Commanded. This Moses executed on his birth-day, when he was 120 years old, (Deuteronomy xxxi. 2, 7,) having frequently before given proper instructions to Josue, Deuteronomy i. 38., and xxxii. 44. (Haydock) CHAPTER XXVII. Seasons. These precepts had often been repeated already: but perhaps they had not been exactly observed in the desert, so that Moses indicates them once more, as if to remind the people that they will now have no excuse, if they neglect these sacrifices in the promised land. (Calmet) --- These frequent repetitions may also remind us, with what attention we ought to worship God. (Du Hamel) Lambs. Kids would not suffice. See Exodus xxix. 38. The lambs must not be above a year old. But it is not clear whether they could be offered eight days after their birth, as on other occasions, Exodus xxiii. 19. (Calmet) Sinai. Hence it seems to have been discontinued for 38 years. (Calmet) (Leviticus ix. 17.) (Menochius) In the. Hebrew, "in the holy thou shalt cause the shecar to be poured out unto the Lord, a drink-offering." See chap. iv. 8, on the meaning of shecar. (Haydock) --- Some believe, that artificial wine of palm-trees, &c., might serve for libations. In this sacrifice, the priests furnished the liquor; so that all was to be poured out on the altar of holocausts, which stood in the court. (Calmet) Which, &c. Hebrew, "the burnt-offering of every sabbath, besides the perpetual holocaust and its libations," which were due for every day. (Haydock) --- On the sabbath, two more were to be offered of the same age. Jansenius observes, that three belonged to the morning service, and one to that of the evening. (Menochius) (Calmet) Month. This is not reckoned among the festivals, Leviticus xxiii. The Rabbins look upon it as a day of devotion, particularly for women. (Buxtorf, Syn. xvii.) Spencer (Rit. iii. 1,) maintains, that the Hebrews began their month when the moon first appeared, and that they imitated the pagans in keeping that day holy. But his proofs on both heads are very unsatisfactory. The Hebrews followed the solar year for many ages after Moses, though they might have adopted the lunar towards the close of the republic; and the pagans themselves ridiculed those as vile imitators of the Jews, who kept the new moons as a festival. (Hor.[Horace,?] Sat. i. 9.) Sabbata Vin tu Curtis Jud\'e6is oppedere. --- The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Arabs, and Turks, have given in to various superstitious practices in honour of the moon. See Macrobius, Sat. i. 15, &c. (Calmet) --- The devil is commonly the ape of God, and teaches his votaries to adopt the ceremonies of the true religion, either to delude them more easily, or to bring those practices into discredit. Thus Middleton has endeavoured to shew the conformity of Pagan and Papal Rome, as if the ceremonies of the Catholic religion were to be rejected because some of them have been in use among the heathens. By the same argument he may ridicule the revelation of God himself, on this subject, and represent vestments, holy water, &c., as superstitious. He may pull down altars, condemn all forms of prayer, abolish all worship, both of soul and body. For such things have all been prostituted to idols! But those who are not totally infatuated by prejudice, will deplore the abuse of these things, and will not refrain from adoring the true God according to his will, with all the faculties both of their soul and body, on account of the devil and his false prophets having extorted similar acts of worship from their followers. It is no wonder that Protestants should ridicule our holy ceremonies, since they scruple not to assign so base an origin to those which God expressly prescribed. (Haydock) --- The sacrifices which were ordered to be offered up on the first day of the month, were probably designed to renew the memory of the world's creation, or rather of the Divine providence, which regulates the seasons. Nothing was sold on this day, Amos viii. 5. But people went to hear the prophets, (4 Kings iv. 23,) and feasted among themselves, 1 Kings xx. 18. It is thought that many rested also from servile work, though this is no where commanded. (Calmet) --- Tirinus agrees with Tostat and Sanctius, in supposing that servile work was prohibited, for which he refers to 1 Kings xx. 19. He also asserts that the Jews observed the lunar system, and that their months consisted of 29 and 30 days alternately, as 29 days and a half elapse from one moon to another. The sound of trumpets probably announced this solemnity, chap. x. 10., and Leviticus xxiii. (Haydock) Tenth. An assaron, gomer, or chomer, which is the tenth part of an epha, as that is the tenth of a core or chomer, which is the largest Hebrew dry measure, containing 32 pecks and one pint English; so that the gomer would be equivalent to five pints. (Haydock) --- This quantity of flour accompanied each holocaust at the beginning of every month. (Calmet) Above. This is the import of the Hebrew, &c.: for no libations accompanied the sin-offerings, nor incense. See chap. xv. 3., and Leviticus v. 12. (Menochius) Phase, or Passover, the most solemn of all the festivals, when the lamb was to be eaten on the 15th of Nisan, and during the eight days no leavened bread was allowed. The Jews searched all the corners of their houses, lest some might be concealed by mice, and they would not so much as name it. St. Paul exhorts us to do the like, in a spiritual sense, by purifying ourselves from every defilement of sin when we receive the blessed sacrament, and by not even mentioning sins of impurity, 1 Corinthians v. 7., and Ephesians v. 3. (Haydock) CHAPTER XXVIII. Offer, as well as that in the evening, which was in less danger of being forgotten. Fire. Hebrew, "food of the sacrifice made by fire." --- Rise. Hebrew, "it shall be offered besides the perpetual holocaust, and its libations," morning and evening. All the aforesaid sacrifices and libations were to be repeated on each of the seven days, ver. 19, 22. The day of Pentecost, seven weeks after the Passover, was the next in solemnity, to thank God for the wheat harvest, of which the first-fruits were now presented. (Haydock) --- Two loaves, made with leaven, were given to the priests. (Lamy.) See Leviticus xxiii. 17. Two calves. Only one is specified in Leviticus, being that designed for the morning; another was immolated at night. (Calmet) --- The same victims are prescribed as [in] ver. 19. (Menochius) The first. This day was doubly solemn, as being the first day of the month, consequently entitled to all the sacrifices enjoined for it; and also a holiday, for which other victims are requisite, besides the perpetual holocausts, ver. 2, 6., and chap. xxviii. 