Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 3 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
1, The meat-offring of flowre, with oile and incense. 4, The Meat-offring baked in the oven; Cakes, or Wafers. 5, The Meat-offring baked on a plate, 7, or in a frying-pan: 11. all without Leaven. 12. 14. The Meat-offring of the first fruits in the eare. 13, The salt of the offrings.
AND a soule, when it will offer an oblation of Meat-offring, unto Iehovah; his oblation shall be, of fine-flowre: and he shall powre oile upon it, and put frankincense upon it. And hee shall bring it, unto the sonnes of Aaron, the Priests: and hee shall take thereout his handfull, of the flowre thereof, and of the oile thereof; with all the frankincense thereof: and the Priest shall burne the memoriall thereof, on the Altar; a Fyre-offring, of a savour of rest, unto Iehovah. And the remnant of the Meat-offring, shall be Aarons, and his sonnes: it is Holy of holyes, of Iehovahs Fyre-offrings.
And when thou shalt offer, an oblation of a Meat-offring, baked in the oven: it shall be of fine-flowre, unlevened cakes mingled with oile; or unlevened wafers, anoynted with oile.
And if thy oblation, be a Meat-offring on a pan: it shall be of fine-flowre, mingled with oile, unlevened. Thou shalt part it in pieces, and powre oile thereon: it is a Meat-offring.
And if thy oblation, be a Meat-offring of the frying-pan: it shall bee made of fine-flowre, with oile. And thou shalt bring the Meat-offring, which shall be made of these things, unto Iehovah: and he shall offer it unto the Priest, and hee shall bring it unto the Altar. And the Priest shall take-up from the Meat-offring, a memoriall thereof, and shall burne it upon the Altar: a Fyre offring, of a savour of rest, unto Iehovah. And the remnant of the Meat-offring, shall be Aarons and his sonnes: it is Holy of holyes, of Iehovahs Fyre-offrings. No Meat-offring, which yee shall offer unto Iehovah, shall be made with leven: for ye shall not burne any old-leven, nor any honey, in a Fyre-offring unto Iehovah. In the oblation of the first-fruits, ye shall offer them unto Iehovah: but they shall not ascend on the Altar, for a savour of rest. And every oblation of thy Meat-offring, thou shalt salt with salt: and thou shalt not let cease, the salt of the covenant of thy God, from on thy meat-offring: with every oblation of thine, thou shalt offer salt.
And if thou shalt offer, a Meat-offring of first fruits, to Iehovah: thou shalt offer for the Meat-offring of thy first fruits, greeneears-of-corne parched in the fire, ground-corne out of the full-eare. And thou shalt put oile upon it, and lay frankincense upon it: it is a Meat-offring. And the Priest shall burne the memoriall of it, of the ground-corne thereof, and of the oile thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: a Fyre-offring unto Iehovah.
Annotations.
