A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Leviticus · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Verſ. 1. ANd the Lord ſpake unto Moſes and to Aaron, ſaying unto them, &c.]
The former laws concerned the ſanctification of the prieſts, and the rites and ceremonies of the ſacrifices, now generall laws are given concerning the ſanctification of the people, and firſt for avoyding that uncleanneſſe which cometh from things without the man: and in giving theſe laws the Lord ſpake both to Moſes and to Aaron, becauſe it belonged both to the magiſtrate and prieſt to ſee theſe laws executed, the prieſt being to teach the difference between clean and unclean, Ezek. 44. 23. And they ſhall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cauſe men to diſcern between the unclean and clean, and the Magiſtrate to take care that this difference was obſerved: and hence is that, Numb. 9. 6. And there were certain men who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the paſſeover on that day, and they came before Moſes, &c.
Verſ. 2. Theſe are the beaſts which ye ſhall eat among all the beaſts that are on the earth.]
No doubt this diſtinction of clean and unclean beaſts was by revelation made known to the Fathers from the very firſt, whence is that direction given to Noah immediately before the floud, Gen. 7. 2. Of every clean beaſt thou ſhalt take to thee by ſevens, the male and his female▪ and of the beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. But this was then onelyonly in reſpect of ſacrifices; for eating or not eating it ſeems they had then no diſtinction of clean or unclean beaſts, Gen. 9. 3. Every moving thing that liveth ſhall be meat for you, even as the green herb have I given you all things. But now by this law the Iſraelites are forbidden the eating of divers meats, both fleſh and fowl and fiſh as unclean: And that, firſt, to move this ſtubborn people to abſolute obedience, and to depend upon Gods word and will in all things whatſoever, yea even in their ve…y meat; and ſecondly by reſtraining them from that which was uſually eaten amongſt the Gentiles, to put them in mind of the difference which God had put betwixt them and all other nations, reputing them of his merciemercy as clean, and all other nations to be unclean, and to teach them what ſpeciall purity God required in them above other nations as his own peculiar people. And therefore we ſee that the Apoſtle reckons this amongſt the legall ſhadows, Col. 2. 16, 17. Let no man judge you in meat or in drink, &c. which are a ſhadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ. And after the death of Chriſt, when the partition-wall was broken down, and believers of all nations were taken in to be Gods people no leſſe then the Jews, the Lord by forbidding the Apoſtle Peter to put any difference betwixt clean and unclean meats, Act. 10. 15. did alſo as in a figure cov…rtly ſignifie unto him not to count the Gentiles unclean, but to go unto them, and to preach the Goſpel to them as well as to the Jews.
Verſ. 3. What ſoever parteth the hoof▪ &c.]
Why theſe are allowed as clean, others forbidden as unclean, I think no ſound reaſon can be given, but Gods good will and pleaſure, and his power to give what laws he pleaſeth unto his people. The moſt probable myſticall reaſons given are theſe: Firſt, that the parting of the hoof in twain ſignified the right diſcerning of the word and will of God when we are able to judge of it, not carually but ſpiritually, 1. Cor. 2. 14, 15. But the carnall man receiveth not the things of the ſpirit, for they are fooliſhneſſe unto him, neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned: But he that is ſpirituall indgeth all things, &c. Secondly, that the chewing of the cud ſignified the ſerious meditation of the law of God day and night, Pſal. 1. 2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. For that is the food of our ſouls, Amos 8. 11. Behold the day is come, ſaith the Lord God, that I will ſend a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. And therefore having received this our food, we ſhould repeat and recall it to mind, Mal. 4. 3. Remember ye the law, of Moſes my ſervant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Iſra…l with the ſtatutes and judgements. 1. Cor. 11. 2. Now I pray you brethren that you remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances as I delivered them to you. For which the men of Berea are commanded, Acts 17. 11. Theſe were more noble then thoſe of Theſſalonica, in that they received the word with all readineſſe of mind, and ſearched the Scriptures dayly whether thoſe things were ſo. Yea as much as in us lies we ſhould have the word of God …ver in our mouthes, Deut. 6. 7. Thou ſhalt talk of them when thou ſittest in thy houſe, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou lyest down, and when thou riſest up: And thirdly, that the requiring of both theſe joyntly did ſignifie that God is not content with them that cleanſe themſelves by halves, but will have us clean throughout both within and without. See 2. Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore theſe promiſes, dearly beloved, let us cleanſe our ſelve's from all filthineſſe of the fleſ… and ſpirit, &c.
