A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Leviticus · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV.
Verſ. 2. Command the children of Iſrael, that they bring unto thee pure oylolive, &c.]
This which is given here in charge to the Iſraelites, is for the continuall ſupply both of lamp oyl and ſhewbread, to wit, that as they brought them at firſt, ſo they muſt ſtill be ſupplyed by them: either therefore theſe things were provided by the civil magiſtrate out of the common ſ…ock, or elſe rather …hey were provided, as were alſo the daily ſacrifices, and whatſoever elſe was offered in the name of the whole people, out of the treaſury of the temple; into which therefore towards the ſupply of theſe things both the Princes and people did ordinarily caſt in what they were willing to give. So it is noted of Hezekiah, 2. Chron. 31. 3. He appointed alſo the Kings portion of his ſubſtance for the burnt-offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt-offerings, and the burnt-offerings for the Sabbaths, for the new Moons, and for the ſet feasts; and of the people, Luke 21. 1. He ſaw the rich men caſting their gifts into the treaſury, and a certain poore widow caſting in thither t…o mites.
Verſ. 3. In the tabernacle of the congregation ſhall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning, &c.]
Or his ſonnes by his appointment. See the note upon Exod. 25. 37.
Verſ. 5. And thou ſhalt take fine floure, and bake twelve cakes thereof.]
Theſe were the cakes of ſhewbread, concerning which ſee the note upon Exod. 25. 23. The floure was provided at the common charge (as is before ſaid upon ver. 1.) and brought to the prieſts, but the cakes were made and baked by the Levites of the family of Kohath, as is evident 1. Chron. 9. 32. where it is ſaid that ſome of the ſonnes of the Kohathites were over the ſhew-bread, to prepare it every Sabbath.
Verſ. 6. And ſhalt ſet them in two rows, ſix on a row, &c.]
The common opinion is, that thoſe twelve cakes of ſhewbread, repreſenting the twelve tribes of Iſrael, were not ſet one by another, but ſix one upon another, and ſix one upon another. But becauſe this way it cannot ſo properly be ſaid that they were ſet in two orders or rows, and becauſe in the following verſe there is order given for the putting of frankincenſe upon each row, I rather think that they were ſet in order along the table, ſix in one row and ſix in another.
Verſ. 7. And you ſhall put pure frankincenſe upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memoriall, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord.]
For the incenſe was burned upon the altar, when they took away the bread, and was beforehand laid upon the bread, as a ſigne that God would through Chriſt remember his people with thoughts of favour and gracious acceptance.
Verſ. 9. And it ſhall be Aarons and his ſonnes, and they ſhall eat it in the holy place.]
That is, after it had ſtood a week upon the table before the Lord.
For it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the Lord, &c.]
Becauſe of the incenſe which was burnt, the bread was reputed moſt holy, as if it had been of the offerings made by fire.
Verſ. 10. And the ſonne of an Iſraelitiſh woman, whoſe father was an Egyptian, &c.]
Thus by the providence of God in the party thus blaſpheming, and thus puniſhed for it, as is here related, they were taught, 1. How the curſe of God doth uſually follow the iſſue of ſuch unlawfull mixtures, as was this of an Egyptian with a… Iſraelite; 2. How ſevere God muſt needs be againſt this ſinne in his own genuine people, who would not ſuffer it unpuniſhed in one that was the ſonne of a ſtranger by the fathers ſide. The inſerting of this ſtory in this place makes it more then probable, that it was done whilſt they were yet in the deſert of Sinai, even whilſt the Lord was giving theſe Laws to Moſes which are before mentioned, as is expreſſed in the next chapter, ver. 1. Whether the Egyptian had this ſonne by Shelomith in marriage, or by fornication, we cannot ſay: but that this their ſonne the blaſphemer had embraced the religion of the Iſraelites, it is very likely, both becauſe he came away with them out of Egypt, and alſo becauſe he is here ſaid to have gone out amongſt the children of Iſrael, which implies more then his going in their company, namely, that he went out amongſt them as one of them.
