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16 Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.

17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds, or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill-offerings, or heave-offering of thine hand: 18 But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates; and thou shall rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.

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19 Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth.

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20 TWhen the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, (because thy soul longeth to eat flesh;) thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

21 If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to put his name there, be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the LORD hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

22 P Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.

23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.

24 Thou shalt not eat it, thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water.

25 Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, " when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.

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26 Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the LORD shall choose:

27 And thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings,

k Gen. 9. 4. Lev. 7. 26 & 17. 10. Ch. 15. 23. & Ver. 23, 24-1 Ver. 11, 12 & Ch. 14. 23 Ch. 14. 27. Ecclus. 7. 31.-n Heb. all thy days - Gen. 15. 19. & 28. 14. Exod. 34. 24. Ch. 11. 24. & 19. 8.-p Ver. 15.-q Ver. 16-r Heb. be strong - Gen. 9. 4. Lev. 17. 11, 11-4 Ch. 4. 40. Isai. 3. 10.- Exod. 15. 26. Ch. 13. 18. 1 Kings 11. 33.- Numb. 5. 9. 10. & 18. 19-w 1 Sam. 1. 21, 22, 24-x Lev. 1. 5, 9, 13. & 17. 11. y Ver. 25-2 Exod. 23. 23. Ch. 19. 1. Josh. 23. 4.

gates] With the proviso that the blood be poured out on the ground. 1. The blood should not be eaten. 2. It should be poured out by way of sacrifice. I think this is the meaning; and not, that they should pour out the blood with as little ceremony and respect as they poured water upon the ground; which is the meaning according to Calmet and others.

The roebuck-and the hart.] It is very likely that by tsebi, the entelope is meant; and by 8 ayal, the hart or deer. This is the opinion of Dr. Shaw: and from the report of travellers, we learn that both these animals are found in that desert to the present day. See Harmer, vol. iv. p. 25, &c. Of the propriety of eating clean animals, there could be no question; but the blood must be poured out; yet there were cases in which they might kill and eat in all their gates, (cities and dwellings,) such as the roebuck and the hart, or all clean wild beasts, for these being taken in hunting, and frequently shot by arrows, their blood could not be poured out at the altar. Therefore the command appears to take in only such tame beasts as were used for food.

the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the LORD thy God: and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh.

28 Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God.

29 When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land:

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30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do like wise.

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31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

CHAPTER XIII.

Of false prophets and their lying signs, 1-6. Of those who endeavour to entice and seduce people to idolatry, 7-8. The punishment of such, 9-11. Of cities perverted from the pure worship of God, 12--14. How that city is to be treated, 15. All the spoil of it to be destroyed, 16. Promises to them who obey these directons, 17, 18.

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IF there arise among you a prophet, An Exod. or a h dreamer of dreams, and i giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;

3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul.

a Heb. inheritest, or, possessest them.-b Ch. 7. 16-c Heb. after them.- Ver. 4. Lev. 18. 3, 26, 30 2 Kings 17. 15-e Heb. abomination of the -f Lev. 18. 21. & 20. 2. Ch. 18. 10. Jer. 32. 35. Ezek. 23. 37-g Ch. 4. 2. & 13. 18. Josh. 1. 7. Prov. 30. 6. Rev. 22. 18.--h Zech. 10. 2-i Matt. 24. 21. 2 Thess. 2. 9.--k See Ch. 18 22. Jer. 23. 9. Matt. 7. 22.--1 Ch. 8. 2. See Matt. 24. 24. 1 Cor. 11. 19. 2 Thess. 2. 11. Rev. 13. 14.

agree in offering human victims to their gods, on extraordinary occasions; by which it is evident that none of those nations had any right notion of the divine nature. How necessary then was the book of Revelation, to teach men what that religion is with which God can be well pleased! The Hindoos, to this day, offer human victims to their goddess Cali, and at the temple of Jaggernaut; and yet, notwithstanding this, there are found certain persons who, while they profess Christianity, are absolutely unwilling to send the Hindoos the Gospel of Christ, because they think it would not be politically wise! But the wisdom of this world has ever been foolishness with God; and in spite of all this infidel policy, the word of the Lord shall have free course, and be glorified.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XIII. Verse 1. If there arise among you a prophet] Any pretending to have a divine influence, so as to be able perfectly to direct others in the way of salvation-or a dreamer of dreams, one who pretends that some deity has spoken to him in the night season-and giveth thee a sign on oth, what appears to be a miraculous proof of his mission, or a wonder, mopheth, some type or representation of what he wishes to bring you over to-as some have pretended that they had received a consecrated image from heaven-hence the origin of the Palladium, Numa's Shields, and many of the deities among the Hindoos-but here the word seems to mean some portentous

