requires us to suppose that these
curtains were attached by some kind of
fastenings to the upper extremity of the
boards, after passing across and forming the roof; but as the separating vail,
v. 32, was suspended from the pillars
by means of hooks and loops, so nothing is easier than to imagine that a
similar expedient was adopted here.
The more the matter is considered,
the more probable we think will this
suggestion appear; although we have
in the figure below represented the inner set of curtains as hanging without;
but this is simply with a view to display the difference of their texture from
that of the others.
2, 3. The length of one curtain shall
be eight and twenty cubits, &c. That
is, about fourteen yards in brLadth, and
two in width. These ten curtains were
to be formed into two separate hang.
ings, five breadths in each, which were
probably sewed together, while the two
hangings were coupled by loops and
golden clasps. With one of these large
and gorgeous pieces of tapestry the
Iloly Place was covered, with whose
dimensions it very exactly correspond.
ed, and with the other the Most Holy.
This was doubtless the reason of the
twofold division. But as the Most Holy
Place was only five yards long, there
remained a surplus of five yards, which
hung down on the west end of that
room, being just sufficient to cover it.
4. And thou shalt make loops of blue.
That is, of blue tape. These loops
did not thcmsel res interlace with each




122


EXODUS.


[B. C.: 91.


curtam, in the coupling of the second.
5 Fifty loops shalt thou make in
the one curtain, and fifty loops
shalt thou make in the edge of the
curtain that is in the coupling of
the second; that the loops may
take hold one of another.
6 And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains
together with the taches: and it
shall be one tabernacle.
7 IT And b thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven
curtains shalt thou make.
8 The length of one curtain shall
b ch. 36.14.
other, and thus connect the curtains,
but they were brought near together
and then coupled by the 'taches' or
clasps. As to the precise manner in
which this coupling was effected we
are thrown upon our own conjectures.
Horsley's account of it is as follows,
(Bibl. Crit. vol. 1. p. 103): 'Since the
two sheets were fastened together,
whenever the Tabernacle was set up
by the loops and the hooks, and there
were fifty hooks upon each sheet, but
only fifty hooks in all, it is obvious that
one hook must have served each pair of
loops. And this is remarked by all
commentators. But how this was effected, I have nowhere found explained
in an intelligible manner. I think it
must have been thus. The fifty hooks
were all set upon one sheet. Each hook
was set immediately behind a loop.
Then the loop immediately before the
hook was passed through the opposite
loop on the other sheet, and being
drawn back, was hitched upon the hook
behind it. Thus the edge of the sheet
on which the hooks were not set, would
be made to lap a little over the edge of
the other, and a close, firm, neat join.
ing would be formed.' The coupling of
the two main hangings together in this


be thirty cubits, and the breadth of
one curtain four cubits: and the
eleven curtains shall be all of one
measure.
9 And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and    shalt
double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.
10 And thou shalt make fifty loops
on the edge of the one curtain that
is outmost in the coupling, and fifty
loops in the edge of the curtain
which coupleth the second.
11 And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into
the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.
manner made it, as it were, ' one tabernacle' (Cl;P ), i. e. one continuous awn.
ing or pavilion. It was such, moreover,
or rather is spoken of as such, independ.
ent of the wood work, which is subsequently mentioned.
7-11. Curtains of goats' hair. ThI,
nature of this material, as a coarse kirt
of camlet, we have already considered,
ch. 25. 4. The curtains made of it were
designed as a protection to the finer
iabric of the inner set, which seems to
be more especially alluded to in the
term 'tabernacle'-a sense confirmed
by the usage of the Heb. ~"p   before
remarked upon. There was one more
piece of this camlet covering than of
the linen, and it was also two cubits, or
a yard, longer. The breadth of each
piece was the same as that of the former, but as there was one more of the
camlet than of the linen, it made the
whole covering when coupled together
two yards longer and one yard broader
than the interior one. For this reason
it hung down near to the bottom of the
side-walls, and one yard in front ovel
the entrance, which part of it was ordinarily doubled back. The coupling
of the parts was managed in the same
way as that of tho, ther, except that




B. C. 1491.]           CHAPTER XXVI.                     123
12 And the remnant that remain- hang over the sides of the taber.
eth of the curtains of the tent, the nacle on this side and on that side,
half curtain that remaineth, shall to cover it.
hang over the back-side of the tab-  14 And c thou shalt make a covernacle.                       ering for the tent of rams' skins
13 And a cubit on the one side, dyed red, and a covering above of
and a cubit on the other side of badgers' skins.
that which remaineth in the length
of the curtains of the tent, it shall       h 319


I


- I


one division consisted of five pieces and
the other six, and in this instance the
taches were of brass instead of gold.~ Couple the tent together. IHeb. LH
ohel. This phraseology keeps up the
distinction adverted to above between
'tabernacle' and tent' in this part of
the history.
13. The remtnant that remaineth, &c.
The disposal of this surplus part of the
curtains has been already intimated
above. From the additional particulars here given, we learn, that it went
to furnish the greater length of hanging
on the sides, the front, and the west
end of the Tabernacle. Still it did not
depend quite to the ground, but left the
foun(lation work of silver sockets exposed to view.
14. Thou shalt make a covering, &c.
Of the third and fourth of these invelopcs, which were made of skins, as
they were of a still coarser fabric, the
account is very brief. Nothing is said
of the dimensions of either, but it is to
be presumed that eacl was somewhat
larger than the one immediately next
it, and to which it served as a I covering.' It is not expressly stated whether
the curtains lay flat or sloping on the
top of the Tabernacle; if flat, there
was more need of so many distinct coverings to prevent the rain from soaking
through and injuring the inner and finer
set, or from dropping into the sanctuary. It is probable, however, that the
successive layers would of themselves
sufficiently round the top of the Tabernacle to carry off the water, of which
Ibt little would be expected to fall in




that arid region. It may also be sup.
posed that in good weather, and on
more solemn occasions, the exterior
and coarser hangings were folded up on
the sides so as to let the inner and finer
appear in all their beauty; and as it is
certain that neither of the inner hangings came lower than to the uIpper side
of the silver ground-sill, that splendid
foutndation would be thus exposed to
view, and the whole together would
present to the eye of the beholder a
magnificent spectacle. In brad xveather,
or at night, the skin-coverings were
probably let down to their fill length,
which was sufficient to cover the silver
sleepers, and thus protect them from
rain or snow. The rlnark of Scott on
the typical design of the several curtain-layers is very appropriate; 'The
whole represents the person and doctrine of Christ, his true church, and all
heavenly things; which are outwardly,
and to the carnal eyed, mean, but are
inwardly and in the sight of God, exceedingly glorious and precious. The
secure protection which he prepares for
those who are inwardly precious in his
sight, may also be denoted; and the
unity of the whole, formed of so many
pieces and of such different materials,
into one covering of the sanctuary, represents the spiritual temple formed of
persons of different nations, dispositions, abilities, and attainments, compacted together into one church, by the
uniting influence of the spirit of love.'
The annexed cut is a probable approximation to a correct viow of the cur.
tains.






124


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


15 ~ And thou shalt make boards one board, set in order one against
for the tabernacle of shittim-wood another: thus shalt thou make for
standing up.                   all the boards of the tabernacle.
16 Ten cubits shall be the length  18 And thou shalt make the
of a board, and a cubit and a half boards for the tabernacle, twenty
shall be the breadth of one board. boards on the south side south17 Two tenons shall there be in ward.


TIE CURTAINS OF THE TABERNACLE.


TIlE BOARDS.I


15. Thou shalt make boards, &c. ITeb.
t3,'~Ip kerashim, boards or planks.
The appropriate root I,+  karash does
not occur in IHebrew, but in Chaldee;he verb signifies to coagulate, congeal, condense, as CD-  keres likewise
does in Arabic, and tie Syriac uses
R'2l0Ij karsha as a noun for confignation, or coupling together. The radlical idea of the IHeb. Sp karash seems
to be to compact, contignate, or fasten
together, as in the frame-work of a
building. Such a frame-work was necessary to support the curtains, and to
give more stability to the sacred tent. Of
the ' shittim-wood,' or acacia, we have
already spoken; the remaining particulars will he considered as we proceed.
16. Ten cubits shall be the length of
aboard. As the length of the boards
constituted the height of the Tabernacle, it follows fiom this, according to
the common computation of the cubit,
that it was five yards or fifteen feet
high. As there were twenty of these
on each side, each of which were a
cubit and a half, or twenty-seven in 'hes


in breadth, it made the whole lengtl
thirty cubits, or fifteen yards. Nothing,
however, is said of the thickness of the
boards, which Lightfoot fixes at nine
inches, and which we have every reason
to believe did not fall short of that
estimate, though the Rabbins make it
an entire cubit. This inference is confirmed by the fact that the Sept renders
the original Vtli'2p by arA)ot pillars,
and this they would scarcely have done
had they understood it to mean only
boards, which would certainly be a
very inadequate material for such a
structure.
17. Two tenons. Heb. hl'1   yadoth,
hands; so called probably from their
holding fat in the sockets into which
they were mortised.  These ( tenons'
are generally understood to have been
affixed to the bottom of each board, and
to have been precisely the same with
those mentioned below, v. 19. But we
are rather of opinion that the two tenons
here spoken of projected from the side
of each board, and were inserted into
corresponding receptacles in the adjoining board, in order to give more coal



B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVI.


125


19 And thou shalt make forty
sockets of silver under the twenty
boards: two sockets under one
board for his two tenons, and two
sockets under another board for his
two tenons.
20 And for the second side of the


tabernacle on the north side there
shall be twenty boards.
21 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board,
and two sockets under another
board.
22 And for the sides of the tab

I


pactness to the wall. With this substantially agrees the rendering of the
Vulg. In the sides of the boards shall
be made two mortises, whereby one
board may be joined to another board.'
The original for ' set in order' (~lz^2z
meshallaboth) properly signifies  set
ladderwise,' and it is perfectly easy to
conceive that where two boards were
brought near together, and yet not quite
closed up, the connecting tenons would
D:


look like the rounds of a ladder. The
tenons at the bottom of each board
we suppose to have been additional to
these. Still it must be admitted that
this interpretation is not quite certain.
The matter is left to the judgment of
the reader. The annexed cut may be
considered as a probable approximation
to a correct idea of the position of the
boards, tenons, and sockets. The different parts will be readily distinguished
_ _.1




BOARDS AND SOCKETS.
19. Forty sockets of silver.  Heb.   20, 21. And for the second side, &c
~=Z "3'I  adne keseph, bases of silver; These two verses amount to nothing
implying doubtless the supporting sock- more than a direction, that the conets of the tenons, as the true import of struction of the north side of the Tabcr't ceden is a base or supporter. Each nacle should exactly correspond with
of these sockets was composed of a that of the south.
talent of silver, and every two of them  22. For the sides of the tabernacle
joined together equalled in length the westward. Heb..l"1 yarkoth. This
width of one of the planks, and so form. term when applied to things inanimate
ed, lwhen united, one entire foutldation, usually denotes an end, a term, an ex.
Uwhich, in the technical language of the tremity, and is doubtless so to be under.
architects, may be termed a silver stood here, as we find it occasionally
gronld-sill.                         rendered in the Gr. cvxara, extreme




126


EXODUS.


[B. C 1491


einacle westward thou shalt make
six boards.
23 And two boards shalt thou
make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
24 And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be
coupled together above the head
of it unto one ring: thus shall it
be for them both; they shall be
for the two corners.
25 And they shall be eight boards,
and their sockets of silver, sixteen
sockets; two sockets under one
board. and two sockets under another board.
26 ~ And thou shalt make bars
parts. The idiomatic plural term 'sides'
therefore is here equivalent to 'end.'
So it is distinctly interpreted both in
the Targum of Onkelos and Jonathan.
23, 24. Two boards shalt thou mace
for the corners. These two verses are
involved in an obscurity which we have
endeavored in vain to penetrate. The
reader must be thrown upon his own
resources to imagine such a construction of the corners as the general plan
and objects of the building would admit or require. The original word for
*coupled' literally signifies 'twinned'
or 'made like twins,' i. e. exactly alike;
but beyond this we are unable to afford
him any light. Should he obtain it
from other commentators, he will be
more fortunate than ourselves. Our inability, however, to make out satisfactorily this part of the structure detracts nothing from the accuracy of the
explanations of the rest.
25. They shall be eight boards. The
two corner boards being added to the
six others made up the complement of
eight.
26. Thou shalt make bars. The south
and north sides, and the west end of
the Tabernacle had five gold-covered
bars, each of which were carried through
rings or staples of gold, but what the


of shittim-wood;    five for the
boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
27 And five bars for the boards of
the other side of the tabernacle,
and five bars for the boards of the
sides of the tabernacle, for the two
sides westward.
28 And the middle bar in the
midst of the boards shall reach
from end to end.
29 And thou shalt overlay the
boards with gold, and make their
rings of gold for places for the bars,
and thou shalt overlay the bars
with gold.
30 And thou shalt rear up the tablength of these bars was, is not said.
The middle ones, indeed, on the differ.
ent sides and end, were appointed to be
of the whole length, or thirty cubits on
the north and south sides, and ten cubits
at the west end; which was probably
sunk into the boards, and ran along a
groove from end to end, at five cubits
from the ground. The other four bars,
which Josephls says were each five
cubits long, were perhaps variously disposed on the sides and end. of the structure in such a way as to conduce at
once most effectually to its beauty and
strength. Having no certain informa.
tion as to the precise manner in which
the four were disposed along the sides
we have represented them in our cut as
arranged uniformly with the middle
one. It is obviously a matter of little
importance.  In the phrase, 'for the
two sides westward,' the plural is prob.
ably put for the singular, as it was the
end in which the two sides terminated.
29. Thou shalt overlay the boards
with gold. We are thrown upon our
own conjectures as to the thickness ot
the metal by which the boards and bars
were overlaid. If it were done with
gold plates, they must have been extremely thin, as otherwise the weight
would have been altogether too great to




B. C. 1491].


CHAPTER XXVI.


127


ernacle d accoiding to the fashion
thereof which was shewed thee in
the mount.
31 ~ And e thou shalt make a
rail of blue, and purple, and scaret; and fine twined linen of cuna ch. 25. 9, 40. (&  27. 8. Acts 7. 14. Iteb. 8.
5.  e ch. 36. 35. Lev. 16. 2. 2 Chron. 3. 14.
Matt. 27. 51. llebr. 9. 3.
allow of their having been carried but
with the utmost difficulty. We pre.
suine, therefore, that they were rather
gilded than plated. Such a thin coating would no doubt have been liable to
be easily worn off, but it could as easily
be repaired.
THE PARTITION-VAIL.
31. Thou shalt make a vail, &c. IIcb.
htr, paroketh.   Gr. Kr(ararSraUpa, aI
vail, a spreading. The etymology of
the original term is doubtful, though
we find in the Chaldee '1D perak, to
break, rend apart, forcibly separate,
and 1~."  according to Parkhlurst is
applied to the inner Vail from its breaking, interrupting, or dividing between
the Holy and Most Holy Place. This
Vail was undoubtedly of the same material with the inner set of' curtains,
and figured and embroidered in the same
manner. And as it constituted, when
hanging down, the lining of one side of
both the Holy and Most Holy Place, it
goes somewhat, perhaps, to confirm our
suggestion above relative to the po.
sition of the wrought linen curtains of
the Tabernacle, as hanging within the
edifice instead of without; for this
would make the adorning of the whole
interior uniform throughout. The Vail
was to be suspended from golden hooks
attached to four pillars of shittim-wood
resting, like the boards, upon an equal
number of silver sockets. And this, by
the way, leads us to remark, that the
punctuation of our English Bibles conveys an idea entirely erroneous, viz.,
that the hooks were to be placed upon
the silvei sockets. But these sockets


ning work: with cherubims shall
it be made.
32 And thou shalt hang it upon
four pillars of shittim-wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall
bc of gold upon the four sockets of
silver.
33 ~ And thou shalt hang up the
were unquestionably at the bottom of
the pillars, and the clause, 'their hooks
shall be of gold,' ought to be inclosed
in a parenthesis, as it is in the old Geneva
version; 'And thou shalt hang it upon
four pillars of shittim-wood covered
with gold (whose hooks shall be of
gold), standing upon four sockets of
silver.' It was the pillars and not
the hooks that stood upon the silver
sockets.
33. Shalt hann ttp the vail under the
taches. That is, under the golden clasps
that connected the two larger hangings
of the inner curtain, spoken of above,
v. 6. These were joined just over the
dividing line between the two rooms of
the Tabernacle, so that this separate
ing vail hung exactly under the taches
or clasps. It does not appear from any
express passage of Scripture, in what
proportions the interior of the Tabernacle was divided. But as Solomon's
Temple, of sixty cubits in length, was
divided into two parts of forty and
twenty, so it is highly probable that
the thirty cubits in length of the Tabernacle was divided into similar proportions of twenty cubits for the Holy, and
ten for the Most Holy Place, making
the latter a perfect cube of ten cubits
every way. This accounts, as we have
before intimated, for the remarkable
feature in the description of the heavenly city, mentioned Rev. 21. 16, to wit,
that it lay four square, the length,
breadth, and height of it being equal.
This was because it answered to its
type the Holy of Holies. In the Holy
Place, into which none but the priests
were allowed to enter, were stationed




128


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


vail under the taches, that thou
inayest bring in thither within the
vail fthe ark of the testimony: and
the vail shall divide unto you between g the holy place and the
most holy.
34 And h thou shalt put the merf ch. 25. 16. & 40. 21. g Lev. 16. 2. Ilebr.
9.2,3. h ch.25.21. & 40.2 20Ilebr. 9.5.




the Candlestick, the Table of Shewbread, and the Altar of Incense. In
the Most Holy, into which none but
the High Priest could enter, and he but
once a year, was deposited only the Ark
of the Covenant or Testimony, with
its surmounting Mercy-seat.
The special design of this Vail was
to debar the people from entering, or
even looking, into the Most Holy Place,
or place of the Ark, and tie reason of
this rigid exclusion acquaints us at once
with the general mystical import of
Vail, as a part of the apparatus of the
Tabernacle.  On this point we have
happily the apostle Paul as the angelus
interpres. IHeb. 9. 6-9, Now when
these things were thus ordained, the
priests went always into the first tabernacle (the first or outer room), accomplishing the service of God: but into
the second went the high priest alone
once every year, not without blood,
which he offered for himself, and for
the errors of the people: the Holy
Ghost this signifying, that the way into
the holiest of all was not yet made
manifest, while as the first tabernacle
was yet standing: which was a figure
for the time then present.' In other
words, the way into the true heaven, of
which the inner sanctuary was a type,
was not laid open under the old economy, or by means of any of its services,
but remained to be opened by Christ,
cf whom it is said, v. 24, that he 'is
not entered into the holy places made
with hands, which are the figures of the
srue; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.'


cy-seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
35 And ithou shalt set the table
without the vail, and k the candlestick over against the table on the
side of the tabernacle toward the
south: and thou shalt put the table
on the north side.
i ch. 40. 22. IIebr. 9. 2.  k ch. 40. 24.
But this does not yet exhaust the preg.
nant import of the Mosaic symbols
Still farther light is thrown upon it,
Ileb. 10. 19, 20, 'Having therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter into the holi.
est by the blood of Jesus, by a new and
living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the vail, that is
to say, his flesh, let us draw near.'
Here it is clear that the Vail is represented as in some way shadowing forth
the flesh or body of Christ, although it
is perhaps at first view difficult to avoid
an impression of incongruity in the
imagery. What is Christ's flesh or
body but himself? And how can lie be
described as the person entering, and
yet he himself the medium   through
which the entrance is made? But a
right view of the glorious constitution
of Christ's person as God-man Mediator, and of the prominent place which
he holds as the soul and centre and substance of nearly every part of the typical economy, will afford a clue to the
solution of the problem. We have preriously shown, if we mistake not, in
our remarks upon the Cloudy Pillar,
and upon the Shekinah in general, that
that splendid symbol pointed directly
to Christ as the central mystery which
it involved. As the sombre folds of
the guiding Cloud in the w ilderness enshrouded the Glory of Jehovah, except
when occasional displays of it were
made, so the human nature or body of
Christ, while he tabernacled on earth,
served as a kind of teimporary invelope
or rail of the divine na'.ure which dwelt
within. This mystic cloud or vail of




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVI.


129


36 And I thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue,
1 ch. 36. 37....


his flesh we suppose to have been transiently rent or cloven at his transfiguration, and a momentary display made of
the indwelling glory of his Godhead.
But this was not designed to be permanent; it was only an evanescent gleam
vouchsafed to the outward senses, for the
greater inward assurance, of his select
disciples, in respect to the essential dignity and divinity of his character, and
to connect his person not only with the
truth of the ancient visible Shekinah, but
also with that future foretold theophany,
which is to constitute the beatific vision
in heaven. It was only at his death,
when his  body was broken' for the
sins of the world, that this intervening
cloud or vail was entirely rent, lissolved, and done away, and a way thus
opened for the free manifestation of his
glory and majesty to all believers,
whether Jews or Gentiles. Now it is
well known that after the Cloudy Pillar
was removed from the sight of Israel,
subsequent to the rearing of the Tabernacle, and the indwelling Shekinah had
taken up its abode in the Holy of Ilolies,
the separating Vail served to conceal
the supernatural Brightness from the
view, just as the dark mass of the Cloud
had done prior to that event. Consequently as the Vail of the Tabernacle
was to the inner abiding Glory what the
Savior's flesh was to his indwelling Divinity, it was ordered that at the same
time that the vail of his flesh was rent
upon the cross, the corresponding Vail
of the Temple was 'rent in twain from
the top to the bottom,' implying that a
blessed way of access was now provided
into the interior of the heavenly sanctuary, of which the grand characteristic
is, that it is to have ' the Glory of God,'
and from thence to receive its denomination, 'Jehovah-Shammah,' the Lord is
there. The truth is, that Christ sus

and purple, and scarlet, and fine
twined linen, wrought with needlework.
tains so many offices in the plan of redemnption, and he is presented to us in
the ancient symbols in such a manifold
variety of aspects, that we are not to
be surprised if we should find in the
apostolic explanations a blending of im.
port that even approximates to some.
thing like confusion. Who can doubt
that in the priestly service the High
Priest himself, the Sacrifice, and the
Altar, all found their substance in
Christ? In like manner, may not the
Vail and the inner Presence both point
also to him?
THE ENTRANCE-VAIL.
36. Thou shalt make an hanging for
the door. IIeb. 1:7 masak, from 1t D
sakak, to overspread, to cover, denoting
in general tegumentum, operimentum,
a covering, any thing spread over; but
here applied to the vail or curtain which
hung over the entrance to the Tabernacle, and formed its outer-door. Oriental
usages still furnish something analogous to this. 'We passed Lahar,' says
Morier, C close to a small valley, where
we found several snug encampments ot
the Eelauts, at one of which we stopped
to examine the tent of the chief of the
obah, or family. It was composed of a
wooden frame of circular laths, which
were fixed on the ground, and then
covered over with large felts, that were
fastened down by a cord, ornamented
by tassels of various colors. A curtain,
curiously worked by the women, with
coarse needle-work of various colors,
was suspended over the door. In the
king of Persia's tents, magnificent perdabs, or hangings of needle-work, are
suspended, as well as on the doors of
the great mosques in Turkey.' This
Vail was suspend-ld on five pillars,
overlaid with gold, at the east end of
the sanctuary; and though of the same




130


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


37 And thou shalt make for the
nanging mfive pillars of shittirnwood, and overlay them with gold,
m ch. 36. 38.


and their hooks sliall be of gold:
and thou shalt cast live sockets oi
brass for them.


rich material with the inner Vail, yet it
seems to have been less highly ornamented, as the Jewish writers affirm
that there was a difference between the
work of the 'cunning workman' mentioned v. 1, and that of the 'embroiderer' mentioned here, which consisted in
this; that in the former, the figures
were so wrought, perhaps in weaving,
that they might be seen on both sides
of the work; but in the latter, being
wrought by needle-work, they were only visible on one side. Accordingly,
while the Cherubic figure was wrought
in one, we find no intimation of it in
the other. As it was solely by raising
or turning aside this Vail, that the priest
entered the Tabernacle, it is obvious
that the term 'door' in our translation
is not to be taken in its ordinary sense,
nor is the original strictly equivalent
to 'thou shalt make a hanging as a
door for the tent;' for the Ileb. rhiL
pethah, as remarked in the Note on
Gen. 19. 6, signifies properly the open
space or passage-way which is usually
closed by the door, and the nmeaning
here is simply, 'thou shalt make a
hangingfor the entrance-way.' 'This is
the more material,' says Wells (Introduction to Paraphrase, p. 47), 'to be taken notice of, because the said rendering
of the Hebrew word by a door, not only
gives the reader a wrong notion of the
entrance itself into the Tabernacle, but
also thereby hinders him from having a
clear perception of the reason of several
rites and expressions referring to the
said entrance of the Tabernacle. For
instance, what was done at the entrance
of the Tabernacle, is expressly said in
many places of Scripture to be done
'before the Lord,' as Ex. 29. 11-42.
Lev. 1. 3, &c. Insomuch, that where
a thing is said to be done only I before


the Lord,' thereby expositors understand it generally of its being done oa
the entrance of the Tabernacle or the
like,justly looking on these expressions
as equivalent generally in Scripture, because they are often so joined together
as one and the same thing. Now the
reason, why these two expressions calme
to be thus equivalent I take to be this.
It was looked on as a piece of state
and majesty by the eastern princes,
seldom to vouchsafe the honor of com.
ing near to their presence to any but
their great courtiers; and when they
were pleased to vouchsafe the great
honor of coming into their presence or
before them to any others on special
and extraordinary occasions, they themselves were wont then to sit on their
tlrones, which was covered with a canopy over it, and encompassed all round
with fine curtainis; not drawn quite
close, but so as that they could see
easily those that were admitted thus
into their presence, through the small
spaces left between the curtainis; but
the others could have but a small, if
any, glimpse, of their majesties or the
inside of the thrones they sat on. Agreeably hereto the whole Tabernacle in
this case was to be looked on as the
throne of the Divine Majesty here on
earth. And consequently when any
were to be admitted to the honor of appearing more inmmediately before the
Lord, he was to appear at the entrance
of the Tabernacle, as before the throne
of the Divine Majesty; from within
which the Divine Majesty was conceived in a special and gracious manner to
see or look on the person that so appeared before him; though the said person could not see the Divine Majesty, or
have any more than perhaps a glimpse
of the inside of his throne or of the




3. C. 1491.I


CHAPTER XXVII.


131


CIAPTER XXVII.
A  ND thou shalt make a an altar
of    shitiin-wood, five cubits
a cl. 38. 1. Ezek. 43. 13.
Tabernacle, by reason of the Vail hanging afore the entrance of it. And whereas it is one piece of reverence not to
turn one's back, but to stand with one's
face, toward any great person, especially kings; in like manner he that appeared before the Lord, stood with his
face toward the entrance of the Tabertacle, as being the forepart of the throne
of the Divine Majesty, and consequently
by so doing he was conceived to stand
with his face toward the Divine Majesty
itself. But now all this agreement between the manner of appearing before
the Lord, as it is called in Scripture,
and of appearing before earthly princes,
in those eastern countries, to which the
former referred, is much obscured by representing the entrance into the Tabernacle as through a door.' Josephus informs us that besides the Vail of linen
here described there was another of
coarser fabric hung over the first to de.
fend it from injuries of the weather,
and that upon festival occasions this
was drawn aside or rolled up that the
people might see the exquisite beauty
of the workmanship of the first; a suggestion which we deem altogether probable.
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE ALTAR OF SACRIFICE.
1. Thou shalt make an altar. Heb.
rnta mizbgah. Gr. Ovctaaorrqpoov, sacrificatory; both appellations being derived from a term signifying to sacrifice.  On the general import of the
term  see Note on Ex. 20. 24. This
altar was a sort of square chest of shittim wood overlaid with brass. It was
five cubits long by five broad, and three
in height (about three yards square
and five feet high), and had a horn or


long, and five cubits broad; the altar
shall be four square: and the height
thereof shall be three cubits.
2 Anid thou shalt make the horns
projection at each corner. It was hol.
low within, and in the middle of its surface was a sunk grating of brass to support the fire, which was furnished with
four rings, that it might be taken out
and carried separately from the body
of the altar. The ashes from the fire
sunk through the grating, and wero
taken thence in a pan made for the purpose. The altar had four rings or staples
at the sides, into which poles of shittim
wood covered with brass were inserted
when the altar was to be moved from
place to place. This is the account which
seems to agree best with the text, although some of the details have been
differently understood by various expositors. It is thought that both this
altar and the larger one made by Solomon, by which it was superseded, had
the lower part of the hollow filled up
either with earth or stones, in compliance with the injunction in chap. 20.
24, 25. Josephus says, that the altar
used in his time at the Temple was of
unlhewn stone, and that no iron tool
had been employed in its construction.
None of the altars which the Scripture
assigns to either the Tabernacle or
Temple were of this construction, but
that erected at Mount Ebal by Joshua
was so (Josh. 8. 31), and apparently
others which were set up in different
parts of the land of promise.~ Thou shalt make the horns of it.
Heb. ~3tI karnoth. Gr. Kepara. The
horns of the Altar have given scope to
voluminous discussion, both as regards
their form and their design. They
were certainly projections of some kind
or other at the four corners, but their
precise shape, or even the direction in
which they projected, carnot he distinctly collected from the sacred text.
By many it is supposed that they were




132


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


of it upon the four corners thereof:
his horns shall be of the same: and
b thou shalt overlay it with brass.
3 And thou shalt make his pans
h See Numb. 16. 38
actually horn-shaped, and this opinion
is supported by the authority of Josephus as to the Altar used ill his time.
But the opinion seems preferable that
they were square risings, or pinnacles,
from each corner of the Altar; or square
to half their height, and terminating
pyramidically in a sharp tip or point.
The descriptions given by the Rabbins,
and the pictures of the most ancient
altars go to confirm this view of their
form. We are no more certain as to
the use of this appendage to the Altar,
than as to its form. It is inferred by
some from Ps. 118. 27, 'bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the Altar,' that these appendages were designed for the purpose of fastening the
victim to the Altar before it was slain.
But of this there is little probability,
as the incense-altar, at which no bloody
sacrifices were offered, also had horns;
and there is nothing in all Jewish antiquity to favor the idea of the victims
being ordinarily thus secured and slain
immediately contiguous to the Altar.
Of the passage just cited the best interpretation is perhaps that of Rabbi D.
Kimchi, given in the following paraphrase; 'Bring the sacrifices bound
with cords until (from their great number) they shall have reached even to
the horns of the Altar.' The Psalmist
is supposed to have commanded so large
a sacrifice, that the victims should even
crowd the outer court, and press up
against the very Altar. The Chaldee
gives a somewhat different construction; 'Tie the larQb, that is to be offered, with cords, till ye come to offer
him; and sprinkle his blood upon the
horns of the Altar.' Either of them,
however, are preferable to the sense
yielded by our translation. The prob

to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his fire-pans: all the
vessels thereof thou shalt make
of brass.
ability on the whole is, that these pro.
tuberances had some connexion with the
use of horns as symbols of sovereignty,
glory, power, strength. Hab. 3. 4, 'He
had horns coming out of his hands, and
there was the biding of his power.' But
we shall have more to say upon this
point in the sequel.
3. His pans to receive his ashes. Ifeb.
qLgn~'D sirothauv; a word which sig.
nifies either pots or pans, but which is
here doubtless to be taken in the latter
sense, as appears from the specified use
to which they were applied. The orig.
inal term, however, rendered 'to re.
ceive his ashes' (1l"2i7)  ledashsheno),
signifies rather to remove, to carry out
the ashes which fell from the grate to
the earth within the compass of the
Altar. The pans were employed for
the purpose of taking up these ashes
and carrying them to a clean place, as
we learn from Lev. 4. 12. —    Ilis
shovels. 1":' yaauv. The radical tiS>
yaih has a sense so near that of col.
lecting together by scraping, that some
of the older interpreters have rendered
the present word by besoms or brooms.
But as they were made of brass, that
rendering is obviously untenable, and
we are warranted in understanding by
the term the fire-shovels by which the
ashes were scraped together in a heap,
and then thrown into the pans. -
rT lis basons. IHeb. I Te'fllT mizrekothauv, sprinkling vessels. Gr. ra;
Oa)ac avrov, his vials. The term comes
from r't zarak, to sprinkle, and properly denotes the vessels or bowls into
which the blood of the sacrifices was
received, that it might thence be
sprinkled on the rople, an the horns
of the Altar, &c. -- r Jis flesh-hocks.
Heb, f 'lra T  mizlegothauv,  Gr. r.r




B. C. 1491.]              CHIAPTER     XXVII.                       133'
4 And thou shalt make for it a brazen rings in the four corners
grate of net-work of brass; and      thereof.
upon the net shalt thou make lour     5 And thou shalt put it under the,pcycss avruv, defineil by the Lexicons mzahtottaliuc.  r. T. r,, 0.r,,(ov,uro;,, his
hooked itstruments for drawing out the fire-receptacle. Bp. Patrick's explanameat; i. e. for picking up and replacing tion of this term is perhaps the most
any portion of' the sacrifice which may probable. lie supposes it to have been
have fllen out of the lire, or off from  ' a larger sort of vessel, wherein the sathe Altar. Probably no more suitable cred fire, which came down from heaven
word could be adopted by which to (Lev. 9. 24,) was kept burning whilst
render it than the one chosen by our they cleansed the Altar and the grate
translators, flesh-hooks.  By its being from the coals and ashes; and while the
rcndered tridents in some of the old Altar was carried from one place to an.
versions, we inller that it was a three- other, as it often was in the wilder.
praonged instrument in the form of a ness.  The root jn7r hathalh has the
curred fork. We may gather some- import of keeping fire alive or glowing,
what more respecting its use fioomn 1 and from this root probably comes the
Sam. 2. 13, 14, 'And the priest's cus- Gr. aO(,), to burn, and Eng. heat and hot.
tom with the people was, that when     4, 5. Thou shalt malce bfor it a grate
any man offered sacrifice, the priest's of net-eock of brass, &c. Firm tle
servant came, whNile the flesh %was in phraseology of the text it would apseething, with a flesh-hook (5 Th wmaz- ear, that this brazen gratingr  as let
leg) of three teeth in his hand; and he into the hollow of' the Altar, and sunkl
struck it into the p)an, or kettle, or cal-! so far below the upp)er surface that its
dIron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook bottom, which was probably convex,
(O  Y2P mazleg) brought up the priest reached to midway of the height of the
took for himself. So they did in Shi- Altar; Itthat the net maybe even to the
loh unto all the Israelites that came |midst of' the Altar.' Being thus made
thither.' The Ileb. 5>T zalag has tlhe of net-work like a sieve, and hung lholgeneral import of curvature or crooked- I low, the fire woull burn the better, and
ness of form, and it is a little remnark. the ashes would sift through into the
able that, as Bochart has observed, the hollow of tlhe Altar, from whence they
ancient name of Messina in Sicily wvas  -ere removed through a door constluctZanklt (Zay:Xr1) firom its resemblance ed for the purpose. The four rings at.
to a sickle which Thucydides says they taclhel to the corners of this grated par.
called zanklon (,UlyXXo~,); whence Ovid tition were for the purpose of lifting it
(Trist. LIV.) speakiing of the samne out and putting it in.  Some of the
city, says,                          eldler comlnentators have suggested that
these rings were connected by chains
witlh the horns of the Altar, which thus
The place that's from the crooaked sickle  served an important purpose in suspend'
nati-ed.                          ing the grate. Htowever this may be it is
The Greek word is no doubt of Punic or altogether probable that the rings fell
Phtenician and not Sicilian origin, form. within the compass of the Altar below
ed by transposing the letters I (g) and the top, and were not seen without.
5 (1). To the same root is probably to Some writers have been much censured
be traced the Gr. aroNX5o; crooked and by a fancied difficulty in seeing how
rKaXnvoS scalene, and also the English the wood-work of the Altar could be
sickle. — ~ Hisjire-pans. He1b.F,    kept from being burnt, when exposed
YOL. II.      12




134


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


compass of the altar beneath, that
the net may be even to the midst
of the altar.
6 And thou shalt make staves fi'r
the altar, staves of shittim-wood,
and overlay them with brass.
7 And the staves shall be put into


to such a constant heat. But nothing
forbids the supposition, that it was
cased both uithin and without with
plates of metal; and for further security a lining of stone might easily
have been laid within against the sides
of the frame, and as the grate was sus

the rings, and the staves shall be
upon the two sides of the altar to
bear it.
8 Hollow witl boards shalt thou
make it: c as it was shewed thee
in the mount, so shall they make it.
c h. 25. 40. & 26. 30.
pended by the rings, and the fire no.
where in contact with the frame, be.
sides the whole being under the continual inspection of the priests, tile
danger of combustion was very slight.
The annexed cut will supersede any
more minute description.


THE ALTAR OF SACRIFICE.
In pursuance of our general plan, it represented corresponding realities un.
will be requisite here to endeavor to der the gospel dispensation, yet we find
ascertain the typical import of the Al- our Lord and his apostles arguing in
tar of Offering. The a priori presump- such a way as to recognise the truth of
tion that it possessed such a character this principle of typical or spiritual in.
will be seen to be abundantly confirmed terpretation. That the principle, in its
by the evidence now to be adduced. practical application, may be and has
This evidence, it is true, is seldom  been carried to the wildest and most
found in the Scriptures in the form of extravagant extent by writers of imagdirect assertion, but in the way of point- inative temperament, is but too obvious
ed allusion and inference it is perhaps to admit of question. But we see not
equally unequivocal. And this remark  why this fact should be allowed to in
holds good in respect to many of the validate the soundness of the principle
typical objects, persons, and institu- itself. Under the control of a subdued
tions of the Mosaic economy. While and sober judgment, it is a principle
they are not expressly affirmed to have which may be safely and profitably ret




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVII.


135


cognised, and in nothing more so than
in reference to those great and paramount features of the Mosaic ritual
which we are now considering'. Among
these the Altar of Sacrifice holds too
prominent a place not to partake in
large measure of that typical character
which pertained to the sacrifices themselves, and which no one in that relation thinks of questioning. Let us see
then what may be gathered as to the
spiritual bearing of this part of the
legal shadows.
Of the preeminent sanctity which attached to the Altar by divine appointment nothing can be a stronger proof
than the words of God himself, Ex. 29.
37, 'Seven days thou shalt make an
atonement for the altar, and sanctify
it; and it shall be an altar most holy:
whatsoever totucheth the altar shall be
holy;' or rather shall become holy, shall
be sanctified. Ience the declaration of
our Savior, that 'the altar sanctificth
the gift.' This then is an important
item in our consideration of the typical
design of this structure; it pointed to
something sustaining a character of
paramount holiness, and this character
is evdlently sustained by the subject of
it in connexion with some kind of mediatorialfunction, which was, with one
consent attributed by the ancient Jewish writers to the Altar of Burnt-offerings, as a part of its typical uses. Indeed they expressly denominated it
YhV22n m'tl     mizbi'ah hammetza'nh,
the mediator altar, and as intercession
is one of the principal offices of a mediator, it was also calleld t'1i^D peraklit, 7rapacX aros, paraclete, advocate, the
same word which Christ applies to the
Holy Spirit as the comforting advocate
whom he would send to his people to
supply the lack of his own presence,
and which is explained in the Gemara to
mean ' an interpreter, daysman, or kind
intercessor in behalf of a person with
the king.' This view of the subject
does not, it is true, rest upon express


scriptural authority, but it is altogether
consistent with it, and rises naturally
out of the ideas which its local position
between the Presence in the Tabernacle and the people in the Court, and
its office as a sacrificatory suggested.
Among the ancient Orientals, the usages
of royalty forbade the access of subjects
of common rank to the person of the
king without the offices of a mediator,
and more especially to those who had
in any way incurred the monarch's displeasure, of which a striking illustra.
tion is to be seen in the case of Absaloni, 2 Sam. 14. 32, 33. That the Israelites habitually ascribed this media.
ting or reconciling virtue to the Altar,
there can be no doubt, although we may
be constrained to admit that, confounding the type with the antitype, they
blindly ascribed this efficacy to the material fabric, instead of recognising its
ulterior reference to another Mediator
' of higher name,' who was to open the
way of access to the Father by the sacrifice of himself. For that this was
in fact the real typical purport of the
Altar of sacrifice, cannot for a moment
be questioned by any one who considers
its intrinsic adaptedness to shadow
forth the divine substance in its mediatory relations to a holy God and offending sinners. It is indeed certain
that this typical design both of the Altar and Sacrifices offered upon it points
to a common substance which we recognise in the person and offices of Christ,
but a discrimination may still be made
between what is more immediately applicable to the one and to the other respectively.
Taking it for granted that the idea of
mediatorship is fundamental in the typ.
ical institute of the Altar, we are naturally led to investigate the points ot
analogy in this respect between the
shadow and the substance. Now it is
obvious that one of the leading offices
of a mediator is the procurement of
peace, or the t econciliation of offended




136


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


and contending parties, and we have
the decided evidence of heathen antiquity in favor of connecting this effect
with the symbolical uses of altars.
Thus Virgil (LEn. IV. 56.) says,
Principio delubra advent, pacemque per aras
Exquirunt.
'First they repair to the shrines and
through the medium of altars solicit
peace.' The same office is attributed to
the Mosaic Altar and its offerings by
Rabbi Menahem; 'And an altar was
made that it might conciliate peace between the Israelites and their Father in
heaven through the mysteries of sacrifice.' This point is made still more
evident if we connect with the Altar
the act of expiation in which it was
mainly instrumental: as we learn from
the most express Rabbinical authority.
'This is that Altar,' says the Midrash
Rabboth, ' which was in the temple and
expiated the children of Israel.' Another also of the Jewish authorities
says, that ' when the sprinkled blood
touches the Altar, then those are expiated who offer the sacrifice.' Closely connected with the conciliatory or
peace-procuring design of the Altar
was that which it subserved as a table
or board of feasting to the parties
which were thus brought to mutual fellowship; as it is well known that, except in the case of the holeeaust, the
priests and some times the offerer too
feasted upon a portion of the offerings.
Accordingly the sacrifices offered upon the Altar are expressly spoken of,
Num. 28. 2, as bread or food laid upon
a table, and in Mal. 1. 7, it is said, 'Ye
offer polluted bread upon mine altar;
and ye say, Wherein have we polluted
thee? In that ye say, The table of the
Lord is contemptible.' Eating together
at the same table has ever been accounted among the Orientals the most
unequivocal pledge of amity, union,
and common interest, and accordingly
the Apostle conveys the idea of the


closest possible relation and fellowship
when he says, 1 Cor. 10. 18, 'Are not
they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?'  That is, they
were bound in most solemn covenant
ties to him whose table the altar was.
Consequently they could not eat of the
sacrifices of idol altars without virtually eating at the table of idols, and thus
entering into fellowship with them. But
Christ is the true altar of fellowship
for Christians, and its import both as
an altar and a table is fulfilled in hin.
We remark again that affording succor and protection to the weak, the
pursued, the endangered, is another
idea naturally connected with the mediatory uses of an altar. And such a
purpose we find answered by the Altar
of Burnt-offerings in the case of Adonijah and Joab, who both flew to it as an
asylumr when the guilt of treason and
blood had put their lives in peril. The
same character was ascribed by the
heathen to their altars, as we learn
firom numerous passages in the classics.
Flying to and sitting down by an altar
was a significant mode of claiming pro.
tection from vengeance. How perfectly the succoring and saving offices o.
Christ towards the guilty fulfil these
typical uses of the Altar is too obvious
to require elucidation.
This use of the Altar as a place of refuge seems to be intimately connected
with the horns by which it was distinguished. The culprit who fled to it
seized hold of its horns, and it was
from thence that Joab was dragged and
slain. Now the horn was one of the
most indubitable symbols of power, as
we learn from  the frequent employ.
ment of it in this sense by the sacred
writers. In Hab. 3. 4, for instance, it
is said, 'tie had horns oming out of
his hand, and there wax the hiding of
his pouer.' The 'horn of rFvid' is
the power and dominion of Darid, and
Christ is called a 'horn of salvation,'
from his being a mighty Savior, invest



B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVII.


137


9 '[ And d thou shalt make the
court of the tabernacle: for the
south aide southward there shall be
d cli. 38. 9.


ed with royal dignity, and able to put
down with triumph and ease all his enemies. It is probably in real, though
latent allusion to the horned altar and
its pacifying character that God says
through the prophet, Is. 27. 5, ' let
iim take hold of my strength, that lie
may make peace uwith me; and lie slhall
make peace with mie;' let hlill fly to
the horns of the mystic Altar, an.l find
security and peace in that reconciled
omnipotence of which it was the sign.
As the Altar then is primarily an atldnbration of Christ in his,lediatorial office, the horns nmay very snlitably denote
those attributes of his character which
as symbols they are adapted and designed to shadow forth.  As the stren,th
of all horned animals, tliat strecnth by
which they defend themiselves and their
young, is concentrated mainly in their
horns, so in the ascription of hoirns to
Christ we recognise the symbol of that
divine potency by which he is able to subdue all things to himself, and to afford
complete protection to his people. In
accordance with this, the visions of the
Apocalypse represent him as ' a Lamb
having seven horns,' as tle mystic insignia of that irresistible power with
which he effects the disconmfiture of his
adversaries and pushes his spiritual conquests over the world. This view of
the typical import of the Altar and its
appendages might doubtless be much
enlarged, but sufficient has been said
to show, that the same rich significancy and the same happy adaptation,
pervades this as reigns through every
other part of the Mosaic ritual.


hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long
for one side:
was of an oblong figure of a hundred
cubits (about fifty-eight yards) in length
by half that breadth, and the height of
the enclosing fence or curtain was five
cuhits, or nearly three yards, being half
the height of the Tabernacle. The enclosure;was formed by a plain hanging
of fine twinedl linen yarn, which seems
to have been worked in an open or network texture, so that the people without rmight freely see the interior. The
door-curtain was however of a different
texture from the general hanging, being
a great curtain of' finle twined linen,'
embroidered with blue, purple, and
scarlet. It is described in precisely
the same terms as the door-curtain of
the Tabernacle itself, and was of the
same fabric with the inner covering of
the Tabernacle and the vail before the
Ioly of hIolies. It was furnished with
cords, by which it might be drawn up
or aside when the priests had occasion
to enter. The curtains of this enclosure
were hung upon sixty pillars of brass,
standing on bases of the same metal,
but with capitals and fillets of silver.
(Compare the description in this chapter with that in chap 38.) The hooks
also, to which the curtains were attached, were of silver. The entrance of the
Court was at the east end opposite that
to the Tabernacle, and between them
stood the Altar of Burnt-offering, but
nearer to the door of the Tabernacle
than to that of the Court. It is uncer
tain whether the brazen laver was in
terposed between the Altar and the door
of the Tabernacle or not. Chap. 30. 18,
certainly conveys that impression; but
the Rabbins, lwho appear to have felt
that nothing could properly interpose
between the Altar and Tabemlacle, say
that the laver was indeed nearer to the


THE COURT OF THE TABERNACLE.
9. Thou shalt make the court of the
Tabernjacle.  This court or open enslosure, in which the Tabernacle stood,
12'


Tabernacle than was the Altar. but still




138


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1191.


10 And the twenty pillars thereof
and their twenty sockets shall beof
brass: the hooks of the pillars and
their fillets shall be of silver.
11 And likewise ior the north
side in length there shall ie hangings of a hundred cubits long, and
that it did not stand in the same line
with the Altar, but stood a little on one
side to the south. As to the position
of the Tabernacle in the Court, nothing
is said in the Scriptures on the subject,
but it seems less probable that it stood
in the centre than that it was placed towards the farther or western extremity,
so as to allow greater space for the
services which were to be performred
exclusively in front of the Tabernacle.
Within the precincts of this Court any
Israelite might enter, but none but the


his twenty pillars and their twenty
sockets of brass: the hook= of the
pillars and their fillets (f silver.
12 ~[ And for the breadth of the
court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten,
and their sockets ten.
priests were permitted to go into the
outer room of the Tabernacle, and into
its inner recess admission was forbidden
to all but the high priest. A view of
the Tabernacle witl its curtained enclosure will hereafter be given.
10. The twenty pillars thereof, and
their twenty sockets, &c. These pillars, which were probably made of
shittim-wood, were placed at five cubits
distance from each other, in sockets of
brass, in the manner represented in the
cut.


PILLAR AND SOCKET, WITH CORDS AND STAKES.


IT Fillets. Ieb. t;'1=lr hashukim,
from the root;i:n hashak which has
the sense of connecting, conjoining,
whence Rosenmuller and others with
much probability understand by the
term the connecting rods of silver between the heads of the pillars, on which
the curtains were suspended. Otherwise it is rendered as in our version
fillets, by which is meant raised ornamental bands or mouldings encircling
the tops of the pillars.


12. Breadth,fifty cubits. The breadth
of the Court was therefore equal to one
half its length; the whole area being
of an oblong square, one hundred cubits
in length and fifty in breadth.  The
form and proportions of the Taberna.
cle itself were nearly the same, being
thirty cubits in length and twelve in
breadth.
14. Fifteen cubits. As twenty out
of the fifty cubits which measured the
breadth of the Court on the eastern side




B. C. 1491.']


CHAPTER XXVII.


139


13 And the breadth of the court
on the east side eastward shall be
fifty cubits.
14 The hangings of one side of
the gate shall be fifteen cubits:
their pillars three, and their sockets three.
15 And on the other side shall be
hangings, fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
16 ~ And for the gate of the court
shall be a hanging of twenty cubits,
of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and
fine twined linen, wrought with
needle-work: and their pillars shall
be four, and their sockets four.
17 All the pillars round about the
court shall be filletted with silver:
their hooks shall be of silver, and
their sockets of brass.
18 ~ The length of the court
shall be an hundred cubits, and the
breadtlh fifty every where, and the


height five cubits of fine twined
linen, and their sockets of brass.
19 All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof,
and all the pins thereof, and all the
pins of the court, shall be of brass.
20 ~1 And e thou shalt command
the children of Israel, that they
bring thee pure oil olive beaten for
the light, to cause the lamp to
burn always.
21 In the tabernacle of the congregation f without the vail, which
is before the testimony, g Aaron
and his sons shall order it from
evening to   morning   before  the
LorD: hlit shall be a statute for
ever unto their generations on the
behalf of the children of Israel.
e Lev. 24. 2. f ch. 26. 31, 33. S ch. 30. 8. 1
Sam. 3.3. 2 Chron. 13. 1l. h ch. 28.43. & 29.
9, 28. Lev. 3.17 & 16. 4. & 24. 9. 9Numb. 18.
23. & 19. 21. 1 Sam. 30. 25.


were to be appropriated to the gate or  THE OIL FOR THE CANDLESTICK.
entrance-way, this would leave of course  20. Pure oil olive beaten. The Lamp
fifteen cubits on each side.        was to be fed with pure oil, prepared
19. The pins of the court. The nails from olives which were bruised with a
or small stakes which were driven into pestle, and so free from the sediment
the ground that the hangings, attached and dregs which were apt to mar that
to them by cords, might be Imade fast at that was obtained from an oil-press or
the bottom. They are represented in mill. 'By the expression oil olive, this
the cut above. In allusion to these and oil is distinguished from other kinds.
in view of its future glorious enlarge- The addition beaten, indicates that it
ment, the prophet thus apostrophizes is that oil obtained from olives pounded
the church, Is. 54.1-3, 'Sing, O barren, in a mortar, and not pressed from olives
thou that didst not bear; break forth in the oil-mill. The oil obtained from
into singing, and cry aloud, thou that pounded olives is, according to Columdidst not travail with child: for more ella's observation, much purer and bet.
are the children of the desolate than the ter tasted, does not emit much smoke,
children of the married wife, saith the and has no offensive smell.' Burder.
Lord. Enlarge the place of thy tent, --    T'o cause the lamnp to burn aland let them stretch forth the curtains ways. To light it regularly every night.
of thy habitations; spare not, lengthen That is said, according to Scripture
thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; usage, to be always done, which never
For thou shalt break forth on the right fails to be done at the appointed seahand and on the left; and thy seed son. Thus a continual burnt-offering'
shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the is one which is continually offered at
desolate cities to be inhabited.' See Mr. the stated time.
Barnes's Note on the passage.        21. In the tabernacle o' the tongre




140


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


CHAPTER XXVIII.
A   ND take thou unto thee aAaron
thy brother, and his sons with
gation.  Heb..Y1l73 im ohel moid,
tabernacle of appointment, or of stated
meeting. The commonrendering, 'tabernacle of the congregation,' implies
that it was so called merely from the
fact of the peoples' there congregating
to attend upon the worship of God,
whereas the genuine force of the original expression imports not only the
meeting of the people with each other,
a general assembling of the host, but
the meeting of God also with them, according to his promise, v. 43. 'And
there will I meet with the children of
Israel, and the Tabernacle shall be
sanctified with my glory.' The Hebrew Bth moEd, the term in question,
strictly signifies a meeting by appointment, a convention at a time and place
previously agreed upon by the parties.
The Chaldee both of Onkelos and Jonathan render this by oh.l     m minzshkan zimna, tabernacle of appointed
time, implying that at stated seasons
the children of Israel were to have recourse thither. — Ir Which is before
the testimony. That is, before the Ark
of the testimony. See ch. 25. 21, 22.
-Ir Aaron and his sons shall order it
from evening to morning. Josephus,
in speaking of the duty of the priests
(Ant. L. III. ch. 8.), says, 'They were
also to keep oil already purified for the
lamps; three of which were to give
light all day long, upon the sacred Candlestick before God, and the rest were
to be lighted at the evening.' It is not
untrasonable to suppose that this was
the case, although the authority of
Josephus cannot be considered as decisive of any point of Jewish antiquity.
Still as he was nearer the source of tradition, his testimony is always worthy
of being carefully weighed, although
the whole ritual had no doubt undergone great changes before his time.


him, from among the children of
Israel, that he may minister unto
a Numb. 18. 7. Ilebr. 5. 1, 4.
The following detailed account of the
manner of ' ordering' the lamps is given
by Ainsworth from Maimonides. As a
Rabbinical relic exhibiting a striking
specimen of the scrupulous exactness
with which every part of the Tabernacle service was performed, it is not
without its interest. 'Of every lamp
that is burnt out, he takes away the
wick, and all the oil that remaineth in
the lamp, and wipeth it, and putteth
in another wick, and other oil by measure, and that is an half a log (about a
quarter of a pint); and that which lie
taketh away lie casteth into the place
of ashes by the altar, and lighteth the
lamp which was out, and the lamp
which he findeth not out, he dresseth
it. The lamp which is middlenmost,
when it is out, he lights not it but from
the altar in the court; but the rest ol
the lamps, every one that is out he
lighteth from the lamp that is next.
-le lighteth not all the lamps at one
time; but lighteth five lamps, and stayeth, and dotl the other service; and
afterwards cometh and lighiteth the two
that remain. He whose duty it is to
dress the candlestick cometh with a
golden vessel in his hand (called Cuz,
like to a great pitcher) to take away
in it the wicks that are burnt out, and
the oil that remaineth in the lamps,
and lighteth five of the lamps, and bear
eth the vessel there before the Candle.
stick, and goeth out; afterwards he
cometh and lighteth the two lamps,
and taketh up the vessel in his hand,
and boweth down to worship, and go.
eth his way.' Treat. of the Daily Sa
crifice, C. III. Sect. 12-17.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE PRIESTLY GARMENTS.
As full and ample directions had now




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVIII.


141


me in the priest's office, even
been given in respect to rearing and
furnishing the Tabernacle as a place of
worship, we have in the present chapter
an intimation of the setting apart an
order of men to officiate as ministers of
this worship, and a minute description
of the vestment by which they were to
be distinguished. Previous to this time
the patriarchal mode of service had no
doubt obtained, every master of a family
being a priest to his own household;
but now as a Tabernacle of the congregation was about to be erected, as a
visible centre of unity to the nation,
God saw fit to order the institutions of
a public priesthood, and according to
previous intimation, Ex. 27. 21, Aaron
and his sons are here fixed upon as candidates for the high distinction.
1. Take thou unto thee. Heb. '"ljM
hiakrcb, cause to come nigh. Gr. irnoiayayov, bring near. The original root
h3p karab is of the most frequent occurrence in relation to sacrifices, and is
the ordinary term applied to the bringing near or presenting the various offerings rwhich were enjoined under the
Mosaic ritual. It is wholly in keeping
with this usage to employ it, as here,
in reference to persons who by their
dedication to the service of the sanctuary, were in a sense sacrificially offered up and deroted to God. Before entering upon the description of the sacerdotal dresses, the historian prefaces
a few words respecting those who were
to wear them, viz., Aaron and his sons -
of whose solemn consecration to office a
full account is given in the next chapter. God is introduced as especially
designating and appointing these individuals to the sacred function of the
priesthood; and this would have the
effect at once to show that this was an
honor too great to be assumed by men
without a call from heaven, according
to the Apostle's statement, IJeb. 5. 4,


Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar
and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
and also to free both Moses and Aaron
from the charge of grasping this distinction for the purpose of aggrandizillg
their own famiy. —T   That he may
minister. Heb. 1%=SS lekahano, from
the root l,- kahan, of which Kimchi
says the primary meaning is the rendering of honorable and dignified service, sucl as that of officers of state to
their sovereign.  In accordance with
this it is used concerning the sons of
David, 2 Sam. 8. 1S, who could not.
strickly speaking, be priests; and on
the same grounds tile substantive Of it
kohnanim is in several places in the
margin rendered 'princes.' See Note
on Gern. 14. 18.  But as princes or
courtiers wait on the king, and are honored by nearer access to him than
others; so the priests under the law
were assumed into this near relation to
the King of Israel, and for this reason
the term in its ordinary acceptation is
applied more especially to the duties
of priests in ministering before God at
his altar. The remark is no doubt well
founded, that wherever the word is connected with any of the names of God,
it always denotes a priest; but when
standing alone it usually means a
prince, or some person of eminence.
Comp. Ex. 2. 16. Of the duties per.
taming to the priestly office we shall
have occasion to speak in detail in sub.
sequent notes; but we may here ob
serve briefly, that although as high
functionaries in the court of the Great
King, many of their duties were of a
civil nature, as might be expected under
a system in which church and state
were united, yet those that more prop
erly belonged to them in their sacer
dotal character were mainly the following: They were to pronounce the benediction upon the people and to conduct
the whole service of the holy place
Their's was the business of sac-ifciig




142


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


2 And b thou shalt make holy
h ch. 29. 5, 29. & 31. 10. & 39. 1, 2. Lev. 8.
7, 30. Numb. 20. 26, 28.
in all its rites, in all offerings upon the
alter of burnt-offerings. The government and ordering of the sanctuary and
of the house of God lay upon them.
They kept the table of show-bread
properly supplied; they attended to
the lamps of golden candelabrum every
morning: at the same time they burnt
the daily incense, which prevented any
offensive scent from the dressing of the
lamps from being perceived. It was
their duty to keep up the fire upon the
brazen altar, that the fire originally
kindled from heaven might never be extinguished. It was their office to make
the holy anointing oil; and their's to
blow the silver trumpets at the solemn
feasts, and also before the Ark at its
removals. While their numbers were
few, there was occupation enough to
keep them all employed; but when
they afterwards became numerous, they
were divided into twenty-four bands, or
courses, each of which undertook weekly, in rotation, the sacred services. But
this regulation belongs to the time of
David, and remains to be considered in
another place. Although the Most High
had before, Ex. 19. 6, said of Israel in
general, 'that they should be to him a
kingdom of priests,' yet this did not
militate with his concentrating the
office, in its active duties, in a single
family, as he now saw fit to do. It was
only in this way that the great ends of
the institution could be attained. Of
the four sons of Aaron here selected;
the two eldest, Nadab and Abiliu, unfortunately showed themselves ere long
unworthy of the honor now conferred
upon them, and perished miserably in
consequence of their presumptuous levity in the discharge of their office. The
succession then reverted to the line of
Eleazar and Ithamar, in which it was
perpetuated down to the latest period of
the Jewish polity.


garments for Aaron thy brother
{or glory and for beauty.
'2. Holy garments. Hleb. lj'i  ''1?
bigde' kodesh, garments of holiness. Gr
Tro)X7 ayia, a holy stole, or perhaps collectively a quantity of holy stoles
These garments are called 'holy' be
cause they were designed for holy men
and because they formed part of an
establishment whose general character
was holy. Indeed, whatever was sepa.
rated from common use, and consecrated to the immediate service of God,
acquired thereby a relative holiness; so
that we see the amplest ground for the
bestowment of this epithet upon the sacred dresses. In ordinary life, when
not engaged in their official duties, the
priests were attired like other Israel.
ites of good condition; but when employed in their stated ministrations,
they were to be distinguished by a peculiar and appropriate dress. Of this
dress, which was kept in a wardrobe
somehow connected with the Tabernacle, and which was laid aside when
their ministration ceased, and returned
to the wardrobe, the Jewish writers
have much to say. According to them
the priests could not officiate without
their robes, neither could they wear
them beyond the sacred precincts. Under the Temple, where the usages were
no doubt substantially the same as in
the Tabernacle, when the priests arrived to take their turns of duty, they
put off their usual dress, washed themselves in water, and put on the holy
garments. While they were in the Temple, attending upon their service, they
could not sleep in their sacred habits,
but in their own wearing clothes.
These they put off in the morning,
when they went to their service, and
after bathing, resumed their officia.
dress.-But we shall treat of the details in their order. — V For glory and
for beauty. Heb. rtlh Rrif l o 1y 5  It
kabod u-lctiphareth; for glory, or honor




B. C. i491.]            CHAPTER      XXVIII.                      143
3 And c thou shalt speak unto all which thley shall make; e a breast.
that are wise-hearted, d whom    I plate, and fan ephod, and g a robe,
lave filled with the spirit of wis- and h a broidered coat, a mitre,
dom, that they may make Aaron's and a girdle: and they shall make
grarmens to consecrate him, that holy garments for Aaron thy brohe  lay minister unto me in the ther, and his sons, that he may
priest's office.                    minister unto me in the priest's
4 And these are the garments office.
ch. 31. 6. & 36. 1. d ch. 31. 3. & 35. 30, 31.  e er. 15. f ver. 6. g ver. 31. h ver. 39.
nr.d for beauty, ornament, decoration. pert, ingenious, as artists. It is clearly
The expression is very strong, leading intimated, however, by the connected
us to the inference that a special sig- p phrase, Iwhhorn I have filled with the
nificancy and importance attached to spirit of wisdom' that the epithet irn
these garments. They were to be made plies more than the niere native gifts
thus splendid in order to render the and endowments which might be posoffice more respected, and to inspire a sessed by any in this line. Whatever
becoming reverence for the Divine MaIn- mechanical skill might be evinced by
iesty, whose ministers were attired with any of the people, yet here was a work
so much grandeur. As every thing per- to be execulted which required sometaining to the sanctuary was to be mlade thiing still higher, and therefore God
august and magnificent, so were the w as pleased to impart a special indresses of those who ministered there. spiration to endow them with the re.
Yet wre cannot doubt that a typical de- quisite ability. Compare this with Is.
sign governed the fashion and appear- 28. 23 —29, where even the necessary
allce of these gorgeous robes, and that skill for rightly conducting the occuthey pointed forward to the ' glory' aid pations of husbandry are referred to the
I beautyl both of the internal character same source. To the right-minded it
and the outward display of the ' great is pleasant as well as proper to ascribe
HIigh Priest' of the church, in his yet to the Father of lights, from whom
future manifestation. We may perhaps cometh do(lon every good and perfect
recognise also a secondary allusion to gift, the glory of whatever talents may
the beautiful spiritual investment both give us eminence or success in any of
of his ministers and people, in that the la\wful or hotnorable callings of life.
bright period when they shall have laid - fT To consecrate him. To render
aside the 'filthy garments' of their cap- him  consecrated; to be a badge and
tivity and degradation, and shall shine sign of his consecration.
forth as the 'perfection of beauty in  4, 5. These are the garments, &c.
the whole earth,' being clothed in that Of the garments here appointed to be
' clean linen whtch is the righiteousness made of these rich materials four were
of saints.' Accordingly it is said, Is. commnon to the high priest and the in.
51. 1, 'Put on thy beautiful garmenets ferior priests; viz., the linen breeches,
(Fleb. In'tl ) "n',: bigdP tipharth;;k, the linen coat, the linen girdle, and the
garments of thy beauty),' the very word I bonnet or turban; that which the high
here employed.                     priest wore is called a mitre. The re.
3. Speak unto all that are wise- mnaining four were peculiar to the high
hearted. Heb. ~5 '     L2 t ': 4 el kol priest, viz., the ephod with its curious
hakmi lE'b, to all wise of heart. Gr. girdle, the breast-plate, the long robe
lraot roig aoooDa  y Zc avola, to all wcise in with its bells and pomegranates, and
understanding. That is, skilful, ex- the golden plate on his forehead. These




M44


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


5 And they shall take gold, and
blue, and purple, and scarlet, and
fine linen.
6 1 i And they shall make the
ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined
lnen, with cunning work.
7 It shall have the two shoulderch. 39. 2.


pieces thereof joined at the two
edges thereof; and so it shall be
joined together.
8 And the curious girdle of the
ephod, which is upon it, shall be
of the same, according to the work
thereof; even of gold, of blue, and
purple, and scarlet, and fine twined
linen.


last are frequently termed by the Rabbinical writers, by way of distinction,
the.i7T ~'1   bigde zahab, garments of
gold while the others, made of linen, are
called 'p^ 'J'a1 bigde laban, garments
of white. We shall consider each of
them in order. We may here remark,
however, that on one day in the year,
viz., the great day of atonement, or fast
of annual expiation, the IIigh Priest
wore none of the golden garments, but
appeared, like the rest of the priests,
simply in habiliments of white linen.
Even his mitre was then made of linen.
The reason of this was, that the day of
atonement was a day of humiliation; and
as the Iigh Priest was then to offer sacrifices for his oun sins, as well as those
of the people, lie was to be so clad as
to indicate that he could lay claim to no
exemption on the score of frailty and
guilt; that he recognised the fact that
in the need of expiation, the highest and
the lowest, the priest and the Levite,
stood on a level before God, with whom
there is no distinction of persons.
THE EPHOD.
6. They shall make the ephod, &c.
Heb. 1tNR ephod. Gr. c7wytupa, shoulder.
piece. The original comes from 'tR
aphad, to bind or gird on, and therefore signifies in general something to be
girded on; but as to the precise form of
the vestment itself it is difficult to
gather from the words of the narrative
a very distinct notion; and even if we
succeed in this, we must still depend
mainly upon a pictured representation
to convey an adequate idea of it to the


reader. From an attentive comparison
of all that is said of the Ephod in the
sacred text, commentators are for the
most part agreed in considering it as
approaching to the form of a short
double apron, having the two parts
connected by two wide straps united
on the shoulders. These are called, v.
7, the two shoulder-pieces, which were
to be joined at the two edges thereof;
i. e. on the very apex of the shoulders.
This junction was effected in some way
under the two onyx-stones and at the
precise point where they rested upon
the shoulders. These stones are said
by Josephus (who calls them 'sardonyxstones') to have been very splendid,
and Bihr thinks that the symbolical
significancy of the Ephod was mainly
concentrated in these ' shoulder-pieces,which, like our modern epauletles, were
a badge of dignity, authority, corn
mand-an idea to which we shall ad
vert in the sequel. The two main
pieces or lappets of the Ephcd huiig
down, the one in front, the other be.
hind, but to what depth is not stated,
although Josephus says it was a cubit,
which would bring their lower extremity about to the loins. It seems to us
probable on the whole that the posterior
portion hung down from the shoulders
considerably lower than the anterior.
But without some other appendage
these dorsal and pectoral coverings
would hang loose upon the person, to
prevent which a ' curious girdle,' form.
ing an integral part of the Ephod itself,
and composed probably of two distinct
bands issuing from the sides of either




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVIII.