Verſ. 8. And their carcaſe ſhall ye not touch, &c.]
Not onelyonly eating▪ but touching alſo is forbidden, to teach us to refrain from all fellowſhip in evil, Eſa. 52. 11. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing, go ye out of the midst of her, be ye clean, &c.
Verſ. 9. Whatſoever hath ſinnes and ſcales in the waters, &c.]
See the note above upon verſ. 3. Thoſe fiſh that have …innes and ſcales being a brighter and more cleanly ſort of fiſh, not ſo much delighting in the mud as others, were the fitter to ſignifie the purity that God required in his people.
Verſ. 10. And of any living thing that is in the waters, &c.]
This is added to exclude ſhelfiſh and ſea-monſters, that do not ſwimme like fiſh, &c.
Verſ. 13. The Eagle, the Oſſifrage, and the Oſpray, &c.]
Theſe and the moſt of the fouls here reputed unclean are ravenous, ſuch as live by rapine, and unclean food, and were the fitter to ſignifie how farre Gods people ſhould be from oppreſſion, rapine, and all uncleanneſſe of ſinne whatſoever. Both the Oſſifrage and the Oſpray here mentioned are ſeverall ſorts of Eagles: the Oſſifrage by interpretation is bone-breaker, ſomewhat bigger then the ordinary Eagle, and much of the ſame kind; the Oſpray hath her name in the Originall from her ſtrong eyes and limbes, for ſhe is able to look upon the ſunne, and by that tryeth her young, as Writers report: it ſeems to be the Sea-eagle, that from on high eſpieth fiſhes in the ſea and lakes, and falling violently upon the water takes them.
Verſ. 15. Every Raven after his kind.]
As the Crows, Choughes, Rooks, Caddaws, Pyes, &c,
Verſ. 16. And the Owl, and the night-Hawk and the Cuckow, &c.]
Amongſt other birds forbidden them as unclean all the ſeverall ſorts of Owls are here mentioned, as the Howlet mentioned in the firſt place under that common name, the Owl; and the night-Hawk, or night-Raven, and the little Owl verſ. 17. that is, the Scrichowl; and the great Owl, which is a kind of Owl that dwelleth in deſerts and ſolitary places: whence is that of the Prophet, Pſal. 102. 6. I am like an Owl (or the great Owl) in the deſert. Now theſe being all night-birds, that cannot endure the light of the day, might ſignifie to them that God abhorres thoſe that hate the light of the word, and requires that his people ſhould be children of the light and of the day, and ſhould abhorre the works of darkneſſe, and the workers of them, according to that of the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 5. 11. Have no fellowſhip with the unfruitfull works of darkneſſe, but rather reprove them. The firſt word here tranſlated the Owl, is in the Hebrew the daughter of the Owl, concerning which ſome Interpreters have noted, that becauſe many fowls are deſired for meat while… young, which are refuſed being old, as y…ung Daws and Rooks, therefore the young ones of this kind are forbidden, and much more then the old ones alſo.
Verſ. 18. And the Geir-eagle, & the Stork.]
Theſe two fowls are little known in our parts: the Geir-eagle in the Hebrew hath its name from dear love, which theſe kind of birds bear to their young ones; and the Hebrew word tranſlated here the Stork ſignif…eth kindneſſe, ſuch as young Storks (whereto alſo agreeth the Greek word foreign) are ſaid to ſhew to their dammes, whom they nouriſh in their age. It is a bird much like a Crane, cometh in Summer, and goeth away in Winter, and in cities buildeth her neſt on tops of houſes and chimneys, as the Swallow alſo doth, though elſewhere upon the tops of firre trees. Pſal. 104. 17. Where the birds make their nests; as for the Stork the firre trees are her houſe. It feedeth much on fiſhes, ſnakes, frogges, &c. and ſo it is forbidden as unclean.
