Sephama, or Apamea. (Targum) --- Rebla. Septuagint, "Bela, or Asbela." (Haydock) --- St. Jerome understands Antioch, near which was the fountain of Daphnis, or Daphne, a word which is inserted in the Targum, though it be not found in Hebrew. But Antioch did not lie on the eastern borders, and this fountain may be the same place as Enan, ver. 9. --- Against. Hebrew, "on the east side of Ain, or the fountain." (Calmet) --- Cenereth. This is the sea of Galilee, illustrated by the miracles of our Lord. (Challoner) --- The line was not drawn to this lake of Genesareth, or of Tiberias, as it was likewise called, but comprised a large territory lying to the east of it, (Calmet) and given to the tribes of Manasses, Gad, and Ruben, which inhabited the country east of the Jordan and of the Salt Sea. (Haydock) --- Eastward: the Septuagint insinuate, "to the south, leaving the sea of Cenereth on the east." --- The fountain of Daphnis may probably be that near the Semechonite lake, through which the Jordan runs. (Josephus, Jewish Wars iv. 1.) It may have received the title of Daphnis, from the laurels with which it is adorned, like the suburbs of Antioch. (Bonfrere) (Menochius) --- It appears that Moses has only in view, the nine tribes for which a provision was not yet made; and their eastern limits extend from Emath, down the Jordan to the Dead Sea, so as to comprise no part to the east of that river, which was already given to their brethren; (see ver. 13, 15, 29;) and thus the observation of Calmet, respecting the countries east of Cenereth, will be rather inaccurate, as the line must run through that sea, following the course of the Jordan. These were properly the eastern limits of Chanaan, which country comprised all between Egypt and Idumea, as far as Sidon and Mount Libanus, being bounded by the Jordan on the east. The other three tribes were hemmed in on the north and east by the mountains of Hermon, Basan, Galaad, and Arnon; beyond which, the nations about Damascus, and the descendants of Ammon, Ismael, and Moab dwelt, in Syria and the desert of Arabia, so that the latter country was the eastern boundary of the promised land, taken in its utmost extent. (Haydock) --- The respective limits must naturally vary, when we speak of the whole or a part only. (Du Hamel) (Tirinus) CHAPTER XXXIV. Cities, in all forty-eight, with a thousand paces round them. This land belonged to the community: but some built upon it, Josue xxi. 18., and 1 Paralipomenon vi. 60. The burial place for the Levites lay behind it. (Drusius) --- In these cities alone, the Levites had houses and gardens of their own; other might live with them, and indeed the cities acknowledged other lords, as Hebron belonged to Caleb, Josue xiv. 14. The Levites were dispersed throughout the land, that they might instruct the people both by word and by example, Deuteronomy xxxiii. 10. They had a clear revenue without labour of husbandry, equivalent to any two of the other tribes. (Abulensis.) --- Six of their cities were assigned for places of refuge, as they were the proper judges of the cases, in which murder may be excused, and to remind them that hey ought to be very merciful. Hence arose the privileges, granted to some churches, of protecting those who fled to them for an asylum. That none might be hindered from enjoying this benefit, three of these cities were situated on each side of the Jordan, and at equal distances. (Salien) Paces. This is equivalent to 2000 cubits, (ver. 5,) or a sabbath day's journey. (Selden, Jur. iii. 9.; St. Jerome, q. 9. ad algas.) Hebrew retains the same word, amma, "cubit," in both verses: but some copies of the Septuagint, Philo, and Josephus, have "2000 cubits," (Calmet) which Dr. Wall and Kennicott deem to be the original reading. (Haydock) --- Bonfrere would also correct the Hebrew by the Vulgate as a pace among the Greeks consisted of three feet, and a cubit of half that quantity. The geometric pace of the Romans contained five feet, and the sacred cubit of Villalpand half as much; so that 2000 sacred cubits make 1000 geometric paces. Thus the Vulgate is perfectly consistent with itself. (Menochius) --- Some imagine that Moses speaks of the common cubit here and of the sacred one, which was doubly as large, ver 5. But this is not probable; and the distinction of cubits, (Calmet) at least in his days, (Haydock) is very uncertain. Perhaps Moses may first specify the depth of this space of ground from the wall, and afterwards its length, which would be doubly greater. (Calmet) See Sevius on Jos. xxi. q. 8, &c. --- The semidiameter was probably 1000 cubits. (Du Hamel) Sea. Hebrew simply, "on the west side 2000 cubits, and on the north side 2000 cubits, and the city in the midst. This shall be to them the suburbs of the city." Cities. Maimonides pretends, that all forty-eight cities of the Levites were asylums; though only six were bound to receive the fugitive gratis. Moses had promised a place of refuge, which he now grants, Exodus xxi. 13. The altar and temple enjoyed the like privilege: the latter even till its destruction. (Philo) --- Josephus mentions only six cities of refuge. Those who could not be supposed to have killed a person designedly were not obliged to flee to them; as, on the other hand, the murderer was not permitted to enter, if his malice were notorious, or his negligence extreme. (Rabbins