145


the frontal or hinder portion, passed in the front piece is designed for the
round the oody just under the arms so insertion of the Breast-plate. The anas to encircle it over the region of the pendant straps when brought around
heart. The annexed cut will aid the the body formed the 'curious girdle of
reader's conception. The open space I the Ephod.'


In this representation we have main- Lexicographers, contends for a iorm
ly followed Braunius in his celebrated approaching nearer to that of a belt or
work on the Dresses of tlie Jewish girdle for the whole Ephod, and there
Priests, as that which we regard as on is so much that is plausible in his view.
the whole tlhe most probable; but Gus- that we are induced to give a copy of
setLus, one of the ablest of the Hebrew  hsis engraving.


Such appears to have been the general which it was maderto be fitted close to
form of the Ephod, and the m:llncr in the body. As to the material of which
Vol. II.       13




146


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


9 And thou shalt take two onyxstones, and grave on them the
names of the children of Israel:
10 Six of their names on one
stone, and the other six names of
the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
11 With the work of an engraver
it was made, this was evidently the
same with that 6f the interior curtains
and the separating vail of the Tabernacle, and wrought like it, except that in
this ephod-tapestry the figures of cherubim were wanting, and instead of them
there was a rich interweaving of threads
ofgold, which together with the beautiful colors embroidered, must have
given it an air of inexpressible richness.
On this point the Jewish writers say,
'The gold that was in the weaving of
the ephod and breast-plate was thus
wrought: He (the cunning workman)
took one thread of pure gold and put it
with six threads of blue and twisted
these seven threads as one. And so
he did one thread of gold with six of
purple, and one with six of scarlet, and
one with six of linen. Thus these four
threads of gold and twenty-eight threads
in all.'  Maimonides in Ainsworth.
This is a very probable account of the
mode of texture, though the proportion,of gold strikes us as very small. From
the allusion in the description of our
Savior's dress, Rev. 1. 13, 'Clothed with
a garment down to the foot, and girt
about the paps with a golden girdle,' it
is reasonably to be inferred that it contained a pretty copious insertion of gold
in its texture, from whliic fact the curious girdle of the Ephod was usually dis.
tinguished by this epithet.  Though
properly and primarily a vestment of
the High Priest, yet it appears that
garments of the same name were worn
by the inferior priests, but they were
plain ones of linen. It does not appear
that even these were worn at first by
the common priests.  But we after

in stone, like the engravings of a
signet, shalt thou engrave the two
stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make
them to be set in ouches of gold.
12 And thou shalt put the two
stones upon the shoulders of the
ephod for stones of memorial unto
wards read of common priests wearing
Ephods; and indeed Samuel, who was
only a Levite, wore one; and David,
who was not even a Levite, did the
same when he danced before the ark.
On one occasion Saul consulted the
Lord by Urim, and consequently used
the Ephod of the high priest, I Sam.
28. 6; and on another occasion David
did the same, 1 Sam. 30. 7. It is thought
by sone, however that Saul and David
did not themselves use the Ephod, but
directed the priest to use it.
9-12. Thou shalt take two onyx
stones, &c. On each of the connecting
pieces that went across the shoulders
was set an arch or socket of gold. containing an onyx-stone (Chal. 'Berylstone') on which the names of the
tribes of Israel were engraved, as in a
seal, six on each shoulder. Thus Maimonides; 'IIe set on each shoulder a
beryl-stone four-square, embossed in
gold; and he graved on the two stones
the names of the tribes, six on one
stone and six on the other, according to
their births. And the stone whereon
Reuben was written, was on the right
shoulder, and the stone whereon Simeon
was written, was on the left.' The
Rabbins say, moreover, that the letters
were so equally divided in these two
inscriptions that Joseph's name was
written 'Jehoseph' in order to make just
twenty-five letters in each stone.IT Accorditng to their birth.  Heb
bten     ketholedotham, their births or
generations. That is, according to the
order of their respective firths or ages
The arrangement is dl- rsely under.
stood by Josephus and most of the




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVIII.


147


the children of Israel: and I Aaron
shall hear their -names before the
LORD UQOII his two shoulders m for
a memorial.
1.3 ~[ And thou shalt make ouches
of gold;
14 And two chains of pure gold
at the ends; of wreathen work
ver. 29. ch.3997. m See Josh. 4. 7.Zech.
6. 14.
I 4abbinic-al writers, according to the
latter of whoin the order was as follows:
Left.             Right.
Gad, IReuben,
Asher,            Simeon,
Issachar,         Levi,
Zebulon,          Jndah,
Joseph,          IDan,
Benjamin,         Naphtali.
The foriner, having a special view to
their several mothers, arranges them
thus
F  Sim m,:,R     euben,
Zebuony       Issachar,
Da );mu           Naphitali,.AshrT            Gad,
BejaininJ        Joseph.
It is a matter of little momnent which
we consi'der as the most correct.
12. For stfonese of memorial metito the
children, of rsrael. That is, as a memnorial for or in. behalf of the children
of Israel; a rememrbrancer to Aaron anti
to Israel that lie appearedi before God
in tile priestly office as a representative of tile whole people. The mean.
iimg is in, fact exlplained in the next
clauLse.
THiE BREAST-PLATE.
15.   Thou shalt make the breastPlate of jutdgment, &c. lIfb. yP
t~ZZhoshen mishpat.  This would
perhaps be better rendered in ouir versi'01i pector-al or brceast-piere of jntdg.


shalt thou make them, and fasterc
the wreathen chains to the ouches.
15 ~ And a thou shalt make the
breast-plate of judgmnent with cunning work; after the work of' the
ephod thou shalt make it; of gold,
of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of flue twined linen shalt
thou make it.
neCh. 39.89.
meant, as breast-plate coiivey-s time ideca
of a military accoutrement, which is
not implied in the original.   Greek
7NV pu m, the   rationale   of
judgments, as it is also reiidered iin the
L-at. VuIg,,. The etymology of the orig.
mnat termi )_r hoslmen, is entirely unknown. Gesenius intleed refers to the
Arabic hashna, to be fair, beautifult1
splendid, as perhaps having aflimmity
with its root, with wvhichm lie conipaires
the Germ. scheinien., to appear-, schi)m+O.
fair, and Eng. shine. But thotigh it is,
equally  a  riatter  of  conijctue,  e  fur
ourselves prefer the snggestion of Aven
armus (Lex. ad rad.  MZ) that it comies
by transposition of' letters froiii IZ1
nahash, to augur, to divine, a- s(050
very icarly akin to that of' seekinm0 informnation; by conmsulting, an oracle.
Yet We atre Still unlable to establish this
or aiiy other as thme legitimate forma.
tiomi of thme word, amid are couipelled
therefore to content ourselves with such
aview   of  the  m iaterial,  fo m   nt  ie
of the      hoe/men as can be de~duced
from the text independent of pbilologieal
or collateral. aid. It was callemd Ibreastplate of' juudgment' fromi its being Nvorn
by thme High Priest wvhen lie went imito
th Mlost tHoly Place to consult God re.
sp)ecting those matters of jnd~oment
which. sere too hard for the inferiour
judges, aimd which had reference to
thme more important civil or religiotis
concerns of time imation. Comp. lDetit.
17. Is, 19. Thme cloth which formoed
the grouniml of the Blreast-plhrae -was of
thme same rich embroidered stuff or




148


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


16 Fot.r-square it shall be, bezng
doubled; a span s/hall be the length
thereof, and a span shall be the
breadth thereof.
17 oAnd thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of
stones; the first row shall be a saro ch. 39. 10, &c.
brocade as the Ephod, of two spans in
length and one ill breadth.  Consequently when doubled it was just a
span or eighteen inches square. For
what reason it was doubled is not apparent. Some suppose it was to give
it more strength in bearing the precious
stones appended to it.  But for ourselves we are unable to see how the
back fold could have aided in supporting the weight of the stones in front.
Far preferable therefore to us seems
the opinion, that it was doubled thus in
order that being sewed together on three
sides and left open on one it might
form a kind of sack, pocket, or bag, as
a receptacle of somethigii, which was to
be put in it. But of this more in the
sequel. At each corner of the Breastplate thus mlade into a square firlll was
a golden ring. To the two upper onies
were attached two goldenl chains of
wreathen work, i. e. chains mad(le of
golden thlreads or wires braided together, which passedt up to tile shoulders and were there somehow fastened
to the shoulder-lpieces or to the onyxstones. By meatis of llese chains it was
suLlpentle(l oil the breast. 13ut to render
it still more firml in its positioin) two
laces or ribbons of blue were passed
through the two ritigs at the two lower
corners of the Breast-plate, and also
through two corresponding rings iii tle
Ephod, atid thetn tied together a little
above thle girdle of the Ehilod. This
rendered the Breast-plate and Er phod
itiseparablle, so that the latter could Itot
be Aput on without being accompanitil
by tilhe  orelr, and the lllllishll:ncit of
stripes was decreed against inim  who


dius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this
shall be the first row.
18 And the second row     shall be
an emerald, a sappllire, and a diamond.
19 And the third row a ligure, an
agate, and an amethyst.
20 And the fourth row a bery,l;
should attempt to divide the one fromn
tlhe other.
17. Thou shalt set in it settings oJ
stones.  Heb. P b   Mh r   =n h R~h
millftha bo milluath eben, thou shalt
fill in it fillings of stones. The import
undoubtedly is that these stones were
to be set or enchased in sockets of gold
or some other metal, and they are called fillings because the stones when in.
sertedfilled up the cavities prepared for
their reception. The precise manner in
which these twelve precious stones,
which had the names of the twelve
tribes engraved upon them, were attached to the Breast-plate is not expressed in. the text, though it is usually
understood by commentators to have
been upon the outside, and that they
were fully exposed to vi(ew Iwhen worn
upon the Higlh Priest's bosom. This,
however, is not asserted iui the text,
anldt we shall soon suggest several reasonls for doultilg wrlhether it were the
fact. It is certain that the stones were
in some way appended to thle Breastplate, atnd that they were arranged in
four rows, three in each, but as to the
peculiar manner in which they were
adjusted to the supporting grountl  ot
the tapestry, this is a poinit \which is to
be iJnfrred from an attentive consideration of all the circumnstances relating
to the fabric itself', and upon this w e
shall be mnore full in a subsequenlt note.
At present we shall devote a page o(
two to the consideration of the stotnes
themselves, in relatiot to which we are
constrainedl to relzark tlhat after all tlle
research expenlidedl by antiquarians upon
thle sul,jcct mtuch uncertainty still rests




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVIII.


149


npon it. They cannot be satisfactorily
identified. We can only approach a
probability, more or less strong, that
the gems which we now call the topaz,
emerald, sapphire, carbuncle, &c., do
truly answer to the original terms which
they are thus made to represent in English. Our explanations must be taken
therefore by the reader subject to the
necessary abatement on this score.
1. SARDIUS. Heb. t3'   odem, from
the radical  7RN adam, to be ruddy or
red. Chal. 'i2O samkan, and KRjD
samketha, red. Gr. eapliov, sardine, a
name supposed to be taken from Sardis
or Sardinia, where it was originally
found. It was a stone of the ruby class,
and answers to the carnelian of the
moderns. The finest specimens now
come from Surat, a city near the gulf
of Cambay in India.
2. TOPAZ. Heb. i'lt   pitdah. Etymology unknown. Gr. rosraiov, topazion, a name which Pliny says is derived
from Topazos, an island in the Red
Sea. Chal. lip'     r yarkan and  ~' lm
yarketha, signifying green. It is supposed to be the modern chrysolite, and
its color to have been a transparent
green-yellou'.  It comes now   from
Egypt, where it is found in alluvial
strata.
3. CARBUNCLE. Heb. tIDJ  bareketh,
from j'3  barak, to lighten, glitter, or
glister; answering to the avOpaa anthrax, of the Greeks, so called because
when held to the sun it resembles a
piece of bright burning charcoal. Indeed its name carbuncle means a little
coal, and refers us at once to a lively coalred. Its modern name is the garnet.
The Septuagint, Josephus, and Lat.
Vulgate have rendered in this place by
O/':t2o?!y(LS sinaragdos, enerald. But this
is more properly the rendering of the
next in order. The carbuncle and the
emerald have in fact in some vway become transposed in the Greek version.
4. EMERALD. Ile). 17    nophek. Gr.
avOpa4. This gem is undoubtedly the
13'


same with the ancient sma.rngdos, or
emerald, one of the most beautiful of
all the precious stones. It is characterised by a bright green color, with
scarcely any mixture, though differing
somewhat in degrees. The true Oriental emerald is now very scarce. The
best that are at present accessible are
from Peru. In the time of Moses they
came from India.
5. SAPPHIRE. Heb. "   so sappir. Gr.
azpcpos sapphiros. The word is very
nearly the same in all known languages,
and as to the sapphire itself it is, after
the diamond, the most valuable of the
gems, exceeding all others in lustre and
hardness. It is ofa sky-blue, or fine azure color, in all the choicest specimens,
though other varieties occur. Indeed
among practical jewellers it is a name
of wider application perhaps than that
of any of the rest of the precious stones.
Pliny says that in his time the best
sapphires came from Media. At present
they are found in greater or less perfection in pearly every country.
6. DIAIMOND. tHeb. trn' yahalom,
from ~t, halam, to beat, to smite upon,
so called from its extraordinary hardness, by which like a hammer it will
beat to pieces any of the other sorts of
stones. Thus the Greeks called the
diamond aaltacs, adamas, from Gr. a, not
and (apacw, damao, to subdue, on account
of its supposed invincible hardness.
Accordingly Pliny says of diamonds,
that 'they are found to resist a stroke
on the anvil to such a degree that the
iron itself gives way and the anvil is
shattered to pieces.' This is no doubt
exaggerated and fabulous, but it is sufficient to justify the propriety of the Hebrew name, that diamonds are nucch
harder than other precious stones, and
in this all are agreed. This quality of
the diamonld, together with its incomparable brilliancy, renders it by far the
most valuable of all the gems. The Gr.
here has iaamr jaspis, orjasper.
7. LIGURE. Ile. tm     leshem. Gr




150


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


and an onux, and a jasper: they
shall be set in gold in their enclosings.
21 And the stones shall be with
the names of the children of Israel,
twelve, according to their names,
like the engravings of a signet;
every one with his name shall they
be according to the twelve tribes.
22 TAnd thou shalt make upon
the breast-plate chains at the ends
of wreathen work of pure gold.
23 And thou shalt make upon the
breast-plate two rings of gtld, and
shalt put the two rings on the two
ends of the breast-plate.
24 And thou shalt put the two
wreathen chains of gold in the two
rings which are on the ends of the
breast-plate.
AtypioiL, ligurion. This is one of the
most doubtful of the precious stones as
to color. It is supposed to be closely
related to the hyacinth (jacinth) of
the moderns, which is a red strongly
tinged with orange-yellow.
8. AGATE. Heb. '1-f    shebo. Gr.
aXarirs, achates, agate. This is a stone
of a great variety of hues, which is
thought by some to be identical with
the chrysopras, and if so it is probably
that a golden green was the predominant color.
9. AMETHYST. Heb. itrirl ahlamah. Gr. apteGvacrog amethystos, from
a: not, and isOtvarog, drunlcen, because
wine drank from an amethyst cup was
supposed by the ancients to prevent
inebriation. The oriental amethyst is
a transparent gem, the color of which
seems to be eomposed of a strong blue
and a deep red; and according as either
prevails, affording different tinges of
purple, and sometimes even fading to a
rose color. It comes from Persia, Arabia, Armenia, and the East Indies.
10. BERYL. Ileb. lI '  id tarshish.
Gr. XyIvtoXiOoC, chrysolithos. A pellucid gem of a sea or bluish green. But


25 And the othcr two ends of the
two wreathen chains thou shalt
fasten in the two ouches, and put
them on the shoulder-pieces of the
ephod before it.
26 ~ And thou shalt make two
rings of gold, and thou shalt put
them  upon the two ends of the
breast-plate in the border thereof,
which is in the side of the ephod
inward.
27 And two other rings of gold
thou shalt make, and shalt put
them on tile two sides of the ephod
underneath, toward the fore-part
thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curions girdle of the ephod.
28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the
if, as many mineralogists and critics
sulppose, the beryl is the same as the
chrysolite, it is a gem of yellowish green
color, and ranks at present among the
topazes.
11. ONYx. I eb. tsT  shohan; called onyx lrom Gr. olrvt onyx, from its
resemblance of its ground color to that
lunated spot at the base of the human
nail, which the Greek word signifies.
It is a semi-pellucid stone of a fine
flinty texture, of a waterish sky-colored
ground, variegated with bands of zwhite
and brown, which run parallel to each
other. It is here rendered by the Gr.
/aplvXXtov, beryllion, beryl, from some
apparent confusion in the order of the
names. See Note on Gen. 2. 12.
12. JASPER. Heb. 'tVD    yashepheh.
Gr..uX,!v, onuchion. The similarity
of the Hebrew name has determined
most critics to consider the jasper as
the gem intended by this designation.
This is a stone distinguished by such a
vast variety of liles, that it is extremely hazardous to fix upon any one as ils
distinguishing color. The brown Egyp
tian variety is conjectured to have been
the one selected for the Breast-plate.




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVIII.


151


The annexed cut, conformed to the lish,iame we consider as unfoitunately
usual model, wvill convey a tolerably chosen.- Pectoral, i. e. breast-plate is
correct idea of the general form and ap- decidedly preferable.  Jesephus calls
pearance of the Breast-plate. The Eng-' I itLEssen.


TieE BREAST-PLATE.


21. And the stones shall be uwith the
names. Heb. r~t  ~. al shemoth, upon
the names. The more natural andl direct phraseology -would be-' the niames
shall be upon the stones,' but the expression is idiomatic, and probably implIies that the stones should be accompanied or distinguished by the names;
or we may adopt the construction of
Noldiu3 (Do Heb. Partic. sub voc. I
arid all the ancient versions, and render
it-' the stones shall be accordin- to


the names of the children of Israc
which probably involves the complex
idea of the stories corresponiding with
the naines ini number, andl also of having
the names actually sculptured ripen
them.
28. Unto the rings of the ephod. 0f
these two rings nothing was said in the
account of the construction of the EphodI
above; probably because the use of
them would not so fully appear till the
Breast-plat s arid its position came to




152


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


rings of the ephod with a lace of
blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that
the breast-plate be not loosed from
the ephod.
29 And Aaron shall bear the
be described as is done in the present
context.
29. Aaron shall bear the names, &c.,
in the breast-plate of judgment upon his
heart. The phrase 'upon his heart'
is not properly to be understood in this
connexion in a physical sense, as if
equivalent to ' upon his breast, ' upon
his bosom.' This is not the usage of
the Hebrew   in regard to the word
'heart.' After a pretty thorough examination of the many hundreds of cases
in which the term occurs in the sacred
writers, we have not been able to find a
single instance, apart from the present,
in which it is unequivocally employed
in a physiological sense, to denote that
grand organ of the human body which
anatomists call 'the heart.' The passage which comes nearest to such a
sense is that in Is. 1. 5, 'The whole
head is sick, and the whole heart faint.'
Yet even here the metaphorical sense
is predominant; for as the sickness is
not corporeal, but moral, so the members affected are to be considered as
equally figurative. According to the
prevailing usage of Scripture, the heart
is regarded as thle seat of intelligence
and emotion.  The feelings of love,
hope, fear, joy, sorrow, &c., are refer.
red to the heart; and in the present
case we cannot question that although
as a matter of fact the Breast-plate was
worn over the region of the heart, yet
the dominant idea conveyed by the
phrase is, that Aaron was to bear these
names of the tribes in his kind and
affectionate remembrance whenever lie
went into the holy place. The beautiful sculptured gems were to be to him
a memorial or memento of the fact that
the interests of the whole people were


names of the children of Israel in
the breast-plate of judgment upon
his heart, when lie goeth in unto
the holy place, i for a memorial before the LORD continually.
P ver. 12.
committed to him as their represent.
ative, and that he should never cease to
feel burdened in soul with this grave
responsibility, especially whenever he
was called to act in his capacity as sacerdotal judge of the chosen tribes. In
this fact we are no doubt at liberty to
read one very interesting feature of the
typical intent of the jewelled Breastplate. The priesthood of Aaron shadowed forth the infinitely greater and more
glorious priesthood of Christ. In the
execution of his office as the great Highl
Priest of the Church, he was ordained
to enter into the holy place, there to
appear in the presence of God for us.
This he has done. He ascended to
heaven after his resurrection, that he
might there complete the work he had
begun on earth. On his heart are engraven the names of all his people, and
not one of them is overlooked or forgotten. He presents them all before
his Father, as the objects of his own
kind and solicitous sympathy and care,
and they are dear to the Father, because
they are dear to the Son. As he thus
bears these his jewels on his heart
while they are toiling and travailing
here below, so will he finally transfer
them from his bosom to his head, making them to adorn his diadem forever in
the kingdom of his glory.
But this does not forbid the supposi.
tion, that in relation to God the stones
of the Breast-plate may have subserved
still another purpose. Certain it is that
the whole scope of the context leads us tc
view them as indicating not only the
subjects, but also the instruments, of
those judicial decisions about which
they were employed. They were in
some way made use t f as a medium of




B. C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXVIII.


the oraculmr responses which the High
Priest obtained by consultation fromn
Jehovah in behalf of the Jewish peo1)le. But as this presents them in a
distiinct point of view, as intimately
connllected) if nut absolutely identified,
wvith the Urimn and Thuinsirin, we shall
defier the sequel of our remarks on the
Breast-plate till we come to the consideration of' that very interesting but
abstruse subject.
Jn the mean time, we cannot forbear
p~resenting the reader with the following, translated extract from the wvork of
Bbhr before mentioned, in relation to
thle joint,symbolical uses of the Ephud
and the Breast-plate.
IThe Ephod and the Hoshen or Pectoral, which formed the third general
(livision of the lHigh Priest's vestments,
and signified the kinjly dignity, do not
stand in subordinate relation the one to
the other, so that the Hloshien was
merely an appendage to the Ephod,
but tlsey are both treated in the orig.
inal as independent articles, yet at
the samne time making together one
whole. The dignity also which they
relpreseInt, must be iii some way of a
two-fold nature, or which exhibits itself under a double aspect; and thus in
fact was the kingly dig-nity, both amnong
the Hlebrewvs and all oriental antiquity
conceived of, viz., as uniting in itself
the two grand prerog-,atives of lordship
and jud-ment. Thus, I Samn. S. 5, 6,
'And said unto himl, Behold, thou art
Old, and thy sons walk not in thy wvays:
now Make us a king to judge us like
all the nations. But the thing (hispleased Samuel, when tlsey said, G ice
us a king to judge us: and Sanmuel
prayed unto the Lord.' So also 20,
'That we also may be like all the nationis; andI th-at our kimn. may judge us,
afl(I go out bef'ore us, and fighit our batt Ie s.' 2 Samin. 13. 4, 'Absaloin said
mocreover, Oh that I were. morde judge
in the land, tlmat every manl which hath
ally suit or cause mighlt come unto me,


and I would do hint justice!' I a~ings,
3. 9, 'Give therefore thy servant an utn
derstanding heart to judge llhy people,
that I may discern betwveen good and
bad: for who is able to judge this thy
so great a peopile?' So Artemidorus
the Oneirocritic remarks, KPIvcmv ra
DeOycm, cXcyov oL,raXamom, the ancients
said that reigning was judging rnNow
the reignin- dignity is plainmly indicated by the Ephod, inasmucla as we
have already observed, that its distinguishing feature was the shoulderpiece (Gr. crwjueg), and the shoulder both
imm sacred and profane antiquity is considlered as thme seat of sovereignty. Thus
Isaiah says of the Mlessiah, vch. 9. 5,
'And the government shall be upon his
shoulder.' So also according to an Indiams mytlm, when the different castes
cause forth frotn the body of Brahma,
kings and warlike heroes issued front
thle, shoulder. That the sarme idea was
familiar among the Romans would appear from the words of Pliny (Panegyr.
10.), 'Cumo abunde exlpertus esset pater,
quain bone humeris tuis sedet imperiuM,' since (thy) father hath abundantly proved how nell dominion sits upon
thy shoulders. The symbolical import
is the same when upon the shoulder of
a statue of the Egylptian king Sesostris
mtse inscription was read; EY(J 7171iE
ys 9 d   'Ji -Lrmo mo   ejp omem   c vr??o -a1i?7v, I
hove acquired this province by my
shoumiders. In accordlance with timis,
thme usual insigmsia  of ruling,  vz,  w r
and keys, were suspended from the
slhoulbler. Thsus, Is. 22. 22, 'And the
key of thme ho,,se of David will I lay
upomn Isis slmoulder; so be shmall open,
and noise shsall sisut; and lise sisall shut,
and none shmall opets.' Tisat the sword
bsmmmm from the shoulder among the
Gieeks and Romans, will be seen bv
reference to Hom. II. 2. 45. Lipsius ita
Tac. Annal. 1. 35. As to what relates
to tse Judicial prerogative, -we need not
go beyond tlse designation given in the
original to tlse Breast-plate, YUiZ)M




154


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


30 ~ And q thou shalt put in the
breast-plate of judgmnent tile Urin
and the Thummnim; and they shall
q Lev. 8. 8. Nurnb. 27.21. Deut. 33. 8.
1 Sam. 28. 6. Ezra, 2. 63. Neh. 7. 65.?to272 hoshen mishpat, breast-plate of
judgment, to show its syimbolical bearing.' Symbol. des Mos. Cult., vol. 1I.
1p. 127-9. If this view of the subject
be well founded, we think there is
strong reason to believe, that the use
of epaulettes as a badge of authority antd
imperatorial command is to be traced
back through the line of past centuries
to the Shoulder-piece of the ancient
Ephod. This article of military accoutrenment forms at any rate a subject of very curious historical interest,
which might well demand a thorough
investigation.
THE URIMI AND TIIUMIMIM.
30. Thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and Thsummim. Ileb. n72=,7 hrl tr~  l ~   urim
ve-eth hattummaim, the Lights and the
Perfections. Gr-. r7v lX(,lav,,.t',t anr1;VEv, the manifestation and the truth.
Aq. 'Enlightenings and Certainties.'
Sam. ' Elucidations an(l Periections.'
Syr. the Lucid andl the Perfect.' Arab.
Illuminations and Certainties.' Lat.
Vulg. 'Doctrine and Verity.' Luth.
'Light and Right.' The Hebrew terms
signify primlarily fires or lights, and
perfections or truth. PIerfection and
truth are in Scripture style virtually
equivalent in import, because what is
pe7fected is truly (lone, neither false,
vain, or unexecuted, but accomplished.
The sacred writers, therefore, who
often conjoin synonymnous terms, have
brought these epithets together in several instances, as Josh. 24. 14, 'Fear
the Lord and serve him in perfection
and truth (ti'2tX  t372'1   betummimn
uhbemeth);' i.e. really and perfectly.
Thus also 'according to truth,' Rom.
2 2, is the, same as most certainly to be


be upon Aaron's heart, when ]le
goeth in before    the LoDn: and
Aaron shall bear the judgment of
the children of Israel upon his heart
before the LORD continually.
accomplished; wherefore e..yo;v work or
deed, and aXrlOeta truth, 1 John, 3. 18,
are synonymous; ' My little children
let us not love in word or in tongue, but
in deed and in truth.' That the divine
oracles were perfect or truth no one
will doubt who reflects a moment on
their source, and w!Nho recals the expression of the Psalmist, Ps. 119. 130,
'The entrance (Gr. ti~o.nrth, the manifestation) of thy word giveth lighlll.
Others, however, understand the phrase
as an instance of hendiadys, denoting
under a double denomination one and(
the same thinfg, or as equivalent to
most perfect light or illumination. The
same figure occurs Deut. 16. 1S. Mat.
4. 16. comp. with Job, 10. 21. Johnll
3.5.
In the Urim and Thummin, a subject
of great interest, and at the same tinie
of great difficulty, opens upon us. Variois and volumninous have been the speculations of learned men in respect to
what is Ineant by these objects, and
the precise manner in which they were
made instrumental in obtailing  oracular responses from God. We cannot,
in consistency with our general plan
of exposition, avoid entering somewhat minutely into the investigation of
both these points; and yet we are unable to assure ourselves of presenting
the evidence under either head in such
a light as to command the entire assent
of our readers to the resulting conclusions. Should ure fail of success in
this, we shall at least but share the
defeat of most of our predecessors in
the same field of enquiry, yet we are
not without hope that our usual method
of rigid philological analysis and parallel induction may conduct us to results
of a somewhat satisfactory character:




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVIII.


155


and as this is the last point connected
with the Hebrew ritual which will require a very elaborate discussion, we
shall with more confidence bespeak the
reader's indulgence for a train of remark
imore than usually extended.
I. The first question repsecting the
Urim and Thumninim regards their nature. What were they? Certain it is, that
we find no previous mention of them;
no order given for their construction;
and no intimation that these nair!es
were ever applied to any of the articles
which Moses was directed to mlake.
The obscurity in which the subject is
involved in the sacred text, together
with the infinite conjectures to which it
has given rise, has led some commentators to the conclusion that the matter
is, and was intended to be, one of inscrutable mystery, which it is vain to
think of penetrating. In this they virtually subscribe to the opinion of the
learned Kimchi, who remarks, that  h he
is on the safest side who frankly confesses his ignorance; so that we seem
to need a priest to stand up with Urim
and Thulnmmim to teach us what the
Thummim were.' The question, however, may be properly narrowedl down
to a single point, which perhaps admits
of solution, viz., were the Urin and
Thuinmim identical with the stones of
the Breast-plate, or something distinct
fromi them?  On this question the mass
of commentators divide. Several of the
Jewish Rabbis among the ancients, and
Spencer, Michaelis, Jahn, and Gesenius
among the moderns contend that they
were something entirely distinct from
the Pectoral, and deposited within the
pocket or bag made of its folds. Some
of the earlier Hebrew doctors say that
what is called the Urim and Thumnmilm
were nothing else than an inscription
upon a plate of gold of the Tetragrammaton or four-lettered name of God
(     Yn h Yeorach), by the mystic virtue
of which the IHigll Priest was enabled
to pronounce lumtinous and perfect ora

cles to the people. But this is a conceit which may be safely passed to the
account of the wild and childish figments of tlhe Talmudical Rabbins,
which it would require the same weakness to refute as to adopt.
A theory coining from a far higher
source, and yet almost equally extravagant, is that proposed by Spencer in
his voluminous and in many respects
valuable work on the Laws of the Hebrews. lie supposes that the Urim
were the same with the Teraphim, and
that they were nothing more than small
divining images, put into the lining of
the Breast-plate, which were miraculously made to speak with an articulate
voice and utter oracles from God. But
it would be scarcely possible to have introduced into the service of the sanctuary any thing more directly idolatrous
and pagan in its tendencies than such
a device; and when we consider how
carefully the whole Mosaic system
guards against that propensity to imageworship which the Israelites evidently
brought with them from Egypt, we cannot but be surprised that a theory so
utterly abhorrent to the genius of Judaism should have been proposed by a
Christian writer.  It is but justice,
however, to the erudite Spencer to say,
that he is far more successful in urging
objections to the common theories than
in establishing his own. Iis dissert.
ation on the Urim and Thummim is
preeminently able and learned, notwithstanding the obvious error of his
main position, nor is it by any means
an easy task to dispose of the philological and critical arguments by which
he aims to prove, that the objects so
called, whatever they were, were something put into the lining or folds of the
Breast-plate, instead of being externally
attached to it. We are on the whole
constrained to yield a qualified assent
to thle force of his reasonings on this
head, wlile at the same time the sequel
will show, that this admission is per



156


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


fectly consistent with maintaining the
main view which he is induced to reject.
We may observe, moreover, awhile
adverting to the work of Spencer, that
we are firmly of opinion that much
more weight is due to the grand idea
pervading it, of the conformity in many
features of the Jewish to the Egyptian
system of worship, than has usually
been conceded. Certain it is that within the last fifty years new sources of
evidence have been opened upon this
subject, by which the state of the question has been entirely altered, from one
of argument to one of fact.  These
sources are found in the ancient paintings and sculptures of Egypt, which exhibit with great minuteness of detail
not only the usages of that extraordinary nation in peace and war, but por.
tray also the rites and ceremonies of
their religion, with the various acts
performed, the utensils employed, the
dresses and ornaments worn, by the
Egyptian priesthood in the services of
their gods.  The result of the comparison will set the question of inter-conformity between the two systems
at rest. It is impossible to deny that
the most remarkable similarities obtain in the ceremonial observances and
the forms and apparatus of divine worship established among the two people.
The reader has only to turn back to a
preceding page, and compare the cut of
an Egyptian Ark borne by priests with
Moses's account of the Ark of the
Covenant and the manner in which it
was carried, for a striking specimen of
this coincidence. Ilow the coincidence
originated-whether it was accidental;
or whether the Jews borrowed from the
Egyptians, or the Egyptians from the
Jews; or whether both are to be traced
to a common origin in the patriarchal
practice-is a question not easily decided, though for ourselves we consider
the latter supposition as by far the most
probable. We have little question that
an antediluvian ritual existed, some of


the main features of which were trans.
mitted, through the family of Noah, to
all the different nations of antiquity,
and which are still traceable in their
various superstitions, though sadly deformed, defaced, and perverted by the
foul admixture of corruptions subsequently introduced. In giving the Le.
vitical system to the chosen people, God
was pleased to retain, purified from
their idolatrous associations, many of
the peculiarities which marked the
Egyptian worship, not because they
were Egyptian, or because God would
unduly consult the weaknesses and prejudices of the chosen people, but be.
cause they were primitive and patriarchal, common in their elementary
forms to all nations, and perhaps originally of divine institution. This we
consider a view of the subject sufficient
to account for all the facts, not liable to
any serious objection, and one which
will afford us essential aid in the explication of the present and many other
features of the Hebrew ritual.
The other and much more probable
opinion relative to the Urim and Thummim is, that they were in fact identical
with the stones of the Breast-plate, but
called by this name froln the instrumenttal uses which they were made to
subserve in the symbolical economy ot
the priesthood. This opinion, which is
held by Josephus, Philo, and most of
the ancient Jewish doctors, and has
been generally adopted by the moderns,
is supported by the following considerations:
(1.) If the words Urim and Thurm
mim be regarded as epithets, rather than
names, applied to the stones, nothing
could be more appropriate. From their
intrinsic properties of splendor, brilliancy, and luminousness, they might
very properly be termed Lights and
Perfections, an expression supposed by
nmany to be grammatically equivalent
to most perfect lilghts.  This is the
view of Braunius, who says that not




B. C. 1,91.]


CIAPTER XXVIIT.


157


only were precious stones to be cmployed, hi-t th y were to be the most
shinting and perfect of the kind. Accordingly, v. 30 may be considered as
in fact an emphatic repetition of v. 29,
intimating that tile work commanded
should be executed in the most exact
and scrupulous manner; that such stones
should be provided and so exquisitely
polished and set, as to present the most
orilliant appearance, and be entitled to
the significant designation of Lights
and Perfections.
(2.) If thle Urim and Thutnmini were
not the same with the gemns of the
Breast-plate, it is wholly inexplicable
that the sacred narrative gives us no
account of them. While every other
part of the ritual is described with the
most scrupulous minuteness, as if not a
pin of the Tabernacle or a thread of
the priestly garments were to be made
without express direction, how comes it
that nothing is said of an article which,
in obtaining responses from God, was
absolutely indispensable and which was
in every respect among the most important items of the whole apparatus?
The silence of the historian, therefore,
on0 this point must be regarded as strong
evidence that tlhe Urim and Thumlnmim
were identical with the stones.
(3.) It will be observed upon comparing Ex.. 39.8-21, with Lev. 8. 8, that
in the description of the Breast-plate,
given in the former, wliile tlhe rows of
stones are mentioned, nothing is said of
the Urim and Thummirlm; wlile in the
latter, which speaks of the investiture
of Aaron with the pontifical habit, tile
Urim  and Thummim    are mentioned,
but the stones are passed over in silence.
What inference more obvious than that
these objects were in fact one and the
same?
In order to concentrate still farther
all possible collateral light oni this point,
we shall adduce the various,.assages in
which the Urim and Thummiml are mentioned throughout the Scriptures.
VOL. II.      14


Lev. 8. 8, 'And he put the breast.
plate upon him; also he put in the
breast-plate the Urim and Thummim.'
Nurn. 27. 21. 'Andl he shall stand be.
fore Eleazar tlie priest, who shall ask
counsel for hin after the judgmwent of
Urinm before the Lord.'
Deut. 33. 8, 'And of Levi he said,
Let thy Tnhummim and Urim be uith
thy holy one.'
1 Sam. 28. 6, 'And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered
him not, neither by dreams, nor by
Urim, nor by prophets.'
Ezra, 2. 63, and Neh. 7. 65, 'And the
Tirshatha said unto them, that they
should not eat of tle most holy things,
till there stood up a priest with Urim
and with Thummum.'
In neither of these passages is the
language any more decisive than the
text before us of the question at issue.
The first of them does indeed speak
very expressly of the Urim and Thummimn being pilt into the Breast-plate,
and this also would seem to be the unequivocal sense of tle words in the
verse upon which we are now coinmenting; 'Thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment (lh2      R  l;l.s!t i n2athatta el hoshen hammishpat) the Urin and Thummim2. Chal.
Tnbr bahoshen, in or into the breastplate. Tile phraseology is precisely
similar to that Ex. 25. 16, 21, 'And
thou shalt put into the ark (^5 1D1
~ql'Rn nathatta el hailon) the testimony,' &c. Nor is it by any means
uinusual to find the particle t5 el inter.
chagled with Z b, in the sense of in,
into. Thus Gen. 49. 29, 'Bury me with
my fathers in (iR) the cave that is in
field, of Ephron.' Ps. 104. 22, 'The
sunt ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them  down in (5R)
their dens.' 1 Sam. 10. 22, 'And the
Lord alns\ered, Belold, he hath hid
himiself aiw;mon () the s.tuff.' It would
seem that in point of local position the
Irimi and Tll: nmim bore the same re.




158


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


lation to the Breast-plate which the
Tables of Testimony did to the Ark of
the Covenant; and accordingly R. Levi
ben Gerson in Buxtorfremarks thus upon
the passage before us; 'Because Moses,
after inserting the precious stones in
the Pectoral, was commanded to put
the Urim and Thummirn into the same,
we cannot help believing that these were
something which Moses put into the
Pectoral in the same manner in which
he put tables into the Ark, inasmuch as
he expresses both by the same phrase
(5t rnd).With this philological evidence before us we know not how to avoid the
conclusion, that the Urim and Thummim were actually put into the fold or
lining of the Breast-plate, and the only
question is, how this idea can be reconciled with the above position, that the
Urim and Thummin and the precious
stones were identical. The single solution which, as far as we see, can reconcile two positions so apparently in
conflict is, that the stones, instead of
being outwardly attached to the embroidered work of the Pectoral, and
thus made visible to the beholder, were
in fact placed upon its inside, or in
other words lodged within tihe lining of
the Breast-plate, and entirely out of
sight to any eye but that of Omniscience. We do not perceive that there
is any thing in the text, however rigidly
scanned, which necessarily requires us
to understand the attachment of the
stones as external to the Breast-plate,
nor can we resist the belief that the
main use of the Pectoral was that of a
bag or pocket in wlich something was
to be deposited. If it served merely as
a ground for supporting the precious
stones, thn greater part of it would necessarny be concealed by them, and
what then were the use of such an exquisite and costly material?  Would
not a coarser fabric or a metallic plate
have better answered the purpose?
Rabbi Solomon, as quoted by Buxtorf,


remarks that Iboth in the command
to place the inscribed stones upon the
shoulder of Aaron, and in the account
of its execution, the preposition  ' al,
upon, occurs in order to teach us that
they were placed exteriorly to the
Ephod, whereas in speaking of the
stones of the Pectoral the preposition
3 b or,R el, in, is uniformly employ.
ed, as Ex. 28. 17, 1l = iQ millWtha bo,
thou shalt fill in it. Ex. 39. 10, '1x51l
1= va-yemnalleii bo. and they filled in it
As to the sulbjoined phrase '1  ja. al
libbo, upon his heart, tlat is used to
signify that they were to be hidden.'
But it is not by philological consider
ations alone that we deem this view of
the subject sustained. We have already
adverted to the fact of a very remarkable coincidence between the religious
rites and usages of the Egyptians and
Israelites. The extent to which these
affinities exist, as shown by the mon.
umental sculptures and paintings of
Egypt, can be but imperfectly appreciated by those who ae. not somewhat
conversant with thle works containing
the fac-similes of these wonderful remains. Nearly every article of the sacred costume prescribed by God to Moses has its counterl);rt in the pictured
dresses of the Egyptian priests; and in
regard to the objects now under consideration and some other peculiarities of
the Mosaic system, wve are strongly
inclined to the opinion, that so few
particulars are given,because it is taken
for granted that they were sufficiently
known before. Nahmlanides observes
that whenever the mention of any of
the sacred things is introduced by the
use of the definite or enphatic article n
h, the, it implies that it was something
previously designated or known. Thus
it is ordered in general terms, 'they
shall make an ark,' thou shalt make a
table,' ' thou shalt make a candlestick,'
&c., but when we comne to the text be.
fore us it is said, ' thou shalt put in the
breast-plate of judgmenet the Urimn and




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVIII.


Thulmmim,' as something which would
of course be adequately understood fiomn
other sources. In like manner, says
he, we are told, in Gen. 2. 24, that 'God
placed the cherubims (0tn" —'l   hlakkerbimn) at the east of the garden
of Eden,' as something too well knowni
to need a particular d.escriptionl. Now
if we could obtain evidence that any
similar usage prevailed among the
ancient Egyptians, especially in the
matter of delivering oracles, it would
obviously go far to countenance the
idea, that the jewelled appendage to the
Pectoral was a matter with which both
Moses and the people had already become familiar in the land of their bondage. By a singular fortuity it so happens, that we are possessed of just the
evidence that we want in relation to
this point. Not only do the Egyptian
paintings exhibit the pectoral ornament
answering to the Jewish hoshen or
breast-plate, but in two of tile Greek
historians, viz., Diodorus Siculus and
gElian we find the express record which
Mr. Wilkinson has embodi"ed in the following passage (Man. and Cust. of Anc.
Egypt, vol. 2. p. 26.), 'WVhen a case
was brought for trial, it was customary
for the arch-judge to put a golden clhain
around his neck, to which was suspended a small figure of Truth or ornamented with precious stones. This was
in fact a representation of the go(l(less
who was worshipped under the double
character of truth and justice, andl
whose name, Thmei, appears to have
been the origin of the Ilebrew thuonmim, a word according to the Septuagint translation, implying truth, and(
bearing a further analogy in its plural
termination. And what makes it more
remarkable is, that the chief priest of
the Jews, who, before the election of a
king, was also the judge of the nation,
was alone entitled to wear this honorary
badge; and the thummim of the IIebrews, like the Egyptian figure, was
studded with precious stones.' It is


moreover affirmed by the traveller Peter du Val that he saw a mumrny at
Cairo, round the neck of which was a
chain having a golden plate suspended
firom it, which lay on the breast of the
person, andl on which was engraved the
fiLgure of a bi'rd. This person was supposed0 to have been one of the supreme
judges; and in all likelihood the bird
was the elmblem of truth, justice, or innocence.
This is certainly a remarkable set of
coiicidences, and the force of it in the
argrument is not to be weakened by the
intim-ation, that this official badge was
worn by civil magistrates among the
Egyptians. The truth is, the religion
of that pcople was so interwoven with
their laws and government that their
kings were of the sacerdotal or(der, ant
the judicial fuelnctions were exercised
by the priests. As in nearly all the
governmentls of that early period of the
Nworld, so among the Egyptians, the
people were tanght to regard their rulers
as clothed with divine authority, as
the immediate delegates and vicegercets of the gods; and especially in the
administration of justice, it was their
object to beget the universal belief that
their decisions were in fact divine oracles. As scarcely any thing of moment
in private life was undertaken without
consulting oracles, so especially was
this the case in matters of government
It was of the highest importance that
the impression should prevail that it
was done with the concurrence of' the
godls.
Now that precious stones were instruinentally employed in this kind of
divination which had respect to the administration of justice, or the delivery
of judicial oracles, is very largely and
lucidly proved by Daubuz in his in.
valuable ' Commentary on the Apocalypse,' ch. 21, -when treating of the
twelve foundlations of precious stones
of the heavenly Jerusalem. By a learn.
ed array of citations from ancient an.




160                           EXODUS.                     [B. C. 1491.
thors he shows that a peculiar mystic would of course differ according to the
virtue was attributed to gems as amnu- different scope and genius of their re.
lets and charms, and as a medium  of spective institutions. While with the
converse in general with demIois and Egyptians these sacred instruments
spirits of the invisible world.  Thus were subservient to tile grossest superPliny says that the jasjper was worn stition, to magic, and idolatry, with the
every where over the East for amulets; IHebrews they were instituted for a purand of the amethyst he remarks, that pose directly the reverse. They were
according to popular belief if the nane designed to call them away from the
of the sun and moon be written on this practice of all unhallowed divinations
kind of stones, and they be suspended and auguries, and fix their dependence
from the neck by the feathers of cer- upon the true God. That people were
tain birds, they will resist the effect of indeed permitted to avail themselves of
poison, and avert hail, locusts, &c.; an oracle on great emergencies; but
and the same virtue he ascribes to that oracle was divine. It was the true
emeralds provided they have the figure God, Jehovah, omniscient, omnipotent,
of an eagle or scarabmus inscribed upon and infallible.  And though he was
them. We may agree with him in the pleased, in accommodation to their
remark that such things cannot well be mental condition and capacities to rewritten without exciting the contempt tain and incorporate into his ritual cerand derision of the human race; but tain usages, to which they had been
however vain were such notions, it is familiar in other connexions, yet they
clear that they influenced the practice were henceforth hallowed usages, and
of the ancients; and they enable us bet. never to be associated with any idolter to understand the reason and origin atrous sentiments or aims. The use of
of their sacred symbolical use. Epiph- precious stones by those that ministeranius also, in speaking of the gems on ed at heathen temples was nothing but
the High Priest's Breast-plate, takes deceit, delusion, and fraud. They were
notice of the virtues assigned to them  instrumental in uttering oracles which
by the magicians. Of the emerald he were enigmatical, ambiguous, and false.
says it is accounted to possess a prog- In God's worship they were Urim and
nosticating power; of the jasper, that Tharmim, clearness and certainty,
it drives away spectres and delusions light and pe7:fection, lacking nothing
which were attributed to demons; and in explicitness of enunciation, nothing
the same of the ligure and hyacinth. in truth of accomplishment.  To show
As therefore these magical and mys- how all this is suitable,' says Daubuz,
tical notions respecting the virtues of 'to tle principles of the symbolical
gems did beyond question prevail among language, by which alone the true nothe ancient pagans, especially the Egyp- tion and full force of the word Urim is
tians and the Chaldeans; as they were to be understood, we need only to reundoubtedly employed in their judicial member that God was the king and
and oracular transactions, we cannot ruler of Israel, and that his oracles
Vlut deem it altogether probable that were the special orders and commanls
there was a certain degree of assimi- which he gave to that people to govern
lation, or latent inter-relation, between and guide them. Now all kind ofgov.
the Hebrew Breast-plate with its Urim  eminent, according to the style of those
and Thummim, and the jewelled collar ages, which were acquainted with sym.
or pectoral of the Egyptianjudge. IBut bolical notions, was represented by
although thus related in general as a light; because the liglhts or luminaries
medium of oracular revelation, yet they direct and show the way, and by con



B. C. 1491.]


CHIAPTER XXVIII.


sequence govern men, who otherwise identity with tlle precious stones and
should not know what to (lo or whither  their true position in the Breast-plate
to go. The word thummimn joined to the Fromrn  an attentive consideration of the
urimn, and showing this light to be true swhole, we cannot but deem the infe,.
and?erfect, iinplied that whatsoever  ence very fair, that the gems, though
Goa should by the urim foretel, would  perhaps permanently attached to the
certainly come to pass. So that when  Pectoral, were yet placed in the inside
God gave his urim, or lights of direc- (f its folds when doubled, and thus in a
tion, to the Israelites, it was in order still more emphatic sense borne 'upon
to bring toperfection all those counsels the heart' of the Itigh Priest. Yet as
which lihe then discovered to them.  It I e cannot claim an entire certainty for
was upon this account that Clhrist is this explanation we have represented
called, John, 8. 12, ' the light of the the Breast-plate in the preceding cut as
world,' and also, Joln, 14. 6, ' the,eway, having the form and appearance usually
the truth, and the life.' For these titles ascribed to it. The matter is left to the
signify his domilnionl and powser to rule enlightened judgment of the reader.
all te world;  and he is the Urimn antd  II. We have now to devote a fewr
'Thummim,n the disposer of the oracles  sentences to the discussion (,f the manof God to guide and rule nen, and to ner in which responses were given to
bring to perfection  all the mystery  the consultations made by the Hligh
of God, which is to brinlg  en to eter- Priest through the medium of the Uriin
nal life.  Iience  in the New Jeru- and( Thuminim. And here the cloud,
salem, whereini that mystery is per- in which a remote antiquity has infected, he is with the Fatler thle Lutmin-  veloped the question, is made still
ary thereof. So that this New Jerusa- denser by the mists of conflicting conlen being founded or begun ut)on the jectures. Among the Rabbinical writers
oracles andl lilght of the apostles of there is a pretty general agreement as
Jesus Christ, shall be comnpleted by hay- to the occasions on which those consult.
ing therein the great Urilln and Tlium- ations were resorted to, viz., that they
mim, which gives light to all that are were of a public and not of a private
therein.' This New Jerusalem state, nature. As the 13igh Priest appeared
therefore, is one in vwhicl all the will, before God in such cases with the names
counsel, and piromises of God from the of all the twelve tribes onil his Breastbeginning of the worl(l are to be per. plate, so they suppose that the counsel
fected. It is in that glorious state that sought must be soiughtl in the name and
their accomplishment is to result; but on the behalf of all the tribes, as haymore especially those which have been ing relation to interests which concernmade from the beginning of the Gospel ed them all; as for instance matters of
dispensation by the apIostles of the peace and war, the election of rulers,
Jamb, who lai( the first foundation of an the duties of the king on special emer.
universal church, and have consequently gencics, &-c. But as to the precise mode
their names written on the symbols of of the responses, their diversities of
that foundlation.                     opinion show that they were as little
'We have enlarged thuls fiflly in the fiurnished witih a clue to it as ourselves.
preceding train of reniark on the origin T'he prevalent belief seems to have
and primitive mnotions of the Urinm and been, that the letters engraved on the
Thummimr, not only on account of its pireciouis stones were eflfected in some
Intrinsic importance, but also in order extraordinary manner, so that the dim.
to gain still stronger confirmation of the ness or lustre, depression or elevation,
view advanced above in relation to their of the successive letters composing the.14*




102


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


31   And;llou shalt make the
robe of the e.hod all of blue.
r cl. 39. 22.
answer enabled the  ighli Priest to read
the response in, or reflected from, his
Breast-plate.  But this in most cases
would have been impossible, as the
names of the twelve sons of Jacob do
not contain all the letters of the lIebrew alphabet, nor can we conceive
how the letters should have been raised
or illuminated il such order as to convey an intelligible answer. A far more
probable opinion is, that the Urini and
Thummim were merely a requisite circumstance in the consultation; that they
simplyput the High IlPiest into a condition to receive responses, and that
these responses when duly sought were
given in an audible voice from between
the Cherubim. This seems supported by
the fact, that this method of obtaining
the divine response is described as ' asking at the mouth of the Lord.' ' Whatever was the precise medium through
which the response was conveyed, the
mode in which the priest acted is
sufficiently plain. When any national
emergency arose for which the law had
made no provision, the High Priest arrayed himself in his Breast-plate and
pontifical vestments, and went into the
holy place, and standing close before
the vail, but not entering within it,
stated the question or difficulty, and received an answer. Several instances
will occur of this manner of consulting
the Lord. It is an opinion which has
at least the tacit sanction of Scripture,
that the mode of consulting the Lord by
tTrim and Thummim only subsisted under the theocracy, and while the Tabernacle still remained. Spencer strongly
urges that the Urim  and Thummim
were essentially connected with the
theocratic government of tlIe Hebrews.
While the Lord was their immediate
governor and king, it was necessary
that they should be enabled to consult
~>


32 And there shall be an hole in
the top of it, in the midst thereof.
it shall have a binding of woven
him on important matters, and obtain
his directions on occasions of difficulty.
This method was also established for
the p'rpose of consulting God in mat.
ters that concerned the common interest
of' the entire nation. On both these
grounds the oracle might well cease
whllen the theocracy terminated by tlhe
kingdom becoming hereditary in the
person and family of Solomon; and
still more, when the division of the nation into two kingdoms at his deatl
rendered the interests of the nation no
longer common. This is but an hypothesis: but it is certain that there
are no traces in the sacred books of
consulting the Lord by Urim and Thumnirn from the time of the erection to
the demolition of Solomon's Temple:
and that it did not afteruards exist is
on all hands allowed.' Pict. Bible.
TIIE ROBE OF THE EPIIOD.
31, 32. Thou shalt make the robe of
the ephod, &c. This is a garment distinct from any that has yet been men
tioned. It is called the ' robe of the
ephod,' simply because it was worn immediately under it. Its Hebrew name is
1        lh meil, rendered in the Gr. avrovr), v
n7rr7p7, an  under-garment reaching
down to the feet. Vulg. 'Tunic of the
Ephod.' Arab. 'A rain-shedding cloal.'
Luth. 'A silk robe.' Belg. 'A mantle.
Jun. and Trem.   Pallium, a cloak,.'
The me'il was a distinguishing priestly
vestment, and therefore Christ appears,
PRev. 1. 13, ' clothed with a garment
down to the feet (TroTr/l),' to show himself the Great High Priest of the church.
It was a long linen gown of sky blue
color, reaching to the middle of the leg.
It was all of one piece, and so formed
as to be put on, not like other garments
which are open in front, but like a surplice, over the head, having a hole at




B C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXVIII.


163


work round about the bole of it, as  33 ~And beneath, upon the hem
it were the hole of an habergeon, of it thou shalt make pomegranates
that it be not rent.                of blue, and of purple, and of scarthe top for tile head to pass through,lo  formed ofthe exact number of the ponie
which was strongly hemmed round with granates and bells.  The Rabbinical
a binding or welt to prevent it from  writers are mostly unanimous in sayrending, and with openings or arm-holes in, there were 72 in all, which is
in the sides in place of sleeves. Round doubtless as probable as any other con.
its lower border were tassels made cf 'jecture on the subject. It will be obblue, purple, and scarlet, in the form of served, that while the body of the Robe
pomegranates, interspersed with small was entirely of blue, this ornamental
gold bells, in order to make a noise appendage in the skirts was richly
when the HIigh Priest went into or came (yed o' variegated hues, and must have
outt from the holy place, the reason of rendered the whole a vestment of exwhich is given below  We are not in- quisite beauty.
THF ROBE OF TIIE EPHOD.
33. Thou shalt make pomegranates. and September when the fruit is ripe,
'ljt  rimmon. The term 'pomegraneate' it assumes a brownish-red color, beis compounded of ponma, apple, and gra.- comes thick and hard, yet easily broknata, grained, from  its resemblance, en. The inside of the pomegranate is
when opened, to an apple full of grain. of a bright pink, with skinny partitions
It grows wild in Palestine, and in oilier like those of.he orange, filled with a
parts of Syria, as well as in Persia, suhacid juice and a great multitude
Arabia, Egypt, and the southern parts of white and purplish red seeds. The
of Europe, and in some portions of our flower, which is of a scarlet color,
own country. The fruit is the size of is peculiarly beautiful, and it is prob.
an orange, flattened at the end like an ably to the flower that allusion is had,
apple; and when cultivated is ofa beau. Cant. 4. 3, where the royal bridegroom
tiful color and highly grateful flavor. compares the cheeks of his bride to a
The rind is at first green; but in August  piece of pomegranate, though others




164                          EXODUS.                     [B. C. 149;.
understand by this a section of the fruit an idea of the form of the fruit and
itself, the cheeks being called in the flower of this plant, both which arc
Talmudic language, the pomegranates among the most striking objects of the
of the face. The annexed cut will give vegetable world.
THIE POMEGRANATE.
The Pomegranate abounds more par- sound of the gospel should not be in
ticularly in Syria and the ancient As- vain; that wherever the sound of the
syria, where it was held sacred and en- doctrine of Christ and the apostles
tered into the symbols of the heathen should come, then it should bear fruit,
worship, as is plainly to be inferred or that churches should be gathered
from its giving name to an idolatrous bringing forth the fruits of righteous.
temple, 2 Kings, 5. 18, called 'the ness; the preaching of the gospel
house of Rimmon,' i. e. the Pomegran- should be the means of begetting a
ate. In Persia the heads of sceptres spiritual progeny zealous of good works.
and honorary staves were formed in the The remarks of Prof. Edwards are too
shape of a Pomegranate. It was also pertinent to this point not to be cited
held sacred in Egypt; and in all coun- in the present connexion. 'The golden
tries where it was not to he found, the bells on the Ephod, by their precious
poppy, which also abounds in seeds, matter and Ileasant sound do well repwas chosen in its stead. Both were de- resent the good profession that the
dicated by the pagans to the generative saints make; and the pomegranates
powers, their numerous seeds render- the fruit they bring forth. And as in
ing them an apt emblem of prolific the hem of the (robe of the) Ephod,
properties.  Hence at marriages the bells and pomegranates were constantly
bride was crowned with a chaplet in connected, as is once and again observwhich were inserted the flowers of ed,-' a golden bell and a pomegranate,
pomegranates and poppies as an omen  a golden bell and a pomegranate'-so
of fruitfulness. As then the idea of it is in the true saints. Their good profruitful increase is prominent among- fession, and their good fruit, do conthe symbolical notions attached to this stantly accomlpany one another. The
plant and its fruit, there is perh:ips fruit they bring in life answers the
ample ground for the suggestion, that pleasant sound of their profession.'
this singular appurtenance to the High  Treat. on Affect, Part III. p. 395. —
Priest's dress, in conjunction with the fT Of blue, purple, scarlet, &c. All ells, was designed to intimate that the though the body of this garment was of




B. C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXVIII.


let, round about the hem thereof;
and bells of' gold between theml
round about:
034 A golden bell and a pomnegranate, a golden bell and a pomyegraniate, upon the hens of' thie robe
round about.
35 And it shall be upon Aaron, to
minister: and his sound shiall be
one uniformn color, a beautiful bloc,
yet the skirts wvere ornamentedl with
this parti-colored fringe-work, wrought,
somewhat like the silken balls, or balltassels, of modern ujpholstery, into the
shape of time frUit here mentioned.~1 Bells of  Told.  Of thle sugg-esting origin
oftlmis part of tle (dress of the 1High Priest
it is difflicult to g"ive any account. That
bells were not unimlmmown In the costume
of the East is evidfent frolm the Targumii onl Est. G. 10, w\here Ahasuierus says
to IlainanI Go to my wardrobe, and
take one of' my best purple cloaks, and
of' the best silkc vests, with gemis at the
four corners of it, and golden, bells and
poinegr-anates hwngin~r round abu.
Michaclis cotnjectmmires that thme Oriental
kings of tlmat period were accuzstoinedl
to wear little bells upots1 some p)art of
their robes in order to give notice tlmat
that they were near by, and that the
Jpeeple mi~glt retire.  Hence lperlsals
the use of bells as a symibol. of tlte reverence dlue to holy places. Thuis idea
is favored by the strommg lanugtage, v.
35, where the punishmment of death is
threatened upon the neglect of this ceremtony;which wouild seemi to imply that
as ins thle etiqtiette of anl E astern court,
ito one wommld rtisls rndely, or without
some kind of annunciation, into thme
])resence of the sovereign so tlse HigTh
Priest was not to be guilty of the irreverence of approachitng the Oracle witlmnot somne kind of' signal of his coining.
Another use of this appendage of the
ma1 —ntle,  as  inferred  from  Ecels.  45.
7 9, was, that thme people Collectedl in
the court around the sanlctUary miighlt,


heard when lie goeth in unto the
holy place before the LoRiD, and
when hie comaeth out, tisat lie die
not.
3-6 ~T And t thou shalt make a
plate of pure gold,, and grave upon
it like the engravings of a signiet,
HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
tecm. 39. 30. Zech. 14. 20.
be admonished of' thme High Priest's cmitrance into the Holy Place, and so
unite their prayers with. his incense
olfe'ring, 'An everlasting covenant he
miadne with hin (Aaron), and gave him
the priesthood amnong thle peopmle he
beautified him withl comely ornaments,
andl clothed him witls a robe of glory.
the put upon him perfect glory andh
s-trencgthened him wvith rich garments,
wit   b ee he,  it  a  ong   robe,  and
the ephod. And lie compassed him with
pomregrrammates, amid with many golden
bells, rounld about, that as hie wvent there
miglht be a somU~d, and a noise made
that ismight be beard in the temple, for
a imemorial to the children of his penpJle.' If this be well founded, and thme
souind of the bells had principal refe~r.
emmee to the people, to remaind them of
the proper spirit and deportmmemit to be
observed on tIme occasion, then it mnay
be suggested that the phrase, ' that lie
die not, is perhaps to be understood
not of Aaron, but to be rendered unper.
sonially, I that one die not,' I that tlsere
be no dying,' i. e. that no one may piresumnptuously lay aside the becoming
reverence and thus expose himself to
heath. The original will no doubt adlmit omf this construction, btmt whether it
be thme true one, we are not prepared to
dhecide.
THlE GOIDEIN PLATE AND MI5TRE.
36. Thou shall snake a plate of pure
g-old, &c. 11leb. 'r= tzitz. Gr. mmema~ov,
petal, leaf.  Vulg. I Lamnina' plate,
Arab). 'Fillet.' Lumth. 'Forehead-plate
Thme urigimma 1 word Yr" tzitz, froil




166


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


tzI tzutz, to flourish, is generally
understood to signify a flower, and the
Greek rendering petal would seem to
be founded upon this sense, implying
either that tile plate was itself of the
form of a flower, or was curiously
wrought with flower-work. Such also
was plainly the opinion of Josephus,
who gives a minute description of the
particular kind of flower or calyx which
was figured upon the plate. Rosenmuller, however, contends that this rendering in this place is founded upon a false
interpretation of' 7., } which does not,
he says, legitimately signify a flower,
nor has it any relation to flowers or
flower-work, but properly denotes something glistening, radiant, effulgent, and
is liere applied to the plate on the Mitre,
from theflashing splendors which beanied from it. But tlie ideas of flourishing and of emitting splendor are soinewhat closely related in all languages,
as nothing is more common with us for
instance than to speak of the brightness
or splendid hues of flowers, and from
the usus loquendi of the term it cannot
at all be questioned that tile dominant
sense of Yis is that of flowers or flowering plants. Yet it is very possible
that the two ideas of efflorescence and
shining may be combined in this passage, especially if we suppose, as we
think was undoubtedly the case, that
some kind of floral ornament was
wrought upon the glistening gold plate
of the Mitre. In describing the execution of this order, Ex. 39. 30, it is
said, 'they made the plate of the holy
crown (U'; ~1M3    r'p- tzitz ntzer
hakkodesh) of pure gold,' &c., where
"T3 nfzer comes from a verb signifying to separate, and hence denoting a
crown as a mark of separation or distinction. So also the original word for
mitre occurs Job, 29. 14, wliere it is
rendered 'diadem,' leading us to tile
inference that the sacerdotal mitre is
closely allied with the kingly crown.
Thus too Lev. S. 9, ' and he put the


mitre upon his head; also upon the
mitre, even upon his fore-front, did he
put the golden plate, the holy crown;
as the Lord conmanded Moses.' In
like manner we find it said Ps. 132, 18,
'upon himself shall his crown flourish
(1~l 7'1Y=  yatzitz nizro).' Here it
is difficult to account for the idea of a
croun's flourishing, except upon the
suppostion of some kind of floral appendages being connected with it in
tlhe mind of the writer; and this might
have arisen from  the fact, that the
earliest crown was merely a chaplet,
garland, or wreath bound around the
head; or from the beautiful wrought
flower-work on the priestly Mitre of
Aaron. But whatever uncertainty may
otherwise envelope the subject, this is
clear beyond question, that the Plate
was the principal part of the Mitre, and
that the badges of the priestly are
closely interwoven with those of the
kingly dignity in the appointed vesture
of the Jewish pontiff. For this fact a
twofold reason may be assigned. In
the first place, the entire nation of Israel was in a sense concentrated in the
person of the High Priest, tlheir head
and representative.  It was the high
prerogative of this favored people to be
chosen as a ' royal priesthood,' a ' kingdom of priests,' and the unity of the
nation, in this exalted character, was
made visible in the person of him who
was ordained as their supreme dignitary. Nothing therefore would be more
natural or appropriate tlan that cor
responding symbols or badges of this
twofold distinction should appear on
the head-dress of the Iigh Priest, as
we here learn to have been the fact.
Indeed the Jewish tradition anmplifies
this idea somewhat, and affirms a threefold dignity of their race, which they
say was indicated by a triplet of crowns,
viz., the crown of the priesthood, the
crown of the kingdom, and the crown
of tile law.-Secondly, this conjunction
of sacerdotal and royal symbols in the




B. C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXVIII.


167


37 And thou shalt put it on a blue Itre; upon the fore-front of the milace, that it may be upon the n-il- tre it shall be.
I            - --
Mitre was intetided to serve as a typ- Iwas to sit as I'a priest upon his throne,'
ical intimnation of' the union of these Ibeing made a priest after the order of
two offices in the person of Christ, who Melchizedek, king of righteousness.


