Observations Natural and Moral, Part 2

Observations Natural and Moral · Part 2

p. 133Of Meaſures.

THe rules of numbers being found out, How to finde out the meaſure.it is eaſie to finde out the meaſures, for take a cubit and make a meaſure cubick or foure ſquare, alwayes in length, p. 134breadth and depth; the meaſure of an Epha for dry things, and bath for wetthings is found out; this by the Latines was called quadrantal, and amphera, and by the Greeks foreign , and by the Atticks medimna. The greateſt meaſure for dry and wet is called Corus or Chomer, and the leaſt is Cabus according to the Hebrewes, Greeks and Romans.

Menſura Aridorum.

As the Talent was the greateſt weight amongſt the Hebrewes, Corus or Chomer the greateſt meaſure amongſt the Hebrewes.ſo was Corus or Chomer their greateſt meaſure, and did containe as much of wet or dry, as a Camell is able to beare at once, or an Aſſe at twice. Therefore Chomer is called an heape, and an Aſſe is called p. 135Chamor from bearing of burthens, and by the Greekes foreign or ſubingale, Mat. 21. To this Sampſon alludeth Iud. 15.16, Alluſion. when he had killed ſo many with the Iawbone of an Aſſe; foreignWith this Iawbone [habhamor chamor hbamorathaijne] of an Aſſe heapes upon heapes: ſee how the heapes allude to the Aſse. And Num. 11.32. foreignThey gathered ten homers of quailes, but the Chaldie hath it, ten heapes of quailes. So Exod. 18.14. foreign aterves acervos.They gathered them together [coros &coros] heapes upon heapes. By this we may underſtand what great debt that was, which the Steward ſought of his Lords debter, Luk. 16.7. when hee ſayd he was oweing him 100 Coros of wheat; and what a great gift that was, which Salomon gave Hiram 1 King. 5.11. Twentiethouſand coros of wheat, and twentie coros of Oyle; and what a great houſe Salomon kept, when he ſpent dayly thirtie Coros of fine flower, and three ſcore coros of meale 1 King. 4.22.Culleus, or equuleus.

The greateſt meaſure amongſt the Romans was Culleus or equuleus, made of Lether, which behoved to be a verie large meaſure, for they ſowed in it a murtherer, with a Dogge, a Cocke, an Ape and a Viper, becauſe they were moſt like in nature to this monſter, it was leſſe then Coros or Chomer and bigger then Letech.foreign

Letech is halfe a chomer, Alluſion. and it is onelyonly made mention of, Hoſ. 3.2. I bought her to me for fifteene pecces of Silver, and for one Chomer of Barley, and for a letech of Barley, that is, for a chomer and a halfe of Barley.foreign

An Epha is the tenth part of a Chomer, The Epha, what.equall with the bath of liquid meaſures, and the Egyptian Mede and Perſian Artaba, and equall with the Greeke foreign or foreign , as much as an Engliſh Buſhell; it contained three Sata, amphoras or Modios, Engliſh Pecks, and ten gomers. Thus may be underſtood theſe places that have relation to the fine flower offered in the Sacrifices Levit. 5.11. Thou ſhalt offer a gomer the p. 136tenth part of an Epha: Ezek. 45.13. The ſixt part of an Epha, and Ezek. 45.24. He ſhall prepare an Epha for a bullocke and an Epha for a Ram. Cadus what.1 Sam. 17.17. Take to thy Brothers an Epha of parched Corne. Cadus or hydria is the ſame meaſure with the Epha, foreignan hundreth Cadi of oyle, Luk. 16.6. So 1 King. 17.14. the [Cadus or] barrell of meale ſhall not waſt; ſo Iud. 7.16. he put in every mans hand [Cados] empty pitchers.foreign

Seah or Satum was the third part of the Epha, Seah or Sutem. what.it was all one with the Roman amphora or modius, and it containeth ſixe Cabs; hence is that in the Parable underſtood, The King dome of heaven is like unto leaven which a woman tooke and hid in three [Sata or] Peckes of meale, Alluſion. Mat. 13.33. Alluding to Abraham who commanded Sara to prepare three peckes of meale for his Ghueſts, Gen. 18. So Ruth 2.17. foreignand it was about three Sata of Barley.

Gomer is the tenth part of an Epha, A gomet what.all one with the Greeke foreign : this was the meaſure which every one had for his portion in the deſert, Alluſion. Exod. 16.15. the Apoſtle 2 Cor. 8.14. alludeth to this while as he exhorteth the Corinthians to releeve the Church of Ieruſalem which was in great trouble in the perſecution.foreign

Cab is all one with the Greeke foreign or foreign , Cab what.or with the Roman dimenſum or denarius, the ſixt part of ſatum and thr eighteenth part of an Epha: then it was but a ſmall meaſure of doves guts which the Samaritans got; for the feurth part of the kab of doues guts, was ſold for a ſhekle, that is, a Log, 2 King 6.15. this kab foreign or dimenſum, was the meaſure of a mans dayly foode: hence we may ſee it was but a little bread, which the Lord commanded the Prophet Ezekiel to eate, for the ſpace of three hundreth and nintie dayes, The ſpar… diet of Ezekiel.Ezek. 4.10. And thy meate which thou ſhalt eate, ſhall be by weight twentie ſhekels a day, that is, but ten ounces of bread, and the ſixt part of an Hin of water by meaſure, this was leſſe than the p. 137fourth part of a mans dayly food; for he got but as much bread every day, as ſixe egges would containe, and as much water as twelve would containe.The meaſure of a mans daily foode.

The fourth part of a Kab, foreign or dimenſum, was the meaſure of a mans dayly foode: to this meaſure Chriſt alludeth in the parable Luk. 12. that the Steward is ſet over the whole houſe, that hee may give to every one foreign , that is, the meaſure for every day. And in the Lords prayer he teacheth us to ſeeke from our heavenly father panem foreign , ſuperſubſtantiall or dayly bread. The Syrians call this panem neceſsitatis: Mat. 6.11. calleth it foreign this day, but Luk. 11.3. foreign indiem, every day, ſo much as may ſuſtaine this fraile life. So Salomon Prov. 30.8. deſired to be fed with food convenient, that is, ſufficient and neceſſarie: thoſe who gote all foode alike were called foreign as getting all one meaſure.