Veil, which separates the sanctuary from the court. The Athenians chose the most handsome man ot be the king of ceremonies; and the people of Eli appointed such only to carry the sacred vessels, &c. (Atheneus xiii. 2.) (Calmet) CHAPTER XXI. Offer. He does not speak of such things as fell to the share of the priests; (Menochius) but orders them to behave with great reverence when they perform their sacred offices, lest others should take occasion to treat the name of God and holy things with disrespect. Hebrew and Septuagint, "let them not profane my holy name, which they are bound to sanctify; or in what they consecrate to me." Such things must not be used for ordinary purposes. (St. Basil, ser. de Bapt. ii. 2, and 3.) Approacheth, &c. This is to give us to understand, with what purity of soul we are to approach to the blessed sacrament, of which these meats that had been offered in sacrifice were a figure. (Challoner) --- Such as were unclean either fasted till the evening, or ate unconsecrated meats till they were purified. --- Perish. The Rabbins say, by the hands of the other priests. The judges could only condemn him to be whipped. If his crime were secret, the punishment was left to God. (Selden, syn. ii. 1.) And he, &c. Hence it is plain, even the Jewish priests were bound to observe continence during the time of their ministry. (Calmet) --- For the same reason, the priests of the new law, who may be called at any time to perform their more sacred functions, engage voluntarily in the state of perpetual celibacy. (Haydock) Or any. Hebrew, "or a man who may contaminate," as lepers, &c. (Menochius) That. See chap. xvii. 15. In the sanctuary, is not found in Hebrew which is difficult to explain. "They shall observe my precepts, ( or "watches," entering upon the ministry at 17; Josephus; Menochius) and not bear sin for it, and die in it, because they have profaned it;" which it, may be understood either of the consecrated food, (ver. 7,) or of the sanctuary. (Calmet) Sojourner. "Guest," or friend, Syriac. None but priests could taste this meat, except they were going to remain in the family for ever. Hence servants and slaves of the Jewish nation, who would one day regain their liberty, are excluded. Children. If she had any, she remained with them. (Philo, Monar. 2.) He. A layman, who, through mistake, eat of any of the tithes, &c., was obliged to give the capital, and a fifth part besides, with a sacrifice, mentioned [in] chap. v. 15. --- Sanctuary. Hebrew and Septuagint, "He shall give to the priest the holy thing." But if he ate it on purpose, he was to be slain, Numbers xv. 30. They; the common people shall not profane, by touching them afterwards, or by retaining any part. (Calmet) --- The priests shall answer for the profanation, if it be committed through their neglect. (Haydock) Strangers: proselytes of justice, or converts of the Jewish religion. See ver. 25. Without blemish. To teach us to aim at perfection in all our offerings and performances. Scar. Septuagint, "If its tongue be cut out, or slit." which was a blemish among the heathens. (Servius in \'c6n. vi.; lectas de more bidentes. They also required the victims to be perfect. The Egyptians had officers called Sealers, who were directed by many books how to choose the proper victims. The Hebrew priests had to examine such as were offered to them, with the utmost nicety. See the Misna of Babylon. The idea of God's perfection, has taught all nations to present to Him nothing but what is perfect, particularly when they offer victims. CHAPTER XXII. Ear....cut. Hebrew saruang, which is translated a crooked nose, chap. xxi. 18. The Septuagint and Syriac agree here with the Vulgate: but the moderns generally adopt the interpretation of the Rabbins, who say the word is applied to those animals whose double members, feet, ears, &c., are disproportionately long; as kolut, means too short. (Bochart) (Calmet) --- Voluntarily, for the use of the priests, but not for any sacrifice, ver. 21. (Du Hamel) Bruised. Hebrew does not specify what part, no more than the Syriac or Arabic versions; but the Septuagint, Chaldean, Rabbins, and most commentators agree with us. --- Do any, &c. You shall not sacrifice (Syriac) any thing that is rendered unfit to propagate its kind: neither shall you reduce either man or beast to that condition. (Josephus, contra Apion ii.; Rabbins) Bread, which always accompanies the sacrifices for sin. Holocausts might be offered by the Gentiles. (2 Machabees iii. 3.; 1 Esdras vi. 9.; Josephus, Antiquities xviii. 