ASoule] that is, a person, or man, as the Chaldee translateth it. Therefore in the next words he saith, his oblation, and he shall poure: as shewing a man to be meant. See the notes on Gen. 12. 5. and 14. 21. when it] or, if he will offer, to weet, voluntarily. A particular person might bring a voluntary meat-offring, though he were the anoynted Priest: but the Congregation brought no voluntary Meat-offring; saith Chazkuni, on this place. an oblation of Meat-offring:] Hebr. korban Minchah; that is, the offring (or gift,) called Minchah: which was of things without life, as flowre, cakes, wafers, &c. Minchah was generally any solemne gift or Present, unto God or man, 1 Sam. 10. 27. in speciall a present or sacrifice unto God, Gen. 4. 3. 4. more specially, an offring of the fruits of the earth, of us now called a Meat-offring: we might call it a Wheatoffring, for it was for the most part, of the flowre of wheat: Ezek. 45. 13. 15. 1 Chron. 21. 23. Exod. 29. 2. The Greeke sometime keepeth the Hebrew name Manaa, Ezek. 46. 5. 7. 11. &c. in this place and often elsewhere, Thusia, a sacrifice; and in Psal. 40. 7. prosphora, an offring: and this the Apostle followeth, Heb. 10. 5. 8. 10. and the former Thusia, is approved in Mark. 9. 49. from Levit. 2. 13. and in Act. 7. 42. from Amos 5. 25. Of these, some were Meat-offrings of the Congregation, some of particular persons. The congregations offrings were three; the waved sheafe, (Levit. 23. 10. 11.) the two wave-loaves, (Levit. 23. 17.) and the shew bread made every weeke, (Levit. 24. ….) This (Shew bread) came not on the Altar, but was all eaten by the Priests. The particular persons Meat offrings were nine: and all of them came to the Alta…. 1. The poore mans Meat offring for sinne, (Levit. 5. 11.) 2. the jealousy offring, (Num. 5. 15.) 3. The Meat-offring of Initiation, which every Priest offred when he first entred into his service, (Levit. 8. 26. 28.) 4. The Meat-offring which the high Priest offred every day,) Levit. 6. 20.) 5. The Meat offring of fine-…re▪ 6. The Meat offring baked on a plate; 7. in a …ing-pan: 8. in an oven, 9. or wafers; (all mentioned in Levit. 2.) and all these five kindes came for vowe…, or for voluntary offrings. Maimony; treat▪ of offring the sacrifices, chap. 12. Sect. 1. 3. 4. The Minchah or Meat-offring was primarily a figure of Christ his oblation, who gave himselfe for us, an Oblation and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling savour, Eph. 5. 2. So the Apostle openeth it, in Heb. 10. from the 40. Psalme; Sacrifice and Oblation (Minchah) thou wouldest not, but a bodie hast thou prepared mee, &c. Above when he said, Sacrifice and Oblation, and Burnt offrings, and offrings for sin, thou wouldest not, &c. then said he, Loe I come to doe thy will. O God, &c. By the which will, we are sanctified; through the offring of the body of Iesus Christ once. Heb. 10. 5. 8. 9. 10. So that in the Oblation of Christs body, this legall service was accomplished and ended: for it served also to expiate sinnes; as the Lord sware that the iniquitie o… Elies house should not be purged with sacrifice or Minchah (Meatoffring) for ever, 1 Sam. 3. 14. and as David sheweth saying, If the Lord have styrred thee up against mee, let him smell (that is, favourably accept) a Minchah (or Meat-offring) 1 Sam. 26. 19. Therefore when Christ himself was come, this Meat offring ceased, as was foretold in Dan. 9. 27. he shal cause the sacrifice & the Minchah to cease. Secondly, it figured the persons of Christians, who through him are cleansed and sanctified to be pure oblations unto God; as it was prophesied, They shall bring all your brethren for a Minchah (a Meat offring) unto the Lord, out of all the Gentiles, &c. as the sonnes of Israel bring a Meatoffring (Minchah) in a cleane vessell, into the house of the LORD; Esay. 66. 20. The accomplishment whereof the Apostle sheweth to have beene by his ministration of the Gospell of God, unto the Gentiles; that the Oblation (Prosphora) of the Gentiles, might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, Rom. 15. 16. Thirdly, it figured the fruits of grace and good workes that Christians are to performe both towards God and men. Towards God, by prayer and thanksgiving; as David saith, Let my prayer be directed as incense before thee; the lifting up of my hands, as the evening Minchah (or Oblation) Psal. 141. 