THiE GOLDEN PLATE, OF THlE MITRE.
~f Li/ke the engrorivn gV of a signet. the conscience, 'a holy God, a holy ser
It is probable that the Jewish writs rca holy minister, a holy people, and
are correct in supposing that the letters a holy covenant.' The children of Iswere not cut or grooved into the plate, rael could not look upon it without
but were rather emnbossed or inode to b~eing reinijded of the great principle
stand in relie~f up~on it. The precise which Jehovah would have to piervadle
manner in which this was done, cannot all his worship, and which is elseat present be determined, hut M~ahinon.- where so solemynly announced, 'I wvill
ides says that in Nvorlkin the inscrip- lie sanctified in all themn that draw
tion, the instruments wvere applied to nighi unto mie.' And to thle saints in
the inside and net to the outside of the all ages it should serve as a remeinplates, so as to make tile letters stand P)rancer of the equivalent intimation,
out. -   ~ HOLINNESS TO T11lE LORn. that as I hie which bath called us is
Heb. 101) kdes laYehvah  lily- soarewe to lbe holy in all manholiness to Jehovah, or the holiness of' ner of conversation.'
Jehovah, accordiog- to the Gr. which hass P117. Anti thou shalt put it on a blne
11)yi11fPa KV0io, the h1o/iesa,,, or sanctifi- lace. Ani iiliomnatic expression for ' put
iinif' the Lord. This wvas perhaps ujpon it.' It -was to hang by a ribbon
the, most conspicuous olblect of the High of tilie upo10 the Mitre, as is intimated
Priest's dress, and was in fact a signif- in thle words following, anti as repleant memento of 'the character of the resented in the cut. Thle Talmlidists
entire service in whiels lie sustained so however say, there wvere three ribbons,
prominent a part. Bly this inscrihitioli one at each ear, anil on~e in the middle
the wearer becaine ' as a city set onl a passing over the head. We have achill, which cannot be hid '1the bright corfiiigly so represented  it on the
memorial incessantly, though silently, smnaller figure in the cut, as there is no
proclaimning to the eye, to the heart, to inconsistency in supposing it to have




168


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


38 And it shall be upon Aaron's
forehead, that Aaron may ubear
u ver. 43. Lev. 10. 17. & 22. 9. Numb. 18.
1. Tsai. 53. 11. Ezek. 4. 4, 5, 6. John 1. 29.
Hebr. 9. 28. 1 Pet. 2. 24.
been the case.-   T That it may be
upon the mitre. Ileb.:1t"iY3  mitznepheth, from  ]22 tzanaph, to wrap, to
enwrap, to roll round. The term applies itself at once to the style of headdress common among the Arabs, Turks,
Persians, and other Oriental nations,
called the turban, and formed of a number of swathes or foldings of cloth. As
nothing is said of the precise form of
the High Priest's Mitre, we are doubtless at liberty to suppose it justly represented in the main by an eastern turban, though perlaps of more than usual
amplitude. By the ancient Greeks this.
kind of covering for the head was called
tiara, and cidaris, and sometimes diadema; and that it was not unusual to
have it made of fine linen, as in the
present case, is clear from the fact that
Justin relates of Alexander the Great,


the iniquity of the holy things,
which the children of Israel shall
hallow in all their holy gifts; and
it shall be always upon his fore

that he took the diadem from his head
to bind up the wounds of Lysimachus.
From  these titles we perceive new
evidence that the priestly Mitre carried at the same time a kingly import;
and it is even supposed that the inveterate predilection of the Orientals
for the turban arises from the belief
of some mystic virtue emblematic of
sovereignty still clinging to it. The
Mitre of Aaron merely covered the
crown and upper part of the head without descending low upon the forehead,
which was left bare for the golden Plate
to lie upon it below the edge of the
Mitre. In this respect the Alitre of the
High Priest differed from the bonnets
of the common priests, which having
no plate sunk lower on the forehead. In
other points the general resemblance
was very striking.
IEST'S MITIE.
pearing before God perfectly attired
and crowned in the manner presented.
The efficacy, however, of this intermediation on the part of Aaron appears
to be in some way more especially concentrated in this resplendent inscribed
plate upon his forehead, and this we
think can only be understood by reflr

THI  HIGH PR
38. That Aaron may bear the iniquity,
&c. The implication plainly is, that
there might be, unconsciously perhaps
to the offerers, some defects in the
oblations presented, which were graciously pardoned-a frequent sense of
borne or carried in the Scriptures-by
the intercession of the Iighl Priest ap



B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVIII.


head, that tney may be w accepted
before the LORD.
39 ~ And thou shalt embroider
w Lev. 1.4. & 22.27. & 23.11. Isai. 56 7.


-


ence to the typical character which the
High Priest sustained. Christ, we well
know, is represented as ' bearing the
sins,' i.e. the punishment due to the
sins of men. Aaron in his office was a
type of Christ, and accordingly is represented not only as making an atonement in general for the sins of the people, by the sacrifices offered, but also
as making an atonement for the imperfections of the atonement itself. This
was done, it appears, by what we may
term the memorial and typical virtue
of the shining plate of the Mitre, upon
the inscription of which God is supposed to look and thereby be reminded
of that perfect ' holiness to the Lord'
which should so preeminently distinguish the great Mediator whom Aaron
represented. The following passages
must be taken in this connexion in order
fully to convey the import of the lan.
guage, Ps. 84. 9, 'Behold, 0 God our
shield, and look upon the face of thine
anointed.' Ps. 132. 9, 10, 'Let thy
priests be clothed with righteousness;


the coat of fine linen, and thou
shalt make the mitre of fine linen,
and thou shalt make the girdle of
needle-work.
and let thy saints shout for joy. For
thy servant David's sake, turn not away
the face of thine anointed.' i. e. be
propitious by looking upon the face;
regard the significance of the golden
plate. The prayers embracing this expression appear to have a special allusion to the imperfections of the holy
things of the people of God.
THE COAT OR TUNIC.
39. Thou shalt embroider the coat of
fine linen, &c. Heb. rnfl kethoneth.
This was the innermost of the sacerdotal vestments, being a long robe
with sleeves to the wrists, which sat
close to the body, and extended down
to the feet. This garment was not peculiar to the High Priest, but was similar to that worn by the other priests
while officiating. What became of the
tunic of the High Priests we do not
know; but that of the common priests
was unravelled when old, and made
into wicks for the lamps burnt in the
feast of tabernacles.


THEr COAT, OR TuNIc,


VOL. II        15




170


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


40 ~ x And for Aaron's sons thou
shalt make coats, and thou shalt
nake for them girdles, and bonnets
-nait thou make for them, for glory
and for beauty.
41 And thou shalt put them upon
X ver. 4. ch. 39. 27, 28, 29, 41. Ezek. 44.
17. 18.


THE GIRDLE.
~ Girdle of needle-work. Heb. t3t
abnet. This was a piece of fine twined:inen, embroidered with blue, purple,
and scarlet, and which went round the
body. Josephus says it was embroidered with flowers; and also states that it
was four fingers broad, and that, after
being wound twice around the body, it
was fastened in front, and the ends allowed to hang down to the feet, on
common occasions; but that, when officiating at the altar, the priest threw
them over his left shoulder. Mainonii^r


Aaron thy brother, and his sons
with him: and shalt yanoint them.
and z consecrate them, and sanctify
them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
ch. 29. 7. & 30. 30. & 40. 15. z ch. 29.
9, &c. Lev. ch. 8. Hlebr. 7. 2a.
des says the Girdle was three fingers
broad, and thirty-two cubits long; being, as its length necessarily implies,
wound many times round the body. As
this Girdle was so narrow, its length,
if this statement be correct, will not
seem extraordinary to those who are
acquainted with the ordinary length ol
Oriental girdles, and the number of
times they are carried around the body.
The Girdle was worn over the embroid.
ered coat by the common priests, to
whom this coat, unlike the attire of the
High Priest, formed the outer garment.


THE GIRDLE.
THE BONNETS.             it was precisely it is difficult to say.
40. Bonnets.  Heb. nlP1:Y2 mig- According to the Jewish writers the
booth. Gr. Kt3ap~1s, tiaras. Vulg. 'Tia- Bonnets came down lower upon the
ras.  As a different term is used to forehead thrn the Mitre, and rose up
designate the article here mentioned higher like an hillock, as the original
from that which is applied to the Mitre is derived from y:: geba, a hillock, a
of the High Priest, there was probably k! noll. In other words they were of a
some difference in the form; but what ' nore conical shape than the Mitre




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXVIII.


171


42 And thou shalt make them
linen breeches to cover their nakedness: from the loins even unto
the thighs they shall reach:
43 And they shall be upon Aaron,
and upon his sons, when they come
in unto the tabernacle of the cona ch. 39. 28. Lev. 6. 10. & 16. 4. Ezek. 44. 18
This, however, does not convey a very
distinct idea, and we must refer the
reader to the accompanying cut for a
view, which is at best conjectural, of
the probable difference between them.
— I- For glory and for beauty. Nothing is more obvious than that the
priestly attire was to be so ordered as
to present an air of impressive splendor
and gorgeousness, that a becoming reverence might be inspired towards the
persons of those who wore them. But
to us, they present merely a gaudy
spectacle, a slowy pageant, except so
far as we f.x our eye upon their typ.


gregation, or when they come near
b unto the altar to minister in the
holy place; that they c bear not iniquity and die. d It shall be a statute for ever unto him, and his seed
after him.
b ch. 20. 26. c Lev. 5.1. 17. & 20. 19, 20.
& 22.9. Numb. 9. 13. & 18.22. d ch. 27.
21. Lev. 1.7.
ical import. Here, and here only, in
the glory of grace and the beauty of
holiness, which they shadowed forth,
do we behold the true glory and beauty
of these sacred robes. It is only as the
light of the substance is reflected upon
the symbol, that the symbol itself can
at all shine in our eyes. But when we
discern in these beauteous robes an
image of the spiritual attire of the
saints, the true royal hierarchy, who
are made at once kings and priests unto
God, we feel no restraint in letting our
admiration go forth towards the exter.
nal adornments.


THE BONNETS.
rHE LINEN DRAWERS.          or trowsers. Maimonides says that the
42. Thou shalt make them   linen drawers worn by the priests reached
breeches.  Heb. 13 l032. miknesi from above the navel to the knee, and
bad; more properly linen drawers, had no opening before or behind, but
wlhich though last mentioned were the were drawn up around the body by
first put on. 'The ancient Jews, like strings, like a purse. This resembles
the modern Arabs and some other Ori- i the linen drawers worn by the Turks
sntals, did not generally wear drawers ' and Persians at the present day, ex.




172


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


cept that they reach rather below the I tight around the body by means of a
knee. They are very wide altogether, string or girdle, which runs through'a
and when drawn on are fastened very I hem in the upper border.' Pict. BiBle,


THE DRAWERS.


In concluding this account of the
priestly robes, it may be useful to repeat that the robes common to all were
-the Drawers, the Embroidered Coat,
the Girdle, and the Turban; but, besides
this, the High Priest wore the Ephod,
the Robe of the Ephod with its Bells
and Pomegranates, the Breast-plate
over the Ephod, the Shoulder-pieces of
onyx-stone, and the engraved ornament
of pure gold in front of his turban. The
Rabbins seem to have the sanction of
the Scripture for their opinion, that the
robes were so essential a part of the
priestly character, that without them a
priest had no more right than private
persons, or even foreigners, to officiate
at the altar. It seems that the old
robes of the priests, as already mentioned in the Note on v. 39, vwere unravelled, to be burnt as wicks for the
lamps at the feast of tabernacles. What
was done with those of the High Priest
is not known; but analogy would seem
to render it probable that they were
similarly used for the lamps in the tabernacle. We may remark also that
as no shoes or sandals are mentioned


among the sacred vestments, it is sup.
posed the priests always ministered
barefoot. This is perhaps confirmed by
the fact that Moses, before the symbol
of Jehovah at the burning bush, was
commanded to put off his shoes.
43. That they bear not iniquity and
die. That is, that they do not expose
themselves to be cut off by a sudden
stroke of vengeance for the profanity
of appearing before God without their
hol3 garments. Gr. Kac oVK o  ovraora
7npo ttavrovs Aaprtav, iva p17 anroOavwoi,
and they shall not bring sin upon themselves that they die not. This caution,
as the Hebrew writers have gathered,
was intended to apply not to the linen
drawers only, but to all the garments.
Their language is as follows: 'The
IIigh Priest that ministereth with less
than these eight garments, or the inferior Priest that ministereth with less
than these four garments, his service is
unlawful, and he is guilty of death by
the hand of God, even as a stranger that
ministereth. When their garments are
upon them, their priesthood is upon
them; if their garments be not upon




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXIX.


173


CHAPTER XXIX.           priest's office: aTake one young
A ND this is the thing that thou bullock, and two rams without
shalt do unto. them to hallow blemish,
them, to minister unto me in the        a Lev. 8.2.


_


them, their priesthood is not upon
them, but, lo, they are as strangers;
and it is written, Num. 1. 51, 'The
stranger that cometh nigh shall be put
to death.'' Maimonides in Ainsworth.
CHAPTER XXIX.
THE CONSECRATION OF THE PRIESTS.
As God had said, v. 41, of the preceding chapter respecting Aaron and
his sons, 'Thou shalt anoint them and
consecrate them and sanctify them, that
they may minister unto me in the priest's
office,' he proceeds in the present chapter to prescribe, with great minuteness,
the manner in which this solemn ceremony should be performed. As the
office which they were to sustain was
in itself one of the utmost importance
to themselves and the people, it was
proper that the mode of their induction
into it should be in the highest degree
august and impressive; and as nothing
of the kind had been done before, and as
a permanent form of inauguration was
now to be fixed upon, we see abundant
reason for the express appointment of
the various ceremonies by which the
procedure was to be marked. These
were of such a nature as was calculated
to affect the incumbents with the greatness and sacredness of the work to
which they were called, and also to
lead the people to magnify and reverence an office in which their interests
were so deeply involved. The whole
transaction was to be so conducted that
there should be ample evidence that
Aaron and his sons did not 'glorify
themselves to be made priests,' but that
they were 'called of God' to exercise
the sacerdotal functions.  The Most
High did, as it were, in this ceremony
pttt his hand upon them, distinguish
15*


them from common men, set them apart
from common services, and make them
the fixed organ of communication be.
tween himself and the chosen race.
'The consecration of God was upon
their heads.' But while they were thus
made to feel that they were invested
with an office of the highest sanctity,
and one in which they were to expiate
the sins of the people by typical sacrifices, they were not suffered to forget
that they also were themselves sinners,
and needed an expiation as much as
any of those for whom they ministered.
Accordingly the very first step in the
ceremony of consecration was the pro.
viding of a bullock, rams, &c., as a sin.
offering for themselves, to keep them
perpetually reminded of the fact that
the 'law made men priests that had in.
firmity, who needed first to offer up sacrifices for their own sins, and then for the
people's,' Heb. 7. 27, 28. The typical
reference of the office itself to the
Savior Jesus Christ, the Messiah or
Anointed One, the great High Priest of
the Church, is very obvious, although
those parts of the consecrating ceremony which implied sinful infirmity in
its subjects could have no bearing in relation to him who was in himself'holy,
harmless, undefiled, separate from sin.
ners, and made higher than the heavens.'
He needed not to be sanctified by the
blood of. rams and bullocks, or made
perfect by the death of others, inas.
much as he has by his one offering ot
himself upon the cross satisfied for ever
all the demands of the law upon himself and his believing people.
1. And this it the thing that thou
shalt do. IIeb. "11In haddabar, the
word. Gr. Kat ravTa eartv, and these
are the things. See Note on Gen. 15. 1.
— T    To hallow them. Heb. WVl>)




L74


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


2 And bunleavened bread, and
cakes unleavened tempered with
b Lev. 2 4. & 6. 20, 21, 22.
RnM lekaddesh otham, to sanctify them,
to set them apart. This is here a term
denoting that general consecration to
the priestly office which is expanded in
fuller detail in the sequel of the chapter. The subsequent expression 'consecrate,' v. 9, 29, has respect rather to
one particular part of the ceremonies
enjoined on the occasion. —    r To
minister in the priest's office.  This
is expressed in Hebrew by the single
term ~pM    lekahen, from JM= kohen,
a priest, and signifying literally to
act the priest, to discharge the priestly functions. See Note on Ex. 28. 1.
-   ff Take one young bullock. Heb.
~P= A   inrR 'i par ehad ben bakar,
one bullock a son (i. e. a youngling) of
the herd. The Heb. 'D par, from which
comes the German   Farre,' a young
buil, a bullock, is a generic term equivalent to the Lat. ' pullus,' a foal, denoting the young of cattle, and yet not
at the youngest age. It is perhaps most
properly rendered, as here, by bullock,
as is the fem. Il't parah by heifer. Gr.
foaxapiov CK sooJv, a youngling or calf
of the oxen. Some of the Hebrew doctors suppose that j  M ~p ben bakar im.
plies a bullock of not less than three
years old; but this cannot be made to
appear, though it doubtless denotes one
that has been sometime weaned.
f Without blemish. Heb. ti~.n temimim, perfect; i. e. without defect,
superfluity, or deformity. The animal
and the other articles mentioned in this
connexion were to be the first which
were to be provided, but they were not
to be used till various other preliminary ceremonies, such as washing, robing, &c., had been performed. In fact
the consecration itself here ordered did
not take place till after the tabernacle
ras erected. See Lev. 8. 9, 10.
2. Unleavened bread, and cakes, &c.


oil, and wafers unleatened annoint
ed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt
thou make them.
It is important to bear in mind, in reference to the Jewish ritual generally,
that the ideas of sacrificing and of
feasting are very intimately related to
each other. We are doubtless much in
the habit of regarding the offerings of
the Mosaic law as pertaining wholly to
one party, and as a purely expiatory
act on the part of the offerer, in which
nothing of a mutual nature was implied.
But the truth is, these sacrifices actually partook more or less of the character
of a mutual entertainment, for with the
exception of the holocaust, or whole.
burnt-offering, and of certain parts
which were offered and consumed upon
the altar, the rest were eaten by the olfer.
ers and the priests, and this fact will account for some of the oblations consisting of articles which were and always
have been articles of diet. The Most
Ifigh could not be expected of course to
make a party at a literal table, but at
the same time such viands as would be
set upon a table might be offered to him.
and the fire of his altar as his repre
sentative might consume them. Considering therefore the character and relation of the parties, the disposal of
the sacrificial offerings came as near
perhaps to the semblance of a mutual
feast as the nature of the case would
allow. If this view of the subject be
admitted, it will account for the requirement of such offerings on the pressent occasion as unleavened cakes and
wafers mingled with oil. In our ordinary meals flesh and bread go together;
and so in the present case, although the
ram was to be a holocaust, yet the bullock was to be part offered and part
eaten, constituting with its annexed
meat or meal-offering, the matter of an
entertainmenit in which God and they
might feast together in token of friendship and fellowship. In this there was




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXIX.


175


3 And thou shalt put them    into
one basket, and bring them in the
basket, with the bullock and the
two rans.
4 And Aaron and his sons thou
shalt bring unto the door of the
tabernacle of the congreg(a ion, cand
shalt wash them with water.
c ch. 40.12.  Lev. 8..  l6ebr. 10. '22.
a distinct allusion to the prevalent cistom in the East of ratifying every important covenant transaction by an entertainment of which the covenanting
parties partook together. In like manner, the Lord's supper is often properly
represented as a feast upon a sacrifice.
While it commemorated the sacrifice
made by the death of the divine victim
it betokened at the same time the pacification and covenant fellowship of
Christ and his followers. The vegetable offering here prescribed as an accompaniment to the animal sacrifice
constituted a ~n.2V minhah or mincha,
as it is usually termed, of the nature of
which see Note on Gen. 4. 3. The two
first, the bread and the cakes, were
mixed with oil (i. e. oil of olives) before baking; the last, the wafers, were
merely smeared with oil after they were
baked. The original term for 'wafers'
C^1P'l rekikim comes from p     a- rakak, to be or to be made thin, and is
applied to signify a thin kind of cakes
similar to what are known among us by
the name of 'pan-cakes.' The Ital.
version has 'fritella' fritters.  These
were all to be put into a basket as constituting one t    rI minhah or breadoffering, and brought along with the
bullock and the rams to the door of
the tabernacle, and there presented to
the Lord.
4. Shalt bring unto the door of the
tabernacle. To the open space in the
court in front of the tabernacle, and
near the entrance. It was here that
the altar and the laver stood, and where
all the ordinary sacrificial services were


5 d And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the
coat, and the robe of the ephod,
and the ephod, and     tie breastplate, and gird him with e the curious girdle of the ephod:
6 fAnd thou shalt put the mitre
d ch. 28. 2. Lev. 8. 7. e ch. 28. 8. f Lev
8. 9.
performied.  Moreover, as God was
pleased to dwell by his Slhekinah in
the tabernacle, and the people attended
in the court, it was peculiarly appropriate that those who were to act as
mediators between these two parties
should be consecrated in some intervening spot between them; and such a
spot was here appointed where the sacerdotal daysman might, as it were,;lay his hand upon both.' —   Shalt
uash them with 1'ater. That is, with
the water of the laver, which was made,
anointed, and set in the court of the
tabernacle before the priests were consecrated.  It is reasonably supposed,
though not expressly asserted, that on
this occasion their whole bodies were
washed, whereas at other times when
engaged in their ministrations they only washed their hands and feet; and to
this our Savior perhaps alludes, John,
13. 10, 'He that is washed needeth not
save to wash his feet, but is clean every
whit.' The object of this preliminary
oblation cannot well be mistaken. It
was emblematical of that inward spiritual cleansing which so obviously becomes those who minister in holy
things. ' Be ye clean that bear the
vessels ef the Lord,' is the fixed decree of heaven.
5. Thou shalt take the garments, &c
The entire person having duly undergone the prescribed ablution, the next
step was the putting on the priestly
garments so particularly described in
the preceding chapter. By this was im.
plied that not only were they to put
away the impurities of the flesh, but to




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


upon his head, and put the holy
crown upon the mitre.
7 Then shalt thou take the an

ointing g oil, and pour it upon his
head, and anoint him.
e ch. 28. 41. & 30 35. Lev. 8. 12. & 10, 7,
& 21. 10. Num. 35. 25.


clothe themselves also with the graces
of the Spirit, significantly shadowed
forth by the splendid robes in which
they were to officiate. The original
word for 'gird' is itR aphad, to bind,
girdle, enclose, from which 'Ephod' is
a derivative. The act of girding seems
to denote readiness and preparation
for active service. So the ministers of
Christ, prompt to do his will, are symbolically represented, Rev. 15. 6, by
' angels coming out of the temple clothed in pure and white linen, and having
their breasts girded with golden girdles.'
-   IT The holy crown. That is, the
plate of gold with the blue lace above
mentioned, Ex. 28. 36, 37. It is here
called 'tT nezer, separation, from its
being a badge of the wearer being separated from his brethren. It is elsewhere used as a denomination of the
diadems of kings, 2 Sam. 1. 19. Ps. 89.
40. The mention of the linen drawers
is here omitted, because they were put
on privately before they came to the
more public vestry at the door of the
tabernacle.
7. Thou shalt then take the anoint.
ing oil, &c. Heb. inIril I=   shemen hammishshah, oil of unction; the
peculiar mode of compounding which
for sacred purposes is afterwards detailed, Ex. 30. 23-33. This was per.
haps the most important, because the
most significant, part of the ceremony
of the consecration. As the High Priest
was a type of Christ, whatever part of
the ceremonies represented the most
eminent endowments and attributes of
the great Antitype were certainly of
paramount import to all others. Now
the ineffable sanctity of the Savior, the
measureless possession of the gifts and
graces the Holy Spirit conferred upon
him, was one of those divine qualifi

cations which went preeminently to
constitute the greatness, the fitness,
and glory of his sacerdotal character;
and so far as the communication of
this plenary gift of the Spirit could be
shadowed forth by any physical act, it
was done by the process of anointing.
Thus, Is. 61. 1, 'The Spirit of the Lord
God is upon me, because the Lord hath
anointed me to preach,' &c. Indeed it
is from the import of this act that our
Lord receives his most familiar designation. The Heb. term for anoint is
Tl7ZZ mashah, from which comes nraIv
mashiah or Messiah. Greek XplTro,
Christ, i. e. the Anointed One, the preeminent and distinguishing appellation
of the Savior of men. The consecration
of the High Priest to his office was a
type of that of Christ, and of this the
pouring out of the holy oil was a most
beautiful emblem. As oil insinuates itself into and diffuses itself over the
body to which it is applied, so the divine
nature, the informing Spirit of God,
possessed wholly the human person of
Jesus, communicating to him all those
attributes and perfections which exalted the 'name of Jesus above every
name,2 and qualified him to act as
Mediator between God and man. In
the consecration of the Aaronic order,
the inferior priests were only sprinkled
with this oil mixed with the blood of
the sacrifice, but in the unction of:.~
High Priest the oil was so copiously
poured forth as to ' run down upon the
beard, and even to the skirts of his garments.' It was like 'the dew of Hermon,' says the Psalmist, 'descending
upon the mountains of Zion.' This was
because it pointed to him who received
the Spirit ' without measure.' He was
' anointed with the oil of gladness above
his fellows;' i. e. above those who pos



B. C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXIX.


177


8 And h thou shalt bring his sons,
and put coats upon them.
9 And thou shalt gird them with
girdles (Aaron and his sons) and
h Lev. 8. 13.


sessed with him a fellowship or similarity of office, as types of himself. Aaron
was anointed high priest; Saul was
anointed king; Elisha was anointed
prophet; Melchizedek, king and priest;
Moses, priest and prophet; David, king
and prophet; yet none was ever anointed to the joint possession of all these
dignities together save the Christ of
God, the antitype of them all. Christians derive the name of Christians
from their profession of Christ, and the
nature and character of Christians from
their union to Christ. It is their peculiar privilege and distinguishing joy,
'to have the unction from the Holy
One, and to know all things,' that are
necessary for them to know. As the
oil which was poured upon Aaron was
so copiously effused as to run down to
the ' skirts of his clothing,' so the unction of the Holy One was so abundant,
that from him as the IHead, it ever has
and ever will run down to the rmeanest and weakest believers. And this
' anointing which they receive of him,
abideth in them, and teacheth them.'
What distinguished honor then, what
strong consolation, pertain to them,
who are made one with Christ, and who
feel the heavenly influences of his Spirit
in their souls! They obtain a life from
him with which they were not born;
and which because it is his life can
never be destroyed!
8. And thou shalt bring. Heb.  pf'lF
takrib, shalt bring near, shalt cause to
approach. But whether the term is to
oe understood in a general sense of their
being set apart or devoted to the service
of God, or more strictly of their being
brought near to the door of the Taberinacle, where these consecration-cere

put the bonnets on them: and i the
priest's office shall be theirs for a
perpetual statute: and thou shalt
k consecrate Aaron and his sons.
i Num. 18. 7. kch. 28. 41. Lev. 8. 22. &c.
IIebr. 7. 28.
monies were to be performed, is not
certain. They were to be immediately
robed in their sacred garments, as the
anointing rite was to be confined to
Aaron as High Priest. These garments
were the drawers or breeches, the coat,
the girdle, and the bonnet. The first
two were like those of the High Priest.
The bonnet was probably the same as
the mitre worn by the high priest with
the slight difference before mentioned.
The girdles of the inferior priests were
of the same form as that of the high
priest; but less costly and of less elegant texture.  These four garments
were of linen, such as were worn by the
Egyptian priests as emblems of innocence. Cicero has observed from Plato,
that ' white is a color peculiarly becom.
ing the Deity.'
9. Put bonnets on them. Heb. rI'Inn
thb habashta lahem, shalt bind to them;
a phraseology adapted to the act of
wrapping a head-dress upon one, whereas our term 'put' is more obviously
conformed to the usages with which
we are familiar in loosely and lightly
covering the head with a cap, hat, or
bonnet. —    For a perpetual statute.
Heb. t1JY rian   lehuk/kath olam, for
a statute of eternity; i. e. they shall
enjoy that office in uninterrupted succession as long as the Aaronical Priest.
hood itself continued. - T Thou shalt
consecrate Aaron and his sons. This,
as we have before remarked, is not the
term for the general act of consecratiien
here described, but for a particular
ceremony forming a part of it. The
original is I      mR/l"3 mnillitha yad, thou
shalt fill the hand of Aaron and his sons;
an expression alluding to the Iact of
some part of the sacrifice being put




178


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


10 And thou shalt cause a bullock
to be brought before the tabernacle
of the congregation; and     Aaron
I Lev. 1.4. & 8. 14.
into their hands to be waved and then
borne to the altar. As sacrificing was
a very prominent part of the sacerdotal
office, this was a ceremony strikingly
significant of the nature of the functions
which they were called to discharge;
and as it was the first or initiating
action that marked their entrance upon
the performance of the priestly services,
the idea of consummation or perfection
is attached to it, for which reason it is
rendered in English by the term consecrate, as if it were the crowning ceremony of the whole. So also the Gr.
tXciiocscSt AaO)pi ruaT xEyp(Iu  v)rotl, K0(
rag xEipa rtoU C)v (vrT)v, thou shalt
consummate, or perfect, the hands of
Aaron and the hands of his sons; i. e.
thou shalt do to him, through the Imedium of his hands, that which shall be
virtually the perfecting act of investiture upon his person. Arab. 'Thou shalt
complete, or perfect, the glory of Aaron
and the glory of his sons.' Accordingly in allusion to this the apostle, IHeb.
7. 28, says, 'The law maketh men high
priests which have infirmity; but the
word of the oath, which was since the
law, maketh the son who is consecrated
(rereAXcL)pcvr)v perfected) for evermore.
The allusion is probably the same in
other cases where the term ' perfect' is
applied to Christ, implying an official
instead of personal perfection, or in
other words that fulness of endowment,
and that completeness of initiation,
which so signally marked the preeminence of his mediatorial character. The
usage which elsewhere obtains in regard to the Hebrew phrase may serve
to give a still clearer view of its import
in this connexion, 1 Chron. 29. 3, 5 ' I
have prepared for the holy house-the
geld for things of gold, and the silver


and his sons shall put their hands
upon the head of the bullock.
11 And thou shalt kill the bullock
before the LORD, by the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation.
for things of silver, and for all manner
of work to be made by the hands of
artificers. And who then is willing to
consecrate his service (l-i -  25
lemalloth yado, to fill his hands) this
day unto the Lord.' This is obviously
an exhortation to a liberal giving to
a sacred purpose; and whoever pro.
poses to rmake a donation takes his
gift in his hand, and the larger it is,
the more is his hand filled with it.
Again, Ex. 32. 28, 29, 'And the children of Levi did according to the word
of Moses; aind there fell of the people
that day about three thousand men. For
Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves
(T'"i        7 3, milu yedkem, fill your
hands) to (lay to the Lord, even every
mant upon his son and upon his brother.'
This was a kind of initiating or inaugurating act on the part of the tribe of
Levi-a specimen of such thorough.
going obedience to the divine mandate
as to amount to an installing of themiselves in the official dignity to which
they were destined. It is easy to per.
ceive from all this the true force of the
expression. 'The filling of the hands,'
says Rab. Solomon, 'is nothing else
than an initiation when one enters upon any business that he may be confirmed in it from that day forward.' In
a somewhat like manner it is said to
have been formerly customary in the
English church, when a miniister was
ordained, for the Bishop to put into his
hand a Bible indicative of the nature of
the work upon which he had now en.
tered, and of which his hands, as well as
his head and his heart, were to befiutl.
The Bullock for a Sin-offering.
10. And thou shalt cause a bullock to
be brouht, &c. The due completion




F. '. 1,q91.]


CHAPTER XXIX.


179


12 And thou m shalt take of the
blood of the bullock, and put it
mLev.. 1. 5.
Df the various ceremonies above described was followed by the oblation of'
their sacrifices for Aaron and his sons;
(1.) A sin-offering; (2.) A burnt-offering; (3.) A peace-offering. The sinoftlring, which here consisted of a blllock, was a kind of expiation by which
they were first of all to be purified. IBy
the ceremony of putting their hands
upon the head of the victim was signified, (1.) that the offerer had need of a
sacrifice to atone lor his sills; (2.) that
he symbolically transferred his sins to
the victim; (3.) that he confided in
faith and hope that although lie deserved himself to die, yet the death of the
animal, 'which he thus devoted to God,
would be accepted as an expiation for
his sins, so as to avert fi'om him the
punishment which they had righteously
iiicurred. The same ceremony of' imnposition of hands was enljoined upon
every one who biroiught a sacrifice for
his sins, Iev. 4. 24, 29, antI the Imanner
ofr it, as practised by the Jews, is thus
particularly described by Maimionides
in his Treatise on the Sacrificial Offerings; 'There is no inmposing of hands
but ill the court. If lie lay on hands
without, lie must lay them  on again
within. None may impose hands but a
clean person. In the place where hands
are imposed, there they kill the beast
immediately after the imposition. He
that imposetli must do it with all his
Inight, with both his hands upon the
beast's head, not upon the neck or
sides; and there may be nothing between his hlalnds anld the beast. If the
sacrifice be of the most holy things,
it standeth on the north side (as Lev.
1. 11.), with the face to the west; the
imposer standeth eastward with his
face to the west, and layeth his two
anmlds between the two horns, and con

upon n the horns of the altar with
thy finger, and pour all t'he blood
beside the bottom of the altar.
n ch. 27. 2. & 30. 2.
fesseth sin over the sin-offering and
trespass over the trespass-offering, &c.,
and( saith, ' I have sinned; I have committed iniquity; I have trespassed, and
done tlhuls and thus, and do return by
repentance before thee, and with this I
ilake atonement,"   And what could
more strikingly represeiit the fact that,
in the economy of redlemption, the sins
of men are imrputed to Christ, 'upon
whom the Lord hath laid the iniquity
of us all,' Is. 53. 6-8.   With this
soleimii rite before us, how evangelic
an( h;appy the familiar strain of the
Christian psalmist;
NMy faith would lay hler hand
On that dear head of thine,
lWhile like a penitent I stand,
Aild there confess my sin.
My soul looks back to see
The burden thou didst bear,
WMlien hanging on the cursed tree,
Aind hopes her guilt was there.
11. And thou shalt kill the bullock
before the Lord. That is before the
Shekinah. ' Thou shalt kill' is doubtless equivalent to I thou shalt cause to
have killed.' It is not necessary to sulp
pose that Moses, who was not strictly
a priest, killed the bullock in person.
12. Put it on the horns of the altar.
The first sin-offering differed from those
ordinarily presentedl by the priests, in
which the blood was carried into the
Tabernacle, a'sd applied to the horns of
the golden altar of incense, Lev. 4. 3, 7,
whereas in the present instance the
blood was put upon the horns of the brazen altar of burnt.offering which stood in
the court. But the design of this first
oblation was to make atonement for the
altar itself, and to sanctify it, that it
mnight afterward be fit to sanctify the




ISO


EXODUS.


[B.. 1491.


13 And o thou shalt take all the
fat that covereth the inwards, and
the caul that is above the liver, and
o Lev. 3. 3.
offerings of the people laid upon it, as
is intimated v. 36, 37, and still more
plainly taught, Ezek. 43. 25, 26. Besides this, the ceremony did not in this
respect differ at this time from that observed by common persons, inasmuch
as Aaron and his sons did not become
full priests till the period of their seven
days' consecration was ended. —~ And
pour all the blood. That is, all the rest
of the blood. —I Beside the bottom of
the altar. Where there was a trench
into which the blood of the sacrifices
was poured.
13. The fat that covereth the inwards. By the fat that covereth the
inwards is meant the thin fatty membrane extended over the intestines, called in Lev. 9. 19, simply 'that which
covereth,' and technically denominated
the omentum-supposed to have been
so called from the fact that the heathen
diviners derived the good or bad omens
from the observation of this part of the
animal. Although in many instances
the fat' is said to denote the best or
choicest part of any thing, as is observed upon Gen. 4. 4, yet in other
cases it is evidently used as equivalent
to that which is evil, from the fact that
fatness is naturally understood to imply
an obtuseness of sensibility. Thus it is
said of the wicked, Ps. 119. 70, 'Their
heart is as fat as grease.' So Deut. 32.
15, 'But Jeshurun waxed fat and kick.
ed: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown
thick, thou art covered with fatness;
then he forsook God which made him.'
Again, Is. 6. 10, 'Make the heart of
this people fat, &c., lest they under.
stand,' &c. The 'fat' therefore, as a
signal of man's corruption, God ordered.:) be consumed with fire on the altar,
teaching perhaps the necessity of the
mortification of our earthly members


the two kidnels, and the fat thai
is upon them, and burn them upon
the altar.


by the work of the Spirit of Christ.I The caul that is above the liver. Heb
1n='  Yt r.Wn  yothereth al hakkabed
the redundance of the liver. Gr. Tro
Xofov royv iraro~, the lobe of the liver,
i. e. the greater lobe of the liver, which,
although a part of the liver itself, may
very properly be rendered 'the lobe
over or by the liver.' As the gall-bla&.
der is attached to this part of the liver
it is probably to be included in the precept of consumption. Parkhurst remarks; 'If the great excellence of this
billious juice, and its importance to the
well-being of the animal, together with
its influence and instrumentality in the
passions, both concupiscible and irascible, are duly considered, we shall see
the reasons why the gall-bladder was
especially ordered by God to be taken
off and consumed on the altar.' Of the
moral design of this part of the Jewish
ritual the early Jewish commentators
say; 'Therefore the kidneys and the
fat which is on them, and the caul that
covereth the liver, were burnt unto God
to make atonement for the sins of men,
which proceedeth out of the thoughts of
the reins, and the lust of the liver, and
the fatness of the heart, for they all
consent in sin.'- -   And burn them
upon the altar. Heb. n'3Dn hiktarta,
burn.  The original here is not the
word usually employed to signify consuming by fire. The Heb. "MTop katar,
in its native import, implies the making a fume by incense, and when applied to sacrifices denotes the rising up
of their smoke as the vapor of incense,
from their peculiar acceptableness to
him to whon they were offered. From
the same root comes Dl'~h miktoreth)
a censer, an instrument for fuming incense; and in the participle  t n1 i niktar, perfumed, we trace the origin pi




B. C. 1491.]              CHAPTER XXIX.                             18i
14 But p the flesh of the bullock,   15   q Thou shalt also take one
and his slain, and his dung shalt ram; and Aaron and his sons shall
thou burn with fire without the r put their hands upon the head of
camp: it is a sin-offering.          the ram.
P Lev. 4. 11,12,21. IIeb. 13.11.      q Lev. 8. 18. rLev. 1.4,-9.
tile classic Nectar, the fabled beverage with abhorrence and consumed by the
of tle gods, from their inhaling the per- fire, as if it were sin itself. Judging
fumed odor of incense as if it were a from the usage of the Greek it would
delightful drink. It was probably to seem  that the phrase is accurately
convey a somewhat similar idea that enough translated, but the expression
the word is employed in the present throws a decided light upon the em-.onnexion, viz., that these bloody sa- phatic language of the apostle, 2 Cor.
Orifices, rightly and reverently present- 5. 21, ' Christ was made sin for us, who
ed, were as acceptable as if they had knew no sin; that we might be made
been an offering of incense.        the righteousness of God in him.'
14. But the flesh, &c., shalt thou burn
with fire uithout the camp. Here the    The Ram for a Burnt-offering.
word for ' burning' is intirely different  15. Thou shalt also take one ram.
from that in the former verse, imply- That is, one of the two commanded to
ing a consumption by a strong fire be taken, v. 1. The remark of Rabbi
and excluding the idea of that grateful Levi ben Gerson respecting the design
incense-like odor which was conveyed of these several victims may here be
by the sacrifice of the fat. It appears appropriately given. 'It is proper to
to have been ordained with a view to notice the order in which these sacri.
inspire a greater detestation of sil in fices were offered. For first of all an
those sustaining the priestly office. atonement for sins was made by the
The language of the action Bas, 'Let sin-offering; of which nothing but the
all iniquity befar from them that bear fat was offered to God (to whom be
the vessels of the Lord.' In the case praise); because the offerers were not
of a sin-offering for the prince or any yet worthy of God's acceptance of a gift
other person, this usage of burning and present from them. But after they
without the camp was not observ- had been purified, to indicate their be.
ed, but as the iniquities of the priests ing devoted to the sacred office, they
were of a more heinous character, a immolated to God (to whom be praise)
corresponding brand of reprobation was a holocaust, which was entirely constamped upon them by this enactment. slumed upon the alter. And after the
It was doubtless with a view to indicate holocaust they offered a sacrifice re.
that Christ was made a sacrifice under seinbling a peace-offering, of which
circumstances of the greatest possible part used to be given to God, part to
ignominy that the apostle, Heb. 13. 12, the priests, and part to the offerers, and
13, alludes to this precept of the law; which was to indicate their being now
'Wherefore Jesus also, that lie might received into favor with God, so as
sanctify the people with his own blood, to use one common table with him.'
suffered without the gate. Let us go Outram. To this we may add, that the
forth, therefore, unto him without the ram was wholly burnt to the honor of
camp, bearing his reproach.' — T It is God, in token of the dedication of thenm
a sin-offering. Heb. 1'i  Dt~1 hat- selves wholly to God and to his service,
tath hu, it is a sin. This strong lan- as living sacrifices, kindled with the
guage implied that it must be treated I fire and ascending in the flame of holy
yo. II.         1(




182


EXODUS.


iB. C. 1491.


16 And thou shalt slay the ram,
and thou shalt take his blood, and
sprinkle it round about upon the
altar.
17 And thou shalt cut the ram in
pieces, and wash the inwards of
him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head.
18 And thou shalt burn the whole
ram upon the altar: it is a burntofiering unto the LORD: it is a
s sweet savour, an offering made by
fire unto the LORD.
s Gen. 8. 21.
love. — T Shall put their hands upon
the head, &c. The general import of
this action was always the same, viz.,
to indicate the sinfulness of the offerers, and to prefigure the vicarious suf:
ferings of Christ, the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. It was
done on the present occasion, though the
ram offered was a ram of consecration,
to convey the same impressive lesson
that it ordinarily did to those concerned.
Upon the priests' initiation into their
office they were to be taught the full
significancy of the various sacrifices
which they were henceforth to be employed in offering.
16. Shalt take his blood, and sprinkle
it, &c. As nothing is said of any other
disposition of any part of the blood, \e
may suppose it was all to be sprinkled
ubout the altar; or, as others conjecture, poured on the altar round about,
to be consumed or 'licked up' by the
fire along with the flesh.
18. It is a sweet savor.  Heb. ri'
Mrnln  r'ha nihovah, a savor of rest;
i. e. an appeasing odor, from its supposed efficacy in quieting and pacifying the divine displeasure, and rendering the offerer acceptable. Chal. 'That
it may be received with favorable acceptation.' Gr. etL orTP v esldan, for a
savor of sweet smell; an expression
adopted by the apostle, Eph. 5. 2. Sec
Note on Gen. 8. 21.


19   t And thou   shalt take the
other ram.; and Aaron and his sons
shall put their hands upon the
head of the ram.
20 Then shalt thou kill the ram,
and take of his blood, and put it
upon the tip of the right ear of
Aaron, and upon the tip of the
right ear of his sons, and upon the
thumb of their right hand, and
upon the great toe of their right
foot, and sprinkle the blood upon
the altar round about.
t ver. 3. Iev. 8. 22.
The Ram for a Peace-offering.
20. Take of the blood, and put it upon
the tip, &c. That the ram now to be
offered, and called, v. 22, ' the ram of
consecration,' was truly a peace-offering will be obvious froml what is said
in v. 28, 32. It is doubtless called the
ram of consecration because there was
more in this sacrifice that was peculiar
to the present occasioni than in either of
the others. The ceremonies, therefore,
were more numerous and significant.
The blood instead of being merely
sprinkled on tlie horns of the altar or
efrused round about it, was shared, as it
were, between God and them; part of
it being sprinkled, and part put upon
them, upon their bodies, and upon their
garments. The parts of their persons
to which it was applied were no doubt
selected with a view to render the rite
most replete with instruction relative
to the duties of their station. It was
intended to imply that they ought to
devote diligently their ears, their hands,
and their feet, or in other words, all
their faculties of mind and body, to the
discharge of their ministerial office.
By the blood's being applied to the extreme parts of the body, they could not
but understand that the whole person in
all its entireness, from the tip of the
ear to the toe of the foot, was to be
sanctified and set apart to the service
of God.




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXIX.


183


21 And thou shalt take of the his garments, and his sons, and his
blood that is upon the altar, and sons' garments with him.
of u the anointing oil, and sprinkle  22 Also thou shalt take of the
it upon Aaron, and upon his gar- ram the fat and the rump, and the
ments, and upon his sons, and upon ifat that covereth the inwards, and
the garments of his sons with him: the caul above the liver, and the
and whe shall be hallowed, and two kidneys, and the fat that is
uch. 30. 25, 31. Lev. 8. 30. w ver. 1. upon them, and the right shoulder:
Ilebr. 9. 22.                  for it is a ran of consecration:




21. Upon the garments. This was
merely to carry out in all its completeness, and in reference to every thing
about them, the significant rite of the
sprinkled blood. The apostle tells us,
Ileb. 9.22, that ' almost all things were
by the law purged with blood'; and as
the sacred garments were the badge of
that office which enabled them to be instrumental in sanctifying and purifying
others, it was manifestly proper that
they should themselves receive fully
the sign of the same cleansing and consecrating influence. 'We reckon,' says
Henry, 'that the blood and oil, sprinkled
upon garments, spotted and stained
them; yet the holy oil and the blood
of the sacrifice, sprinkled upon their
garments, must be looked upon as the
greatest adorning imaginable to them,
for they signified the blood of Christ,
and the graces of the Spirit, which constitute and complete the beauty of holiness, and recommend us to God. We
read of robes 'made white with the
blood of the Lamb.''
22. The fat and the rump. Heb.
'1T    alyah, defined by Gesenius and
Rosenmuller the thick fatty tail of the
Syrian sheep. Russell in his Natural
History of Aleppo, p. 51, after observing that they are in that country much
more numerous than those with smaller
tails, adds, 'This tail is very broad and
large, terminating in a small appendix
that turns back upon it. It is of a substance between fat and marrow, Ad is
not eaten separately, but mixed with
the lean meat in many of their dishes,
and also often used instead of butter.


A common sheep of this sort, without
the head, feet, skin, and entrails, weighs
about twelve or fourteen Aleppo rotoloes (a rotoloe is five pounds), of which
the tail is usually three rotoloes or upwards; but such as are of the largest
breed, and have been fattened, will
sometimes weigh above thirty rotoloes,
and the tail of these ten. These very
large sheep being about Aleppo kept
up in yards, are in no danger of injuring their tails: but in some other
places, where they feed in the fields,
the shepherds are obliged to fix a piece
of thin board to the under part of their
tail, to prevent its being torn by bushes
and thistles, as it is not covered underneath with thick wool like the upper
part. Some have small wheels to fa.
ciliate the dragging of this board after
them.' This contrivance is at least as
old as Herodotus, who expressly mentions it (Lib. II. c. 115.), where, speak.
ing of the Arabian shepherds' manage.
ment to prevent this kind of sheep from
having their tails rubbed and ulcerated,
he says, 'They make little cars, and
fasten one of these under the tail of
each sheep.' The Abbe Mariti in his
Travels through Cyprus (vol. I. p. 36.)
confirms this account of the extraordinary size of the tails of some species of
eastern sheep; ' The mutton is juicy
and tender. The tails of some of the
sheep, which are remarkably fine, weigh
up'vards of fifty pounds.' —  f It is a
ramn of consecration. Heb. VtIBM   9i1
RM t'l milluim hu, it is a ram of fillings. Gr. eirt yap reXcI)t7iS ur-M, for
this a perfection. That is, a consecrat.




184


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


23 xAnd one loaf of bread, and
one cake of oiled bread, and one
wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread, that is before the
LORD.
24 And thou shalt put all in the
hands'of Aaron, and in the hands
of his sons; and shalt y wave them
for a wave-offering before the
LORD.
25 z And thou shalt receive them
of their hands, and burn them upon
the altar for a burnt-offering, for a
sweet savour before the LORD: it
is an offering made by fire unto the
LORD.
xLev.8.26. yLev.7. 30. zLev..8.2




ing initiation by which the incumbents
were perfected in their official character. The sense of the term is governed
by that which we have already assigned
to the root in our remarks above, v. 9.
Whether it is implied at the same time
that the hands uere filled with pieces of
the sacrifice, as an intimation of their
duties, cannot be ascertained. However this may be, the explanation given
above is sufficient to account for the
form of the expression.
23, 24. And one loaf of bread, &c.
The Note on v. 2, of this chapter will
sufficiently explain the reason of the
order respecting the articles here mentioned.  As to the ' waving' of the
whole to and fro, which was ordinarily
done by the priests' putting his hand
under theirs, and then lifting them first
upwards, and then round about ill every
direction, it was probably intended as a
significant mode of dedicating the offering to Him ' whose is the earth and the
fulness thereof;' who is the Possessor
of heaven, as well as the earth, and
claims a universal homage. If, how.
ever, we keep up the idea of a mutual
feast in connexion with the peace-offering, this ceremony of waving may perhaps be considered as a virtual act of
offering or presenting a dish to an hon

26 And thou shalt take a the
breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave itfor a waveoffering before the LORD: and bit
shall be thy part.
27 And thou shalt sanctify c the
breast of the wave-offering, and
the shoulder of the heave-offering,
which   is waved   and   which is
heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for
Aaron, and of that which is for his
sons:
28 And it shall be Aaron's and
his sons' dby a statute for ever,
a Lev. 8. 29. bPs. 99.6. c Lev. 7. 31. 34.
Numb. 18. 11,18. Deut. 18.3. d Lev. 10. 15.
ored guest who sits at the table. This
God could not do in person, but he
would still have that kind of fellowship
recognised, and he made the altar his
substitute for devouring his part of the
sacrifice. The Gr. renders by aupplets,
thou shalt separate, and Paul uses this
term in speaking of his designation to
the ministry, Roim. 1. 1, as if he had
been made in that office a kind of waveoffering to the Lord. — IT Shalt wave
them for a wtave-offering. Ileb. ht:j
Mn3 rln ti[  henaphta olham tenuphah,
thou shalt wave them a uaving. The
original root 13l nuph signifies prop.
erly to shake, agitate, move to and fro,
or up and down.
25. Burn them upon the altar for i
burnt-offering.  Although it is undoubted that this was not a whole
burnt.offering, but a peace-offering, yet
as some of it was burnt on the altar,
that part of it is called a burnt-offering. Compare Lev. 3. 5, where all that
was to be burnt of the peace-offerings
is commanded to be ' burnt upon the
burnt sacrifice,' in reference to which
act j might very properly be called a
burnt-offering.
26-28. And thou shalt take the
breast, &c. These three verses are
probably to be regarded as a parenthe



B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXIX.


185


from the children of Israel: for it
is al heave-offering: and e it shall
be an heave-offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of
their peace-offerings, even their
heave-offering unto the LORD.
29 ~TAnd the holy garments of
Aaron fshall be his sons' after him,
g to be anointed therein, and to be
consecrated in them.
eLev. 7. 34. Numb. 20. 26,28. g Numb.
18. 8. & 35.25.
sis fixing the law for all future time,
in relation to the priests' part of the
peace-offering, viz., the breast and
shoulder. It is true, that on the present occasion these were divided, and
the shoulder burnt on the altar with
God's part, v. 22, but ever after they
were both to go together as the allotted
portion of the priests.  This, if we
may admit the suggestion of Ainsworth, was intended to intimate to
them  'how with all their heart, and
with all their strengt!h, they should
give themselves unto the service of the
Lord in his church.' As to the precise distinction between wuve-offering
(n13nd tenuphah) and heave-offering
(n?3lIn terumah), it is not easy to
ascertain it, as we are firnished with
no clue in the original, except what we
find in the import of the terms; of
which we may say in general that the
former more properly denotes horizontal and the latter perpendicular
motion. This fact has led Houbigant
and some others to imagine that by
this twofold movement in the act of
oblation we are to recognise a dim and
shadowyfigure of the cross, on which
the great Peace-offering between God
and man was offered,.in the person of
the blessed Redeemer. But as this
conjecture rests upon no positive authority, we build nothing upon it, leaving the reader to deduce his own inferences fro n the etymology of the words.
29, 30. And the holy garments of
16t


30 And h that son that is priest in
his stead shall put them on i seven
days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to
minister in the holy place.
31 ~ And thou shalt take the ram
of the consecration, and k seethe
his flesh in the holy place.
32 And Aaron and his sons shall
eat the flesh of the ram, and the
hNurrb. 20. 28. iLev. 8. 35. & 9. 1, 8.
k Lev. 6. 31.


Aaron shall be, &c. Another general
law is here given, viz., that all the successors of Aaron in the high priesthood should be set apart to the office
in the same garments, by the same
unction, and, as we learn from v. 36.
with the same sacrifices, as those which
were prescribed on the present occasion. Accordingly it is said, Num. 20.
28, 'And Moses stripped Aaron of his
garments, and put them upon Eleazer
his son; and Aaron died there in the
top of the mount.' For seven successive
days was the high priest to be robed in
these sacred vestments, and during that
time to abide without intermission at
the door of the tabernacle ' keeping the
charge of the Lord,' Lev. 8. 35. As
the number seven is the Scripture number of perfection, and is often used to
denote the completion, consummation,
or fulness of any thing, so the act of
consecration was to last seven days
that it might signify a perfect conse.
cration, and to intimate to the priest
that his whole life was to be devoted to
his ministry. It afforded the oppor.
tunity also for one Sabbath to pass over
him in his consecration, in reference to
which the Jewish writers say, ' Great
is the Sabbath day; for the high priest
cntereth not upon his service, after he
is anointed, till the Sabbath pass over
him, as it is written, Ex. 29. 30, 'Seven
days shall he that is priest,' &c.
31, 32. Seethe his flesh in the holy
place. That is, boil his flebh, in order




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


' bread that is in the basket, by the with fire: it shall not be eaten, bedoor of the tabernacle of the con- cause it is holy.
gregation.                           35 And thus shalt thou do unto
33 And m they shall eat those Aaron, and to his sons, according
things wherewith the atonernet to all things which I have comwas made, to consecrate and to manded thee:           seven days shalt
sanctify them: n but a stranger thou consecrate them.
shall not eat thereof, because they   36 And thou shalt q offer every
are holy.                           day a bullockfor a sin-offering for
34 And if aught of the flesh of atonement; and thou shalt cleanse
the consecrations, or of the bread, the altar, when thou hast made an
remain   unto  the morning, then atonement for it, rand thou shalt
o thou shalt burn the remainder ianoint it, to sanctify it.
I Matt. 12. 4.  m Lev. 10. 14, 15, 17.  n lev.  P Exod. 40. 12.  Lev. 8. 33, 34, 35. qllebl
22. 10.  oLev... 81. 0.11.                r ch. 30. 26. 28, 29. & 40. 10.
to render it edible. The phrase ' holy gression, which enter so essentially iuplace' is here used in a wider sense to the idea ofatonement. See Note on
than ordinary. The next verse shows Gen. 32. 20. —    Thou shalt cleanse
that it means the outer court of the the altar. Ileb. ritn hittitha. Lo
sanctuary near the door. This is still clere well remarks that this word in
more expressly affirmed Lev. 8. 31. Piel when spoken of persons signifies
This requisition as to the place of eat- to expiate, to atone for, hut when aping was peculiar to the present occa- plied to things to purge, cleanse, purision.  In ordinary cases the allotted fy, as here.  Gr. KaOtapicLs, thou shalt
parts of the peace-offering might be purify. It is not to be supposed that
taken home and there eaten by the this period of seven days allotted to
offerers and their families, but this was the consecration of the altar was disto be eaten in God's own house, as it tinct from the seven days of consecratwere, where his ministers officiated and ing the priests, or that the atonements
neither sons nor daughters could share in the one case were different from
with them in it.                    those in the other. They were in fact
33. A stranger shall not eat thereof  one and the same. The atoning virtue
because they are holy. Heb. l=;`1   of the sacrifices applied itself at the
tn ki kodesh hem, because they are same time both to the persons sancholiness; i. e. the bread and meats. tiied and to the altar. The phrase
Or the pronoun  they' may refer to Iwhen thou hast made atonement for
Aaron and his sons, who are called it,' should rather be rendered ' when
holy because they were consecrated to thou hast mlade an atonement upon it,'
the service of God.  ' Stranger' here and the meaning is, that during all the
signifies one that is not of the family of time in which they were engaged from
Aaron. Holy things for holy men was (lay to day in offering the prescribed
the motto of the Levitical economy.  sacrifices, they were to be careful to
36. For atonement. Heb. t     ".1' rir keep the altar duly cleansed, to have
al hakkippurim, pl. for expiations, pro- the ashes removed, and the unction ap.
pitiations, reconciliations; meaning for plied to it, so that at the end of the
Aaron and his sons, and. the altar. time it should be an altar duly conse.
The original term implies both the pa- crated, like those who had been miniscification of God's wrath on account of tering at it, so that henceforth it should
sin, and the merciful corering of trans. be so preeminently holy as to confer a




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXIX.


187


37 Seven days thou shalt make
an atonement for the altar, and
sanctify it; s and it shall be an altar most holy: t whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
38   [ Now this is that which thou
shalt offer upon the altar; u two
lambs of the first year w day by
day continually.
39 The one lamb thou shalt offer,in the morning: and the other
lamb thou shalt offer at even:
schl. 40. 10.  t ch. 30. 29.  Matt. 23, 19.
uNumb. 28. 3. 1 Chroil. 16. 40.2 Chron. 2. 4. &
13. 11. & 31. 3. Ezra 3. 3. w See l)an. 9.27. &
12. 11. x2 Kings 16. 15. Ezek. 46. 13, 11, 15.
relative holiness upon the gifts laid up.
on it. 'Whatsoever touchetl it shall
be holy,' upon which our Savior's brief
and pithy comment is, 'The altar sanetifieth the gift.' Like a magnetized bar
of iron or steel, it was first to receive itself a sanctifying influence from tlle
oblations presented upon it, and then
for ever after to impart it.
Law of the Daily Offering.
38-44. This is that uhich thou shalt
offer, &c. Two lambs of the lirst yecar
were to be offered daily, the one in thle
morning, the other in the afternoon, for
a burnt-offering. These were generally
termed the morning and evenilmg daily
sacrifice, and were never on any account to be intermitted.  Other additional sacrifices were appointed for
Sabbaths and festivals on various occasions, but they were never to be allowed to displace, supersede, or interfere
with this stated and constant offering,
which was binding in its observance inasmuch as it typified the never-ceasing
necessity and efficacy of the atonement
made by the 'Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.' It
conveyed also to the people of God of
that age and of every age a significant
intimation of the duty of daily morning
and evening worship. As regularly as
the sun rises and declines in his daily


40 And with the onelamb a tenth.
deal of flour mingled with the
fourth part of an hin of beaten oil:
and the fourth part of an hin of
winefor a drink-offering.
41 And the other lamb thou shalt
y offer at even, and shalt do thereto
according to the meat-offering of
the morning, and according to the
drink-offering thereof, for a sweet
savour, an offering made by fire
unto the LORD.
42 This shlall be z a continual burntY I Kigs 1S. 29, 36. 2 Kings 16. 15.
Ezra 9. 4, 5. Ps. 1-1. 2. Dan. 9. 21.  z ver.
38. ch.30. 8. Numnb. 28.6. Dan. 8. 11, 12, 13.
roulnd, the spiritual sacrifices of prayer
and praise are to be offered upon the
altar of our domestic or private devotion; and not only should no business
be suffered to jostle them out of their
appropriate seasons, but they should be
regarded as a sacred feast to the soul
for which we should long as earnestly
as for the food that sustains our bodies.
It was probably with a view to render
this idea more fainiliar to their minds
that the several particulars requisite
to a feast accomplanlied the sacrifice.
3read and wine for a meat and drinkoffering formed a part of the command.
ed oblation, as a continual remembrance
of the privilege of fellowship and communion with God to which they are admitted. The word rendered tenth-deal
(1'Cp   issaron) means a tenth of an
ephah, or about three quarts wine.
measure, being the same as an omer
A hin contained a gallon and two pints;
the fourth part of this was consequently
about one quart and a quarter of a pint
wine-measure. -  I Where I will meet
you (pl.) to speak there unto thee (sing.)
As if he spake unto all the congregation
when he spake to Moses, their repre.
sentative. Yet as if this might appear
to indicate something unduly exclusive
-a privilege vouchsafed to Moses but
denied to them-he gives the assur.
ance in the next verse in the most urn




"   188


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


offering  throughout your generations at the door of ihe tabernacle
of the congregation before the
LORD: a where I will meet you to
speak there unto thee.
43 And there I will meet with
the children of Israel; and the tabernacle b shall be sanctified by my
glory.
a ch. 25. 22. & 30. 6, 36. Numb.17. 4. b ch.
40. 34. 1 Kings 8. 11. 2 Chron. 5. 14. & 7.
1, 2,3. Ezek. 43.5. tIag. 2. 7, 9. Mal. 3. 1.


44 And I will sanctify the taber.
nacle of the congregation, and the
altar: I will c sanctify also both
Aaron and his sons, to minister to
me in the priest's office.
45 And d I will dwell among the
children of Israel, and will be their
God.
c Lev. 21. 15. & 22. 9, 16. d Exod. 25. 8.
Lev. 26. 12. Zech. 2. 10. John 14. 17, 23
2 Cor. 6. 16. Rev. 21. 3.


versal terms-' There I will meet with
the children of Israel;' with all of
them; they shall all have the benefit
of this high distinction.  Chal. 'And
1 will appoint my Word unto you, that
he may speak with you there.' This
promise is still farther amplified in
what follows; 'And the tabernacle shall
be sanctified by my glory.' Heb. 11p"I
l-J1  nikdash bikbodi; where the verb
has no specific nominative, leaving us
to understand the expression in its
largest sense, as implying that every
thing, people, tabernacle, altar, and
priesthood, should be illustriously hallowed by the glory of the divine pre.
sence, the visible symbol of which was
to be seen in the Shekinah enthroned
in the Most Holy Place. It will be ob.
served that the marginal reading of the
English Bible is, 'Israel shall be sanc.
tified.' This is very admissible grammatically, and is no doubt favored by
the parallel promise, Ezek. 37. 28, to
which the present has clearly an ul.
timate or typical reference, 'And the
heathen shall know that I the Lord do
sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall
be in the midst of them for evermore.'
As the glory of God is in a great meas.
ure identified with his tabernacle in
which it dwelt, the sanctifying virtue of
the one was that of the other, so that the
two passages arc plainly of kindred im.
port. But this interpretation makes no
less true or perti lent the remark of Hen.
ry, that ' what i; sanctified to the glory
of God, shall be sanctified by his glory.'


45. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, &c. Heb. 1rZl=1 ve.
shakanti, and I will tabernacle. Chal.
'I will make my majesty (1Sl=1  she.
kinti, my shekinah) to dwell in the
midst of the children of Israel.' The
'Shekinah' here is the same as the
Word of v. 42, according to the same
version. On the peculiar force of this
word and its etymological relations,
see Note on Ex. 25. 8, where we have
expounded at some length what we
conceive to be the genuine import of
this promise. Its primary fulfilment
was the grand central fact in the his.
tory of the Jewish people for century
after century, as long as their national
polity continued  To this peculiar indwelling among the chosen race the
tabernacle and the temple were entirely
subservient. They were each in its
turn the palace of the Great King. It
was not simply a spiritual but a sensi.
ble residence of the Deity, which hal.
lowed those sacred structures. That
this mode of habitation and manifesta.
tion was indeed typical of a future in.
dwelling of God by his enlightening
Spirit in the hearts of men, cannot be
questioned. It is a view of the subject
expressly recognised by the apostle,
2 Cor. 6. 16, 'For ye are the temple ot
the living God; as God hath said, I
will dwell in them and walk in them;
and I will be their God, and they shall
be my people.' But nothing is clearer
from the prophecies, than that this form
of fulfilnent does not exhaust the rich




B. C. 1191.]               CHAPTER XXIX.                          185
46.tid they shall know that e I them forth out of the land of Egypt;
am the LoRDtheir God, thatbrought that I may dwell among them: I
e ch. 20. 2.           am the LORD their God.
purport of the promise. It is a promise cleanse them: so shall they be my
no less made to Israel in their future people, and I will be their God. And
restoration, than at their original adop. David my servant shall be king over
tion; and in that relation is no less them; and they all shall have one
literally to be understood, though far shepherd: they shall also walk in my
more gloriously, than in the present an- judgments, and observe my statutes,
nunciation. So far as we are able to see, and do them. And they shall dwell in
the literal restoration and return of the the land that I have given unto Jacob
Jews are assured to us by no other my servant, wherein your fathers have
principles of interpretation, than those dwelt, and they shall dwell therein,
which require us to admit the literal even they, and their children, and their
return and re-establishment of the mani- children's children for ever: and my
fested glory of Jehovah, the true Sheki- servant David shall be their prince for
nah, in visible communication with the ever. Moreover I will make a covenant
children of men on earth. Let the fol. of peace with them; it shall be an everlowing passages, for instance, be taken lasting covenant with them; and I will
as a specimen: Zech. 2.10-12, 'Sing place them, and multiply them, and
and rejoice, 0 daughter of Zion: for lo, will set my sanctuary in the midst of
I come and I will dwell in the midst them for evermore.  My tabernacle
of thee (n.;!Z  shakanti), saith the (1"_:  mishkan) also shall be with
Lord. And many nations shall be join- them: yea, I will be their God, and
ed to the Lord in that day, and shall be they shall be my people.  And the
my people: and I will dwell in the heathen shall know that I the Lord do
midst of thee (t:'.'2 shakanti), and sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary
thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts shall be in the midst of them for everhath sent me unto thee. And the Lord more.' We have given this extract at full
shall inherit Judah his portion in the length, because there is scarcely in the
holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem  whole compass of the Scriptures a more
again.' Ezek. 37. 21-28, 'And say un- direct and unequivocal prediction of the
unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; literal return of the Jews to their own
Behold, I will take the children of Is- land, than is to be found in these words.
rael from among the heathen, whither That it is a return yet future is clear from
they be gone, and will gather them on the fact; (1.) That the two grand divievery side, and bring them into their sions of the nation, the houses of Judah
own land: And I will make them one and Israel, are both to be restored, which
nation in the land upon the mountains it is well known was not the case at the
of Israel; and one king shall be king to return from Babylon. No past period can
them all: and they shall be no more be assigned when this prediction can be
two nations, neither shall they be di- fairly said to have been fulfilled. (2.)
vided into two kingdoms any more at They are to be gathered under the head.
all: Neithershall theydefile themselves ship of 'David their king,' which is unany more with their idols, nor with doubtedly the mystical denomination
'heir detestable things, nor with any of of the Messiah. He is probably her,
their transgressions; but I will save called 'David' more especially because
them out of all their dwelling-places, he shall reign over the two united na.
wherein tley have sinned, and will tions of Judah and Israel, as did the




190


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


CHAPTER XXX.              2 A cubit shall be the length
A  ND thou shalt make aan altar thereof, and a cubit the breadtl
b to burn incense upon: of shit- thereof; four-square shall it be;
tim-wood shalt thou make it.    and two cubits shall be the height
aeh.. 5.37..  40. 5b See ver. 7. 8, 10. thereof: the horns thereof shall be
Lev. 4. 7, 18. Rev. 8. 3.       of the same.
I -


I


literal David before the kingdom was
divided. That Christ will ever rule over
his people by this title in any other
world than the present, we can gather
no evidence from the Scriptures. Accordingly Newcome remarks upon the
passage, that 'it favors the supposition
that Christ will hereafter assume royal
state on earth among the converted
Jews.' (3.) It is said, v. 25, 'They shall
dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children,for
eter; and my servant David shall be
their prince for ever.' Even though
this language should be taken to mean
something short of absolute eternity,
yet it is clear that it has never yet been
fulfilled. Consequently its fulfilment is
still future; and we are utterly unable
to see why it is not quite as certain that
the visible glory will be restored to the
land of promise as that the chosen peo.
ple will. If further evidence of this be
necessary we find it in Ezek. 43, 1-4,
which is a prediction having respect to
the destinies of the Jewish race in the
latter day, after their re-establishment
in the land of their fathers; ' Afterward
he brought me to the gate, even the gate
that looketh toward the east: And behold, the glory of the God of Israel
came from the way of the east: and
his voice was like a noise of many
waters: and the earth shined with his
glory. And it was according to the
appearance of the vision which I saw,
even according to the vision that I saw
when I came to destroy the city: and
the visions were like the visions that I
saw by the river Chebar; and I fell
upon my face. And the glory of the
Lord came into the house by the way
of the gate whose prospect is toward


the east.' This is no other, as will appear upon strict examination, han the
glory of the Shekinah which dwelt between the Cherubim in the Temple, and
which on account of the sins of the nation had forsaken its ancient dwellingplace, Ezek. 10. 18 —20, but which is
here announced as again returning to
its vacated habitation.  This glory,
however, will be the glory of the person of Christ, in whom the shadow of
the Shekinah is turned into substance.
It is this which constitutes the criterion
of identity between the prophetic Jeru.
salem of Ezekiel and that of John in
the Apocalypse; ' And he showed me
that great city the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.' But in regard
to this sublime annunciation we must
for the present rest contented with the
simple fact assured to us. The man.
ner of its accomplishment is hidden by
a vail which only the developements of
time and providence can remove.
CHAPTER XXX.
THE ALTAR OF INCENSE.
1, 2. Thou shalt make an altar to
burn.incense upon. Heb. -itD  FIth
r'31D mizbeah miktar ketoreth, an incense.altar of incense; or, an altar, a
perfumatory of perfume. Gr. 0!oCanrrlptov Ovi.tialaros, an altar of incense.
Chal. 'Thou shalt make an altar to of.
fer upon it incense of sweet spices.'
The original implies an altar on which
odorous substances were to be burnt
and resolved into a fiagrant and grate.
ful fume. In the subsequent account
of its construction, Ex. 37. 25, it is
called simply an altar of incnnse,' as






B. C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXX.


191


3 And thoul   halt overlay it with  horns thereof; and thou shalt make
pure gold, the top thereof, and the unto it a crown of gold round about.
sides thereof round about, and the
relldere(l by the Greek here, and in Ruler of Israel saw fit to be honored in
Nuin. 4. 11, 'the golden altar,' as the modes analogous to those which were
otller covered with brass was called common in reference to eastern sove.
't the brazen altar.' But 'as the Hebrew  reigns, so he would not have his palace,
term for altar (nTtl mizbeah, from nrI the Sanctuary, to be lacking in a usage
zahah, to slay), legitimately carries of such striking significancy. But we
with it the idea of slain sacrifices, and shall hope to evince in the sequel that
as no such service w-as perfloried upon this camie filr short of fulfilling all the
this, it is for distinction sake termedl symrrbolical purlposes which were an'~r2   miktar, from l;D katar, to scered by this remarkable portion of
fume, to fumigate, to make to smoke. the furniture of the Tabernacle. Of
The practice of burning incense upon the remark of Maimonides that incense
altars as a religious rite is to be traced w as burnt in the Tabernacle to counterto a very remote antiquity; but we   act the offinsive smell of the sacrifices,
have nothing more ancient in the way we can only say, that although this
of historic record relative to this cus- may have been to a very limiitted detom than what the present chapter con. gree the effect of the ordinance, it fell
tains. It seems scarcely probable, lhow. altogether short of being its main obever, that the custom originated on this ject.  As to its materials and form
occasion in the order here prescribed. this Altar was made like the Ark of
Incense altars appear in the most anci- shittim-wood overlaid with plates of
ent Egyptian paintings, and when it gold. When it is said to have been
was required to be compounded 'after ' four-square,' the meaning is, not that
the art of the apothecary (perfumer),' it was, as a whole, of a cubical form,
it would seem to be implied that this but that upon its upper and under sur.
was an art which was practised, and face it showed four equal sides. It was,
which the Israelites had learned, in however, twice as high as it was broad,
Egypt. Plutarch moreover assures us, being twenty-one inches broad, and three
that the Egyptians offered incense to feet six iiches high.  From the four
the sun-resin in the morning, myrrh corner posts arose four horns or pinnaat noon, and about sunset an aromatic cles, doubtless of similar form to those
compound which they called kypi. But of the altar of sacrifice, which were
the custom was in ancient times by no covered with gold like the rest, and its
means confined to Egypt. It pervaded top was surrounded with an ornamental
all the religions of antiquity, and like ledge or border of solid gold, here callmtany other features of the Hebrew wor- ed ' a crown,' like that which adorned:hip may have been derived from an the upper edges of the Ark of the
antediluvian origin. Nor are we dis- Covenant and of the Table of Shew.
posed to overlook the circumstance in bread. Beneath this were placed two
this connexion of incense bing burnt golden rings, probably on the opposite
among the Orientals by way of honor- corners, for the conveniency of carry.
ary tribute to kings, princes, and per. ing it on staves during the marches of
sons of distinction.  It is one of the Israel in the wilderness, and afterusages peculiar to palaces, and the wards when removed to different places
houses of the wealthy and great, and in Canaan.
as God in the character of Theocratic  3. The top thereof. IIeb.Il gaggo, his




192


EXODUS.


lB. C. 149J


roof; implying that its top was fashioned like the flat roofs of eastern houses.
These were furnished with parapets,
battlements, or balustrades, to which
the border or crown of the altar bore,
on a small scale, a striking resemblance. The rendering of the Gr. taXapav,
hearth, and the Lat. Vulg. 'Craticula'
grate, is entirely erroneous, as the original word is different from that applied
to the grate of the brazen altar (:D32


mikbar), and there is not the least
mention made of cleansing the Altar
from ashes, or of any thing to receive
them. The incense was not burnt upon
a grate, but in a golden censer which
was placed, filled with coals, upon the
Altar, so that no ashes or refuse what.
ever fell upon the Altar. — r The
sides thereof. Heb. knn'   kirothauv,
his walls; in continued analogy with
the structure of a house.


THE ALTAR OF INCENSE.


The mystical design of the Altar of Incense now demands attention. Its primary use is sufficiently evident from its
name, and from what is said in the subsequent verses.  As the Table was
for the Bread, the Candlestick for the
Lights, and the brazen Altar for the Sacrifices, so the golden Altar was for the
Incense which was to be burnt upon it.
Now that the general import of incense
as a symbol was that of prayer, cannot
be questioned by any one who casts his
eye over the following passages; Ps.
141. 2, 'Let my prayer be set forth before thee (as) incense; and the lifting
up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Rev. 5. 8, 'And when he had
taken the book, the four beasts and four
and twenty elders fell down before the
Lamb, having every one of them lamps
and golden vials full of odors, which


are the prayers of saints.' Again, Rev.
8. 3, 4, 'And another angel came and
stood at the altar, having a golden
censer; and there was given unto him
much incense, that he should offer it
with the prayers of all saints upon
the golden altar which was before the
throne. And the smoke of the incense,
which came with the prayers of the
saints, ascended up before God out of
the angel's hand.' Here it is evidently
implied that while the sacerdotal angel
was officiating at the golden Altar, the
saints were to be at the same time
engaged in offering up prayers which
might, as it were, mingle with the fragrant incense, and both come up in a
grateful and acceptable cloud before
God. In like manner it is said, Luke,
1. 9, 10, that while Zechariah was 'ex.
ecuting the priest's office according te




B. C. 1491.J


CHAPTER XXX.


the custom, his lot was *o burn incense
when he went into the temple of the
Lord. And the whole multitude of the
people were praying without at the
time of incense.' Here the two services were performed together, the one
being an emblem of the other. As then
the idea of prayer is prominent in the
symbolical purport of the act of offering incense, we may safely consider the
intercessory office of Christ in heaven
as primarily shadowed forth by the
golden Altar and its Levitical uses. As
the brazen Altar which was placed
without the sanctuary typified his sacrifice, which was made on earth, so
the Altar of Incense stationed within
the sanctuary represented his interced.
ing work above, where he has gone to
appear in the presence of God for us,
and where his intercession is as sweetsmelling savor. This is to be inferred
from the fact that it occupied a placedirectly before the mercy seat-which
represented the appropriate sphere of
the Savior's present mediatorial functions. Whatever service was performed by the priests uithin the precincts
of the Tabernacle had a more special
and emphatic reference to Christ's work
in heaven; whereas their duties in the
outer court had more of an earthly bearing, representing the oblations
which were made on the part of sinners,
and on behalfof sinners, to the holy majesty of Jehovah. As, however, scarce.
ly any of the objects or rites of the
ancient economy had an exclusive typical Import, but combined many in one,
so in the present case, nothing forbids
us to consider the prayers and devotions
of the saints as also symbolically rep.
resented by the incense of the golden
Altar. As a matter of fact, they do
pray below while Christ intercedes
above; their prayers mingle with his;
and it is doing no violence to the symbol to suppose their spiritual desires,
kindled by the fre of holy love, to be
significantly set forth by the uprising
VOL. II.    17


clouds of incense, which every morning and evening filled the holy place
of the sanctuary with its grateful perfume.
Still it may be doubted whether the
full and complete design of the golden
Altar as a symbol can be reached,
without assigning to it, as well as to
the Candlestick and the Table, a prospective reference.  Can it be in keeping with the rest of the furniture of
the Tabernacle, unless it points to the
heavenly state as yet to be developed?
There no Altar of sacrifice is found,
because the one offering of the Savior
was consummated in his oblation of
himself upon the cross. But the Altar
of Incense is there, and it bears a name
(nlTh  mizbeah), the leading idea of
which is that of slain sacrifice. Why
is this idea to be carried forward into
the upper sanctuary in connexion with
a structure intended mainly as a shadow
of prayer, thanksgiving, and praise?
Why, but to intimate that there is still,
and is ever to be, to the saints a real
and indissoluble connexion between the
atonement of Christ and the praises and
doxologies in which they are engaged
in heaven?-between acquittal from
guilt and acceptance to favor? Were it
not for the virtue of his atoning sacrifice how could they be in heaven to
praise him at all?  In the ministrations of the earthly sanctuary, the coals
on which the incense was burnt on the
golden Altar were to be taken from the
brazen Altar. This taught the Israelite
from whence the efficacy and acceptableness of their prayers and praises
was derived. So in the heavenly sanctu.
ary, the instrument of incense is call.
ed by the otherwise inappropriate name
of altar (sacrificatory) to keep its
blessed inhabitants in mind of the fact,
that the blood of atonement and thefire
of sacrifice, must be for ever that which
imparts all its grateful fragrance to the
songs, ascriptions, and hallelujahs of
the ransomed throng m glory.




194


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


4 And twogolden rings shalt thou
make to it under the crown of it,
by tLe two corners thereof, upon
the two sides of it shalt thou make
it; and they shall be for places for
the staves to bear it withal.
5 And thou shalt make the staves
of shittim-wood, and overlay them
with gold.
6 And thou shalt put it before the
vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the c mercy-seat that
is over the testimony, where I will
meet with thee.
c ll. 25. 21, 22.
6. Thou shalt put it before the rail,
&c. That is, before the separating vail
suspended between the Holy and Most
Holy Place of the Tabernacle. It would
of course be 'before the mercy-seat,'
though the Vail interposed. It was
stationed about midway between the
Candlestick and Table of Shew-bread,
though considerably nearer to the Vail
than either.
7, 8. Aaron shall burn thereon sweet
incense every morning.  Heb. hIt'l3
t'W7=  ketoreth sammim, incense of
spices. Gr. Ovuytaa avvOerov Xarrov, incense delicately campounded. It might
seem from the letter, that Aaron or the
High Priest alone was entitled to burn
incense on this Altar. But the word
'Aaron' is often used to designate the
whole priestly order. There is no doubt
that Aaron did in person perform this
service on the present occasion, and the
High Priest, whoever he was, did the
same on other great occasions; but it
was ordinarily executed by the inferior
priests in their courses.  Whatever
priest was appointed by lot to be in
waiting during the week, he every
morning and evening filled his censer
with fire from the brazen Altar, and introducing the sacred incense went into
the holy place and set the censer upon
the Altar. As the daily sacrifice repre.
sented the perpetual efficacy of Christ's


7 And Aaron shall burn thereor.
d sweet incense every morning
when e he dresseth the lamps, he
shall burn incense upon it.
8 And when Aaron lighteth the
lamps at even, he shall burn in
cense upon it; a perpetual incense
before the LORD, throughout your
generations.
9 Ye shall offer no fstrange incense thereon, nor burnt-sacrifice,
nor meat-offering; neither shall ye
pour drink-offering thereon.
d ver. 34. 1 Sam. 2. 28. 1 Chron. 23. 13.
Luke 1. 9. e ch. 27. 21. fLev. 10. 1.
atonement, so the burning of incense
morning and evening typified his continual intercession for us. This offered
incense was called a ' perpetual incense'
because it was regularly offered at the
appointed time without cessation. By
a like phraseology we are exhorted to
'pray without ceasing,' i. e. to continue
in the daily practice of prayer without
omitting it. The command to have the
incense burnt at the same time that the
lamps were dressed gives occasion to
Henry to remark in his ordinary spiritualizing vein, that it was designed ' to
teach us, that the reading of the Scriptures, which are our light and lamp, is
a part of our daily work, and should
accompany our prayers and praises.
When we speak to God, we must hear
what God says to us, and thus the communion is complete.' — T When Aaron
lighteth. Heb. lS~t be-haciloth, when
he causeth to ascend; a phraseology the
ground of which is explained in the
Note on Ex. 27. 20. --      At even.
Heb. tts'Y n T'1 ben ha.arbayim, between the two evenings. See Note on
Ex. 12. 16.
9. Ye shall offer no strange incense
thereon. That is, incense of a different
composition from that prescribed, v.
34. Gr. Ovpmapa Irvpov, another incense.
Chal. 'Incense of strange spices.' Tha
incense was to be that ale ne which Cod


a




B.. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXX.


10 And g Aaron shall make an
atonement upon the horns of it
once in a year, with the blood of
the sin-offering of atonements:
once in the year shall he make
g Lev. 16. 18. & 23.27.


atonement upon it throughout your
generations: it is most holy unto
the LORD.
11 ~ And the LORD spake into
Moses, saying,


had appointed; and special care was to
be taken to make no confusion between
the offerings belonging to the respective
altars, of which the one kind was for
atonement, the other for acceptance only. So when drawing nigh to God in
prayer, )we are not to bring the fervor of
mere animal spirits, which may easily
be mistaken for true devotion; but a
broken and a contrite heart, which
alone sends firth an odor that is well.
pleasing to God. Nor are we to imagine
that by our prayers, or by any thing
else that we can bring to God, we can
atone for sin, or contribute in the least
degree towards the efficacy of Christ's
atonement. These must be kept quite
distinct; and whilst our prayers are
offered on the Altar of Incense, our
pleas must be taken solely from the
Altar of Burnt-offering.
10. Aaron shall make atonement upon
the horns of it once in a year. This was
to be upon what was called the great day
of Atonement, of which a full account
is given Lev. 10. 1-28. The ordinance
was peculiarly striking, as it intimated
that all the services performed at it
were imperfect, that the Altar itself
had contracted a degree of impurity
from the sinfulness of those who ministered there, and that even the very
odors of the daily incense needed to be
sweetened by a fresh infusion of the
savor of the blood of sprinkling.-This
mention of atonement made upon the
horns of the Altar affords a fair occasion for an attempted explication of a
passage in the Apocalypse, c. 9. 13, 14,
which commentators have for the most
part passed over with a very superficial
notice; 'And the sixth angel sounded,
and I heard a voice from the four horns._


of the golden Altar which is before 0 Ad,
saying to the sixth angel who had he
trumpet, Loose the four angels wlch
are bound in the great river Euphrat:s.'
The question is, What is implied in ihe
fact of this voice being represented as
proceeding from the four 'horns of;he:
golden Altar?' In answer to this it
may be observed, that the cases mnntioned Ex. 21. 24. 1 Kings, 1. 50 1
Kings, 2. 28, clearly evince that (he
horns of the Altar were constituted in
asylum for those who had been guity
of undesigned transgressions. It is tri e
indeed that in these instances allusion
seems to be had more especially to the
Altar of holocausts standing in the court
of the Tabernacle, but as the blood nf
atonement was sprinkled in like mrnner upon the horns of both the brazen
and the golden altar, it is to be infer
red, we imagine, by a parity of reason.
ing that the horns of the Altar are m
general a symbol of divine protectic'n,
or of a secure sanctuary for those whone
crimes are of a remissible nature. B't
as the sin to be punished by the vol:e
of the sixth trumpet was that of id( 1 -atry, as appears from Rev. 9. 20, 5 1,
which in a whole people is less pr rdonable in the sight of God than a ly
other, the voice issuing from the fi jr
horns of the golden Altar, is a virtt al
proclamation that God was about to
withdraw his protection from a ports;n
of idolatrous Christendom, and to se,i
upon it a plague of far more desolati,g
character than that of the locusts whi.h
had preceded. For in the case of tie
locust-wo, commandment was given tl at
men should be tormented, but not k l1
ed. But in that of the sixth truml t,
the Euphratean horsemen were appol t



196


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


12 h When thou takest the sum  14 Every one that passeth among
of the children of Israel after their them that are numbered, from
number, then shall they give every twenty years old and above, shall
man ia ransom for his soul unto give an offering unto the LORD.
the LOR), when thou numberest   15 The o rich shall not give more,
them: that there be no k plague and the poor shall not give less
among them when thou numberest than half a shekel, when they give
them.                          an offering unto the LORD to make
13 1 This they shall give, every an P atonement for your souls.
one that passeth among them that  16 And thou shalt take the atoneare numbered, half a shekel, after ment-money of the children of Isthe shekel of the sanctuary: (m a rael, and q shalt appoint it for the
shekel is twenty gerahs:) nan half service of the tabernacle of the
shekel shall be the offering of the congregation; that it may be r a
LORD.                          memorial unto the children of Ishch. 38. 2. Nn.    5.  26. 2. 2 Irael before the LORD, to make an
h ca. 3. 25. O)Numb.. 2                for your souls.
Sam. 24. 2. i.Joh 33. 24. & 36. lB. Pa. 4j... atonement for your souls.


7. Matt. 20.28. Mark 10. 45. 1 Tim. 2. 6.
1 Pet. 1 18, 19. k2Sam. 24. 15. 1 Matt. 17.
24. niLev. 27. 25. Numb. 3.47. Ezek. 45.
12. n ch. 38. 26.
ed to slay the third part of men. The
voice therefore in this vision of the
prophet is to be understood as a sign
that neither atonement nor protection
were any longer to be afforded by the
horns of the Altar to those who were
the destined victims of the impending
judgments. The consequence was that
a great part of degenerate Christendom
was speedily overrun by myriads of the
Turkish cavalry, carrying wasting and
destruction in their progress.
THE ATONEMENT-MONEY1 OR RANSOMITAX.
12 —16. When thou takest the sum,
&c. That is, when thou makest a
census; which Moses is not indeed here
expressly commanded to do, but which
it is supposed, from its intrinsic utility
and propriety, he would do, as would
also his successors in the government
of Israel in after ages. It seems to be
a general direction as to the mode of
raising the requisite revenues for sup.
porting the expenses of the Tabernacle
worship.  The original building and
furnishing the sanctuary was provided
for by the voluntary contri itions of


o Job 34. 19. Prov. 22. 2. Ephes. 6. 9.
Col. 3.25. P ver. 12. l ch. 33. 32. r N umb.
16. 40.
the people; but the necessary charges
for sustaining the worship now to be
established were to be defrayed fr"m
other sources, and the present orrer
seems to come in as a kind of reply to
the question which would be naturally
but tacitly asked, 'How are the inevi.
table expenses of such a system of wor.
ship to be met?' The passage before
us contains the desired information.
The Most High foreseeing that the custom of taking a census, not annually
perhaps, but occasionally, would obtain among the chosen people, now
orders that an assessment, or poll-tax,
of half a shekel each, should be grafted
upon this custom, and that this should
be the ordinary revenue for the support
of the ritual. But why is this tax called a 'ransom  or atonement ('3E  kephor) for the soul?' The word 'atone.
ment' naturally suggests the idea of
expiation for sin; but can silver or
gold or any thing short of the blood of
the 'Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world,' avail to propitiate the jus.
tice of God, and serve as a ' ransom for
the soul?' The true answer to the
question depends upon a correct inter




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXX.


197


17 ~ And the LORD spake unto
Moses, saying,
pretation of the language. The term
'soul' in this connexion is equivalent
to 'life,' person,' ' self,' as explained
in the Note on Gen. 14. 21. It was
therefore a ransom for their lives, or in
other words, a tribute paid to God by
way of acknowledgment that they had
originally received their lives from him,
that they had forfeited their lives to him,
and that their continued preservation
in being under these circumstances was
owing to his more sovereign forbearance and patience; and that consequently he might most justly claim
from them whatever he might see fit
to demand, for the support of institutions of which they themselves at
the same time were to reap the great
advantage. The payment of the tax of
half a shekel, therefore, was an act of
homage to their sovereign Lord, by
which they would express their de.
pendence upon him for their spared
lives and continued mercies, and deprecate those plagues and judgments
which their sins had deserved. This
tax was to be assessed upon those who
were twenty years old and upward,
women, minors, and probably very old
men being exempted; and by the same
sum being fixed for all, rich and poor,
it was strongly intimated that all lives,
or persons, were in the sight of God of
equal value. So in the higher atonement which Christ has wrought, the
same price had to be paid for the soul
of the lowest, weakest, meanest believer, as for the greatest philosopher,
prince, or potentate that shall taste of
his salvation. - r Every one that
pa.seth among them. In allusion perhaps to the customary mode of numbering and marking flocks of sheep,
which were made to pass before the
numberer that he might count them
one by one. See Note on Lev. 27. 32.
Comp Jer. 33. 13. — IT Shekel of the
17*


18 sThou shalt also make. a
sch. 38. 8. I Kings 7. 38.


sanctuary. So called, it is supposed,
from the fact of the standard of weights
and measures being keut in the sanctuary. This might have been the case
under the Temple, but it seems in the
highest degree unlikely that such a custom obtained at this early period. And
yet we know of no other reason for the
use of this peculiar designation. On
the name and value of the ancient Hebrew shekel see Note on Gen. 20. 16.
A half a shekel was not far from
twenty-five cents of our money.IT That it may be a memorial unto the
children of Israel before the Lord.
That is, a memorial at once of them
and for them; a memorial testifying
to their obedience, and reminding them
of what they owed to their heavenly
Benefactor. We read of different me.
morials in the sacred Scriptures. The
censers in which Korah and his com.
pany offered incense were taken out ot
the fire in which the offerers perished,
and made into plates to be a covering of
the altar; 'to be a memorial that none
but the seed of Aaron come near to
offer incense before the Lord.' The
jewels and bracelets of which the Israelites spoiled the slaughtered Midianites were presented to the Lord ' as a
memorial unto the children of Israel,'
that not one of their army fell, though
the whole Midianitish kingdom was utterly destroyed. So the half shekels
at the numbering of the people would
serve as a remembrancer of all the in.
teresting facts connected with the oc.
casion of their past deliverance, of the
fulfilment of the divine promises, and
of their future preservation and blessed.
ness under the favor of heaven.
THE LAVER.
18. Thou shalt make a laver of brass,
&c. Heb. '1'9 kiyor, rendered ' caldron' 1 Sam. 2. 14, but usually spoken




198


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1U91..aver of brass, and his foot also of
brass, to wash withal: and thou
shalt tput it 'between the tabert ch. 40. 7, 30.


nacle of the congregation and the
altar, and thou shalt put water
therein......


of a large basin or other vessel for
washing. In respect to none of the sa.
cred articles is the information of the
text more brief than in respect to this,
as nothing is said of its form or dimensions. It is reasonable, however, to
infer, that as Solomon modelled the
furniture of the Temple after that of
the Tabernacle, only on a vastly larger
scale, and as his Laver was an immense vat or reservoir, called 'a sea,'
and of a circular form, so the form of
the Tabernacle-laver was also circular.
De Dieu infers the same from the fact,
that the analogous Arabic word is used
to denote vessels of that form, and to
this inference we have nothing to object. The original word rendered foot
(p kin) has a meaning not easily determined.  Some interpreters understand it of a lid or cover, but as the root
has the sense of establishing, fixing,
founding any thing, we prefer to consider it as importing in this connexion
a basis, pediment, or supporter upon
which the Laver rested. As the cut
which we have given below is substantially the same with that of the
Pictorial Bible, and adopted for a like
reason, we cite the words of the Editor
as conveying on the whole that view of
the subject which we consider the most
correct. 'Our impression is, that the
Laver, whatever were its shape, stood
upon another basin, more wide and
shallow, as a cup on a saucer; and that
the latter received, from cocks or spouts
m the upper basin, the water which
was allowed to escape when the priests
washed themselves with the water
which fell from the upper basin. If
by the under basin we understand the
'foot' of the text, the sense is clear.
The text does not say that the priests
were to wash the nselves in the basin,


but at it. In it they could not well
wash their hands and feet if the Laver
was of any height. The Rabbins say
the Laver had several cocks, or, 'nipples,' as they call them, from which
the water was let out as wanted. There
were several such spouts, but the number is differently stated.  How  the
priests washed their hands and feet at
the Laver seems uncertain. That they
did not wash in either the Laver or
its base seems clear, because then the
water in which they washed would
have been rendered impure by those
who washed before or with them; and
as we know that Orientals do not like to
wash in a basin, after our manner, in
which the water with which we conm
mence washing is clearer than that with
which we finish, but at a falling stream,
where each successive affusion is of
clean water, we incline to think that
the priests either washed themselves
with the stream as it fell from the
spouts into the base, or else received
in proper vessels so much water as they
needed for the occasion. The Orientals,
in their washings, make use of a vessel
with a long spout, and wash at the
stream which issues from thence, the
waste water being received in a basin
which is placed underneath.   This
seems to us to illustrate the idea of the
Laver with its base, as well as the ab.
lutions of the priests. The Laver had
thus its upper basin, from which the
stream fell, and the under basin for re.
ceiving the waste water; or it is quite
compatible with the same idea and
practice to suppose that, to prevent too
great an expenditure of water, they received a quantity in separate vessels,
using it as described, and the base re.
ceiving the water which in washing fell
from their hands and feet. This ex.




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXX.


19 For Aaron and his sons u shall
wash their hands and their feet
thereat:
20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they
shall wash with water, that they
die not: or when they come near
"ch. 40. 31, 32.  Ps. 26. 6. Isai. 52. 11.
John 13. 10. Heb. 10. 22.
planation, although it seems to us probble, is, necessarily, little more than
conjectural. Our cut exhibits another
view more in conformity with the usual
interpretations. The Jewish commen.
tators say that any kind of water might
be used for the Laver; but that the
water was to be changed every (lay.
They also state that ablution before


to the altar to minister, to burn
offering made by fire unto the
LORD:
21 So they shall wash their hands
and their feet, that they die not:
and w it shall be a statute for ever
to them, even to him and to his
seed throughout their generations.
w ch. 28. 43.
entering the Tabernacle was in no case
dispensed with. A man might be perfectly clean, might be quite free from
any ceremonial impurity, and might
even have washed his hands and feet
before lie left home, but still he could
by no means enter the Tabernacle
without previous ablution at the Laver.'


Tu-E LAvERn.


The typical design of the Laver flows
so naturally out of its primary uses,
that but little room is left for a formal
discussion of the subject. The external
ablution of the body with water, either
in whole or in part, was a significant
mode of teaching the necessity of an
inward purification of the spirit. Those
who were officially engaged in the services of the Sanctuary were especially
to be reminded of the duty of preserving
purity in all their ministrations, and of
dreading the pollutions of sin. It was
only thus that their functions could be


available to themselves. Their feet
trod the hallowed precincts of the
Holy Place, and their hands offered the
sacrifices upon the altar, and to these
members, therefore, in lieu of their
whole bodies, was this washing to be
especially applied.  The position of
the Laver was between the Tabernacle
and the Altar, as an intermediate something which had an important relation
to the entrance within the outer vail.
In passing from the Altar of Sacrifice
to the interior of the Sanctuary, the
priest was, as it were, arrested by the




200                         EXODUS.                     [B. C. 1491.
22 ~ Moreover, the LORD spake hundred and fifty shekels, and ot
unto Moses, saynpg,                sweet z calamus two hundred and
23 Take   thdu also unto thee fifty shekels.
principal spices, of pure y myrrh  24 And of a cassia, five hundred
five hundred shekels, and of sweet shekels, after the  shekel of the
cinnamon half so much, even two sanctuary, and of oil-olive an b hin:
x Cant. 4. 14. Ezek. 27. 22. yPs. 45. 8.  z Cant. 4. 14. Jer. 6. 20. aPs. 45.8. b ch.
Prov. 7. 17.                       29. 40.
Laver, at which he was previously to several spices which formed the inpause and perform the requisite per- gredients of the anointing oil were to
sonal cleansings.  Thus too there is be of the very best kinds then known
no entering into heaven, the upper sanc- and valued. These we may consider
tuary, without a previous washing in the in their order. — T Pure myrrh. Heb.
laver of regeneration. The renewing ''1I 'it mar deror, myrrh of freeand purifying influences of the Holy dom; i. e. myrrh which flowed freely
Spirit, not only at the outset, but and spontaneously, instead of being
through the whole course of the Chris- drawn by incision, and was therefore of
tian life, are most significantly shadow- the purest kind. — T Sweet cinnamon.
ed forth by this feature of the ancient Hebrew  =2= 'J.p3   kinnemon besem,
economy. Indeed, we may say in brief aromatic cinnamon, a well-known artithat as the Altar on which the victims cle of spicery deriving its name directwere offered was a symbol of justifica- ly from the Hebrew. The word is
tion, so the Laver, with its cleansing ordinarily used to denote the second or
fountain, was a symbol of sanctification; inner bark of the cinnamon-tree which
and among the moral truths so impress- grows in great abundance in the island of
ively taught by the sensible emblems Ceylon. But as the bark of the root has
of the Mosaic ritual, none was perhaps a stronger flavor than that of the trunk,
more pertinently or palpably set forth Scheuzer conjectures that that which
than the strict connexion between the was employed in the composition of
atoning blood of Christ and the sancti- the holy anointing oil was of the former
fying efficacy of the Holy Spirit in this kind.- -   Sweet calamus. Ileb. 13T
mutual relation of these articles stand- t2  kenEh bosem, spiced cane. This
ing in the outer court. It is a relation term denotes an aromatic reed growing
which seems to be expressly recognised in moist places in Egypt, in Judea near
by David when he says, Ps. 26. 6, I lake Gennesarelh, and in several parts
will wash mine hands in innocency, so of Syria. It grows to about two feet
will I compass thine altar, O Lord.' in height; bearing from the root a
The same truth is taught in the New  knotted stalk, quite round, containing
Testament, where we are told that in its cavity a soft, white pith. The
Christ came both by water and by blood whole is of an agreeable aromatic smell;
-the one to atone and the other to puri. and the plant is said to scent the air
fy-and beyond this it is not needfulwith fragrance, even while growing.
to seek for the typical mystery of the When cut down, dried, and powdered,
Laver.                             it makes an ingredient in the richest
perfumes. --   I Cassia.  Heb.,-jp
THE HOLY ANOINTING OIL.      kiddah; but as the Shemitic d and z
23, 24. Take hou unto the principal are closely related in sound, the word
spices, &c. Heb. Wtb tl3 tl besamim is otherwise written kitzia, from which
roA, head spices; intimating that the comes the Gr. Kaaoua, and thence the




II
I


B. C. 1191.              CHAPTER XXX.                             201
25 And thou shalt make it an oil sels, and the candlestick and his
of holy ointment, an ointment corn- vessels, and the altar of incense.
pound after the art of the apothe-  28 And the altar of burnt-offercary: it shall be c an holy anoint- ing with all his vessels, and the
ing oil.                           laver and his foot.
26 d And thou shalt anoint the     29 And thou shalt sanctify them,
tabernacle  of  the  congregation that they    may be most holy:
therewith, and the ark of the testi- e whatsoever toucheth them shall
mony.                              be holy.
27 And the table and all hi. ves-  30 fAnd thou shalt anoint Aaron
cch. 37. 29. Numb. 35. 25. Ps. 89.20. &  e ch. 29. 37. fch. 29. 7, &c. Lev. 8.
133. 2. dch. 40.9. Lev. 8. 10. Numb. 7. 1. 12. 30.
English, cassia. We find in the Scrip, priests but also the kings of Judah were
lures no mention of this article except anointed with it, although as that form
here and Ezek. 27. 19, where it is joined of government was not especially con.
with calamus and enumerated among ticmplated at this time, nothing is said
the precious things which were brought on this subject.
from the mart of Tyre.               29. Whatsoever toucheth them shall be
25 —2S. Thou shalt make it an oil of most holy. The two leading attributes
holy ointment. The quantity of oil was of the anointing oil were its precious.
suflicient to retain the compound in a n ess and its sanctity. The spices of
liquid state, which was probably much which it was composed were peculiarly
improved by straining off the dreggy rare and odoriferous, and the oil with
parts and leaving the residuum defecat. which they were blended was most
ed and pure. With this holy oil was pure. This was doubtless intended to
the Tabernacle, with its priesthood and shadow forth the excellency of the gifts
its furniture, to be anointed, as the last of the Holy Spirit, whose distinguishand crowning act of consecration. By ing emblem under the old economy was
this sacred unction the whole was sanc. oil. And what is to be compared with:fied and set apart to the uses for the preciousness of those divine influwhich it was designed. And as every ences which emanate from this source?
thing to which it was applied became Upon whomsoever they are poured
thereby most holy, so a peculiar san- forth, they impart light to the under.
tity attached to the anointing oil itself, standing, pliancy to the will, purity to
which imparted this, and it was on peril the affections, tenderness to the conof death that any of the same corm- science, and hot'pess to the entire man.
position was made for any other pur- There is nothing beside them to be so
pose. But the tradition of the Jews, earnestly coveted or so advantageously
founded upon the phraseology ofv. 31, possessed. They are the true riches
throughout your generations,' that the of the soul, and the sealing title to an
very oil now prepared by Moses was eternal inheritance. Wherever enjoyed
preserved till near the captivity, and that they constitute the subject of them, a
none was to be made like it, not even new creature,' and so far sanctify every
lor the same purpose, is undoubtedly offering which he presents, that C God
erroneous. It is perfectly reasonable smells a sweet savor from it,' and is
to suppose that under the inspection of well pleased. And not only so. It is
the High Priest it was made as often as a diffusive blessedness which is thus
it was wanted; nor do we see any ob- conferred. As every vessel that was
jection to the idea that not only the anointed with the holy ointment, Im



202


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


and his sons, and consecrate them,
that they may minister unto me in
the priest's office.
31 And thou shalt speak unto the
children of Israel, saying, This
shall be an holy anointing oil unto
me throughout your generations.
32 Upon man's flesh shall it not
be poured, neither shall ye make
any other like it, after the composition of it: g it is holy, and it shall
be holy unto you.
g ver. 25. 37.
parted a sanctity to every thing with
which it came in contact, so every true
Christian communicates to others, as
far as his influence extends, the same
divine principles which he has imbibed.
As was said in mystic language of the
Savior, so may it be said of all his
anointed ones, 'Their garments smell
of myrrh, aloes, and cassia,' and wherever they go they diffuse around them
the savor of the knowledge of Christ.'
Let us seek then this 'unction from
the Holy One,' the 'crown of the
anointing oil,' which sanctifies and
separates all those upon whom it comes.
Let us guard against any thing that
would reflect dishonor upon the Ioly
Spirit.  Let us bear in mind the striking admonition conveyed in the figurative style of Solomon; ' Dead flies
cause the ointment of the apothecary
to send forth a stinking savor; so doth
a little folly him that is in reputation
for wisdom and horr-.' There is a
sanctity about the Christian character
which should be kept inviolate, and he
that dishonors his calling puts fire to
the oil of his consecration to his own
consuming.
32. Upon man's flesh shall it not be
poured. That is, upon common men, up.
on any who were not priests; equivalent
to which is 'stranger' in the next verse.
THE HOLY PERFUME.
34. Take unto thee sweet spices, &c.


33 h Whosoever compoundeth any
like it, or whosoever putteth any
of it upon a stranger i shall even
be cut off from his people.
34 ~ And the LORD said un'o Moses, k Take unto thee sweet spices,
stacte, and onycha, and galbanum;
these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a
like.'"'iglt:
h ver. 38. i Gen. 17. 14. ch. 12. 15. Lev.
7.20, 1l. kch 25.6. & 37. 29.
'This order has respect to the composition of the Incense which was to be
burnt upon the golden Altar. This also was prepared of sweet spices, though
not of so rare or precious a quality as
those of which the anointing oil was
compounded. But concerning both preparations the same law is given that
nothing like them should be made for
common use. This would tend to beget
among the Israelites a reverence for
whatever was of divine institution, and
a sedulous care to guard against its profanation or abuse, and as to us, who
are privileged to look deeper into the
spiritual drift of the Mosaic economy,
it may well admonish us to beware ol
any ' counterfeit presentment,' or any
unhallowed prostitution, of those ordinances, gifts, or graces which emanate
from the Spirit of God and in which
his honor is especially concerned.r Stacte. Heb. )t= netaph from  )tn
nataph, to drop. Gr. o-raxr,-, from nraT,,
to distil. This was a fine kind of gum
which was produced from the myrrhtree, but differing from that substance
mentioned v. 23, by retaining a waxy
or resinous form, instead of flowing out
as a liquid. It is supposed to have
been the same with what was after.
wards called ' opobalsam' or the balm
of Jericho.'- IT Onycha. Heb. t1D
shehgleth, a word which occurs only in
this place, and of which the true sense
is consequently very difficult to be de.








B. C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXX.


203


35 And thou shalt make it a per-  37 And asfor the perfume which
fume, a confection after the art of thou shalt make, o ye shall not
the apothecary, tempered together, make to yourselves according to
pure and holy:                 the composition thereof: it shall
36 And thou shalt beat some of be unto thee holy for the LORD.
it very small, and put of it before  38  Whosoever shall make like
the testimony in the tabernacle of unto that, to smell thereto, shall
the congregation, m where I will even be cut off from  his peomeet with thee: nit shall be unto ple.
you most holy.


V.er.. Ya   v e. $J.


iver. 25. mch.29.42. Lev. 16.2. n ver.
32. ch. 29. 37. Lev. 2. 3.


I


termnined. In Syriac Prky':: shehelta,
is a tear, a distillation, and the Hebrew
word would seem   therefore to mean
something that exuded, some vegetable
gum of odorous qualities. The Gr. indeed
has ovvXa, onycha, from ovvf, nail, and
several learned critics have supposed
it to be the external covering (nail) of
the shell-fish purpura or murex, which
possessed aromatic properties and was
thence called unguis odoriferans, odoriferous onyx. This, according to Rumphius, was the basis of the principal
perfumes employed in. India, just as
aloes is the basis of all their pills. But
as India was too distant for drugs to be
brought from thence to Judea or Arabia,
where the Israelites now were, and as
the context and the etymology seem
to require some vegetable substance, the
opinion is far preferable that makes it
the gum of some aromatic plant; and
as the Arabic version has 'Ladana,' it
is not improbable that gum-ladanum,
the produce of the 'Cistus ladaniferus,'
was the drug in question. This is a secretion from the leaves, which is swept
off by the beard of the browzing goats,
from whence it was collected.  The
shrub is a native of the Levant, the
isles of the Mediterranean, and Arabia.
-- T Galbanum. Heb. r1'5 helbe.
nah, which Michaelis supposes to be a
compound of Den heleb, milk or gum
and p5   leben, white, denoting the
white milk or gum of some plant, as it
is common with us to call the white


juice which exudes from certain plants
the 'milk,' and the phraseology is retained in medical nomenclature 'gum
lac, &c. The 'galbanum' is supposed
to have been the gum-resin or thickened
sap of the 'Bubon Gummiferum,' an
umbelliferous plant of Turkey, which
yields this gum in softish, pliant, and
pale cream-colored masses, whenever a
wound is made in any part of it. It
is of a strong piercing smell, and of
a bitterish taste. - T Frankincense.
Heb. i3]-  lebonah, a term of which the
root also is pi laben and conveying
the idea of whiteness. The English
word 'frankincense' is supposed to have
the prefixed epithet ' frank,' free, from
the liberal and ready distribution of its
odors. This drug, otherwise called
'olibanum,' is a dry resinous substance of a yellowish white color, a
strong fragrant smell, and bitter acrid
taste. It is produced from the Boswellia serrata,' a native of India, and
a fine tree belonging to the family of
the turpentine-bearing trees. The pure
frankincense' is that which is first ob.
tained from the tree, and for that reason considered the best. When laid
upon burning coals, or a hot iron, it
sends forth a vapor of most delicious
fragrance.
35. Tempe ed together. Heb. rnh
memullah, salted, from n1qt melah,
salt. The Chal. and Gr., however, have
set the example of rendering by mixed
or tempered, as if their idea was that






204


EXODUS.


[B. c. 491


CHAPTER XXXI.
i ND the LORD spake unto MoL   ses, saying,
2 aSec, I have called by name
Bezaleel the b son of Uri, the son
of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
3 And I have c filled him with the
ach. 35. 30. & 36. I. h I Chron. 2. 20.
ch. 35. 31. 1 Kings 7. 14.


spirit of God, in wisdom, and in
understanding, and in knowledge,
and in all manner of workmanship,
4 To devise cunning works, to
work in gold, and in silver, and in
brass,


the different ingredients were to be
mixed together just as salt is mixed
with any substance on which it is
sprinkled. Ainsworth contends for the
liberal rendering, inasmuch as the law,
Lev. 2. 13, expressly says, 'With all
thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.'
In support of this he quotes Maimonides, who affirms that 'there was not
any thing offered on the Altar without
salt, except the wine of the drink-offerings, and the blood, and the wood;'
and of the incense he says still more
expressly, that 'they added to it the
fourth part of a kab ofsalt.' In accordance with which, it is supposed, our
Savior says, Matt. 9.49, 'Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.' We feel
incompetent to decide the question, but
confess a leaning towards the view of
Ainsworth, who further remarks very
appropriately, that ' if our speech is to be
always with grace, seasoned with salt,
as the apostle teaches, Col. 4. 6, how
much more should our incense, our
prayers unto God, be therewith seasoned?'
CHAPTER XXXI.
The Workmen called.
2. I have called by name Bezaleel the
son of Uri. That is, I have especially
designated, appointed, and set apart to
the superintendance of this work Bezaleel the son of Uri. His name signifies 'under the shadow of God,' but
that it has any particular significancy
in this connexion we see no evidence.
He was the seventh in descent from


Judah, and the reader will find his
genealogy expressly detailed, 1 Chron.
2. 5-20.
3. I have filled him with the Spirit
of God, &c. That is, with those intellectual gifts and endowments which
are immediately specified, and which
amounted to something like a divine
inspiration, but at the same time not
implying any thing of a moral character, the usual result of the operation
of the Spirit of God. Both he and his
associates in the work were to be the
subjects of an influence which should
improve their faculties and endow them
with an ingenuity and skill far beyond
the utmost stretch of their unassisted
powers.  This extraordinary ability
now to be imparted, infinite wisdom
doubtless saw to be indispensable on
the present occasion. The children of
Israel had in Egypt been condemned to
a hard bondage in brick and in mortar,
and in all kinds of coarse, rough, and
degrading labor, and consequently could
not be supposed to be qualified for the
curious workmanship which was now
required. To engrave and to embroider, to work gold, to cut diamonds, and
to mount jewels, would of course de.
mand a degree of tact and dexterity for
which, as they had served no previous
apprenticeship at it, they must be in.
debted to a supernatural teaching. But
he who had designed the work was
abundantly able to qualify the work
men.
4. To devise cunning work. Heb
i=lUnY ~lnqtT  lahashob mrshashoboth
to think thoughts, or to pon'er devices




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXI.


20.5


5 And in cutting of stones to set ingwith all his furniture, and m tho
them, and in carving of timber, to laver and his foot,
work in all manner of workman-     10 And n the clothes of service,
ship.                             and the holy garments for Aaron
6 And I, behold, I have given the priest, and the garments of his
with him   dAholiab the son of sons, to minister in the priest's
Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; office,
and in the hearts of all that are  11 oAnd the anointing oil, and
e wise-hearted I have put wisdom; p sweet incense for the holy place;
that they may make all that I according to all that I have comhave commanded thee:              manded thee shall they do.
7 fThe tabernacle of the congre-  12 ~ And the LORD spake unto
gation, and g the ark of the testi- Moses, saying,
mony, and h the mercy-seat that is  13 Speak thou also unto the chilthereupon, and all the furniture of dren of Israel, saying, qVerily my
the tabernacle,                   sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a
8 And ithe table and his furni- sign between me and you throughture, and k the pure candlestick out your generations; that ye may
with all his furniture, and the know     that I am the LORD that
altar of incense,                 doth sanctify you.
9 And ithe altar of burnt-offer-  mch. 38.8. nch.39. 1 41. Numb. 4. 5,
d ch. 35. 34. e ch. 28. 3. & 35. 10, 35. & 6, &c. o ch. 30. 25, 31. & 37.29. Pch. 30.
36. 1.  f ch. 36. 8.  g ch. 37. 1.  h c. 37.  34. &  37. 29. q Lev. 19. 3, 30. &  26. 2. Ezek.
5.  i ch. 37. 10.  k ch. 37. 17.  I ch. 38. 1.  20. 12, 20. &  44. 24.






Gr. aPXtreKcovr7aai, lit. to architectonize. Chal. 'To teach artificers;' i. e.
to act in the capacity of chief designer,
director, and overseer, in executing the
various works prescribed.  The term
does not, however, in this connexion
imply that Bezaleel or any of his assistants were to exercise their ingenuity in
contriving or originating any of the
utensils or decorations of the Tabernacle. They were merely to execute
the plans of the divine Draughtsman.
But in doing this there was still room
for the display of much mechanical
tact, or device, in accomplishing every
thing with exactness, readiness, and
elegance.
5-11. In carving of timber, Heb.
u':Inm baharoshith, from rlUn harash,
which has the general sense of making
incisions, or furrows, whether by a
ploughshare in the soil, or by a graving
tool in metal, wood, or stone. It is the
same word with that rendered 'cut.
ting' in the preceding clause, which has
reference mainly to the engraving of
YOL. J.          18


the names on the gems of the breastplate. We do not indeed read else.
where expressly of there having been
any 'carved work' about the Taberna.
cle, which has led Patrick to suppose
that the term indicated merely the com.
mon work of carpenters and joiners.
But we deem it altogether probable that
there was some ornamental carved work
about the pillars; and if, as we have
hinted above, several of the utensils
were made from moulds, there can be
little doubt that these were carved out
of wood. —IT The furniture. Heb.
'3 keli, vessels, implements, utensils.
See Note on Gen. 24. 53. — r Clothes
of service. That is, the various vails
and coverings of cloth which were used
for wrapping the holy things whenever
the people broke up from their encamp.
ments, and moved on their journeys.
Comp. Numb. 4. 5-12.
The Observance of the Sabbath
re enjoined.
13. Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep




206


EXODUS.


LB. C. 1491.


14 rYe shall keep the sabbath
therefore: for it is holy unto you.
Every one that defileth it shall
surely be put to death: for s whosoever doeth any work ti erein,
that soul shall be cut ofi from
among his people.
15 t Six days may work he done,
r ch. 20. 8. Deut. 5. 12. Ezek. 20. 12. s ch.
35. 2. Numb. 15. 35. t ch. 20. 9.
This command is here repeated from
the divine foresight of its necessity under the circumstances. It is as if he
had said, 'You are indeed about to
be employed in an important and sacred
work, one requiring great assiduity and
despatch; nevertheless let it not be
thought that this circumstance affords
sufficient ground for encroaching upon
holy time with the work in which you
are engaged.  Let the most urgent
business come to a pause during the
hallowed hours of the Sabbath.'
~ The Lord that doth sanctify you.
That is, by an external consecration of
the race of Israel to himself, as a sign
and token of which the Sabbath was
ordained as a day of worship and of
rest from secular labor. The institution of the weekly Sabbath as a sanctified season, was an expressive indication of the character of the covenant
relation which was to subsist between
God and Israel. They were continually
reminded by it that they were to be a
sanctified people, chosen, separated,
and distinguished from the rest of the
world, with whom all traces of the
primitive Sabbath had become nearly
extinct. Consequently this institution
would not be a sign to the Israelites
only, but to the surrounding nations.
They would be taught the same truth
by the same medium. As the religious
rites and ceremonies of all people are
an index of the character of the deities
whom they serve, so the stated observ.
ance of the Sabbath in a holy manner


but in the u seventh is the sabbath
of rest, holy to the LORD: 0 hosoever doeth any work in the sat,
bath-day he shall surely be put to
death.
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their
generations, for a perpetual covenant.
u Gen. 2. 2. ch. 16. 23. & 20. 10.
would testify to all the world the holy
attributes of that God whom they worshipped and with whom they were in
covenant.
14. It is holy unto you. Heb. ji'j
=~ InM kodesh hi lakem, it is holiness or sanctification unto you.IT Shall surely be put to death. Heb.
htl1 1i3Z moth yumath, dying shall
be made to die. That is, by the hands
of the magistrate if the iniquity could
be proved; if not, by premature death
at the hand of God himself, which
seems, from the Rabbinical writers, to
have been understood as the penalty
denounced against daring crimes when
there were no humian witnesses to bear
testimony to the fact. See Note on
Gen. 17. 14.
15. Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord.
Heb. nt'ln   Vr2p  i-'1U=  i3  shabbath shabbathon kodesh laihova, a sabbath of sabbatism, holiness to Jehovah.
Gr. avarravl)cs ayL rc  v spi(O ) a rest holy
to the Lord. The phrase is peculiarly
intensive in the original. Upon com.
paring this with the preceding verse, it
is clear that the two parties, God and
Israel, were each to hold the Sabbath
holy to the other; and upon this ground
the observance of it is called v. 16, a
'perpetual covenant.'
16. To observe the sabbath. Heb.
frltn r t,1 W.S laiisoth eth hash-shabbath, lit. to do or make the sabbath. The
expression in the original is peculiar,
and conveying an idea not easily trans.
ferable into English. Our phrases ' keep




P. C. 1491.]             CHAPTER      XXIX.                        207
17 It is  a sign between me and I when lie had made an end of comthe children of Israel for ever: for muning with him     upon   mount
Y s  six days the LORD made hea-! Sinai, z two tables of testimony,
ven and earth, and on the seventh   tables of stone, written with the
day he rested and was refreshed.    finger of God.
18-E And he gave unto Moses,!
And  z ch. 24. 12. & 32. 15, 16. & 34. 28, 2'1,
rver. 13. Ezek. 20. 12, 20.  Gen. 1. 31. De't. 4. 13. & 5. 22. & 9. 10,11. 2 Cor
2.2.                               3. 3.
the Sabbath' and ' observe the Sabbath' Smith's Comparative View of Scriptur
are hardly to be distinguished in im- and Geology.
port from each other, carrying with them
mainly the idea ofcessationfrom secular  The Delivery of the Tables of the
work. But the Hebrew formulary 'to                 Law.
do the Sabbath' has the additional in-  18. When he had made an end o.
volved sense of the active doing or communing with him. At the close of
performing of certain acts and exer- the forty days' sojourn upon the mount,
cises essential to the due sanctification during which time all the preceding
of a day which was yet emphatically a laws and ordinances had been delivered
day of rest. The same phrase occurs to him. The clause occurs at a point
Deut. 5. 15, 'And remember that thou iwhere it forms a very suitable transition
wast a servant in the land of Egypt, in the progress of the narrative. In the
and that the Lord thy God brought thee ensuing chapter he is about to relate
out thence through a mighty hand and the fact of his having broken the tables
by a stretched-out arm: therefore the under the impulse of a holy indignation
Lord thy God commanded thee to keep at the sins of the people, and he accordthe sabbath-day. (rn:z t:'i nrfj,, ingly here premises the necessary into do the day of rest).' So also, Deut. formation respecting the tables them16. 1, 'Observe the month of Abib, and selves, what they contained, and whence
keep the passover (nr5  n 'y asitha they were received. —t Two tables
pesah, do the passover) unto the Lord of testimony. The grounds of this apthy God.' Comp. Mat. 26. 18, 'The pellation have already been explained,
Master saith, My time is at hand; I ch. 25. 16. The laws written on them
will keep the passover (iri o  m) 7rrya testified the will of God as to the duties
I will do or make the passover) at thy of his creatures, and by being received
house with my disciples.' Again Deut. and deposited in the Ark, they were a
16. 13, 'Thou shalt observe the feast of  testimony on the part of Israel that they
tabernacles (11oY=  n1, 5n hag has- had covenanted to receive and obey
sukkoth tadseh, the feast of tabernacles them upon the penalty of incurring all
thou shalt do or make) seven days,' the judgments and curses by which they
&c.                                 were enforced. They were written on
17. A sign between me and the chil. tables of stone to denote their perpetual
dren of Israel for ever. Chal. 'Between and unchangeable obligation; ard they
my Word and the sons of Israel.'-   were written not by the commandment,
IT Was refreshed. Heb. V1D3  yinna  but by the immediate power of God him.
phesh, fetched breath. Of course to be self, here termed his 'finger,' which is
understood as spoken of God after the elsewhere used in the same sense, Ps.
manner of men, on the principle of an. 8. 3. Luke, 11. 20. As however, the
thropomorphism, of which a very ex- 'finger of God' is spoken  f by our
panded detail is given in Rev. J. P. Savior as equivalent to the 'Spirit of




208


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491,


God,' the power by which devils were
cast out, some have supposed that all
that is meant here is, that these tables
were written by Moses indeed, but still
by the direct prompting and dictation of
the Spirit of God, so that it was more
entitled to be considered as a divine
than a human work. But the follow.
ing passages would seem to be too explicit to allow of any other than the
common explication. Ex. 24. 12, 'And
the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to
me into the mount, and be there: and I
will give the tables of stone, and a law,
and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.'
Ex. 32. 15, 16, 'And Moses turned, and
went down from the mount, and the two
tables of the testimony were in his
hand: the tables were written on both
their sides; on the one side and on the
other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon
the tables.' Deut. 5. 22, 'These words
the Lord spake unto all your assembly
in the mount, out of the midst of the
fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness with a great voice; and he added
no more: and he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto
me.' 'Of the Decalogue, above all other
holy writ, God seems to say, as Paul,
Philem. 19, 'Behold, I have written it
with mine own hand."' Trapp.
CHAPTER XXXII.
The Golden Calf.
If ever a situation occurred in the
history of man in which we were authorised to expect the presence and
prevalence of a deep and awful sense
of the majesty of Jehovah, together
with a grateful acknowledgment of his
goodness, and a trembling solicitude to
avoid every thing which might offend
him, it was that in which the race of
Israel was now placed at the base of
the hallowed mount. They had ex

perienced the most incontestible and
astonishing proofs the divine power,
favor, and love. Little more than thirty
days had passed since they had witnessed a scene of grandeur and glory
such as had never before been accorded
to mortal eyes. Jehovah had delivered
to them his holy law in the midst of
thunder, lightning, earthquake, fire, and
the presence of the ministering angels.
The terms of a sacred binding covenant
had been proposed to them, to which
they with one voice acceded, and indeed the last thing which is related of
them prior to the present chapter is,
that 'Moses came and told the people
all the words of the Lord, and all the
judgments; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the
words which the Lord hath said we
will do, and be obedient.' Even now
Moses was gone up into the mount to
commune with God on their behalf; as
their faithful representative, he had
transacted all their great concerns; the
forty days were almost completed; and
he was just upon the point of coming
down, bearing the sacred tables in his
hand, and fully instructed and authorised to set up the Tabernacle-worship
among them; when lo, the innate de.
pravity of the human heart breaks out
with a virulence utterly astounding,
and unbelieving impatience ripens at
once into an act of gross idolatry!
Who could have thought it? Daily fed
by manna from heaven; daily refreshed by water from the smitten rock;
surrounded by miracles of might and
benignity against which it would seem
impossible that their eyes should be
closed, who could have anticipated,
that in utter defiance of the commandment to which they had so lately and
so solemnly avowed obedience, they
should have ordered the fabrication of
other gods, and 'changed their glory
into the likeness of an x, that eateth
grass?' Yet this is the mournful scene
which we are now called to contem



B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXII.


20i


CHAPTER XXXII.           gods which shall go before us:
AND when the people saw that for as for this Moses, the man that
Moses a delayed to come down brought us up out of the land of
out of the mount, the people gather- Egypt, we wot not what is become
ed themselves together unto Aaron, of him.
and said unto him, b Up, make us
ch.24.18. Det. 9  9.              13. 21.
ach. 24.18. Dent. 9.9. bActs7.40.


plate! No wonder that Josephus should
have felt this transaction to be such a
stain on the character of his people as
to make him ashamed to record it; although its disgracefulness cannot justi.
fy him, as an honest historian, in omitting it.
1. When the people saw that Moses
delayed, &c. Heb. F11i7 3 0 '21 a  ki
boshesh Mosheh, lit. that Moses caused
shame. The idiom of the original in
regard to this word is peculiar. The
radical '1y bosh signifies primarily to
be ashamed, abashed, to blush for shame,
whether through fear, modesty, or disappointment; and as long tarrying or
waiting in vain for one's coming is apt
to be attended with a sensation of shame
or displacency, as Judg. 3. 25, 'they
tarried till they were ashamed,' the
word is thence easily applied as here
to tarrying or delaying, the effect being put, by a usual rhetorical figure,
for the cause.  See this ideal connexion between delay and shame in
the diction of the Hebrew more fully
unfolded in the Note on Judg. 3.25.
The Gr. has KcXpOViie from Xpovio),, to
procrastinate, a derivative from Xpvosm,
usually rendered time, but in many
cases more legitimately signifying delay. Thus Rev. 10. 5-7, 'And the
angel which I saw stand upon the sea
and upon the earth, lifted up his hand
to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are,
and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things
which are therein, that there should be
time (Xpovog delay) no longer: But in
the days of the voice of the seventh
8I*


angel, when he shall begin to sound,
the mystery of God should be finished,
as he hath declared to his servants
the prophets, Here the meaning undoubtedly is, that there should be no
longer delay than until the days of
the voice of the seventh angel, when
the events predicted should come to
pass. As there can be no question,
from the computation of prophetic chronology, that wve are brought, in the
evolutions of providence, to the very
borders of this period, it should be
no matter of surprise to witness the
most stupendous changes, moral, intellectual, and political in the affairs of
the world. The ' finishing of the mystery of God' is a much greater event,
or order of events, than the occur.
rence of the anticipated Millennium.
— I Gathered themselves together unto Aaron.  Heb. )R m %   ^1'p yikkahil al Aaron, were assembled upon
or against, Aaron. The usual term in
Hebrew for to is 5  el instead of S al,
which latter has more the sense of contra, against, and the idea intended to be
conveyed is probably that they beset
him in a violent and tumultuous manner, clamorously demanding of him that
he should yield to their wishes. It is
perhaps but justice to Aaron to suppose
that he at first earnestly opposed the
measure, but that he was at length
overcome by the importunity and menaces of the people. Still nothing can
excuse his ultimate compliance. ---
IT Up, make us gods, &c. Heb. 1UM,'fi R:5) a.sEh lanu elohim, make for
us Elohim. The term itself leaves it
somewhat doubtful whether a unity or
pluralty of idea is intended by it, as it




210


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


admits of either. From Neh. 9. 18, it
would seem that the former was the
meaning; 'Yea, when they had made
them a molten calf, and said, This
is thy God that brought thee out of
Egypt.' The same is doubtless also
to be inferred from the fact that Aaron
made only one calf. Stephen indeed,
Acts, 7. 40, uses the plural number, but
this is probably merely in imitation of
the Hebrew form, which very often has
a singular import. Comp. Gen. 25. 13.
35.. We are not to suppose that a
people who only six weeks before had
witnessed such amazing demonstrations
of the existence and glory of the true
God had suddenly sunk to such a pitch
of mad infatuation and brutish stupidity,
as to imagine that human fabrication
could ' make a god that should go before them.' Their meaning was that
an image, a visible sign or symbol of
Jehovah, should be made, something
which should answer to them in place
of the Shekinah which had hitherto
conducted them in the pillar of cloud.
This visible symbol, which they had
hitherto enjoyed, and which had now
become apparently immoveable on the
summit of the mount, is frequently de.
nominated 'glory,' or 'glory of the
Lord,' and as they proposed to form to
themselves so vile a substitute for this
as a brute animal, therefore it is that
the Psalmist calls it a 'changing of
their glory into the likeness of an ox
that eateth grass.' That the measure
was prompted at bottom by a disrelish
of a purely spiritual worship, and a
desire to be furnished with some sensible sign of a divine presence in the
midst of them, is, we think, quite manifest; and that the forms of Egyptian
idolatry, to which they had been previ.
ously familiarised, had tended to in.
fuse this leaven into their minds, is, in
our view, equally unquestionable. We
are inclined, therefore, to give no little
weight to the following extracts from
the Rabbinical writers cited by Bishop


Patrick. In the Plrke Elieser (c. 55.)
we are told that ' they said unto Aaron,
The Egyptians extol their gods; they
sing and chant before them; for they
behold them with their eyes. Make us
such gods as theirs are, that we may
see them before us.' So also R. Jehudah (Cosri, P. 1. ~ 97.) 'They desired a
sensible object of divine worship to be
set before them; not with an intention
to deny God, who brought them out of
Egypt, but that something in the place
of God might stand before them, when
they declared his wonderful works.'
— T   We uot not what is become of
him. They evidently had no sufficient
reason to warrant them in supposing
that he was lost, or that he delayed his
return longer than was necessary. They
knew that he had made arrangements
for a somewhat protracted stay. They
had seen him ascend the mount and
enter the cloud; they knew his errand,
for they had themselves, when shrinking under a sense of guilt and terror
from converse with the Most High, delegated him to be their representative.
Had they not then every reason to be
persuaded of his safety?  Yet they
affect to consider him as lost to them,
as no more to come among them; nor
any more to guide them towards the
promised land! Yet even if they were
sincere in this, how little respect do
they show to his memory! How lightly
do they speak of the apparent loss of
their faithful leader, of their kind bene.
factor! 'We wot not what is become
of him!'-evidently implying that they
cared as little as they pretended to
know. Alas! how true is it, as evinced
by this transaction, that the highest
services, the greatest merits, the richest benefactions, cannot secure their
subjects from  the vilest indignities,
aspersions, and ingratitude of their objects!
2. Aaron said unto them, break of
the golden ear-rings, &c. The very
jewels, without doubt, of which they




R C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXII.


211


2 And Aaron     said  unto them,
Break off the d golden ear-rings
which are in the ears of your
wives, of your sons, and of your
daughters, and bring them    unto
ine.
3 And all the people brake off
the golden ear-rings which were
in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
d Judg. 8. 24, 25, 26, 27.
had despoiled their oppressors at their
departure from Egypt, and at the Red
Sea. But what shall be said of the
Conduct of Aaron on this emergency?
We have no intimation in the text that
he remonstrated at all against the monstrous suggestion, or endeavored in the
least to convince the people of their sin
and folly in the measure they proposed;
ind yet we would fain, if possible, find
some extenuation of the course pursued by so good a man on this occasion.
There is perhaps a shadow of ground,
on which to erect a charitable apology
for Aaron in this part of the transaction. The proposal that they should
break off and give up their ear-rings
may have been made in the secret hope,
that they would be unwilling to devote
their choicest treasures to this object,
and that while they were wavering in
reference to the project, Moses might
return and by his presence crush the
growing evil in the bud. But the result
showed that it is not safe to try experiInents upon the readiness of sinners to
make sacrifices for their lusts, and that
his true course was at once to have
stood up and boldly resisted their insolent and impious demands, even at
the hazard of his life. His not taking
this resolute stand, and in humble trust
in God braving all consequences, but
pusillanimously yielding to their importunities, gave a kind of public and
official sanction to the whole proceeding, in consequence of which the people would naturally rush on with ten.