7.; Selden, Jur. 3, 4, 7.) --- Them. To reconcile this with ver. 18, we must understand because in the sense of in as much as; they are all corrupted, when contrary to these regulations. The strangers shall not be allowed to offer any blemished victim. Hebrew, "Neither from the hand of a stranger shall you offer the bread (or victims) of your God of any of these; because....blemishes are in them: they shall not be accepted (by God) for you (or them)." The Chaldean and other versions explain it in the same sense. Presents of gold, &c., were accepted, and kept in the temple. The family of Augustus shewed their generosity in this respect. (Philo, Legat.) (Calmet) --- Strangers, or pagans, could not offer victims, but they might give money to purchase them. (Tirinus) Lord. In this and the following verses, we are taught a lesson of humanity. (Tertullian) --- The Romans did not offer sheep or goats till they were eight days old: though the Jews were at liberty to sacrifice them after that term, they generally waited till they were thirty days old. (Calmet) Holy. The Hebrew, Chaldean, and Septuagint add, "and meet together; or, these are my feasts of assembly." On these days the people were called together to hear the word of God, &c. (Menochius) Sabbath. Hebrew, "the rest of rest;" a day in which no unnecessary servile work must be done, no more than on the great holidays, ver. 6, 8. (Haydock) --- Called holy, because it shall be really so: in which sense the word is often used, Isaias ix. 6, &c. --- Day; you must not even dress meat, which was also forbidden on the day of expiation. --- Lord, on which he ceased from work, and which you must keep in his honour. --- Habitations. In the temple, the priests were intent upon sacrificing, which was indeed a material, but not a formal, violation of the sabbath, Matthew xii. 5. Bread. The obligation of eating none but this sort of bread began at the second evening of the 14th, which was the beginning of the 15th of Nisan, Exodus xii. 6, 12. (Menochius) In fire. Septuagint, "holocausts," extraordinary ones, besides the daily burnt-offerings, Numbers xxviii. 19. --- More holy than the five intermediate days, on which servile work was allowed. In this and the former verse, more and most are not specified in the Hebrew and Septuagint. (Calmet) Land of Chanaan, at which time these feasts began to be observed. (Menochius) See Leviticus ii. 14. --- Before the harvest commenced, first-fruits were offered to the Lord. A gomer containing about three pints of barley was given to the priests, by the nation at large, as each individual was not bound to make a particular solemn offering. The judges deputed three men to gather this barley on the evening of the 15th Nisan, where the neighbourhood assembled near Jerusalem. It was gathered by them in three different fields, after having been thrice assured that the sun was set, and that they had leave to reap, in answer to their triple demands on each head. Then they placed the ears in three boxes, which they brought to the court of the sanctuary, and having ground the barley, and poured a log of oil and an handful of incense upon it, presented it to the priest, who heaving it in the form of a cross, threw as much as he could hold in his hand upon the altar, and kept the rest for himself. (Josephus, [Antiquities?] iii. 10; &c. Private people offered also in kind or in money their first-fruits, or between the 40th and the 60th part of what their land produced. This custom is almost as ancient as the world, (Genesis iv. 3,) and we may say that it forms a part of natural religion, which all nations have observed. Porphyrius esteems it an impiety to neglect it. He says that the Thoes, living on the borders of Thrace, were in a moment destroyed, because they offered neither sacrifices nor first-fruits. (De Abstin. ii. 7.) The ancient Romans and Greeks were very punctual in this respect. (Pliny, xviii. 