Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 4 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
1 How the Lampes were to be lighted, and what was the workemanship of the Candlesticke. 5 A commandement to cleanse the Levites, with sprinkling, shaving, and washing of cloathes. 8 To offer two bullockes for a Burnt-offering and a Sin-offering to make atonement for them. 10 The Israelites were to impose hands on them. 11 And Aaron to wave them. 14 The Levites are separated to serve in the Tabernacle, in stead of all the first-borne of Israel. 20 The commandement is performed concerning the Levites, and they enter upon their service. 23 The age and time when they were to begin, and when to leave off their service.
foreign
ANd Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; Speake unto Aaron, and say unto him: when thou makest the lampes to ascend up, the seven lamps shall give light over against the face of the Candlesticke.
And Aaron did so; he made the lampes thereof to ascend up over against the face of the Candlesticke, as Iehovah commanded Moses. And this worke of the Candlesticke was of beaten worke of gold; unto the shaft thereof, unto the floure therof, it was beaten work: according to the patterne which Iehovah had shewed Moses, so he made the Candlesticke. And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Take the Levites frō among the sons of Israel, and cleanse them. And thus shalt thou doe unto them to cleanse them; Sprinkle upon them the sinne water, and let them cause a rasor to passe over all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. And let them take a bullocke; a yongling of the herd; and his Meat-offering, fine flowre mingled with oyle: and a second bullocke a yongling of the herd shalt thou take for a Sin-offring. And thou shalt bring neere the Levites before the tent of the Congregation; and thou shalt gather together the whole Congregation of the sonnes of Israel. And thou shalt bring neere the Levites, before Iehovah: and the sonnes … Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites.
And Aaron shall wave the Levites for a wave-offering, before Iehovah, offered of the sonnes of Israel; that they may be to serve the service of Iehovah. And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullocks, and make thou the one a Sin-offering, and the other a Burnt-offering, unto Iehovah, to make atonement for the Levites.
And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sonnes; and wave them for a wave-offering unto Iehovah.
And thou shalt separate the Levites from among the sonnes of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. And after that shall the Levites goe in to serve the Tent of the Congregation, and thou shalt cleanse them, and wave them for a wave-offering. For they are given, are given unto me from among the sonnes of Israel; in stead of such as open every wombe, in stead of the first-borne of every one of the sonnes of Israel, I have taken them unto me. For every first-borne of the sons of Israel, is mine; of man, and of beast: in the day that I smote every first-borne in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them unto me. And I have taken the Levites, in stead of every first borne of the sonnes of Israel. And I have given the Levites as given to Aaron and to his sonnes, from among the sonnes of Israel, to serve the service of the sonnes of Israel, … the Tent of the Congregation, and to make atonement for the sonnes of Israel, that there be no plague among the sonnes of Israel, when the sonnes of Israel come nigh unto the Sanctuary. Then did Moses and A… ron, and all the Congregation of the sonnes of Israel to the Levites; according to all that Iehovah commanded Moses, concerning the Levites, so did the sonnes of Israel unto them. And the Levites purified themselves, and washed their clothes; and Aaron waved them for a wave-offering before Iehovah: and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. And after that went the Levites in to serve their service in the Tent of the Congregation, before Aaron and before his sonnes: as Iehovah had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.
And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saving, This is it, that belongeth unto the Levites, … five and twentie yeeres old, and upward; hee shall goe in to warre the war-fare in the service of the Tent of the Congregation.
And from the age of fiftie yeares, he shall returne from the warfare of the service, and shal not serve any more. But he shall minister with his brethren in the Tent of the Congregation, to keepe the charge; and shall not serve the service: thus shalt thou doe unto the Levites in their charges.
Annotations.
Here beginneth the 36 Lecture of the foreign Law; see the annotations on Gen. 6. 9.