2. So when the Lord told the Iewes, I will not accept a Minchah (or Meat-offring) at your hand; he addeth, For from the rising of the Sunne, even unto the going downe of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place, incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure Meat offring: Mal. 1. 10. 11. which is fulfilled, when men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, as the Apostle teacheth, 1 Tim. 2. 8. Towards men also, good workes are as sacrifices unto God, as it is written, To doe good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices, God is well pleased, Heb. 13. 16. so the benevolence sent from the Church of Philippi, to the Apostle, was an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, welpleasing unto God. Phil. 4. 18. Now because the Meatoffrings here prescribed, had oile and frankincense with them, whereas the Meat-offring which the poore man brought for his Sinne, was to have neither of both, Levit. 5. 11. it seemeth the chiefe thing here figured, was the new creature, and holy estate which wee have in Christ: that as our reconciliation unto God in Christ, was signified by the Burntoffring, Levit. 1. so the sanctification of our persons and actions, and the acceptation of them before God through his grace in Christ, was signified by this Meat-offring. fine-flowre] of wheat, Exod. 29. 2. Ezr. 6. 9. 1 Chro. 21. 23. all the Meat-offrings were of wheaten flowre, except the jealousy offring, and the waved sheaf, (Num. 5. Levit. 23.) which were of barley. And for the quantity, All Meat-offrings that were brought upon the Altar, not any of them was lesse then the tenth part (of an Ephah, as Lev. 5. 11. and 6. 20. that is, an Omer, as Exod. 16. 36.) The five Meat-offrings (mentioned in this chapter) that are brought for vow and voluntary sacrifice be may bring of them so much as he please, though 1000. tenth parts: but the Meat offrings of the sheaf, and of the sinner, and of jealousie, and of initiation, and the high priests meat-offring, every one of them is but one tenth part, neither lesse nor more; saith Maimony, in treat, of offring the sacrifice, chap. 12. Sect. 2. 5. Also for the quality, as all things offred to God were to be of the best, and without corruption, so the Meat-offrings. The flowre might not be such as wherein wormes bred, or made or wormeaten wheat; nor mixt with oile that had a ranke smell, or ill taste, &c. Maimony, in Issure▪ mizbeach, chap. 6. S. 1. pure oile] Sol. Iarchi noteth that the oile was poured vponupon all of it; the frankincense, was put upon part of it, on the one side. Other of the Hebrewes also say; every Meat-offring that is offred upon the altar, must have oile and frankincense; a Log of oile (that is, halfe a pinte of oile, whereof see Lev. 14. 10.) for every tenth deale, and a handfull of frankincense, for eueryevery Meat-offring, whether it be of one tenth deale, or of sixtie; for they bring not moe then 60. tenth deales in one vessell. Except the jealousy offring, and the sin offring, (Num. 5. 15. Levit. 5. 11.) for they have no oile nor incense. Maimony, treat, o… offring the sacrifice, chap. 12. S. 7. The flowre of wheat, signified the perfect and pure estate of Christ, and of all Christians (with their service) in him; purged from the branne of naturall corruption, Heb. 10. 5. Esa. 66. 20. The oile signified the graces and comforts of the holy Ghost, whereby wee serve God with gladnesse: Psal. 45. 7. Luk. 4. 18. 1 Ioh. 2. 20. 27. The frankincense, figured the sweet odour whereby they are acceptable to the Lord: Song 3. 6. Ier. 6. 20. Ephes. 5. 2. Rom. 12. 1. The manner of making the Meat-offring of flowre, is recorded to be thus; He brought a tenth-deale of flowre, (or many tenth deales, or according as he had vowed;) and oile meet for the same: the flowre was measured by the Tenth-deale measure of the Sanctuarie, and oile was put into a vessell, and afterwards the flowre was put upon it. After that againe, other oile was put upon the flowre, and the flowre was mingled with it. After this, they put it into a ministring vessell, and then poured oile into it. And the oile which first they put, and the oile which they mingled it with, and the oile which they poured on it, all was a Log (or halfe-pinte) for a tenth deale (of flowre.) And then they put the frankincense upon it. Maimony, treat, of Offring the sacrif. chapter 13. Sect. 5.