4 eAnd he received them a 'their
hand, and fashioned it with a
graving tool, after he had made it
a molten calf: and they said,
These be thy gods, O Israel, which
brought thee up out of the land of
Egypt.
ech. 20. 23. Deut. 9. 16. Judg. 17. 3, 4
1 Kings 12. 28. Neh. 9. 18 Ps. 106. 19.
Isai. 46. 6. Acts 7.41. Rom. 1. 23.
fold violence in their chosen way. How
fearful the example of a great and good
man succumbing to the urgency of a
lawless mob! How deplorable the issues when the appointed barriers to
iniquity become, by their yielding, its
abettors!
3. All the people brake off, &c. The
sequel shows that the phrase  all the
people' is not to be taken in its most
literal sense, for there were some that
still refused to give in to the general
act.of rebellion; but the majority were
unanimous, and promptly resigned their
ornaments; thus teaching us that the
impulse of a mad and foolish superstition is sometimes sufficiently powerful to overrule the principles of pride
and avarice, and that the charges of
idolatry are more cheerfully met than
the expenses of the true religion. Alas!
how is the niggardliness of the people
of God in maintaining the services of
his worship rebuked by the liberality
and self-sacrifices of the votaries of
idols!
4. Fashioned it with a graving-tool,
after, &c. But if it were run or cast
in a mould, as is implied by the word
' molten,' how could it properly be said
to have been fashioned afterward? The
literal rendering of the original is, ' Ho
fashioned it with a graving-tool, and
made it a calf of molten-work;' by
which we may understand either, that
he first formed a model of wood, with
the instrument here mentioned, by
means of which a mould was construet




212


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


5 And when Aaron saw it,.he
built an altar before it; and Aaron


made    proclamation, and said, To,
morrow is a feast to the LORD.
f Lev. 23. 2, 4, 21, 37. 2 Kings 10. 20.,
Chron. 30. 5.


ed, and in the mould the calf was cast,
or that the carved image was itself
made into the idol by having the melted metal poured over it. It is a point
difficult to be determined, and one that
has given rise to much diversity of interpretation among commentators. This
we forbear to recite, as it is needless to
swell the accumulation of uncertainties.
--    f Made it a molten calf. The
motive for giving this form to a representation of the Deity, is doubtless to
be proximately traced to their familiarity with the idol worship of Egypt.
That people were in the habit of paying divine honors to Apis in the form
of an ox or bull, and this probably offered the hint to the Israelites on the
present occasion. Whether Apis was
in himself an original and independent
God, or merely a living and visible representation of another, is still question.
able. The most general and probable
opinion is, that he was regarded as a
symbol of their chief god Osiris, or the
Sun; and if so, we can see more reason
for the remark made above, that the
object of the Israelites in this proceeding was to make a symbol or sign of
the Most High, or something to rep.
resent to the senses his real presence
among them. But although the allusion to the Egyptian mythology now recognised might, without going any farther, be deemed a sufficient explana.
tion of the fact, we are still induced to
express the opinion that there was,
moreover, at the same time a latent
and ultimate reference to the cherubic
symbol, of which the ox was one of the
leading elements. We know no reason
to doubt that from the earliest ages the
Cherubim, as an accompaniment of the
Shekinah, had been revealed under the
fourfold variety of aspect which is as

signed to them in Ezekiel; and as this
device was consequently closely con.
nected in the Israelitish mind with the
visible manifestation of the Deity, it
would not be unnatural that, having
come recently from Egypt, they should
have chosen it as the most appropriate
medium of representing Jehovah.~ These be thy gods, 0 Israel, &c
That is, this is thy god, 0 Israel; in ac
cordance with what we have alread)
said above of the import of the phrase
The tenor of the observations just mar..
must he our clue to the right construction
of this language. Aaron did not intend
to say that this molten image was the
real and veritable God who had brought
them out of Egypt, but simply that it
was his visible symbol; and not improbably his secret hope was, that on
this account they would make the due
mental discrimination, and not be so
sottish as to worship it. But the act
was in direct contravention of the second commandment, and that it was regarded by the Spirit of God as an in
stance of downright, unequivocal idol
atry, we are assured upon the testimony
of the apostle, 1 Cor. 10. 7, 'Neither be
ye idolaters, as were some of them.'
So also Ps. 106. 19, 'They made a calf
in Horeb and worshipped the molten
image.' 'How oft, alas! have we abused God's mercy; taking his jewels,
and making a golden calf of them!'
Trapp.
5. When Aaron saw it, &c. Heb.
~int  t.'.l va-yar Aaron, and Aaron
saw; i. e. saw the result; saw how the
affair was regarded by the people; saw
and considered the issue of his own
conduct. The word 'it,' supplied by
our translators, does not refer to the
calf, but in a wider sense to what oc.
curred upon its formation. --- ' And




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXII.


213


6 And they I )se up early on the
morrow, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings:
and the gpeople sat down to eat
and to drink, and rose up to play.
7 ~ And the LORD said unto Mog 1 Cor. 10. 7.
Aaron made a proclamation, and said,
To-morrow is afeast to the Lord. Heb.
1if",1 hag laihovah, a feast to,for,
or of Jehovah. By Aaron's building an
altar and proclaiming this feast to the
true God, it would seem that he still
proposed within himself to lead the
thoughts of the people through the outward medium and fix them upon Jehovah himself, the only proper object
of adoration. But such a mixture of
divine and idolatrous worship never
fails to mislead the mass of men, and
though the priests of a corrupt religion,
in imitation of Aaron, may plead that
the use of paintings, images, and sacrifices, is intended merely as a help, by
sensible media, to spiritual worship,
yet there can be no doubt that its practical effects are always just the same
with those here recorded, and that it
comes under the same condemnation.
Whatever were Aaron's private views
or wishes, the transaction is thus again
characterised by the Holy Ghost, Acts,
7. 41, 'And they made a calf in those
days, and offered sacrifices unto the
idol, and rejoiced in the work of their
hands.' So Jehu, led away by the same
delusion, could boast of his zeal for the
Lord of hosts, while yet he was a worshipper of the golden calves of Jeroboam, 2 Kings, 10. 16, 29.
6. And they rose up early, &c.
Eagerly intent upon their idolatrous
service, and apparently uneasy at its
being delayed so long as until the inorrow, they lost no time on the ensuing
morning in bringing their burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, although of
tin-offerings, which they most needed,
m find no mention.   They thought.


ses, h Go, get thee down: for thy
people, which thou broVghtest out
of the land of Egypt, ihave corrupted themselves:
h Deut. 9. 12, ver. I. ch. 33. 1. Dan. 9. 24.
i Ger. 6. 11, 12. Deut. 4.16. & 32. 5. Judg.
2. 19. IHos. 9. 9.
lessly exulted in the celebration of a
festival which was soon to prove so
fatal to them.-  r Sat down to eat
and to drink. That is, upon the remainder of the oblation of peace-offerings, to a share of which the offerers
were entitled. The burnt-offerings were
wholly consumed as holocausts. By
thus partaking of these offerings they
were brought into forbidden fellowship
with the idol, as is clear from the reasonings cf Paul, 1 Cor. 10. 17-21. The
sad consequences of this apostacy they
were soon made to experience. God's
jealousy burns very fiercely about his
altar. —    Rose up to play.   Heb.
prit  letzahek. A word of ominous
import, implying not only such sports
as singing, dancing, and merry-making
in general, but in some cases also a
species of conduct which the epithet
uanton as correctly defines as any term
which we deem it proper to employ.
Compare the use of the same original
word, rendered 'mock,' Gen. 39. 14.
Compare also Num. 25. 1, 2. In like
manner it appears that the ancient sacrificial feasts among the Gentiles were
so frequently turned into scenes of vo.
luptuous revelling and drunkenness, that
Athenceus informs us, that by the early
Greeks, the word iEsOcefi,, to be drunks
was supposed to be derived from pera
ro Oveuru after the sacrifices, when they
gave themselves up to large drinking.
7. And the Lord said unto AIoses
Go, get thee down, &c. As if the ur,
gency of the occasion would naturally
give the utmost intensity to the lan.
guage, the Greek here adds the word
'quickly,' as does Moses indeed him.
self in sleaking of 'he.ncident, Deut




214


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which k I commanded them: they have made
them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed
thereunto, and said, l These be thy


i gods, 0 Israel, which have brought
thee up out of the land of Egypt.
9 And the LORD said unto Moses, m I have seen this people, and
behold, it is a stiff-necked people:


I  cn. ah..  a.x l.  A


' Cil. J0a. 3, 4,   v3.  d eSt.  96. 1_n...  3..8
k ch. 20. 3, 4, 23. Deut. 9. 16. 11 Kings 31. 27. 2 Chron. 30. 8. Isai. 48. 4. Acts
1I 28.                                     7.51.


9. 12, 'Arise, get thee down quickly.'
The people, abandoning themselves to
unhallowed revelry, thought neither of
God, before whom they had so recently
trembled, nor of Moses, their venerable
leader and friend, nor of the ten comIandments to which they had a few
weeks since so solemnly sworn obedience, aid one of which in the most express terms forbade the very crime of
which they were now guilty. Giving
themselves up to licentious mirth, they
thought only of the present moment.
But here we learn how the matter was
viewed on the mount. This ought in
fact to have been their chief concernnot how they regarded it, but how it
was looked upon from above. But this
was neglected, and the same neglect
is continually evinced by heedless
transgressors intent upon sensual pleas.
ures. Ah, did they but reflect that there
is an unsleeping eye ever watchful over
their career, and a true estimate incessantly making up of their conduct,
which will finally come to them in the
form of a fearful indictment, what a
salutary damper would it throw upon
their profane hilarities! How needful
is it for us often while sporting on the
plain, to think of the judgment formed
of our conduct on the mount! —   Th y
people. A tone of indignation breathes
through this language, as if the offending people had forfeited al' right to be
longer considered God's people, and he
had utterly cast them off; ' for thy people have corrupted themselves.' The
effect of sin is to write 'Lo-ammi,' not
my people, upon the most chosen servants of Jehovah. ' But in this mode of


speech something gracious was con.
cealed. A hint was, as it were, given
him to gainsay the Lord, and to put
him upon the thine and the thou. Of
this he immediately availed himself
and said, 'Why doth thy wrath wax
hot against thy people, which thou hast
brought forth out of the land of Egypt,
with great power, and with a mighty
hand?' Krummacher. The original term
for 'corrupted' implies both their idolatry and the consequent judgments
which they had brought upon themselves, according to the twofold sense
of the same word, Gen. 6. 11-13, on
which see Note.
8. They have turned aside quickly,
&c. This language might properly be
used considering the very short time
that had passed since they heard the
law from mount Sinai, and promised
obedience, and were afterwards warned
not to ' make to them gods of silver or
of gold.' They quickly forgot his
works; but the punishment which their
sudden defection incurred admonishes
us, that nothing is more provoking in
the eyes of heaven than a speedy backsliding after solemnly renewing our
covenant with God, or receiving special
mercies at his hand.
9. I have seen this people, &c. Targ
Jon. ' The pride of this people is re.
vealed before me.' The meaning is, I
have long noted, observed, and studied,
as it were, their disposition. I know
their genius, and the character which I
am constrained to give of them is, that
they are a stiff-necked people. This is
a metaphor taken from stubborn and
intractable bullocks wlose necks are




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXII.


215


10 Now therefore nlet me alone,
that omv wrath may wax hot
against them, and that I may consume them: and PI will make of
thee a great nation.
11 qAnd Moses besought the
LoRD his God, and said, LORD,
why doth thy wrath wax hot
against thy people, which thou
hast brought forth out of the land
n Deut. 9. 14, 19. och. 22. 24. P Numb.
It. 12.  q Deut. 9. 18, 26, 27, 28, 29.  Ps. 74.
1, 2. & 106. 23.


of Egypt, with great power, and
with a mighty hand?
12 r Wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say, For mischief
did he bring them out, to slay
them in the mountains, and to
consume them from the face of
the earth? Turn from thy fierce
wrath, and s repent of this evil
against thy people.
r Nrnmb. 14. 13. Deut. 9. 28. & 32. 27
s ver. 14.


-...


brought with the greatest difficulty to
submit to the yoke.   Compare the
equivalent allusion, Is. 48. 4, ' Thy
neck is an iron sinew,' which would
not bend. Jer. 5. 5, 'But these (the
great men) hate altogether broken the
yoke and burst the bonds.'
10. Now therefore let me alone, &c.
Chal. 'Leave off thy prayer before me.'
Do not interpose by prayers and deprecations in their behalf. Moses had
not yet opened his mouth, but God fore.
saw the holy violence with which his
importunity would besiege his throne,
and apparently desires him not to i..tercede for them. What greater or
more significant proof could be given
of the divine condescension to the pe.
titions of a mortal? 'God is fain to be.
speak his own freedom; as if Moses' de~otion were stronger than God's indignation. Great is the power of prayer;
able, after a sort, to transfuse a dead
palsy into the hand of Omnipotence.'
Trapp. The words, however, which
seemed to forbid, were really intended
to encourage Moses in his suit. They
are not indeed a positive command to
him to pray in behalfof Israel, but they
indicated what it was that would stay
the divine hand from punishing; and
were equivalent to saying, ' If you intercede for them, my hands are tied,
and I cannot execute the deserved ven.
geance.' Of this hint Moses would not
be slow to avail himself. —i And I
twill make of thee a. great nation. As


if the Most High would bribe the for.
tearance of his servant. The words
evidently disclose a secret purpose to
try the spirit of Moses, as if to see
whether the prospect of becoming great
and distinguished himself, would outweigh his regard for the interests of his
people. He assaults him in a point
where most men are most vulnerable,
but the noble disinterestedness of Moses was proof against the power of this
appeal to the selfish principles of his
nature, and the apparent dissuasives
from intercession only urged him on
with more vehemence in his suit.
11. Why doth thy wrath wax hot
against thy people, &c. This is not
probably to be understood as an expostulation, as if there were not suffi.
cient cause for God to be angry; but
rather as an earnest entreaty that he
would not in wrath consume them. The
same usage of speech is common both
in the prophets and the Psalms. Thus
Ps. 44. 23, 24, 'Awake, why sleepest
thou, 0 Lord? arise, cast us not off for
ever. Wherefore hidest thou thy face,
and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?' See also the interrogative
and optative modes of expression in.
terchanged, Mat. 5. 39, and Luke. 8.52.
Mat. 8. 29, and Luke, 8. 28.
12. Wherefore should the Egyptians
speak and say, &c. The prayer of Mo.
ses on this occasion contains a three.
fold plea; (l.) That God would not re.
flect upon his own wisdom by so soon




216


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


13 Remember Abraham, Isaac,
and Israel, thy servants, to whom
thou tswarest by thine own self,
and saidst unto them, uI will multiply your seed as the stars of heat Gen. 22. 16. Hebr. 6. 13. u Gen. 12. 7.
& 13. 15. & 15. 7.18. & 26. 4. & 28. 13. & 35,
11, 12.


ven, and all this land that I have
spoken of will I give unto your
seed, and they shall inherit it for
ever.
14 And the LORD wrepented ot
w Deut. 32.26. 2 Sam. 24. 16. 1 Chron.
21. 15. Ps. 106.45. Jer. 18. 8. & 26. 13,19
Joel 2. 13. Jonah 3. 10. & 4. 2..


destroying what he had employed so
much power to preserve. (2.) That he
would not give advantage to the Egyptians to glory over the ruin of a race
whom they so much hated. (3.) That he
would remember his covenant promises
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The
second of these arguments he prosecutes in the passage before us, and in
doing so shows that he had the glory
of God quite as much at heart as the
welfare of Israel. Aware that the eyes
and the tongues of Egypt and the surrounding nations were intent on finding
matter of malicious triumph over a
people so signally delivered from bondage, so miraculously sustained, so wondrously conducted, he would at all hazards preclude every ground and occasion upon which the divine glory could
be blemished in the estimate of his ene.
mies. Should the chosen people now
after such illustrious displays of divine
power in their behalf perish under the
stroke of deserved wrath, what would
be more natural than that fickleness or
impotence should be imputed to their
covenant God, and thus his holy name
be blasphemed on every side? All that
had been thus far done would go for nothing, and to human appearance the
Most High would 'disgrace the throne
of his glory.' But this was a consequence which the pious heart of Moses could not endure to contemplate,
and therefore is he so emphatic in urging
the question, 'What will the Egyptians
say?' Whatever petitions we offer to
God, the glorifying his great name
should ever be the grand prompting
motive and the ultimate scope.r For mischief. Heb. ng. beraah,


in evil, in malice; i. e. maliciously.
Gr. pera 7rovripta, with maliciousness
— IT Repent of this evil against thy
people. Heb. jt3 in'im1 ~  al haraah
le-ammeka, over the evil to thy people.
Gr. sI r7t K7x1aa rov Xaouv av, upon the
evil of the people. The original doubtless implies both the evil of crime
committed by the people, and the evil
of punishment suffered, or about to be
suffered, by them. The latter idea of
the two was so prominent in the mind
of the Chaldean translator that he has
rendered it, 'Repent of the evil which
thou purposedst to do unto thy people.'
This of course is spoken after the manner of men on the principles explained
in the Note on Gen. 6. 6. The simple
meaning is, 'Relent from inflicting this
threatened evil.'
13. Remember Abraham, Isaac, &c.
This was doubtless the great argument
of all, the promise made to the fathers.
To the fulfilment of:his promise the
veracity of God would have been pledged, had it been given simply in the form
of a plain declaration; but there was
more than this; it was a promise con.
firmed by an oath, and an oath sworn
by himself, than whom he could swear
by no greater. Consequently nothing
could be conceived more binding by
which the honor of divine truth could
be engaged to the performance of its
stipulations. It is as if he had said,
'Lord, if thy people be now destroyed,
shall not thy promise fail for ever.
more? And shall their unbelief be al.
lowed to make thy truth of none effect?
God forbid.'
14. And the Lord repented, &c. Heb
tine' trn~l va-yinnahem Yehovah. Gr.




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXII.


217


the evil which he thought to do
unto his people.
15 ~ And   Moses turned, and
went down from the mount, and
the two tables of the testimony
were in his hand: the tables were
written on both their sides; on
the one side and on the other were
they written.
x Deut. 0. 15.


16 And the y tables were the
work of God and the writing was
the writing of God, graven upon
the tables.
17 And when Joshua heard the
noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a
noise of war in the camp.
y ch. 31. 18.


lXaO9rO KvpoS, the Lord was propitiated;
the same term which occurs in the pray.
er of the publican, Luke, 18. 13, 'God,
be merciful (iAaaOrlrt, be propitiated)
to me a sinner;' i. e. by the intervention of a mediator. The publican there.
fore does not rely upon the absolute
mercy of God irrespective of an atonement.-The suit of Moses prevails with
Jehovah. He so redoubles and multiplies
the obstacles which he would fain throw
in the way of the execution of vengeance, that God virtually acknowledges
himself overcome, and accordingly the
Psalmist says, Ps. 106. 23, 'He would
have destroyed them had not Mosts
his chosen stood before him in Lne
breach.'
15. The two tables of testimony were
in his hand. The reason of this denomination has been previously explained. See Note on Ex.25.16. These
tables, as we are elsewhere informed,
were of stone; by which we are perhaps to understand a substance similar
to that of the precious stones; beautiful and splendid in a high degree, as
well as durable, that it might correspond with the remaining articles of the
tabernacle.furniture. Thus the Jewish
writers; 'The first tables were hewn
out of the sapphire of the throne of
God's glory.'  The two tables were
probably designed to close together like
the lids of a book, and by their being
written on both sides is meant that
their right and left hand leaf or side
were each of them to be occupied with
letters.
Volr. II.     19


16. The tables were the work o.f God,
&c. That is, the preparation of the
materials, the stony tablets, by which
they were brought into a state suitable
for receiving the purposed inscription,
was as purely the work of Jehovah himself, as the engraving of the characters
which appeared upon them.
17. And uhen Joshua heard, &c.
The ignorance of Joshua respecting the
real nature of the uproar in the camp
evinces that he had not, after ascending the mount with Moses, ch. 24. 13,
as yet returned thither again; so that
the inference is obvious that Joshua, as
well as Moses, was forty days in the
mount, though not in the same part of
it. How he was sustained or employed
we are not informed. He was now
probably waiting for Moses at some
distance from the top of the mountain,
at the point whither Moses 'went
down,' v. 15, and upon his re-appearance addressed him in the words that
follow. His calm and quiet waiting
during all the time of Moses' absence
stands in very strong and, to him, creditable contrast with the rash, impatient, and unbelieving temper of the
people during the same period. —  As
they shQuted. Targ. Jon., 'When they
shouted with the noise of jubilee before the calf.' —1 A noise of war in
the camp. Heb. tn3'      j1'p kol mil.
hamah; a phrase rendered in Jer. 50.22,
'the sound of battle.' The sounds that
struck his ear were so different from
those with which the camp had thus
far been familiar, that he seems at once




218                          EXODUS.                      [B. C 1491.
18 And he said, It is not the voice as he came nigh unto the camp,
of them that shout for mastery, that zhe saw the calf, and the
neither is it the voice of them that dancing: and Moses' anger waxed
cry for being overcome: but the hot, and he cast the tables out of
noise of them that sing do I hear.  his hands, and break them beneath
19 ~ And it came to pass as soon the mount.
z Deut. 9. 16, 17.
to have concluded that an attack had easily pass by. But not so the offence
been made upon the host by some of committed against God. This was too
the wandering tribes of the desert, and gross, daring, and high-handed an inthat what he heard was the cry or shout suit to the majesty of heaven not to
of onset, such as was usually made by draw from him the tokens of a holy in.
an eager soldiery rushing into combat. dignation. Accordingly as he approach.
But this erroneous report of his senses ed the camp and beheld the congrega.
was soon corrected.                tion giving themselves Tip to bacchan.
18. It is not the voice, &c. Heb. ' It alian revelries and dancing around the
is no voice of the crying of strength idol which they had formed, he cast the
(prowess), and it is no voice of the precious tables out of his hand and
crying of weakness.' Chal. ' It is not brake them to pieces at his feet. This
the voice of strong men which overcome was not done in a paroxysm of internin the war, neither is it the voice of perate wrath, but as a significant ern.
weak men which are discomfited'-a blem representing the crime which they
correct paraphrase. —I But the noise had now committed. He was undoubt.
of them that sing do I hear. That sing edly inwardly moved to it by a prompt.
in alternate or responsive strains, one ing from above. God had condescendchoir answering (nl.2 annoth) another, ed to enter into a covenant with them
as the original properly implies. Gr. to be their God, and they had covenant'The voice of them that sing for wine;' ed to be his people. These tables of
in allusion to their revelling and riot. stone contained, as it were, the terms
As Moses had been instructed of God of agreement; and were a pledge, that
as to what the people were now doing, God would fulfil to them all that he had
he could easily correct the mistaken ap. spoken. This covenant they had enprehensions of Joshua.              tirely annulled, and consequently all
19. And it came to pass, &c. The their expectations from God were utter
first effects of this fearful apostacy are ly destroyed. Such a mode therefore
here related. They show themselves of representing the'transaction, on the
in the conduct of their returning leader. part of Moses, was perfectly lawful
It is recorded as a high character of and right. Indeed, so far was his con.
Moses that he was pre-eminent in meek- duct on this occasion from being a sud.
ness. Yet in his, as in every other case den transport or sally even of pious
of true meekness, this spirit wrought wrath in view of the enormity of Isin harmonious cooperation with a live- rael's sin, that there i~ every reason to
ly and glowing zeal for the Lord of regard it as the result of a deliberate
hosts. With all his gentleness and pa- purpose executed indeed by a roused
tience he could tolerate nothing that and energetic spirit. It is to be recol.
reflected or cast a stain upon the divine lected that he did not first come to the
glory. His own insults and injuries, knowledge of the people's crime, when
the ingratitude and disrespect shown he first came within sight of the camp.
to himself during his absence, he could God hal previously informed him of it,




g


B. C. 1491.]        CHAPTE1
20 aAnd he took the calf which
they had made, and burnt it in the
fire, and ground it to powder, and
a Deut. 9. 21.


I


L XXXII.                    219
strewed it upon the crater, and
made the children of Israel drink
of it.


and it was no doubt under divine dictation
that he resolved as he descended upon
the manner in which he should most
significantly express his own and Jehovah's sense of the fearful consequences
of their guilt. This was to be done by
some action performed il the sight of
the host. Accordingly instead of be.
ing ordered to leave the tables behind
him on the mount, he was directed to


minuting or reducing to small particles
a hard substance, whether by filing,
grinding, or any cther process of abrasion. As to the precise manner in
which the effect was produced in the
present instance, we are not informed.
We must be left to our own conject-:res,
aided only by the dim light of the
parallel passage, Deut. 9. 21, 'And I
took your sin, the calf which ye had


take them along with him, that when made, and burnt it with fire, and stamp.
they were broken before their eyes ed it, and ground it very small, even
they might be more deeply affected, until it was as small as dust: and I cast
and filled with confusion to think what the dust thereof into the brook that de.
blessings they had lost. They had scended out of the mount.' By its be
broken the covenant itself, and Moses ing 'stamped' we are probably to infer
as a sensible sign of the awful fact that it was beat or hammered out into
breaks the monumental tables in which thin plates, and from that form re
it was inscribed. Nothing could more duced to the condition of a fine dust,
solemnly indicate that their covenant which might easily be strewed upon
standing was wrecked, and that they the water. The process would no doubt
now lay exposed to the severest ven- require considerable time and labor;
geance ofan angryGod. It is doubtless but he would have numbers to assist
in this view of the transaction that we him, and no hypothetical difficulties in
find no censure passed upon Moses, nor the way of the result are to be allowed
does he afterward, Deut. 9. 17, speak of to countervail the express testimony of
it with any regret.               revelation that such was the fact.20. And he took the calf, &c. The 'F Made the children of Israel to drink
zeal with which he was inspired ena. of it. Not perhaps that he constrained
bled him to face the congregation them to this; but having no other water
with majestic authority, and to seize for their daily use than that of the brook
and reduce to powder the vile fabri. which descended out of the mount, Ex.
cation of their hands. They appear to 17. 6. Deut. 9. 21, they could not avoid,
have been too much overawed by his when they drank at all, drinking this
presence to attempt any resistance, and mixture.  How suitable the punish.
he proceeded at once in a very striking ment to the sin! What greater in.
manner both to convince them of their dignity could be offered to the worth.
sin, and to punish them for it. He gives! less idol? What more humiliating pun.
them a demonstration of the vanity of ishment could be inflicted upon the peo.
the idol which they had so stupidly ple, than to he thus compelled to sual.
worshipped by virtually annihilating it, low their god, and to ' cast him out inexcept as a portion of it remained as an to the draught' with their common food.
instrument of correction. —  Ground, But this, like the breaking the tables,
at to pouder. Heb. nt1' yithan. The was an emblematical action.  It not
original denotes any mode of com. only showed them how utterly ron.




220


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


21 And Moses said unto Aaron,
b What did this people unto thee,
that thou hast brought so great a
sin 'ipon them?
b Gen. 20. 9. & 26. 10.


temptible was the idol, which could thus
be reduced so near to nothing, but taught
them also in a most impressive manner, that ' the backslider in heart shall
be filled with his own ways.' The
powder mixed with their drink ' signified to them that the curse they had
thereby brought upon themselves, would
mingle itself with all their enjoyments,
and embitter themn; that it would enter
into their bowels like water, and like
oil into their bones.' Henry.
21. And Moses said unto Aaron, &c.
Another painful duty still remained
to be performed by Moses. His own
brother had been 'chief in the transgression,' and he is now to be called to
account and interrogated with a holy
sternness. The language in which Moses addressed him might seem at first
view to involve a latent vein of irony
or satire, as if he had inquired what
offence they had committed against
him, that he should think of avenging
himself by leading them into so great
wickedness. This would imply that so
enormous in his eyes was the guilt of
the transaction, that it must have required some violent motive on the part
of Aaron to prompt him to engage in
it. On the cormmon principles by which
a servant of God might be supposed to
be actuated, it seemed to him impossible to account for his conduct, and he
therefore asks if there were not some
personal consideration which moved
him to the deed. This is the view
taken of the passage by Scott and other
commentators, who understand Moses
as insinuating that the spirit of retaliation or revenge was at the bottom of
his conduct. But we prefer on the
whole a simpler construction of the


22 And Aaron said, Let not the
anger of my lord wax hot: c thou
knowest the people, that they are
set on mischief.
c ch. 14. 11. & 15. 24. & 16. 2, 20, 28. & 17.
2. 4.
speaker's meaning. We believe the
scope of the question is simply to inquire, what were the influences and inducements brought to bear upon him
by the people, which could prevail to
gain his consent to such an abominable
measure. If it were possible for him to
advance any thing which should stand
him instead of an excuse, he was will.
ing and anxious to hear it. 'Did they
importune, or cajole, or threatenl thee?
Make a free confession, and solve the
problem of thy conduct.' Yet it is not
to be supposed that Moses anticipated
any answer from Aaron that could
really excuse him, or explain away the
fact that a great sin had been actually
committed. Whatever were his motives,
he had led the people into sin, not perhaps by being the first mover of it, but
by consenting to it, aiding and abetting
it, when, as a niagistrate, he should
have resisted and put it down. He
might justly be said, therefore, to have
'brought it upon them' by giving them
his countenance in it. Such is the tenfold power of evil, which attaches itsel]
to the example of those who stand high
in authority and repute! In the estimate of Scripture Aaron's conduct was
a virtual hatred of his people which
was not to have been expected except
from an enemy. Lev. 19. 17, 'Thou
shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart;
thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy
neighbor, and shalt not suffer sin upon
him.' This text is an humbling commentary upon the proceedings of Aaron
in this sad affair.
22. And Aaron said, Let not, &c.
The reasons assigned by Aaron for his
conduct are hor.est, but frivolous. He
makes a candiC statement of the facts




B. C. 1491.;


CHAPTER XXXII.


221


23 For they said unto me, d Make
us gods which shall go before us:
for as fr this Moses, the man that
brought us up out of the land of
Egypt, we wot not what is become
of him.
24 And I said unto them, whosoever hath any gold, let them break
d ver. 1.
but leaves himself wholly unjustified in
the premises, as may easily be inferred
from the circumstance, that Moses does
not seem to regard it as deserving of a
reply. He passes by the lame apology
without a single word of comment.
I~ Thou knouest the people, that they
are set on mischief. Heb. MRUT VS
bera hu, that they are in evil; an emphatic mode of expression indicating
that they are, as it were, settled, sunk,
immersed in evil or in sin. So, I John,
5. 19, 'The whole world lieth in wickedness (in evil);' a phrase equivalent
to being very evil, as when it is said,
Ps. 33. 4, (Heb.) 'his words are in
truth,' the meaning is, that his words
are pre-eminently true and faithful.
Gr. 'Thou knowest the violent force of
this people.' Yet how obvious even to
a child, that the perverseness of the
people was no apology for the pusillanimity of their leader. Were they given
to evil?-So much the more needful
was it for him to stem the torrent, and
by inflexible firmness withstand the
workings of their corruptions. Our instinctive sentiments at once respond to
the justice of the divine judgment respecting this affair as recorded, Deut.
9. 20, 'And the Lord was very angry
with Aaron to have destroyed him:
and I prayed for Aaron also the same
time.'
24. And there came out this calf. It
might perhaps appear from the letter
that Aaron intended to insinuate, that
the calf was produced by accident, or
by some invisible or magical operation,
and that he was as much surprised at
19'


it off. So they gave it me: then
I cast it into the fire, and there
e came out this calf.
25 ~I And when Moses saw that
the people were fnaked, (for Aaron
ghad made them naked unto their
shame among their enemies,)
e ver. 4. f ch. 33. 4, 5. g 2 Chron. 28. 19.


I --- —


the result as any one else could be.
The Targ. Jon. takes the same view
of it; 'And I said unto them, whosoever hath gold let him break it off and
give it to me; and I cast it into the
fire, and Satan entered into it, and it
came out in the form of this calf.' But
it is scarcely possible to conceive that
a man like Aaron should have resorted
to such a silly and ridiculous subterfuge. We therefore take it as a briel
and rather garbled account of the pro.
cess of formation, upon the details ot
which he did not like to dwell, though
he would not deny his agency in the
affair. He confesses that he took the
gold and melted it, and that the calf
was the result; but he excuses himself
from reciting all the particulars of the
process.
25. And when Moses saw that the
people were naked. Heb. 3AD parua,
fromn Y'D para, to free, to set loose, to
let break away, and thence to fall into
disorder, confusion, and exposedness, a
state in which one is naked of defence.
This is probably the leading idea; not
so much that they were denuded of
their garments or ornaments, as that
they were deprived by their impi.
ous act of the favorable presence and
protection of heaven, which was their
glory.and their strength, so that they
now stood as naked unarmed men lia.
ble to be surprised and put to flight by
the weakest enemy. It was doubtless
a conduct strikingly exemplifying the
truth of the apothegm of one of the Lat.
in fathers; 'Non est nudus nisi quer
culpa nudaverit,' he only is nated whom




~22


EXODUS.


lB. C. 14P1


26 Then Moses stood in the gate
of the camp, and said, Who is on
the LORD'S side? let him come unto
me. And all the sons of Levi
gathered themselves together unto
him.
27 And he said unto them, Thus
saith the LORD God of Israel, Put
crimns hath rmade so. As the iniltort,
however, of the original word is not
settled with absolute precison, it may
be that it more properly denotes a dissipated, dissolute, disorderly state, in
which the people had thrown off discipline and restraint, and given themselves up to every excess of revelling
and riot. Thus the Gr. ' were dissipated, for Aaron had dissipated them.'
Parkhurst renders it to break loose, or
start aside, as from the true religion
and worship; parallel to which he says
is the usage of the term, Prov. 29. 18.
'Where there is no vision the people
perish (SIDU yippard);' rather, ' the
people break away or apostatize,' or as
the Vulg. renders, will be dissipated.
So 2 Chron. 27. 19, 'For the Lord
brought Judah low because of Ahaz
king of Israel; for he made Judah
naked.' Gr. 'Because he utterly apostatized from  the Lord.' --   Unto
their shame. Heb. {X2U7 leshimtza,
to infamy; i.e. when the report of their
foul revolt should spread abroad. Chal.
'To blot them with an evil name in
their generations. Gr. 'For Aaron had
dissipated them for a rejoicing to their
adversaries;' i. e. so as to give their enemies cause of exultation and triumph
over them.
26. Then Moses stood in the gate of
the camp, &c. Some place probably
about the outskirts of the camp, answering in a rude way to the gate of a city,
where courts of judgment were wont to
sit, hear causes, and give sentence.i Who is on the Lord's side? let him
come to me. Heb. t1    mmnl~ 'et mi
aInhovah Eli, whosoever (is) f r the


every man his sword by his side.
and go in and out from gate to gate
throughout the camp, and hslay
every man his brother, and every
man his companion, and every man
his neighbor.
h Numb. 25.5. Deut. 33.9.


Lord-to me!-where the words 'let
him come' are omitted through the im
passioned earnestness of the speaker.
~I All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. This can
hardly be understood literally, as it is
clearly implied, Deut. 33. 9, that some
of the Levites were slain, and consequently that some of them were involved in the guilt of this transaction.
By 'all' therefore we are to under.
stand, perhaps, that all who did assemble were sons of Levi, and that ot
them there was a very large number.
27. Put every man his sword by his
side, &c. Judgment was here to be executed by commission, and not by the
immediate hand of God himself, as in
some other instances of aggravated
transgression. It was indeed a trying
test to which the fidelity of the faithful
was now to be submitted in becoming
the executioners of their own brethren,
and without distinction of sex, age, or
relation, to imbrue their hands in the
blood of those that were most dear to
them. But the offence was one of the
most aggravated character; one by
which the honor of God's great name
had been sadly tarnished; and in order
to a more effectual vindication of it,
judgment was to be executed with terrible severity. —  Go in and out from
gate to gate throughout the camp. This
is no doubt to be understood as a conm
mission to slay every one whom they
should meet in the open places of the
camp, let him be relation, friend, or
neighbor, while they were not required
to enter into any of the tents, inasmuch
as those who were sensible of the divine




B.C. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXII.


223


28 And the children of Levi did
according to the word of Moses:
and there fell of the people that
day about three thousand men.
29 iFor Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to-day to the
LORD, even every nian upon his
son, and upon his brother; that he


may bestow upon you a blessing
this day.
30 T And it came to pass on the
morrow, that Moses said unto the
people, k Ye have sinned a great
sin: and now I will go up unto
the LORD; I peradventure I shall
m make an atonement for your
sin.


i Numb. 25. 11, 12,13. Deut. 13. 6,-11.
& 33. 9, 10. 1 Sam. 15. 18,22. Prov. 1, 3.  k I Sam. 12.20, 23. Luke 15. 18. 12 Sam.
Zech. 13. 3. Matt. 10. 37.                 fi. 12. Amos 5. 15. m Numb. 25. 13.




displeasure might be presumed to be
there employed in secret in bemoaning
their own or the iniquity of their breth.
ren. None were executed but those
who openly and boldly stood forth.T Slay every man his brother, &c.
That is, let those whb are on the Lord's
side slay all the rest who have apostatized, even their nearest relations.
28. The children of Levi did according tp the word of Moses. Their numbers were incomparably less thin those
of the rest of the people, yet acting under and animated by a divine commission, they hesitated not to encounter
them sword in hand. Their victims,
on the other hand, were probably so dis.
heartened by conscious guilt, and so
confounded and intimidated by the authority of Moses, that they made no resistance.
29. For Moses had said, &c. This
discloses the reason of the zeal and
alacrity of the Levites in this trying
service. They had been informed by
Moses that the inflicting of vengeance
on their guilty brethren would be a
service so acceptable to God, that they
would by performing it secure his
'blessing' by being confirmed in the
sacerdotal office, and should by this
act, as it were, 'consecrate' and initiate
themselves unto God as by an offering
of sacrifice. Accordingly it is said to
the same purpose, Deut. 33. 8-10,
'And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy
one, &c., who said unto his father and


to his mother, I have not seen him;
neither did he acknowledge his breth.
ren, nor know his own children; for
they have observed thy word and kept
thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob
thy judgments, and Israel thy law; they
shall put incense before thee, and whole
burnt sacrifice upon thine altars.' This
act of obedience was a kind of inauguration, though a fearful one, of the tribe
into their holy office. They thus wiped
away as it wcere the stain which adhered
to the escutcheon of their tribe front
the conduct of their father Levi, who
lhad wielded his sword unto sin in the
affair of the Shechemites, Gen. 34. 25,
in consequence of which he lost the
blessing which would otherwise have
been conferred upon him, and which
the faithful and devoted conduct of his
sons may be said to have regained. —
fr Consecrate. Heb. TI'l lohIR   milu
yedkemn fill your hands. On the appropriate significancy of this term, see
Note on Ex. 29. 9. —  I That he may
bestow upon you a blessing. The blessing of preferment to the rank of God's
special ministers in the service of his
house.
30. Ye have sinned a great sin. From
this it appears that all the guilty wer
not cut off by the sword of the execu
tioners. But those who were destroyed were probably the individuals who
headed the rebellion, and of whom it
was fit to make a signal example in
order to inspire the rest with a salutary
dread. The fact of their exemption




224


EXODUS.


[B. C. 14Ji.


31 And Moses nreturned unto
the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and
have omade them gods of gold.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive
nDeut. 9.18. o ch. 20. 23.


their sin: and if not, p blot me, I
pray thee, q out of thy book which
thou hast written.
P Ps. 69. 28. Rom. 9. 3. q Ps. 56. 8. &
139. 16. Dan 12. 1.  Phil. 4.3. Rev. 3. 5.
& 13. 8. & 17. 8. & 20.12, 15. & 21. 27. &
22. 19.


from the fatal stroke might possibly
beget, in their minds, the persuasion
that their guilt was not of a very deep
dye; but Moses here acquaints them to
the contrary. He assures them that they
-even they-had ' sinned a great sin;'
and not only so, he even expresses
himself as if he deemed it somewhat
questionable whether it would be con.
sistent with the honor of God to grant
them forgiveness. 'I will go up unto
the Lord; peradventure I shall make
an atonement for your sin.' He thought
he might perhaps be made an instru.
ment of reconciliation; for in no other
sense could atonement be properly predicated of Aaron's agency on this occasion. He was not without hope, nor
yet was he destitute of fear; accordingly his words were calculated to
preserve the people in a due medium
between desponding dread and presumptuous confidence. Such is the usu.
al style of the Scriptures in their addresses to flagrant sinners. Amos, 5.
15, 'It may be that the Lord God of
hosts will be gracious unto the remnant
of Joseph.' Jonah, 1. 6, 'What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon
thy God, if so be that God will think
upon us, that we perish not.' Acts, 8.
22, 'Repent therefore of this thy wick.
edness, and pray God, if perhaps the
thought of thine heart may be forgiven
thee.'
31. And Moses returned. From   a
comparison of this with the subsequent
parts of the narrative we infer that this
withdrawment from the people was not
the same with that of forty days' dura.
tion of which Moses thus speaks, Deut.
9. 18, 'And I fell down before the Lord,
as at the first, forty days and forty


nights; I did neither eat bread, nor
drink water, because of all your sins
which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in
the sight of the Lord, to provoke him
to anger.' The train of events is not
very clearly detailed, but we are forced
to the conclusion that Moses retired for
a short time to consult the Most High
once or twice in the interval between
the first and second protracted term
of forty days. See the remarks upon
the order of occurrences in the next chap.
ter. —I Oh, this people have sinned a
great sin, &c. The impassioned and
pathetic tone in which he begins his
prayer is very remarkable. He speaks
like one who is overwhelmed with horror at the enormity of the sin, for the
pardon of which he pleads. The Scriptures deal but sparingly in such interjectional phrases as the present, and
wherever they occur they indicate the
most profound emotion in the speaker.
But Moses knew well, as do all other
saints, that nothing is so efficacious in
obtaining mercy as deep humiliation
before God.
32. Yet now, if thou uilt forgive their
sin.  This is an imperfect sentence,
and ought undoubtedly to be printed as
it is in many English editions of the
Bible-'Yet now if thou wilt forgive
their sin-; if not,' &c. The Gr. has, 'If
thou wilt forgive them the sin, forgive
them.' Several modern versions pro.
pose to supply the ellipsis in like manner; but the suspension of the meanilg
by such an expressive break is far more
significant than any word which could
be introduced to fill it u'. ---   Blot
me, Ipray thee, out of thl book; called
Ps. 69. 29, ' the book of the living;
Phil. 4. 3, 'the book of life;' Ezek. 13




B. C. 149i.] ~


CHAPTER XXXII.


225


33 And the LORn said unto Moses. r Whosoever hath   sinned
against me, him will I blot out of
my book.
34 Therefore now go, lead the
people unto the place of which I
rLev. 23. 30.  Ezek. 18. 4.


have spoken unto thee: sBehold,
mine Angel shall go before thee:
nevertheless, tin the day when I
visit, I will visit their sin upon
them.
s cl. 33. 2, 14, &c. Numb. 20. 16. t Deut.
32. 35. Amos 3. 14. Rom. 2. 5, 6.


9, ' the writing of the house of Israel.'
The meaning is, let my name be no
more in the number of those whom thou
hast destined to live; let me die with
my people. For as the phrase, Is. 4. 7,
to be written with the living,' signifies
to be preserved alive while others die,
so to be blotted out of the book of the
living is tantamount to being taken out
of life while others survive. There is no
intimation in these words of any secret
book of the divine decrees, or of any
thing involving the question of Moses'
final salvation or perdition. He simply
expressed the wish rather to die than to
witness the destruction of his people.
The phraseology is in allusion, probably, to the custom of having the names
of a community enrolled in a register,
and whenever one died, of erasing his
name from the number.
33. Whosoever hath sinned against
me, &c. This seems intended to declare a general rule ofproceeding in the
divine government, in which an assurance is given that the innocent shall not
be confounded with the guilty, but that
punishment should fall where it was
justly due, and nowhere else. It was
In the present case a clear intimation
of mercy to the people, assuring their
leader that they should not be destroyed in a body, but those only who had
merited cutting off by their sin.
34. Behold mine Angel shall go be.
fore thee. As the term 'Angel' is in
several cases in this narrative used as
synonimous with the Pillar of Cloud,
we should naturally he led to suppose,
if the.sequel were not inconsistent with
it, that the meaning here was, that nottvithstanding their recent high ha;nded


iniquity, this guiding signal, this protecting Presence, should still go with
them. But upon comparing the passage
before us with the words of Moses, ch.
33. 12-16, it appears obvious that he
took the word in a more general sense
as simply indicating some kind of provi.
dential agency which should be exerted
in their behalf while pursuing their
journey through the wilderness. That
this is a legitimate sense of the word
'Angel' any one may he convinced by
referring to the scriptural use of the
term as fully detailed in the Note on
Ex. 3. 2. The promise, therefore,
though consoling was yet vague.  It
left Moses in doubt as to the real character of the Angel, i.e. agency, which
he was taught to expect. Accordingly
in his prayer in the ensuing chapter lie
earnestly beseeches for more precise
information, and desires that no other
than the particular 'Angel of the presence' the majestic Shekinah, should
accompany them. --      Nevertheless,
in the day when I visit, I will visit
their sin upon them. That is, when I
have occasion to visit them in judg.
ment for other offences, I will remember
their sin on this occasion, and increase
their punishment on account of it. Accordingly it has always remained as a
tradition among the Jews, even to the
present day, that in whatever afflictions
they have been made to experience there
was mingled at least an ounce of the
powder of the golden calf. The intima.
tion conveys an important practica.
lesson to the people of God in all ages.
The effects of one sin may go to enhance the punishment of another, and
so we may Iave constant memorials




226


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


35 And the LoRr plagued the
people, because uthey made the
calf which Aaron made.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
AND the LORD said unto MoA   ses, Depart and go up hence,
u2 Sam. 12.9. Acts 7.41.


thou a and the people which thou
hast brought up out of tie land ol
Egypt, unto the land which I
sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and
to Jacob, saying, b Unto thy seed
will I give it:
ach. 32.7.  b Gen. 12. 7. ch. 32. 13.


-....I


of a particular offence throughout the
chastening discipline of a whole life.
35. And the Lord plagued the people,
&c. It is not clear that this statement refers to any particular plague or pestilence which occurred at this time among
the people. It may be understood of the
subsequent scourges and calamities
which they suffered during their sojocrn in the wilderness as long as Moses lived. In this case it is but another
mode of saying that the threatening
denounced in the preceding verse was
actually fulfilled in their after experience as a nation. At the same time, as
there is no doubt that the order of events
is very much transposed in this part of
the narrative, there is nothing actually
to forbid the supposition that the plague
or stroke here mentioned is no other
than the slaughter of the three thousand
recorded in the next chapter. Indeed
we think this on the whole the prefer.
able interpretation. — r Because they
made, &c. That is, because they caused
or procured to be made; a phraseology
of very frequent occurrence. Thus,
Acts, 1. 18, Judas is said to have purchased a field, which in fact, was purchased by the priests, but it is attributed
to Judas because his receiving and then
returning the money, was the occasion
of its being bought. The originators
and procurers of evil are not to promise
themselves impunity because they have
prevailed upon others to become their
tools in its execution. The consequences will 'return to plague the in.
ventors.' God's judgment is always ac.
cording to truth, and he will charge
home guilt where it properly belongs.


' Deos qui rogat, ille facit,' he who asks
for gods makes them.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
The right adjustment of the events of
this chapter in the chronological order
of the narrative, is a miatter attended
with some difficulty. From the rendering of our established version it would
seem, that what was now said to Moses
was posterior in point of time to the incidents recorded in the close of the preceding chapter; but from an attentive
consideration and collation of the tenor
of the whole, we are persuaded, with
Calvin and other critics of note, that
the proper rendering of v. 1, is in the
pluperfect-' the Lord had said'-and
that the appropriate place for the interview and incidents here related is prior
to the order and the promise contained v.
34 of ch. 32. In that verse God declares
his purpose of sending his angel before
the people, and we naturally enquire
how it happens that such an assurance
was necessary? Was there any danger
that an angel would not be sent? Had
any intimation been given that his guid.
ing and protecting presence would be
withdrawn?  To this the correct answer undoubtedly is, that all that is related in ch. 33, had occurred anterior to
the promise made in ch. 32. 34. God
had threatened to send Moses and the
people forward without the accompanying presence of the Angel of the
Shekinah, and it was only in consequence of the fervent intercession of
Moses that he was induced to retract this
dread determination. In the foregoing
chapter, therefore, the historian merely




B. C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXXIII.


227


2 cAnd I will send an angel be-     3 eUnto a land flowing with milk
tore thee; dand I will drive out the and honey: ffor I will not go up
Canaanite, the Amorite, and the ' in the midst of thee; for thou art
Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hi- a g stiff-necked people: lest hIconvite, and the Jebusite:             sumre thee in the way.
ch 32. 3. & 34. 11. d Deut. 7. 22. Josh.  cch. 3.8. fver.15.17. gch. 32.9.& 34
24. 11                             9. Deut. 9 6, 13. h ch. 23. 21. & 22. 10.
Nunlb. 16. 21. 45.
states in a summary way the fact of his presence which they had hitherto enearnest prayer and the concession made joyed, and which would have been conto it; in the present, he goes back and tinued to them but for their sin. Such
relates minutely the train of circun. language imports, however, a reserved
stances which preceded and led to the prerogative of change in the dispendeclaration above mentioned. In doing sation announced if adequate reasons
this he virtually makes known to us one for it should occur.
main ground of the urgency of his sup-  2. And I will send an angel before
plications.  He was afraid that God thee. This clause is not to be under.
would withdraw the tokens of his vis- stood as spoken to Moses, but is to be
ible presence. As a punishment for the read in connexion with the preceding,
mad attempt of the people to supply v. 1, as a part of the promise to the
themselves with a false symbol of his fathers and their seed, which God is
presence, he was apprehensive he might here reciting. The promise of the emisbe provoked to take from them the true, sary angel was not, indeed, expressly
and hence his impassioned entreaty made to either of the patriarchs here
that God would not visit them  with mentioned, but it was expressly made
so sore a judgment. But the particu. to the Israelites, Ex. 23. 20, and the
lars will disclose themselves as we whole is here brought together as one
proceed.                            integral promise.
1. And the Lord said. Heb. ~''I'1  3. For I will not go up in the midst
ti1"' va-yedabber Yehovah, and Jehovah of thee, &c. Chal. 'I will not make my
had said; as the like phrase is often Shekinah (D3~S shekinti) to go up in
elsewhere to be translated. It is only the midst of thee.' Arab. 'I will not
the context in such cases that deter- make my Light (or Splendor) to go up
mines the true mode of rendering. —  among you.' Having recited the prom.
~I Depart and go up hence, &c. These ise formerly made of conducting them
words, and what immediately follows, into Canaan by the medium of the Angel
appear to have been spoken by God to of his presence, or the Shekinah, the
Moses during his first sojourn upon the Lord here ostensibly retracts his promsummit of the mount, and \plon the oc. ise and announces a contrary intention.
casion of the making of the golden calf. So perverse, stiff-necked, and rebel.
In sovereign displeasure he turns the lions had they proved, that they were
people over, as it were, upon Moses, to consider themselves as having for.
whom he represents as having brought feited the favor of such a presence, and
them out of Egypt, rather than him. as being righteously exposed to be left
self; and though he promises to make in utter destitution of the symbol of
good his covenant with Abraham, and their glory. Yet the well-grounded re
give them the land of Canaan, yet he mark of Scott is e er to be borne in
intimates that they shall go forward mind, that 'such declarations rather
without the extraordinary tokens of his express what God justly might do, what




228                          EXODUS.                     [B. C. 1491.
4 ~ And when the people heard Israel, Ye are a stiff-necked peothese evil tidings, i they mourned: pie: I will come up minto the
k and no man did put on him    his midst of thee in a moment, and
ornaments.                         consume thee: therefore now put
5 For the LoRD had said unto off thy ornaments from thee, that
Moses, Say unto the children of I may nknow        what to do unto
i Numb. 14. 1, 39. k Lev. 10. 6. 2 Sam. thee.
19. 24. 1 Kings 21. 27. 2 Kings 19. 1. Esther
4.1,4. Ezra 9. 3. Job 12.2..  Isi.   Iver 2.  samSee Numb. 16.45,46. nDeu.
32. 11. Ezek. 24. 17, 23. & 26.10.  8.2. Ps. 139. 23.
it would become him to do, and what self as deliberating how to act towards
he would do, were it not for some in. them. But when God speaks of himtervenitig consideration, than his irre. self in this language, as if perplexed and
versible purpose; and always imply a wavering in his mind, it is not to be unreserved exception, in case the party derstood as intimating that such things
offending were truly penitent.' —  actually exist; for 'known unto God
rI Lest I consume thee in the way. are all his works from the beginning oi
Lest I should be constrained, by a just the world;' nor can any occasion posregard to my own glory, to come out sibly arise in which he can be at a loss
in consuming wrath against your ini how to act. But he is pleased to speak
quities.                           in this way of himself in order to ac4, 5. When the people heard these commodate himself to our feeble appreevil tidings, they mourned. The an- hensions. Compare Hos. 6. 4. and Jer.
nouncement was probably made to the 3. 19, where also the Most High speaks
people when Moses first came down as if perplexed in his mind about the
from the mount, and after breaking the line of conduct he should pursue, and as
tables of stone. Their humiliation, wishing to show mercy, but not knowtherefore, took place in the interval be. ing how to do it consistently with his
tween the first and second period of own honor. All this is plainly capable
forty days, during which Moses with- of a sense entirely consistent with the
drew himself from the congregation for reverence due to the Supreme Being.
the purpose of prayer and fasting. The But while it is intimated that so long
effect produced showed that they were as impenitence continues he knows not
deeply sensible of the value of the how to exercise mercy to the sinner,
blessing which they were likely to it is at the same time implied, that
lose. They were at once filled with when once humbled for their iniquities
grief, which expressed itself by the he is at no loss how to act towards
usual external badges of 'mourning,' them; he can then give free scope to
viz., divesting themselves of their or. the merciful and compassionate dis.
naments, although it appears from v. position of his own heart. So it is
5, that this was at the same time in clear that the language in the present
obedience to an express command of case implied a design of mercy, providJehovah. This was not only in order ed they showed signs of repentance
that they might evince the appropriate and as they did demean themselves as
tokens of sorrow and humiliation, but those who were conscious of their de.
also that they could make sacrifices to linquencies and sincerely mourned, we
God as well as to a golden calf. While may suppose that this fact added its
thus disrobed of their festive garments weight to the fervency of Moses' pray.
and precious jewels, and clad in the ers to give them preval nt e with God
habit of penitents, God represents him- in their behalf,




B.C. 1491.


CHAPTER XXXIII.


229? And the children of Israel
stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.
7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the
camp afar off from the camp, o and
o ch. 29. 42, 43.
6. By the mount Horcb. Heb. n.rl
VIn mehar Horib, from mount Horeb.
That is, at a considerable distance from
it, as not worthy to stand in immediate
proximity to it. The form of the expression, however, in that sense is so
singular, that we are strongly inclined
to regard the preposition ' from' as a
particle of time rather than of place,
implying that from the time of the occurrence of this transaction at Horeb,
they divested themselves of their ornaments, and continued to dispense with
them during the remainder of their sojourning. Thus it is said, Num. 14. 19,
'As thou hast lorgiven this people from
Egypt even until now;' i.e. from the time
of their being in Egypt. Why may not
the phrase ' from Horeb' in the one in.
stance be equivalent to ' from Egypt' in
the other? See this usage of speech
more fully illustrated in the Note on
Gen. 2. 10.
7. And Moses took the tabernacle, &c.
Heb. iann ha-ohel, the tent. It is
evident that the tabernacle or tent here
mentioned could not be that concerning
which Moses had before received directions, for that was not yet built; nor is
it at all probable that the private tent
of Moses is to be understood, for it appears v. 8, that Moses himself went
back and forth to and from this taber.
nacle as well as the rest of the congregation, from which it is to be inferred
that he, as well as they, ordinarily resided within the camp. The probability
therefore is that the Israelites, previous
to the erection of the prescribed tabernacle, had some kind of sacred tent or
portable temple for the public performance of religions rites, which Moses,
YOL. II.    20


called it the Tabernacle o." theCongregation.    And it came to
pass, that every one which p sought
the LORD, went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which
was without the camp.
P Deut. 4.29. 2 Sam. 21.1.
as an argument of God's displeasure
against Israel, on this occasion, ordered
to be removed from a camp so grossly
profaned by idol-worship. It is indeed objected to this, that this tabernacle now first began to be honored
with a new designation, and called ^nW
Y;T17: ohel moed, the tabernacle of convention, which is inconsistent with the
idea of its having previously been employed for such a purpose. But to this
it may be replied, that nothing forbids
the rendering the clause in the pluperfect, and considering it as introduced
parenthetically-' And took the tabernacle and pitched it without the camp
afar off from the camp (for he had
called it the Tabernacle of Convention); and it came to pass,' &c. It
was so called because such was its ob.
ject and use. It had hitherto served
this purpose in the midst of the camp;
but now as a sign of the divine alienation and displeasure, and in order to
quicken and deepen their penitence, it
was to be removed from its former position, and stationed at a distance from
a locality which had forfeited its longer
continuance upon it. The withdrawment was an intimation to their senses
of the fact announced by Moses of their
purposed dereliction by Jehovah's presence.  He had before promised, ch.
25. 8, to dwell among them, in the
midst of them, and as the oracular
presence of the Deity was supposed to
be especially connected with a tent or
tabernacle, it may be supposed that
this temporary erection had been pre.
pared with that view, until the larger
and more magnificent one designed by
God himself should be built. But so




E30


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


P  ind it came o pa ss when Moses went out into the tabernacle,:hat all the people rose up, and
itood every man q at his tent-door,
and looked after Moses, until he
was gone into the tabernacle.
q Numb. 16. 27.


9 And it came to pass, as Moses
entered into the tabernacle, the
cloudy pillar descended and stood
at the door of the tabernacle, and
the LORD rtalked with Moses.
rchl. 25. 22. &  31. 18.  Ps. 99. 7.


aggravated and enormous had been the
offence recently committed, that the
Most High proceeds now to indicate in
a visible manner the retraction of his
gracious promise, and instead of fixing the symbols of his presence in the
camp, to cause them to be removed and
planted far away from the places which
had contracted' such foul defilement.
— ~    Every one which sought the
Lord. Chal. 'Every one which sought
doctrine (or information) from before
the face of the Lord-went forth to the
tabernacle of the house of doctrine
which was without the camp.' The
removal of the tabernacle took away
of course the facilities which the peopie had formerly enjoyed for consulting the divine oracle. This they could
no more do in- the camp, but were
obliged for the purpose to go abroad
to the place where God was henceforth
pleased to manifest his presence. It
is evident, therefore, that it was not a
total withdrawment of the tokens of the
divine favor. The Most High still proclaimed himself willing to be sought
unto. Intimations of mercy were thus
mingled with the signs of displeasure,
'lest the spirit should faint before him
and the souls which he had made.' It
may still, however, be regarded as
probable that the people here spoken
of did not actually enter into the tabernacle-a privilege apparently reserved
for Moses alone-but only approached
towards it themselves, while Moses
acted as their advocate in the business
which had brought them out.
8. It came to pass when Moses went
o:A,! &c. The particulars here mentioned are not. as we suppose, to be un

derstood as having occurred on one special occasion only, but as being the
ordinary accompaniments, for several
days together, of Moses' ingress into
the sacred tent whenever he entered
it. His ordinary residence was doubtless in the camp with his family, but
in his office of intercessor, mediator,
and judge, he had repeated occasions
to go forth to this tent to hold interviews with Jehovah; and whenever this
was the case, as he was acting on the
behalf of the people, it was natural
that they should watch with intense
solicitude the visible indications of the
issue of the affair. Thus the disciples
looked after' our Lord Jesus, when he
ascended on high to enter into the holy
place not made with hands, till 'a
cloud received him out of their sight,
as Moses here.' Henry. The station
of the tabernacle, we think it probable, was somewhere on the side of the
mountain, far indeed below the summit,
and yet in some conspicuous locality,
that might be seen by most of the multitude below. The topographical fea.
tlres of the region are such that if the
tent were without the camp it must necessarily be upon some elevated ground,
as all the valleys or wadys would ol
course be occupied by the tents of the
congregation.
9. The cloudy pillar descended and
stood at the door of the tabernacle, &c.
It descended from the summit to the
less elevated part of the mountain
where the Tabernacle stood. As the
sublime object had probably remained
entirely stationary for at least forty
days, we can easily imagine that it
must have produced a deep sensation




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXIII.


231


10 Aid all the people saw the
cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle-door: and all the people rose
among the people to see it now again
majestically moving from its place, and
transferring itself down the mountain
to the spot where the tent was fixed,
and where Moses had now repaired.
This would indeed verify the claim of
the sacred structure to the title of
'Tabernacle of Meeting,' when Jehovah by his symbol was thus pleased to
meet with his servant in this open and
honorary manner, in the sight of the
awe-struck host. The effect would naturally be to inspire additional reverence
for the person and authority of Moses,
as one whom God saw fit to distinguish
by the indubitable seal of his own selection, and to endow with the highest prerogatives of a human mediator. The
descent of the cloudy pillar at the door
of the tent would also tend to assure
them that the rupture between God and
his people was not utterly past healing. Though withdrawn, in the withdrawing of the Tabernacle, from the
midst of them, he was still accessible.
With due reverence and patience and
prostration of spirit they might still
approach him, notwithstanding his of.
fended majesty maintained a lofty and
awful reserve which could not but engender some measure of trembling sus.
pense. Nor is such an attitude unwonted to the Holy One of Israel. He
often hides his face from sinners that
he may the more effectually incite them
to seek him with broken hearts. Under his fatherly chastisement, therefore,
we are not to give way so far to the
promptings of terror or conscious guilt
as to forbear to seek him, but even
though from afar to make our earnest
suit towards him. So long as the tokens
of his presence are not entirely remov.
ed, we are not permitted to nourish our
despair. — ~ And the Lord talked with
Moses. The words the Lord' are evi

up and  worshipped, every man
in his tent-door.
sch4. 31.


dently supplied, as if there were in the
original an ellipsis of the proper subject of the verb. But we have no doubt
that the correct rendering is yielded by
the omission of this phrase. The writer
intended to say that the cloudy pillar
talked with Moses; nor is any thing
farther necessary to justify the expres.
sion than a reference to the view, so
often repeated in the preceding Notes,
of the Shekinah of the Old Testament
economy. The aerial column, as the
enclosing receptacle of the inner 'Glory'
was the symbol of the Lord's presence
to his people, and was the visible organ
of the communication of his will. In
this character it bore the name, displayed the attributes, and claimed the
honors, of Jehovah himself. Nothing
can be more pertinent to this point than
the language of the Psalmist, Ps. 99. 7,
'He spake to them in the cloudy pillar.'
It would be easy to enlarge upon this
explanation, and to show its immense
importance as a clue to the solution of a
multitude of passages which speak of
the divine manifestations, but the extended Note at the close of chapter 14,
to which the reader is referred, will
preclude the necessity of any fuller dis.
cussion of the text before us.
10. All the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
This is sometimes erroneously inter
preted of the more civil respect and
homage paid by the people to Moses as
he passed by the doors of their tents on
his way to the Tabernacle of the Congregation.  It was unquestionably a
worship rendered to God in token of
their devout and grateful acknowlege.
ment of his goodness in restoring to
them, even though at a distance, the
symbol of his gracious presence.  It
was a virtual profession that, whatever
had been their pr Ft obliquities, they




232


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


11 And tthe LORD spake unto
Moses face to face, as a      man
speaketh unto his friend. And he
t Gen. 32. 30. Numb. 12. 8. Deut. 34. 10.


turned again into the camp; but
uhis servant Joshua the son of
Nun, a young man, departed not
out of the tabernacle.
ch. 24. 13




now considered him as the only proper
object of adoration, and would hence.
forth pay their homage to him alone.
It was an act of humble reverence very
naturally prompted by the circumstances in which they were placed.
How must their hearts have beat with
tremulous anxiety as they stood at their
tent-doors and 'looked after Moses un-,il he had gone into the Tabernacle!'
Their encampment they had so sadly
defiled by their sin that they could not
but have deep misgivings whether Jehovah would any more return to them
or accept their sacrifices, or listen to
their prayers and praises. They could
not but ask themselves, whether he
would indeed meet Moses and them
that sought him at the Tabernacle without the camp. What a relief then to
such doubts as these to see the cloudy
pillar descend! How gladdening to
their souls to behold even this partial
intimation of the reconcileableness of
their offended sovereign! In the honor
thus put upon their leader and advocate
they could not but read a token of good
to themselves. They had put off their
ornaments in obedience to the divine
injunction, and now doubtless stood
with tears of repentance awaiting the
indications of mercy or wrath. To the
joy of their hearts they behold the sig.
nal of favor and forgiveness, and see
themselves spared in that they feared!
How then could they fail to give vent
to the admiring and adoring sentiments
of their bosoms by falling down, as
prostrate worshippers, and acknowledging the clemency of the Most High!
11. And the Lord spake unto Moses
face to face, as a man speaketh unto his
friend. That is, familiarly and plain.
y, not in visions, dreams, or dark ora

cles-a privilege peculiar to Moses;
Num. 12. 6-8, 'If there be a prophet
among you, 1 the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and
will speak unto him in a dream. My
servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all my house. With him will I
speak mouth to mouth, even apparently
and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold.'
It is clear however, that this must be
understood in such a way as not to conflict with what is said, v. 20, 'Thou
canst not see my face; for there shall
no man see me and live.' There is a
sense in which God never has been nor
can be seen. Colp. John 1. 8. Col. 1.
15. 1 Tim. 6. 16. Indeed we have no
reason to suppose that a purely spiritual being can in the nature of things be
made visible to mortal eyes. We do
not even see each other's spirits. We
only see the outward material forms
through which, as a medium, the inward spirit manifests itself. So in the
present case. What Moses saw and
held communion with was not God in
his intimate essence, but God in his
sensible symbol of the Shekinah, and
this as we have before remarked is repeatedly called his 'Face' or 'Presence.'
See Note on Ex. 25. 30. Understood in
this sense all difficulty vanishes at
once, ant( leaves the two passages in
entire harmony with each other.-Chal.
'And God spake unto Moses word to
word.' Gr. evonrov cv)7rt,,( presence to
presence. —   His servant Joshua, the
son of Nun, a young man, departed not
out of the tabernacle. As it is cifficult
to conceive for what purpose Joshua
could have been required to remain in
the Tabernacle after Moses had left
it, there seems to be good ground for




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXX111.


