Ordinances relative to A. M. 2514. B. C. 1490. Abib or Nisan. CHAP. V. 2 Or if a soul touch any An. Exod. Isr. 2 unclean thing, whether it be a carcass of an unclean beast, or a carcass of unclean cattle, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and d guilty. 3 Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty. 4 Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or 8-to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. Chap. xi. 24, 28, 31, Chap. xii., xiii., xv.See Mark vi. 23.- h 39; Num. xix. 11, 13, 16.- d Ver. 17. f See I Sam. xxv. 22; Acts xxiii. 12. Chap. xvi. 21; xxvi. 40; Num. v. 7; Ezra x. 11, 12. Chap. xii. 8; xiv. 21. be considered as guilty in the sight of God, of the transgression which he has endeavoured to conceal, and must expect to be punished by him for hiding the iniquity to which he was privy, or suppressing the truth which, being discovered, would have led to the exculpation of the innocent, and the punishment of the guilty. Verse 2. Any unclean thing] Either the dead body of a clean animal, or the living or dead carcass of any unclean creature. All such persons were to wash their clothes and themselves in clean water, and were considered as unclean till the evening, chap. xi. 24–31. But if this had been neglected, they were obliged to bring a trespass-offering, What this meant, see in the notes on chap. vií. uncleanness, vows, and oaths. A. M. 2514. B. C. 1490. who shall offer that which is for the sin-offering first, and wring An. Exod. Isr. 2. off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder: Abib or Nisan. 9 And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin-offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin-offering 10 And he shall offer the second for a burntoffering, according to the manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.. 11 But if he be not able to, bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin-offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin-offering. t 12 Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it is a sin-offering. 13 And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him : and the remnant shall be the priest's, as a meat-offering. 14 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Heb. his hand cannot reach to the sufficiency of a lamb.- Chap. i. 14.- m Chap. i. 15. Chap. iv. 7, 18, 30, 34.- Or, ordinance.P.Chap. i. 14.4 Chap. iv. 26.- r Num. v. 15. Chap. ii. 2. Chap. iv. 35.—"Chap. iv. 26.- Chap. ii. 3. vowed, he is guilty, and must in both cases confess his iniquity, and bring his trespass-offering. Verse 5. He shall confess that he hath sinned] Even restitution was not sufficient without this confession, because a man might make restitution without being much humbled; but the confession of sin has a direct tendency to humble the soul, and hence it is so fre-, quently required in the Holy Scriptures, as without humiliation there can be no salvation. Verse 7. If he be not able to bring a lamb] See the conclusion of chap. i. Verse 8. But shall not divide it] See the note on chap. i. 16. Verse 10. He shall offer the second for a burntoffering] The pigeon for the burnt-offering was wholly consumed, it was the Lord's property; that for the sinoffering was the priest's property, and was to be eaten by him after its blood had been partly sprinkled on the side of the altar, and the rest poured out at the bottom of the altar. See also chap, vi. 26. Verse 11. Tenth part of an ephah] About three 15 If a soul commit a tresAn. Exod. Isr. 2. pass, and sin through ignorance, Abib or Nisan. in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after y the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespassoffering: in the holy things of the Lord. A. M. 2514. Abib or Nisan. 17 And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which An. Exod. Isr. 2. are forbidden to be done by. the commandments of the LORD; though he wist it not, yet is he a guilty, and shall bear his iniquity. d 18 And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass-offering, unto the priest: f and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and 16 And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest and the priest shall make an atone-wist it not, and it shall be forgiven him. ment for him with the ram of the trespassoffering, and it shall be forgiven him. Chap. xxii, 14. * Ezra x. 19.- Exod. xxx. 13; chap. xxvii. 25.-2 Chap. vi. 5; xxii. 14; xxvii. 13, 15, 27, 31; Num. y. 7.a Chap. iv. 26. 19. It is a trespass-offering: he hath certainly trespassed against the LORD. b Chap. iv. 2. Ver. 15; chap. iv. 2, 13, 22, 27; Psa. xix. —d Ver. 1, 2.— Ver. 15.—— Ver. 16. quarts. The ephah contained a little more than seven paratively cold performance of sacred duties, no wongallons and a half. Verse 15. In the holy things of the Lord] This law seems to relate particularly to sacrilege, and defrauds in spiritual matters; such as the neglect to consecrate or redeem the first-born, the withholding of the firstfruits, tithes, and such like; and, according to the rabbins, making any secular gain of Divine things, keeping back any part of the price of things dedicated to God, or withholding what man had vowed to pay. See a long list of these things in Ainsworth. With thy estimation] The wrong done or the defraud committed should be estimated at the number of shekels it was worth, or for which it would sell. These the defrauder was to pay down, to which he was to add a fifth part more, and bring a ram without blemish for a sin-offering besides. There is an obscurity in the text, but this seems to be its meaning. Verse 16. Shall make amends] Make restitution for the wrong he had done according to what is laid down in the preceding verse. Verse 19. He hath certainly trespassed] And because he hath