Vers. 2. the sonnes] that is, one of the sonnes, as the words following doe manifest; when it is said, and he shall take, meaning the Priest. shall take] or shall gather-up-with-the hand, as the word properly signifieth. The flowre was put into a ministring vessell, and sanctified therein, (Esa. 66. 20.) The Priest caried it to the altar, and brought it to the south-west horne thereof, and removing all the frankincense unto the one side, he tooke up a handfull of the flowre and oile mixed, and put that handfull into a ministring vessell, and sanctified it therein. Then gathering up all the frankincense, he put it upon the handfull in the vessell, and set it upon the altar, and salted it; and put it out of the ministring vessell, upon the fire. Maimony, treat. of offring the sacrif. chap. 13. Sect. 12. burne] resolve into fume or vapour, as the word signifieth: so Levit. 1. 9. and after often. the memoriall therof] that is, that handfull with the incense, named a memoriall, because it called unto Gods remembrance, (this is spoken after the manner of men,) his covenant to accept the service of faith, which his people offer to him by Christ. Hereupon it is said, He remember all thy Meat-offrings, Psal. 20. 4. and, Thy prayers and thine almes, are come-up for a Memoriall before God: Acts 10. 4. So Nehemiah prayed, Remember me, O my God, concerning this; and wipe not out my kindnesses, that I have done for the house of my God, &c. and spare mee, according to the greatnesse of thy mercy: Nehem. 13. 14. 22. On the contrary, the sinne and jealousy offrings, had no oile nor incense, because they were no offrings of memoriall, but such as brought iniquity to remembrance; which was not gracious, nor sweet smelling before the Lord: Num. 5. 15. Levit. 5. 11. of rest] the Greeke saith, of sweet smell; and consequently acceptable: as the Chaldee explaineth it, an Oblation that shall be accepted with favour before the Lord. See Leviticus 1. 9.
Vers. 3. Aarons] to eat the same, in the sanctuarie, Levit. 6. 16. This is to bee understood of the Meat-offrings brought alone: but the Meat and drink offrings added to other sacrifices, were not to be eaten, but burnt and powred all upon the altar; see the annotations on Levit. 23. 13. holy of holies] Hebr. holinesse of holinesses; that is, most holy things. By this they are distinguished from other things, which the Hebrew Doctors call therfore leight holy, and which might be eaten out of the sanctuarie, but within the host, and (in ages following) within Ierusalem. Maimony, treat. of offring sacrifices, chap. 10. Sect. 5. and chap. 11. S. 5. Thus the Meat-offrings were in part for the maintenance and livelihood of Gods Priests, Num. 18. 9. 10. and being given unto God, were most holy things, and figured the graces and good workes wherewith we honour Christ, & relieve his poore saints, which are holy and acceptable sacrifices unto the Lord, Phil. 4. 18. Heb. 13. 16. And being referred to Christ himselfe, as he by the oblation of his owne body was our Meat-offring, Psalme 40. Heb. 10. it figured our communion with him, and participation of his death, and resurrection, by faith; whereby he becommeth unto us, the bread of God, the bread of life, that giveth us life for ever; Ioh. 6. 33. 35. &c. And of him, his whole church, (which are a royall Priesthood, 1 Pet. 2. 9.) are made partakers.
