Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 4 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
1 Twelve rods of the tribes of Israel being laid in the Tabernacle, on the morrow Aarons rod among them all, onelyonly flourisheth and beareth almonds. 10 It is left in the Tabernacle for a monument against the rebels. 12 The people shew Moses their feare of death.
ANd Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; speake unto the sonnes of Israel, and take of them, a rod for every fathers house, of all their Princes, according to the house of their fathers, twelve rods: every mans name thou shalt write upon his rod. And Aarons name thou shalt write upon the rod of Levi: for, one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up, in the Tent of the Congregation, before the Testimony, where I will meet with you. And it shall be, that the man whom I shall cause, his rod shall bud; and I will make to cease from me, the murmurings of the sonnes of Israel, wherewith they murmure against you. And Moses spake unto the sons of Israel; and all their Princes gave unto him, a rod for one Prince, a rod for one Prince, according to the house of their fathers, twelve rods; & the rod of Aaron was among their rods. And Moses laid up the rods before Iehovah, in the Tent of the Testimony. And it was on the morrow, that Moses went into the Tent of the Testimonie; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi, had budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossomes, and yeelded almonds. And Moses brought out all the rods from before Iehovah, unto all the sons of Israel; and they saw, and tooke every man his rod.
And Iehovah said unto Moses; Bring Aarons rod againe before the Testimony, to be kept for a signe, against the sons of rebellion: and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. And Moses did as Iehovah cōmanded him: so did he.
And the sonnes of Israel said unto Moses, saying, Behold, we give up the ghost, we perish, we all of us perish. Every one that commeth neare, that commeth neare unto the Tabernacle of Iehovah, shall die: Shall we be consumed in giving up the ghost?
Annotations.
SPeake unto] When God saw the cōtinuall murmurings of the people, how they ceased not, he commandeth this that followeth to bee done, that so by miracle the Priesthood of Aaron might be confirmed, and a full end put to all strise thereabout; as vers. 10. a rod for every fathers house] Hebr. a rod a rod, for (or according to) the house of a father: which the Greeke explaineth thus; Take of them a rod, a rod of all their Princes, according to their fathers houses. A rod (or staffe) was such as men used to carrie in their hands, Gen. 38. 18. Exod. 4. 2. the same word (called in Hebrew Matteh) is often used for a Tribe, as in Num. 1. 4. 16. 21. &c. either because of this writing of their names upon rods, or because the twelve tribes grew out of the stocke of Israel, as rods or branches out of a tree. The Princes also caried staves in their hands, as appeareth by Num. 21. 18. And with this may be compared that in Ezek. 37. 16, 17. &c. where the Prophet wrote the names of tribes upon sticks, which were joyned together as one in his hand, to signifie the uniting of the divided tribes. the house] that is, as the Greeke expoundeth it, the houses: see the notes on Num. 1. 2.
Vers. 3. for one rod shall be] The Greeke explaineth it thus; for it is one rod: according to the … of their fathers house shall they give. The tribe of Levi, though they were distinguished into Priests and Levites; yet as all came by one father Levi, so one rod was for them all. So Iarchi here expoundeth it, Although I have divided them into two families, the familie of the Priests and the familie of the Levites; notwithstanding it is one tribe. Of this their division, see Num. 3. and 18. 1.—7.
Vers. 4. lay them up] or, leave them, or as the Greeke translateth, put them. Tent of the congregation] or, Tent of meeting. the Testimonie] that is, the A…ke, wherein the Tables of the Law, (called the Testimonie) were kept. See the notes on Exod. 25. 16. where I will meet] that is, where I use to meet with you; according to the promise in Exod. 25 22. and 30 36 And this is the reason why the Tabernacle was called the Tent of meeting, or of congregation.
Vers. 5. I shall chuse] that i…, shall like of, and approve to administer the priesthood; as in Targum Ionathan this is added to minister before me. rod shall bud] or, shall flourish: see vers. 8. will make to cease from me] in Greeke, will take away from thee. This word is spoken of the ceasing or asswaging of waters, Gen. 8. 1. and of wrath, Esth. 2. 1. and is here applied to the murmurings of the people, which were like raging waters, fo…ing out their owneshame.
