Aaron's rod, having budded, &c., A. M. cir. 2533. B. C. cir. 1471. An. Exod. Isr. cir. 20. CHAP. XVII. him a rod a piece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. 7 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness. 8 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. 9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. Heb.arod for one prince, a rod for one prince.- b Exod. Xxxviii. 21. Numb. xviii. 2. Acts vii. 44. blossom] It was necessary that something farther should be done to quiet the minds of the people, and for ever to settle the dispute, in what tribe the priesthood should be fixed. God therefore took the method described in the text, and it had the desired effect; the Aaronical priesthood was never after disputed. Verse 8. The rod of Aaron-was budded, &c.] That is, on the same rod or staff were found buds, blossoms, and ripe fruit. This fact was so unquestionably miraculous, as to decide the business for ever; and probably this was intended to show that in the priesthood, represented by that of Aaron, the beginning, middle, and end of every good work must be found. The buds of good desires, the blossoms of holy resolutions and promising professions, and the ripe fruit of faith, love, and obedience, all spring from the priesthood of the Lord Jesus. It has been thought by some that Aaron's staff (and perhaps the staves of all the tribes) was made out of the amygdala communis, or common almond tree. In a favourable soil and climate it grows to twenty feet in height, is one of the most noble flourishing trees in nature; its flowers are of a delicate red, and it puts them forth early in March, having begun to bud in January. It has its name pw shaked from shakad, to awake, because it buds and flowers sooner than most other trees. And it is very likely that the staves of office, borne by the chiefs of all the tribes, were made of this tree, merely to signify that watchfulness and assiduous care which the chiefs should take of the persons committed, in the course of the divine providence, to their keeping. Every thing in this miracle is so far beyond the power of nature, that no doubt could remain on the minds of the people, or the envious chiefs, of the divine appointment of Aaron, and of the especial interference of God in this case. To see a piece of wood, long cut off from the parent stock, without bark or moisture remaining, laid up in a dry place for a single night, with others in the same circumstances,to see such a piece of wood resume and evince the perfection of vegetative life, budding, blossoming, and bringing forth ripe fruit at the same time, must be such a demonstration of the peculiar interference of is laid up before the testimony. A. M. cir. 2533. B. C. cir. 1471. An. Exod. Isr. cir. 20. 10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. d f 11 And Moses did so as the LORD commanded him, so did he. 12 And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. 13 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying? © Hebr. ix. 4.-—d Ch. xvi. 38.- e Heb. children of rebellion. f Ver. 5.- - Ch. i, 51, 53. xviii. 4, 7. God, as to silence every doubt and satisfy every scruple. It is worthy of remark that a sceptre, or staff of office, resuming its vegetative life, was considered an absolute impossibility among the ancients; and as they were accustomed to swear by their sceptres, this circumstance was added to establish and confirm the oath. A remarkable instance of this we have in HOMER, Iliad., lib. i., ver. 233, &c., where Achilles, in his rage against Agamemnon, thus speaks: Αλλ' εκ τοι ερέω, και επι μεγαν όρκον ομουμαι Ναι μα τοδε σκήπτρον, το μεν ούποτε φυλλα και οξους Φυσει, επειδη πρωτα τομήν εν ορεσσι λελοιπεν, Ουδ' αναθηλήσει περι γαρ ρα ἑ χαλκος έλεψε Φυλλα τε και φλοιον ὁ δε τοι μεγας εσσεται όρκος. But hearken: I shall swear a solemn oath: By this same sceptre which shall never bud, Nor boughs bring forth, as once; which, having left Its parent on the mountain top, what time The woodman's axe lopp'd off its foliage green, And stripp'd its bark, shall never grow again. COWPER. VIRGIL represents king Latinus swearing in the same way to confirm his covenant with Eneas. Ut SCEPTRUM hoc (dextra sceptrum nam forte gerebat) Nunquam fronde levi fundet virgulta neque umbras, Cum semel in silvis imo de stirpe recisum Matre caret, posuitque comas et brachia ferro ; Olim arbos, nunc artificis manus ære decoro Inclusit, patribusque dedit gestare Latinis. Talibus inter se firmabant foedera dictis. Æn., lib. xii., ver. 206-12. Even as this royal SCEPTRE (for he bore A sceptre in his hand) shall never more Shoot out in branches, or renew the birth; An orphan now, cut from the mother earth By the keen axe, dishonoured of its hair, And cased in brass, for Latian kings to bear. And thus in public view the peace was tied With solemn vows, and sworn on either side. DRYDEN. When the circumstance of the rod or sceptre being used anciently in this way, and