20.) Those officers who collected this first-fruits among the latter were styled Parasites. Many of the festivals among the heathens, occurred at the end of harvest. (Aristotle, ad Nicom. viii.) The Jews might reap their wheat, but they could not taste it, before they had offered the first-fruits, at Pentecost. (Chap. xxiii. 17; Exodus xxiii. 16.) --- Of ears. Hebrew homor, or gomer, "a sheaf," denotes also a measure, which was called an assaron, containing almost three pints. Sabbath. Onkelos has "the good day," from which the fifty days of Pentecost were counted. (Calmet) Corn . Some translate bruised corn, or a sort of cake. See chap. ii. 4. --- Dwellings, even out of the holy land, which was peculiar to this law. (Grotius) Sabbath. Not the ninth day of the week, but the first day of the Passover; from the morrow of which seven weeks or 49 days were reckoned; and the next day was Pentecost. (Menochius) --- They began, therefore, to count on the 16th of Nisan, and end on the 6th of the third month Sivan. All the intermediate days took their denomination from this second day of the Passover; so that the next Saturday was called the first sabbath after the second day; in Greek Deuteroproton, the second-first; (Luke vi. 1,) a term which had puzzled all the interpreters until Jos. Scaliger made this discovery. (Emend. 6.) The Samaritans count from the day after that sabbath which follows the Passover; so that if the festival fall on Monday, they celebrate Pentecost later than the Jews. See their Letter to Huntington. (Calmet) Sacrifice. Hebrew mincha, which relates to the offerings of corn and liquors. Two loaves of wheaten flour leavened, were presented probably by the nation. This festival was instituted in memory of the law being given from Mount Sinai, which was a figure of the law of grace promulgated by the Holy Ghost and by the apostles, on the day of Pentecost. (Calmet) Loaves. The Protestants supply wave loaves, (Haydock) though their Hebrew text has nothing. The Samaritan is more correct. (Houbigant) Lambs. More were prescribed, Numbers xxviii. 27. Josephus joins all together. ([Antiquities?] B. iii. 10.) Use. None of the peace-offerings were burnt upon the altar, as the bread was leavened. (Calmet) Most holy. Hebrew, "a holy convocation." (Haydock) --- It is generally supposed that it had an octave, though the Scripture says nothing of it. Memorial, or a memorable sabbath. This third great festival sanctified the commencement of the civil year in Tisri, the sabbatical month, according to the ecclesiastical calculation. (Tirinus) See Numbers xxix. 3. --- The sound of trumpets, which ushered in the year with great solemnity, reminded the Jews of the approaching fast, ver. 27, (Maimonides) and of those terrible sounds which had been heard at Sinai. (Theodoret, q. 32.) The Rabbins say that a ram's horn was used, because Abraham had sacrificed a ram instead of his son. (Genesis xxii. 11.; Zacharias ix. 14.) The Jews on this day sound the horn 30 times, feast, and wish one another a happy year. (Boxtorf., xyn. xix.) We know not on what account this festival was instituted. But it was probably ordained in order that the people might learn to thank God for the favours received during the past year, and might beg his blessing on that, upon which they were now entering. (Calmet) CHAPTER XXIII. Servile is not in the original, or in the other versions, nor in the Vulgate, ver. 30; whence it is inferred, that this day of atonement was to be kept like the sabbath: so that even meat could not be made ready on it lawfully, chap. xvi. 29. (Calmet) Every. It was difficult for any grown-up person to be entirely guiltless, amid such a variety of precepts, (Menochius) which St. Peter says neither they nor their fathers could bear, Acts xv. 10: and St. James (iii.) observes, in many things we all offend. If any proved so happy as to keep without blame, (Luke i. 6.; Haydock) they were bound, at least, to grieve for the injury done to God by their fellow members. See Daniel ix. 5. (Menochius) Sabbaths. The Church adopts this custom in her divine office. The Jewish day began and ended with sun-set, Exodus