Verse 19. Forsake not the Levite] These had no inheritance, and were to live by the sanctuary-if therefore the offerings were withheld by which the Levites were supported, they of course must perish. Those who have devoted themselves to the service of God in ministering to the salvation of the souls of men, should certainly be furnished at least with all the necessaries of life. Those who withhold this from them, sin against their own mer-sign-such as an eclipse, which he who knew when it cies; and that ordinance of God by which a ministry is established for the salvation of souls.

Verse 23. For the blood is the life] And the life being offered as an atonement, consequently the blood should not be eaten: see the notes on Levit. xvii. 11. where the subject of the ritality of the blood is largely considered. Verse 31. Their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire] Almost all the nations in the world

would take place, might predict to the people who knew nothing of the matter, and thereby accredit his pretensions.

Verse 3. The Lord your God proveth you God permits such impostors to arise to try the faith of his followers, and to put their religious experience to the test; for he who experimentally knows God, cannot be drawn away after idols. He who has no experimental knowledge of God may believe any thing. Experience of the truths

4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and "cleave unto him.

5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath P spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst

of thee.

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6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;

7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;

8 Thou shalt "not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:

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and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;

15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword. 16 And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be a heap for ever; it shall not be built again. 17 And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and show thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers;

18 When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.

CHAPTER XIV.

The Israelites are not to adopt superstitious customs in mourning, 1, 2. The different
kinds of clean and unclean arinals, 3-20. Nothing to be eaten that dieth of 4-
self, 21. Concerning offerings, which, from distance, cannot be carried to the altar
of God, and which may be tuned into money, 22--26. The Levite is not to be
forsaken, 27. The third year's tithe for the Levite, stranger, widow, &c. S, B.
E are

9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine YE

hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.

10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.

12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying,

13 Certain men, a the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; 14 Then shalt thou inquire, and make search,

m 2 Kings 23. 3. 2 Chron. 34. 31.-n Ch. 10. 20. & 30. 20.-o Ch. 19. 20. Jer. 14. 15 Zech 13. 3-p Heb. spoken revolt against the LORD.-q Ch. 17. 7. & 22. 21, 22, 24. 1 Cor. 5. 13-r Ch. 17. 2- See Gen. 16. 5. Ch. 28. 51. Prov. 5. 20. Mic. 7. 5- 1 Sam. 18. 1, 3. & 20. 17-u Prov. 1. 10-v Ch. 17. 5.-w Ch. 17. 7. Acts 7. 58-x Heb. bondmen-y Ch. 17. 13. & 19. 20-z Josh. 22. 11, &c. Judg. 20. 1, 2 a Or, naughty men: See Judg. 19. 22. 1 Sam. 2. 12. & 25. 17, 25. 1 Kings 21. 10. 13. contained in the word of God can alone preserve any man from Deism, or a false religion. They who have not this, are a prey to the pretended prophet, and to the dreamer of dreams.

Verse 6. If thy brother-or thy son] The teacher of idolatry was to be put to death; and so strict was this order, that a man must neither spare nor conceal his brother, son, daughter, wife, nor friend because this was the highest offence that could be committed against God, and the most destructive to society; hence the severest laws were enacted against it.

Verse 13. Children of Belial] by from ɔ, bal, not, and by yâal, profit, avopes rapavopoi, lawless men, (Sept.) persons good for nothing to themselves or others, and capable of nothing but mischief.

Verse 15. Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants] If one city were permitted to practice idolatry, the evil would spread; therefore the contagion must be destroyed in its birth.