the absolute impos The office, charge, and emoluments NUMBERS. of the priests and Leriles. sibility of its revivescence so strongly appealed to, is | every person might come near to God, for all, they considered, it appears to have been a very proper thought, were sufficiently holy, and every way qualiinstrument for the present occasion, for the change fied to minister in holy things. Now, no one, in their that passed on it must be acknowledged as an imme-apprehension, can come near to the tabernacle withdiate and incontestable miracle. out being consumed, ver. 13. In both cases they | were wrong; some there were who might approach, others there were who might not. God had put the difference. His decision should have been final with them; but sinners are ever running into extremes. Verse 12. Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.] gavaenu signifies not so much to die simply, as to feel an extreme difficulty of breathing, which, producing suffocation, ends at last in death. See the folly and extravagance of this sinful people. At first, CHAPTER XVIII. The priests are to bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, 1. The Levites, to minister to the priests, and have charge of the tabernacle, 2-4. The priests alone to have charge of the sanctuary, &c., no stranger to come nigh on pain of death, 5-7. The portion allowed for their maintenance, 8. They shall have every meat-offering; and they shall eat them in the holy place, 9, 10. The wave-offerings, 11. The first-fruits of the oil, wine, and wheat, and whatever is first ripe, and every devoted thing, 12-14; also, all the first-born of men and beasts, 15-18; and heave-offerings, 19. The priests shall have no inherit ance, 20. The Levites shall have no inheritance, but shall have the tenth of the produce in Israel, 21-24, of which they are to give a tenth to the priests, taken from the best parts, 25-30. A. M. cir. 2533. An. Exod. Isr. cir. 20. a B. C. cir. 1471. AND the LORD said unto Israel: "to you they are given b 2 And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and dminister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. g 3 And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle : only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. 4 And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. 5 And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: 'that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. 6 And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of i a Ch. xvii. 13. 34.- d Ch. iii. 6, 7. 8 Ch. xvi. 40. xxvii. 21. xxx. 7. 46. A. M. cir. 25 B. C. cir. 147). An. Exod. Isr. cir. 20. 7 Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and P within the veil; and ye shall serve: 1 have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 8 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold. I also have given thee the charge of mine heave-offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever. r S 9 This shall be thine of the most holy things reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs. every meat-offering of theirs, and every 'sinoffering of theirs, and every "trespass-offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. 10 In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee. Ch. iii. 10. —P Hebr. ix. 3, 6. — 9 Lev. vi. 16, 18, 26. vi b Exod. xxviii. 38. See Gen. xxix. -e Ch. iii. 10. h Ch. iv. 15.- Lev. xxiv. 3. m Ch. iii. 12, 45.- — Ch. iii. 9. viii. 19.- 110 NOTES ON CHAP. XVIII. Verse 1. Thou and thy sons—shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, &c.] That is, They must be answerable for its legal pollutions, and must make the necessary atonements and expiations. By this they must feel that though they had got a high and important office The portion granted to the A. M. cir. 2533. cir. 20. CHAP. XVIII. а m priests and Levites. A. M. cir. 2533. 11 And this is thine; a the 16 And those that are to be heave-offering of their gift, with redeemed from a month old all the wave-offerings of the shalt thou redeem, according children of Israel: I have given them unto to thine estimation, for the money of five 'thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, with thee, by a statute for ever: every one" which is twenty gerahs. that is clean in thy house shall eat of it. b Lev. x. 14. 13.- d Exod. a Exod. xxix. 27, 28. Lev. vii. 30, 34.- Ver. 29.- confirmed to them by a miraculous interference, yet Verse 2. Thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi-may be joined unto thee] There is a fine paronomasia, or play upon words, in the original, Levi comes from the root lavah, to join to, couple, associate: hence Moses says, the Levites, " yillavu, shall be joined or associated with the priests; they shall conjointly perform the whole of the sacred office, but the priests shall be principal, the Levites only their associates or assistants. For an explanation of many parts of this chapter, see the notes on several of the passages referred to in the margin. Verse 15. The first-born of man-and the firstling of unclean beasts] Thus vain man is ranked with the beasts that perish; and with the worst kinds of them too, those deemed unclean. | 17 But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: "thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD. 18 And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave-breast, and as the right shoulder are thine. 