Vers. 8. blessomes] or flowers. yeelded] or, ripened (as the word is Englished, in Esai. 18. 5.) that is, brought forth ripe almonds. almonds] … Greeke, & in Targum Ionathan, Nuts. An almond, in Hebrew, Shaked, is named Shaked, which signifieth with care, haste & watchfulnesse, to looke unto and performe a thing. And because the almond tree blossometh and beareth fruit sooner than other trees, therefore hath it this name. And Solomon for the same cause, likeneth the white haires which soone grow upon us in age, to the flourishing of the Almond tree, Eccles. 12. 5. By this miracle, God did confirme the Priesthood unto Aaron; as by the vision of the vine-branches budding, bloss…ming, & bringing forth ripe grapes, &c. hee signified the confirmation of office unto Pharaohs butler, Gen. 40. 10.—13. He signified further by the buds, the continuance and propagation of the Priesthood to his posteritie; who should sprout and grow out of him, by the blessing of God, who maketh the crie tree to bud (or flourish,) Ezek. 17. 24. as also it is prophesied of the church, He shall cause them that come of Iakob, to take root; Israel shall blessome and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit, Esat. 27. 6. And the originall word for buds, is also use… for younglings or youth; as in Iob 30. 12. The bles soming (or flourishing) of this rod, figured also the comfortable and glorious effect of the … … tion of the Priests office: as Christ is … to … forth …t the window, flourishing there… the … Serg 2. 9. that we all with open face may … as in a glasse the glorie of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3. 18 and this to the shame of his enemies. Psal. 1 32. 18. The Almonds figured the fruits of his administration, which hastily should shew forth themselves, to the comfort of the Saints, and pun…shment of al… that should resist him; as unto Ieremie (one of Aarons sonnes) God shewed in a vision, the r… of an Almond tree, (which hath the name of … ning,) and opened the same unto him thus; Then hast well seene; for I will hasten my word, to performe it, Ier. 1. 11, 12. Therefore as soone as Vzzi…h the King rose up to usurpe the Priests office, the leprousie even rose up in his forehead, 2 Chron. 26. 18. 19.
Vers. 10. Bring againe] or, Returne Aarons red before the Testimonie] in Greeke, the Testimonies; meaning the Tables of the covenant in the Arke; as is noted on vers. 4. before which it was laid up, and not in it: for nothing was in the Arke, save the two tables of stone, 1 King. 8. 9. The Hebrewes record how in Solomons Temple, there was a stone in the most holy place, in the west part therof, on which they set the Arke: and before it, was the golden pot of Manna, and the rod of Aaron. Maim. tom. 3. in Beth habchirah, chap. 4. sect. 1. to be kept] Hebr. for a keeping (or reservation.) As the Manna was kept in the golden pot within the most holy place of the sanctuarie, for a reservation and monument to the Israclites, that the generations after might see the bread which God had given their fathers to eat in the wildernesse, Exod. 16. 32.—34. so this rod was kept in the same place for a reservation, and for a signe, that all generations might know the confirmation of their Priest … in Aarons line. Both did lead them unto Christ; the Manna figuring the flesh of Christ, the … bread from heaven, wherewith the faithfull should be nourished unto life eternall, Ioh… 6. 31, 32, 33. 51. and the rod, the Priesthood of Christ, whereby they should be reconciled unto God, Heb, 9. 11, 12. Therefore the Apostle mentioneth this budding rod, with the pot of Manna, among the most memorable things that were kept in the Holy o… holies, Heb. 9. 3, 4. the sonnes of rebellion which the Greeke translateth, the disobedient sons; meaning the Israelites, called sonnes (or children) of rebellion, because they were so much addicted thereunto, as if rebellion it selfe had beene their mother: so that Moses testified, Yee have beene rebellions against the LORD, from the day that I kn…w you, Deut. 9. 24. This phrase is common in the Scriptures, as, a sonne of injurious evil… (or … wickednesse) Psal. 8. 23. for an injurious or wicked person: and sonnes of affliction, Prov. 31. 5. for afflicted persons: so, sonnes of Belial, Deut. 13. …. 1 Sam. 2. 12. sonnes of disobedience, Ephes. 2. 2. and 5. 6. sonnes of the light and of the day, 1 Thes. 5. … children of wisdome, Mat. 11. 19. children of obedience, 1 Pet. 1. 14. and sundry the like. … shalt quite take away] or, shalt consume, shalt wh… end their murmurings: the Greeke translateth it, and let their murmuring cease from me; and they shall not die.
Vers. 12. we give up the ghost] or, have given up the ghost, that is, died: or, as the Greeke translateth, are consumed. This may be taken as an unjust complaint of theirs, for the punishments that they had felt, and should still feele for their sinnes. Or rather, as a serious complaint of their owne miserie, being under sin, and so by the Law under punishment and wrath: like that which the Apostle saith, I was alive without the Law once; but when the commandement came, sinne revived, and I died; and the commandement which (was ordained) unto life, I found (to be) unto death, Rom. 7. 9, 10. The Chaldee paraphraseth upon their words, thus; Behold the sword hath killed some of us, and behold the earth hath swallowed some of us; and behold some of us are dead with the pestilence. And Targum Ionathan thus; Behold some of us are consumed with flaming fire, and some of us are swallowed up into the earth, and perished; behold we thinke that as they, so we all shall perish.
Vers. 13. that commeth neere] in Greeke, that toucheth the Tabernacle. Shall we be consumed in giving up the ghost?] that is, shall wee die every one? This seemeth to be a deprecation; whereby acknowledging their sinnes to be worthy of death, they pray for mercy: for so questions are often used in earnest deprecations; as, Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? &c. Psal. 85. 6. Wilt thou utterly reject us? Lam. 5. 22. Wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very fore? Esay. 64. 12. and many the like.