LAmpes to ascend] that is, to burne, as the Chaldee translateth: so in Exod. 25. 37. and 27. 20. Levit. 24. 2. The Greeke interpreteth, when thou shalt set up the lampes, to wit, upon the branches of the Candlesticke: howbeit in the next verse, the Greeke translateth, he kindled. As the Princes of the twelve tribes (in the former Chapter) offered to the dedication of the Altar; whereby the sanctified workes of the body of the Church was signified: so here followeth the like, touching the Ministers, both Priests and Levites, which tribe offered nothing at the former dedication. over against the face of the Candlestick] that is, towards the middlemost of the seven branches: for this word Candlestick, sometime comprehendeth the whole, consisting of the shaft and seven branches joyntly, Ex. 25. 31. sometime the middle branch wch went rightup from the shaft, out of which the six other bowed branches proceeded, Ex. 25. 34, 35. So the meaning is, that all the lamps should be lighted on that part which was toward the middest, as looking all to it, from whence they first arose and had their light. For they used to light the middlemost lamp, from the fire on the Altar, and all the other lampes were lighted from the middle lampe, and others next them, as is noted on Ex. 27. 21. The Hebrewes say, The six lamps that were fastned unto the six branches that went out of the Candlestick, all of them bad their faces towards the middlemost lampe which was on the branch of the Candlesticke: and this middlemost lampe, the face of it was towards the most holy place, and it is called the Westerne Lampe, Mai…o…y in Misn. tom. 3. in Beth habchirah, chap. 3. sect. 8. Accordingly Sol. Iarchi here explaineth this, Over against the face of the Candlesticke, that is, the middle lampe, which is none of the branches but of the body of the Candlesticke. The seven lampes shall give light; six which are upon the six branches, the three that are Eastward, having the wickes in them turned towards the middlemost; and so the three that are Westward, having the tops of the wickes towards the middlemost. This Law God briefly gave before in Exod. 25. 37.
Verse 4. And this worke] or, And this was the worke of the Candlesticke; or of the Light vessell. The making hereof is described in Exod. 25. 31—39. and 37. 17—24. beaten worke] in Greeke, strong (or solid;) meaning, it was sound, not hollow, beaten with the hammer out of one peece, not of many peeces: understanding the whole Candlesticke with the branches, bowles, knops, and flowers. But the Lamps were made a part, (as were the …ongs and snuffe dishes.) Ex. 37. 23. and were set upon the tops of the seven branches. So Chazkuni noteth on Ex. 25. that the lampswere vessels by themselves, and might be removed from the branches. unto the shaft, &c.] that is, both the shaft and the flower (which the Chaldee calleth Lilie, and the Greeke Lilies.) were of beaten worke. This Sol. Iarchi expoundeth thus, as if he should say, the body of the Candlesticke all of it, and all that pertaineth thereto. Maimony in Beth hab…irah (or treat of the Temple) chap. 3. describeth the manner of the Candlesticke thus; that it had foure bowles (or cups) and two knops, and two flowers in the branch of the Candlesticke, Exod. 25. 34. and moreover a third flower was next to the shaft of the Candlesticke, Num. 8. 4. And it had three feet. And three other knops were on the branch of the Candlestick, from which knops there proceedeth six branches, three on the one side, & three on the other: and in every of them branches were three bowles, and a knop, and a flower, and all made like Almonds. So there were in all, two and twenty bowles, and nine flowers, and eleven knops. And they all were requisite, so that if there wanted one of these two and fortie, it hindred all the rest. The bowles were like the cups of Alexandria, wide at the mouth, and narrow at the bottome. The knops were like the apples (or heads) of leeks, somewhat long like an egge. The flowers were like the flowers of Ammudinis, which are like a dish whose lip is doubled on the outside. The height of the Candlestick was eighteene handbredths [that is three cubits.] The feet and the flower were three hand-bredths: then two handbredths smooth, then a hand-bredth wherein was a bowle, a knop, and a flower. Then two handbredths smooth, & then a handbredth knop; and out of it issued two branches, one on this