Verse 17. And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing] As God did not permit them to take the spoils of these idolatrous cities, they could be under no temptation to make war upon them. It could only be done through a merely religious motive, in obedience to the command of God, as they could have no profit by the subversion of such places. How few religious wars would there ever have been in the world, had they been regulated by this principle: "Thou shalt neither extend thy territory, nor take any spoils."

NOTES ON CHAPTER XIV.

Verse 1. Ye are children of the Lord] The very highest character that can be conferred on any created beings. Ye shall not cut yourselves-i. e. their hair, for it was a custom among idolatrous nations to consecrate their hair

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"the children of the LORD An Exod Is. your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

2 P For thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

4 These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,

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5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.

6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.

7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them

2 Cor. 6. 15.-b 1 John 2. 19. Jnde 19.-c 2 Kings 17. 21-d Ver. 2,6—e Exod. 22. 20 Lev. 27. 28. Josh. 6. 17, 21.-f Josh. 6. 21.—g Josh. 8. 29. Isai. 17. 1. & 25.2. Jer. 19. 2 h Ch. 7. 26. Josh. 6. 18-i Or, devoted.-k Josh. 6. 26.-1 Gen. 22. 17. & 25. 4, N. & M. 14-m Ch. 12 25, 23, 32.-n Rom. 8. 16. & 9. 8, 26. Gal. 3. 26-o Lev. 19. A. & N. 5. Jer. 16. 6. & 41. 5. & 47. 5. 1 Thess. 4. 13-p Lev. 20. 25. Ch. 7. 6. & 18 19.—q Elek 4. 14. Acts 10. 13, 14.- Lev. 11. 2, &c.—s Or, bison-t Beb, diskon.

to their deities: though they sometimes also made incisions in their flesh.

Verse 4. These are the beasts which ye shall eat] On Lev. xi. I have entered into a considerable detail relative to the clean and unclean animals here mentioned. For the general subject, the reader is referred to the notes on that chapter; but as there are particulars mentioned here, which Moses does not introduce in Leviticus, it will be necessary to consider them in this place.

The ox] Shor: Bos, fifth order Pecora, of the genus MAMMALIA, species 41. This term includes all clean animals of the beeve kind: not only the or, properly so called, but also the bull, the cow, heifer, and calf.

The sheep] Sch: ovis, fifth order Pecora, of the genus MAMMALIA, species 40. Including the ram, the wether, the ewe, and the lamb.

The goat] y Az: CAPRA, fifth order Pecora, of the genus MAMMALIA, species 39. Including the he-goat, she-goat, and kid. The words in the text, a ne sch kesabim, signifies the lamb or young of sheep: and

yw seh âzzim, the young or kid of goats; but this is a Hebrew idiom, which signifies every creature of the genus, as 2 ben Enosh, and ja ben Adam, son of man, signify any human being. See Psal. exliv. 3. Job xxv. 6.

The flesh of these animals is universally allowed to be the most wholesome and nutritive. They live on the very best vegetables; and having several stomachs, their food is well concocted, and the chyle formed from it the most pure, because the best elaborated, as it is well refined before it enters into the blood. Of ruminating, or chewing the cud, see the note on Lev. xi. 3.

Verse 5. The hart] Ayal, the deer, according to Dr. Shaw; see the note on ch. xii. 15.

The roebuck] Tsebi, generally supposed to be the

that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof: as the camel, and the hare, and the coney; for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you. 8 And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, "nor touch their dead carcass.

9 These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye

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swan,

17 And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant,

18 And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat,

19 And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten. 20 But of all clean fowls ye may eat.

21 Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: " for thou art a holy

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u Lev. 11. B, 27.—v Lev. 11. 9.-w Lev. 11. 13.-x Lev. 11. 20.-y See Lev. 11. 21. z Lev. 17. 15. & 22 8. Ezek. 4. 14-a Ver. 2-b Exod. 23. 19. & 34. 25.-c Lev. N. 30. Ch. 12. 6, 17. Neh. 10. 37.-d Ch. 12. 5, 6, 7, 17, 18.

antelope, belonging to the fifth order Pecora, genus MAMMALIA, and species 38. It has round, twisted, spiral horns, hairy tufts on the knees, browses on tender shoots, lives in hilly countries, is fond of climbing rocks, and is remarkable for its beautiful black eyes. The flesh is good and well flavoured.

