Exposition of the Laws of Moses, Exegesis 1 · Part 27
EXERCITAT. XXVII. That the Jewes might not ſeethe a Kid in the mothers milke, to teach them not to be cruell. A ceremoniall appendix of Command. 6.
Exod. 23.19. Thou ſhalt not ſeeth a Kid in the mothers milke.
A Philoſopher in Egypt asked a Iew upon a time, why the Iewes abſtained from Swines fleſh, and would eate none of that which was holden to be moſt wholſome? the Iew anſwered him by another queſtion; What was the reaſon why the Egyptians had ſo many Hieroglyphickes, and the Pythagoreans, their enigmaticall ſpeeches? were not thoſe Symbolicall, and taught them ſome other thing? as ignem gladio ne fodias, Pythagoras meaning was, that they ſhould not provoke an angry man; ſo the precepts of Moſes commanding them to abſtaine from ſuch and ſuch beaſts as uncleane, were Symbolicall, and implied ſome other thing.
This Commandement forbiddeth not mixtures in Religion,How this precept is an appendix of the ſixt Commandement. as an appendix of the ſecond Commandement, but as an appendix of the ſixt Commandement, to abſtaine from cruelty, as not to take the damme ſitting upon the young ones, and not to muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne.
Yee ſhall not ſeeth a kid in the mothes milke;The divers interpretation of this precept. this is not the meaning of the command, content your ſelves to eate the kid,The true meaning of this precept. but take head that yee eate not the damme alſo; neither is this the meaning of it, ye ſhall not eate fleſh with milke, as the Chaldee Paraphraſt Paraphraſeth it; neither is this the meaning of it, take heed that ye ſeeth not the kid in the mothers milke, as the ſuperſtitious Iewes expound it at this day; they will not ſeeth fleſh, and milke in one pot, neither will they cut both fleſh and cheeſe with one knife; and amongſt the precepts which they have written of things lawfull to be eaten, they forbid the eating of fleſh, and milke together; but the meaning of the place ſeemeth to be this; ye ſhall not eate of a kid or of a Lambe, (for ſo the Seventy tranſlate it) ſo long as it ſucketh the damme, for all this time it is as it were but milke; they might ſacrifice it when it was but eight dayes old, but not to eate of it ſo long as it was ſucking. 1 Sam 7.9. Samuel tooke a ſucking Lambe and offered.
The Lord forbiddeth alſo, Exod. 22.31. To eate that which was torne by beaſts; the former Commandement that they ſhould not ſeeth a kid in the mothers milke was a ceremoniall law belonging to the ſixt Commandement,Not to eate that which was torne, is a ceremoniall appendix both of the ſixt and eight Commandement. but this Commandement that they ſhould not eat of that which was torne by beaſts was an appendix both of the eight, and ſixt Commandement, whereby he taught them, both to abſtaine from blood, and from theft.
Queſt. Whether ſhould thoſe words, Levit. 15.17. Be read copulativè? the ſoule which eateth that which dyeth of it ſelfe, and is torne by beaſts; or diſiunctivè? that which dyeth of it ſelfe, or is torne of beaſts.
Anſw. Some of the Iewes read the words copulativè, thus, if it dye of it ſelfe, and be torne of beaſts, they might not eate of it; but the true reading is diſiunctive? if it dye of it ſelfe, or bee torne, (as Iunius readeth it) for the law ſaith expreſſely, that that which is torne is uncleane, although it dye not firſt; and then be torne; and ſome of the Iewes make that more uncleane which is torne, then that which dyeth of it ſelfe; one demanded the queſtion of R, Ioſeph Gerſaeus, Whether the beaſt that dyed of it ſelfe, or that which was torne, was the more uncleane.why hee writ the Law rather upon the skinne of a beaſt that dyed of it ſelfe, than upon the skinne of a beaſt that was torne? he anſwered them by this compariſon, I tell you whereunto I liken the beaſt that dyeth of it ſelfe, and that which is torne; to two malefactors who are adjudged to dye, the one malefactor the judge himſelfe killeth, and the other the hangman killeth; ſo they hold, that that which dyed of it ſelfe was not ſo uncleane, as that which was torne by wild beaſts.
Concluſion. The concluſion of this is, here we may ſee the infancy of the Iewiſh Church, when the Lord forbiddeth them to taſte, touch, or handle, and reſtraineth their baſer ſenſes, taſting, touching, and handling, Coloſſ. 2.21. Even as parents forbid their little children to touch this, or handle that, whereas they forbid them when they come to underſtanding, to looke upon evill,God dealeth with the Iewes as fathers doe with little children. or to heare evill. So under the Goſpell, the prohibition is given chiefely to the nobler ſenſes, hearing and ſeeing, and not ſo much to the baſe ſenſes, touching, and taſting.