xii. 6. (Calmet) --- No part of the ninth of Tisri belonged to this feast, (ver. 27,) which only began at the expiration of it. (Haydock) Seven days, during which the people were bound to rejoice, but not to abstain from servile work; except on the first and eighth day. (Tirinus) --- Tabernacles: Greek Scenopegia; because, during the octave, the Jews lived in tents, or booths, made of branches, &c., ver. 42. Most holy. Hebrew, "an holy assembly." The great day of the festivity, John vii. 37. --- Congregation. Hebrew hatsereth, "retention." All were bound to wait till this day was over. In other festivals, it was sufficient if they were present one day. This was the concluding day of the feast of tabernacles. Septuagint exodion. Plutarch (Sym. iv. 5.) observes, that this festival greatly resembles that of Bacchus. Ovid (Fast. iii.) speaking of the feast of Anna Perenna, describes it thus:Sub Jove pars durat, pauci tentoria ponunt, Sub quibus e ramis frondea facta casa est. Casaubon (on Atheneus iv. 9. and v. 5.) mentions other feasts, on which the pagans dwelt under tents. The devil has caused his slaves to imitate most of the holy ceremonies of the true religion. (Calmet) Eighth. On the feast of the Passover, the 7th day after the 15th was kept holy, because the 14th, or the Phase, made also a part of the solemnity, ver. 5, 8. (Haydock) Fairest tree, branches of the orange or citron tree, laden with blossoms and fruit. (Tirinus) --- Josephus ([Antiquities?] iii. 10) says, they took branches of myrtle, willows, and palm trees, on which they fixed oranges. This is the fruit which the Hebrews generally understand to be hereby designated. In the same sense the Arabic and Syriac translate "golden apples." --- Thick trees, of any species; though Josephus, &c., restrain it to the myrtle, which was certainly used on this occasion, 2 Esdras viii. 12. --- Willows. Septuagint adds also, "branches of agnus from the torrent." Perhaps Moses only meant that these branches should be used in forming the tents; but the Jews hold them in their hands, while they go in solemn procession round the pulpit in their synagogues, during every day of the octave, before breakfast, crying out Ana hosiah na, &c., "Save us, we beseech thee, O Lord; we beseech thee, grant us good success." They gave the title of hosannah to those branches; in allusion to which, the children sung in honour of Jesus Christ, Hosanna to the Son of David. --- Rejoice; dancing and singing before the altar of holocausts, 2 Kings vi. 14. The wisdom of God shines forth, in thus attaching to his worship a carnal people, by intermingling with the most solemn ceremonies some relaxation and pleasure. By calling them together so often in the year, they became also better acquainted with one another, and more in love with their religion and country. The ancient lawgivers entertained the like sentiments. (Seneca, Strabo x.) But the pagans generally carried these diversions to excess. (Calmet) --- In this chapter we find six festivals specified: 1. sabbath; 2. Passover; 3. Pentecost; 4. trumpets; 5. expiation; 6. tabernacles, lasting till the octave day of assembly and collection. These three last were celebrated in the 7th month, the 1st of the civil year. There was also a feast on all the new moons, Numbers xxviii. 11. (Haydock) Days. Tostat affirms they might pass the nights in their houses; but most people suppose, the Jews spent the whole octave in bowers. Feasts. In the institution of these feasts, as in the other regulations of Moses, there was something ceremonial, which might be altered, and something moral, which regards even those times when the Jewish religion was to cease. (St. Augustine, q. 43.) --- Hence we must conclude, that the obligation of keeping certain days holy must always remain. But those appointed for the Jews, as they foretold the future Messias, must be changed, lest otherwise we might seem to confess that he is still to come. (Romans xiv.; Galatians iv.; Colossians ii.) We are not therefore allowed to Judaize abstaining from work on the Jewish sabbath, (Council of Laodicea,) as Antichrist will require. (St. Gregory, ep. xi. 3.) --- But we must keep Sunday instead, (as even Protestants maintain, though there be no Scripture for it,) by authority of tradition, in memory of Christ's resurrection, &c. (St. Jerome, ep. ad Hed.; ib.