side, and another on that, which went up as high as the Candlesticke. Then an handbredth smooth, and an hand-bredth knop, with two branches issuing out of it as high also as the Candlesticke. Then an handbredth smooth & an handbredth knop, with two branches issuing from it as high as the Candlesticke. Then two handbredths smooth, so there remained three handbredths, wherein were three bowles, a knop, and a flower. And there was a stone before the Candlesticke, wherein were three steps, on which the Priest stood and trimmed the Lampes; and upon it he set downe the vessell of oyle, and the tongs, and the snuffe-dishes, when he trimmed the Lamps. Other things touching the manner of trimming them, and the measure of oyle in every one, are noted on Exod. 27. 21. This Candlesticke figured the Law of God shining in the Tabernacle of his Church, with the oyle of grace, in the seven lampes which are the seven spirits of God, Rev. 4. 5. The Commandement is a Lampe, and the Law a light, Prov. 6. 23. so is the propheticall word, as a light shining in a darke place, 2 Pet. 1. 19. And as the Candlesticke was of solid beaten worke, and the oyle of beaten olive, Levit. 24. 2. so is the preaching and practise of the Law, laborious and with much affliction, 2 Tim. 1. 8. and 2. 3. And the worke of Christ, and of his Ministers, was signified by the Priests continuall ordering and trimming of these Lamps; & the lighting of one Lamp from another, shewed the opening and inlightning of one place of Scripture by another; and the middle Lampe lighted from the fire of the Altar, signified that the fountaine of all light and knowledge commeth from Christ, who hath the seven spirits of God, Revel. 3. 1. figured by the seven lamps of fire, Rev. 4. 5. The varietie of cups, knops and flowers, taught the sundry things that are in the scriptures, histories, precepts, prophesies, parables, &c. And as seven is the number of perfection: so by the seven branches and lamps, the full perfection of the Scriptures is shewed, which are able to make us wise unto salvation, through the faith which is in Christ Iesus; and perfect, throughly furnished unto every good worke, 2 Tim. 3. 15, 16, 17. This Candlestick, might also be a figure of the Church, shining as lights in the world, and holding forth the word of life, Phil. 2. 15, 16. (as the seven golden Candl-sticks, in Revel. 1. 20. were the seven Churches in Asia, in the middest of which, Christ our great high Priest walked to order their light, and to powre the oyle of his grace into their lamps:) which Church is in nature one in Christ, though it hath many particular Churches, as branches out of one stocke; the chiefe branch whereof was the Church of Israel; from whose light we all receive light, they having first received the Oracles of God. See Rom. 3. 2. and 11. 16, 17, 18, &c. 2 Pet. 1. 19. So the state of the Church by the word and Spirit of God is set forth by a vision of the Candlestick, whose lamps are filled with oyle from two olive trees, Zach. 4. Rev. 11. and Iohn the Baptist a preacher of the word of grace, is called a burning and shining lamp, Ioh. 5, 3 5. the patterne] Hebr. the shew or vision, appearance, that is, the patterne shewed, as Exod. 25. 40. This teacheth that no other ground or forme of doctrine, or of the Church, is to be brought in, than that which is shewed of God, 2 Tim. 1. 13. 1 Tim. 1. 3, 4. & 3. 15. Mat. 28. 20. Eccl. 12. 11, 12.
Vers. 6. Levites] the residue of the tribe of Levi, besides the Priests, whose consecration is described in Levit. 8. unto whom the other Levites were adjoyned to assist them in the service of Gods Sanctuarie, as was signified before, in Num. 3. 6. &c. but their consecration is shewed in this chapter. from among the sonnes] hereupon the Levites, as in office, so in name are distinguished from the other Israelites, as are also the Priests from the Levites, 1 Chron. 9. 2. the Israelites, the Priests, the Levites, and the Nethinims. cleanse them] or purifie them, after the manner following. This though it were the dutie of all the people, to be cleane and pure when they came to the Sanctuary, 2 Chron. 23. 19. 2 Cor. 7. 1. yet in speciall manner it belonged to the ministers, which did beare the vessels of the Lord, Esai. 52. 11. Ezr. 6. 20. so the Apostles among other graces wherby they approved themselves as the ministers of God, nameth one to be by purenesse, 2 Cor. 6. 4. 6.
