A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Leviticus · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI.
Verſ. 5. ANd your threſhing ſhall reach unto the vintage, &c.]
That is, you ſhall have ſuch plentifull harveſts, that before you can have threſhed out your corn, the vintage ſhall come; and ſuch rich vintages, that before they be ended, it ſhall be time to ſow your ſeed, &c.
Verſ. 6. Neither ſhall the ſword go through your land.]
That is, ye ſhall live in peace, and ſhall not be deſtroyed by the ſword of your enemies. But yet ſome Expoſitours hold that this phraſe is here uſed of the ſword going through the land, becauſe armies of ſouldiers are wont to deſtroy countreys, not onelyonly by fighting againſt them, but alſo by going through them.
Verſ. 10. And ye ſhall eat old ſtore and bring forth the old becauſe of the new.]
That is, you ſhall have ſuch ſtore of old corn, even when your new corn is gathered in, that you ſhall not need preſently to be ſpending the new, but may ſtill live upon the old ſtore; and yet withall your new harveſts ſhall be ſo plentifull, that of neceſſity you muſt empty your barns of old corn that you may have room to lay up the new.
Verſ. 16. I will even appoint …ver you terrour, conſumption, and the burning ague, &c.]
Theſe words, I will appoint over you, imply the unreſiſtableneſſe of the judgement, becauſe thoſe diſeaſes ſhould come with power and authority from God upon them, and ſo ſhould conſume their eyes, &c. as indeed ſuch diſeaſes being in extremity do oft weaken and darken the ſight.
Verſ. 19. And I will break the pride of your power.]
That is, I will break your exceeding great ſtrength wherein you are wont to pride your ſelves.
Verſ. 20. And your ſtrength ſhall be spent in vain, &c.]
That is, though you ſpend your ſtrength with exceſſive toyling and moyling in plowing and manuring your ground, all will be to no purpoſe, for ſtill your land ſhall not yield her increaſe.
Verſ. 26. And when I have broken the ſtaff of your bread, ten women ſhall bake your bread in one oven.]
This is mentioned as a ſigne or effect of the great ſcarcity of bread that ſhould be in the land, that one oven ſhould contain the bread of many families. Bread is here called the ſtaff of bread, becauſe it ſtrengtheneth mans heart, Pſal. 104. 15. becauſe it is the chief prop and ſupport of mans life: So that by breaking the ſtaff of bread is meant the depriving them of this ſtay of their life by bringing famine and penury upon them, as it is evident in other places, Moreover he called for a famine upon the land, he brake the whole ſtaff of bread, Pſal. 105. 16. and Ezek. 4. 16. Sonne of man, behold I will break the ſtaff of bread in Jeruſalem that they may want bread and water▪ and of this judgement this is mentioned as a notable effect, that ten women, that is, many families, ſhould bake their bread in one oven; for ten in the Scripture doth often ſignifie many, as is formerly ſhown upon Gen. 31. 7.
And they ſhall deliver your bread again by weight.]
This is reckoned as another great ſigne of ſcarcity and want, that t…e baker ſhould deliver them their bread by weight. So it is ſaid, Ezek. 4. 16. I will break the ſtaff of bread in Jeruſalem, and they ſhall eat bread by weight and with care, and they ſhall drink water by meaſure; and therefore of him, whom S. John ſaw riding upon a black horſe, which was famine, Rev. 5. 6. it is ſaid that he had a pair of ballances in his hand, to wit, to meaſure out bread to men, becauſe it ſhould be ſo ſcarce.
And ye ſhall eat and not be ſatisfied.]
To wit, either becauſe of the ſmall quantity, or for want of Gods bleſſing upon the little which they have: for ſo ſome expound the ſtaff of bread, the ſtrength which by the command of God it hath to nouriſh our bodyes.
Verſ. 30. And cast your carcaſes upon the carcaſes of your idols.]
That is, upon your idols now mangled and broken to pieces; for their broken images are here called the carcaſes of their idols, not becauſe they had life before they were broken to pieces, but by way of deriſion, to let them ſee, firſt, what goodly gods they had worſhipped▪ that ſhould in that day lie tumbled in a heap together with their dead carcaſes; and ſecondly, to intimate that theſe their idols were as abominable to God as dead ſtinking carcaſes are unto men.
Verſ. 31. And I will make your citie waste, and bring your Sanctuaries unt… d…ſolation.]
The tabernacle is called a Sanctuary, Exod. 25. 8. and ſo is the temple alſo 1. Chron▪ 22. 19. and each of them, for the ſeverall diſtinct places in them▪ the outward court, the holy and moſt holy place, was called plurally Sanctua…ies, Jer. 51. 51. For ſtrangers are come into the Sanctuaries of the Lords houſe. And beſides the Synagogues may be in this word Sanctuaries comprehended alſ….
Verſ. 34. Then ſhall the land enjoy her Sabbaths, &c.]
As reſting from …llage, from which ſhe ſhould have reſted on the Sabbaths, but could not be permitted becauſe of their covetouſneſſe; as alſo from bearing ſuch wicked wretches, under the burthen of whom whilſt the earth lay groning, it could not enjoy her Sabbaths as ſhe ought: for where there is not a reſting from ſinne the Sabbaths are not truly kept.