Vers. 4. baked in] Hebr. a baking (or batche) of the oven. They kneaded and baked it within the sanctuarie, (though the wheat was ground and sifted without,) as Maimony in the foresaid treatise sheweth: which is confirmed by Ezek. 46. 20. This is the place where the Priests shall boyle the trespasse-offring, and the sin-offring, where they shall bake the Meat-offring, &c. See also 1 Chron. 23. 28. 29. where the Levites were assistants to the Priests, in preparing the Meat-offrings. unlevened] Heb. cakes of unlevenings; that is, altogether unlevened: signifying sincerity and truth, 1 Cor. 5. 8. see the notes on Exod. 12. mingled] The cakes were thus ordered: the flowre was mingled with oile, and kneaded with warme water: and baked, and broken in peeces and put into a ministring vessell: then frankincense was put upon it, but no oile powred on it, because it is written, mingled with oile. Of every tenth part (of an Ephah) they made ten cakes: saith Maimony, treat of offring the sacrif. chap. 13. Sect. 8. 10. or unlevened] Heb. and wafers of unlevenings, anoynted, &c. Of this, Maimony in the foresaid place saith; And if they were wafers, the flowre was kneaded with warme water, and the wafers anoynted with oile. And it seemes unto me (saith he,) that they were anoynted after the baking. There was brought a Log (or halfe pinte) of oile, for every tenth deale (of flowre,) and they were anoynted and anoynted againe, till all the oile in the Log was ended. This anoynting with oile, signified the graces of Gods spirit, as before is shewed; which the children of God should have within and without, so being both tempered and anoynted with the same: of which the Apostle saith, The anoynting which ye have received of (the Holy one) abideth in you, &c. 1 Ioh. 2. 27. and, He that establisheth us with you, in Christ, and hath anoynted us, is God, 2 Corinthians 1. 21.
Vers. 5. on a pan] or, on a plate, or slice, flat and smooth. Hereof Maimony (treat. of offring sacrif. chap. 13. Sect. 7.) saith, what differeth (Machahath) the Pan, from (Marchesheth) the Frying-pan? The Frying-pan hath a lip (or edge,) and the past that is baked thereon is soft, and for that it hath a lip, it runneth not out. But the pan hath no lip, and the past that is baked thereon is hard, so that it runs not off. Moreover, the Pan and the Frying-pan were in the Courtyard, and both of them vessels of ministration & of the holy things: and the Oven of the sanctuarie was of metall, Maimony ibid. chap. 12. Sect. 23. They signified vessels of Christian hearts, as, My heart hathfryed (or boyled) a good matter, &c. Psal. 45. 2. See the annotations on that Psalme.
Vers. 6. pieces] or, parts, They haked it in the sanctuarie, and cut it in pieces, and put the pieces into a ministring vessell, and then put upon it oile and frankincense, and caried it to the Priest, and the Priest caried it to the altar, and brought it to the southwest horne, and did as it before noted on verse 2. And for the manner of cutting; he doubled the cake into two, and the two into foure; and divided it. And all the pieces were as big as olives: and if they were greater or lesser, they would serve, Maimony, ibidem, chap. 13. Sect. 12. 10. This cutting in pieces is to be understood also of the cakes baked in the oven, verse 4. and in the Frying-pan, verse 7. 8. and signified the same thing that the cutting in pieces of the Burnt-offeing, Leviticus 1. 6. 12.
Vers. 8. he shall offer] that is, the man that brings the gift, shall present or offer it to the Priest: so Sol. larchi expoundeth it, the owner thereof shall offer it to the Priest, and the Priest shall bring it unto the Altar. Or, it shall be offred, to weet, by thee: as, hee imputed, Gen. 15. 6. is translated, it was imputed, Rom. 4. 3. See also the notes on Gen. 2. 20. and 16. 14.
Vers. 9. take up] or, lift up; which the Chaldee translateth separate; the Greeke, take-away. a memoriall] that is, an handfull of the pieces thereof: see before, on verse 6. and 2. All Meat-offrings that are offred upon the Altar, he taketh an handfull thereof, and burneth it all upon the Altar: and the rest is eaten by the Priests. Maimony ibidem, chap. 12. Sect. 9. See an Exception, in Lev. 6. 23. of rest] Greek, of sweet smell, The Chaldee translateth, an offring that shall be received with favour before the Lord.
Vers. 10. Holy] Hebr. holinesse of holinesses; that is, most holy: see vers. 3.
