Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 4 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Verſ. 2. PƲt out of the Camp] To ſhew, that ſin unrepented of, throws us out of the communion of Faith, and Saints; ſhuts us out of the congregation of God, in earth and heaven. No fellowſhip, place, or reward with them. See Rev. 21.27. with the note there.
Verſ. 3. Without the Camp ſhall ye put them] Evill doers are to be ſuſpended, excommunicated, 1 Cor. 5.13. which text ſheweth plainly, the truth of this ceremony.
Verſ. 6. Any ſin that men do commit] For what man is he, that liveth and ſinneth not? foreign.I am a man, a ſinner, ſaith Peter, Luk. 5.8. not more a man, then a ſinner. Our lives are fuller of ſin, then the firmament of ſtars, or the furnace of ſparks: we can as little ceaſe to ſin, as the hart to pant, pulſe to beate, &c. The devill when he ſpeaks lies, ſpeaks of his own, Ioh. 8.44. ſo when we do evill, we work of our own, we walk as men, 1 Cor. 3.3. Sins are here called humane fins, as the Greek hath it.
Verſ. 7. Then they ſhall confeſs their ſin] So they were bound to do, all their ſins, Prov. 28.13. Job 33.27, 28. Confeſſio peccati eſt medicina peccati, ſaith Nazanzen. A ſin acknowledged is halfeamended. … And he ſhall recompence his treſpaſs] Reſtitution muſt be made of goods unjuſtly detained; or elſe you ſhall cough in hell, ſaid Mr. Latimer. Our King Henry the ſeventh, in his laſt will and teſtament, after the diſpoſition of his ſoul and body; Speeds hiſt. ſol. 995.he Deviſed, and willed reſtitution ſhould be made, of all ſuch moneys, as had unjuſtly been levyed by his officers. So did Selymus the great Turk, give order at his death, Turk. hiſt. 767.for the reſtoring and recompencing of the great treaſure he had taken from the Perſian merchants.
Verſ. 8. Ʋnto the Lord, even to the Prieſt] The Prieſt is the Lords receiver. So Heb. 7.6, 7, 8, 9. Tithes are due to the Miniſters of Chriſt that lives, becauſe due to him; Sac…rdos eſt vica…us et quaſi haeres D….and they are in his ſtead, 2 Cor. 5.20.
Verſ. 9. And every offering] So liberally doth the Lord provide for his Prieſts. See the Note on Levit. 27.30. And is not the right of lively-hood, as equall and due to the Miniſters of the Goſpell, whoſe Miniſtery is far more glorious? 2 Cor. 3.8, 9. even greater then that of Iohn Baptiſt, Mat. 11.11.
Verſ. 12. If a mans wife goe aſide] Adalterum, vel ad alterius torum, vnde dicitur adulterium. If as a wanton, ſhe want one, when ſhe hath her own. But what wittals are the Lituanians, who give way to their wives, to have their ſtallions, (if Maginus belye them not,) and call ſuch connubii adjutores; prizing them, far above all their acquaintances.
Verſ. 13. And it be hid from the eyes] As Prov. 30.20. Such a privy whore was Livia, the wife of Auguſtus Caeſar; who, (though otherwiſe very obſervant of her husband,) yet lived in adultery with Eudemus her Phyſitian: qui ſpecie artis frequens ſecretis, ſaith Tacitus; who, under a ſhew of curing her, Pliny.corrupted her. So do the Ieſuites many dames at this day; being, as one ſaith of them, Conn…biſanctifugae, clammeretricitegae The Friers are ſaid to ſend men, whoſe wives are barren, in pilgrimage; to Saint Ioyce, the patroneſs of fruitfulneſs, and meane while, to lye with their wives.
Verſ. 14. And the ſpirit of jealouſy come upon him] In the bathes at upper-Baden, in Helvetia, cernunt viri vxores tractari, cernunt cum alienis loqui, et quidem ſolam cum ſolo, ſaith Munſter, and yet are not jealous. But the Italians are ſo jealous, that how many husbands, ſo many jaylours. And the Turks as far exceed the Italians herein, Blunts voyage into Levant.as the Italians do us. Therefore their women go muffled, all but the eyes: nor are they ſuffered to go to Church, or ſo much as look out at their own windows. In Barbary, 'tis death for any …an to ſee one of the Xeriffes concubines: and for them too, if when they ſee a man, though but through a caſement, they do not ſuddenly ſcreek out.
Verſ. 15. Barly-meal] Barly, not wheat. She hath done the act of a beaſt, and her oblation is the meat of a beaſt, as Sal. Jarchi here noteth.
Verſ. 16. Set her before the Lord] Whoſe the judgment was; that, if guilty, ſhe might be ſcared, from ſubmitting her ſelf to this triall; ſith God knows all our thefts.
Verſ. 17. Holy-water] i.e. Water taken out of the holy laver: Annal. ad annum. 44.no warrant for popiſh luſtrall water, and ſprinkling of Sepulchres: for the ground whereof, Cardinall Baronius fairly referrs us to Iuvenals ſixth Satyre.
Verſ. 18. Vncover the Womans head] Becauſe ſhe ſtood, now, upon her juſtification, and thereupon laid aſide, for preſent, this ſign of ſubjection to the man, 1 Cor. 11.7. … [The offering of memoriall] Brought by her husband, verſ. 15. who was now ſick, of one of thoſe three diſeaſes, that they ſay are hardly cured; jealouſy, frenzy, and hereſie.
Verſ. 21. Thy thigh to rot, and belly to ſwell] God takes notice of the offending member; as he did in thoſe blaſphemers, who gnawed their tongues, Rev…l. 9. Abſoloms hair, Jeroboams hand, the adulterers loyns, Prov. 5.11. Zimri and Cozli, thruſt through the belly, Num. 25.8. Charles the 2. King of Navarr: Ioane Queen of Naples, &c. Suffered as they ſinned.
Verſ. 22. Amen, Amen] Twice; to ſhew the fervency of her zeal, the innocency of her cauſe, the uprightneſs of her conſcience, and the p…rity of her heart.
Verſ. 23. Shall write theſe curſes in a book] To ſhew, that the word written, ſhould cauſe the water thus to work, according to the cleanneſs, or uncleanneſs of the party. See 2 Cor. 2.16. with the note there.