Numbers 18:1--19:22
Aaron ..... sons .................. sons <0175 01121> [Aaron, Thou.]
bear ............... bear <05375> [shall bear.]
To counterbalance the high honour conferred on Aaron and his family, and to allay the fears and abate the envy of the people, it is here declared, that the priest must bear the blame of everything which was not properly conducted in the sanctuary.
join ..... minister <03867 08334> [joined unto thee.]
There is a fine paronomasia in the original. Levi is desired from {lawah,} to join, couple, associate; hence Moses says, the Levites {yillawoo,} "shall be joined," or associated, with the priests: they shall conjointly perform the sacred office, but the priests shall be principal, the Levites their associates or assistants.
minister ............ before <08334 06440> [minister.]
sons <01121> [but thou.]
near <07126> [only they.]
die <04191> [neither.]
unauthorized <02114> [a stranger.]
You ... be responsible <08104> [And ye.]
wrath <07110> [no wrath.]
chosen <03947> [And I.]
chosen <03947> [I have.]
given <05414> [given.]
sons <01121> [Therefore thou.]
<01004> [within.]
service <05656> [as a service.]
unauthorized <02114> [the stranger.]
responsibility <04931> [the charge.]
priestly portion <04888> [by reason.]
grain offering <04503> [every meat.]
purification <02403> [every sin.]
reparation offering <0817> [every trespass.]
most holy ........... holy <06944> [In the.]
male <02145> [every male.]
raised <08641> [the heave.]
Israelites ........... sons <01121> [unto thee.]
clean <02889> [every one.]
best .... olive oil ..... best <03323 02459> [best of the oil. Heb. fat.]
first fruits <07225> [the first-fruits.]
first ripe fruit <01061> [whatsoever.]
clean <02889> [every one.]
firstborn <06363> [openeth.]
firstborn sons ....... firstborn <01060> [the firstborn.]
redeemed ..... redeem <06299> [shalt thou redeem.]
Redemption of the firstborn is one of the rites which are still practised among the Jews. According to Leo of Modena, it is performed in the following manner:--When the child is thirty days old, the father sends for one of the descendants of Aaron: several persons being assembled on the occasion, the father brings a cup, containing several pieces of gold and silver coin. The priest then takes the child into his arms, and addressing himself to the mother, he says, "Is this thy son?" Mother. "Yes." Priest. "Hast thou never had another child, male or female, a miscarriage, or untimely birth?" Mother. "No." Priest. "This being the case, this child, as firstborn, belongs to me." Then turning to the father, he says, "If it be thy desire to have this child, thou must redeem it." Father. "I present thee with this gold and silver for this purpose." Priest. "Thou dost wish, therefore, to redeem this child?" Father. "I do wish so to do." The priest then turning himself to the assembly, says, "Very well: this child, as first-born, is mine; as it is written in Bemidbar, (ch. 18:16,) Thou shalt redeem the first-born of a month old for five shekels; but I shall content myself with this in exchange." He then takes two gold crowns, or thereabouts, and returns the child to his parents.
according to your estimation <06187> [according.]
twenty <06242> [which is.]
firstborn <01060> [the firstling.]
redeem .................. splash <06299 02236> [thou shalt.]
raised offerings <08641> [the heave.]
covenant <01285> [it is a.]
inheritance <05157> [Thou shalt have.]
The principal part of what was offered to God was the portion of the priests; who had no inheritance of land in Israel. The Rabbins say, 24 gifts were given to the priests; all of which are expressed in the law. Eight were only eaten in the sanctuary: 1. The flesh of the sin-offering. (Le 6:25, 26.) 2. The flesh of the trespass-offering. (Le 7:1, 6.) 3. The peace-offering of the congregation. (Le 23:19, 20.) 4. The remainder of the sheaf. ( Le 23:10.) 5. The remnants of the meat-offerings. (Le 6:16.) 6. The two loaves. (Le 23:17.) 7. The shew-bread. (Le 24:9.) 8. The log of oil offered by the leper. (Le 14:10.) Five they ate only at Jerusalem: 1. The breast and shoulder of the peace-offerings. (Le 7:31-34.) 2. The heave-offering of confession. (Le 7:12-14.) 3. The heave-offering of the Nazarite's ram. (Le 6:17-20.) 4. The firstling. (ch. 18:15.) 5. The first-fruits. (18:13.) Five were due to them only in the land of Israel: 1. The heave-offering of first-fruits. (ver. 12.) 2. Of the tithe. (ver. 28.) 3. The cake. (ch. 15:20.) 4. The first of the fleece. (De 18:4.) 5. The field of possession. (ch. 35.) Five were due both within and without the land: 1. The gifts of slain beasts. (De 18:3.) 2. The redemption of the first-born. (ver. 15.) 3. The lamb for a firstling ass. (Ex 4:20.) 4. That taken by violence from a stranger. (ch. 5:8.) 5. All devoted things. One was from the sanctuary, the skins, etc. (Le 7:8.)