Verse 7. Sin-water] that is, the water of purification from sin, which was made with the ashes of an heiffer, whereof the Law is after given in Nu… 19. As the sacrifice that maketh expiation for …, is called the sin (offring;) so this purifying water is called the water of sinne, which the Greeke expoundeth the water of purification. And this water sprinkled on the uncleane, sanctified to the purifying of the flesh: but figured the bloud of Christ, which purgeth the conscience from dead work…, to serve the living God, Heb. 9. 13, 14. all their … in Greeke, all their body, that is, shave off all the…r haire; which was another signe of purification, as in the cleansing of the Leper, he shaved off all his haire, Lev. 14. 8, 9. and in the cleansing of the polluted Nazirite, Num. 6. 9. So the Levites which were in themselves as lepers, that is, sinners, are cleansed through faith in Christ. their clothes their garments; an other rite used in purifying the uncleane, Exod. 19. 10. Levit. 14. 9. and 15. 5. By these three rites were signified the purifying from sin of all sorts, inward and outward; from all f…thinesse of the flesh and spirit, 2 Cor. 7. 1. of the hear: and conscience, of the body, and of the conver…ation, Heb. 10. 22. Which purenesse is in speciall required of the ministers, whom the Lord take… for his service, as he did the Priests and Lev…. Esai. 66. 21. and generally of all Christians, called also the Priests and Ministers of God, Esai. 61. 6. Rev. 1. 6. whose garments are washed and made white in the bloud of the Lambe (Christ) that they may serve him day and night in his Temple, Rev. 7. 9. 14, 15. and cleanse] or, purifie themselves, by repentance and faith in God; without which all outward rites availed nothing. Or, cleanse themselves by washing their bodies in water, as did other uncleane persons, Levit. 14. 8. and 15. 5. so the Chaldee called Ionathans, expoundeth it … cleansing in water. The Greeke translateth, … they shall be pure.
Vers. 8. yongling of the herd] or, yong oxe, of the second yeere: see the notes on Exod. 29. 1. where the like was brought for the Priests. This was for a Burnt-offring, to make atonement for the Levites, vers. 12. and as Chazkuni here observe…, for the consecration of their service. The forme… cleansings were to take away sin: these sacrifices after, were also to reconcile them unto God in Christ, whom all sacrifices figured, Heb. 9. 12. and 10. 5—10. his Meat-offring] speaking as of a thing knowne: now the ordinary Meat-offering for a bullock, was three tenth deales of fine … mingled with oyle; & for a drink-offring, half an H… of wine, Num. 28. 12. 14. See the annotations there. And of the Meat-offring, see Lev. 2. a second … locke] that is, an other bullocke, which though it is the second here named, yet was it first offered, v. 1…. Lev. 8. 14. 18. and 14. 19. And no bullock was … fred for sin, saue the sin of the high Priest, or of the congregation, Lev. 4. 3. 13. 14. 22. 23. and the L… vites now taken for all the first-born of Israel, o… such a sin-offring as the whole congregation sh…
Verse 9. the whole] or, all the congrega… because the thing concerned them all to know and to approve, the Levites being now taken … stead of their first-borne, vers. 18, 19. So all the Congregation was assembled at the Consecration of the Priests, Levit. 8. 3, 4.
Verse 10. the sonnes of Israel] that is, some of the chiefe of them, (as the first borne) in the name of the rest, shall lay or impose hands on the Levites. which rite was kept at the ordination of officers both in the Old Testament and in the New, Act. 6. 6. and 13. 3. Chazkuni here expoundeth it thus, The sons of Israel, that is, the first-borne which were in Israel; for the Levites gave an atonement for them: and every first-borne layed on (hands) on (the Levite) that was for him. This ordinance fitted the present businesse, for the Levites being taken to serve the service of the sonnes of Israel, & in stead of every first-borne, and … make atonement for them, verse 18, 19. and offered by them, verse 11. they were by this signe, to put the charge and service of the Church upon them, and to consecrate them unto God in their name. And herein they figured the Church of Christ, called the generall assembly and Church of the first-borne, which are written in heaven, Heb. 12. 23.