Vers. 11. with leven] except some thank-offrings, which were brought with levened bread, Levit. 7. 13. Leven and honey are unlawfull to be burnt upon the altar, and they are unlawfull every whit of them, Levit. 2. 11. But he is not guilty, except he burne them for an offring, or with an offring, and whether he offer them by themselves, or burne them mixed, hee is to be beaten for each of them by themselves. Maimony in Issure m…zheach, chap. 5. Sect. 1. old leven] see the annotations on Exod. 12. 15. Leven figured Sin of all sorts, inward and outward, in doctrine and manners, Luk. 12. 1. Matth. 16. 6. 12. 1 Cor. 5. 8. honey] which for sweetnesse of tast, is contrary to sowre leven; yet being eaten much, breedeth …othsomnesse, and is not good, Prov. 25. 16. 27. but turneth to choler and bitternesse. And being put into the fire, it boileth up in froth; wherupon some of the Hebrewes take it to signifie pride, and therefore it was not to be burned in any Fire-offring. R. Elias, in Reshith Chocmah, treat, of Humilitie, chap. 3. Both these forbidden in this oblation, signified the perfection of Christ, & of us in him. Among the heathens they used honey, in their sacrifices for the dead: Euripi…. in Iphigen, in Tauris. Baal Hatturim (on this scripture) noteth, that the evil concupiscence (the corruption of nature in man,) is like to old-leven; and this is the reason why honey is forbidden, because the evill concupiscence is sweet unto a man as honey. And Sol. larchi saith, All sweet fruit is called honey. Sometime Leven is used to denote griefe and affliction, as in Psal. 73. 21. my heart was leavened: which may have use here, that neither extremitie of griefe as Leaven, nor of pleasures, as Honey, be in the Meat-offring of the saints, but a temperature and mediocritie. See 2 Cor. 1. 3. 4. 9. and 12. 7. 10.
Vers. 12. In the oblation] the word In or With, is to be understood as in the former verse; or, Of, as the Greeke version hath. them] leven and honey though they might not come on the altar, yet came with the first fruits: Leven is mentioned with the first fruits, Levit. 23. 17. and with thankoffrings, Lev. 7. 13. Honey is also among the first fruits, in 2 Chro. 31. 5. though there the Hebrew Doctors understand Dates which are sweet as honey: which may also be implied in the prohibition here, verse 11. So Sol. Iarchi here expoundeth it saying, first fruits of honey, as the first-fruits of figges and dates. Otherwise by them, may be meant the one of them, to weet, Leve… (for Bees honey was not brought for first-fruits:) as the theeves, Matth. 27. 44. that is, one of them, Luke 23. 39. so, his disciples, Matth. 24. 1. that is, one of his disciples, Mark. 13. 1. Chazkuni here expoundeth it, yee shall offer them to the Lord for a wave-offring: but not for an oblation on the altar. for a savour of rest] in Greeke, for a savour of sweet-smell to the Lord: which the Chaldee expoundeth, to be accepted in favour. This the Hebrewes understand strictly, and therefore say, for a favour of rest thou maist not make them ascend, but thou maist make them ascend (to burne) as wood. But to mingle them with any oblation, as sin-offring, trespass-offring, meat-of-fring, &c. was unlawfull: and who so did it, was to be beaten. Maimony in Issarei mizbeach, chap. 5. Sect. 3. 4.