233


12   And Moses said unto the wilt send with me. Yet thou
LORD, See, x thou sayest unto me, l hast said, y I know thee by name,
Bring up this people: and thou and thou hast also found grace in
hast not let me know whom thou my sight.


x ch. 32. 34.


y ver. 17. Gen. 18. 19. Ps. 1. 6. Jer. 1.
3. John 10. 14, 15. 2 Tim. 2. 19.


adopting the rendering of Junius and
Tremellius, approved by Pool, Patrick,
Rivet, Scott, and others, which runs
thus;-'He turned again into the camp,
(lie) and his servant Joshua, the son of
Nun, a young man; but he (i. e. the
Lord, as appearing in tile clcud) departed not out of the Tabernacle.' The
original will not only admit of this version, but the disposition of the accents
seems rather to require it. Add to this,
that the phrase ' out of the tabernacle,'
is in the Hebrew ' out of the midst of
the tabernacle,' which is more correctly applicable to the symbol of the
Presence, for we have no intimation
that any other person than iMoses went
into the Tabernacle, who seems to have
been alone admitted to the honor of
conversing with the divine Majesty.
We have little hesitation therefore, on
the whole, in adopting this as the true
sense.-As to the epithet ' young man'
applied to Joshua, it cannot be predicated of his age, for he was now about
fifty-three years old; but he was a
young man compared with Moses, and
the original term 6yF naa. is often applied to one on the ground of his acting
in a ministerial or servile capacity, as
is clearly shown in the Note on Gen.
14.24.
12. And Mloses said unto the Lord,
&c. There are few portions of the entire Pentateuch where it is so difficult
to settle with precision the order of
events as in the narrative before us.
As to the present interview, there can
be but little doubt that it took place
before Moses went to pass the second
forty days in the mount, but whether it
is to be referred to the time when he
interceded with God before coming
20*


down with the tables, or to some sub
sequent date in the interval between
the two forty-days' sojourns, is questioced by commentators.   For ourselves, '.s before remarked, we incline
to the cp).nion which supposes a trans.
position of events, and that this prayer
of Moses was really offered at the time
when he returned unto the Lord, ch.
32. 31, ant obtained the promise of an
emissary angel, ch. 32.34. But 'Angel,'
is a term of large and somewhat indefinite import, inplyimg any kind of
providential agency by means of which
Omnipotence might see fit to execute
its plans. Moses therefore was desirous of more particular information.
He wished to have the accompanying
presence not merely of an Angel, but
of the Angel, i. e. the Angel of the
divine Face; the same Angel which had
hitherto conducted their march in the
Cloudy Pillar. In urging his plea for the
bestowment of this blessing, he avails
himself of the interest which he himself
had with God as a special object of his
favor, as one whom he ' knew by name,'
i. e. as a particular friend and confidant, rendered in the Gr. 'I know thee
above all;' and in the Arab. 'I have
ennobled thy name.' God had offered
to destroy the whole nation of Israel,
and raise up another from Moses' loins,
and this token of good-will he lays
hold of as a ground of hope that the
object of his entreaty would not be denied him. It is not indeed to be sup.
posed that in using this language Mo.
ses claimed a degree of personal merit
sufficient to be the foundation of such
a request, but he knew that one favor
on the part of God was a pledge and
precursor of others, and probably the




234


EXODUS.


lB. C. 1491


13 Now therefore, I pray thee,
% if i have found grace in thy sight,
ashew me now thy way, that I
may know thee, that I may find
zch. 34. 9. aPs. 25. 4. & 27.11. & 86. 11.
& 119. 33.


grace in thy sight: and considet
that this nation is b thy people.
14 And he said, cMy presence
shall go with thee, and I will give
thee d rest.
b Deut. 9. 26, 29. Joel 2. 17. c ch. 13. 21.
& 40. 34,-38. Isai. 63. 9. d Deut. 3. 20.
Josh. 21. 44. & 22.4. & 23. 1. Ps. 95. 11.




very fact that he, notwithstanding his
unworthiness, had been so graciously
dealt with, was the moving cause of
his earnest petition for still farther
manifestations of his kindness and care.
As God had been good to him in despite of his deserts, why might he not
sue for augmented acts of clemency?
13. Shew me now thy way. That is,
show me the way in which thou wouldst
have thy people conducted to their inheritance.  Show me thy views and
purposes, thine intended ways of acting
and thy requirements of me in reference to this great object. Gr. c;,uavtuov
Apot  eavrov, discover thyself to me.
Chal. 'Show me the way of thy goodness.' Arab. 'Show me the ways of
thy good-will.' Sam. 'Show me thy
ways.' — T That I may know thee,
that I may find grace in thy sight. It
will be observed that the plea here is
peculiar, and the logic such as can be
fully appreciated only by a pious heart.
He makes the fact of his having found
grace already an argument for his finding still more. 'Lord, if it be so that
I have indeed found acceptance with
thee, then may I not confidently imnplore of thee that thou wouldst manifest thy mind and will to thy servant,
so that in obeying it, I may continue to
experience the uninterrupted and growing exhibitions of thy favor towards
aoe. Grant me light that I may cont.nue to yield thee love.' — T Consider
that this nation is thy people. In the
spirit of true prayer he presses into his
service every argument that can increase the cogency of his plea. He
does not beg the desired favor merely


on the ground of what he might be per.
mitted to urge on his own account, but
he reminds the Most High that the people of whom he was constituted leader
stood in a peculiar relation to him their
covenant God and Portion. lie had
chosen their fathers, he had delivered
them fiomn bondage, he had adopted them as his own, he had crowned
them with precious promises, and by
all the ties which bound them to himself he beseeches that he would not
leave nor cast them off. Though utterly unworthy, yet consider that they
are thine.
14. And he said, lly presence shall
go with thee. Heb. 1Z>^. nd= panae
yeli'ku, my face shall go. Chal. 'My
Majesty (e'~Z3  shekinti, my Shekinah) shall go.' Arab. 'My Light (or
Splendor) shall walk with thee until
I cause thee to rest.' The prayer oC
Moses at length prevails.  Jehovah
vouchsafes to him a definite assurance,
that the object of his suit, viz., the
same visible symbol of the divine presence which they had hitherto enjoyed,
should be granted to accompany the
host in their onward march to Canaan.
More tlan this they did not need, and
less than this could never satisfy one
who had thus experienced the divine
guidance and protection. This Presence
was in truth no other than what is call.
ed, Is. 63. 9, the Angel of God's pres.
ence,' who saved, sustained, and guided
the chosen people all the days of old.
As to the relation which this Presence.
angel bore to Christ in his human mani.
festation, see the Note on the Cloudy
Pillar at the close of the thirteenth




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXIII.


15 Xnd he said unto him, e If thy
pres nce go not with me, carry us
not up hence.
16 For wherein shall it be known
here that I and thy people have
found grace in thy sight? fIs it
not in that thou goest with us?


So g shall we be separated, I and
thy people, from all the people
that are upon the face of the
earth.
17 And the LORD said unto Moses, hI will do this thing also that
thou hast spoken: for thou hast


gch. 34. 10. Deut. 4.7,34. 2 Sam. 7. 23
ever. 3. ch.31.9. fNumb. 14.14.       1 Kings 8. 53. Ps. 147. 20. hGen. 19. 21.
James 5. 16.


chapter. —    And I will give thee rest.
That is, by subduing all thine enemies
and planting thee in triumph in the land
of promise-a promise made, however,
not to Moses in person, but to the collective people. It is in fact the Presence who is speaking, for it was with
the Shekinah that Moses leld inter.
course throughout the whole of the time
embraced in this narrative.
15. If thy presence go not, &c. Heb.
bt->! fl D    -'-r th:  im  eni pani'ka
holekim, if thy face do not go. If we
have not the peculiar manifestation of
thy presence through the wonted medium, carry us not up hence. Without
this it were better that they should remain, even at the hazard of eventually
wasting away, in the desert.  With
several commentators we take this and
the following verse to have been uttered by Moses before God gave him the
promise in the verse preceding. The
proper translation of the opening clause
we have little doubt is, 'For Moses had
said, &c.' The words are intended to
discover to us the reason of God's giv.
ing him the specific promise. It was
because Moses had made a specific request to that effect. Otherwise, we
cannot see a sufficient ground for his
so urgently renewing the petition when
God had just engaged to grant it. Was
it decorous in him to speak as if he
doubted whether Jehovah were really
in earnest in what he promised? As
to v. 17, which might seem at first view
to conflict with this suggestion, we re.
gird i: as merely Moses' own record,


slightly varied, of what God had said,
v. 14. As that answer had come in a
little out of place, he here recites the
substance of it again. We feel on the
whole quite satisfied that all the conversation we are now considering transpired before Moses came down from
the interview recorded, ch. 32. 31-35
It was on the same occasion also that
he besought a view of the divine glory,
though the mention of it was omitted
in its proper connexions. Nothing is
more common than a similar usage of
transposition among the sacred wri.
ters. —  T So shall we be separated.
Heb. '13ti3  niphlinu, gloriously or
marvellously separated; as the term is
explained at length in the Note on Ex.
8. 22. Gr. evIoarcga0aopat eyo re KatL
Xaos aov, I shall be glorified and also
thy people. The guidance of the Pillar
of Cloud, as the sensible representative
of the God of Israel, was the grand and
glorious prerogative that distinguished
them from all other people. The daily
supply of manna was indeed a miraculous token of the divine regard, but it
was not so strikingly, so signally, su.
pernatural as the mystic aerial column
brightening into a fiery pillar by night,
and darkening into a majestic cloud by
day. It was not, however, merely as a
splendid visible phenomenon that Moses prized its presence. It was because
Jehovah was in it. The virtue of his in
eftable name; the efficacy of his attri.
butes; the demonstration of his god.
head; the preintimative shadow and
symbol of his Son, wasin it, and it




lb366


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


found grace in my sight, and iI
know thee by name.
i ver. 12.


18 And he said, I beseech thee,
shew me k thy glory.
k ver. 20. 1 Tim. 6. 16.


was mainly this which gave it value
in his eyes.
18. And he said, I beseech thee, show
me thy glory. Heb. I5I= rAd bN:'Ri
hareni na eth kebodeka, make me Ipray
thee to see thy glory. Gr. ep0avirov, px
aeavrov, manifest or display thyself to
me. Arab. 'Show me even thy Light
(or Splendor).' The request of Moses,
couched in these words, involves considerations of a deep and mysterious
nature, before which we are instinctively prompted' to shrink back abashed,
with covered face and a soul filled with
awe. Yet as it forms a part of the sacred
record, and was doubtless intended to
be understood by those for whose benefit it was written, we may humbly essay
to ascertain the true import of the request, together with that of the answer
made to it. In stating then our impressions of the drift of these words, we
do not hesitate to believe, that Moses,
in beseeching that God would grant him
a view of his glory, had respect primarily to a visible glory, something which
could be seen with the bodily eyes,
and not merely to a perception of the
divine essence or an inward, mental, or
spiritual apprehension of the divine attributes. We do not say that the object of his request was exclusive of such
an inward sense or discovery of the
divine perfections as we should perhaps
most naturally connect with a sight of
the glory of God; but we are still satisfied from the context that the prominent
idea conveyed in the words of Moses'
request is that of a sensible manifestation of the divine glory. From what
he had already seen of the previous
theophanies vouchsafed to him, and
probably also from what he had heard
of similar discoveries made to others,
he was no doubt led to suppose that
there was something still behind-some


ineffable brightness, or beauty, or majesty,-immensely transcending all that
he had hitherto been permitted to wit.
ness. He doubtless felt that he had
not yet been favored to behold or understand all that was involved in the
wondrous symbol of the Shekinah.
With its daily sombre aspect and its
nightly effulgence his senses were indeed familiar; but he was assured within himself that he had never been enabled to penetrate fully its hidden recesses. Neither his eyes nor his mind
had pierced to its central mystery. Accordingly he here expresses an earnest
wish to be favored with a deeper insight into this marvellous and mystic
object. He would be made acquainted
with the nucleus enwrapped in such a
splendid envelope. And having thus
far prevailed with God by his fervent
intercession on behalf of the people, he
is emboldened to go still farther in his
request, making one concession an argument for seeking another. Whether
he conceived that any corporeal semblance would be developed to his vision,
we have no means of ascertaining; but
we believe he had some dim and shad.
owy impression that the mystery of
the Shekinah had a close relation to
the mystery of redemption, and that
a preintimation of the future glorious
manifested person of the Messiah was
in some way couched in this sublime
symbol. And in this we cannot question that he was right. The glory of
the Shekinah was the Old Testament
manifestation of Christ. He was its
inner essence. It was he who was the
true Face or Presence of Jehovah, and
as we have before remarked vol. I. p.
167, one grand object of the Savior's
transfiguration on the mount was to
afford evidence to the senses of the
identity of his glory with that of the




B. C 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXII.


237


19 And he said, lI will make all
my goodness pass before thee, and
r will proclaim the name of the
LORD before thee; mand will be
I ch. 34. 5, 6, 7. Jer. 31. 14. m Rom. 9.
15, 16, 18.


n gracious to whom I wil be gracious, and will shew mercy to
whom I will shew mercy.
n Rom. 4. 4, 16.:.


ancient Shekinah. Of this truth Moses
had undoubtedly a very vague and in.
adequate conception, and yet the little
that he did apprehend of it only stimulated his desire for fuller disclosures.
In the answer which God returned, and
the partial compliance which he yielded, we seem to read a virtual allowance of the justness of his main impression, grounded no doubt upon the
fact, that it was God's design from all
eternity to appear to the bodily eyes of
his saints in a visible external glory in
the person of Christ as God-man mediator. Of this fact all the sensible
manifestations which he had made to
Moses and other holy men were presages and pledges. Their full import
indeed had never been understood, nor
was it possible that it should be; yet
Moses was led to think it possible that
he might be more largely informed upon the subject than he had ever yet
been, and God seems not to have been
displeased with his desire. Yet he is
told that so long as he was in the flesh
it could not be gratified to its full extent. The revelation vouchsafed must
be governed by the measure of his ability
to receive it, and by the useful ends to
be answered by it. Accordingly in the
reply Jehovah says;
19. I will make all my goodness pass
before thee. Heb. 'Itd  b  kol toobi.
Gr. nrtapXsveao/lat rporepog aov rr dof yPove
ltiill pass by before thee with my Glory;
from which it would appear that the
Seventy regarded the expression as having reference to a sensible and not merely a mental manifestation. So also the
Arab. 'I wil/ make all my Light (or
Splendor) to pass by in thy presence.'
The Syriac, however, has ' all my bless

edness,' and the Chal. retains the Heb.
'goodness.' The true import of the
original, therefore, remains to be ac.
curately weighed; and this can only be
done by a reference to dominant usage.
The radical 31ta tob, good, as an adjective is expressly used in reference
to personal qualities which address
themselves to the eye, and to which in
English we apply the epithet goodly.
Thus it is said of Joseph, Gen. 39. 6.
that he was 'goodly and well-f.vored,l
and so of Moses, Ex. 2. 2, that he was
'a goodly child.' Indeed one of the
most common applications of the word
in this form is to those properties of
objects which come within the cog.
nisance of the outward senses, as any
one may be satisfied who will refer
either to a Hebrew or English Concordance. The same idea is perhaps
still more prominent in the abstract
substantive:'tI toob, goodness, which
is a designation for whatever strikes
the senses as pleasant, agreeable, beautiful, precious. This Gen.24.10, 'And
the servant took ten camels of the
camels of his master, and departed;
for all the goods (=1d) of his were in
his hand;' where we have endeavored
to show in our Note that the term is
used to denote the rich, choice, and
precious things which the servant took
from his master's effects for a present
to Rebekah and her family. Gen. 45.
18, I will give you the good (S'1t) of
the land of Egypt;' ' e. the choicest
and best parts. Deu. 6. 10, 11, 'To
give thee great and goodly ('nD) cities
which thou buildedst not, and houses
full of all good things (ilt3) which
thou filledst not,' &c. Is. 1. 19, '.If ye
be willing and obedient, ye shall eat




238


EXODUS.


[B. C. 149.


the good (.ltl) of the land.' In all
these cases it is evident that the leading import of the term is that of sensible
or physical good, and not of a moral
attribute so denominated, which is more
frequently expressed by the term C0l
hesed, as in ch. 34. 6,-' the Lord God,
merciful and gracious, long-suffering,
and abundant in goodness ('ln) and
truth,' &c. Nor, in reference to the
present passage, does it by any means
appear how a moral attribute could be
properly said to pass by or before any
one. Yet it cannot be questioned that
in other connexions, though of rare occurrence, the sense of moral goodness
or benignity is conveyed by the term,
or more properly the fruits of such an
attribute, as Ps. 31. 20.-145. 7. Is.
63. 7. Now in the present instance, if
the answer of Jehovah might be supposed to be governed by the tenor of
Moses' request, we should naturally
expect that the favor promised to be
granted would be something which
should in some way address itself to
the senses of the petitioner; for it was
doubtless mainly a sensible revelation
which he desired to have made to him.
His request was 'make me see thy
glory;' and in the answer to this, v.
22, it is said, 'It shall come to pass,
while my glory passeth by,' &c., but in
the verse before us God says, 'I will
make all my goodness pass before thee.'
It is evident, therefore, that the display
of the 'goodness' and the 'glory' is
identical, and as the latter implies
something addressed to the senses, so
also does the former. We infer then
that the leading idea conveyed by the
term '1tD goodness in the connexion is
that of something superlatively fair,
oeautiful, exquisite, excellent, splendid
-whatever in fine could enter the con.
ception of the most transcendant and
glorious visible display which the Deity
could make of himself to human vision.
At the same time, it must be granted
that the mental transition from this


grosser sense of the term  goodness,'
in its present connexion, to that of the
combination of moral qualities so denominated, is easy and natural, and almost necessary. The most gorgeous
and dazzling exhibition of a merely
sensible glory would leave the mind unsatisfied, except so far as it could be
regarded as a kind of outward reflection of mental and moral attributes of
corresponding character. In like manner, the external forms of beauty in the
works both of nature and art produce a
powerful effect upon us only as we see
reflected in them the emanations of intellectual and moral properties.
We doubt not, therefore, that there
was in these words of Jehovah a latent
implication, that the exhibition about
to be made to his servant should involve
something more than a splendid phenomenon addressed to the outward eye.
A glorious though partial disclosure
should indeed be made to his sight;
but he should withal be enabled by
means of a supernatural illumination
to pierce beyond the sensuous imagery,
and comprehend its interior meaning.
He should have a mental perception of
those divine perfections which were
so illustriously displayed in connexion
with the sublime spectacle of the She.
kinah, and the objects for which it
was granted to the chosen people.
The record of the facts, as given in
the ensuing chapter, show conclusively
that this is the true import of the declaration before us. — f I uwill proclaim the name of the Lord before thee.
Heb. 1'-) Inns t='m en= d  karatht
beshem Yehovah lepaneka, I uill call in
the name of Jehovah before thee. The
sense is no doubt substantially given in
our version, viz., that he would pro.
claim the name, or in other words
would declare the nature, the character, which was always to be associ.
ated in their minds with the dugust de.
nomination, JEHOVAH. He would make
it known as implying or tarrying with




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXIII.


239


20 And he said, Thou canst not
see my face: for o there shall no
man see me and live.
o Gen. 32. 30. Deut. 5. 24. Judg. 6. 22 &
13. 2'2. lsai. 6. 5. Rev. 1. 16, 17. See ch.
24 10.


21 And the LORD said, Behold
there is a place by me, and thou
shalt stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass,
while my glory passeth by, that I


it the exercise of a holy sovereignty in
the bestowment of grace and mercy upon such objects as to him seemed good.
The meaning therefore is; I will proclaim myself in passing by thee as the
Lord whose prerogative it is to be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and
to have mercy upon whom I will have
mercy. This shall be the substance of
what I will proclaim respecting the import of that great and fearful name.'
The clause thus understood is therefore
a mere brief compend of the more expanded declaration, ch. 34. 6, 7. It is
to be observed, however, that some critics take these words simply as yielding a reason for compliance with Moses'
request. As such a supernatural manifestation of himself to any person was
a special favor on the part of Jehovah,
to which no one could lay claim as a
right; therefore the scope of the clause
they think is to preclude any objection
to his thus distinguishing Moses rather
than any other of the Israelites, or the
Israelites themselves, rather than any
other nation. With them accordingly
the ' and' is equivalent to ' for.' ' I will
make all my goodness to pass before
thee, &c., for it is my prerogative to
show favors of this kind to whomsoever
I will.' For ourselves we prefer the
former interpretation.
20. Thou canst not see my face, &c.
That is, thou canst not fully and adequately see; thou canst not, in thy mortal state, receive the full unclouded blaze
of glory which constitutes the visible
symbol of my face or presence. It is
remarkable that one of the Rabbinical
writers speaks thus upon the text before
us; 'Of that divine glory mentioned
in the Scriptures, there is one degree


which the eyes of the prophets were
able to explore; another which all the
Israelites saw, as the cloud and consuming fire; the third is so bright and
so dazzling, thiat no mortal is able to
comprehend it; but should any one
venture to look on it, his whole frame
would  be dissolved.' R. Jehudah,
Sepher Cosri, P. 4. ~ 9. In such in
conceiveable splendor is the divine Majesty revealed to the inhabitants of the
celestial world, where he is said to
'dwell in the light which no man can
approach unto'-an intilnation which
was probably suggested to the mind of
Paul by the very incident we are now
considering. That Moses had previously been favored, in some degree, with
the vision of God's face in the bright
cloud of the Presence, is clear from v.
11, where it is expressly said that ' the
Lord spake unto Mosesface to face, as
a man speaketh unto his friend.' But
that was a limited degree of disclosure
compared with that which he now
sought, and of which the Most High
predicates the impossibility of granting it. The implication is obvious that
the display of that uncreated splendor which pertained to Christ as the
brightness of the Father's glory,' would
be altogether too overpowering for a
tenant of flesh, and could be accorded only to those who were translated
into the world of light. At the scene
of the Savior's transfiguration on the
mount, some measure of this glory
was displayed, but even then we have
reason to believe it was a mitigated
manifestation, or the powers of life in
the disciples x  luld have been utterly
extinguished. IL is only in a future state,
when this mortal shall put on inlmor



240


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


will put thee pin a cleft of the
rock; and will q cover thee with
my hand while I pass by:
PIsai.2.21.  q Ps. 91.1,4.


23 And I will take away mine
hand, and thou shalt see my back
parts: but my face shall rnot be
seen.
rver. 20.  John 1.18.


0


tality, that the desire which prompted the difficulty is removed.  It is the
Moses'petition can be gratified. Then, blessed prerogative of the tenants of
if his, 'we shall see him as he is,' that world of light, that they are pre.
without a medium and without a cloud. pared to enjoy what is prepared to be
-sIT There shall no man see me, and enjoyed. Rev. 22.4, 'His servants shall
'live. Or perhaps more literally, ' there see his face.'
shall no man see me, and be alive;'  21-23. And the Lord said, Behold,
this vision is impossible to men in there is aplace by me, &c. It is clear
their present state of existence; they that God was not displeased with the
must first pass through death, or be petition of his servant. He saw that it
translated, before they are capable of was not prompted by an idle curiosity
beholding it. This sense is somewhat or a vain presumption, but from a fer.
milder than the common one, as it re.- vent desire to enjoy more of the brightmoves the idea of arbitrary destructive- i ness of his presence. He was willing,
ness from the expression, and substi- therefore, to comply with it as far as
tutes that of intrinsic, or perhaps we would be either safe or profitable for
may say, physical impossibility. At him. But in order to this the imbecility
the same time it is unquestionable, of his nature required that certain
that it was the received opinion among precautions should be adopted. 'The
the ancient Israelites, which no one can splendor of a full display of his glory
show to have been false, that a full would be wholly insufferable, and means
view of the divine glory would at once must be resorted to to soften and milibe fatal to the beholder. Comp. Gen. gate the manifestation so that his feeble
16. 13. Judg. 6. 22, 23, and 13. 22. And powers would be able to bear it. Acit is somewhat confirmatory of this that cordingly he informs him that there is
when the Shekinah, or divine glory, a rocky recess in some part of the
filled the tabernacle, Ex. 40. 35, Moses mount near where the Cloud was abidwas not able to enter into it, i. e. he could ing, into which he should enter, and after
not make the attempt with safety to his being still farther overshadowed by the
life. So also afterwards at the dedi- divine hand, (Arab. ' I will overshadow
cation of the temple, 2 Chron. 7. 1, 2, it thee with my cloud') should be per.
is said, 'The glory of the Lord filled mitted to behold a transient glimpse of
the house, and the priests could not en- the overpowering brightness of Jeho.
ter into the house, because the glory of vali. But even this was not to be a
the Lord had filled the Lord's house.' view of his face. The interposing me.
The difficulty in both cases was the dium was to screen the vision from his
same. The glory was too splendid for sight till it had passed by, and then he
human endurance. God must ' hold back was to look upon it and behold his back
the face of his throne,' if he would spare parts, as one might behold the back of
the visual and vital powers of feeble a royal personage as he moved along
worms. Even the partial display that in majestic state in front of his train.
was made to Paul on his way to Da. Arab. ' will then take away my cloud.mascus struck him with a blindness of that thou mayst see the back parts of
some days continuance. But in heaven my Angel, for his face is not to be




B. C. 1491.]            CHAPTER XXXIII.                           241
seen.' The language of Elihu in Job, dream. My servant Moses is not so,
ch. 36. 32, is peculiarly applicable to who is faithful in all mine house. With
this part of the narrative; 'With clouds him will I speak mouth to mouth, even
he covereth the light, and comimandeth apparently, and not in dark speeches;
it not to shine, by the cloud that com- and the similitude of the Lord shall he
eth betwixt.' The language of the de- behold:' What can be meant by Moses'
scription is necessarily borrowed from  beholding ' the similitude of the Lord'
human things, though we see no reason but his being favored with the display
to doubt that it was as literally correct here recorded? And what is the similas the nature of the case would allow. itude of the Lord but he who is the
Even if it be granted that Omnipotence ' brightness of the Father's glory and
could so have softened the front aspect the express image of his person.' At
of the glory as to make it tolerable to the same time it was not, we believe,
Moses' eyes, and displayed it in a sta- a view of Christ's glory in his state of
tionary-forin without passing by,yet no- humiliation and suffering, as the manl
thing could be more expressive than the of sorrows, that was accorded to Mo.
mode adopted to convey the intimation, ses, but of the glory of his post-resurthat while a lower degree of disclosure rection state of exaltation and honor,
could be made to hin, a higher could when lie shall be revealed from heaven
not. This would be still more indubit- in a splendor that shall darken the light
able from the effect produced. Partial of the sun. For a somewhat more adeand moderated as the revelation was, quate view of this state we must have
yet the face of Moses caught a super- recourse to the scene of the Savior's
natural lustre from the glory as it pass- transfiguration, when a cloud also overed, which remained with him when he shadowed the disciples, as it doubtless
came down from the mnount, and which did Moses; and when Moses and Elias
was so overpowering to the beholders were present in glorified forms, prob.
that, from a regard to their weakness, ably because they had both in the very
he veiled himself before them. If then same place been favored with a remarka more reflected radiance from  the able manifestation of the Deity, a cocountenance of Moses, and that too incidence by the way that has generalcoming from the hinder part of the re. ly been overlooked, hut about which
splendent phenonemon, was so tral- there can be no doubt. As to Moses,
scendantly glorious, what must have the present narrative is sufficiently exbeen the effect of the unclouded light plicit, and as to Elijah we are told,
of Jehovah's face! Yet let us repeat 1 Kings, 19. 8-11, that he arose and
m  reference to this whole gracious went in the strength of his supernatural
manifestation, that the glory beheld supply of food ' forty days and forty
was unquestionably the glory of Christ. nights unto Horeb, the mount of God.
Nor are we prepared to deny that a re- And he came thither unto a cave and
splendent human form, preintimative lodged there.' This was probably the
of the Divine Man, Christ Jesus, was same cave into which Moses was made
vaguely presented to his view. At any to enter on the present occasion. Eli.
rate we would have the following pas. jah, however, was commanded to go
sage attentively considered in this con. forth, and to stand upon the mount be.
nexion, Num. 12. 6-8, 'And he said, fore the Lord; 'And behold, the Lord
Hear now my words: If there be a passed by,' as he had done in the case
prophet among you, I the Lord will of Moses, though in a different mode of
make myself known unto him in a manifestation. Still it was a real thevision, and will speak unto him in a ophany with which he was favored, and
VOL. II.     21




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


CHAPTER XXXIV.
AND the Lord said unto Moses,
aHew thee two tables of stone
like unto the first: band I will
write upon these tables the words
that were in the first tables which
thou brakest.
2 And be ready in the morning,
and come up in the morning to


a ch. 32. 16, 19.  Deut. 10. 1.  b ve. e28.
Deut. 10. 2, 4.


one that doubtless had a prospective reference to Christ; so that we can see
sufficient reason from these historical
facts for Moses and Elijah's appearing
at the scene of transfiguration. It was
natural that they should be associated
with that display of the Savior's glory
which was so similar to what they had
seen in the days of their flesh. Add
to this that Elijah was translated, and
in all probability assimilated at once,
as the saints will hereafter be, to this
very glory.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
1. And the Lord said unto M2oses,
Hew thee, &c. Heb. 5      5DD pesal
leka, hew for thyself; whereas the
former tables, both as to matter and
form, were the work of God himself.
Ex. 32. 16. The English word 'hew'
denotes a rougher process than is legitimately implied by the original, which
signifies to cut with a graving tool, to
chisel, to execute a piece of sculpture.
The divine benignity here shows itself
ready to renew the covenant which Israel had broken, but at the same time
gives a command which indicated that
favor was restored with some abatement. God would not allow the facility
of pardon to beget a presumptuous levity of spirit or slight apprehension of
the evil of sin. ' Some memento of
punishment therefore adheres to the re.
newed expression of favor. The wound
is healed, but a scar remains. The
former tables were throughout of divine


Mount Sinai, and present thyself
there to me cin the top of the
mount.
3 And no man shall d come up
with thee, neither let any tman be
seen throughout all the mount:
neither let the flocks nor herds feed
before that mount.
e chap. 19. 20. & 24. 12. d ch. 19. 12, 13,
21.
workmanship, both the material and
the writing; in the present, the writing
only. But it is enough if the writing be
his; for that is the life of the covenant.
The circumstance affords well grounded
comfort if we are touched with genuine
compunction after having proved unfaithful to our Christian vows. God is
willing to renew the covenant, if we
devoutly desire the favor at his hands.
He is still virtually saying, 'I \ill
write upon those (fleshly) tables (of
the heart) the words that were in the
first tables (in the state of innocency)
which thou brakest (in the fall of
Adam).'
2, 3. Come up in the morning unto
mount Sinai, and present thyself there
to me. Heb. Ot     n t=2= nitz.tzabta
li sham, stand for me there. That is,
take your station there and await my
coming down, as appears from v. 5. It
would seem therefore that by 'the top
of the mount' is not meant absolutely
the highest summit, but some elevated
point in the neighborhood of the sum.
mit. For as the cloud of the Shleinah
usually abode on the apex of the mount,
and yet in v. 5, is said to have 'descended,' the inference is inevitable that Mo.
ses was to station himself at a point
somewhat below the topmost brow of the
mountain. Here he was to stand alone,
and the flocks and herds were forbidden
to approach the base of the mount, in or.
der that the law might be a second time
received with the solemnity and sanctity
which marked its first delivery. The




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXIV.


243


4 1 And he hewed two tables of
stone, like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning,
and went up unto mount Sinai, as
the LORD had commanded him,
and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
5 And the LORD descended in the
cloud, and stood with him there,
and e proclaimed the name of the
LORD.
6 And the LORD passed by before
him, and proclaimed, The LORD,
The LorD f God, merciful and graecch. 33. 19. Numb. 14.17. f Numb. 14.
18.  2 Clhro. 30. 9.  Neh. 9. 17.  Ps. 86. 15.
& 103.8. & 111. 4. & 112.4. & 116.5. & 145.
8. Joel 2. 13.
whole transaction was to be so ordered
as to impress the congregation with an
awful sense of the holiness of Jehovah,
and of their own unworthiness, and with
a deep conviction that it was a matter
of no trifling moment thus to have subjected the Most High to the necessity
of deuteronomising, as we may say,
the law of the ten commandments.
4. And 1Moses rose up early in the
morning, &c. To show his alacrity
and zeal in yielding obedience to the
divine command. 'The morning is,
perhaps, as good a friend to the graces
as it is to the muses..' Henry.-~- And
took in his hand the two tables of stone.
Which it is consequently to be inferred
were thin and light and of no very great
dimensions. This is also to be inferred
from their having been deposited in the
ark, which was three feet nine inches
in length, by two feet three inches in
breadth. We can easily conceive what
an impression it must have conveyed to
the people of the dignity of the law to
see these smooth and empty tables returned from the mount re-inscribed with
the ten commandments, when they well
knew that no graving-tool or other instrument was there to be found with
which Moses could have executed the
work. They would of course refer it


cious, long-suffering, and abundant
in g goodness and h truth,
7 i Keeping mercy for thousands,
k forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and I that will by no
means clear the guilty; visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and
to the fourth generation.
g Ps. 31. 19. Rom. 2.4. h Ps. 57. 10. & 108.
4. i ch. 20. 6. Deut. 5. 10. Ps. 86.15. Jer.
32.18. Dan. 9. 4. kps. 103. 3. & 130.4.
Dan. 9. 9. Eph. 4. 32. 1 John 1. 9. 1 ch
23. 7, 21. Josh. 24.19. Job. 10. 14. Mich
6.11. Nah. 1.3.


at once not to the act of man, but to the
finger of God; and if he had written
it, they might be sure that he would
maintain it.
5. And the Lord descended in the cloud.
The cloud's descending was the Lord's
descending. According to the usage
so frequently adverted to in previous
Notes, the title of Jehovah is applied
to the symbol by which he was represented. Not that the cloud was an
arbitrary and empty emblem of a distant God, but the divine presence was
most intimately, though mysteriously,
united with it, so that for all designed
purposes it was God manifest to the
outward senses-a shadow and prein.
timation of ' God (subsequently) mani
fest in the flesh.' Arab. 'And the Angel
of God appeared in the clouds, and his
Light (or Splendor) stood with him
there.' The Most High descended in
this manner in fulfilment of his promise
before made, ch. 33. 19-23, and accordingly proclaimed, in an audible
voice, his NAMIE, that is, the character
and perfections denoted by his name.
6, 7. And the Lord passed by, &c.
Chal. 'And the Lord made his Shekinah
to pass before his face.' Arab. 'And
when the Angel of God passed before
him,' &c. The Hebrew writers, there.




244


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


fore, comparing this passage with Ex.
33. 19, 22, say, 'The Shekinah, or Divine Majesty, called I. passed by;'
thus denoting that they regarded the
Shekinah as mysteriously one with the
Father. But what was the import of
the proclamation? — T  The Lord, the
Lord God, gracious and merciful, &c.
The reader who may chance to be
familiar with the Hebrew will at once
perceive that our mode of interpunction
in this passage does not agree with that
of the original. The proper reading is
the following, 'And the Lord passed
by before him and proclaimed Jehovah,
Jehovah: God, merciful and gracious,'
&c. The august title ' Jehovah' is reduplicated by way of emphasis, as that
pre-eminent design;tion which was designed to come home to tie soul with
the utmost fulness of awful import. To
this the name 'God' (x E1) is subjoined, of which the leading idea is that
of strength, might, potency, and which
in this connexion would naturally convey the Idea of all-suficient protection
to all his people and of formidableness
to all their enemies. 'Ile is mighty in
strength; who hath hardened himself
against him, and prospered?' This
proclamation of his name as almighty
would serve as a very suitable preface
to the announcement of his moral attributes just about to follow; for it becomes us to think and to speak even of
his grace and goodness in a spirit of
holy awe, as deeply conscious how
fearful and terrible is that Being who
wields omnipotence. Iis mercies are
not the mercies of a frail feeble creature
like ourselves, but of a God of infinite
resources; and they are on this account
unspeakably endeared to the subjects
of them. 'His greatness and goodness
illustrate and set off each other. That
the terror of his greatness may not
make us afraid, we are told how good
he is; and that we may not presume
upon his goodness, we are told how
great be is.' Henry.-The attributes


that follow require to be considered a
little more in detail. —   Merciful
Heb. WM'I rahum. The import of the
term is that of tenderly kind, pitiful,
compassionate, whence the term t"^l
rahamim, bowels of mercies or compassions, Gen. 43. 14. This is that perfection of Jehovah's nature with which
we, as sinners, have the most immediate and intimate concern, and therefore
it very properly stands first in this
enumeration. It is this that constitutes
the moving spring in the great machine.
ry of benevolence, which is to be seen
in the scheme of redemption. It is the
disposition which prompts to the pity
and relief of the miserable; which ren
ders the possessor propense to acts of
kindness and clemency, like those of a
fitlihr to a child, wherever the objects
of them are found. It is an attribute
of the Godhead which is incessantly
celebrated by the inspired writers. The
Psalmist, whose pious songs are so
instinct with the praises of God, says
of him that he is 'plenteous in mercy,'
speaks again and again of the ' multitude of his mercies,' and assures us
that his 'tender mercies are over all
his works.' But it is those who live
under the gospel who see its brightest
displays, nor was it possible for any of
the Old Testament saints to speak in
such eulogy of it as the apostles Peter
and Paul, for example, in the citations
which follow; 1 Pet. 1. 3, 'Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto
a lively hope by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from  the dead,' Eph. 2.
4-7, 'But God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love wlerewith he loved
us, even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ;
(by grace ye are saved;) and hath
raised us up together, and made us sit
together in heavenly places, in Christ
Jesus: That in the ages to come he
might shew the exceeding riches of




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXIV.


245


his glace in his kindness towards us,
through Christ Jesus. ----   Gracious.
Heb. pr'n hannun; from the root Or
hanan, signifying to be kindly or graciously affectioned towards a person.
In Scripture usage this term as applied
to God and as denoting his dispositions
and dealings towards men, carries with
it the leading import of unmerited favor
or kindness. 'We call that 1127 haninah,' says Maimrlonides, which we bestow upon any mall to whom we owe
nothing.' In this sense does God bestow grace upon the sinning children of
men.   lie is rich in the donation of
favors to which they have no claim.
His abounding benignity triumphs over
their ill desert, and causes heaven to be
peopled with those who were justly the
heirs of hell. —    Long suffering.
t3ds 7'I  erek appim, long of anger,,or more literally, long of nostrils, from
the ideal connexion between the passion
of anger and its effects in inflating the
nostrils. This 'long suffering' on the
part of God is the first-fruit of his mercy
and grace. He bears long with sinners;
he delays the execution of justice; lie
waits to be gracious in despite of their
iniquities. Nothing is more wonderful
than the patience of God when we consider the provocations which he continually receives at the hands of the
ungodly. How long did he bear with
the antediluvian world! What forbear.
ance did lie exercise towards the murmuring and rebellious Israelites during
their sojourn in the wilderness, and indeed throughout all their generations!
Nay, to bring the matter home to ourselves, who is not forced to acknowledge
that he is himself a monument of the
same long-suffering and tender mercy?
Have we not provoked himn to anger
every day of our lives? Yet to the
praise of his patience here we still find
ourselves, standing on praying ground,
and favored with the offers and opportunities of pardon. Ah, how different
would be our lot had he dealt with us
21*


after our sins, or rewarded us according
to our iniquities!- -   Abundant in
goodness and truth. Heb. tl-'lI '10n 1
rab hesed ve-emeth, much in goodness,
or benignity, and truth. The idea is
that of exuberant benevolence. So rich,
so bounteous, so multitudinous, are the
expressions of the divine favor, that we
may be said to be almost overflown with
them. And not only so, not only does
his goodness abound above our deserts
and above our powers of acknowledgment, but being a God oftruth, who will
not and cannot deceive, we are assured
that every promise of further and future
good will be strictly fulfilled, and that
nothing will prevent the realization of
those eternal blessings which he has reserved for them that put their trust in
him! 'Faithful is he who hath called us,
who also will do it.' He may not indeed
in all cases speedily accomplish his
word. His ways are often directly contrary to those of reason, and a long time
elapses, and many difficulties are over.
come, but finally his truth comes without fail to a triumphant fulfilment.IT Keeping mercy for thousands. Heb.
r1Dn 1'  notzer hesed. The original
term -in hesed, mercy, here is precisely
the same with that which in the preceding clause is rendered 'goodness.' In the
former passage, therefore, reference is
had to the plenitude of the divine mercy, in the present to its perpetuity.
Chal. 'Keeping goodness to a thousand
generations.' God keeps or preserves
mercy by continually showing it in all
its various exercises to thousands of sinners in all ages and to the end of time.
His keeping it implies that it is inexhaustible; that whatever measures of
it may yet have been dispensed, an infinite sufficiency still remains behind.
He keeps it notwithstanding the crying
provocations which might move him to
cast it away. He reserves it for his
chosen people through all the days of
their unregeneracy; ne keeps it for his
backsliding Davids, and his denying




246


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


Peters, against the time in which they
shall penitently exclaim, 'I have sinned! Nay, who can tell but he may
have 'kept mercy' for him whose eye
Is now perusing these pages-kept it
year after year unto the present hour?
And shall he not accept of it? But let
us remember that although this mercy
is inexhaustible for those that shall
come after us, yet for each of us individually its day has a close. If we
embrace it not while the day lasts, the
night is not far distant when its door
will be shut against us for ever.I Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. Heb. Y3)t1 '1Y 1 iRl
wrt1rl nose avon vapesha vehattaah,
taking or bearing away (i. e. forgiving)
iniquity, trespass, and sin. This is
the climax of the present proclamation
of the divine perfections. Pardoning
mercy is specified, not only because it
is in this form that the glory of this
attribute pre-eminently shines, but because it is pardoning mercy that opens
the way for the exercise of all other
mercy. It was all important therefore for the consolation of sinners, that
this peculiar aspect of the divine goodness should be distinctly displayed.
Hence we find the terms expressive of
the sins forgiven so remarkably varied
and imultiplied, in order to imply that
all sorts and degrees of offences come
within the scope of its benign operation.
In order then that our hearts may be
duly affected by this declaration, let us
refer both to history and to experience for a confirmation of its truth.
See in the sacred records what multiplied acts and what aggravated formns
of iniquity the divine clemency has graciously passed by! What sins before
conversion! what sins after conversion!
And then if we attempt, each for himself to enumerate his own transgressions, will they not be found more in
number than the sands on the sea-shore,
and sufficient, if visited according to
their desert, to overwhelm the soul at


once in perdition! Yet if believers in
Christ these our sins are all forgiven!
How many iniquities then is God continually pardoning in every quarter of
the globe! What an idea does it give
of the divine indulgence to thiluk that
his remissions kee) pace witl our provocations! — IT 'ihat uill by no means
clear the guilty. Heb. i '  b_ npi
nakkl'h lo yenaklckh, that clearing uill
not clear; i.e. acquit, absolve, hold
guiltless. This is a clause of exceedingly ditticult interpretation, as will be
evident from the diversity of ancient
renderings, which we give before attempting to settle the genuine sense.
Chal. 'Sparing those who are converted
to his law, and not justifying those who
are not converted.' Gr. hio ova KuaOaUtE
rTo evoxov, and will not purify the
guilty. Arab. 'Who justifies and is
not justified.' Sam. ' With whom the
innocent shall not be innocent.' Vulg.
'And no person is innocent by or of
himself before thee,' which gives a
sound theological sense, viz., that no
man can make an atonement for his
own sins, or purify his own heart; inasmuch as all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. But whether
this is the idea intended to be conveyed
in this passage, is another question.
Jerus. Targ. ' He will not clear sinners
in the day of the great judgment.' Most
of these versions yield substantially,
though not very explicitly, the sense
of ours; and yet it is certain that the
language of the English text at first
blush seems to stand at least in verbal
contrariety to that of the preceding declaration; for how can it be said that
God ' forgiveth iniquity, trangression,
and sin,' if at the same time 'he will
by no means clear the guilty?' If it
were possible, therefore, on legitimate
grounds, to assign to the words a sense
which should more nearly accord with
the drift of the foregoing expressions,
it would seem to give more unity of
import to the whole address. This we




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXIV.


247


think may be very easily done without
doing the least violence to the text, or
slurring over, with some critics, the intimation doubtless intended to be conveyed, that God is a God of justice as
well as a God of mercy. From comparing this form of expression with the
usus loquendi in other cases, we are
satisfied that the true rendering is,
'who will not wholly, entirely, alto.
gether clear;' i.e. who, althougrh ner.
ciful and gracious in his dispositions,
strongly inclined to forgive, and actually forgiving in countless cases and
abundant measure, is yet not unmindful of the claims of justice. lie will
not always suffer even the pardoned
sinner to escape with entire impunity.
lie will mingle so much of the penal in
his dealings as to evince that his clein.
ency is not to be presumed upon. Accordingly a proof of this would be seen
in his visiting the iniquity of the flalhers
upon the children and their descendants
unto several generations; for this clause
is to be taken in immediate connexion
with what goes before, and as a kind of
complement to its sense. That this is
philologically the true import of the
phrase ' clearing will not clear,' the
following parallel citations we think
will put beyond question. Is. 30. 19,
'For the people shall dwell at Zion in
Jerusalem; thou shalt weep no more
(~T::L Nb 13 bako lo thibkah, weeping thou shalt not weep).' The meaning, according to Gesenius, is, not that
their weeping should utterly and absolutely cease, but that they should not
incessantly weep; they should not weep
as if they had nothing to do but to
weep; though weeping had hitherto
been prevailingly their lot, yet it should
not always continue so. They should
have a respite and remission to the effusion of their tears. So also still more
pertinently, Jer. 25. 29, 'For lo, I begin
to bring evil on the city which is called
by my name, and should ye be utterly
unpunished (it,;n non. hinnakch tin.




nnaku, clearing should ye be cleared?)?
That is, should ye be entirely and altogether exempted? Jer. 30.11,' Though
I make a full end of all nations whither
I have scattered thee, yet will I not
make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave
thee altogether unpunished (XR nm3
l.jp  nakkch lo anekkeka, clearing I
will not clear thee).' In this case the
parallelism is perfect. If the version' will not leave thee altogether unpunished'-is correctin the one case, why
should not precisely the same wordswith only the personal variation-be
rendered in the present passage, I will
not utterly or altogether acquit, absolve,
exempt from  punishment?' So also
Jer. 49. 12, 'Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup, have
assuredly drunken; and art thou he who
shall go altogether unpunished (RI'
i l  rp, hu nakoh tinnakEh, who shall
clearing be cleared?)?' Where the
sense given in our translation is undoubtedly correct. On the whole, there.
fore, there seems no room to question
that God intended in these words to intimate, that the preceding declaration of
a readiness to forgive all manner of
transgression was not to be understood
in so absolute and unqualified a sense
as to preclude all ideas of penal justice.
Though prone to pardon, yet it was to
be known that he could and would
punish, whenever his wisdom saw that
the occasion required, even in those
cases where, on the whole, his mercy
was predominant. Thus in the case of
David, while his great sin was forgiven,
and matter of praise and thanksgiving throughout eternity administered to
him, yet in 'clearing he was not wholly
cleared.' A series of chastisements and
afflictions followed him to his dying
day, that he might learn how bitter and
evil a thing it was to turn away from
God as he had rashly done. And so in
multitudes of other instances. Let us
then beware that we do not lose our.




EXODUS,


[B. C. 1491.


8 And Moses made haste, and
m bowed his head toward the earth,
and worshipped.
9 And he said, If now I have
found grace in thy sight, O Lord,
nlet my Lord, I pray thee, go
m ch. 4.31.  nch. 33. 15, 16.


selves and endanger our souls in erroneous and unauthorized views of the
pardoning mercy of the Most High.
Though inclined to forgive and to blot
out the multitudinous transgressions of
his sinful creatures, yet he would never
have them lose sight of the fact, that
no one can absolutely promise himself
Impunity in doing wrong. —I Visiting the iniquity of the fathers. An
ample exposition of the drift of this
language has already been given in the
Note on Ex. 20. 5. The Chal. supplies
what is necessarily to be understood in
this connexion; 'Visiting the iniquities
of the fathers upon the children, and
the children's children of the wicked,
to the third and fourth generation.' So
also the Targ. Jerus. ' Remembering
the sins of the wicked fathers upon the
rebellious sons, unto the third generation and the fourth generation.'
8, 9. And Moses made haste, and
bowed, &c. No doubt the effect of this
overpowering display at once upon the
senses and the soul of Moses was a
kind of rapture, which while it left him
in the possession of his reason, still
prompted him with the utmost expedition suitably to acknowledge and inprove the amazing manifestation of mercy now vouchsafed to him. HIe not only
falls down in prostrate adoration on the
earth, but seizes the encouraging words
from the mouth of the Lord, and pleads
them as a fresh argument for the forgiveness of Israel, and the continuance
of his presence among them. — ~ 0
Lord, let my Lord, Ipray thee, go among
us. Chal. 'Let I pray thee, the SheKinah of the Lord go among us.' Arab.
Let thine Angel walk among us.' The


among us (for o it is a stiff-necked
people), and pardon our iniquity
and our sin, and take us for P thine
inheritance.
och. 33.3. PDent. 32.9. Ps. 28. 9.& 33.
12. & 78. 62. & 94. 14. Jer. 10.16. Zech.
2. 12.
recent discovery made to him of what
was involved in the symbol redoubled
his anxiety as to its continuance among
them. Hence the repetition of the request. It should be remarked that in
the address the original is not 1ii-I
Yehovah, but 'RJR adonai, which is a
term of less significant but perhaps in
this relation of more endearing import,
and approaching more nearly to the
sense of Master. It is more properly
a term applicable to a restricted lordship, founded upon a peculiar relation,
subsisting by covenant or some special mode of acquisition, between the
ruler and the ruled. The fact that Israel were Jehovah's 'inheritance' would
make him their F'LU adonai, while the
fact that they were his creatures would
make him their rl';'  Yehovah. So in
the New Testament phrase, 2 Pet. 2. 1,
'denying the Lord that bought them,'
the original is Jc&nrrT); despotes instead
of KVpt,;S kurios, the usual word for
Lord and the common translation of
n1.' Yehovah; implying that their denial was the denial of a federative or
rectoral lord and governor, who had acquired a right, growing out of covenant
or pactional relations, to their homage
and loyalty. They had professed, by
assuming the Christian name, to belong
to the number of those whom Christ
had bought, possessed, or inherited, and
consequently their defection was a treasonable outrage upon their most sacred
obligations. To say that true Chris.
tians should become false teachers and
bring in damnable heresies and deny
the Lord who had really bought them
with his blood and endowed them with
his spirit, and thus bring swift destruc.




C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXTV.


249


10 ~ And he said, Behold q I
make a covenant: before all thy
people I will r do marvels, such as
have not been done in all the
q Deut. 5. 1. & 29. 12,14. r Deut. 4. 32.
2 Sim. 7. 23 Ps. 77.14. & 78. 12. & 147. 20.
tionl upon themselves, seems scarcely a
supposable mode of speech. But it
would be very applicable to those who
were only professedly Christians, and
proved recreant to their assumed character. —I For it is a stiff-necked people. Heb. Rwn qP.,iU7p   ' en ki am
keshih oreph hu, which may with equal
propriety be rendered, 'THOUGH this be
a people hard of neck.' Notwithstanding
they have proved so refractory and rebellious, that I scarcely know how to
bespeak thy favor for them, yet pardon
their iniquity and forsake them not.
Continue to vouchsafe to them the
tokens of thy presence.' See on Gen.
8. 21. —I Take us for thine inherit.
ance. Heb. l.nr'm3 nehaltanu, inherit
or possess thou us. Gr. evo0cEOa Cot, we
shall be to thee, i. e. thine. Arab. 'Elect
us.' The Targ. Jon., which is followed
by Le Clerc, gives a causative sense to
the term, 'Make us to inherit the land
which thou didst promise to our fathers,
that thou mnayst not exchange us for
another people.' The common render11g, however, is more simple, and such
as finds an echo in numerous passages
like the following; Deut. 32. 9, 'The
Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is
the lot of his inheritance.' Ps. 28. 9,
'Save thy people, and bless tline inheritance.' Ps. 33. 12, 'Blessed is the
nation whose God is the Lord; and the
people whom he hath chosen for his
own inheritance.' Ps. 78. 62, 'He gave
his people over also unto the sword;
and was wroth with his inheritance.'
The favors which Moses bespeaks in
this verse are indeed the favors which
God already explicitly promised to
grant, and yet he here renews his supplication for them with redoubled earn.


earth, nor i- any nation: and all
the people among which thou art
shall see the work of the LORD:
for it is s a terrible thing that I
will do with thee.
sDeut. 10. 21. Ps. 145. 6. lsai. 64.3.
estness; thus teaching us that the certainty of receiving good at the hand of
the Lord should never relax, but always
quicken, our prayers and endeavors to
secure it.
10. Behold I make a covenant, &c.
In such language is God pleased to signify his acceptance of and compliance
with the prayer of Moses.  In that
prayer he had virtually pleaded with
God the verification of his own words
respecting his own attributes, as a God
forgiving iniqutity, transgression, and
sin. He beseeches him to remember
and perform all the good he had prom.
ised to the chosen race, unworthy as
they were, and instead of casting them
off, to confirm them as his own inheritance, his peculiar treasure, among the
nations of the earth. To this prayer
the Lord not only lends a favoring and
consenting ear, but in order to give him
the fullest possible assurance, he renews his promise under the form of a
covenant engagement, than which no.
tlhing could be conceived more binding.
Infinite veracity seems disposed to pul.
itself under additional obligations. In
deed upon an attentive view of the whol1
context we can scarcely consider it as
any thing short of an actual and formal
renewal of the covenant which the
people had broken, and the blessings
of which they had forfeited by their
late transgression. Although the word
'covenant' is repeatedly used by the
sacred writers in the sense of solemn
promise, purpose, pledge, stipulation,
announo.ed by one party only, yet here
it seems to imply something mutual,
as God goes on to state in the first
place what he himself engages to do,
and then to command what he would




250


EXODUS.


[B.. C. 1491.


11 tObserve thou that which I
command thee this day: Behold,
uI drive out before thee the Arnorite, and the Canaanite, and the
Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the
Hivite, and the Jebusite.
12 xTake heed to thvself, lest
thou make a covenant with the
inhabitants of the land whither
thou goest, lest it be for y a snare
in the midst of thee:
13 But ye shall zdestroy their
t Deut. 5. 32. & 6. 3, 25. & 12.28, 32. & 28.
1.  u ch. 33. 2.  x (h. 23  32.  )eut. 7. 2.
Judg. 2. 2. Y ch, 23. 33. z ch. 23. 24. Deut.
12. 3.  Judg..2..


altars, break their images, and
I a cut down their groves:
14 For thou shalt worship b no
other god: for the LORD, whose
cname is Jealous, is a djealous
God:
15 e Lest thou make a coven;nt
with the inhabitants of the land,
and they f'go a whoring after their
gods, and do sacrifice unto their
gods, and one g call thee, and thou
h eat of his sacrifice;
a Deut. 7. 5. & 12. 2. Judg. 6.25. 2 Kings
18. 4. & 223. 14. 2 Chron. 31. 1. ' 34. 3, 4
b cl. 20. 3. 5. c So Isai. 9. 6. L  57. 15.  d ch
20. 5. ever. 12. f )cut. 31. 16. Judg. 2. 17
Jer. 3. 9. Ezek. 6. 9. g Numb. 25. 2. 1 ('or
10. 27.  i Ps. 106.28.  1 (or. 8. 4, 7, 10.


have them, on their part, observe; in
which he repeats in fact the leading
points that formed the conditions of
the former national compact. Compare
clhapters twenty-three and twenty-four.
— I Before all thy people I will do
marvels, such as have not been done.
Heb. Wj' N~      T  {i    niphlaoth
asher lo nibreii, marvellous things which
have not been created.  The phraseology affords another instance of that
peculiar use of the Hebrew term for
create which we have so fully illustrated in our Note on Gen. 1.1. The
allusion is doubtless to the wonderful
display of power which marked the introduction of Israel into the promised
land, and their subsequent series of
conquests, such as the dividing the
waters of Jordan, the causing the walls
of Jericho to fall down, making the sun
and moon to stand still, &c., all which
would amount to precisely that marvellous and glorious discrimination for
which Moses had prayed, Ex. 33. 16,
where the original verb 's9^&7 niph.
linu is from the same root with  A1,R3
niphlaoth, marvels, in the passage before us. ---    All the people among
which thou art. That is, all thine own
people; the nation of Israel in contradistinction from the heathen races round
about. ----    It is a terrible thing that I


will do with thee. Heb. Ad immeka
That is, not towards thee, but in thy
sighit, in thy presence, and, as it were, in
conjulnction with thee; making thee not
only a witness, but also in some sense
a Inedium, nn instrurnental agent. The
words seem to be spoken to Moses pcisonally.
11. Observe thou that which I command thee this day. What follows
frpm this verse to the end of v. 26, is
to be considered as a collection of the
most prominent precepts, forming the
conditions of the covenant on the part o:
the people. But before reciting them
God very briefly repeats the substance
of his own engagement, as a motive to
stimulate them to the performance of
theirs, to wit, that he would drive out
before them the devoted nations, and
put them in triumphant possession of
the promised land. As if he should
say, 'You see what I have pledged my
self to do; now let me see that you
will not be wanting in what I require
of you.'
12-17. Take heed to thyself, &c.
The grand prohibition which God saw
to be most needful for his people was
that against idolatry; and this accordingly occupies the series of verses from
the 12th to the 17th. The interdiction
of a covenant with the inhabitants of




B.. 491.]


CHAPTER XXXIV.


251


16 And thou take of i their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters k go a whoring after their gods,
i Deut.7. 3. 1 Kings 11. 2. Ezra 9. 2. Nell.
132.. k Numb. 25. 1, 2. 1 Kings 11. 4.
the land, to which they were going,
was but the planting of a safeguard
around the main precept.   It was
scarcely possible that they should form
treaties and alliances of any kind with
those idolatrous nations without being
inveigled into a participation of their
sin. Such connexions would be sure
to be a snare to them, and how reasonable was it that they should be forbidden to make peace with those with
whom God was making war? So far
indeed front tolerating these abominations, they were to hold themselves
bound utterly to destroy all their altars, images, and groves, and as far as
in them lay to efface every vestige of
their foul and odious worship.  For
this a reason full of awful import is
given; —   For the Lord, whose name
is Jealous, is a jealous God. That is,
whose nature is jealous; who can bear
no rival. The names of God designate
his attributes. This is mentioned here
with peculiar propriety. The covenant
made with Israel was virtually a marriage-covenant, and consequently idolatry was adultery. Every approach to
this sin, therefore, would be sure to
provoke him to jealousy, just as the infidelity of a wife stirs up the same pasison in the bosom of the injured husband. We are not indeed to transfer in
our minds human passions to the bosom
of the Deity; but the Scriptures, as we
have before remarked, are constructed
on the plan of ascribing the attributes of
humanity to God, because he often acts
in his dealings with men as they act
when under the influence of certain
passions.  To convey, therefore, an
intelligible idea, the passions themleives are affirmed of God when his conbet resembles the effect of those im.


and make thy sons go a whoring
after their gods.
17  Thou   shalt make thee no
molten gods.
I ch. 32. 8.,ev. 19. 4.
pulses in men. 'Jealousy,' says Solorumon, Prov. 6. 34, 35, ' is the rage of a
man; therefore he will not spare in the
lay of vengeance; he will not regard
any ransom, neither will he rest content though thou givest many gifts.'
This is human jealousy. What is said
of divine? Deut. 32. 21-23, 'They
have moved me to jealousy; and a fire
is kindled in mine anger, and it shall
burn to the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and
set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap mischiefs upon them,
and will spend mine arrows upon them.'
Compare Nahum. 1. 2.- rf And one
call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice.
This the apostle informs us, 1 Cor. 10.
20, 21, was equivalent in the sight of
God to one's professing himself to be of
the idolatrous communion which feasted upon the sacrifices of their demongods. The reason of this is obvious.
When the covenant people feasted upon a sacrifice, the meat was supposed
to be God's, and to be set upon his table. The feasters were accordingly
considered as his guests, entertained at
his table in token of reconciliation and
friendship. This act confirmed in the
strongest possible manner the covenant
relation supposed to exist between the
parties. Consequently, all those who
ate of the sacrifices offered to other
gods, virtually professed themselves
thereby to be the worshippers and servants of such false deities, which they
could not be without renouncing the
worship and service of the true God.
See Note on Ex. 27. 4, 5. The subsequent history, Num. 25. 1-3, shows
but too clearly how intimate is the con
nexion between the sins here mention.
ed, and how needful, though unavail.




EXODUS.


[B. C. 149L


18 ~TThe feast of m unleavened
bread shalt thou keep. Seven days
shalt thou eat unleavened bread,
as I commanded thee, in the time
of the month Abib: for in the
n month Abib thou camest out
from Egypt.
19 o All that openeth the matrix
is mine: and every firstling among
thy cattle, whether ox or sheep,
that is male.
m ch. 12. 15. &  23. 15.  n ch. 13. 4.  o ch.
13. 2, 12. & 22. 29. Ezek. 44. 30. Luke
2. 23.


20 But p the firstling of an as.
thou shalt redeem with a lamb:
and if thou redeem him not, then
shalt thou break his neck. All the
first-born of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me q empty.
21 T r Six days thou shalt work,
but on the seventh day thou shalt
rest: in earing-time and in harvest
thou shalt rest.
Pch.13. 13. Numb 18. 15. q ch. 23. 15.
Deut 16. 16.  Sam. 9. 7, 8. 2 Sam. 24.24
rch. 20 9. & 23. 12. & 35. 2. Deut. 5. 12,13
Luke 13. 14.


ing, was the caution now administered;
'And Israel abode in Shittim, and the
people began to commit whoredom
with the daughters of Moab. And they
called the people unto the sacrifices of
their gods: and the people did eat, and
bowed down to their gods. And Israel
joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the
anger of the Lord was kindled against
Israel' Compare also the melancholy
case of Solomon, 1 Kings, 11. 1-10.
18. The feast of unleavened bread
shalt thou keep. See Notes on Ex. 12.
15, 16.-13. 6, 7.-23. 15. The follow.
ing precepts, which have been for the
most part explained in the Notes on ch.
23. 1-17, relate to such points of their
religion as were peculiar to it, and such
us they would be most apt to neglect;
not such as in themselves and morally
considered were of the greatest importance.
19. All that openeth the matrix, &c.
See Notes on Ex. 13. 2, 12.-22. 29.
20. The firstling of an ass thou shalt
redeem with a lamb. That is, with a
living lamb, either of the sheep or goat,
which was to be given to the priest,
Num. 18. 15. Comp. Ex. 13. 13. On
this precept the Hebrew writers say,
'It might be redeemed with a lamb,
whether male or female, unblemished
or blemished, small or great. If a man
have no lamb to redeem it with, he may
redeem it with the value of it, and give


the price to the priest. The law comn
mandeth not a lamb to make it heavier
upon him, but lighter For if he have
the firstling of an ass which is worth
ten shekels, he may redeem it with a
lamb worth a quarter of a shekel.'
Ainsworth.
21. In earing-time and in harvest
shalt thou rest. That is, in the busi.
est seasons of the year, the seasons
of ploughing and sowing and harvest
ing. They were not to consider the
urgency of business as affording a sufficient excuse for neglecting the religious observance of the day. 'This
commandment is worthy of especial
note. Many break the Sabbatl on the
pretence of absolute necessity, because,
if in harvest time, the weather happens to be what is called bad, and the
Sabbath day be fair and fine, they
judge it perfectly lawful to employ that
day in endeavoring to save the fruits of
the field, and think that the goodness
of the day is an indication from prov.
idence that it should be thus employed.
But is not the command above pointed
directly against this? I have known
this law often broken on this pretence,
and have never been able to discover a
single instance, where the persons who
acted thus succeeded one whit better
than their more conscientious neigh.
bors, who availed themselves of no such
favorable circumstances, being deter.




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXIV.