sinned, therefore he must bring a sacrifice. On no other ground shall he be accepted by the Lord. Reader, how dost thou stand in the sight of thy Maker? der that there is sinfulness found in our holy things; and at what a low ebb must the Christian life be found when this is the case! This is a sore and degrading evil in the Church of God; but there is one even worse than this, that is, the strenuous endeavour of many religious people to reconcile their minds to this state of inexcusable imperfection, and defend it zealously, on the supposition that it is at once both unavoidable and useful—unavoidable, for they think they cannot live without it; and useful, because they suppose it tends to humble them! The more inward sin a man has, the more pride he will feel; the less, the more humility. A sense of God's infinite kindness to us, and our constant dependence on him, will ever keep the soul in the dust. Sin can never be necessary to the maintenance or extension of the Christian life, it is the thing which Jesus Christ came into the world to destroy; and his name is called JESUS or Saviour because he saves his people from their sins. But how little of the spirit and influence of his Gospel is known in the world! He saves, unto the uttermost, them who come unto the Father through him, But alas! how few are thus saved! for they will not come unto him that they might have life. Should any Christian refuse to offer up the following prayer to God?" Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open, and from On the subject of this chapter it may be proper to whom no secrets are hid, cleanse the thoughts of our make the following reflections. When the infinite purity and strict justice of God are considered, the exceeding breadth of his commandment, our slowness of heart to believe, and our com hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name, through Christ our Lord. Amen."-The Liturgy. CHAPTER VI, Laws relative to detention of property intrusted to the care of another, to robbery, and deceit, 1, 2; finding of goods lost, keeping them from their owner, and swearing falsely, 3, ·Such a person shall not only restore what he has thus unlawfully gotten, but shall add a fifth part of the value of the property besides, 4, 5; and bring a ram without blemish, for a trespass-offering to the Lord, 6, 7. Laws relative to the burntoffering and the perpetual fire. 8-13. Law of the meat-offering, and who may lawfully eat of it, 14–18. Laws relative to the offerings of Aaron and his sons and their successors, on the day of their anointing, 19-23. Laws relative to the sin-offering, and those who might eat of it, 24-30. 2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour; 3 Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein': 4 Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he ́hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, a Num. v. 6.- b Chap. xix. 11; Acts v. 4; Col. iii. 9. e Exod. xxii. 7, 10.- d Or, in dealing. • Heb. putting of the hand.- Prov. xxiv. 28; xxvi. 19.- - Deut. xxii. 1, 2, 3. Exod. xxii. 11; chap. xix. 12; Jer. vii. 9; Zech. v. 4. NOTES ON CHAP. VI. Verse 2. Lie unto his neighbour, &c.] This must refer to a case in which a person delivered his property to his neighbour to be preserved for him, and took no witness to attest the delivery of the goods; such a person therefore might deny that he had ever received such goods, for he who had deposited them with him could bring no proof of the delivery. On the other hand, a man might accuse his neighbour of detaining property which had never been confided to him, or, after having been confided, had been restored again; hence the law here is very cautious on these points and because in many cases it was impossible to come at the whole truth without a direct revelation from God, which should in no common case be expected, the penalties are very moderate; for in such cases, even when guilt was discovered,, the man might not be so criminal as appearances might intimate. See the law concerning this laid down and explained on Exod. xxii. 7, &c. : Verse 3. Have found that which was lost] The Roman lawyers laid it down as a sound maxim of jurisprudence," that he who found any property and applied it to his own use, should be considered as a thief whether he knew the owner or not; for in their view the crime was not lessened, supposing the finder was totally ignorant of the right owner." Qui alienum quid jacens lucri faciendi causa sustulit, furti obstringitur, sive scit, cujus sit, sive ignoravit; nihil enim ad furtum minuendum facit, quod, cujus sit, ignoret. DIGESTOR, lib. xlvii., TIT. ii., de furtis, Leg. xliii., sec. 4. On this subject every honest man must say, that the man who finds any lost property, and does not make all due inquiry to find out the owner, should, in sound policy, be treated as a thief. It is said of the Dyrbeans, a people who inhabited the tract between Bactria and India, that if they met with any lost pro fraudulent practices. A. M. 2514. B. C. 1490. 5 Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even An. Exod. Isr. 2. restore it in the principal, and Abib or Nisan. shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass-offering. k 6 And he shall bring his trespass-offering unto the LORD, ma ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass-offering unto the priest : 7 And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein. 8 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 9 Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt-offering: It is the burnt-offering, because of the burning Chap. v. 16; Num. v. 7; 2 Sam. xii. 6; Luke xix. 8. Or, in the day of his being found guilty-Heb. in the day of his trespass.- m Chap. v. 15.