Verse 11. wave the Levites] this waving the Greeke expoundeth separate; which word is used for the ministers of Christ; as Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the worke whereunto I have called them, Act. 13. 2. so in Rom. 1. 1. And here in verse 14. God saith, thou shalt separate the Levites. But …aving is used for offring, as the sacrifices that were waved or moved to and fro; whereby the troubles and afflictions of the ministers of God were figured: see the annotations on Ex. 29 24, 27. Wave-offring] in Greeke, a gift. So the ministers of the Church are called gifts, Eph. 4. 8. 11. to serve the service] in Greeke, to worke, (or doe) the works of the Lord; so in verse 15. This phrase the Apostle useth, he worketh the worke of the Lord, as I also doe, 1 Cor. 16. 10. so of the Priests and Levites, he saith, that they did work (that is, minister, or serve about) the holy things, 1 Cor. 9. 13.
Verse 12. the head] that is, the heads of the bullocks, as the Greeke translateth: but called head, because it was to be done on each of them severally: so Chazkuni explaineth it, on the head of every one of the bullocks. By this rite they testified their faith in Christ, (figured by these sacrifices) from whom they expected forgivenes of sins, & sanctification unto the worke of their ministerie. make thou] in Greeke, thou shalt make, that is, offer to God by the hands of Aaron the Priest. to make atonement] this sheweth the unworthines of all flesh, to minister before God, untill reconciliation be made for their sins by Christ So Paul sheweth mans insuffiency (or unworthines) for such things, and sheweth our sufficiency to be of God, 2 Cor. 2. 16. & 3. 5, 6.
Verse 13. shalt set] or, shalt present, shalt make to stand, as a signe that they were given to him and his sonnes; as in verse 19.
Verse 14. shall be mine] which the Chaldee explaineth, shalbe ministers before me. See the notes on Num. 16. 9.
Verse 15. to serve the Tent] in Greeke, to doe the the works of the Tent: this is explained in v. 19. to serve the service of the sonnes of Israel in the Tent. A like phrase is in Ezek. 48. 18, 19. to serve the citie: and in 2 Chron. 24. 18. they served the groves. and wave them] in Greeke, and give them before the Lord. This is the third time that the waving of the Levites is commanded: Sol. Iarchi faith, that the first (in ver. 11.) respected the Koathites; the second (in vers. 13.) was for the Gershonites; and this third for the Merariees.
Verse 16. are given, are given] that is, as the Greeke translateth, they are a gift given: or, the doubling of the word meaneth, they are wholly given: and the gift confirmed, and now presently they were to be imployed in Gods service; see Gen. 41. 32. Giving is sometime used for confirming, as, Thou hast given thy people, 1 Chron. 17. 22. which is the same that Thou hast confirmed thy people, 2 Sam. 7. 24. So in Esai. 33. 16. his bread shall be given, his waters shall be sure. Chazkuni applieth it thus, Given of the sonnes of Israel unto God, and given of God unto Aaron: Sol Iarchi referreth it to their divers works, given for the bearing (of the Tabernacle) given for the song: as in 1 Chron. 25. such as open] Hebr. the opening of every wombe: whereof see Exod. 13. 2. this is explained after, to meane the first borne. unto me] or, for me: which the Chaldee expoundeth for my service.
Verse 17. the day that I smote] in Chaldee, the day that I killed: by day, comprehending the night also, as in Gen. 1. where the day consisteth of evening and morning; for properly the first borne of Egypt were smitten at midnight, Exod. 12. 29. I sanctified them] as is to be seene in Exod. 13. 2. 12, 13. The prerogative of the first borne, was from the beginning before the smiting of the Egyptians, Gen. 25. 31. and 49. 3. but upon that deliverance in Egypt, the ordinance was renewed: that they might know the heavenly birthright should be of grace, not by nature; Iam. 1. 18. and obtained through faith in the blood of the Lambe Christ, Heb. 11. 28. and 12. 16, 17, 23. Rev. 14. 4, 5. So the first-borne, and the Levites taken in their stead, were figures of the Elect, whom God of his grace hath chosen out of many, unto himselfe.