22 T s And    thou shalt observe
the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat-harvest, and the
feast of' ingathering at the year's
end.
23 ~ t Thrice in the year shall all
your men-children appear before
the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.
sch. 23.16. Deut. 16. 10, 13. t ch. 23. 14,
17.  Deut. 16. 10.
mined to keep God's law even to the
prejudice of their secular interests; but
no man ever yet suffered loss by a conscientious attachment to his duty to
God. He who is willing and obedient
shall eat the good of the land; and God
will ever distinguish those in his providence, who respect his commandments.'
A. Clarke.
22. Thou shalt observe the feast of
weeks. Heb.     M=5 muY  rt1?2  nr hag
shabuoth taaseh leka, the feast of sevens shalt thou do unto thee. That is,
keep and celebrate by appropriate doings. So the Gr. rot.irets poi, thou shalt
do or make to me. See the phraseology
amply illustrated in the Note on Ex.
31. 16. This 'feast of weeks' was a
feast to be observed seven weeks after
the passover, called otherwise the 'feast
of Pentecost,' Lev. 23. 15, 16. Acts, 2.
1. It was held at the same time with
the feast of the first-fruits of the wheatharvest. —  T At the year's end. IIeb.
r        1n ~i'np  tekuphath hashshanah,
at the circumvolution, or circuit, of
the year; i. e. at its return; which was
in the seventh month, corresponding
with our September. The phraseology
is illustrated by a comparison of the
two following passages relative to the
invasion of Israel by Benhadad, king
of Syria. 2 Chron. 24.23, 'And it came
to pass at the end of the year (tnl~jg
rt-1n lithkuphath hashshanah), that
the host of Syria came up, &c.' 1 Kings,
20. 26. 'And it came to pass at the return of the year (r31Ui ri t lZl.  liththubath hashshanah, at the turning of
YOL II.       22


24 For I will u cast out the nations before thee, and x enlarge thy
borders: y neither shall any man
desire thy land, when thou shalt
go up to appear before the LOR:
thy God thrice in the year.
nch. 33. 2. 1lev. 18. 21. Deut. 7. 1. Ps. 78
55. & 80. 8. x Deut. 12. 20. & 19. 9. 8. y See
Gen. 35. 5. 2 Chron. 17. 10. 'rov. 16. 7.
Acts 18. 10.


the year), that Benhadad numbered the
Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight
against Israel.'
23, 24. Thrice in the year shall all
your men-children, &c. See Note on
Ex. 23. 14, 17. Deut. 16. 16. Scarcely
any feature of the religion of Israel was
more remarkable than this, or more signally declarative of a particular providence watching over the covenant race.
To the eye of reason it would no doubt
seem that the observance of this ordinance would expose them to the incursions of the surrounding nations, who
would be sure to take advantage of their
absence, and rob or capture the country.
To human reason too it might appear
to have been sufficiently perilous to be
cruel, to leave the women, the children,
the aged, and the sick, in such a de.
fenceless state. Would it not have
been better, it might be asked, that
certain delegates should have been ap.
pointed to repair to the place of worship in the name of all the rest of the
people? But God would not be served
by proxy. Hie commanded, therefore,
all the males to keep the feasts at the
place prescribed; and to remove all
apprehensions as to the safety of their
property or their families, he pledged
himself to protect their frontier and so
to overrule the minds of their enemies,
that they should not even 'desire'
to invade their land at any of those
seasons. Accordingly we look in vain
throughout the whole course of their
subsequent history for an instance of
foreign aggression made under these




254


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


25 zThou shalt not offer the
blood of my sacrifice with leaven,
a neither shall the sacrifice of the
feast of the passover be left until
the morning.
26 b The first of the first-fruits
of thy land thou shalt bring unto
the house of the LORD thy God.


cThou shalt not seethe a kid in
his mother's milk.
27 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou d these words: for
after the tenor of these words I
have made a covenant with thee,
and with Israel.


zch. 23. 15.   ch. 12, 10.  bch. 23. 19.         Deut. 14. 21. d ver. 1.  Dout
Deut. 26.2, 10.                           4. 13. & 31. 9.


circumstances. The way of duty is the
way of safety.
25, 26. Thou shalt not offer the blood,
&c. See Note on Ex. 23. 18.-12. 10.23. 19. Deut. 26. 2.
27. And the Lord said unto Moses,
Write thou these words, &c. There is
some difficulty attending the exposition
of this command to Moses respecting
the writing the words of the covenant.
It is clear from v. 1, of this chapter
that God promised to write with his
own hand the ten commandments on
the tables prepared by Moses.  The
execution of this promise we conceive
is expressly recorded in v. 28, 'And he
(i. e. God) wrote upon the tables the
words of the covenan t, the ten commandments.' The parallel narrative, Dent.
10. 1-4, puts this beyond question,
'At that time the Lord said unto me,
Hew thee two tables of stone like unto
the first, and come up unto me into the
mount, and make thee an ark of wood.
And I will write on the tables the words
that were in the first tables which thou
brakest, and thou shalt put them in the
ark. And I made an ark of shittim
wood, and hewed two tables of stone
like unto the first, and went up into the
mount, having the two tables in my
hand. And he wrote on the tables, actording to the first writing the ten cornnandments, which the Lord spake unto
you in the mount, out of the midst of the
fire, in the day of the assembly: and.he Lord gave them unto me.' What
theh were the words which Moses
wrote2  Certainly that summary of


judicial and ceremonial precepts comprised in the verses immediately preceding from v. 11th to v. 26th, which
were an appendage to the moral law,
and which formed, in all their details,
the conditions of the national covenant
on the part of the nation. But did Moses write them on the present occasion?
This we think may justly be question.
ed. By recurrence to chap. 24. 3-8,
we learn that when Moses came down
from the mount he wrote out in a hook
the collection of laws and precepts, additional to the Decaloglue which form
the contents of chapters 21, 22, and 23,
and which include every one of the
items recited in the present context
Now these laws were not inscribed on
the tables which were broken; conse.
quenity there was no occasion, on this
score, for their being re-written; and il
the book already written were preserv.
ed, was there any occasion for another
copy of the precepts being made at
all at this time? It is indeed possible that the short conmpend here recited
nay have been transcribed in l.ursu;ince
of a direction now given to that effect,
but on the whole we prefer to consider
the verse as more correctly rendered
in the pluperfect-'And the Lord had
said unto Moses, Write thou these
words,' &c. This refers the writing
back to the occasion just mentioned, of
which it is said, 'And Moses came and
told the people all the words of the
Lord, and all the judgments: and all
the people answered with one voice,
and said, All the words which the Lo4








B. t. ia,.]


CHAPTER XXXIV.


256


28 e And he was there with the
LORD forty davs and forty nights;
he did neither eat bread nor drink
eloh. 24. IS.  Deut. 9., IS.
hath said will we do. Anid Moses
wrote all the words of the Lurd, and
rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve
pillars according to the twelve tribes of
Israel. And he took the book of the
covenant, and read il the audience of
the people; and they said, All that the
Lord hath said will we do, and be
obedient. And Moses took the blood,
and sprinkled it on the people, and
said, Behold the blood of the covenant,
which the Lord hath made with you
concerning all these words.' This construction removes, as far as we can perceive, all appearance of discrepancy
between the different parts of the narrative. Having repeated the leading
specifications of the compact formerly
entered into, it was natural to advert to
the fact, that Moses had been required
to write them down at the time they
were first delivered and formally accepted and ratified. If, however, it
should still be thought probable that
some kind of writing was now enjoined
upon Moses, we are by no means disposed to join issue with such a conclusion. It is no doubt very suppos.
able, that as they had in their recent
transgression broken both the table-statutes and the book-statutes —the moral
and the ceremonial part of the covenant
-God may have seen fit, that the renewal of both these departments of the
covenant should be marked by a similar
proceeding. As he himself was pleased
to restore by re-inscribing the Decalogue, so Moses may have been ordered to re-write on parchment the prominent points of the ceremonial law, as
a token that both were again in force
in their covenant relations.
28. And he was there with the Lord


water.   And fhe wrote upon the
tables the words of the covenant,
the ten commandments.
f ver. 1. ci. 31. 18. & 32. 16. Deut. 4. 13
&  10. 2, 4.
forty days and forty nights. Being of
course miraculou.sly sustained by the
power of God without food or drink, as
in the former case, ch. 24. 18. 'It was
not long since Moses' former fast of
forty days. When he then came down
firom the hill his first question was not
for meat; and now going up again to
Sinai, he takes not any repast with him.
There is no life to that of faith. 'Man
lives not by bread only.' The vision
of God did not only satiate, but feast
him. What a blessed satiety shall there
be when we shall see him as he is,
and he shall be all in all to us; since
this very frail mortality of Moses was
sustained and comforted but with representations of his presence! I see
Moses, the receiver of the law, Elias,
the restorer of the law, Christ, the fulfiller of the old law, and author of the
new, all fasting forty days; and these
three great fasters I find together glori.
ous in mount Tabor. Abstinence merits
not, but it prepares for good duties.
Hence solemn prayer takes ever fast.
ing to attend it, and so much the rather
speeds in heaven when it is so accompanied. It is good so to diet the body,
that the soul may be fattened.' Bp.
Htall. In Dent. 9. 18, this second so.
journ is thus alluded to; 'And I fell
down before the Lord, as at the first,
forty days and forty nights: I did
neither eat bread, nor drink water, be.
cause of all your sins which ye sinned,
in doing wickedly in the sight of the
Lord, to provoke him to anger.' If we
enquire into the design of this second
forty days' withdrawment and seclu.
sion. the passage now cited seems to
disclose one at least of the grand ends
which were to be answered by it; viz.,
to convey to the people a deeper tm.






256


EXODUS.


[1. C. 141.


pression of the guilt of their recent iniquitous proceedings. What must they
think of the heinousness of their conduct when a period of forty days' earnest intercession, on the part of Moses,
accompanied by fasting and prayer,
was none too much in which to deprecate the deserved vengeance of heaven?
Could they ever after venture to deem
sin a light matter? Could they delude
themselves with the idea that God was
very easily pacified in view of a highhanded transgression? Alas, how little
aware. are most men of the aggravated
nature of sins committed against covenant vows and engagements! It is only those who live very near to the light
of the throne, and gaze like Moses upon
the burning brightness of the divine
purity that canl appreciate it aright!
They see the awful turpitude of rebellion against God, and how difficult it is
to recover the lost tokens of his favor.
This lesson was now to be taught to
the sinning congregation, and nothing
would do it more effectually than this
long period of fasting and prayer. Again,
the same honor was to be secured for
the second tables as for the first, and
though the thunders and lightnings that
marked the first delivery of the law
were not repeated, yet the forty days'
fasting of Moses was, and the tables
were to be brought forth, in that respect, 'as at the first.' All the cir.
cumstances, in fine, were to be so ordered that the deepest moral impression
should be produced upon the general
mind of the people.
The remarks of Calvin upon this
passage are well worthy of being appended in the present connexion. 'Moses was exempted from the common lot
of men that he might usher in a law
evidently from heaven. Had he been
detained but a few days upon the mount,
his authority would not have been sanc.
tioned by so illustrious a miracle. The
forty days, therefore, thus spent gave a
lull attestation to his commission as a


divine legate- for the endurance of so
long a fast evidently exceeded the powers of human nature. In order that the
majesty of the law might be unquestioned, its minister was distinguished
by an angelical glory. Hie expressly
asserts of himself that he neither drank
water nor tasted of bread, that by being thus distinguished from ordinary
mortals his official dignity might be
superior to exception. We are to understand the fast, therefore, here mentioned not as one of mere temperance
or sobriety, but of singular privilege, in
which a temporary immunity from the
infirmity of the flesh was granted,
that his condition might be shown to
be super-human. He was unconscious
of thirst, nor did he struggle any more
with the appetite for food than one of
the angels. Therefore this abstinence
was never drawn into a precedent by
any of the prophets, nor did any one
think of imitating what all knew was
not intended for themselves. I except
the case of Elijah, who was sent to renew the law which had almost perished
from Israel, and who, as a second Moses, abstained from food an(t drink for
forty days.' — IT And he urote upon
the tables, &c. That is, God wrote, as
is evident from the proof adduced under
the foregoing remarks, v. 27. 'Moses
heard, and God wrote. Our true Moses
repairs that law of God which we, in
our nature, had broken; he revives it
for us, and it is accepted of God, no
less than if the first character of his law
had been still entire. We can give no
thing but the table; it is God that must
write in it. Our hearts are but a bare
board till God by his finger engrave his
law in them.  Yea, Lord, we are a
rough quarry; hew thou us out, and
square us fit for thee to write upon.
Bp. Hall.
29. And it came to pass wthen loses
came down, &c. Notwithstanding the
slight air of confusion in the statement
of this verse, the meaning of the writer




B. I. 1491.]


CIHAPTER XXXIV.


257






29 ~ And it came to pass when' he came down from          the mount)
Moses came down from mount that Moses wist not that h the skin
Sinai (with the g two tables of of his face shone, while he taiKed
testimony in Moses' hand, when with him.
g ch. 32. 15.                 h Matt. 17. 2. 2 Cor. 3. 7. 13.
is yet too obvious to be misunderstood. personified glory of Jehovah, and the
The time of Jehovah's 'talking with image is far more grand and impressive
him' was indeed prior to his coning Conceive the word, in fact, to be but
down from the mount, and it was then another term for lightnings, and we
that his face began to shine; but he see at once with what propriety it is
had not become conscious of the fact added, 'And there was the hiding of his
till after he had descended. The rea- power.' What more striking emblem
son why his countenance shone now, could be imagined of the resistless
and not when he came down the first might of Omnipotence? Here too we
time from the mount undoubtedly was, are not improbably enabled to trace the
that during the second time he had been origin of the ancient Greek mnythologic
favored with far more glorious views of device, which represents Jupiter, the
the divine character and perfections father of the gods, as grasping the
than before. The original for ' wist lightnings or thunderbolts in his right
not that the skin of his face shone' is hand, as a symbol of his power over
'1]3  'T~ ):    '     tn E~'l  M  lo yada k/i the elements. We suggest this, how.
karan or panauv, were the verb ~)1  ever, as rather probable than certain.
karan signifies to irradiate, to shoot Whatever may be thought of it, no
forth or emit rays of light; whence, doubt can remain as to the etymologifrom the idea of shooting forth, comes cal affinity between ' rays' and ' horns,'
the noun qi keren, a horn. This fact and with this fact before us, we can
throws an important light upon the well- easily account for the strange render.
known passage in the sublime descrip- ing of the Lat. Vulgate;  Ignorabat
tion of the Most High, IIab. 3. 3, 4, quod cornuta esset facies sua,' he knew
'God came from Teman, and the Holy not that his face was HORNED, which is
One from  mount Paran. Selah. His evidently as improper as it would be
glory covered the heavens, and the to translate the word ' rayed' when ap.
earth was full of his praise. And his plied to an ox or a goat. Yet in acbrightness was as the light; he had cordance with this error, the Italian
horns coming out of his hands; and painters, who were unacquainted with
there was the hiding of his power.' any other version, have for the most
It is not perhaps to be confidently part represented Moses with the unaffirmed that this rendering is errone. couth appendage of horns!  These
ous, inasmuch as the original word is pictures have been copied into engrav.
that which is usually and properly ings, and thus it is that in ancient bibli.
translated horns. Yet we think that i cal cuts we often see him thus depict.
scarcely any one can help being con- ed. This circumstance of ' rays' and
scious of some slight incongruity in the ' horns' having a common radical has
imagery. The head, and not the hands, I led moreover to a verbal as well as a
is the proper place for the outgrowth pictorial confounding the two. Thus
of horns. But suppose the term to be the eloquent Jeremy Taylor in his
rendered  rays,' and to have reference i Holy Dying,' p. 17, describes the rts.
to the streaming or flashing splendors ing sun as ' peeping over the eastern
which emanated from the hands of the hills, thrusting out his golden horns.'
22*




258


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


The Gr. version renders nearer to the this could have happened, we feel but
sense of the original by &c 6,arrat, was little interest to inquire. Calvin thinks
glorified, or made glorious, whence it not improbable, that the miraculous
the apostle, 2 Cor. 3. 7, says, 'The effulgence may have been restrained
childre.A of Israel could not steadfast- from bursting forth until Moses came
ly behold 'he face of Moses for the into the immediate presence of Aaron
glory (6lx) of his countenance, i. e. and the people, that they might have
the exceeding brightness. Chal. 'Mo- an impressive view of the phenomenon.
ses knew not that the brightness of But however this may be, it is a theme
thie glory of his face was multiplied.' of more profitable contemplation as
Sir Thomas Brown, according to the viewed in its emblematical applicaEditor of the Pictorial Bible, is prob- tions. 'lIe wist not that the skin of
ably correct in his understanding of tle his face shone;' nor is it ever found
matter, after Tremellius and Estius; that those who bear much of the divine
'iis face was radiant, and dispersing image are conscious of the moral glory
beams, like many horns or cones about which has passed upon them. Their
his head; which is also consonant unto miinds are so fixed upon their own de.
tile original signification, and yet ob- fects; they are so deeply convinced of
served in the pieces (pictures) of our the corruption of their nature; they are
Savior and the Virgin Mary, who are so profoundly penetrated with the sense
commonly drawn with scintillations or of their ill desert, that so far from reradiant halos, about their head; which, cognising any peculiar tokens of divine
after the French expression, are called, fatvor in themselves, they are rather
the Glory.' lie remarks, moreover, prone to say with Job, 'If I had callthat the custom among painters of put- ed, and he had answered me; yet would
ting 'glories' around the heads of sa- I not believe that he had hearkened uncred persons no doubt arose from this to my voice.' Instead of realizing the
fact concerning Moses. 'We are not possession of distinguished graces, they
aware,' says he, ' of any other author- still count themselves as 'less than the
ity, except that the raiment of Christ least of all saints.' To others their
became shining at the transfiguration. spiritual excellencies shine forth with
The ancient heathen considered an ir- great lustre, but they are blind to them
radiation or lambent flame about the themselves; and the nearer they attain
head, as a manifestation of the divine to the view of the divine glory; the
favor and protection. But whether this more familiar their converse with inarose from  any tradition concerning finite excellence, the more unconscious
Moses it is irmpossible to determine.' do they become of its effects upon them.
The notions of the Mohamnmedans on Has one been recently on the mount in
this stbject, which are very curiolus, and beatific fellowship with God, the evivwhich probably arose from a Scriptural dence of it will appear whet he comes
snurce, may be seen detailed in iy down. It will show itself in the height'Life of Mohammed.' —r Wist not ened meekness and sweetness of his
that the skin of his face shone. What temper, in the sanctity of his demeanor,
was visible to others was hidden to him- in the quickened zeal of his efforts to
self. Although from the effects of his do good, and in the subdued, heavenly,
transforming communion with the di- and Christ-like spirit that breathes
vine presence ie had become in a neas- through all his deportment. But to all
are 'changed into the same image, from  this he will be himself unconscious.
glory to glory,' yet he remained in per- 'Wthatever beauty God puts upon us,
fect inconsciousness of the fact! I ow  we should still be filled with such an




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXIV.


-259


30 And when Aaron and all the
children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone;
and they were afraid to come nigh
him.
humble sense of our own unworthiness
and manifold infirmities, as will make
us even overlook and forget that which
makes our faces shine.' Ienry.
30. And they were afraid to come
nigh him. The circumstance of their
being strangely repelled from his pressence, was probably the first intimation
that Moses had of there being any thiing
preternatural or peculiar in his appearance.  How must he have been surprised to find himself the unsuspecting
cause of a dispersion among his friends,
somewhat similar to that which took
place among the band that came under
the conduct of Judas to apprehend the
Savior, when a supernatural something
in his aspect struck them so overpoweringly that ' they went backward and
fell to the ground?' But why this intimidation at this time? What rmade
Israel to shrink from the face of their
leader, intercessor, and friend? Whtt.
could render the presence of liis atfiectionate brother formidable to Aaron?
Moses had come to them with his heart
overflowing with good will, and exulting in the thought of having procured
pardon and reconciliation for their offences. Why then do they avoid his
presence, instead of greeting him with
a cordial welcome? Alas, the same inward impulse which led the first transgressors to ' hide themselves from the
presence of the Lord,' is at work ill
their bosoms. It is conscious guilt that
is driving them away from unconscious
goodness. Under the awfull terrors of
the glory of Jehovah a few weeks before they had earnestly besought, sayItg, Let Moses speak to us and we
will hear.' But now even the bare look
of Moses fills them with dismay, and
they flee from the sight of it! An ac

31 And Moses called unto them:
and Aaron and all the rulers of the
congregation returned unto him:
and Moses tallied with them.


cusing conscience has so disturbed their
perception, that the beaming radiance
of his countenance has converted him
into a flaming minister of heaven pre.
pared to execute vengeance upon them!
'That which should have comforted, af.
frights them; yea, Aaron himself, that
before went up into the mountain to see
and speak with God, now is afraid to
see him that had seen God! Such
a fear there is in guiltiness-such
confidence in innocency. When the
soul is once cleared from sin, it shall
run to that glory with joy, the least
glimpse whereof now appals it, and
sends it away in terror. IHow could
the Israelites now choose but think,
How shall we abide to look God in the
face, since our eyes are dazzled with
the face of Moses? And well may we
still argue, if the image of God which
he hath set in the fleshly forehead of
authority daunt us, how shall we stand
before the dreadful tribunal of heaven!
Bp. Hall.
31. And Moses called unto them, &c.
Whatever might have been the cause
of their fleeing, he was conscious that
it was nothing in the state of his feel.
ings towards them. The real cause,
however, was soon disclosed to him,
and far from  being elated with the
honor conferred upon him or desirous
to make his authority felt in keeping
his people at a distance, his disposition
is quite the reverse. Considered in it.
self, the phenomenon would tend great
ly to enhance his authority among the
congregation. There could not be a more
striking attestation to the divine com.
mrission which he had received, as their
leader and law-giver, than this super.
natural appearance. It invested him
with a badge of honor such as no dia.




260


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


dem cou. I have conferred. It was in
fact a crown of light to his head; and
decisively marked him out as one who
was appointed of God to fill the place
which he occupied. Yet he is far from
priding himself upon this distinction,
or from a desire to overawe his brethren. On the contrary he is exceedingly
anxious to reassure their confidence.
Accordingly in all the simplicity of a
kind and affectionate spirit, he invites
them to come near. And in order to remove all let or hindrance to their returning, he covers his face with a
veil, which he continlued to wear all
the time that he was speaking to them,
but laid aside whenever he went into


the tabernacle to appear before the
Lord. In doing this, he set a noble example of condescending meekness, of
modesty, of self-renunciation. Had he
been a man of another mould, he would
probably have stood upon his prerogative, qnd said, 'If God has been pleased miraculously to distinguish me, am
I responsible for the effects of it? If
there is a supernatural splendor about
my face, God put it there; and it is not
probable that he would have made it so
conspicuous had he intended it should
be concealed. It is much more proper
that you should hide your guilty heads,
than that I should, draw a veil over
mine.' But so spake not Moses. He
chose rather to hide from their view
the wonderful work of God upon his
person than to forego the opportunity
of declaring his will to the people-a
conduct which fully warrants the remark of Bp. Hall, that 'Moses had
more glory by his veil than by his
face.' Vain glory always defeats the
ends at which it aims, while humility
gains the point of which it little thought,
for which it was least of all anxious.
Who does but esteem Moses, modestly
shrouded in a veil, infinitely more than
he does the most loquacious boaster
and exhibitor of himself, who ever
sought to shine in the eyes of men,


while he heeded not how he might ap.
pear in the eyes of God? In this incident we learn what kind of spirit
should ever mark the deportment of
him, who is favored with high spiritual attainments and revelations. It is
indeed scarcely possible to converse
much with God without appearing more
glorious in the eyes of man. But nothing can be more foreign to the temper
of such a man than an ostentatious
blazoning of what God has done for his
soul. lie will not be forward to talk
of remarkable discoveries, to exhibit
the shining of his iace, to abash and
confound a less favored brother. On
the contrary, lie will be meek, modest.
and retiring. lie will be more anxious
to do good to others, than to gain eclat
for himself. He will accommodate himself to the weakness of those whose
progress may not have kept pace with
his own. I-le will strive to abate envy
by condescension and courtesy, nor will
he be forward to make his experiences
the theme of discourse, unless, as in the
case of Paul, a supreme regard to the
glory of God may compel him to bear
witness to extraordinary manifestations, in order to put to shame and
silence the disparaging reflections of
gainsayers. Even then it will be a reluctant disclosure that is made. It will
be made only because it is extorted by
a paramount regard to the interests ol
truth. He will say, or at least feel,
with the apostle, ' I am become a fool
in glorying; ye have compelled me.'
Again, the incident before us is a
plain and striking lesson to all who un.
dertake to instruct others. It is a piti.
ful ambition, to seek merely to shine,
The great aim of a moral teacher should
be to communicate most effectually use.
ful and saving knowledge.  In doing
this he is to think little of what imme.
diately concerns himself, or the impres.
sion which he may personally make. If
the minds of men, if the church of God,
be enlightened, what matters it if he is




I


B. C. 1491.]


CHIAPTER XXXIV.


261


32 And afterward all the children
If Israel came nigh: i and he gave
them in commandment all that
the LORD had spoken with him in
mount Sinai.
icn. 24. 3.


33 And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put k a vail on
his face.
k 2 Cor. 3. 13.. —


himself somewhat obscured? He is required to consult the condition and capacities of those for whose good he labors. He is to accommodate himself
to their weakness; he is not to op.
press their minds with a burden even of
truth; he is in all things to study their
edification. So doing he may safely
leave his reputation to God. He will
take care of it. Let his mind be intent
upon usefulness; let him be willing
joyfully to give up fame for the sake of
doing good, and he need not fear but as
much celebrity will crown his name as
will benefit the cause to which he is de.
voted, and more lie will not desire.
But the veil which Moses constantly
wore in his intercourse with the people,
he laid aside whenever he went to commune with God, and to receive instruction from him. There the lustre of his
face would be renewed and brightened
again in the beams of that splendor
from which it had been first received;
and doubtless on every return from such
visits, the Israelites would perceive
that he had been with God. And so
the truth will generally evince itself
to others whenever any one has been
favored with near approaches to God
in prayer and communion. His face
will shine brighter upon every re.
newed access to the throne of grace,
and the beauty of the Lord his God
will be upon him. He will be perceptibly more and more transformed into
the image of that with which he is
familiar.  His very exterior will be
meliorated and improved. The exercises of the closet will be seen and
felt in the serenity of his countenance,
in the benignity of the eye, in the gentle tones of the voice, and in the in

creased affability and graciousness of
the whole deportment. The world it.
self will take knowledge of the disciple
who has been with Jesus. Yet the
main remark suggested by this part of
the narrative is, that when we come to
present ourselves before God every veil
must be laid aside, and no disguise or
concealment attempted before the eyes
of him with whom we have to do, and
to whom all things are naked and open.
As we do in fact appear then in the unveiled tr:ith of our character, it is folly
to act as if it were not so; as if any
illusion could be practised upon Onmniscience. 'When Mloses went to speak
with God, he pulled off his veil. It
was good reason he should present to
God that face which he had made;
there had been more need of his veil to
hide the glorious face of God from him,
than to hide his from God; but his
faith and thankfulness serve for both
these uses. IHypocrites are contrary
to Moses. He showed his worst to
men, his best to God; they show their
best to men, their worst to God; but
God sees both their veil and their face;
and I know not whether he more hates
their veil of dissimulation, or their face
of wickedness.' Bp. altl.
33. And till Moses had done speak.
ing with them, he put a veil on his face.
The sense is undoubtedly correctly rend.
ered, although the idiom of the original
requires the insertion of till' in our
translation. Rosenmuller and some few
others do indeed contend that the true
rendering requires the omission of all
supplementary words, inasmuch as Moses intended to say that he had finished
speaking before he assumed a veil.
But this construction goes so decidedly




262


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.






-* it g


34 But 1 when Moses went in be-    35 And the children of Israel saw
fore the LORD to speak with him, the face of Moses, that the skin
he took the vail off, until he came of Moses' face shone: and Moses
out. And he came out and spake put the vail upon his face again,
unto the children  of Israel that until he went in to speak with
which he was commanded.            Him.
12 Cor. 3. 16.
against the whole current of ancient away. Now the Lord is that Spirit:
interpreters, and the manifest drift of and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
the context, that it will be superfluous there is liberty. But we all, with open
labor to confute it. We have no hesi- fice beholding as in a glass the glory
tation in taking the passage as it reads, of the Lord, are changed into the same
and thus understood we are led to view image from glory to glory, even as by
it in connexion with the typical appli. the Spirit of the Lord.' Here it is ob.
cation made of it by the apostle, 2 Cor. vious that Moses appearing with his
3. 6-18. He evidently employs the face veiled stands as a symbol of his
incident as shadowing forth in a typical own dispensation, which was in fact
way the relative glories of the legal only the gospel under a veil. Whether
and evangelical dispensations. We give IMoses himself was conscious that arry
the passage at length. I But if the such mystic or spiritual import was
ministration of death, written and en- couched under the incident may well
graven in stones, was glorious, so that be doubted; but we can have no doubt
the children of Israel could not stead. that the Spirit of God by the hand of
fastly behold the face of Moses for the Paul has sanctioned this allegorical use
glory of his countenance; which glory of the fact in question. It is plainly
was to be done away: llow shall not set before us as having a three-fold
the ministration of the Spirit be rather phasis of emblematic meaning.
glorious? For if the ministration of  (1.) It is represented as being sym.
condemnation be glory, much more bolical of the intrinsic glory or excel.
doth the ministration of righteousness lence of that dispensation, notwithexceed in glory. For even that which standing it is the special drift of the
was made glorious had no glory in this apostle to show that however glorious
respect, by reason of the glory that ex- or excellent that dispensation was, it had
celleth. For if that which is done away no glory compared with the superior
was glorious, much more that which glory of the gospel.  The law was
remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that glorious in the pure and holy nature of
we have such hope, we use great plain- its precepts, which reflected the attn.
ness of speech: And not as Moses, butes of a glorious God, and it was
which put a veil over his face, that the glorious in the circumstances of its de.
children of Israel could not steadfastly livery. But as the glory of Moses' face
look to the end of that which is abolish- was absorbed and lost in the splendot
ed: But their minds were blinded: for of God when he went into his presence
until this day remaineth the same veil in the tabernacle or on the mount, so
untaken away in the reading of the old the brightness and excellence of the
testament; which veil is done away in Mosaic dispensation are eclipsed and
Christ. But even unto this day, when swallowed up in the transcendant brightMoses is read, the veil is upon their ness of the gospel. The one is the
heart. Nevertheless, when it shall turn I shadow, the other the substance. The
to the Lord, the veil shall be taken one is a ministration of condemnation






I


B. c. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXXIV.


263


the other of justification. Let us not to the Savior Christ, the true Messiah,
then undervalue our distinguished priv- in whom all their oracles are fulfilled.
ileges. We should no doubt be prone The thick veil of error and unbelief is
to think ourselves highly favored had lupon their minds, and until that is taken
we, like the Jews, a minister of God's away, as we learn it eventually shall
word, in whose very face we could see be, the light of the glory of God in the
a miiraculous and divine light shining gospel of his Son will not shine into
continually to prove him a man of God; them.
but we have in fact a far greater priv-  But let it not be forgotten that this
ilege in the glorious gospel of the bless. veil of darkness and unbelief is not con.
ed God, which is constantly shedding lined to the Jewish people. The nat.
forth the light of life, and irradiating ural man, whether Jew or Gentile, does
men's minds with its spiritual beams.  not receive the things of the Spirit ol
(2.) It is used by the apostle to rep- God. We see it and wonder at it in
resent the comparative obscurity of' the tenl, but are unconscious of it in our.
Mosaic displensation. The veil inti- selves. Yet we are in fact monuments
mated the indistinct view which the Is- of greater obduracy than they, because
raelites had of the ultimate scope of there was in the very nature of the
their law. Theirs was a system of rites case, a veil cast over their dispensation
and ceremonlies, under' which was wrap- which is relmoved from ours. Let us
pcd up or covered a variety of spiritual be reminded then that ' if the gospel be
subjects that their nmilds did not peue- hid (Gr..ealXrju/vo,, veiled) it is hid
trate. They did not lift the veil so as to to them that are lost, in whom the
obtain a sight of the spiritual treasures god  of this world hath blinded the
which it concealed. They did not look minds of them which believe not. The
to the 'end of the commandment,' which prevailing power of a worldly spirit
was to be ' abolished,' but rested in the may as effectually tend to judaize our
mere letter, or literal meaning, which minds and thus obscure our spiritual
was comparatively meagre and barren. vision, as the strictest adherence to the
(3.) It represents the blindness and traditions of Rabbinical elders. How
ignorance under whici tile Jewish mind earnestly then should we strive to di.
labored down to the time when Paul vest ourselves of every interposing mewrote, and which is not even yet, after dium that would prevent the free adthe ilapse of eighteen hundred years, re- mission of the glorious light of the gosmoved. Age after age the inveterate pre- pel into our souls! With what a transjudice and obduracy of the Jewish heart forming power does it come! To what
has prevented them from discerning the a height of privilege and blessedness
true sense of their own law, of its fig- does it exalt its possessor! 'We all,
ures, types, and institutions, just as with open face, beholding as in a glass
effectually as the veil on the face of the glory of the Lord, are changed
Moses prevented them from beholding into the same image from glory to
the beauty of his countenance. They glory, even as by the Spirit of the
read the books of their lawgiver, but in Lord.' These words contain an evident
the sacrifices and services there pre. allusion to the Old Testament narrative
scribed they see no intimation of that which we are now considering. The
Lamb of richer blood and that Priest apostle is drawing a contrast between
of higher name, whom we are taught to the genius of the two dispensations as
recognise as foreshadowed by them. it relates to the privilege of their reThey read the predictions of the proph. spective subjects. When Moses was
ets, but they do not see them pointing favored with a partial view of the glory




264


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


of God as he passed by him, he was not
only stationed in a cave, a cleft in the
rock, but a cloud was interposed between him and the resplendent object
of his vision, lest its brightness should
be too dazzling for his visual powers.
Yet notwithstanding this precaution,
so much of the splendor of the divine
glory was communicated to his countenance that he was obliged to veil himself when he appeared before the people,
As he could not see God without the
medium of a cloud, so they could not
see him without the medium of a veil.
The one was the counterpart of the
other. But under the gospel the case
is entirely changed. We cal now look
upon the moral glory of God ' with open
face,' without any intervening cloud or
veil. And when he says we behold this
glory ' as in a glass' (KaroTrrpt? p cvi, ),
the allusion is doubtless to the effect
produced by looking into a highly burn.
ished mirror. Macknight renders it,
'we all reflecting as mirrors the glory
of the Lord.' If a strong light were
thrown upon the polished surface of a
mirror, the rays would be cast by re.
flection upon the face of the beholder,
which would consequently be strongly
illuminated. Such was the case to some
extent with Moses. The radiation that
came upon him from the glory of the
Shekinah, and so wondrously illumined
his face, was a kind of flashing reflection from the transcendant brightness
of the Deity. But still more signally
does this occur under the gospel. The
glory of God, the splendor of the divine
perfections, is thrown on the gospel, so
to speak, like a bright light on a polished mirror, and that glory is so reflected on him that believingly conteinplates it, that he appears to be transformed into the same image. Nothing
can be more significant or happy than
the figure employed; and we should at
least draw from it the inference, that
we are not to rest satisfied unless we
find that the view which we take of the


divine character in the gospel is as.
similating. No visible effect analogous
to that wrought upon Moses is indeed
to be expected to be produced upon our
bodies, but the character of our minds
will be affected, the graces of our souls
will be quickened, by habitual intercourse and converse with the glorious
realities of the gospel of Christ. Nor
should any thing short of this content
those who are hoping at last to 'awake
in his likeness.'
Again, we learn from this incident as
used by the apostle, how much the Old
Testament and the New serve mutually
to explain each other. Very often what
is obscure in the former becomes luminous in the latter; and again, what is
dark or indistinct in the New Testa.
ment often receives a flood of light
from some kindred passage in the Old.
No sentiment more injurious to the inter.
ests of truth could possibly come into
vogue, than that the Old Testament is
superseded by the New, and therefore
that the study of it has but slight claims
upon the Christian. The Old and the
New Testament form one continuous
system of revelation, the latter being
merely the developernent of the interior
sense, and the substantiation of the
typical shadows, of the former. lHe
who sees in the books of Moses and the
other writings of the O'd Testament,
nothing but the histories of certain
events long since past, and a mass of
religious usages and ceremonies practised by a particular people, with none
of which we have any special concern,
may be said to look not merely with a
veil, but with a bandage, upon his eyes,
and as he reads without understanding, he reads without prolit. Such an
one is not only unfaithful to the true
interests of his own soul, but he is guilty
of downright disparagement of the oracles of God, which are able to make us
wise unto salvation. Let us then pray
the prayer of David in reference to the
same Scriptures, 'Open thou mine eyvs




B. (C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXV.


CHAPTER XXXV.
AND    Moses gathered all the
congregation of the children
of Israel together, and said unto
them, a These are the words which
the LORD hath commanded, that
ye should do them.
a ch. 34. 32.
that I may behold wondrous things out
of thy law.'
Finally, let the suggestion comne
home to us in all its power, that if we
belong to the true Israel of God we
shall not always see thus through a
glass darkly. The glimpses of the
heavenly glory which we catch here
below from time to time are indeed refreshing and precious to the soul. But
they are transient and evanescent. God
reveals himself as lie did to Moses, in
passing by. We see him for a moment,
and he is gone. But the time is at
hand when the beatific vision will be at
once perfect and perpetual. In what
lustre and glory will the children of
the kingdom then shine forth! What
will be the blissful state of those who
shall be admitted into the paradise of
God, when they shall each of them appear in a splendor not like that which
invested Moses at mount Sinai, but
rather like that which enrobed him as
a garment of light at the transfiguration-scene of mount Tabor! How dif.
ferent from our present state! Now
we see but vaguely, and know but in
part. There we shall see face to face,
and know as we are known; for no
cloud will intercept the enraptured
vision. Was Moses made honorable
in the sight of the chosen tribes, by
converse with Jehovah at Sinai? What
then will be their glory, who shall enjoy a communion with him as uninterrupted as the flowings of his love, as
endless as the days of eternity! Be.
hold, and wonder; behold, and rejoice
In the hope of the glory of God! Then
shall the ransomed 'shine forth as the
VOL. II.     23


2 b Six days shall work be done,
but on the seventh day there shall
be to you an holy day, a sabbath
of rest to the LORD: whosoever
doeth work therein shall be put to
death.
i, ch. 20.9. & 31. 14, 15. eIcv. 23. 3. Numb.
15. 32, ac. Deut. 5. 12. Luke 13. 14.
sun in the kingdom of their Father,' a
blessed spectacle to each other, and to
all the kindreds of heaven! It will be
the eternal day of Christ's and his
saint's transfiguration, when they shall
say, with a rapture which Peter could
not feel, even on the holy mount,
'Master, it is good for us to be here!'
CHAPTER XXXV.
The Offerings for the Tabernacle.
1, 2. And lMoses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel, &c.
God having now become reconciled to
his people, and the covenant which they
had, on their part, annulled by their recent transgression, having been graciously renewed, the delayed work of
building the Tabernacle is ordered
to go on. This edifice was to be constructed and furnished of materials supplied by the liberality of the people;
and they were now gathered together
to receive afresh the intimation of tho
Lord's will respecting the undertaking.
The directions now given are prefaced
with a repetition of the law of the
Sabbath. As the sanctification of the
seventh day is all along represented as
a point of prime moment in the system
of religious service ordained by God,
we are not to be surprised to find it
again and again insisted on and enforced in a great variety of ways. In the
original the command is given in terms
of peculiar emphasis;-'On the seventh
day there shall be to you holiness, a
sabbath of sabbatism to tle Lord.' On
that day no work was to be done, not
even the work of the tabernacle. The




266


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


3 e Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath-day.
4 [ And Moses spake unto all
the congregation of the children of
Israel, saying, d This is the thing
c ch. 16. 23.  d ch. 25. 1,2.




sanctity of the Sabbath was greater
than that of the sanctuary, and its holy
rest must not be invaded under any pretence whatever. However important the
outward apparatus of worship, it was
of less consequence than the spiritual
necessities of the soul. One day in
seven was none too much to be devoted
to a hallowed recess from secular business, and to a devout meditation upon
those themes which the Sabbath was
intended to famniliarise to their minds.
It was a day commemorative of a rest
that was past, and typical of one that
was to come. Its peculiar designation,
' sabbath of sabbatism,' points to a special plenitude in the degree of rest
which it implied, as if it were a de.
signed shadow of that rest, spiritual
and eternal, which remains for the people of God. —  Whosoever doeth work
therein shall be put to death. The clear
and explicit declaration of this precept
and its frequent repetition, could leave
room for no possible doubt as to the
will of God respecting it; and consequently the guilt of violating it would
be enhanced in proportion. On these
grounds, therefore, the severe penalty
of death is annexed to the command,
from which it is evident that it was
considered in this relation as a judicial
statute.
3. Ye shall kindle no fire, &c. Not,
probably, that fires in their private
dwellings were absolutely forbidden at
all seasons, for the winters in Judea
are often very cold, but the design
seems to have been mainly to prohibit
fires being made for the purpose of car

which the LoRn commanded, saying,
5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: e whosoever
is of a willing heart, let him bring
it, an offering of the LORD; gold,
and silver, and brass,
e cli. 25. 2.
just about to be commenced, the importance and sacredness of which they
might interpret as constituting a license
for a breach of the Sabbath. By this
precept they were taught, on the other
hand, that no plea of this kind would
avail; that none of the various pro.
cesses of fiusing or moulding the gold,
or silver, or brass appointed for the
work of the tabernacle would be allowed to interfere with the devout observance of holy time, when every thing
but the duties of worship were to come
to a solemn pause. The spirit of the
precept probably applies to many species of employment which, under the
plea of necessity, are at the present day
prosecuted on the Sabbath.
5. Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord. Ileb.,h  iw terumah, a heave-offering, from 2'1 rum,
to be lifted up, exalted, elevated. Gr.
and Chal. 'a separation;' i. e. a gift
separated and set apart to the service
of God, from their other possessions.
See Note on Ex. 29. 28. In the requisition for their offerings or gifts it will
be observed that Moses put no compulsion upon the people, nor did he give
any directions as to the quantity of
the different articles which they should
bring. The whole was to be left to the
promptings of their own willing and
generous hearts. God loves a cheerful
giver, and instead of imposing a tax,
he offered them an opportunity of showing, by spontaneous expressions, how
much they were disposed to do for him
who had laid then under such infinite
obligations. The most costly offering


rying on the work of the sanctuary, was not too precious, nor was the mean




P. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXIV.


6 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
7 And rams' skins dyed red, and
halgers' skins, and shittim-wood.
8 And oil ibr the light, fand
spices for anointing oil, and for the
sweet incense,
f ch. 25. 6.
est 0oo small for him who accepteth according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. To the
same principle God now addresses hinself in nakling his demands for the
charitable contributions of his people.
Ve have not indeed any such material
building to raise, and therefore may be
sometimes prone to imagine that the
same occasion for the display of liberality does not exist. But is there not
a spiritual temple which God designs
to have erected for himself, wherein he
may be glorified? And is not that temple infinitely more dear to him than
any which can be formed by human
hands? Should not the manifestation
of his presence, and the establishment
of his kingdom in the world, call forth
our zeal, as much as the erection of
that fabric in the wilderness did the
zeal of the Israelites? The material
tabernacle was only a shadow of that
better habitation wherein God delights
to dwell. To the erection of this spiritual house every true christian Israelite
is called to contribute according as God
hath given him ability. And let it be
ever remembered that the blessing will
go with our contributions according to
the free, cordial, generous spirit with
which they are made. It is not the
amount given, but the motive of the
giver, which is of account in God's
sight. Even the poor widow who casts
in her two mites will receive an equal
plaudit with Araunah, of whom it is
sail, 'All these things did Araunah, as
a king, give unto the king.' They who
do what they can show evidently that
they would do more if they could.

9 And onyx-stonep, and stones to
be set for the ephod, and for the
breast-plate.
10 And g every wise-hearted
among you shall come, and make
all that the LORD hath commanded;
gch. 31. 6.
fT Of a willing heart.  Heb. '1b  tt3:
nedib libbo, willing (in) his heart. The
original term  'vI3 nadib, signifying
free, spontaneous, liberal, and sometimes rendered noble, is more frequently employed as a designation of princes,
from the generosity, and nobleness; and
largeness of soul by which they are sup.
posed to be characterised. In its sub.
stantive form it occurs Ps. 68. 9, 'Thou,
O God, didst send a plentiful rain,
whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary.' Ileb. 'a
rain of liberalities;' which Chandler in
his Life of David, vol. 2. p. 61, renders,
'a shower, as it were voluntarily fall.
ing,' and refers it to the abundant supply of manna and quails which descended upon the Israelites like a falling rain
from heaven; an interpretation which
seems to be confirmed by Ps. 78. 21, 27,
'He opened the doors of heaven, and
rained down manna upon them to eat.
lie rained flesh also upon them as dust,
and feathered fowls like as the sand of
the sea.'
6. Blue, and purple, and scarlet, &c.
As the principal items contained in this
chapter have already been largely considered in the Notes on chapters 25-31,
the reader is referred to them and to
the parallel texts in the margin for the
requisite explanations.
10. Every tise-h earted.  Ieb. e.
=5  =nrl kol hakam lib, every one wise
of heart; i. e. apt, skilful, ingenious
in the various kinds of workmlanship
now required. The same terin is applied to the women, v. 25, 26. The
lieb. word t7n r hokmah is used variously, according to Maimonides; some.




268


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


11 h The tabernacle, his tent, and
his covering, his taches, and his
boards, his bars, his pillars, and his
sockets;
12 i The ark, and the staves
thereof, with the mercy-seat, and
the vail of the covering;
13 The ktables, and his staves,
and all his vessels, land the shewbread;
14 m The candlestick also for the
light, and his furniture, and his
lamps, with the oil for the light;
15 nAnd the incense-altar, and
his staves, o and the anointing oil,
and p the sweet incense, and the
hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle;
16 q The altar of burnt-offering,
with his brazen grate, his staves,
and all his vessels, the laver and
his foot;
hch. 26.1,2, Ac. ich. 25.10 &c. k ch.
25. 23.  ch. 25. s0. Lev. 24. 5, 6. n ch. 25.
31, &c. nch. 30. 1. och. 30. 23. P ch 30.
34. q ch. 27. 1.
times for a deep knowledge of divine
things; sometimes for moral virtue;
sometimes, as here, for skill in mechanical arts; and sometimes for craft
and subtlety.  A passage in Ioomer,
quoted by Aristotle, remarkably coinciding with this, shows that this sense
of the term is not unknown to classical
usage; 'The gods neither made him a
ditcher, nor a plowman, nor any other
sort of wise man.' Upon this Aristotle
observes, 'We ascribe wisdomr in arts to
those who excel in them.' Indeed the
character given of Wisdom by Solomon, Prov. 8. 12, would seem to carry
with it an allusion to this sense of the
term, ' I Wisdom dwell with prudence,
and find out the knowledge of witty inventions.' The word    li'b, heart, is
used in accordance with the popular
notions of that age and people, that the
heart is the seat of the understanding.
11. The tabernacle, his tent, and his


17 r The hangings of the court,
his pillars, and their sockets, and
the hanging for the door of the
court;
18 The pins of the tabernacle,
and the pins of the court, and their
cords;
19 s The clothes of service, to do
service in the holy place, the holy
garments for Aaron the priest, and
the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.
20  T And all the congregation of
the children of Israel departed
from the presence of Moses.
21 And they came, every one
twhose heart stirred lhim up, and
every one whom    his spirit made
williing, and  they  broughIt the
LoRD's offering to the work of the
tabernacle of the   congregation,
and for all his service, and for the
holy garments.
r cl. 27. 9.  ch. 31. 10. &  39. 1, 41.  numb.
4, 5, 6, &c.  t ver. 5. 22, 36, 29. chi. 25. 2. &
36. 2.  1 Clhron. 28. 2, 9. &  29.9. 9 Ezra 7. 27.
2 Cor. 8. 12. &  9. 7.
covering. These three terms evidently
import in this connexion the three exterior sets of curtains. Compare Note
Ex. 26. 1, where this sense of 'tabernacle' and ' tent' is confirmed.
18. The pins of the tabernacle, &c
These were not particularly mentioned
before, though we have previously given
a cut of them under ch.27.10. Josephus
says that to every board of the tabernacle, and to every pillar of the court,
there were ropes or cords fastened at
the top, having the other end secured
to a rlrrtXa, nail or pin, which at a
good distance off was driven into the
ground up to the head, a cubit deep  It
was a nail or pin of this description
which Jael drove into the temples of
Sisera. See Note on Judg. 4. 21.
20, 21. And all the congregation-departed, &c. Having had the will o1
God now fully explained to them, they
proceed deliberately to act in accord



B. (C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXV.


269


22 And they came, both men and
women, as many as were willinghearted, and brought bracelets, and
ear-rings, and rings, and tablets, all;ewels of gold: and every man
that offered, offered an offering of
gold unto the LORD.


23 And u every man with whom
was found blue, and purple, and
scarlet, and fine linen, and goats'
hair, and red skins of rams, and
badgers' skins, brought them.
u 1 Chron. 29. 8.


ance with the instructions received.
They retire From the assembly to their
tents, but only to return 'again with
their offerings in their hands. They
had no bibles at home with which to
compare the requisitions of their leader, and ' see if these things were so,'
but his commands they regarded as imperative and ultimate, and would not
allow their zeal to cool before obeying
them. There was no doubt, in view of
their recent transgression, the working
of a spirit very much akin to that
awakened by the apostle and described
In his second epistle to the Corinthian
church; 'For behold this self-same
thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly
sort, what carefulness it wrought in
you, yea, what clearing of yourselves,
yea, what indignation, yea, what fear,
yea, what vehement desire, yea, what
zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things
ye have approved yourselves to be clear
in this matter.' The idea of having
once done evil ought to operate as a
powerful incentive to ever after doing
good. —     Every one whose heart
stirred him up. Heb.5 1CN '   1:3 R
asher nesaii libbo, whose heart lifted
him up. Chal. ' Whose heart was spontaneous.' Every one whose heart was
raised to a free and cheerful promptitude; and such undoubtedly was the
case with the congregation en masse.
We do not consider the language as intended to bear invidiously upon some
by implying that they were not thus
iberal; that they either did not offer
at all or at best but grudgingly. It is
rather an intimation of the general
spirit which actuated the whole body
of the people. Possibly individual ex93*


ceptions might have been found, but
they are not regarded in the comprehensive estimate of the Spirit.
22. And they came, both men and
women. Heb. 2:'s1     tI.~Y VI=   haanashim al hannashim, the men upon,
over and above, in addition to, the women; a peculiar phraseology, which
implies, according to the Jewish critic
Abrabanel, that the women came first
and presented their offerings, and were
then followed by the men. This sense
is approved by Cartwright, one of the
soundest commentators who has ever
undertaken to illustrate the Scriptures
from Rabbinical sources. Nor has the
prompt and forward obedience of woman ever belied this character in any
age of the world.-  1  And brought
bracelets, and ear-rings, &c. Their of.
ferings were various according to their
various possessions. They show themselves, if any thing, more forward to
give to the service of God than they
had before been to contribute to the
fabrication of the golden calf. There
we read of ear-rings only having been
offered, but here of all kinds of precious
articles, as if nothing was too good or
too rich to be parted with for the honor
of God. Indeed it would seem from the
final clause of v. 22, that the spirit of
the offerers was so acceptable in the
sight of God that he regarded every offering, whatever it was, as an offering
of gold.  Even the goats' hair and
rams' skins acquired so high a value in
his esteem from the motives which
prompted the givers. that they were
accounted as oblations of sure gold.
-     T  Tablets. Heb. TMI: kumaz.
This is a very donotful word. occurring




270


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


24 Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought
the LORD'S offering: and every man
with whom was found shittimwood for any work of the service,
brought it.
25 And all the women that were
w wise-hearted did spin with their
hands, and brought that which
they had.,lr'u, /oth of blue, and
of purple, and of scarlet, and of
fine linen.
26 And all the women whose
heart stirred them up in wisdom
spun goats' hair.


27 And x the rulers brought onyx
stones, and stones to be set, for the
ephod, and for the breast-plate;
28 And yspice, and oil for the
light, and for the anointing oil,
and for the sweet incense.
29 The children of Israel brought
a z willing offering unto the LoiD,
every man and woman, whose
heart made them willing to bring,
for all manner of work which the
LORD had commanded to be made
by the hand of Moses.
30 ~ And Moses said unto the
children of Israel, See, a the LORD


w ch. 28. 3. & 31.6. & 36.1. 2 Kings 23.  x 1 Chron. 29. 6. Ezra 2. 68.  ch. 30. 23.
7. Prov. 31. 19, 22, 24.                  z ver 21. 1 Chron. 29.9. a (ch. 31. 2, &c.


only here and in Num. 31. 50. Geddes,
Boothroyd, and others render it by
'lockets,' answering to the Roman
' bulla,' or the ' baccatum monile' of
Virgil, which was a necklace formed
of gems or precious stones, resembling
berries. Such trinkets are still worn by
the Arabians. Bochart supposes it was a
kind of supporting girdle worn by the wo.
men round the bosom. The Editor of the
Pictorial Bible, on the other hand, supposes it to have been an ornamented
hoop or band surrounding the head.
His plates represent such an ornament
among the articles of Egyptian costume. They were at any rate probably a part of the spoils obtained from
the Egyptians. —  I Every man that
offered. Heb. c3  hUniph, that waved;
from the circumstance of their oblations being heaved up and waved when
offered to the Lord; consequently called, Ex. 38.24, 'a wave-offering.'
25. And all the women that uwere wisehearted, &c. The sense in which 'wisdom' is predicated of all these various
arts and handicrafts has been already
explained above on v. 10. Ihere it appears that the Nwomnen were as forward
in the go:.d work as the men. They,were not only willing to give, but to
make. 'hey not only resigned their


ornaments, but went immediately to
work by spinning and weaving to fabricate such articles of tapestry as were
needed for the tabernacle. As all are
interested in the worship of God, so all
should bear a part in it. The well.
being and happiness of woman is in a
special manner vitally involved in the
existence and maintenance of religious
institutions. and why should she not be
active in promoting them? So in the
early history of the church, the Chris.
tian tabernacle, there were ' women
which labored in the gospel,' Phil. 4. 3,
and of whom Paul again says, Rom. 16.
12, that they labored in the Lord.'
29. The children of Israel brought a
willing offering, every man and woman, &c. Heb. 'lIn  nedabah, a freewill gift. The same word is rendered
in v. 3, of the ensuing chapter, ' freeoffering.' No other impulse was needed
than the generous promptings of their
own bosoms to draw from   them  the
most liberal donations to the good work
in hand. Even the maidens, who are
not prone to forget their ornaments,
now  readily divested themselves of
their bracelets, pend(ants, and jewels
to swell the amount of the general
contribution, as if more anxious for the
beautifying of the sanctuary than the




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXVI.


nath called by name Bezaleel, the    35 Them   hath he c filled with
son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the wisdom of heart, to work all man.
tribe of Judah;                    ner of wolk, of the engraver, and
31 And he hath filled him with    of the cunning workman, and of
the spirit of God, in wisdom, in the embroiderer, in blue, and in
understanding, and in knowledge, plurple, in scarlet, and in fine linen,
and in all manner of workman- and of the weaver, even of them
ship;                              that do any worl, and of those that
32 And to devise curious works, devise cunning work.
to work in gold, and in silver, and       CHAPTER XXXVI.
in brass,                        r|PHEN       wrought Bezaleel and
33 And in the cutting of stones,   I   Aholiab, and   every  awiseto set them, and in carving     of hearted man, in whom     the LORD
wood, to make any manner of cun- I put wisdom and understanding to
ning work.                         know how to work all manner of
34 And he hath put in his heart work for the service of the b sanethat he may teach, both he, and tuary, according     to all that the
bAholiab, the son of Ahisamach, Lorn had commanded.
of the tribe of Dan.                  ver. 1.   3. 1.31.3,6. 1 Kings 7. 14. 2
Chron. 2. 14. Isai. 28. 26.  a ch. 28. 3. &  31.
b ch. 31. 6.           6. &  35. 10, 35.  b ch. 25.8.
decoration of their own persons. One tifullly.  very man according as he
spirit seems to have pervaded the whole purposeth in his heart, so let him give;
people. Whatever any one possesstd not glrudgingly, or of necessity: for God
that could be alplied to the projected loveth a cheerful giver.' O what might
structure, he instantly wrote upon it I not be done for the honor of God and
Corban,' and dedicated it to the ser- the welfare of man, if this noble spirit
vice of God. Each doubtless thought every where prevailed, and men gave
himself rich, not in proportion to what to the utmost of their ability! How
he retained for his own use, but to the easy would it be to erect places ofwor.
supplies he was able to contribute. In ship, to maintain a settled ministry, to
this way the genuine influence of the supply the wants of the poor, to send
gospel always operates. Its converts the gospel to the heathen, to administer
in every age are represented as coming instruction to the ignorant, consolation
unto God, their gold and their silver to the troubled, relief to the distressed
with them.' However dear may have Well may it shame the world and the
been their earthly treasures to their church that a concern for trifles crowds
hearts, yet the love of Christ will re- out these great objects from their minds;
lax their tenacious grasp upon them, that their own petty interests take pre.
and they will be willing, at the call of cedence of the infinite and eternal in.
duty, to part with that which they most terests of God and his kingdom!
value, and deem it a privilege to give
up their all to him who has bought them    CHAPTER XXXVI.
with his blood. How little is to be lost  1. Then wrought Bezaleel and Ahoby a liberal policy and how heartily we liab, and every wise-heartel man, &c.
are to adopt it, is clearly taught in the tleb. 5 tIrn hakem l'b, wise of heart.
words of Paul, 2 Cor. 9. 6, 7, 'But this Wherever this epithet occurs the reader
I say, he which soweth sparingly, shall is to consider it as an Hebraism, even
reap also sparingly; and he which sow- though it should be met with in the
eth bountifully, shall reap also boun. New Testarent, as 1 Cor 3. 10, 'Ac.




272,XODUS.


Ll. C. 1491.


2 And Moses called Bezaleel and
Aholiab, and every wise-hearted
man, in whose heart the LORD had
put wisdom, even every one c whose
heart stirred him up to come unto
the work to do it:
3 And they received of Moses all
the offering which the children of
Israel dhad brought for the work
of the service of the sanctuary, to
make it withal. And they brought
yet unto him free-offerings every
morning.
4 And all the wise men, that
wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his
work which they made;
c ch. 35. 2, 26.1 Chron. 29. 5. d ch. 35. 27.
cording to the grace of God which is
given unto me as a wise master-builder,
I have laid the foundation.' Strictly
speaking, a man may be replete with
wisdom, and yet be a poor artificer;
and here perhaps a better version would
have been ' ingenious,' skilful,' or some
such term; or 'wise-hearted' may be
exchanged for 'wise-minded,' as 'heart,'
in the modern acceptation, is the seat
neither of wisdom, nor skill, nor ingenuity; but of love, hatred, pride,
revenge, and other similar passions;
whereas in the mind lodges not only
wisdom, properly so called, but prudence, foresight, genius, contrivance,
invention, and other kindred faculties.
Our previous explanations, however, on
the scriptural sense of this epithet have
been too full to leave the reader under
any mistake as to its meaning.
2. And Moses called, &c. Rather,
'For Moses had called," according to
very common usage.
3. And they received of Moses all the
ffering, &c. Heb. '7-']n"1 n     kol
hattcrumah, all the heaving, or heavecffeing. —.   And they brought yet
unto him free-offerings every morning.
Heb. '1~p= "p  boker boker, morning,
morning. They kept it up from day to


5 ~ And they spake unto Moses,
saying, eThe people bring much
more than enough for the service
of the work which the LORD commanded to make.
6 And Moses gave command
ment, and they caused it to be pro
claimed throughout the camp, say
ing, Let neither man nor woman
make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.
7 For the stuff they had was
sufficient for all the work to make
it, and too much.
e2 Cor. b 2, 8
day, and how long they would have
gone on, if not restrained, no one can
tell. But we are not left merely to admire their conduct. 'We should always
make it our morning's work to bring
our offering unto the Lord, even the
spiritual offerings of prayer and praise,
and a broken heart surrendered entirely
to God. This is that which the duty
of every day requires. God's compas.
sions are new every morning, and so
should our offerings be, our free offerings: God's grace to us is free, and so
should our duty to him be.' Henry.
4-7. And all the wise men-came
every man from his work, &c. The
'wise men' here mentioned were evidently the artificers or artisans who took
charge of the different departments oJ
the work. Although their several tasks
were not yet completed, yet from the
best judgment they could form of the
amount of materials requisite, they did
not hesitate to assure Moses that the
supply exceeded the demand. This re.
port was alike creditable to the artists
and to the people.  It showed conclusively the exemplary honesty of the
former. Had they been governed by
any thing but the rtrictest principles
of integrity, they would scarcely have




13. C. 149I.J


CHAPTER XXXVI.


8 T fAnd every wise-hearted man
among   them   that wrought tile
work of the tabernacle nade ten
f ch. 26. 1.
failed to seize the opportunity of enriching themselves by appropriating the
overplus of the offerings to their own
use as perquisites of their place. When
we consider that it was impossible
to determine beforehand precisely how
large an amount of materials would he
necessary for any particular province
of the work, and how desirous most
men are of having the handling and the
discretionary control of precious things,
though they may not actually use them,
it was certainly a rare example of disinterestedness and probity that was now
exhibited. With every thing to favor
peculation, they scorn to entertain tile
thought for a moment of turning the
public liberality to their private advantage. On the contrary, they determine to cut themselves off from a liability to temptation by declining to receive any more than they were conlident of having occasion for. Accordingly upon their statement to Moses lie
inmmediately issued his command il a
proclamation tlat the contributions
should cease.  Here again it is inpossible to conceive a more emphatic
testimony than this to the prolhse generosity of the people. ' Let neither
man nor woman llalie any more work
for the offering of the sanctuary!' Moses might well adopt the language of
Paul respecting the churches of Macedonia; 'Their deep poverty abounded
unto the riches of their liberality. For
to their power, I bear record, yea, and
beyond their power, they were willing
of thermselves; praying us with much
entreaty that we would receive the
gift.' It would almost seem that they
had heard ' the words of tle Lord Jesus,
how he said, It is more blessed to give
than to receive.' Alas, are we not constrained to acknowledge that this con.


curtains of fine twined linen, and
blue, and purple, and scarlet: with
cherubims of cunning work made
lie them.
duct stands in mortifying contrast with
that of the great mass of the Christian
world! Instead of giving  too much,'
where do they ever give enough? And
where do we now find mnen acting so
fully on the voluntary principle? How
small a proportion of the benevolent
offerings of Christians are brought to
the Lord's treasury?  Instead of this
they must be sent for. Numerous, expensive, and laborious agencies must
be employed, which of themselves absorb a considerable portion of the funds
raised. Collectors must go from house
to house, and even then are often esteemed unwelcome visitors; nay, so
prone is the worldly heart to evasion,
that many will consider it a good excuse for not giving to a well-known
object of benevolence, if they can say,
they have not been called on! Ah, how
different fiom the full-souled and spontaneous promptings of the Israelitish
donors on this occasion! They needed
simply to have a want stated, and then
without waiting for duty to be inculcated, appeals urged, a precise amount
prescribed, or a messenger sent, they
become the carriers of their own gifts
and pour them  in without stint till
checked by a public proclamation!
God be praised, however, that this
spirit is not entirely lacking in the
church at this day. Some there are
who only require the slightest signal
of the Lord's finger, not to be behind
the most forward Israelite in contributing to the up-building of his kingdom
on the earth. Their record is on high.
--   T Mlake any more work. That is
collect, accumulate, make ready any
more materials to work with. See this
sense of the word ' make' illustrated in
the Note on Gen. 1.2. 5.
8- 38. Made ten curtains of fine




2`74


EXODUS.


[I. C. 1491


9 '1 he length of one curtain iwas the utteluitl   edge of the curtain
twenty and eight cubits, and the in the coupling, and fifty loops
breadth of one curtain four cubits: made he upon the edge of the curthe curtains were ail of one size.  tain which coupled the second.
10 And he coupled the five cur-  18 And he made fifty taches of
tains one unto another: and the brass to couple the tent together,
other five curtains he coupled one that it might be one.
unto another.                   19 i And he made a covering for
11 And he made loops of blue on the tent of rams' skins dyed red,
the edge of one curtain from the and a covering of badgers' skins
selvedge in the coupling: likewise above that.
he made in the uttermost side of 20 ~ kAnd he made boards fbr
another curtain, in the coupling of the tabernacle of shittim-wood,
the second.                    standing up.
12 g Fifty loops made he in one  21 The length of a board was ten
curtain, and fifty loops made he in cubits, and the breadth of a board
the edge of the curtain which was one cubit and a half:
in the coupling of the second: the  22 One board had two tenons,
loops held one curtain to another. equally distant one from another:
13 And he made fifty tacles of tlus did he make for all the boards
gold, and coupled the curtains one of the tabernacle.
unto another with the taches. So  23 And he made boards for the
lit became one tabernacle.     tabernacle; twenty boards for the
14 Qi h And lie made curtains of south side southward:
goats' hair for the tent over the  24 And forty sockets of silver he
tabernacle: eleven curtains ihemade under the twenty boards;
made them.                     two sockets under one board for
15 The length of one curtain was his two tenons, and two sockets
thirty cubits, and four cubits wtas under another board for his two
the breadth of one curtain: the tenons.
eleven curtains were of one size.  25 And for the other side of the
16 And he coupled five curtains tabernacle which is toward the
by themselves, and six curtains by north corner, he made twenty
themselves.                    boards,
17 And he made fifty loops upon  26 And their forty sockets of


sch.26.5. hch. 2. 7.
twined linen, &c. We find scarcely
any thing in the sequel of this chapter
but what has been mentioned and fully
commented on in preceding Notes. Both
this and the remaining chapters of the
book are little more than a bare repetition of the contents of the previous
chapters from ch. 25th to 31st inclusive.
We shall find nothing to surprise or
weary us in this extended recital of
minute circumstances, if we hear in
mind, that it is doubtless intended as a
tacit intimation to us of the duty of fTil.


i ch. 26. 1,.  k ch. 26. 15.
filling to the letter, and with the most
scrupulous exactness, everyjot and tittle
of the word of God. Of this the narrative before us affords so striking an
instance, that it may well stand as a
grand and paramount illustration of a
general principle. Indeed it may be
said, that the whole mass of Scripture
consists chiefly of two corresponding
parts, viz., precept and example; on the
one hand the directions as to what we
are to do to filfil the divine will, and
on the other, the example of those who




1. C. 1491.J


CHIAPTER xxxvir.