-n Chap. iv. 26.0 Or, for the burning. perty, even on the public road, they never even touched it. This was actually the case in this kingdom in the time of Alfred the Great, about A. D. 888; so that golden bracelets hung up on the public roads were untouched by the finger of rapine. One of Solon's laws was, Take not up what you laid not down. How easy to act by this principle in case of finding lost property: "This is not mine, and it would be criminal to convert it to my use unless the owner be dead and his family extinct.". When all due inquiry is made, if no owner can be found, the lost property may be legally considered to be the property of the finder. Verse 5. All that about which he hath sworn falsely] This supposes the case of a man who, being convicted by his own conscience, comes forward and confesses his sin. Restore it in the principal] The property itself if still remaining, or the full value of it, to which a fifth part more was to be added. Verse 6. With thy estimation] See the note on chapter v. 15. Verse 8. And the Lord spake unto Moses] At this verse the Jews begin the 25th section of the law; and here, undoubtedly, the 6th chapter should commence, as the writer enters upon a new subject, and the preceding verses belong to the fifth chapter. The best edited Hebrew Bibles begin the 6th chapter at this verse. Verse 9. This is the law of the burnt-offering] This law properly refers to that burnt-offering which was daily made in what was termed the morning and evening sacrifice; and as he had explained the nature of this burnt-offering in general, with its necessary ceremonies, as far as the persons who brought them were concerned, he now takes up the same in relation to the priests who were to receive them from the hands of the offerer, and present them to the Lord on the altar of burnt-offerings. Concerning the perpetual fire A. M. 2514. An. Exod. Isr. 2. upon the altar all night unto the the meat-offering, and shall burn 10 P And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt-offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar. 11 And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place. 12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt-offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace-offerings. S V A. M. 2514. Abib or Nisan. it upon the altar for a sweet An. Exod. Isr. 2. 1.6. And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it. 17. It shall not be baken with leaven. 'I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin-offering, and as the trespass-offering. 18 All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations, concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire: every с 13 The fire shall ever be burning upon the one that toucheth them shall be holy. altar, it shall never go out. 14" And this is the law of the meat-offering the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar. 15 And he shall take of it his handful of the flour of the meat-offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon Chap. xvi. 4; Exod. xxviii. 39, 40, 41, 43; Ezek. xiv. 17, 18. Chap. i. 16. Ezek. xliv. 19.- Chap. iv. 12. Chap. Chap. ii. 1; Num. v. 4.- Chap. ii. 2, 9. Chap. ii. 3; Ezek. xliv. 29.- Ver. 26; chap. x. 12, 13; iii. 3, 9, 14. Because of the burning upon the altar all night] If the burnt-offering were put all upon the fire at once, it could not be burning all night. We may therefore reasonably conclude that the priests sat up by turns the whole night, and fed the fire with portions of this offering till the whole was consumed, which they would take care to lengthen out till the time of the morning sacrifice. The same we may suppose was done with the morning sacrifice; it was also consumed by piecemeal through the whole day, till the time of offering the evening sacrifice. Thus there was a continual offering by fire unto the Lord; and hence in ver. 13 it is said: The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar, it shall never go out. If at any time any extraordinary offerings were to be made, the daily sacrifice was consumed more speedily, in order to make room for such extra offerings. See more on this subject in the note on ver. 23. The Hebrew doctors teach that no sacrifice was ever offered in the morning before the morning sacrifice; and none, the passover excepted, ever offered in the evening after the evening sacrifice; for all sacrifices were made by day-light. The fat seems to have been chiefly burned in the night season, for the greater light and conveniency of keeping the fire alive, which could not be so easily done in the night as in the day time. Verse 11. And put on other garments] The priests approached the altar in their holiest garments; when carrying the ashes, &c., from the altar, they put on 19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, e 20 This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed: the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meatoffering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night. Numbers xviii. 10.- - Chap. ii. 11.Ver. 25; chap. ii. 3; vii. ; Exod. Num. xviii. 10. ——e Chap. iii. 17. Exod. xxix. 37.- Exod. xxix. 2.– 7 Numbers xviii. 9, 10. xxix. 37. Ver. 29; d Chap. xxii. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; f Exod. xvi. 36. other garments, the holy garments being only used in the holy place. Clean place.] A place where no dead carcasses, dung, or filth of any kind was laid; for the ashes were holy, as being the remains of the offerings made by fire unto the Lord. Verse 13. The fire shall ever be burning] See on ver. 9 and ver. 20. In imitation of this perpetual fire, the ancient Persian Magi, and their descendants the Parsees, kept up a perpetual fire; the latter continue it to the present day. This is strictly enjoined in the Zend Avesta, which is a code of laws as sacred among them as the Pentateuch is among the Jews. A Sagnika Brahmin preserves the fire that was kindled at his investiture with the poita, and never suffers it to go out, using the same fire at his wedding and in all his burnt-offerings, till at length his body is burnt with it.