19 All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD, unto thee and to thy seed with thee. 20 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither xxvii. 26. Ch. iii. 13. 1 Exod. xiii. 13. xxxiv. 20. miscarriage or untimely birth? -MOTHER. No.- Verse 19. It is a covenant of salt] That is, an incorruptible everlasting covenant. As salt was added to different kinds of viands, not only to give them a relish, but to preserve them from putrefaction and decay, it became the emblem of incorruptibility and Verse 16. Shalt thou redeem—for the money of five shekels] Redemption of the first-born is one of the rites which is still practised among the Jews. Ac-permanence. Hence, a covenant of salt signified an cording to Leo of Modena, it is performed in the fol- everlasting covenant. We have already seen that, lowing manner: When the child is thirty days old, among the Asiatics, eating together was deemed a the father sends for one of the descendants of Aaron: bond of perpetual friendship; and as salt was a several persons being assembled on the occasion, the common article in all their repasts, it may be in refather brings a cup containing several pieces of gold ference to this circumstance that a perpetual coveand silver coin. The priest then takes the child into nant is termed a covenant of salt; because the parties his arms, and addressing himself to the mother, ate together of the sacrifice offered on the occasion, says: Is this thy son?-MOTHER. Yes.-PRIEST. and the whole transaction was considered as a league Hast thou never had another child, male or female, a of endless friendship. See the note on Lev. ii. 13. The portion granted to A. M. cir. 2533. of Israel. a tenth shalt thou have any part among | offer up an heave-offering of it them: I am thy part and thine for the LORD, even inheritance among the children part of the tithe. e C 21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die. 23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave-offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 25 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall a Deut. x. 9. xii. 12. xiv. 27, 29. xviii. 1, 2. Josh. xiii. 14, b Ver. 33. xiv. 3. xviii. 7. Ps. xvi. 5. Ezek. xliv. 28.24, 26. Lev. xxvii, 30, 32. Neh. x. 37. xii. 44. Hebr. vii. 5, 8, 9.- Ch. iii. 7, 8.- 4 Ch. i. 51.- e Lev. xxii. 9. f Heb. to die. - Ch. iii. 7.- h Ver. 21. Ver. 20. Verse 20. I am thy part and thine inheritance] The principal part of what was offered to God was the portion of the priests, therefore they had no inheritance of land in Israel; independently of that they had a very ample provision for their support. The rabbins say twenty-four gifts were given to the priests, and they are all expressed in the law. Eight of those gifts the priests ate no where but in the sanctuary: these eight are the following: 1. The flesh of the SIN-OFFERING, whether of beasts or fowls, Lev. vi. 25, 26. 2. The flesh of the TRESPASS-OFFERING, Lev. vii. 1, 6. 3. The PEACE-OFFERINGS of the congregation, Lev. xxiii. 19, 20. A. M. cir. 2533. B. C. cir. 1471 An. Exod. Isr. cir. 20. 27 And this your heave-offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshing-floor, and as the fulness of the wine-press. 28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave-offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD's heave-offering to Aaron the priest. 29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave-offering of the LORD, of all the "best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it. 30 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, "then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing-floor, and as the increase of the wine-press. 31 And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your housholds: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congre gation. 32 And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die. Deut. x. 9. xiv. 27, 29. xviii. 1. m Heb. fat. Ver. 12. - Ver. 27. x. 7. 1 Cor. ix. 13. 1 Tim. v. 18. 16.- -9 Lev. xxii. 2, 15. Neh. x. 38.- Ver. 2. Matt. x. 10. Lake -P Lev. xix. 8. xx. 2. The HEAVE-OFFERING of the sacrifice of confession, Lev. vii. 12—14. 3. The HEAVE-OFFERING of the Nazarite's ram, Lev. vi. 17-20. 4. The FIRSTLING of the clean beast, Numb. xviii. 15; Deut. xv. 19, 20. 5. The FIRST-FRUITS, Numb. xviii. 13. FIVE gifts were not due unto them by the Law, but in the land of Israel only: 1. The heave-offering or FIRST-FRUITs, Numb.xviii. 12. 2. The heave-offering of the TITHE, Numb. xviii. 28. 