Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Theological treatise · Chapter 23 · Questions · Question 43
QUEST. XLIII. What it is to seeth a kid in the mothers milke.
Vers. 19. THou shalt not seeth a kid in his mothers milke. 1. Some thinke the meaning of this Law is, that they should not offer a sucking kid in sacrifice, while it was yet tender, and under the damme, Pellican. But this cannot be the sense: for after seven dayes, it was lawfull to take any thing from the damme, and sacrifice it, Exod. 22.30. And we reade that Samuel offered in sacrifice a sucking lambe, 1 Sam. 8. Beside, the flesh of kids, when they are weaned, are not so sweet and pleasant as before, Simler.
2. Some interpret this Law by that, Levit. 22.28. that they should not kill the cow and ewe, and the young both in one day: and Deut. 22.6. that they should not take the dam with the young, Theodoret. Vatab. But it is a divers thing to seeth the kid in the dammes milke, and to seeth or kill the kid with the damme together, Pelarg. Oleaster.
3. Some doe understand this Law according to the letter, that they should not indeed dresse and seeth a kid in the dammes milke: and they give this reason; because it seemeth to be a cruell thing, si lac matris quod datum ei est pro nutrimento, adhibeatur ad consumptionem, if the milke of the damme, which is given for nourishment, should be used to waste and consume it, Thomas, Lyr…m. Others adde this reason: Prohibetur ritus Idololatrarum lixantium … in laste matris: The rite and fashion of Idolaters is forbidden, which seeth the kid in the dammes milke, Cajetane. And the Hebrewes affirme, that the Ismaelites had such an use to seeth kids in the dammes milke for more delicacie sake, Simler. The Gentiles also used to sacrifice a kid sod in the mothers milke to the … of the fields, that they might have plenty, Tostat. And this is the speciall reason which they insist upon that follow this sense, to take it foreign, according to the words and letter, because it is thrice repeated in the same phrase, in this place, and Exod. 34.26. and Deut. 14.21. Pelarg. Simler. and Calvin seemeth to approve the same sense.
Contra. But against this exposition it may be thus objected: 1. The word bashal here used signifieth as well to rost, as seeth: as Deut. 16.7. Thou shalt rost the paschall Lambe, for it was not to be sodden in water, Exod. 12.9. Piscator, and so Tostatus thinketh that in this place it may be taken indifferently, pro decoctione, vel assatione, for boiling or rosting: but the kid could not in this literall sense be rosted in the mothers milke, though they might imagine it to be boiled therein.
2. Augustine objecteth thus: Quid si mortua matre ejus ab alia o…e lactaretur? Quaest …0. in Exod.What if the owne dam being dead, another ewe gave it sucke? it could not be then sod in the mothers milke. Lyranus therefore understandeth it de omni lacte, of any milke whatsoever. But now they which presse the literall sense, by this meanes are forced to depart from the letter.
3. Againe, there is the same reason of other young things, as of fowles and of birds, as there is of the young of beasts: but they cannot be sod in the dammes milke, and yet they might be abused, as well as other young things: therefore these words doe restraine such an abuse about meats, as is incident to the flesh of fowle, as of cattell. The conceit then of Andreas, reported by Lyranus, hath no ground: that it must be understood, de carnibus animalium, &c. non de carnibus avium, of the flesh of cattell that are nourished with milke, not of the flesh of birds.
4. Concerning that superstitious rite of Idolaters, there is no certainty of it. Horace indeed maketh mention of offering milke unto Sylvanus the god of the fields, in this verse: Tellurem porco, Sylvanum lacte piabant, They appeased the goddesse Tellus with a swine, and Sylvanus with milke. But whether they offered a kid sod in milke it is not certaine, and so Tostatus confesseth, quaest. 37.
5. Neither is that any good reason, why it should be taken precisely according to the words, because it is thrice rehearsed: for in all those places it may well beare another sense more fitting and agreeable, as shall be even now shewed.
6. This pressing of the literall sense hath given occasion to the Jewes, receiving herein the exposition of their Rabbins, of great superstition: for hereupon the Jewes to this day refraine to boile any flesh at all in milke; or to dresse or prepare cheese and flesh together, because it is made of milke: nor to cut flesh and cheese with the same knife, Gallasius: neither will they eat cheese after flesh, nisi bene perfricuerint dentes, unlesse they have thorowly rubbed their teeth before.
4. Some therefore not finding how to give a fit sense of the words, doe flee unto allegories. Augustine saith, Hoc quomodo observetur ad proprietatem, aut non est, aut non eluc…t, &c. How this should be observed according to the propriety of the words, either it is not at all to be found, or else it appeareth not. Therefore he approveth that mysticall and figurative sense, in referring it to Christ:Quaest. 90. in Exod. Quod hac prophetia praedictus est non occidendus infans, &c. Who is foretold by this prophecie, that he should not be killed in his infancie, when Herod sought to slay him, &c. The same figurative application followeth Thomas. But Augustine addeth further, that it may be applied to the time of Christs passion, who suffered about that same time of the yeere, when his mother began to be conceived with him: and women are said, ex quo conceperint lac colligere, from the time they conceive to gather milke, &c. But neither of these senses can fitly agree unto Christ, who is called the lambe that was slaine, but not the goat. Some insist upon a morall sense: as Rabanus by the goat understandeth the sinner, who must not be sod in his mothers milke, Id est, non purgandus mediocribus Ecclesiae disciplinis, sed austerioribus praeceptis: That is, he must not be purged with the mild discipline of the Church, but with austere precepts. Procopius and Lippoman following him, doe make a quite contrary application: Infantes in negotio Christi impossibile est ducere per ignem & tribulationes, &c. They that are infants in the faith of Christ, cannot be lead thorow sire and tribulation, &c. tolerandi, non opprimendi sunt, they must be tolerated, not urged. And this uncertainty there is in mens collections, when every one followeth his owne sense.
5. Wherefore the meaning is no more but this: they should not bring for the first fruits of any cattell, any kid, or other beast, dum est adhuc lactea, while it is yet but milke, that is, before it be seven dayes old. And as they were not to offer such unto God, so neither to use it for their private food, Deut. 14.21. Iun. Piscator. And this to be the meaning may appeare; because here, and Exod. 34.26. this precept is annexed to the Law of first fruits: and yet more evidently it is explained, chap. 22.30. where having made mention of the offering of the first fruits of their oxen and sheepe, this is added, seven dayes it shall be with his damme: which may serve to explicate this clause: that so long it is but as the dammes milke, till it be eight dayes old. And as they were not to offer any such young thing to the Lord, so neither privately were they to use any such delicacie in feeding of young and tender things, which were but yet as milke and froth: which precept is given them, not so much, ut curam haberent valetudinis, that they should have care of their health, Marbach. Deus his legibus altius spectavit: For God in giving these Lawes looked to higher matters: therefore by this Law, cohibetur intemperantia, both their intemperancie is restrained, Gallas. & humanitas & clementia commendatur, and humanity and clemencie even toward the brute beasts is commended. For they which are cruell toward beasts, are for the most part cruell also toward men, Simler. therefore among the Athenians, boyes that pricked out the eyes of crowes, were punished: and Domitian among the Romans, that flye-killer, proved a savage tyrant and killer of men, Pelarg.