ep. Selden, Jur. iv. 2.) To be secured at the altar of holocausts, it was necessary to touch the grate. If the judges declared that the person's case was such as the law admitted, he was conducted away, under a strong guard, to one of the cities; or, if he were deemed unworthy, he was put to death, out of the holy place. The altar was commonly the refuge only of priests. Those who were not of Hebrew extraction, could not claim the rights of an asylum, according to the Rabbins. But the contrary seems to be asserted, ver. 15. The roads to the cities of refuge were to be kept in good repair, and in case more than six should be found necessary, three others might be appointed, Deuteronomy xix. 3, 8. This privilege is founded on the law of nature, which decrees that the life of the innocent man, who has had the misfortune to kill another, should not be taken away. Other nations extended this right to almost every crime, that the weak might have an opportunity of defending themselves. The sons of Hercules erected for this purpose the altar of mercy, at Athens. Some of the pagan temples could protect even the greatest criminals, as well as the innocent, who might fear oppression. Those of Apollo, at Delphos, of Bacchus, at Ephesus, &c., were very famous. See Marsham, Chron. s\'e6c. 13. Tiberius found it necessary to recall these privileges among the Greeks, as they were greatly abused. (Tacitus, An. iii. 6.) But his decree ws not much regarded. The Romans had their asylums also, at Naples, &c., where those who had been condemned to die, might be secure. Rome itself was an asylum for all strangers, as St. Augustine remarks, City of God i. The Christian emperors afforded the like privileges to our churches. But some who were guilty of the crimes of adultery, murder, heresy, &c., were deprived of the benefit. (Calmet) --- Those who fled to the altar among the Jews were first to be purified; (Philo) and if they had committed murder publicly, like Joab, they were dragged away, 3 Kings ii. (Tirinus) CHAPTER XXXV. Kinsman, the nearest relation, who was called the revenger of blood, (ver. 25, 27.; Haydock) or the redeemer, because it was his duty to see that justice was done to the deceased. When the person, who had involuntarily committed murder, arrived at the city, he was to make his appearance before the judges of it, and, if they thought his account satisfactory, they admitted him, but upon condition that he should take his trial before the judges and the people of that country where the murder had taken place, (ver. 25., and Josue xx. 4, 9.; Tirinus) though some think that the judges of the city of refuge, passed sentence. (Masius; &c.) --- If it proved favourable, he was bound to remain in the city till the death of the high priest, otherwise the relations might kill him as an outlaw; as they might also if he was declared guilty. In case the murder were voluntary, the judges of the place where it was committed set to demand the criminal, Deuteronomy xix. 11. If, &c. Hebrew, "or he smite him with a wooden weapon, (wherewith he may die,) and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death." The two former verses are expressed in the same awful manner, intimating that the weapon must be of such a nature that it might easily give a mortal wound, and also that the effect really followed. In these cases, if the person could not clear himself, no refuge or reprieve was allowed. (Haydock) --- But the deceased must have been killed upon the spot, otherwise the person who struck him could only be required to pay a fine, Exodus xxi. 19. (Menochius) Him, with impunity. If the judges have passed sentence, he shall be obliged to put it in execution, ver. 21, 31. (St. Augustine, q. 65.) (Estius) --- The laws of Athens required also that a relation should put the murderer to death, though the deceased were even of servile condition. (Demost.) --- Those of Rome condemned the involuntary manslayer to retire for a year, and afterwards to appease some one of the relations, and to offer the sacrifices, and submit to the usual purifications. Even at the present day, the Persians and Arabs deliver the murderer to be slain by the kinsmen of the deceased, after sentence has been passed by the judges. Kill him. It seems, when the case was evident, he was not only permitted, but commanded to punish the criminal. (Bonfrere) (Deuteronomy xix. 12.) (Menochius) Delivered. Hebrew, "the multitude shall deliver the slayer." It seems the judges pronounced sentence, according to the votes of the people assembled; (Calmet) or the plurality of voices among the 21 judges decided the matter. (Grotius) (Haydock) --- High priest. This mystically signified that our deliverance was to be effected by the death of Christ, the high priest and the anointed of God. (Challoner) --- He rescued us from the hand of the revenger, the devil. (Theodoret, q. 50, 51.) --- Before his death, the way of our true country was not open, nor secure. (St. Gregory, hom 6. in Ezec.) (Worthington) --- By this law, Moses shewed a horror for murder, and the respect due to the person of the high priest, during whose life even the involuntary murderer was obliged to keep himself retired in a city of refuge. (Masius) --- At the death of the pontiff, all Israel put on mourning, so that private injuries were to be forgotten, when the public had such cause for sorrow; and