-WARD'S Customs. Verse 14. The meat-offering] See on chap. ii. 1, &c. Verse 15. His handful of the flour] An omer of flour, which was the tenth part of an ephah, and equal to about three quarts of our measure, was the least quantity that could be offered even by the poorest sort, and this was generally accompanied with a log of oil, which was a little more than half a pint. This quantity both of flour and oil might be increased at pleasure, but no less could be offered. Verse 20. In the day when he is anointed] Not only in that day, but from that day forward, for this 23 For every meat-offering for the priest , shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten. 24 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 25 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin-offering: In the place where the burnt-offering is killed shall the sin-offering be killed before the LORD: it is most holy. m and who may eat of it. A. M. 2514. B. C. 1490. eat it: "in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the ta- An. Exod. 1r. 2 bernacle of the congregation. 27 • Abib or Nisan. Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place. 28 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden P shall be broken and if it be sodden in a brazen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water. 29 All the males, among the priests shall eat thereof it is most holy. 30 And no sin-offering, whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation, to reconcile withal in the holy 26 The priest that offereth it for sin shall place, shall be caten: it shall be burnt in the fire. was to them and their successors a statute for ever. fanity in the sight of God. See 1 Sam. ii. 36; Jer. See verse 22. xxiii. 1, 2; Ezek. xxxiv. 2-4; and Hos. iv. 8. Verse 27. Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy] The following note of Mr. Ainsworth is not less-judicious than it is pious:— Verse 23. For every meat-offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt] Whatever the priest offered was wholly the Lord's, and therefore must be entirely consumed the sacrifices of the common people were offered to the Lord, but the priests partook of them; and thus they who ministered at the altar were fed by the altar. Had the priests been permitted to live on their own offerings as they did on those of the people, it would have been as if they had offered nothing, as they would have taken again to themselves what they appeared to give unto the Lord. Theodoret says that this marked "the high perfection which God required in the ministers of his sanctuary," as his not eating of his own sin-offering supposes him to stand free from all sin; but a better reason is given by Mr. Ainsworth: "The people's meat-offering was eaten by the priests that made atonement for them, ver. 15, 16, chap. vii. 7; but because no priest, being a sinner, could make atonement for himself, therefore his meat-offering might not be eaten, but all burnt on the altar, to teach him to expect salvation, not by his legal service or works, but by Christ; for the eating of the sin-offering figured the bearing of the sinner's iniquity;" chap. x. 17. Verse 25. In the place where the burnt-offering is killed, &c.] The place here referred to was the north side of the altar. See chap. i. 11. Verse 26. The priest shall eat it] From the expostulation of Moses with Aaron, chap. x. 17, we learn that the priest, by eating the sin-offering of the people, was considered as bearing their sin, and typically removing it from them and besides, this was a part of their maintenance, or what the Scripture calls their inheritance; see Ezek. xliv, 27–30. This was afterwards greatly abused; for improper persons endea, voured to get into the priest's office merely that they might get a secular provision, which is a horrible pro "All this rife was peculiar to the sin-offering, (whether it were that which was to be eaten, or that which was to be burnt,) above all the other most holy things. As the sin-offering in special sort figured Christ, who was made sin for us, (2 Cor. v. 21,) so this ordinance-for all that touched the flesh of the sin-offering to be holy, the garments sprinkled with the blood to be washed, the vessels wherein the flesh was boiled to be broken, or scoured and rinsed—taught a holy use of this mystery of our redemption, whereof they that are made partakers ought to be washed, cleansed, and sanctified by the Spirit of God; that we possess our vessels in holiness and honour, and yield not our members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin," 1 Thess. iv. 4; Rom. vi. 13. Verse 28. The earthen vessel shall be broken] Calmet states that this should be considered as implying the vessels brought by individuals to the court of the temple or tabernacle, and not of the vessels that belonged to the priests for the ordinary service. That the people dressed their sacrifices sometimes in the court of the tabernacle, he gathers from 1 Sam. ii. 13, 14, to which the reader is desired to refer. In addition to what has been already said on the different subjects in this chapter, it may be necessary to notice a few more particulars. The perpetual meaioffering, van and minchah tamid, ver. 20, the perpetual fire, 'n esh tamid, ver. 13, and the perpetual burnt-offering, Tn ny olạth tamid, Exod. xxix. 42, translated by the Septuagint voia diañavтos, tuρ διαπαντος, and ὁλοκαύτωσις and ὁλοκαυτωμα διαπαντός, all cast much light on Heb. vii. 25, where it is said, Christ is able to save them to the uttermost (eis to |