The fallow deer] Yachmur, from chamar, to be troubled, disturbed, disordered: this is suposed to mean, not the fallow deer, but the bubalus, or buffalo, which is represented by Dr. Shaw, and other travellers and naturalists, as a sullen, malevolent, and spiteful animal; capricious, ferocious, and every way brutal. According to the Linnæan classification, the buffalo belongs to the genus Mammalia, fifth order Pecora, species Bos. According to 1 Kings iv. 23. this was one of the animals which was daily served up at the table of Solomon. Though the flesh of the buffalo is not considered as very delicious, yet, in the countries where it abounds, it is eaten as frequently by all classes of persons as the or is in England. The yachmur is not mentioned in the parallel place, Lev. xi.

The wild goat] Akko. It is not easy to tell what creature is intended by the akko. Dr. Shaw supposed it to be a kind of very timorous goat, known in the cast by the name fishtall and serwee; and bears a resemblance both to the goat and the stag, whence the propriety of the name given it by the Septuagint and Vulgate, tragelapus, the goat-stag; probably the rupicapra, or rock-goat. The word is found nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible.

The pygarg] 1 Dishon. As this word is nowhere else used, we cannot tell what animal is meant by it. The word pygarguys, literally signifies white-buttocks, and is applied to a kind of eagle, with a white tail: but here it evidently means a quadruped. It was probably some kind of goat, common and well known in Judea.

The wild or] Theo. This is supposed to be the oryx of the Greeks, which is a species of large stag. It may be the same with the bekker el wash, described by Dr. Shaw as "a species of the deer kind, whose horns are exactly in the fashion of our stag, but whose size is only between the red and fallow deer.' In Isai. li. 20. a creature of the name of n thoa, is mentioned, which we translate wild bull; it may be the same creature intended above, with the interchange of the two last letters.

The chamois] Zamer. This was probably a species of goat or deer, but of what kind we know not-that it cannot mean the chamois is evident from this circumstance, "that the chamois inhabits only the regions of snow and ice, and cannot bear the heat." Buffon. The Sep

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23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.

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24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:

25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:

26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoevor thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,

27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.'

28 At the end of three years, thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates: And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee) and the stranger,

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e Ch. 15. 19, 20-f Ch. 12. 21.—g Heh asketh of thee.-h Ch. 12. 7, 18. & 26. 11. í Ch. 12. 12, 1, 19.-k Numb. 18. 20. Ch. 18. 1, 2.- Ch. 26. 12. Amos 4. 4.-m Ch. 26. 12-n Ver. 27. Ch. 12. 12.

tuagint and Vulgate translate it the camelopard: but this creature is only found in the torrid zone; and probably was never seen in Judea-consequently could never be prescribed as a clean animal, to be used as ordinary food. I must once more be permitted to say, that to ascertain the natural history of the Bible is a hopeless case. Of a few of its animals and vegetables we are comparatively certain; but of the great majority we know almost nothing. Guessing and conjecture are endless, and they have, on these subjects been sufficiently employed. What learning, deep, solid, extensive learning and judgment could do, has already been done by the incomparable Bochart, in his Hierozoicon. The learned reader may consult this work, and while he gains much general information, will have to regret that he can apply so little of it to the main and grand question. As I have consulted every authority within my reach, on the subject of the clean and unclean animals, mentioned in the law, and have detailed all the information I could collect, in my notes on Lev. xi. I must refer my readers to what I have there laid down.

Verse 13. The vulture after his kind] The word daah, is improperly translated rulture, Lev. xi. 14. but means a kite or glede. The word dayah, in this verse, is not only different from that in Leviticus, but means also a different animal-properly enough translated vulture. See the note on Lev. xi. 14.

Verse 21. Thou shall not secthe a kid in his mother's milk] Mr. Calmet thinks that this precept refers to the paschal lamb only, which was not to be offered to God till it was weaned from its mother:--but see the note on Exod. xxiii. 19.