And this ſonne of the Iſraelitiſh woman and a man of Iſrael strove together in the camp.]
This of his ſtriving is expreſſed, to let us know that a blaſphemer, though provoked, is not therefore to be excuſed.
Verſ. 11. And the Iſraelitiſh womans ſonne blaſphemed the name of the Lord, and curſed.]
His ſinne I conceive was not raſh, vain, and unadviſed mentioning Gods name either in ſwearing, curſing the man with whom he was to contend, or otherwiſe; but of an higher nature (though even theſe are blaſphemy) even ſome execration or reprochfull ſpeeches uttered in his fury directly againſt God: as if for inſtance we ſhould ſuppoſe this, that in the heat of contention the Iſraelite upbraiding him with his idolatrous father, and denying him to be a true member of the Church of God he ſhould thereupon ſpeak ſcornfully and opprobriouſly of the God of Iſrael, ſlighting the priviledge of being one of his people. Some ſuch blaſphemy I conceive this was, and that becauſe the Law which God gave them upon this occaſion ſpeaks of curſing God, ver. 15. Whoſoever curſeth his God ſhall bear his ſinne; not curſing in Gods name, but directly and expreſſely of curſing God.
And they brought him unto Moſes, &c.]
According to the order mentioned Exod. 18. 26. The hard cauſes they brought unto Moſes.
Verſ. 14. Let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head.]
That is, thoſe that heard him were to come forth, and laying their hands upon his head to give in evidence againſt him, and ſo thereupon he was to be condemned, and the congregation was to ſtone him. Now this ceremony of the witneſſes laying their hands upon his head was 1. to ſignifie, that they did charge this ſinne upon him, and approve of the puniſhment that was to be inflicted for it; 2. that having witneſſed nothing but the truth, they were free from his death, but his bloud muſt be upon his own head; 3. to imply that he was to be ſacrificed as it were to the juſtice of God: for as thoſe that brought any ſacrifice to the tabernacle, were to lay their hand upon the head of the ſacrifice, thereby ſignifying their deſire and faith, that the death of that ſacrifice might and ſhould ſatisfie the juſtice of God in their behalf; ſo here the laying of the witneſſes hands upon the head of the blaſphemer did ſignifie their deſire that God would accept of his puniſhment as a ſacrifice offered to the ſatisfying of his juſtice, and not puniſh the land and people for it.
Verſ. 15. Whoſoever curſeth his God ſhall bear his ſinne, and he that blaſphemeth the name of the Lord, &c.]
Theſe Laws were given to the Iſraelites, upon the occaſion of the foregoing ſtory of the blaſphemer that was ſtoned. Evident it is that theſe are two diſtinct Laws, Whoſoever ſhall curſe his God ſhall bear his ſinne, and, He that blaſphemeth the name of the Lord, he ſhall ſurely be put to death; and yet hard it is to ſay wherein the difference lies between curſing and blaſpheming the name of the Lord. But the beſt reſolution of this doubt, I conceive, is this, that by curſing God is meant when a man ſhall directly and purpoſely ſpeak reprochfully of God, and by blaſpheming the name of the Lord, is meant when men do ſo profanely mention the name of God, either in curſing or otherwiſe, that what they ſay of God tends much to the reproch and diſhonour of God, though they do not directly ſpeak againſt God.
Verſ. 16. All the congregation ſhall certainly stone him.]
The people muſt all have their hands in the execution, 1. to prove their zeal in revenging the diſhonour done to God, and his Laws; 2. that themſelves might learn to fear thoſe ſinnes which with their own hands they had puniſhed in others.
Verſ. 17. And he that killeth any man ſhall ſurely be put to death.]
This Law is here inſerted upon the occaſion of the blaſphemers ſtriving with the Iſraelite, ver. 10. and to ſhow that God was tender, as of his own honour, ſo of the ſafety of his people.