3. The CAKE, Numb. xv. 20. These three were ho 4. The first-fruits of the FLEECE, Deut. xviii. 4. 5. The FIELD of POSSESSION, Numb. xxxv. These 4. The remainder of the OMER OF SHEAF, Lev. xxiii. two were common. 10, &c. FIVE gifts were due unto them both within and 5. The remnants of the MEAT-OFFERINGS of the Is- without the land: raelites, Lev. vi. 16. 6. The two LOAVES, Lev. xxiii. 17. 7. The SHEW-BREAD, Lev. xxiv. 9. 8. The LOG of oil offered by the leper, Lev. xiv. 10, &c. Five of those gifts they ate only in Jerusalem : 1. The breast and shoulder of the PEACE-OFFERINGS, Lev. vii. 31, 34. 1. The gifts of the BEASTS SLAIN, Deut. xviii. 3. 2. The redemption of the FIRST-BORN SON, Numb The ordinance of CHAP. XIX. ONE gift was due unto them from the sanctuary: 1. The skins of the burnt-offering, and all the skins of the other most holy things, Lev. vii. 8. In all 24. See Ainsworth. the red heifer. See Lowman, Dodd, &c. But though this was a The gifts which the females of the priests' families the people's souls; yet let it be considered that what they possessed was the best of the land: and while it 1. The heave-offering, or first-fruits. 2. The heave- was a slender remuneration for their services, yet offering of the tithe. 3. The cake. 4. The gifts of their portion was such as rendered them independent, the beast, Deut. xviii. 3. 5. The first of the fleece.- and kept them comfortable; so that they could wait This is a See Mishna, Tract. Biccurim, and Ainsworth on the on the Lord's work without distraction. proper pattern for the maintenance of the ministers Pentateuch. Besides all this the priests had the tribute money of God: let them have a sufficiency for themselves and mentioned Numb. xxxi. 28, 29. Verse 21. Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth] First, The Levites had the tenth of all the productions of the land. 2. They had forty-eight cities, each forming a square of 4,000 cubits. 3. They had 2,000 cubits of ground round each city. Total of the land they possessed, 53,000 acres. 4. They had the first-fruits and certain parts of all the animals killed in the land. Canaan contained about 11,264,000 acres ; therefore the portion possessed by the Levites was rather less than as one to two hundred and twelve; for 11,264,000 divided by 53,000, quotes only 212}. families, that there may be no distracting cares; and Verse 28. Thus ye also shall offer an heave-offering] CHAPTER XIX. The ordinance of the red heifer, 1, 2. She shall be slain by Eleazar without the camp, and her blood sprinkled before the tabernacle, 3, 4. Her whole body and appurtenance shall be reduced to ashes, and while burning, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop, shall be thrown into the fire, 5, 6. The priest, and he that burns her, to bathe themselves and be reputed unclean till the evening, 7, 8. Her ashes to be laid up for a water of purification, 9. How, and in what cases, it is to be applied, 10-13. The law concerning him who dies in a tent, or who is killed in the open field, 14-16. How the persons, tent, and vessels are to be purified by the application of these ashes, 17-19. The unclean person who does not apply them, to be cut off from the congregation, 20. This is to be a perpetual statute, 21, 22. B. C. cir. 1471. B. C. cir. 1471. A. M. cir. 2533. ΑΝ ND the LORD spake unto | LORD hath commanded, saying, A. M. cir. 2533. An. Exod. Isr. cir. 20. saying, cir. 20. 2 This is the ordinance of the law which the red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, ordinance of the red heifer, we may certainly con- We may remark several curious particulars in this 1. A heifer was appointed for a sacrifice, probably, in opposition to the Egyptian superstition which held these sacred, and actually worshipped their great goddess Isis under this form; and this appears the more likely because males in general were preferred for sacrifice, yet here the female is chosen. NOTES ON CHAP. XIX. Verse 2. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee, &c.] The ordinance of the red heifer was a sacrifice of general application. All the people were to have an interest in it, and therefore the people at large are to provide the sacrifice. This Jewish rite certainly had a reference to things done under the gospel, as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews has remarked: "For if," says he, "the blood of bulls and of goats," alluding, probably, to the sinofferings and the scape-goat, "and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered him3. The heifer was to be without spot-having no self without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God!" Heb. ix. 13, 14. mixture of any other colour. Plutarch remarks, De As the principal stress of the allusion here is to the | Iside et de Osiride, that if there was a single hair in 2. It was to be a red heifer, because red bulls were sacrificed to appease the evil demon Typhon, worshipped among the Egyptians. See Spencer. 1 |