Verse 22. Thou shalt truly tithe] Meaning the second tithe, which they themselves were to eat, ver. 23. for there was a first tithe that was given to the Levites; out of which they paid a tenth part to the priests, Numb. xviii. 24-23. Neh. x. 37, 38. Then of that which remained, the owners separated a second tithe, which they ate before the Lord, the first and second year: and in the third year, it was given to the Levites and to the poor, Deut. xiv. 28, 29. In the fourth and fifth years, it was eaten again by the owners, and in the sixth year was given to the poor. The seventh year was a sabbath to the land: and then all things were common: Exod. xxiii. 10, 11. where see the notes. And see Ainsworth on this place.

Verse 26. Or for strong drink] What the sikera or strong drink of the Hebrews was, see in the note on Levit. x. 9. This one verse sufficiently shows, that the Mosaic law made ample provision for the comfort and happiness of the people. Thou shall rejoice, thou and thine.

and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.

CHAPTER XV.

heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.

11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to

The sabbatical year of release, 1. The manner in which this release shall take place, thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

2-5. Of lending to the poor, and the disposition in which it should be done, 8---11. Of the Hebrew servant who has servel six years, and who shall be dismissed well furnished, 12--15. The ceremony of boring the ear, when the servant wishes to continue with his master, 15--18 Of the firstlings of the flock and herd, 19, 20.

12 And if thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve Nothing shall be offered that has any blemish, 21 The sacrifice to be eaten both by thee, six years; then in the seventh year thou the clean and the unclean, except the blood, which is never to be eaten, but poured out upon the ground, 22, 23.

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An. Exod. Isr. T the end of P every seven years
A shalt make a release.

2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD's release.

3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother, thine hand shall release:

4Save when there shall be no poor among you: for the LORD shall greatly bless thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for an inheritance to possess it:

5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

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6 For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he .promised thee; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

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7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren, within any of thy gates in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand: and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

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10 Thou shalt surely give him, and

thine

o Ch. 15. 10. Prov. 3. 9, 10. See Mal. 3. 10-p Exod. 21. 2. & 23. 10, 11. Lev. 25. 2, 4. Ch. 31. 10. Jer. 31. 14-q Heb. master of the lending of his hand.-r See Ch. 23. 20.- Or, to the end that there be no poor among you.-t Ch. 23. 8.--n Ch. 29. 1.-v Ch. 23. 12, 44.-w Ch. 25. 13. Prov. 22. 7.-x 1 John 3. 17-y Lev. 25. 35. Matt. 5. 42. Luke 6. 34, 35.-2 Heb. word.-a Heb. Belial-b Ch. 23. 54, 56. Prov. 23. 6. & 23. 22. Matt. 20. 15.

Verse 29. And the Levile, because he hath no part nor inheritance] And hence much of his support depended on the mere free-will-offerings of the people. God chose to make his ministers thus dependent on the people, that they might be induced (among other motives) to labour for their spiritual profiting; that the people thus blessed under their ministry, might feel it their duty and privilege to support and render them comfortable.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XV.

Verse 1. At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.] For an explanation of many things recorded in this chapter, see the notes on Exodus xxi. and xxiii. and Leviticus xxv.

Verse 4. There shall be no poor] i. e. comparatively;

sce ver. 11.

Verse 8. Thou shalt open thine hand wide] Thy benevolence shall be in proportion to his distress and poverty, and thy ability. Thou shalt have no other rule to regulate thy charity by.

Verse 9. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart] ya lebabca beliâl, thy belial heart, that is, thy good-for-nothing, or unprofitable heart; see on chap. xiv. 13.

And thine eye be evil] An evil eye signifies a covetous disposition. See the same form of expression, used by our Lord, in the same sense, Matt. vi. 23. If thine eye be evil-i. e. if thou be a covetous person. Evil eye is, by our Lord, opposed to single eye, i. e. a person of liberal, benevolent mind. Covetousness darkens the soul: liberality and benevolence enlighten it.

shalt let him go free from thee.

13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:

14 Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress; of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.

15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to-day.

16 And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee:

17 Then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

18 It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years; and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

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19 All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor with the firstling of thy sheep.

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20 Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God, year by year, in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household.

21 P And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.

22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.

