appears in both. There seems an attempt to imitate the language of the preceding passage.

It would seem that originally the history of the transactions at Sinai ended with Ex. xl. 31, 36-38; but there were still laws and narratives which required a distinct historical occasion, and so they were referred to the period when the nation was at that mountain, though the law of historical probability was violated in so doing. Some of the inconsistencies resulting from this treatment are obvious. Chap. xxv. 32-35, seems to demand, at least, the latter part of the Mosaic age as the period of its composition; for in Num. xxxv. it is said Moses first received the law allotting cities to the Levites when he had come to the banks of Jordan. This law, in Leviticus, which pretends to have been made at Sinai, presupposes the other and later enactment already made.

A part of this book, at least, may be more modern than the Elohistic fragment in Exodus. This appears from the different character of the exhortations in Ex. xxiii. 20-33, and Levit. xxvi. 3-45. In the first, the people are told to obey the national leader," to refrain from idols, and to do all that God commands. Here only natural duties are prescribed; there is nothing merely ritual, conventional, or arbitrary, in the admonition. But, in the latter, something ritual is demanded; the people are bid to keep the Sabbath, and reverence the sanctuary, as well as to refrain from idols, and obey the voice of God. The religious law, Ex. xx. 21, sqq., is free and liberal, while that of Levit. xvii. is more rigorIn Ex. xxiii. 16, it is said, "Thou shalt keep the feast of ingathering at the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labors from the field." But in Levit.

ous.

xxiii. 33, the month and day are pointed out, the length of the festival determined, the offerings for each day are fixed, and severe labor is forbidden. This may be explained as consistent with the course of events in the history of the national observance of religion.]

§ 153.

D. Numbers.

In this book, the earlier Elohistic and Jehovistic fragments again alternate with one another.

The document "Elohim" extends over i. 1-x. 10, and includes the laws and ordinances that were made up to the time when the nation departed from Sinai. These passages are shown to be Elohistic:

I. Sometimes by the style, and the recurrence of Elohistic forms of speech;" by its diffuseness and circumstantiality, as in chap. i. v. 11, sqq., and x. 1— 10; and by the formulas of conclusion, "This is the law."

II. Sometimes by an agreement with earlier Elohistic passages, or a reference to them."

For example, Sabaoth (77) is applied to the multitude of the people ; i. 3, ii. 3, 9, 10, 16, 18, 23, 25, 32. Bring to the door of the tabernacle of assembly, "" and ix (8707) 37; v. 15, vi. 10, vii. 3, 11. To bring a gift, ppm; vi. 14, vii. 12, ix. 7. A gift, p; vii. 17, 23, 29, & c., ix. 13. The form of threatening, that soul shall be cut off; ix. 13. To their generations, 773; ix. 10, x. 8. A perpetual statute ; x. 8. The stranger,

.14 .ix ;הגר ואזרח הארץ,and a native

; v. 29, sqq., vi. 21.

For example, chap. i. 1, refers to Ex. xvi. 1, and xix. 1, and has a chronological connection. Chap. i. connects with Ex. xxx. 11-16, though

DOCUMENT "ELOHIM."

Chap. x. 11-28. The departure from Sinai. This presupposes the statement of chap. ii. Here the cloud seems, for the first time, to guide the host, which is contrary to Ex. xiii. 21, 22.

DOCUMENT "JEHOVAH."

Chap. x. 29-36. It is plain this passage is Jehovistic from verse 33, for the fact of the ark preceding the main body three days' journey does not agree with 11--28.