275


silver; two sockets under one with gold, and made their rings of
'"oar', and two sockets under an- gold to be places for the bars, and
other board.                      overlaid with bars of gold.
27 And for the sides of the tab-  35 ~ And he made ma vail of
ernacle westward   he made six blue, and purple, and scarlet, and
boards.                          fine twined linen: with cherubimr
28 And two boards made he for made he it of cunning work.
the corners of the tabernacle in the  36 And he made thereunto four
two sides.                        pillars of shittim-wood, and over29 And they were coupled be- laid them with gold: their hooks
neath, and coupled together at the were of gold; and he cast for them
head thereof, to one ring: thus he four sockets of silver.
did to both of them in both the    37 I~ And he made a nhanging
corners.                          for the tabernacle-door of blue, and
30 And there were eight boards; purple, and scarlet, and fine twined
and their sockets were sixteen sock- linen, of needle-work;
cts of silver, under every board two  38 And the five pillars of it, with
sockets.                          their hooks: and he overlaid their
31 ~f And he made Ibars of shit- chapiters and  their fillets with
tim-wood; five for the boards of gold: but their five sockets were
the one side of the tabernacle,   of brass.
32 And five bars for the boards        CIIATER XXXVII.
of the other side of the tabernacle,  \ ND Bezaleel made athe ark
and five bars for the boards of the  Y  of shittim-wood: two cubits
tabernacle for the sides westward. and a half was the length of it, and
33 And he made the middle bar a cubit and a half the breadth of
to shoot through the boards from  it, and a cubit and a half the height
the one end to the other.         of it:
34 And he overlaid the boards
m ch. 26. 31.  n  ch. 26. 36.  a ch. 25. 10.
I ch. 26. 26.
have actually fulfilled it. The cornm that requires additional exposition. We
parison of the two cannot but be ad- have already considered its various
monitory to us, that in all things we items in minute detail in our remarks
are to work for God according to the upon the previous chapters. The execu.
pattern shown to us. In all our con- tion of each particular part, in exact
duct, whether it be in the world's estim- conformity with the directions given, is
ation a great matter or a small, it is punctiliously recited, not only for the
of the first importance that there be general reason mentioned above, but
neither a nail nor a pin, a loop nor a also to intimate with what serious and
hook, otherwise than God has corn  profound consideration the form, fur.
manded. To do his will makes every niture, uses, and typical design of this
matter great. Nothing can be a trifle remarkable structure deserved to be
that promotes his glory. 'Blessed is studied. We can scarcely suppose that
that servant whom his Lord when le so much space would have been allotted
cometh shall find so doing' as he hath to it, had it not been intended to shadow
ordered.                         forth some of the central mysteries of
redemption. What these were we have
CHAPTER XXXVII.            endeavored partially to unfold in our
There is little in the present chapter previous annotations. How far they




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491




2 And he overlaid it with pureI of it: even two rings upon the one
gold within and without, and mn;lde side of it, and two rings upon the
a crown of gold to it round about.  other side of it.
3 And he cast for it four rings ofi 4 And he made staves of shittimgold, to be set by the four corners wood, and overlaid them with gold.
were or could he understood by Moses subject. The professor, in his reply,
and his cotemporaries, it is not easy to states the instances in which gilding or
determine; but as the finer ornaments overlaying are mentioned. They are,
of the tabernacle were not to be seen in the works of the tabernacle:-the
by the common people, but only by the ark, which was covered with gold within
priests, and as the Scriptures were in- and without, and also the staves which
tended for the people at large, we can belonged to it-the table of shew-bread,
see a peculiar propriety in the verbal with its staves-the altar of burnt indescription being given at great length. cense-the boards which formed the
In the same manner, many of the events sides and the west end of the tabernain the life of Christ are in the New  cle; these were forty-eight in number,
Testament related by two, and three, each having a surface of about fortyand some by four of the Evangelists, three feet and a half: besides which,
for the same reason.                there were the five bars on each side,
For the ensuing extended note on a which bound the whole together, and
point of antiquarian interest, we have the pillars at the east end, whicl were
drawn upon the treasures of the Pic- also overlaid with gold. Then in Solotorial Bible.                      lmon's temple, the parts overlaid with
2. He overlaid it with pure gold. gold were:-the whole inside of the
Heb. IBM tzippah. 'The question here house (1 Kings, 6. 21, 22): the altar of
arises whether here and elsewhere gild- incense (ver. 20-22): the wooden chering, or actual overlaying with plates of ubim, above seventeen feet in height
metal, is intended.  It is observable (ver. 28): the floor (ver. 30): the doors
that the word  gilding' never occurs in of the oracle, on which were carved


our translation, but ' overlaying' often;
and yet there is no reason to question
that the Hebrews were at some time or
other acquainted with gilding, and it is
therefore difficult to conclude that in all
cases where the word n. tzaphah occurs it means only overlaid with plates
of metal; and this may be the rather
questioned, since the Septuagint renders
it by aKrapvuaow,, to gild, and is fol.
lowed in this by the Vulgate. Modern
translators have, however, generally
adopted the ambiguous expression, 'to
overlay;' yet one of them, Michaelis,
uses the term ' to gild' in application to
the boards of the tabernacle. lWhen


cherubim, palm-trees, and open flowers,
so that the covering gold accurately exhibited the figures of the carved work
(ver. 32-35).   ' Now,' proceeds the
professor, ' the question is, whether all
these were gilt, or covered, or overlaid
with plates of gold. I am acquainted
with no work in whlich this subject is
professedly discussed, and therefore I
submit the following remarks to your
consideration: The expression continually used for overlaying is 1gA tzaphah,
the original meaning of which in the
Arabic, Rt. tzatpha, clear, to be bright,
seems still to remain. The signification therefore is, to make clear, to render


Beckmann was writing his article oi bright; but, as is commonly the case,
gilding, he applied to Professor Tych I nothing decisive can be obtained from
Ben to furnish him with some informa- this etymology, for it is equally applitton as to the Scriptural notices on the cable to gildiig as to overlaying with




B. C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXXVII.


277


5 And he put the staves into the i 11 And he overlaid it with pure
rings by the sides of the ark, to bear gold, and made thereunto a crown
the ark.                       of gold round about.
6 [ And he made tile b mercy-  12 Also he made thereunto a
seat of pure gold: two cubits and border of an hand-breadth round
a halfuwas the length thereof, and about; and made a crown of gold
one cubit and a half the breadth for the border thereof round about.
thereof.                       13 And lie cast for it four rings of
7 And he made two cherubirs j gold, and put the rings upon the
of gold, beaten out of one piece four corners that were in the four
made he them, on the two ends of feet thereof.
the mercy-seat;                14 Over against the border were
8 One cherub on the end on this the rings, the places for the staves
side, and another cherub on the to bear the table.
other end on that side: out of the  15 And he made the staves of
mercy-seat made lie the cherubims shittim-wood, and overlaid them
on the two ends thereof.       wilh gold, to bear the table.
9 And the cherubims spread out  16 And he made the vessels
their wings on high, and covered i which were upon the table, his
with their wings over the mercy- d dishes, and his spoons, and his
seat, with their faces one to an- bowls, and his covers to cover
other; even to the mercy-seat-ward withal, of pure gold.
were the faces of the cherubims.  17 ~ And he made the e candle10 ~S And lie made c the table of Istick of pure gold; of beaten work
shittim wood: two cubits was the made he the candlestick; his
length thereof, and a cubit the shaft, and his branch, his bowls,
breadth thereof, and a cubit and a his knops, and his flowers were of
half the height thereof:       the same:


bch. 25. 17.  c ci. 25.23.
gold.' 'In some following observations
the professor omits to avail himself of
the important corroboration of his own
view (that the word translated ' to overlay' means only 'to render bright'),
which is afforded by the fact, that when
overlaying is undoubtedly intended, as
in overlaying the altar of burnt-offering
with plates of copper, quite another
word is used, 'lM'nl nehosheth, than
that which refers to the covering of the
wood-work with gold. Upon the whole,
Tychsen concl des, from a comparison
of the different passages, that gilding
is sometimes intended rather thman overlaying with plates of metal. IIe considers that the drying of the wood, and
the softness of gold, which, in regard
to staves, floors, &c., would soon be
rubbed off, occasions some difficulty in
VOL. II.      24


dch. 25. 29. e ch. 25. 31.


the notion that plates of metal were
employed; but even admitting that
such plates could be made sufficiently
fast to smooth surfaces of wvood, he
doubts whether any plates, however
thin, could be so applied as to fit and
exhibit accurately carved wooden fig.
ures and flower-work, as in 1 Kings, 6.
35. And, with regard to the parts of
the tabernacle, had they been covered
with plates of gold, would they not
have been too heavy for transportation,
particularly as several of them wera
to be carried on the shoulders of men?
He also states his impression, that the
twenty-nine talents and odd shekels ot
gold, could scarcely have been sufficient
to cover with plates of gold all the arti,
cles above enumerated after so many
vessels and other things had been made




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


18 At d six branches going out of 24 Of a talent of pure gold made
the sides thereof three branches lhe it, and all the vessels thereof,
of the candlestick out of the one | 25 1i fAnd he made the incenseside thereof, and three branches of: altar of shittim-wood: the length
the candlestick out of the other of it twas a cubit, and the breadth
side thereof:                  of it a cubit; it was four-square;
19 Three bowls made after the i and two cubits was the height of
fashion of almonds in one branch, it; the horns thereof were of the
a knop and a flower; and three same.
bowls made like almonds in an-  26 And he overlaid it with pure
other branch, a knop and a flower: gold, both the top of it, and the sides
so throughout the six branches go- thereof round about, and the horns
ing out of the candlestick.    of it: also lie made unto it a crown
20 And in the candlestick were of gold round about.
four bowls made like almonds, his  27 And he made two rings of
knops and his flowers:         gold for it under the crown there2-1 And a knopunder two branches of, by the two corners of it, upon
of the same, and a knop under two the two sides thereof, to be places
branches of the same, and a knop for the staves to bear it withal.
under two branches of the same,  28 And lie made the staves of
according to the six branches go- shittim-wood and overlaid then'
ing out of it.                 with gold.
22 Their knops and their branches  29 i Arnd lie inadce g the hol)
were of the same: all of it was one anointing oil, ard the pure incense
beaten work of pure gold.      of sweet spices, according to the
23 And he made his seven lamps, work of the apothecary.
and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes of pure gold.                 rch. 30. 1. g c.:O. 23, 34.


with pure gold. Upon the whole, Professor Tychsen thinks that the Hebrews
understood both the arts of gilding and
of overlaying with plates of metal, and
that we must be left to infer from analogy and probability which process of
the two was employed in particular
cases. Some of these arguments seem
to us to deserve great attention, and we
have little hesitation in allowing their
application to the temple of Solomon in
the instances to which Professor Tychsen adverts; and, although with somewhat more hesitation, we may allow
that collateral considerations give some
probability to their application even to
a structure so much more ancient and
so different as the tabernacle. One of
these considerations is, that gilding did
not in ancient times imply as much inferiority to overlaying with plates as at


present; for the ancient gold-beaters
had not the art of reducing the gold-leaf
to any thing like the tenuity which may
now be produced, and hence the ancient
gilding was thick, durable, and rich.
Another is, that the art of gilding was
of very high antiquity in Egypt, although it is of course impossible to say
that the art existed there previous to
the exodus of the Israelites. Herodotus
mentions Egyptian statues ornamented
with gilding; and lie also mentions
that he saw in the palace at Sais a cow
of richly gilded wood, which had been
made, in times long anterior to his own,
by Mycerinus (the son of Cheops, the
pyramid-builder) to enclose the mnni.
my of his daughter. Even at this day
we find traces of gilding on mummies
and mummy-cases, and in some in.
stances the ninmmies appear to have




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXVIII


479


CHAPTER XXXVIII.              compass thereof beneath unto the
A ND ahe made the altar of        midst ofit.
burnt-offering ofshittirn-wood:    5 And he cast four rings for the
five cubits was the length thereof, four ends of the grate of brass, to
and five cubits the breadth thereof; be pooces for the staves.
it was four-square; and three cub-  6 And lie made the staves of
its the height thereof.            shittim-wood, and overlaid them
2 And lie made the horns thereof with brass.
on the four corners of it; the horns  7 And he put the staves into the
thereof were of the same: and he rings on the sides of the altar, to
overlaid it with brass.            bear it withal; he made the altar
3 And he made all the vessels of hollow with boards.
the altar, the pots, and the shovels,  S ~ And he made b the laver of
and the basons, and    the flesh- brass, and the foot of it of brass, of
hooks, and the fire-pans: all the the looking-glasses of the women
vessels thereof made he of brass.  assembling, which assembled at
4 And he made for the altar a the door of the tabernacle of the
brazen grate of net-work under the congregation.
a ch. 27. 1.                       b ch. 30. 18.
been gilt all over.  (See ' Egyptian place of ' looking-glass,' in the various
Antiquities,' vol. ii. p. 144.) Goguet passages where it occurs, and which
thinks, indeed, that gilding was not are all incompatible with the idea of
known to the Greeks in the time of glass. Thus Job (chap. 37. 18S), 'Hast
Homer. We do not feel that this po- thou witl him spread out the sky,
sition is fairly established by the in- which is strong, and as a molten lookstance lie adduces; and if it were so, ing-glass?' and an apocryphal writer
it is not only easy to conceive, but is, (Ecclus. 12. 11.) says, 'Thou shalt be
certainly true, that the Egyptians had unto him as if thou hadst wiped a
at that time long been acquainted with looking-glass, and thou shalt know that
imany arts which were not yet known his rust hath not been altogether wiped
to the Greeks. Goguet's instance is, away.' In all these passages a metallic
that when the heifer which Nestor was Inirror is obviously intended. The word
about to offer to Minerva had, accord-. hrt  ni maroth, considered to denote mir
ing to custom, its horns ornamented rors in the present text, does not, how
with gold, the process followed by the ever, any where else occur in that sense,
operator, who came with anvil, ham. and Dr. Boothroyd, taking it in its most
mer, and pincers, is evidently not that usual sense, considers the text to mean
of gilding, but of overlaying with plates that the laver was made under the inof metal. (See 'Origine des Lois,' t. 2. spection of the women, not with their
p. 209.)' Pictorial Bible.         mirrors. This explanation seems to us
to involve greater difficulties than those
CHAPTER XXXVIII.            which it is designed to obviate. The
8. He made the laver of brass-of the common translation is perfectly contooking-glasses of the tomnen assem- sistent with the context, and with the
bling, &c. 'As the laver was of brass early history of mirrors; besides which,
or copper, it is evident that the look. all the ancient versions, as well as the
ing-glasses,' with which it was made, Jewish writers, understand mirrors to
were of the same metal. The word be intended We mayunderstand either
mirror' should have been used in the that the stock of copper in the camp




280


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


was so comparatively small, as to have
been exhausted in the other works for
the tabernacle, or else that the mirrors
of the women were particularly required
for the laver as being of a superior sort
of metal. As the wolnen who asselnbled at the tabernacle are especially
mentioned, it is not improbable that
they followed the example of the Egyptian women who took their mirrors with
them when they went to the temples.
Moses may have required them for the
laver, in order to put a stop to a practice
of which he did not approve.
'Artificial mirrors seem to have been
made as soon as men began to exercise
their ingenuity on metals and stones.
Every solid body capable of receiving a
polish would be more or less suitable
for this purpose; hence the earliest mirrors of which we possess any information were of metal. Stone mirrors are
also noticed very early; but as such
mirrors could not have been in any degree equal to those of polished metal,
they are rarely mentioned by ancient
authors, and then seem to be chiefly
used for purposes of ornament, being
polished slabs or panels fixed in the
walls of wainscoted apartments. For
this purpose the Romans preferred what
Pliny calls the obsidian stone, which
Beckmann identifies with the species
of vitrified lava now called Icelandic
agate. Plane, concave, and convex mirrors of a similar substance were in use
among the Americans when the Spaniards came among them; and they had
also others made with a mineral called
the Inca's stone, which seems to have
been a compact marcasite or pyrites,
susceptible of a fine polish, and calculated to form mirrors apparently superior to any of stone which the ancient
nations of Europe and Asia seem to
have possessed. The Americans had
also mirrors of silver, copper, and brass.
When men began to work metals, it
must soon have been discovered that
the hardest white metals reflected more


distinct images, when polished, than
any others. Of all the metals known
to the ancients, steel was the best calculated for the purpose; but Beckmiana
says that lie can discover no indications
that steel mirrors were in use among
them; and lie thinks that its liability
to contract rust and to become tarnished, prevented this otherwise desirable
metal from being employed for the purpose. We rather differ from him in this
particular. The mention of rust in the
above quotation from the Apocrypha
seems to imply that the mirror there in
view was of steel; and although it be
true that the Greeks and Romans did
not use such mirrors, it does not follow
that they were not employed in the
East, where, in most parts, the dryness
of the atmosphere exposes polished
steel to the least possible danger from
rust. In fact steel mirrors, although
in some degree superseded by lookingglasses, continue to be extensively used
in the East. After steel, in eligibility
for mirrors, comies silver; and we find
that silver mirrors are those most gen.
erally mentioned among the Greeks and
Ronans. 'In the Roman code of laws,'
says Beckmann, ' when silver plate is
nentioned, inder the heads of heirship
and succession by propinquity, silver
mirrors are rarely omitted; and Pliny,
Seneca, and other writers, who inveigh
against luxury, tell us, ridiculing the
extravagance of that age, that every
young woman in their time must have a
silver mirror. These polished silver
plates may however have been very
slight, for all the ancient mirrors pre.
served in collections, which I have seen,
are only covered with a thin coat of
that expensive metal.' There was also
in use for the same purpose a mixture
of copper and tin, producing a white
metal which would seem to have been
better adapted for mirrors than silver,
although, on some account or olher, it
was not so much esteemed for the pur.
pose. One reason probably was, tha




B1. C. 1491,             CtIAPTER     XXXVIII.                        281
this metal was more liable to be tar- superseded those of metal, which they
nished than those of silver, reqiriing to were so far fromn doing that, whatevet
be frequently brightened before being they were, they never came into use.
used. Hfence it seems that a sponge With the exception of this notice in
with pounded puinice-stone was gene- Pliny, there is no trace of glass Inirrors
rally suspended near the ancient rnir- till the the thirteenth century, after
rors.  Mirrors of copper, brass, and  which they are spoken of in the clear
gold, do not appear to have been much est manner, and continued to be menin use after the superior filness of silver tioned in every century, and at last
was discovered; yet there is no ques- mirrors of metal passed entirely out of
tion that copper and( brass were soonest notice. That the practical invention of
applied to this purpose, and (loubtless glass mirrors cannot be much earlier
continuedl to be used by those who could than the (late here assigned, seems to
inot afford silver or silvered mnirrors. be evinced by the fact, mentioned by
The use of mletallic mirrors is now, inll Beckmann, that glass mirrors continued
Europe, almost entirely confined to re- to be very scarce in France in the fourflecting telescopes. The mode of coin- teenth century. Those of nietal were
pounding the metals of which these mir- still in conlmonR   use, and the mirror of
rors are mrade, and of polishing thein ofa even the queen, Anne of Bretagne, con
proper form, is an art of great nicety.  sort of Louis XII., was of this descrip.
There is some (ifhiculty in (leterinil- tion.-On the history of mirrors, see
ing when glass mlirrors xwere inventeld. ftrther in Becklmalls I Hist. of InvenPliny alludes to attempts mnade at Sidon  tions' vol. iii. See also Goguet, 'Ori.
to forin mirrors w-ith glass, but in what gine des Lois.' t. i. p. 371; Ilariner
manner d(oes not appear; andl if the at- vol. iv. 1. 332-334; Burnder's 'Orienita:
tempts had produced any approximation  Custoins,' vol. i. p. 3-7; vol. ii. p. 52) &c
to our mirrors, they would surely have Pict. Bib.


24*




282


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


9 '[ And he made c the court: on
the south sidt southward the hangings of the ciurt were of fine twined linen, a lundred cubits:
10 Their pillars were twenty, and
their brazen sockets twenty; tile
hooks of the pillars, and their fillets, werc of silver.
11 And for the north side, the
hanging s were an hundred cubits,
their pillars were twenty, and their
sockets of brass twenty: the hooks
of the pillars, and their fillets, of
silver.
12 And for the west side      ccre
hangings of fifty cubits, their pil-.ars ten, and their sockets ten
the hooks of the pillars, and their
fillets, of silver.
c  h. 27. 9.
iF Assembling. HIeb. r';a2 tzobeoth
assembling in troops. The IIeb. word
here rendered ' assembling' is properly
a military term applied to the orderly
mutstering or marshalling of an (ara/y.
The verb from which it is derived,!_'1
tzaba, has the signification of warring
or going forth upon a military expedition, and the corresponding substantive is for the most part rendered h'ost,'
'hosts;' sometimes 'war,' or 'warfare.'
But as the regu'arity and order which
marked the services of the sanctuary
resembled those which prevail in a welldisciplined army, one party succeeding
and relieving another in the disclarge
of their appropriate duties, the term
became at length applied to the orderly
-ourse of ministration in the matter of
the worship of God, as may be seen
from the following passages; Num. 4.
23, 'All that enter in to perform the
service (3 '2 R=2 litzbo tzaha, to war
the warfare;) i. e. performn the service,
to do the work of the tabernacle; Cr.
AXtroovpyEc, to minister. Num. 8. 24,
'From twenty and five years old and upward they will go in to uwait itpon the
tervice (R2~S R2;2 lilzbo tzaba, to u'ar


13 And for the east side eastward
fifty cubits.
14 The hangings of the one side
of the gate were fifteen cubits;
their pillars three and their sockets three.
15 And for the other side of the
court-gate, on this hand and that
hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; tleir pillars three, and their
sockets three.
16 All the hangings of the court
round about were of fine twined
linen.
17 And the sockets for the pillars
were of brass; the hooks of the
pillars, and their fillets, of silver
and tlie overlaying of their chapiters (f silver; and all the pillars of
the court were filleted with silver.


the uarfare) of the tabernacle.'  So
with probably a like sense Paul says
to Timothy, 'that thou mightest uar a
good warfare;' as if it were a usII.il
phrase to signify the service of God.
In the present instance accordingly we
suppose the word is applied to certain
women of the congregation who had
devoted themselves, from the promptings of a peculiar spirit of piety, to various functions pertaining to the tabernacle service, for the same or a similar
reason to that for which the term is ap.
plied to men when busied in the like
employment. In strict parallelism with
this we find tle word occurring I Sam.
2. 22. 'And how they lay with the
womnen that assembled (nK-tnI hatz.
tzobeoth) at the door of the congregation; i. e. who were convened there as
female ninisters for pious purposes.
So it is said of Anna, the prophetess,
Luke 2. 26, that she 'departed not from
the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.' With
this mode of interpretation-the assembling for purposes of pious ministry-.
several of the ancient versions strikingly accord. Thus, the Chal. 'Of the mir.




B. C. 1491.1


CHAPTER XXXVIII.


283


IS And the hangingZ for the gate     22 And s Bezalcel the son of Uri,
of the court was needle-work, of     the son of Hur, of the tribe of
blue, and purple, and scarlet, and   Judah, made all that the LORD
fine twined linen: and twenty cubi ts commanded Moses.
WOas the length, and the height in   23 And with him     was Aholiab,
the breadth. was five cubits answer- son of' Ahisaniach, of the tribe of'
able to the hangings of the court.   Dan, an engraver, and a cunning
19 And their pllars were four, workman, and an embroiderer in
and their sockets of brass four; blue, and in purple, and in scarlet,
their hooks of silver, and the over- and tine linen.
layingy of' their ehapiters, and their  24 Alltt h e gold that was occupi ed
fillets of silver.                   for the work in all the work of the
20 And all the d pins of the taber- holy p)lace, even the gold of the
nacle, and of the court round about, offeringw was twenty and nine tatwere of brass.                       cuits and seven hundred and thirty
21 I This is the sum of the tab- shekiels after h the shekel of the
ernacle, even of e the tabernacle of sanctuary.
testimnony, as it was counted, ac-    25 Anid the silver of them   that
cordingy to the commiandmnent of were numbered of the congregsiMoses, for the service of the Le- tion was a hundred talents, and a
vites, f by the hand of Ithamar, son  thousand seven hundred and threeto Aaron the priest.                 score and fifteen shekiels, after the
dcli. 27. 19.  e iNuib. 1. 50 53, &. 15  Shkelel of the sanctuary
& 1 0. I11. A 1 7. 7,. S.V 15. 2. 2 Chroi. 241 6 b  rli 31 2,6. h ch. si) 13t 24. Lev. 5. 15
Acts 7. 44. f Numb. 4. 2s-. 33.      &7 3 25.9 Numrb. 3. 47. & 15. 16.
rors of the wvoien which caine to pi-ay  01. This ise the sura of the tabernacle.
at the door of the tabernacle.' Gr. 'Of: That is, ttie sumn, enumeration, or inthe, woolen that fasted, which fasted at ventory of the various p~articulasrs of
the door of the tabernacle of witne-ssl the tabernacle furniture. These were
Fasting is here specified because it was reckoned up by the Levites over whom
a usual accompaniment of' praying. Ithanlar, the son of Aaron, presided.
Targ. Jon. I Of the brazen mlirrors of, In the clause, I for the service of the
modest women, wvlo, when they came Levitesl tile word I'for' does not occur
to pray in thle portal of the tabernacle in the original, sod the meaning prob.
stood by their heave-offering, and offer- ably is, that it was counted by the labor
edl praises aiid made cofsin.        or aiinistry of the Levites. The words
18. The lleigllt in the breadth, was are a preface to what follows extending
4ce cutbiis. The phrase is Hebraic, de- to the end of the chapter.
noting the height of the hang-ing of the  24. And eaI the gold, &c. Althoug~h
gate, wvhich was five cubits~correspond. the tabernacle, as a portable structure,
ina ig htto the rest of the hn-cno, frm its known plroportionls and
ings of the court. Suppose this piece general appearance, have been a very
of tapestry, wvhicli was twventy cubits grand or imposing structure, yet we
in length, to be lying spread out uiion may safely say, that probably the world
the gr'ound;it is eviilnt that what never saw so small a fabric composed
constitutes itls breath in this situation  of such rich materials, and reared at so
becomes its height when hung up; and vast a cost. As the quantities of the;his is what is meant by the text. Its precious lietals enmployed are stated,
height as composed of its breadth was some idea of its surpassing richness
five Ctibits.                        may be formed. The gold weighed 29




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


26 i A bekah for every rnan, that.half a shekel, after the shekel
ot the sanctuary, for every one that
went to be numbered, from twenty
years old and upward, for k six hundred thousand and three thousand
and five hundred and fifty men.
27 And of the hundred talents of
silver were cast l the sockets of the
i ch. 30. 13, 15. k Numb. 1. 46. 1 ch. 26.
19, 21, 25, 32.
talents and 730 shekels, if we allow
3000 shekels to the talent of 125 lbs.;
and this at ~4 the ounce would be
equal to ~175,000 sterling, or nearly
$877,000. The silver was 100 talents
and 1775 shekels, being a half shekel
from all the males above twenty years
of age when they came out of Egypt,
whose number was 603,550; the whole
value of this would, at 5s. the ounce, be
~39,721, or nearly $188,605. The brass,
or rather copper, was 70 talents and
24,000 shekels, which if valued at Is. 3d.
the pound avoirdupois would be worth
~138, or $690. The amount of these
several sums would not be less than
~213,320, or $1,066,600. But this amount
does not include the curtains of the inclosure, the coverings of the tabernacle,
the dress of the high priest and its jew.
els, the dresses of the common priests,
or the value of the skill and labor employed in the work, the whole of which
may be fairly taken to have raised its
value to the immense sum of ~250,000,
or $1,250,000!
It may perhaps be difficult for some
to imagine how the Israelites should
have been possessed of so much wealth
in the desert. But it is to be recollected that they had come out of Egypt
with great spoil, which was no doubt
very much augmented by what they obtained from the dead bodies of their
enemies, cast upon the shores of the
Red Sea. The subsequent victory over:he Amalekites, probably increased still
further their predatory treasures. Add


sanctuary, and the sockets of the
vail; a hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.
28 And of the thousand seven
hundred seventy and five shekels
he made hooks for the pillars, and
overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them.
29 And the brass of the offering
was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.
to this, that there is no reason to question that they trafficked imore or less
with the wandering tribes of the desert,
on their w1ay to C;naan, though we are
no where expressly ilnfrmed that this
was the case.
The grand reason for employing so
great an amount of riches in the construction of the tabernacle and its furniture was undoubtedly two-fold, (1.)
To iml)ress the Iminds of the chosen
people witli the glory and dignity of the
Divine Majesty, and the importance of
his service; and (2.) To convey through
the gorgeousness and splendor of the
external ritual an intimation of the
essential and transcendent beauty, excellence, and glory of the spiritual things
that were shadowed out by it. In this
there was a wise adaptation to the
mnetal condition of the Israelites. They
were in a sense like children, wuose
minds must be reached through the medium of their senses. But little capable
of high abstract apprehensions of spiritual subjects, it was only by means of
such a sensuous apparatus of worship
that they could receive the inner essential truths which it involved. To us,
favored as we are with a higher state
of intellectual advancement, such a system is not necessary, and consequently
it is done away.
26. A bekah for every man.   The
value of the bekah is inmmediately de.
fined to be half a shekel. The original
P3) bekah comes from Y2   baka, to divide, to cleave, to separate into two, It




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXIX.


30 And therewit i he made the
sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the
brazen altar, and the brazen grate
for it, and all the vessels of tile
altar,
31 And the sockets of the court
round about, and the sockets of the
court-gate, and all the pins of the
tabernacle, and all the pins of the
court round about.
CHAPTER XXXIX.. ND of atthe blue, and purple,
f1  and scarlet, they made b clothes
of service, to do service in the holy
a ch 35. 23. h ch. 31. 10. & 35. 19.
seems to signify, not a particular coin,
but a shekel broken or cut in two. So,
accordinlg to A. Clarke, the English
penny was anciently cut into four parts,
and the fourth part called a fourthing,
corrupted into farthing.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
The Work ofthe Tabernacle continued.
I. They made clothes of service. This
phrase is previously used, Ex. 31. 10,
for the coverings which were thrown
over or wrapped about the various articles of the sacred furuiture, when the
camp was removed. But it is here applied to the priestly garments, importing that they were not made for mere
display, nor to be worn abroad, hut only in the sanctuary. The ensuing clause,
'to do the service in the holy place,'
is probably to be understood as determining the use of them to the one
place and purpose for which they were
intended, and for nothing else. 'Those
upon whom honor is put, from them
service is expected. It is said of those
who are arrayed in whie robes, Rev.
7. 13, 15, that ' they were before the
throne and serve him day and night in
his temple.' IHenry. —7 As the Lord
iommanded Moses. It is observable
that all the six paragraphs from this to


place, and made the holy garme: ts
for Aaron; c as the LORD commanded Moses.
2 d And he made the ephod oj
gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet
and tine twined linen.
3 And they did beat the gold into
thin plates, and cut it into wires,
to work it in the blue, and in the
purple, and in the scarlet, and in
the fine linen, with cunning work.
4 Thle made shoulder-pieces for
it, to couple it together: by the
two edges was it coupled together.
5 And the curious girdle of his
c ch. 28. 4.  d ch. 28. 6.
v. 31, giving an account of the making
of the high priest's garments, conclude
with these words. As this is not the
case in the previous statements, it would
seem that they had in the preparation
of these articles a peculiarly strict regard to the divine appointment; and
this was perhaps owing to the fact that
the high priest in his appropriate dress
was the most prominent type of Christ
of any tling in the whole establishment.
3. They did beat the gold into thin
plates, and cut it into tcires. We here
again avail ourselves of the result of
the researches of our usual guide in
matters of this nature. I This is the
most ancient notice of the preparation
of gold in wires, or extended threads to
be interwoven in cloths, and it is quite
in conformity witlh all the information
we can collect from ancient writings on
the subject. Works made with threads
of metal are rarely mentioned at all,
and whenever they are spoken of, tih
wire appears to have been wholly nmade
on the anvil. The metals were beaten
with a hammer into thin plates, then
cut with a pair of scissors or other in.
strument, into narrow slips, which were
afterwards rounded with the hammer
and file, so as to form wires or threads.
Most of this process is described in the




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


ephod, that was upon it, was of the
same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and
scarlet, and fine twined linen; as
the LORD commanded Moses.
text. A very similar process of fitbrication is described by Homer as being
used by Vulcan, who repaired to his
forge and formed upon his anvil a net
so fine, that it could be perceived by no
one. not even by the gods, being more
delicate than the web of a spider. Ab:ting the hyperbole,we gather from this,
as well as from the fact that the threads
of metal were, in the instance before
us, interwoven with, or empnloyed to
embroider cloths, that very fine wire
was formed by this tedious and laborious process. It is not exactly clear
how the gold threads were applied to
ornament the ephod of the high priest.
We rather think they were' not interwoven in the cloth, as in ch. 35. 34, it
seems to be said that the colors in the
rich cloth were the work of the embroiderer as distinguished from the weaver,
who is afterwards mentioned. So also
the robe of the ephod, which was all of
blue, is said to have been of woven work
(v. 22.), probably to denote its simplicity. The same is also said of the innermost coat (v. 27.); while in speaking of the ephod, the girdles, &c., which
were highly ornamented, embroidery
and needlework are mentioned. Beckman thinks that the earliest application
of gold to dress was to sew on slips of
the metal, particularly on the seams,
as is now done with gold lace. As there
is no mention in the text of any process
subsequent to that of cutting the metallie plate into slips, necessarily flat, it
is possible that they were embroidered
on the dress or otherwise applied without being rounded into wires or threads.
Beckmann supposes that gold stars and
other figures cut from thin plates of
the metal were very early applied to
dresses, much In the same manner as


6 1[ eAnd they wrought onyx
stones enclosed in ouches of gold,
graven as signets are graven, with
the names of the children of Israel.
e ch. 28. 9.
spangles at present, being either sewev
to the cloth, or fastened by some adhe
sive composition. To this would seen
to have succeeded the arts of embroider.
ing and interweaving with threads of
gold and ultimately the progress of uncomfortable luxury led to the formation
of clothes entirely of threads of gold
without any other material. This was
indeed ' cloth of gold' -a name which
in more modern times has been given te
cloth, the threads of which are of silk
wound about with silver wire flattened
and gi!ded. Silver does not seem for a
long time to have been employed for
similar purposes, and accordingly it is
not mentioned in Scripture as being so
applied. Beckmann, in evidence of its
being unknown at so comparatively
late a period as the time of Aurelian,
quotes a passage from Vopiscus, who
states that this emperor was desirous
of entirely abolishing the use of gold in
gilding and weaving, because, though
there was more gold than silver (this is
in itself a curious fact), the former had
become scarcer, as much of it was con.
tinually lost by being applied to such
purposes, whereas every tlhing that was
silver continued so. This seems to render it clear that silver was not used for
such purloses. Yet, as Beckmann hint
self observes in a note, it is barely pos.
sible that Vopiscus sleaks of gilt silver; for as the ancients were not acquainted with the art of separating
these metals, the gold would be entirely lost when they melted the silver
IHe adds, however, that he had met
with no passage in any ancient authors
where weaving or embroidering in
threads of gilt silver is mentioned. Nei.
ther have we. There is no notice of sil.
ver thread being interwc,en in cloth ear.




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXIX.


7 And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should
be stones for a fmemorial to the
children of Israel; as the LORD
commanded Moses.
8 1~ And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the
work of the ephod; of gold, blue,
and purple, and scarlet, and fine
twined linen.
9 It was fuur-square; they made
lie bre.ast-plate double: a span
was the length thereof, and a span
the breadth thereof, being doubled.
10 ' And they set in it four rows
of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle:
this was the first row.
f ch. 'S. 1-2.  clh. 28. 155.1 h...28. 17. &c.


11 And the second row, an eme
raid, a sapplire, and a diamond.
12 And the third row, a ligure,
an agate, and an amethyst.
13 And the fourth row, a beryl,
an onyx, and a jasper: they were
enclosed in ouches of gold in their
enclcsings.
14 And the stones were according to the names of the children of
Israel, twelve, according to their
names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.
15 And they made upon the
breast-plate chains at the ends, of
wreathen work of pure gold.
16 And they made two ouches
of gold, and two gold rings, and


lier than the times of the Greek later
elnperors.
'It is really surprising to find so much
use made of threads of precious metals
while it continued to be formed by the
hamnmer.  3ecklann declares himself
unable to determine when attempts
were first imale to draw into threads
metal, cut or beat into small slips, by
forcing theml through holes in a steel
plate placed perpendicularly on a talle.
But the art was not known in Italy in
tle tiIne of Charlemagne; and our author, from  the best evidence he was
able to obtain, is disposed to attribute
the invention of the drawing-plate to
the fiurteenth century. Since then the
arts of forming and applying threads of
gold have received much improvement.
It is not known when wire first began
to be spun round threatl, as it now usually is in application to dress. This
branch of the art is not ancient. The
threads found among the ruins of IIereulaneum are of massy gold. When
the fine wire first began to be spun
rodnd the thread it was round; the art


quence of' much less metal being re
quired to cover the silk-and at the
same time more brilliant and beautiful,
is of modern but uncertain (late. The
difierent degrees of ductility of gold
and silver have led to the beautiful in.
vention of plating silver wire with gold.'
Pict. Bible.
6. Onyx-stones enclosed in ouches oj
gold, gravenS as signets are graven
'There can be no doubt but that man.
kind were at this time well acquainted
with the art of polishing and engraving
precious stones; and the various texts
relating to the jewelled ornaments of
Aaron's dress are very interesting indi.
cations of the progress which had been
made in lapidary and stone-engraving.
It is to observed, that the shoulders
of the ephold were ornamented with
two onyx-stones mounted on gold, and
that these stones were engraved with
the names of twelve tribes-six in each
stone; and we may therefore suppose
the work to have been of a rather minute
character. Then from the breast-plate
we learn that twelve other sorts of pre.


of first flattening the wire, by means of cious stones were known, as w ell as the
which tassels and other ornaments have I brilliant effect which they would pro.
ccn ren,lered much cheaper-in conse- duc by a proper arrangement on tire




288


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


put the two rings in the two ends
of the breast-plate.
17 And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings
on the ends of the breast-plate.
18 And the two ends of the two
wreathen chains they fastened in
the two ouches, and put them on
the shoulder-pieces of the ephod,
before it.
19 And they made two rings of
gold, and put them on the two ends
of the breast-plate, upon the border
of it, which was on the side of the
ephcd inward.
20. And they made two other
golden rings, and put them on the
two sides of the ephod, underneath,
toward the forepart of it, over
against the other coupling thereof,
above the curious girdle of the
ephod:
21 And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of
the ephod with a lace of blue, that
it might be above the curious girdle
same surface. Each of these stones
also contained the name of a tribe;
and, altogether, we are led to form no
mean idea of the progress which art
had thus early made in the treatment
of precious stones. Aly one at all acquainted with the arts is well aware
that the engraving of precious stones
demands no common measure of address, precision, and knowledge. There
must be a considerable number of very
fine and delicate tools, and great decision of hand and practice. It is indeed
true that the engraving of names admits
of no comparison with the skill and delicacy of execution required il cutting
the figures of men and animals; but
still, as to the essentials of the art, the
process is the same in both, and the
difference is only a question of more or
less perfection. Goguet is astonished
to see that, in the time of Moses, and
doubtless earlier, men had smade so


of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the
ephod; as the LORD commanded
Moses.
22 ~ i And he made the robe of
the ephod cf woven work, all of
blue.
23 And there was a hole in the
midst of the robe, as the hole of a
habergeon, with a band round about
the hole, that it should not rend.
24 And they made upon the hems
of the robe pomegranates of blue,
and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
25 And   they made k bells of
pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the
hem  of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
26 A a bell and a pomegranate, a
bell and a pomegranate, round
about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded
Moses.
ch. 2S. 31.  k ch. 28. 33.
much progress in art as to be able to
execute such works. Considering the
number of previous discoveries which
it is necessary to suppose, as well as
the degree of knowledge and attainment
which it involves, the same author, not
witlout reason, is disposed to regard
the engraving of precious stones as a
most marked evidence of the general
progress which the arts had made, in
certain countries, at a very early period.
With regard to this particular branch
of art, we may observe also, that in
the course of time it attained such an
advanced state among the ancients that
the moderns have never been able to
equal them in the exquisite delicacy
and beauty of their performances on
precious stones. The engraved gems
which have been preserved are still
the unapproached models of the art.
Pict. Bible.
23. As the hole of an habergeon. The




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XXXIX.


28O


27 ~ IAnd they made coats of
fine linen, of woven work, for
Aaron and for his sons,
28 m And a mitre of fine linen,
and goodly bonnets of fine linen,
and n linen breeches of fine twined
linen.
29 o And a girdle of fine twined
linen, and blue, and purple, and
scarlet, of needle-work; as the
LORD commanded Moses.
30 T p And they made the plate
of the holy crown of pure gold,
and. wrote upon it writing, like to
the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
31 And they tied unto it a lace
of blue, to fasten it on high upon
the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.
32 i Thus was all the work of
the tabernacle of the tent of the
congregation finished: and the
children of Israel did qaccording
to all that the LORD commanded
Moses, so did they.
33 ~ And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and
all his furniture, his taches, his
boards, his bars, and his pillars,
and his sockets;
1 ch. 28. 39, 40. mch. 28. 4, 39. Ezek. 44.
18.  nch. 28. 42.  o ch. 28. 39,  P c. 28. 36,
37. q ver. 42, 43. ch. 25. 40.
habergeon or hauberk was a small coat
of mail, made of little iron rings curiously united together. It covered the
neck and breast, was very light, and
resisted the stroke of a sword. The
'band' is what we should now call a
binding.
27. And they made coats offine linen.
The order for making these coats is
given above, ch. 28.40, but the material
is not there mentioned. Here they are
said to have been made of fine linen,
and there is good evidence that pure
white linen garments were anciently
used by all nations in the service of
God. This usage the Most High was
VOL. II,     2j


34 And the covering of rams'
skins dyed red, and the covering
of badgers' skins, and the vail of
the covering;
35 The ark of the testimony, and
the staves thereof, and the mercyseat;
36 The table, and all the vessels
thereof, and the shew-bread;
37 The pure candlestick, with the
lamps thereof, even with the lamps
to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light;
38 And the golden altar, and the
anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle-door:
39 The brazen altar, and his grate
of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot.
40 The hangings of the court, his
pillars, and his sockets, and the
hanging for the court-gate, his
cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation;
41 The clothes of service to do
service in the holy place, and the
holy garments for Aaron the priest,
and his sons' garments, to minister
in the priest's office.
42 According to all that the LORD


pleased to retain in his worship. The
Jewish priests, however, wore this raiment only while officiating in the sane
tuary; whereas in Egypt, for instance,
the priests of Isis went every where
clothed in white.
30. They made the plate of the holy
crown of pure gold. To the explanations on this subject made above, ch.
28. 36, we have only here to add, that
the priests generally among the heathen
nations of antiquity were distinguished
by the epithet aresavopopot, crown-bearers, from the crowns worn upon their
heads, which were usually made either
of a laurel wreath, or of a rayed or




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


commanded Moses, so the children   done it as the LOK) had command.
of Israel r made all the work.     ed, even so had they done it: and
43 And Moses did look upon all Moses s blessed them.
the work, and behold, they had
Lev. 9. 22, 23. Numb. 6. 23. Josh. 22. 6
rch. 39. 10.          2 Sam. 6. 18. 1 Kings 8. 14. 2 Chron. 30. 27
serrated band of gold.-We here ap. full costume, the details of which have
pend a view of the high priest in his been already given
THE HIGH PRIEST.
43. And Moses blessed. After having object devoutly to acknowledge the good
thoroughly examined the work in all its hand of the Lord in enabling us to carry
various items, and found it executed it forward to completion, and to implore
precisely according to the directions his benediction upon the results. We
given, he confirms his acceptance of it are reminded also that those who se ve
at the hands of the people by solemnly the cause of religion have a claim to
invoking the blessing of God upon then. our prayers, even as if they were our
This teaches us, at the conclusion of own personal benefactors; fo-: that cause
every enterprise undertaken for a good we are bound to consider ua our own.




B3. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XL.


29:


CHAPTER XL.            of the tabernacle of the tent of the
AND the LORD spake unto Mo- congregation.
ses, saying,                7 And h thou shalt set the laver
2 On the first day of the a first between the tent of the cungremonth shalt thou set up b the tab- gation and the altar, and shalt put
ernacle of the tent of the congre i water therein.
gation.                       l 8 And thou shalt set up the court
3 And cthou shalt put therein round about, and hang up the
the ark of the testimony, and cover hanging at the court-gate.
the ark with the vail.         9 And thou shalt take the anoint4 And d thou shalt bring in the ing oil, and i anoint the tabernacle,
table, and e set in order the things and all that is therein, and shalt
that are to be set in order upon it; hallow it, and all the vessels thererand thou shalt bring in tile candle- of: and it shall be holy.
stick, and light the lamps thereof.  10 And thou shalt anoint the al5 gAnd thou shalt set the altar tar of the burnt-offering, and all
of gold for the incense before the his vessels, and sanctify the altar:
ark of the testimony, and put the and k it shall bean altar most holy.
hanging of the door to the taber- i 11 And thou shalt anoint the
nacle.                         laver and his foot, and sanctify it.
6 And thou shalt set the altar of  12 1 And thou shalt bring Aaron
the burnt-offering before the door and his sons unto the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation, and
ach. 12. O. & 13. 4. b ver. 17. L ch. 2&. i, Waash them wit!) water.




30.  c ver. 21.  li. 26. 33. Nulmb..4.5. d ver.
22. chi. 26. 35. e ver. 23. ch. 25. 0S,,Xv.
21. 5, 6.  f vcr. 21. 25.  s ver. 26.
CHA-PTER XL.
The Tabernacle set lvp.
2. On the first day of the fifth month
thou shalt set up the tabernacle. From
an attentive survey of all the incidents
recorded to have happened after the
exodus from  Egypt, it appears that
about six months intervened between
that event and the commencement of
the work of the tabernacle.  Conse.
quently they were about six months
employed in the work itself; for the
tabernacle was set up at the beginningl
of the second year, or one year lacking
fifteen days after they had left Egypt.
Considering the vast amount of curious
and costly workmansil;p that was requisite, the undertaking was carried
through witht great expedition. But the
hearts of the people were in this work,
and this lmade all their labor light; and
the union of men's hands, and much


hi ver. 30. ch. 30. 18.  ch. 30. 26.  k di.
|4. 2ii, 37.  t  lev. 8. 1,- 13.
zeal will necessarily bring to a speedy
accomplishment any work that is under.
taken.
3. And cover the ark with the rail
That is, hang up the separating vail so
as to hide the ark from the public view.
For this reason the vail is called, Num.
4. 5, the covering vail.'
9. And thou shalt take the anointing
oil and anoint, &c. Every thing having been duly brought and disposed in
its proper place, the consecration of the
whole by sacred unction follows. In
allusion to this it is said, Dan. 9, 24,
'Seventy weeks are determined upon
thy people and upon thy holy city, to
finish the transgression, and to make
an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the
vision and prophecy, and to anoint the
Most Holy.' The  most holy' here is
but another name for lie Christian




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491


13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron
the holy garments, m and anoint
him, and sanctify him; that he
may minister unto me in the
priest's office.
14 And thou shalt bring his sons,
and clothe them with coats:
15 And thou shalt anoint them,
as thou didst anoint their father,
that they may minister unto me
in the priest's office: for their
anointing shall surely be an a everlasting  priest-hood  throughout
their generations.
16 Thus did Moses; according to
all that the LORD commanded him,
so did he.
17 1~ And it came to pass in the
first month, in the second year, on
the first day of the month, that
the o tabernacle was reared up.
18 And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets.
and set up the boards thereof, and
put in the bars thereof, and reared
up his pillars.
19 And he spread abroad the tent
over the tabernacle, and put the
covering of the tent above upon it;
as the LORD commanded Moses.
20 I And he took and put p the
testimony into the ark, and set the
staves on the ark, and put the
mercy-seat above upon the ark:
21 And he brought the ark into
the tabernacle, and q set up the
ich. 28. 41. nNumb. 25.13. over. 1.
Numb. 7. 1. Pch. 25. 16.
Church which was to be established at
the end of the seventy weeks, and which
was anointed at its setting up by the
Holy Spirit in his miraculous effusion
on the day of Pentecost.
15. Their anointing shall be an everlasting priesthood. The meaning is,
that as far as the common priests were
concerned, the efficacy of this first
anointing should extend to the whole
future line, so that they need not from


vail of the covering, and covered
the ark of the testimony; as the
LORD commanded Moses.
22 ~ rAnd he put the table in
the tent of the congregation upon
the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail.
23 s And he set the bread in order
upon it before the LORD; as the
LORD had commanded Moses.
24 I[ tAnd he put the candlestick
in the tent of the congregation,
over against the table. on the side
of the tabernacle southward.
25 And u he lighted the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.
26 ~[ y And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation,
before the vail:
27 zAnd he burnt sweet incense
thereon; as the LORD commanded
Moses.
28 ~ a And he set up the hanging
at the door of the tabernacle.
29 bAnd he put the altar of burntoffering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and coffered upon it the
burnt-offering, and the meat-offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.
30 I dAnd he set the laver be
tween the tent of the congregation
q ch. 26. 33. & 35.12. r ch. 26.35. ' ver.
4.  t ci. 26. 35.   u ver. 4. ch. 25. 37.  Y ver.
5. ch. 30.6.  z ch. 30. 7.  aver. 5. ch. 26.
36. b ver. 6.  ch. 29. 38. &c. dver. 7
ch. 30. 18.
one generation to another receive suc.
cessively the consecrating unction. With
the High Priest the case was different.
As he was elected, it was fit that he
should, upon entering into office, be
anointed; but in regard to the ordinary
priests, who inherited their office as
their birthright, the same necessity did
not exist.
26. And he put the golden altar in the
tents of the congregation. Of the gen




B. C. 1491.J


CHAPTER XL.


and the altar, and put water there, washed; e as the LORD commandto waslh withal.                 ed Moses.
31 And Moses, and Aaron, and     33 fAnd he reared up the court
his sons, washed their hlands and round about the tabernacle and the
their feet thereat:              altar, and set up the hanging of
32 When they went into the tent the cuurt-gate: so Moses finished
of the co1nregation, and when they I the work.
~~~cam~e near. 30. 19. f ver. 8. ch. 27. 9. 16.
eral aspect of the interior of the taber- lyarranged, a tolerablycorrect ideamay
nacle, when all its furniture was proper- be formed from the accompanying cut.


THE INTERIOR OF THE TABERNACLE.


33. And he reared up the court round I to present to the eye the general apabout the tabernacle, &c. As all the! pearance of the tabernacle with the
particulars have been formerly explain.- court, altar, and laver; the whole sured, nothing more is here lne.essary than! Ilno!!td y3 the pillar of clond.:25'




i.


EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491,:-34 ~ gThen a cloud covered the      tent of the congrega ion, and the
gcl. 29. 43. Iev. 15. 2. Numb. 9... glory of the LORD filled the taber] Kings 8. 10, 11. 2 (Chron. 5. 13. & 7. u  nacle.
sai. 6.4. Ilag. 2.7,9. iev. 15.8.


TxE TABERNACLE AND COURT.


34. Then a cloud covered the tent of!he congregation. Rather according to
the Hebrew literally translated, ' the
cloud' (VP' hFanan) that is, the cloudy
pillar, or cloud of the Shekinah, whlich
had previously abode for many weeks
on the summit of the mountain, and
which had subsequently descended upon Moses' tent and stood before the door
of it, as mentioned, ch. 33. 9. This
sublime cloud now removed from its
former station and stood at first not
only over, but around the tabernacle,
completely covering or enwrapping it
in its sombre folds while inner unseen
Glory, after first filling the outer room,
entered and took its station in the Most
Holy Place between the Cherubim.~ The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. That is, the visible sign or


symbol of the Lord's glorious presence
'By this Glory was signified,' says Mai.
monides 'a certain created splendor
which God caused miraculously to dwell
any where for the purpose of manifest.
ing forth his majesty.' Abrabanel on
this passage speaks still more distinctly; 'Behold, it is clear that the Glory
of the Lord was not a cloud, but some.
thing in respect to light and splendor
like unto fire. A cloud, however, was
round about it, as smoke is always
about a fire; and as burning lamps (or
lightnings) appear from the midst of
clouds, so was the Glory of the Lord
like to fire in the midst of the cloud
and the darkness.' In this august manner God took formal possession of the
house which had been prepared for his
residence. All things having been duly




B. C. 1491.]


CHAPTER XL.


29b"


made ready, the great and glorious Oc- tion of John in the Apocalypse, ch. 21.
cupant now makes asolemn entry into 3, 'And I heard a great voice from
the habitation in which he had promised heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle
to dwell, and of which he now virtually of God is with men, and he shall dwell
says, 'This is the place of my throne, with them, and they shall be his peoand the place of the soles of my feet, ple; and God himself shall be with
where I will dwell in the midst of the them, and shall be their God.' As the
children of Israel for ever.' By this act glory of the Shekinah came in all its
Jehovah not only testified the restora- effulgence and took possession of the
tion of his forfeited favor to the people, tabernacle when it was prepared for its
and his gracious acceptance of their reception, so when the earth, by the
services, but also gave typically a previous outpouring of the Spirit and
pledge of the future tabernacling of the universal diffusion and establishChrist, the true Shekinah, in human ment of the gospel shall have become
flesh, and of an ulterior visible mani. fitted for the divine inhabitation, are
festation of the divine glory in the lat- we not taught to expect that the gloriter days on the earth. This latter great fled Savior and the glorified saved-the
event is distinctly foreshown in the fol- substance of the resplendent Cloud and
lowing passages in language bearing the shining Cherubim of the most holy
evident allusion to that of Moses in place-shall come and fix themselves
the narrative before us; Ezek. 43, 4, 5, in permanent sojourn in the temple
'And the Glory of the Lord came into thus prepared for them? Not that we
the house by the way of the gate whose are to understand this as implying that
prospect is toward the east.-So the the glorified saints will ever be proSpirit took me up and brought me into miscuously mingled together with the
the inner court; and behold the Glory tenants of earth, the dwellers in houses
of the Lord filled the house.' John of clay and houses of wood or stone,
also in the Revelation, chap. 21. 10,11, but simply that there will be a visible
alluding to the same illustrious period communication and an intimate relation
of the church, says, 'And he carried me between these two great departments of
in the spirit to a great and high moun- the Lord's family. We have no reason
tain, and showed me that great city, to suppose that spiritual bodies will
the holy Jerusalem, descending out of ever inhabit material tenements on the
heaven from God; having the Glory of 'earth, but as there was at the birth of
God.' For ourselves we think it de- Christ a sudden and glorious manifesta.
serving of the most serious and pro. tion of a multitude of the heavenly host
found enquiry, whether this 'glory to in the air, so we are perhaps taught
be revealed' be not a another term for that a similar developement of the inthe whole heavenly world composed of visible world will be made and become
the glorified spiritual bodies of Christ permanent in the latter day, abiding in
and his saints, together with his holy immediate proximity to our globe, and
angels, coming down to enter into a thus giving its ultimate fulfilment to
new and abiding connexion with the the dream of Jacob of an angelic inter.
church on earth in its latter-day pros- course between heaven and earth. In
perity. To what else can it refer? Our this state of things, the separating veil
Savior expressly assured his disciples between the holy and the most place,
that hereafter they should see heaven will be done away. The cherubim will
opened, and the angels of God ascend. be ' living creatures' and pass freely out
ing and descending, upon the Son of into the outer room. Sure we are, that
lMan.' Equally explicit is the declara. if these predictions do not announce the




EXODUS.


[B. C. 1491.


35 And IMoses h was not able to
enter into the tent of the congreh Lev. 16. 2. 1 Kings 8. 11. 2 Chron. 14. 5.
sublime event now suggested, as they
plainly point to some fulfilment of stupendous character, it behoves the interpreters of the oracles of God to inform an inquiring world what they do
mean. It is impossible to be faithful
to the entrusted truth of heaven, and
permit its most sublime revelations to
lie shrouded in obscurity under the idle
plea that they are a part of prophecy,
and that prophecy was not designed to
be understood till it is accomplished.
Not indeed that we would maintain
that prophecy can be equally well understood before and after its acconplishment, but if it be unintelligible,
why are we exhorted to study it? The
truth is, the prophecies toucl the very
vital doctrines of Christianity. Its grand
sanctions-its promises of bliss and its
threatenings of woe-the judgment, the
resurrection, and the New Jerusalemare inseparably interwoven with the fulfilment of the great chain of scriptural
prophecy; and we doubt not the time
is not far distant when the interests of
truth will imperiously demand that the
mysteries of the Apocalypse shall be
unfolded.
35. And Moses was not able to enter
into the tent of the congregation, &c.
The glory of the Shekinah shone so
bright and dazzling, that it was absolutely insufferable to the sight. Indeed,,as the phenomenon was in effect the
same with that which appeared on the
summit of Sinai, and of which it is said,
Ex. 24. 16, that the part of it covered
by the cloud, when partially exposed
to view, was like unto ' devouring fire,
the tabernacle could not now be entered
for the same reason that the cloud could
not then have been entered, even by
Moses, without a special summons to
that effect from Jehovah himself. Preclsely the same thing happened at thA


gation, because the cloud abode
thereon, and the glory of the Lour:
filled the tabernacle.
dedication of the temple of Solomton,
when, we are told, 1 Kings, 8. 10, 11,
'The cloud filled the house of the Lord;
so that the priests could not stand to
minister because of the cloud, for the
glory of the Lord had filled the house
of the Lord.' A palpable allusion to
this incident is also to be recognised in
Rev. 15. 7, 8, although the meaning of
the prophecy is too profound to be
hastily decided upon; 'And one of the
four beasts gave unto the seven angels
seven golden vials full of the wramh ot
God, who liveth for ever and ever.
And the temple was filled with smoke
from the glory of God, and from his
power; and no man was able to enter
into the temple, till the seven pl;agies
of the seven angels were fulfilled.'
Moses was obliged to wait till the overwhelming brightness had somewhat
abated, and the Glory had retired within the veil. That these circumstances
were (lesigned to point forward to some
grand accomplisllhment of Iar more illustrious character, in the state described
in the closing chapters of Ezekiel and
John, when the ldivine Glory shall again
take up its abode on eartll, we have no
doubt. But as the precise manner of
its ultimate fulfilment appears to be
hidden by a veil at present inscrutable,
we are thrown upon a moral improvemnent of the occurrence, upon which no
mystery rests. It affords another intimation how awful and terrible is the
majesty of Jehovah when he is pleased
to reveal himself to human eyes. How
impossible it was for Moses to behold
it without a screen, we have already had
occasion to notice. The greatest and
the best of men are utterly unable to
stand before it. 'Our God is a consum.
ing fire.' How thankful then are we
called to be, that we may contemplate
the softened glories of the Godhead i.




B. C. 1491.]              CHAPTED XL.                             297
36 iAnd when      the cloud was taken up, then they journeyed not
taken up from over the tabernacle, till the day that it was taken up.
the children of Israel went onward   38 For I the cloud of the LORD
in all their journeys:             was upon the tabernacle by day,
37 But k if the cloud were not and fire was on it by night, in the
sight of all the house of Israel,,Numb. 9. 17. & 10. 11. Neh. 9. 19. throughout all their journeys.
k Numb. 9. 19,-22.
1ch. 13.21. Numb. 9. 15.
Jesus Christ, who has drawn nigh and a cloud that served as a remarkable to.
entered as our forerunner into the holy ken of the Divine Presence, constantly
place not made with hands, that we visible day and night to all Israel, and
might in due time be admitted to a par- to those who were situated in the reticipation of the same honor and joy.  motest corners of the camp, so that
36, 37. And when the cloud was taken they could never have occasion to proup, &c. Thus the cloud was a guide to pose the question, 'Is the Lord among
the camp of Israel in their march us, or is he not?' They could not doubt
through the wilderness. While the cloud it, unless they could doubt the evidence
remained upon or over the tabernacle, of their own senses. — I And fire was
they rested abiding in their tents; when on it by night in the sight of all the
it removed, they removed and followed house of Israel, &c. The fire and the
their aerial conductor. This is more cloud were not, as we have before refully detailed Num. 9. 15-23, and long marked, two  different and distinct
afterwards mentioned with grateful re- things. It was one and the same pillar
membrance by the Psalmist, Ps. 78. 14, which was a dark cloud by day and a
-105. 39; and Nehemiah notices its shining fire by night. Indeed, as the
continuance as an extraordinary mercy original for on it ' is '1 bo, in it, it is
notwithstanding their great provocation contended by Fagius and others that
in the matt' r of the golden calf; ch. 9. the true meaning is, that the fire was in
19, 'Yet thou in thy manifold mercies the cloud by night, i. e. that the cloud
forsookest them not in the wilderness; was the seat of it, that it did not emathe pillar of cloud departed not from  nate from any source different from the
them by day, to lead them in the way; cloud; not that the fire was so invel.
neither the pillar of fire by night, to oped in the cloud as to be invisible, for
show them light and the way wherein on that supposition, the fire was in it
they should go.'                    by day as well as by night.. It is pos.
38. For the cloud of the Lord was sible that the term 'fire' is to be under.
upon the tabernacle, by day, &c. Chal. stood merely of a phosphorescent glow
and Targ. Jon. 'The cloud of the Glory which the exterior of the cloud was
of the Lord.' Targ. Jerus. 'The cloud made to assume at night, and thus to
of the Glory of the Shekinah of the be viewed as entirely distinct from the
Lord.   That same mysterious cloud inner enwrapped glory, which Moses so
which had led them up from Egypt, ardently desired to see.  These are
and which had all along been pregn:ant particulars in respect to the cloud which
with wonders, now settled upon the tab- it is exceedingiy difficult to determine,
ernacle and hovered over it, even in the but the general image can easily be
hottest and clearest day; for this was brought before the mind, and we can
not a cloud of which it could be said see at once how express is the allusion
that the sun 'wearieth the thick cloud; to this incident in the words of the
le scattereth the bright cloud.' It was prophet, Is. 4. 5, 'And the Lord will




EXODUS.


LB. C. 1491


ereate upon every dwelling-place of
Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies,
a cloud and smoke by (lay, and the
shining of a flaming fire by night; for
upon all the glory shall be a delence.'
The dwelling-places of Mount Zion
here spoken of are doubtless Christian
churches, and the intimation seens to
be, that in the times of the gospel each
individual church, or congregation of
believers, should be as complete in itself in its endowments, and prerogatives; that it shall be as truly distilnguished by the tokens of the Divine
presence, guidance, and guardianship,
as was the one congregation of Israel
with its one tabernacle, surmounted by
the pillar of cloud and of fire. The
Jewish nation lormred but one church,
having its unity concentrated in tne
place and one system of worship. As
such it was not so properly a type of
the whole collective body of Christian
churches, nor of any one great sectarian
division of the church, as of each particular single church, duly organized
and furnished. All such churches the
Scriptures represent as complete and
independent in themselves, and subject
to no jurisdiction save that of Christ
administered by his word, spirit, and
officers.
--     Throughoutall their journeys.
This circumstance is so prominent in
the history of the wanderings of Israel,
and so replete with interest in itself, that
we know not how to forbear enlarging
somewhat more at length upon it.
Whatever may have been the impression produced by it upon the minds of
those to whnos senses it was present,
it soars majeslcally before our minds
as a threefold token of the divine presence, protection, and guidance.  In
this sublime symbol thle journeying
host could but feel that God was always
nilhl them, resting with them nvwhn they
rested, and moving with them vwhen
they moved. Never could they cast their
eyes upon that towering pillar, ever


dark by day and bright by night, al.
ways maintaining its position, and not
like other clouds, changing, breaking,
and dissipating into the surrounding air;
never, we say, could they look upon
this august object without being reminded that 'a God at hand, and not
afar off, was the Lord in his holy habi.
tation.' But not only so; it was a source
of protection. It shaded them, as a
pleasant pavilion, from the rays of the
noon-tide sun, and under its canopy they
could rest as under the shadow of a
great rock in a weary land. Nor less did
it serve as a defence from their enemies,
than as a shade from the beams of the
sultry sun. Its descending and inter.
posing folds placed a wall of adamant
between them and their Egyptian piur
sulers, beyond which they could no more
penetrate than they could have broken
through the granite harriers of Sinai
and Hioreb. But last, though not least,
they had in the cloudy pillar a constant
guide and director. It conducted them
in all their movements, and indicated
to themt all their rests. They rose up
and journeypd whenever it began to
move; they stopped at '*e moment
when it became stationary. When it
rose they knew not whither it would go,
but it led them constantly in the right
way; anti lhey had no inquiries to
make, no doubts or fears to cherish,
nothing to do but to yield themselves
implicitly to its guidance.  What a
wondrouns mercy to be thus conducted
in all their way! Travellers, especially
in desert and inhospitable climes, like
that which now lay before the children
of Israel, are prone to he concerned
about their route and about their safety.
They lie down at night with planted
guards around them, and look with fear.
ful solicitude to the events of the coming day, lest perchance they hould lose
their way, or their water become ex.
halusted, or their strength fail. But no
misgivings of this nature could trouble
the peace of the favored hosts of Isr&'.




B. C. 1491.1              CHAPT]
Theyvcould lay them down to rest without any care how far or whither they
should go on the morrow, or whether
they should move at all. No anxietyas
to food or drink could afflict their mindis,
for without any care or thought of theirs,
';heir bread wottll be given and their
water would be sure' and if they journeyed, an unerring guide would mark
out their place of rest. 'Happy, thrice
happy, ye highly favored of heaven!'
we are prone to exclaim in view of this
distinguished lot of the chosen tribes.
Thrown often ourselves into the greatest perplexity as to the decisions we
shall make, and the conduct we shall
pursue in life, we naturally feel how
great would be the blessing of being
ever thus sensibly directed by the Lord.
But let us not disparage our own
privileges compared with those of the
seed of Jacob. As to thepresence of Jehovah with us, encompassing our ways,
we are not left destitute of that. If we
have not the Shekinah in shadou we
have it in substance, in him who is 'the
brightness of the Father's glory, and
the express image of his person.' Ihis
tabernacling has already, in one sense,
been with men in hunian flesh, and lie
is the proper object to bring before our
thoughts, whenever we would have an
equivalent for the visible symbol of Jehovah. In him the promise is, 'I will
dwell in (among) them, and walk in
(among) them, and they shall be my
people. ' I will never leave you nor
forsake you.' By his spirit lie is present
with his whole church and with every individual member of it. By that Spirit he
will abide with them for ever, cheering
their hearts and renewing their strength
by the light of his countenance.
Do we desire protection as real and


I


ER XL.                         299
as effectual as that which spread its
panoply over the chosen race? The
consoling strain in which, if his, we are
assured of it, is uttered in the language
of the Psalmlist, 'The Lord is thy keep.
er: the Lord is thy shade upon thy
right hand. The sun shall not smite
thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all
evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The
Lord shall preserve thy going out and
thy conling iin from this time forth, and
even for ever more.'
Finally, do we desire guidance, an
infallible light to direct us in all the
rmazes land perplexities of our pathsomething which shall stand to us instead of tlhe luminous pillar that, in the
dark night poured its splendors upon
the shifting sands and the rocky roighnesses of the Arabian desert? Doubt
less, secret intimations of Providence
are sometimes given to this end, especially if sought in earnest prayer and
humble watchfulness. But however this
may be, we have a more sure directory
of duty. The Bible is our pillar ot
cloud and of fire. Let us look to the
pages of that inspired word which is a
lighit to our feet, and a lamp to our
path,' and we shall cease to desiderate
the guiding glory which aided only the
outward eye, and directed only a local
sojourn..We have all and abound. We
have the oracles of truth and life; we
have the proffer of the illuminating
Spirit; we have the promise of a better
Canaan than that which smiled beyond
Jordan; and if we can sincerely say
with the Psalmist, in respect to the divine leading on earth, 'Thou shalt guide
me with thy counsel,' we may confi.
dently add the supplementary clause
'And afterward receive me to glury.'




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