inheritance <05157> [no inheritance.]
portion ......... portion <02506> [I am thy part.]
tithes <04643> [the tenth.]
service ...... service <05656> [even the service.]
approach <07126> [come nigh.]
bear ... sin <02399 05375> [bear sin.]
die <04191> [and die. Heb. to die.]
But ..... perform ... service <05656 05647> [do the service.]
among <08432> [among.]
offer <07311> [then ye shall.]
tithe ............................ tenth .... tithe <04643> [a tenth part.]
grain <01715> [as though.]
grain <01715> [the corn.]
give <05414> [and ye shall.]
best <02459> [best. Heb. fat.]
best <02459> [the best.]
be credited <02803> [then it shall.]
place <04725> [in every.]
wages <07939> [your reward.]
bear <05375> [bear.]
profane <02490> [pollute.]
ordinance <02708> [the ordinance.]
red heifer <06510 0122> [a red heifer.]
The following curious particulars have been remarked in this ordinance: 1. A heifer was appointed for sacrifice, in opposition to the Egyptian superstition, which held these sacred, and worshipped their goddess Isis under this form; and this appears the more likely, because males only were chosen for sacrifice. So Herodotus says, they sacrifice males, both old and young; but it is not lawful for them to offer females. 2. It was to be a red heifer, because the Egyptians sacrificed red bulls to the evil demon Typhon. 3. It was to be without spot, having no mixture of any other colour. Plutarch says, the Egyptians "sacrifice red bulls, and select them with such scrupulous attention, that if the animal has a single black or white hair, they reckon it [athuton,] unfit to be sacrificed." 4. Without blemish. (See note on Le 22:21.) 5. On which never came yoke: because an animal which had been used for a common purpose was deemed improper for sacrifice.
defect <03971> [no blemish. See on]
never <03808> [upon which.]
outside ... camp <02351 04264> [without the camp.]
sprinkle <05137> [sprinkle.]
clean ................. clean <02889> [clean.]
put <03240> [lay them up.]
water ... purification <05079 04325> [a water of separation.]
That is, water prepared by being mixed with the ashes of the heifer, and set apart for the special purpose of being sprinkled on those who had contracted any legal defilement. To this rite the apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Hebrews. (ch. 9:13, 14,) pointedly alludes: "For if," says he, "the blood of bulls and of goats," alluding, probably, to the sin-offerings and the scape-goat, "and the ashes of a 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 himself without spot unto God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God."
wash ... clothes <03526 0899> [wash his.]
Israelites <01121> [it shall be.]
touches ... corpse <04191 05060> [toucheth the dead.]
He who touched a dead beast was only unclean for one day, (Le 11:12, 27, 39;) but he who touches a dead man is unclean for seven days. This was certainly designed to show the peculiar impurity and sinfulness of man, and the hatefulness of sin, seven times worse than the vilest animal!
person <0120> [man. Heb. soul of man.]
purify ........................ purify <02398> [He shall purify.]
"Yithchatta," literally, "he shall sin himself," i.e., not add sin, but take it away, purify. So we say to fleece, and to skin, which do not signify to add a fleece, or a skin, but to take one away.
on ... third day ... on .... day .............. on ... third day ..... day <03117 07992> [third day.]
purify <02398> [purifieth.]
water <04325> [the water.]
uncleanness <02932> [his uncleanness.]
touches <05060> [toucheth.]
bone <06106> [a bone.]
grave <06913> [a grave.]
ashes <06083> [ashes. Heb. dust.]
fresh running water <04325 05414 02416> [running water shall be put thereto. Heb. living waters shall be given.]
sprinkle <05137> [shall sprinkle.]
on .... day ... on ... seventh day ... on ... seventh day <03117 07637> [on the seventh day he.]
purify <02398> [shall not.]
unclean <02931> [whatsoever.]
person <05315> [the soul.]
