Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Theological treatise · Chapter 28 · Questions · Question 27
QUEST. XXVII. What the Vrim and Thummim were.
Vers. 30. ALso thou shalt put in the breast-plate of judgement the Vrim and Thummim. There are divers opinions concerning this Vrim and Thummim what they should be: 1. Some are of opinion, that it is not certainly knowne, neither can be defined what they were. R. David saith, Non est manifestum apud nos, quid haec significent; It is not manifest among us what these things signifie, &c. Cajetan also saith, what is signified by these names, Vrim and Thummim, Nullus (quantum novimus) hactenus explicavit; None (that we know) hath hitherto explained, &c. 2. Hierom following the Septuagint, retaineth not the Hebrew words, Vrim and Thummim, but giveth their interpretation, doctrinam & veritatem, doctrine and verity; so the Septuagint, foreign, manifestation and truth: and they seeme to thinke that hereby was meant only, that the Priest should be endued with sincerity and truth, as Esra 2.63. where the text is, Till a Priest rose up with Vrim and Thummim: Hierom translateth, Donec surgeret Sacerdos doctus & eruditus; Untill a learned and skilfull Priest should rise up. But it is cleare, that the Vrim and Thummim was some reall thing in the pectorall, as Levit. 8.8. Hee put in the breast-plate, Vrim and Thummim: and beside, they give not the right sense of the words, which signifie light, or illuminations, and perfections, not doctrine and verity.
3. Tostatus also referreth these words unto the cleare answers, which the Priest consulting with God, used to give: that they were not ambiguous and doubtfull, as the oracles of Apollo, Sed illa manifestati… dubiorum, &c. erat clarissima ut lux, but that manifestation of doubts, which was made by applying the pectorall, was as cleare as the light, quest. 13. But there was some materiall and reall thing, which was called Vrim and Thummim, and not in signification only, as is before shewed.
4. R. Abraham, Ab. Ezra thinketh they were certaine plates put within the breast-plate, in the folding thereof, the one of silver, the other of gold: from the similitude whereof the Astrologians afterward tooke the fashion of their Astrolabes, by the which they understood secret things. But this is a superstitious conceit: 1. These plates, which he imagineth, being put within the fold of the breast-plate, how should they come to be seene of others, to make their Astrologicall instruments by? 2. The Astrolabe serveth onelyonly to search out the secrets of nature: but by the Vrim and Thummim, the Priest gave answer of supernaturall things: 3. Neither did the Priest when hee consulted with God, looke upon any such figures, as he imagineth to have beene in these plates; but received answer from God, Sic Tostat. quaest. 12.
5. R. Salomon thinketh, that the Vrim and Thummim was nothing else, but the name of Iehovah, which was written in letters, and put within the breast-plate: which name some ancient Hebrewes, even before Christ, did take to signifie the Trinity: In this word foreign, Iehovah, the first letter jod, they would have taken for the Father; he, for the Sonne, which letter is doubled to signifie his two natures, the humane, and Divine; and vau, which is a conjunction copulative signifieth the holy Ghost, Vatabl. But betweene these words, Vrim and Thummim, and the name Iehovah, there seemeth to be small affinity.
6. Some of the Rabbines, as Paulus Fagius reporteth their opinion, thinke that this Vrim and Thummim, was an exposition of the name Iehovah, consisting of certaine letters, 42. in number, which were put within the pectorall: and Hugo de S. Victor ▪ thinketh, that they were characteres inscripti diversis literis, characters written with certaine letters. But there is no reason to call so many letters by the name of Vrim and Thummim.
7. Some thinke that these very words, Vrim and Thummim, were graven in the pectorall: of which opinion seemeth Philo to be,Lib. 3. de vit. Mosis. calling the Vrim and Thummim, duas virtutes depictas, two vertues set forth, and pictured in the rationall, or pectorall. But the phrase of putting in the Vrim and Thummim, sheweth, that they were not wrought into the breast-plate, but put into it after it was made.
8. Suidas thinketh it was a bright Diamond in the pectorall, which shined extraordinarily, when the Lord gave an acceptable answer: some thinke they were two precious stones set into the pectorall▪ beside the other twelve, as Calvin thinketh, Duas fuisse insignes notas; That they were two notable markes in the pectorall, to the which these names agreed. But the order of the precious stones being set in foure rankes, would not leave any place for any other to be set in, Simler. And it is not like that this Diamond was one of the twelve: for why should one of these stones be called Vrim and Thummim, rather than another?