23 Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof, thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.

e Ch. 21. 15-d Matt. 25. 41, 42-e 2 Cor. 9. 5, 7.-f Ch. 14. 29 & 21. 19. Ps. 41. 1. Prov. 22. 9.-g Matt. 26. 11. Mark 14. 7. John 12. 8-h Exod. 21 2. Lev. 25. 39. Jer. 31. 14.- Prov. 10. 22-k Ch. 5. 15 & 16, 12–1 Exod 21. 5, 6-m See Isai. 16. 14. & 21. 16.-n Exod. 13. 2. & 34. 19. Lev. 27, 26, Numb. 3 13 — Ch. 12 5, 6, 7, 17. & 14. 23. & 16. 11, 14-p Lev. 22 20. Ch. 17. 1. Eccius. 35. 12—q Ch. 12 15, 22-r Ch. 12. 16, 23.

lation to the poor and the oppressed, that they have a sure friend in God, who will hear their cry and redress their grievances.

Verse 11. For the poor shall never cease out of the land] To this For ye have the por ord appears to allude, Mark xiv. 7. poor with you always. God leaves these in mercy among men, to exercise the feelings of compassion, tenderness, mercy, &c. And without occasions afforded to exercise these, man would soon become a Stoic or a brute.

Verse 13. Thou shalt not let him go away empty] Because, during the time he served thee, he made no property for himself, having been always honest towards thee-and now when he leaves thee, he has nothing to begin the world with.

Verse 14. Thou shalt furnish him-out of thy flock] Thou shalt give him some cattle to breed with. Out of thy floor-some corn for seed and for bread. And out of thy winepress-an adequate provision of wine, for present necessity.

Verse 17. Thou shalt take an awl] See the note on Exod. xxi. 6.

Verse 20. Thou shalt eat it—in the place which the Lord shall choose] Thus God in his mercy made their duty and interest go hand in hand. And in every case God acts thus with his creatures: well, therefore, might Satan ask, Doth Job serve God for nought? No! nor does God design that any man should.

Verse 21. If there be any blemish] See the notes on Lev. xxii. 20. God will have both a perfect priest, and a

And he cry unto the Lord against thee] What a conso- perfect offering,

CHAPTER XVI.

The month of Abib to be observel, 1. The feast of the passover and of unleavened breal, 2-8. The feast of weeks, 9-12. The feast of tabernacles, 13–15. All the males to appear before the Lor thrice in the year, none to coine empty, each to give according to his ability, 16, 17. Julges and officers to be made in all their cities, Strict justice shall be executed, 19, 20. No grove to be planted near the altar of God, nor image to be set up, 21, 22 An. Exol Isr.

IS.

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40.Sebat. BSERVE the month of Abib, and OB keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib, the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. 2 Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there.

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3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day, when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt, all the days of thy life.

4 y And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night unto the morning.

5 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee:

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6 But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.

7 And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning and go unto thy tents. 8 Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.

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10 And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God, with a tribute of a freewill-offering of thy hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:

11 And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stran

Exod. 12 2, &c.- Exod. 13. 4. & 34. 18.-u Exod. 12. 12, 29-v Numb. 28. 19. w Ch. 12 5, 26-x Exod. 12 15, 19, 39. & 13. 3, 6, 7. & 34. 18-y Exod. 13. 7. z Exod. 12 10. & 34. 25-a Or, kill.-b Exod. 12. 6-e Exod. 12. 8, 9. 2 Chron. 35. 13-d 2 Kings 23. 23. John 2. 13, 23. & 11. 55-e Exod. 12. 16. & 13. 6. Lev. 23. 8. f Heb. restraint. Lev. 23. 36.-g Exod. 23. 16. & 31. 22. Lev. 23. 15. Numb. 23. 26. Acta 2 1-b Or, sufficiency—i Ver. 17. 1 Cor. 15. 2-k Ch. 12. 7, 12, 18. Ver. 14. 1 Ch. 15. 15-m Exod. 23. 16. Lev 23. 34. Numb. 29. 12.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XVI.

Verse 1. Keep the passover] A feast so called, because the angel that destroyed the first-born of the Egyptians, seeing the blood of the appointed sacrifice sprinkled on the lintels and door-posts of the Israelites' houses, passed over THEM and did not destroy any of their first-born. See the notes on Exod. xii. 2, &c.