[St. Gregory, ep. xi. 3.?]; St. Augustine, de C.[City of God?] xxii. 30.) So also we observe the Christian festivals, in honour of our Lord and his saints, instead of those which God appointed for the Jews, either by himself or by his ministers: for we find that some were instituted after the time of Moses, (Esther ix., and 1 Machabees iv.) and these were sanctioned by the observance of Christ himself, It was the feast of the dedication, and Jesus walked in the temple, &c., John x. 22-23. (Worthington) Command. It is probable that this order was given while Beseleel was working at the tabernacle. (Calmet) --- The people were to furnish the necessary sacrifices, &c., by the half sicle, Exodus xxx. 3, and by voluntary contributions on the three great festivals, on which no one was to appear empty-handed, Exodus xxiii. 15. Some chose to put their contributions towards the temple in the treasury, Luke xxi. 1. --- Oil: Hebrew, "pure oil of the olive beaten, for light to," &c. Bake. The family of Caath had to perform this office, 1 Paralipomenon ix. 32, and xxiii. 29. (Menochius) --- [ Ver. 7. ] Incense. Septuagint add, "salt." Villalpand also places wine on the table. (B. iv. 57.) --- Memorial for the Lord to bless his people, and for them to make their oblations to him as to the living God, from whom all blessings are derived. (Haydock) --- The incense was burnt instead of the bread, when fresh loaves were placed there. (Calmet) Of the, &c. The Israelites gave a sufficient maintenance to the ministers of religion, out of which these provided the loaves; as St. Jerome testifies, Malachias i. Egyptian. Many of these came out along with the Hebrews, Exodus xii. 38. The Name. Some Latin copies add, "of God;" but the best omit it, with the Hebrew, &c. This is, however, the meaning. (Calmet) --- The son of Salumith being in a rage, cursed that sacred name; (ver. 15) and, as he perhaps had attempted to vent his fury upon whatever came in his way, God here reiterates the laws against murder, &c., ver. 17. The Jews are so much afraid of taking the name of God (Yehovah) in vain, that they have for a long time abstained from pronouncing it at all; (Haydock) and here they have probably omitted it on purpose. (Houbigant) But this seems to border upon superstition, is contrary to the design of God, who revealed that august name, and inserted it very frequently in the holy Bible, and in the very prayer, which the senators have to recite; (Deuteronomy xxi. 8,) and, can any one suppose, that he would not have them pronounce it, even in their solemn devotions? Many of the Rabbins suppose, that blasphemy is not to be punished with death, if any other name of God be used: but others are more reasonable. Our Saviour was not accused by the Jews of transgressing, in this respect, when they condemned him as guilty of blasphemy, Matthew xxvi. 64. The name of God, is often used in the same sense as we use the words majesty, lordship, &c., as being more emphatical, and dignified. (Calmet) Head. To testify, that if they witness falsehood, they are willing to suffer the like punishment; and to beg that God would accept this victim, and not afflict all his people. (Tirinus) His God. Hebrew Elohaiv. Philo explains this of idols, as if it were unlawful to speak ill of them, lest we should proceed to do so with respect to the true God. But the prophets, and the most holy personages, had no scruple in speaking contemptuously of the pagan divinities. --- His sin, and the punishment of it. (Calmet) Blemish. Hebrew mum, denotes any thing by which the body is disfigured or hurt. (Menochius) Breach, or fracture: if he break a bone, the like detriment shall he receive. Striketh, so as to kill or render useless, percusserit, (Haydock) ver. 18. --- Punished. Septuagint, "slain." They omit the first part of this verse. Stranger. The Jews improperly restrain this law to those nations only which have embraced their religion. God requires that the judges shall not shew more favour to their countrymen, than to others who may dwell among them. (Calmet)