9. Oleaster, Lippoman, Osiander, thinke that the Vrim and Thummim were the very stones themselves, called Vrim of their brightnesse, and they were called Thummim of their perfection, or because they filled up the places, where they were set in. But if they were nothing else but the very precious stones themselves, which were described before to be set in the breast-plate, what needed it be added againe, Thou shalt put in the breast-plate of judgement, Vrim and Thummim? Ribera.
10. And the same Ribera, though he mislike the former opinion of Oleaster; yet he doth not much differ from it; adding only this, that the Vrim and Thummim were those twelve precious stones, not simply, Sed quatenus per eos Deus solebat futura praenunciare, & respondere in agendis; but as God did by them foretell things to come, and give answer what was to be done. And he urgeth this as a reason, because Exod. 39. where it is reported, what things the workmen had made according to Moses direction; the least thing being not omitted, yet no mention is made of the Vrim and Thummim, which sheweth that they were the very same with the twelve stones. Of the same opinion seemeth Iosephus to be,Lib. 3. de Antiq. cap. 4. that the Vrim and Thummim were the twelve precious stones, which he saith, used to shine exceeding bright, when the Lord would give good successe to the people in their warre.
But this reason may be retorted againe, that seeing no mention is made of Vrim and Thummim, that it was not prepared by the workmen, but was rather some sacred monument, which Moses received of God: as he did the tables of stone. To this opinion I before inclined in another place,Harmon. in 1 Sam. cap. 28. quaest. 5. that the Vrim and Thummim were the precious stones themselves, so called of their excellent brightnesse and perfection: but now upon better reason I am moved to thinke, that they were a reall and distinct thing from the precious stones: for the workmen set in the stones, Exod. 39.10. they filled it with foure rowes of stones: but Moses put in the breast-plate, after it was made, the Vrim and Thummim, Levit. 8.8.
11. Thomas thinketh, that Quaedam scribebantur in rationali, &c. 1.2. qu. 102. ar▪ 5. ad. 9.Some things were written in the pectorall, which concerned the verity of justice and doctrine. But this was no place for such writing in the pectorall, being filled with the stones.
12. Some therefore are of this judgement, that this Vrim and Thummim, Rem fuisse multiplici figura distinctam, claram, &c. was a thing of great variety, cleare, bright, as may appeare by the signification of the words, and that they are put in the plurall number, Non humano artificio factum, sed divinitus Mosi datum; Not made by humane workmanship, but given unto Moses of God. What matter it was of, it can be no more conjectured, than of what stone the tables were made, wherein the Law was written: and whereof the Manna was, which melted with the Sunne, and was hardened at the fire; or of what substance the holy fire consisted, which came downe from heaven upon Aarons sacrifice. This precious monument of Vrim and Thummim, was put into the fold of the pectorall, which was to that end made double, Montan. in apparat. To the same purpose also Iunius: who thinketh that it was, soli Mosi à Deo data, given unto Moses only of God, and so put into the breast-plate, Levit. 8.8.
13. Piscator reporteth this to be the opinion of Matthias Martinius, that these words, foreign; Vrim and Thummim, Intra duplicitatem pectoris interposita fuisse, were put betweene in the doubling of the breast-plate. So also Beda, Doctrina & veritas in rationali judicii sive literis est impressa, seu nominibus; Doctrine and verity was imprinted either in letters, or in names in the rationall, or pectorall of judgement, &c. likewise Rupertus, Doctrina quo que & veritas inscribiturilli; Doctrine and truth is written therein, &c. that is, the Hebrew words, Vrim, Thummim, which they so interpret doctrine and verity: but they rather signifie, light, or illumination, and perfection. Procopius inclineth to the same opinion, Incertum est an alii hic intelligendi sint lapides, vel capienda sit quaedam duorum nominum, quasi intabella, inscriptio; It is uncertaine, whether other stones are here to be understood, or wee may take it for a certaine inscription of these two names in a table, &c.
These two latter opinions I put together: that it is like, these Vrim and Thummim were written in some precious matter, not made by art, but prepared of God, and given to Moses, who put them within the breast-plate. So Gallasius resolveth, Diversum aliquid fuisse à lapidibus & catonis, minimè dubium est: It is without doubt, that they were a divers thing from the stones and chaines: and what if wee say, that these names, Vrim and Thummim, inscripta fuisse intra pectorale, were written within the pectorall?