Verse 19. as given] in Greeke, a gift given to Aaron: who being a figure of Christ, these Levites (in stead of the first borne) figured the Elect children given of God the Father unto Christ, Ioh. 17. 6. 9. 11. Heb. 2. 13. to serve the service] in Greeke, to doe the workes of the sonnes of Israel; that is, which the first borne of Israel should have done themselves, had not the Levites beene taken for them. to make atonement for the sonnes of Israel] this the Levites did, not by offering sacrifices for the peoples sinnes, (which was done by the Priests onelyonly) but by their other service in the Tent; which being performed according to the will of God, hee was pleased with the people, and sent no plague upon them, either for neglect of his service, or for doing it amisse: and this the words following doe confirme, that there be no plague among the sonnes of Israel, &c. Thus Phineas, when hee had killed the whoremongers, whereupon the Plague was stayed from the Israelites, is said to have made atonement for the sonnes of Israel, Num. 25. 7. 8. 13. no plague] which the Chaldee expoundeth, no death. … ▪ unto the Sanctuary] Hebr. unto the: Holinesse; that is, the place and things of Holinesse, which the Greeke translateth, the Holies. VntoUnto which if they came neere, and should performe the worke amisse, they werein danger of death, as there be examples in Nadab and Abihu, Levit. 10. 1, 2. in Vzzah, 1 Chron. 13. 10. and the like. Chazkuni explaineth it thus; If all the first-borne should have served, there might have beene a plague amongst them. For the father of a first-borne perhaps was no first-borne himselfe, nor his fathers father, neither were they inured with the service: so when (the sonne) came to serve, he should have no experience or skill therein; and doing that which was not meet, he should be plagued, as we find in Nadab and Abihu. But the Levites when they were chosen, they and their sonnes, and their sonnes sonnes throughout their generations, they were inured and instructed in the service to doe as was meet. And therefore the Scripture saith, The Levite shall have no part nor inheritance, &c. (Deut. 18. 1.) that they might not imploy themselves in any worke save in the service of the Sanctuary: lest if hee should learne his hands profane worke, his armes and fingers should thereby become hard, and unsit to bee applied to minister on the Psalterie, Harpe, &c.
Verse 20. Then did Moses] Hebr. And Moses did, &c. Moses set, or presented the Levites, verse 13. Aaron waved them, verse 11. and the sonnes of Israel laid their hands on them, verse 10. every one his worke as God had commanded.
Verse 21. purified themselves] from sinne, as the originall word implieth; the outward rite whereof, was by sprinkling the sinne water upon them, verse 7. waved them] the Greeke saith, gave them for a gift: see verse 11. made atonement by offering their sactifices, verse 12.
Verse 22. to serve their service] in Greeke, to minister their ministerie (or liturgie.)
Verse 24. from twenty five yeares old] Hebr. from a sonne of twentie five yeares: so in verse 25. In Num. 4. 3. it was said, from thirtie yeeres old: there he spake of their entrance upon their full administration, here, of their beginning to learne the service: see the notes on Num. 4. 3. he shall] that is, every of them shall; as the Greek translateth, they shall goe in: so in verse 25. to warre the warfare] in Greeke, to minister the ministerie (or liturgie.) Why their service is called a warfare, see Num. 4. 3 23.
Verse 25. from the age] Hebr. from a sonne of fiftie yeares. he shall returne] that is, every of them shall returne, or cease; in Greeke, shall depart from the liturgie, and shall not worke any more. Meaning of the hard labour in bearing the Sanctuary, but not of other ministration, as the next verse sheweth. Maimony (in treat. of the Implements of the Sanctuary, chap. 3. sect. 8.) saith, That which is spoken in the Law of the Levites, From fiftie yeares old, he shall returne, &c. is not meant but for the time that they carried the Sanctuary from place to place; and it is nos a commandement of force in the generations (following.) But in the ages (following) a Levite was not disallowable by yeares, neither by blemishes, but by voyce, when his voyce failed through much age, he was disabled from serving in the S…. And it seemeth to me, that he is not disallowable, save for singing the song, but he might be of the P… ters.
Verse 26. the charge] or, the custodie, the watch or ward; in Greeke, the custodies. not … service] in Greeke, not worke the workes. This the Hebrewes (as Sol. …archi and Chazkuni on this place) expound to be the service of bearing (the holy things) on the shoulders; but he was to keepe the charge, to encampe round about the Tent; … to sing, and to beware that no stranger came into the … bernacle. Hereby God taught, that his ministers should be both for yeares and graces, fitted …or… worke wherein they are imployed; and no long… continued therein, than they have abilitie to performe their dutie, but imployed in more easie service.