11. (Haydock) Tenth. The feast of expiation, on which see Leviticus xvi. 29., and xxiii. 24, where we have also explained what relates to the feast of tabernacles, ver. 34. Seven days, not refraining indeed all that time from servile work, but remaining under tents, and daily performing what is required, ver. 13., &c. CHAPTER XXIX. Eighth day, which was more solemn than the preceding ones, but less so than the first. The victims are every day diminished. (Calmet) --- This day, in the Hebrew calendar, is called the feast of retention, as they staid near the tabernacle. (Du Hamel) Vows. The general regulations did not hinder any private ones from being fulfilled. (Calmet) --- Sacrifice. Mincha, or offering of flour, &c. (Haydock) Oath, to do something commendable, shall observe his promise, whether any body has heard him or not. The Rabbins pretend, that if the vow be not expressed in words, it is not obligatory. But this is only true before men, who cannot subject their fellow creatures to punishment for internal faults. (Haydock) --- The obligation of a vow or oath is founded upon common honesty, which requires that we should comply with our lawful promises; and, though all properly belong to God, yet, as he does not strictly require us to do every good work which may be in our power, we may, by vow, testify our desire to please and honour him the more. Some of the Rabbins have very loose sentiments with respect to vows, which they look upon as no better than building an altar, or immolating a victim upon the high places. It is sufficient, they say, to observe the law, apud Fagium. (Calmet) --- Luther was desirous of introducing the same loose morality among Christians. But we need not ask, what the Rabbins said, or Luther, &c. But what does God and his Church assert? The Scripture repeatedly commends prudent vows; and those who can persuade themselves that they can infringe such solemn promises without offence, will be little solicitous about keeping their word to a fellow creature, unless when interest, or fear of shame, force them to do it. (Haydock) --- He who makes a vow to abstain from any thing lawful, would be guilty of sin if he should observe it afterwards. (St. Augustine, q. 56.) (Worthington) Girl in age, not 12; or, if more, at least not married, nor out of her father's house, ver. 17. For either of these conditions rendered a girl incapable of binding herself irrevocably. The father, or all who had the care of her, might rescind her vow, provided they did it as soon as it came to their knowledge, or on the same day, ver. 15. Boys under 13, were under similar restrictions. (Grotius) --- Wives, and, in general, all who are under subjection, could not dispose of themselves without the consent of their superiors, as their want of prudence, &c., might have otherwise injured what belonged, in some measure, to another. (Haydock) --- The law, therefore, submits their case to the decision of their immediate judges. (Calmet) --- But if the thing, which a person vowed, was already of strict obligation, as to fast on the day of expiation, (Leviticus xxiii. 29,) no one could presume to hinder his wife from complying with this double duty. (Worthington) Husband, whether she live with him, or with her father; whether she be only espoused, or the marriage be consummated. Women often staid for some time at their father's house after they were married; and, in this case, some people say that either her father or her husband might disannul her vow. But others allow this right only to her husband. (Bonfrere) See ver. 11. (Calmet) It. The Rabbins restrain this law to fasting and abstinence. But the Hebrew seems more general, (ver. 13,) "every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may ratify or annul." The vows of abstinence are most common, and generally more disagreeable to husbands. (Calmet) --- St. Augustine (q. 59,) thinks it unreasonable that the husband should have a control over the vows of continency in his wife, any more than she could have over him, in this particular, as their rights are equal: he seems inclined to allow him to annul the vows of abstinence only. Indeed this seems to be the meaning of afflicting the soul, which is done by submitting to various restraints, required on days of fasting. See Leviticus xxiii. 27. (Haydock) --- In things which could nowise hurt the parent or husband, many believe, that the person who had made a vow, was bound to perform it secretly, even though the superior had declared his dissent. But with respect to fasting, pilgrimages, &c., which could not be performed without his knowledge, it does not seem that they were under any farther obligation, even though the superior should retract what he had connived at for a whole day. In doubtful cases inferiors must not refuse to obey. The sin lies at the door of him who exercises his authority in an improper manner. (Lyranus) (Tirinus) (ver. 16.) Day. Hebrew, "from day to day." If he has not given his decision on the first day when the vow came to his knowledge, unless he asked for a delay, as some allow, the person was bound to perform what she had promised. (Calmet) --- Immediately. Hebrew, "in the day," which seems to restrict the power of annulling the vow to a single day, ver. 4. It would be unreasonable for the person to be kept long in suspense; and the law of God requires that we should not defer to perform our vows, Ecclesiastes v. 3, 4. (Haydock) That. Septuagint, "the day." If he retract his consent, he shall incur all the guilt. (St. Augustine, q. 59.) The woman need not be under any disquietude, as the fault is not in her. (Calmet) --- If a person had made a rash vow, he might obtain a dispensation from the tribunal of three judges, or from a doctor of the law, who would enjoin him to offer the sacrifice for ignorance, to punish his levity. See Selden, Jur. vii. 2. Those who break their vow are to be scourged among the Jews, which shews that they do not, in general, approve the sentiments of those Rabbins whom Fagius, a Protestant, alleges, ver. 3. They make a distinction between vows and promises confirmed by an oath, ver. 11. The former change the nature of a thing, according to them; so that, if a person should vow not to wear the phylacteries ordained by Moses, he must comply, though not if he had only promised on oath to refrain. But this distinction is absurd. No vow or oath can bind any person to transgress the law of God. (Haydock)