Vers. 13. shalt salt] or, shalt season. This the Priest was to doe, casting salt upon it, when it was brought to the altar, as is noted on verse 2. Salt is of a fierie nature, favoureth all meates, and preserveth from corruption, by the sharpenesse thereof: and is therefore applied to the wholsome doctrine of the Gospell, reproofes, and wise seasoned words of grace, Matth. 5. 13. Col. 4. 6. and here to the salt of the covenant, which on our part is faith in midst of afflictions: wherefore our unregenerate estate, is likened to a childe new borne, and … salted, Ezek. 16. 4. of the covenant] which is a signe of the covenant of thy God: for by salt, the covenant of grace was signified in Christ, which wee by faith apprehend unto incorruption. Wee are therefore admonished, Have salt in your selves, and have peace one with another. Mark. 9. 50. Hereupon a covenant of salt, is used for an inviolable, incorruptible, and perpetuall covenant, Num. 18. 19. 2 Chron. 13. 5. Therefore … this sacrifice, the Hebrew doctors held salt so necessary, that if it were offred without salt, it w… polluted: Maimony, treat▪ of holy things polluted, chap. 11. Sect. 16. every oblation] not the Meat-offrings onelyonly, but the Burnt-offrings, Ezek. 43. 24. and all other; as Christ saith, Every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt, Mark. 9. 49. The Hebrew doctors say, It is commanded to salt all offrings, before they ascend on the Altar, (Levit. 2. 13.) and thou hast nothing which commeth on the Altar without salt, except the wine of the drinke-offrings, and the blood, and the wood. And it is commanded to salt the flesh veryfayre, as one would salt flesh to rost, that he turne the piece and salt it. The salt which they season all offrings with, is the Congregations, as the Wood also is: and no particular man brings salt or wood for his offring, from his owne house. And they laid on the salt in three places; in the salt chamber, and on the foot-banke (of the altar,) and on the top of the Altar. In the salt chamber they salted the skins of the holy things. VponUpon the foot-banke, they salted the members (or pieces of the sacrifices;) and on the top of the Altar, they salted the handfull, and the frankincense, & the Meat-offrings that were burned, and the Burnt-offrings offowles. Maimony, in Issurei Mizbeach, chap. 5. Sect. 11. 12. 13. Therefore (saith Baal hatturim) salt is three times mentioned in this verse, because they put on salt in three places (forementioned.) The heathens retained a memoriall of this service, offring with their sacrifices, meale or flowre salted. Homer Ilia. 1.
Vers. 14. Meat-offring of first fruits] This seemeth to be meant of the sheaf (or Omer) of barley, wherof he speaketh againe in Levit. 23. 10. See the annotations there. So R. Menachem, and Sol. Iarchi here saith, the scripture speaketh of the Meat-offring of the Omer (in Levit. 23.) greene-ears-of-corne] in Hebrew Abib, by which name the first monethmonth is called, Exod. 13. 4. for then barley was e…red, and began to be ripe; as is shewed on Lev. 23. 10. The Greek translateth it New fruits. parched] for they dryed them with the fire, in the green-ears, because else they would not be ground in the mill, for that they were moyst, saith Sol. Iarchi on Lev. 2. ground-corne] or small-broken-corne: Hebr. Geres, that is, breaking or grinding; which the Greek translateth corne or graine: The Chaldee, broken-graines: and Sol. Iarchi expoundeth it, broken whiles it is moyst. Geres (saith he) meaneth breaking and grinding; broken with the mill. of the full-eare] or, of the green-eare; called in Hebrew Carmel which, here, and in Levit. 23. 14. and in 2 King. 1. 42. is used for fullgreene-eares of corne; which the Chaldee expoundeth tender: elsewhere it is the name of a mountaine, which was fruitfull with corne, 1 Kings 18. 42. and generally a fruitfull place is called Carmel, Esay 32. 15. 16. and 29. 17. The First-fruits chiefly figured Christ, by whom all the rest of the revenue is sanctified, 1 Cor. 15. 20. Rom. 11. 16. Ioh. 12. 24. the parching, breaking, grinding, &c. figured his suffering for us, being bruised for our iniquities, Esa. 53 5. Whereby he was offred for a sweet favour unto God. And with him we are partakers in our measure, Rom. 8. 17. Colos. 1. 24.
Vers. 15. shalt put] Heb. shalt give (which the Greeke translateth shalt poure) oile; which was according to other meat-offrings, a log of oile, and an handfull of frankincense; signifying the graces of God in Christ and his members, and the sweet odour of his oblation for us. See more in the notes on Levit. 23. 10. touching this manner of service.