Verſ. 20. All fowls that creep, &c.]
That is, not onelyonly the Bat, laſt mentioned in the foregoing verſe, but all of that ſort are unclean; both becauſe being of a mungrell kind they do well reſemble men of a mungrell religion, as alſo becauſe in their crawling with all foure they ſet forth men given wholly to cares and delights of the world.
Verſ. 22. And the Bald-locuſt after his kind, &c.]
Theſe are undoubtedly flying creeping things though with us unknown.
Verſ. 24. Whoſoever toucheth the carcaſe of them ſhall be unclean untill the even.]
That is, till the end of that day and beginning of a new. And this might ſignifi… mans pollution by ſinne, till he come to the new day of ſalvation by Chriſt; or that thoſe legall pollutions were to continue onelyonly till the new day of the Goſpel, Col. 2. 16, 17. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink or in reſpect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath dayes, which are a ſhadow of things to come, but the body is of Chriſt.
Verſ. 25. And whoſoever beareth ought of the carcaſe, &c.]
That is, though he do not touch them with his fleſh: here the clothes muſt be waſhed, becauſe by carrying it both the man and his clothes alſo are defiled; and this legall waſhing was a type of our cleanſing by repentance and faith in the bloud of Chriſt.
Verſ. 31. Whoſoever doth touch them when they be dead, &c.]
And ſo by the rule of proportion grounded upon verſ. 25. if he did bear them he was to waſh his clothes, and be unclean untill the even.
Verſ. 34. That on which ſuch water cometh ſhall be unclean.]
That is, water out of any ſuch defiled veſſell.
Verſ. 35. Whether it be oven or ranges for pots, &c.]
This is added to ſhew the full extent of this law; and by this ſtrictneſſe of the law were they taught how ſtrict they were to be in avoiding the leaſt pollution of ſinne.
Verſ. 37. And if any part of their carcaſe fall upon any ſowing ſeed that is to be ſowen it ſhall be clean.]
To wit, becauſe of neceſſity; ſince there might be too great inconvenience in being deprived by ſuch accidents of ſeed to be immediately ſowen, as for the like reaſon fountains and wells of water, were to be excepted, verſ. 36.
Verſ. 38. But if any water be put upon the ſeed, &c.]
Not becauſe then being wet with water it was more apt to take poll…tion, as moſt Expoſitours; but becauſe being wet with water it was not in caſe to be preſently ſowen and ſcattered abroad, and therefore was not by the foregoing rule grounded upon neceſſity excepted from being polluted.
Verſ. 39. And if any beast of which ye may eat die, &c.]
That is, as he that toucheth the carcaſe of an unclean beaſt whereof ye may not eat ſhall be polluted thereby, ſo alſo he that toucheth the dead body of any clean beaſt of which you may eat, to wit, if it dyeth of it ſelf, or be ſtrangled, or torn by a wild beaſt; for in thoſe caſes indeed they might not eat of the dead bodies of clean beaſts, and ſo conſequently not touch them neither without pollution. Yet by the law, Levit. 7. 24. And the fat of the beaſt that dyeth of it ſelf, and the fat of that which is torn with beaſts▪ may be uſed in any other uſe; but ye ſhall in no wiſe eat of it, it is evident that they were allowed to make uſe of the fat of ſuch beaſts, and therefore by the touch of the fat perhaps they were not defiled.
Verſ. 40. And he that eateth of the carcaſe of it, &c.]
To wit, unwittingly or of urgent neceſſity; for if he did it preſumptuouſly and in contempt of Gods law he was to die for it, Num. 15. 30. But the ſoul that doth ought preſumptuouſly, whether he be born in the land or a ſtranger, the ſame reprocheth the Lord, and that ſoul ſhall be cut off from among his people.
Verſ. 42. What ſoever goeth upon the belly, &c.]
That is, no manner of creeping thing may ye eat, whether it goeth upon the belly, as ſnakes or wormes, &c. or crawls upon all foure, as toads and ſcorpions, &c. or …ath any feet to creep withall, as caterpillars, &c.