in the mean time the vengeance of kinsmen would relent. (Maimonides; More. iii. 40.) --- Murder was punished by the Greeks, in the days of Homer, with banishment, though sometimes this was remitted by the relations, for a sum of money. (Iliad ix.) (Calmet) Him. Custom explained this law, as giving leave to any person to inflict the punishment upon the wandering murderer, though the relation seem only to be specified. (Grotius) --- Some think, that to kill such a person was still criminal in the sight of God. But others believe that, as he had forfeited the privilege of an asylum, by absenting himself from it, (Calmet) the law subjected him to the same rigour with which he might have been treated before he came thither; (ver. 19.; Haydock) and provided proper moderation were observed, and malicious revenge avoided, no guilt would attach to him who executed the implied sentence of death. The Jews observe, that God allows us to revenge another sooner than ourselves, as there is less danger of excess or of delusion. (Calmet) Man. A person might be tried on such evidence, Deuteronomy xix. 15. Cities. Hebrew, "you shall take no money to retire to a city of refuge, to return into his own country, till the death of the priest." The Septuagint supply, "you shall take no redemption money, to permit (a voluntary murderer) to flee into a city of refuge, (nor of an involuntary one,) to return," &c. (Grotius) --- The banished, may refer to people of the former description, who had gone away to screen themselves from persecution. But they could never be allowed to inhabit the country any more. Their presence would seem to defile it. (Haydock) --- "You shall not take money of him who has fled to a city of refuge, to suffer him to return home." (Chaldean) Defile not. To inspire a greater horror for murder the earth was represented as defiled by blood, and only to be purified by the death of the criminal. Without shedding of blood, there is no remission, Hebrews ix. 22. (Haydock) --- On the same principle, our churches, &c., are deemed profane when murder, or some great indecencies, have been committed in them, so that they require a fresh consecration. (Calmet) Galaad. The descendants of Machir, who were settled in Galaad, were particularly interested, in knowing how their female relations of the house of Salphaad, were to dispose of their fortunes, which God had allowed them. They knew that, by the law, their husbands would obtain possession; and if those husbands should be of another tribe, part of the land allotted to Manasses might be lost. See chap. xxvii., and Josue xvii. 1, 3. That is, an explanation of the jubilee, added by St. Jerome, who gives the sense of the Hebrew, though not the very words. --- Lots. Hebrew, "when the jubilee of the children of Israel is come, then shall their inheritance be added to that of the tribe in which they are received; so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers." (Haydock) Tribe. Hebrew adds family also: for heiresses were obliged to marry in their own family, to prevent the confusion of the inheritances. If they had a mind to renounce their right, they were at liberty to marry where they pleased. (Calmet) --- The nearest relations, who chose to receive their land, were under an obligation of marrying them, Ruth iv. 6. (Haydock) --- A similar law prevailed at Athens. Wives. Hebrew, "shall keep to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers." Those who marry heiresses must be of the same family: but others may take wives from any of the tribes of Israel, as the most holy did without scruple. (St. Jerome in Jer. xxxii.) (Tirinus) (Estius) --- The Rabbins extend this law to all, with the Vulgate: but only during the time that the land of Chanaan remained undivided. (Selden, Succ. c. xviii.) Women. Hebrew, "every daughter that possesseth an inheritance....shall be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father." Commonly the females were debarred from inheriting land, when they had any brothers. The Levites were not concerned in these regulations, as they had no inheritance; and hence, we need not be surprised to find that St. Elizabeth, of the daughters of Aaron, (Luke i. 26,) was related to the blessed Virgin, who was of the family of David. The mother of St. Elizabeth might be of the tribe of Juda; or a maternal ancestor of the blessed Virgin might spring from the tribe of Levi. (Calmet) --- Tradition determined the lawfulness of such marriages, and in this case, St. Augustine (Consens. Ev. ii. 23) admires the providence of God, in causing his beloved Son, the great anointed, to be born both of the regal and priestly tribes, in which an unction was required, before the priests and kings were put in possession of their respective offices. Thus Christ was both priest and king, and such were anointed in the law of Moses. (Worthington) Father. They married their cousin-germans. The original is rather undecisive, as Dod may signify, "an uncle, great uncle, or cousin;" and a son, in Scripture, is often put for any descendant. The marriages of cousins were not expressly forbidden by the law, and if they had, they might have been dispensed with on this occasion, as well as when a brother died without issue. (Calmet) --- Claudius was the first of the Romans who obtained leave of the senate to marry his brother's daughter. (Suetonius) (Du Hamel)