Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Theological treatise · Chapter 28 · Questions · Question 28 – Question 29
QUEST. XXVIII. How judgement was given by the Vrim and Thummim.
NOw it will be further inquired, how the Lord made answer, and the Priest consulted with God by Vrim and Thummim? 1. Iosephus thinketh, that when the Lord promised good successe to his people, the stones shined extraordinarily: but he saith, Desiit tam essen, quam Sardonix fulgorem emittere, &c. As well the Pectorall, which he calleth the (essen) or rather choshen, which is the Hebrew name for the Pectorall, and the Sardonix stone upon the right shoulder, which used to shine extraordinarily, as often as the high Priest sacrificed, did cease to send forth such brightnesse, and that two hundred yeeres before his time: which Tostatus thinketh was in the time of the Macchabees: as he doth gather out of that place, 1 Macchab. 4.46. where it is said, that they laid up the stones of the Altar, upon the mountaine of the Temple, till there should come a Prophet to shew what should bee done with them. It is like then they wanted that direction, to know the Lords will by the shining of the stones, Tostat. qu. 15. But I thinke it more probable with Montanus, that the Vrim and Thummim was lost in the captivity, as also the Arke, tables of stone, Aarons Rod, and the pot of Manna: as also thinketh Burgens. addit. 2. And as may appeare, Ezra 2.63. that after the captivity they had no Priest with the Vrim and Thummim. The Priest which met Alexander in his glorious apparell, might have precious stones in his breast, without the Vrim and Thummim.
2. Ab. Ezra thinketh, that they used to write the thing inquired upon in a peece of paper, and so put it within the breast-plate, upon the Vrim and Thummim: and there they should finde written an answer of their question and demand. But it is evident, that the Lord, when he was consulted with, answered by voice, 1 Sam. 23.11.
3. Suidas thinketh that when the Lord granted their petition, the Adamant shined extraordinarily:Suidas in dictum. Ephod. if not, nihil accedebat ad solitum lapidis fulg…rem, nothing was added to the usuall brightnesse of the stone: and when the Lord threatned warre, pestilence or famine, the stone had the colour of bloud. But it is shewed before that the Vrim and Thummim was no such stone.
4. Hugo de S. Victor. thinketh there were certaine characters of letters, quibus projectis, ex literarum junctura des…per apparen…ium, &c. by the casting whereof, and the joyning together of certaine letters, it appeared what was to be done. But the Vrim and Thummim was no such uncertaine conjunction of letters: but some certaine glorious thing put into the Pectorall, as is before shewed.
5. Montanus thinketh, that the Vrim and Thummim, inde proferebantur, were taken out of the Pectorall, when any answer was to be given: and that the Priest by the inspection thereof had his direction. But it is not like after Moses there put them, that they were taken out: as Tostatus well thinketh, Oportebateas educere è plicatura rationalis, quòd non conveniebat. &c. That it was not convenient to draw them out from the folding of the Pectorall.
6. Nehemonides is of opinion, that the answer given by Vrim and Thummim was madregeh, a certaine degree and instinct of the Spirit, inferiour to prophecie; yet of an higher nature than nathkol, the voice which came from heaven: Ex Pelarg. Ribera also thinketh, beside the brightnesse of the stones, that the Priest, ad prasentiam rationalis spiritum prophetiae accipiebat, at the presence of the Pectorall received the spirit of prophecie. But for the Lord to answer by Vrim, and by Prophets, were two distinct things: 1 Sam. 28.6. the Lord would not answer Saul neither by dreames, by Vrim, nor by Prophets.
7. Wherefore it is most like, though this be not certainly determined in Scripture, that the Lord, when the Priest asked counsell of God by Vrim, made answer by voice: As when David asked of God by the Priest that had the Ephod, whether Saul would come downe, and whether the Lords of Keilah would deliver him into his hands: the Lord answered to both his questions, that Saul would come downe, and that the other would deliver him. So, 1 Sam. 30.8. David asked counsell of the Lord, saying, Shall I follow after this companie, shall I overtake them? and the Lord answered. Follow, for thou shalt surely overtake them, and recover all. Hence Tostatus well inferreth, Non fiebat inquisitio in aliqua lamina, sed à Deo inquirebatur veritas; There was no inquisition made in any such place, but the truth was inquired of God, quaest. 12. Ribera also useth this reason: that seeing God answered to every point, it was necessary there should be some voice heard:Lib. 3. de sacr. vestib. cap. 12. Nam fulgor gemmarum tot tanta que minuta declarare non potuit, &c. For the brightnesse of the precious stones could not declare such and so many small particulars. God used then to answer the high Priest by voice: as Numb. 7.89. When Moses went into the Tabernacle of the congregation to speake with God, hee heard the voice of one speaking unto him from the merciemercy seat. But it will then be asked, if the Priest discerned not the Lords will by the Vrim, why is it called the Vrim of judgement, and what use was there of it? I answer, that it was so called, not of the effect, as though by the inspection of the Vrim hee gave judgement, but ex consequenti, by a consequent, because the Lord onelyonly vouchsafed to give judgement in the cause enquired of by the Priest, when he applied the Pectorall with the Vrim and Thummim: which was ordained to be a type of Christ, the true and perfect light, to signifie that in him all wisdome dwelleth, and that by him only the will of God is revealed to us, Calvin. And this further may serve as a proofe thereof: that it is like, if there had beene any reall demonstration in the stones of Gods will, that meanes had beene certaine and perpetuall, and never failed. But it was otherwise, for God answered not Saul by Vrim; and in Iosias time, who was a vertuous King, the high Priest Hilkiah enquired Gods will of the Prophetesse Huldah, 2 King. 22.which he needed not to have done, if he might have knowne Gods will by looking into Vrim. The Lord therefore onelyonly when it pleased him made answer by Vrim: which sheweth that it was by voice, rather than by any usuall signification appearing in the precious stones, or Vrim.
QUEST. XXIX. Whether the high Priest used to aske counsell of God by the Vrim, or Ephod, and what Ephod it was.
1 Sam. 23.9.BUt it is said, that the Priest applied the Ephod, not Vrim, when he asked counsell of the Lord for David: 1. The reason thereof is, because the Ephod, wherein the Vrim and Thummim were, was tied fast unto the Pectorall and the Pectorall unto the Ephod, so that the one was not loosed from the other, as it is said here, vers. 28. So then by applying the Ephod, the Pectorall, Vrim, and all were applied together. 2. Neither is this to bee understood of the ordinary and common Ephod, such as the inferiour Priests did weare, as Saul put to the sword in one day 85. persons, that did weare a linen Ephod: but it was the glorious Ephod, which was set with the foure rowes of the precious stones, peculiar onelyonly to the high Priest: for Abimelech the high Priest being dead, the right of the Priesthood descended by succession unto Abiathar his sonne, who escaping from that danger, as hee fled tooke the Ephod out of the Tabernacle at Nob, and brought it with him to David, 1 Sam. 26.6. where it is not called a linen Ephod, as before, where the Priests are said to have worne lined Ephods: but simply the Ephod, Tostat. quaest. 15. wherein Gods providence appeared, that the right Ephod should be preserved, and kept with David the true King, Genevens. and that he might have meanes to consult with God in all his dangers.