there is a chronological contradiction between i. 1, where Moses is directed to take a census of the people, and Ex. xxxviii. 25, where it is already done; so the action precedes the command. Chap. ii. connects with chap. i.; iii. 14, relates to Levit. x.; [?] iii. 25, 26, 31, 32, 36, 37, and iv. 5, sqq., distributing the several offices of the priests, refer back to Ex. xxv. and following. There is, however, a slight contradiction between iv. 6—which supposes the staves taken out of the rings of the ark—and Ex. xxv. 15, which forbids their removal. Chap. v. 1-4, relating to the lepers, refers to Levit. xiii.—xv.; v. 5-10, relating to trespasses, connects with Levit. v. 16, 25, (vi. 6;) vi. 15, with Ex. xxix. 2, and Levit. viii. 2, (vi. 20, with Ex. xxix. 27, 28.) Chap. vii. 1, refers, in its chronology, to Ex. xl. ; vii. 2, to chap. i.; verses 4-9, to chap. iv.; viii. 1-4, to Ex. xxv. 31, 37, 40; viii. 5-19, to Ex. viii. ix. However, there is a contradiction between Num. viii. 23-26, and Num. iv. 3, 23, 30, 47: the former passage makes the Levites serve from the twenty-fifth to the fiftieth year of their age, the latter from the thirtieth to the fiftieth. Chap. ix. 15, 23, is like Ex. xl. 34-38. Chap. x. 1-10, presupposes the contents of chap. ii.

[Though verse 17 makes Gershom and Merari go before and carry the tabernacle, while Num. ii. 17, commands that it shall be in the midst of all the Levites.]

[This section also has some peculiarities of its own; e. g. an unusual form of conclusion, in which it is said that the command was executed; e. g. i. 54, ii. 34, iii. 42, 51, iv. 34, 49, vii. 6, viii. 20. It occurs, however, elsewhere; e. g. xvii. 11. Some passages seem foisted into this section from some other source, such as iii. 11-13, iv. 17-20. In vii. 89, there is a singular use of the pronoun, to speak with Him, (,) where there is nothing in the context to show the word refers to Jehovah. Indeed, the verse has no connection with what precedes or follows. But see Glass, ed. Dathe, vol. i. p. 158.

It is not always easy, or, perhaps, possible, to refer all the following passages to their true source. The distinctive marks either fail, or else are mingled with one another, and not easily separated. If here were a place for conjecture, I should suppose the compiler who gave the book its present form had the two documents before him, and it may be others, — and took from each, and sometimes blended the two, without taking care to preserve

DOCUMENT "ELOHIM."

Ex. xvi. and xviii. 13-27, are similar to this."

Chap. xii. 16-xiv. 45. Spies sent to the land of Canaan. Chap. xiii. 4-16. Here Joshua appears for the first time [in the Elohistic document, though mentioned xi. 28.]

DOCUMENT "JEHOVAH."

Chap. xi. The quails and the pestilence. Appointment of the seventy elders. Verse 10 ("Moses heard the people weep, every man in the door of his tent") agrees with Ex. xxxiii. 8. [Verses 24-29 disturb the connection, and seem out of place.]

Chap. xii. Punishment of Miriam. Signs of the Jehovistic document are, the descent of God, (verse 11,) "I will come down and talk with thee;" verse 25, "And Jehovah came down in a cloud and spake unto him;" and xii. 5. The tabernacle is out of the camp, xi. 26, xii. 4. Joshua

is the servant of Moses, xi. 28. Chap. xii. 16, makes the camp continue some time at Hazeroth before going to Paran, and in this differs from x. 12.

Chap. xiii. 22. Hebron occurs as in Gen. xiii. 18, though it does not agree with xxiii. 2. Chap. xiii. 27, flowing with milk and honey occurs. The Canaanites are mentioned, verse 29.

the distinctive phraseology of each. Many passages, in all parts of the book, have evidently been torn from their connection. In xxi. 14, 17, 21, the compiler seems to have invented occasions to account for the origin of certain snatches of popular songs. In xv. 1-31, most dissimilar matters are grouped together, which have not the faintest connection; e. g. a law about sacrifices, story of a man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath, a law relating to the fringes on garments.]

b [Still more the character assigned to God—namely, that of a passionate and irritable man - is Jehovistic. See xi. 1, 10, 16-20, 23, 33, xii. 4, 8, 9.]

с

-

[The safer arrangement seems to be xiii. 1—xiv. 10, as far as stone them

Chap. xvi. 1-xvii. 15. The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

with stones, with occasional alterations from the Elohistic; e. g. Hebron, the Canaanites, flowing with milk and honey. Then verse 10, and the glory of Jehovah, &c., to verse 25, will be Jehovistic, and 26-45 Elohistic; though still the character of God in 26-38 savors of the Jehovistic. The immediate destruction of the ten messengers who reported unfavorably appears, verse 36, 37.]