Verse 3. Bread of affliction] Because being baked without leaven it was unsavoury, and put them in mind of their afflictive bondage in Egypt.

Verse 11. Thou shalt rejoice] The offerings of the Israelites were to be eaten with festivity, communicated to their friends with liberality, and bestowed on the poor with great generosity, that they might partake with them in these sacred repasts, with joy before the Lord. To answer these views, it was necessary to eat the flesh while it was fresh, as in that climate putrefaction soon took place: therefore they were commanded to let nothing remain until the morning, ver. 4. This consideration is sufficient to account for the command here, without having recourse to those moral and evangelical reasons that are assigned by the learned and devout Mr. Ainsworth for the command. How beneficent, and cheerful is the design of this institution! Harmer, vol. i. p. 396.

Verse 16. Three times in a year] See Exod. xxiii. 14. where all the Jewish feasts are explained. See also Levit. xxiii. 34.

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13 Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy" corn and thy wine:

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14 And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.

15 P Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God, in the place which the LORD shall choose; because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.

16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

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17 Every man shall give as he is able, taccording to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

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18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

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19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

20 That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

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21 Thou shall not plant thee a grove of any trees, near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.

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22 Neither shalt thou set thee up any dimage; which the LORD thy God hateth. CHAPTER XVII.

All sacrifices to be without blemish, 1. Of persons convicted of idolatry and their

punishment, 2-7. Difficult matters in Julgment to be laid before the priests and judges, and to be determined by them, and all to subunit to their decision, S-13. The king that may be chosen, to be one of their brethren, no stranger to be ap pointed to that office, 14, 15. He shall not muluply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return unto Egypt, 16. Nor multiply wives, money, &c. 17. He shall write a copy of the law for his own use, and read and study it all his days, that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, 18--20.

TLORD thy God any bullock, or

HOU shalt not sacrifice unto the An. Exod. Isr.

40.-Sebat.

n Heb. floor and thy wine-press-o Neh. 8. 9, &c-p Lev. 23 39, 40.-q Exod. 23. 14, 17. & 34. 23.-r Exod. 23 15. & 34. 20. Ecclus 35 4.- Heb. according to the gift of his hand. 2 Cor. 8 12-t Ver. 10.-u Ch. 1. 16. 1 Chron. 23. 4. & Æ. 29. 2 Chron. 19. 5, 8-v Exod. 23. 2, 6. Lev. 19. 15-w Ch. 1. 17. Prov. 24. 23-x Exod. 23. 8. Prov. 17. 23. Eccles 7. 7. Ecclus. 20. 29-y Or, matters -z Heb. Justice, justice.-a Ezek. 19. 5, 9-b Exod. 31. 13. 1 Kings 14. 15. & 16. 33 2 Kings 17, 16, & 21. 3. 2Chron. 33. 3.-c Lev. 26. 1.-d Or, statue, or, pillar.—e Ch. 15. 21. Mal. 1. 8, 13, 14.

Verse 18. Judges and officers shalt thou make] JUDGES, Doshopheteem, among the Hebrews, were probably the same as our magistrates, or justices of the peace. OFFICERS, shotereem, seem to have been the same as our inquest, serjeants, beadles, &c. whose office it was to go into houses, shops, &c. and examine weights, measures, and the civil conduct of the people. When they found any thing amiss, they brought the person offending before the magistrate, and he was punished by the officer on the spot. They seem also to have acted as heralds in the army, chap. xx. 5. See also Rab. Maimon in sanhedrin. In China for all minor offences, the person, when found guilty, is punished on the spot, in the presence of the magistrate or mandarin of justice.

Verse 21. Thou shalt not plant thee a grore, &c.] We have already seen that groves were planted about idol temples, for the purposes of the obscene worship performed in them. See on ch. xii. 1. On this account, God would have no groves or thickets about his altar: that there might be no room for suspicion that any thing contrary to the strictest purity was transacted there. Every part of the divine worship was publicly performed for the purpose of general edification.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XVII.

Verse 1. Wherin is blemish] God must not have that offered to him, which thou wouldest not use thyself. This not only refers to the perfect sacrifice offered by Christ

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