blessings of his Providence which were promised to their obedience. As a matter of historical fact it does not appear that the nation of Israel, as a nation, were at all distinguished by a corresponding internal sanctity and purity. Their religious character has probably always been substantially what it now is. But their representative function could still be discharged independent of their personal qualities. Hence it is that we meet with such an ordinance as the present. The purity of the Jewish camp pointed typically to the purity of the Christian church. V. 3. Both male and female shall ye put out. Heb. mizzâkâr ad nekebâh teshallehu, from male to female shall ye send out. The command here given took effect upon Miriam as related ch. 12:15.—¶ Without the camp shall ye put them. Heb. el mihootz, to without, that is, to a place without the precincts of the camp. -T That they defile not their camps. Heb. "And let them not defile (or, make unclean) their camps." That is, as we suppose, at whatever place they might encamp during their journeyings, they were always to be careful and observe the same exemplary purity by excluding the causes and occasions of pollution. Yet the fact is not to be overlooked that many distinguished expositors, both Jewish and Christian, give another reason for the use of the plural in this connection. They say that there were three camps: (1.) The out the camp: as the LORD spake unto Moses, so did the children of Israel. 5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 6 Speak unto the children of Israel; When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men f Lev. 6. 2. camp of the Shekinah, or of the Lord's divine presence, viz., the Sanctuary with its courts. (2.) The camp of Levi, who, with his sons, camped round about the sanctuary. (3.) The camp of Israel, which encompassed them all. A threefold division somewhat analogous was recognized in reference to the Temple and its precincts in aftertimes. Lepers were accounted so unclean, that they were not admitted into any of these three camps, but shut out of them all, Lev. 13:46. But he that had an issue, or seminal flux, Lev. 15:2, was only shut out of the first two, the camp of the Lord and the camp of the Levites; while he might remain in the camp of Israel. He that was "defiled by the dead," Lev. 21:1, was only excluded from the first, but not from the other two. -¶ In the midst whereof I dwell. That is, by the visible symbol of the divine presence. Chald. "My Shekinah dwelleth among you." As the divine presence consecrates whatever comes in contact with it, it behoves all uncleanness and iniquity to hide its head before him. Restitution to be made in the case of Trespasses. V. 6. When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit. Heb. "A man or a woman, when they shall do (any) of all the sins of man." That is, any of the sins which men, as frail and fallen beings, are prone to commit. Gr. "Of all human sins;" sins incident to humanity. Pool and others give the expression a little different shade of import, and understand by "sins of man" sins against men, sins whereby other men are wronged and injured. It is therefore an example of what is termed a genitive of the object, being classed with the following, "Blasphemy of the Spirit," i. e. blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Comp. Mat. 12: 31, and Mark 3:29. Luke 10:12. "Power of all flesh," John 17:2, i. e. power over all flesh. "Power of spirits," Mat. 10: 1, i. e. power over or against spirits, Luke 9:1. "Prayer of God," Luke 6: 12, i. e. prayer directed to God. "Spoil of the poor," Is. 3:14, i. e. spoil taken from the poor. "Violence of the children of Judah," Joel 3 : 19, i. e. violence against them, as it is also translated. | This construction is favored by vs. 7, 8; but it is not very material which is adopted. -¶ To do a trespass against the Lord. Heb. "To transgress a transgression;" that is, to commit (or, by committing) a transgression, as in Lev. 6:2, where see Note. Chald. "To falsify a falsehood," that is, to speak or deal falsely. On the force of the Heb. term see Note on Lev. 5:15. Gr. "Despising shall despise," as also in Lev. 6:2.- -¶ Against the Lord. See this phrase explained in the Note on Lev. 6:2. It implies that wrongs done to the neighbor are in fact sins against God. The Chaldee understands this of frauds and deceptions practised upon others by means of a false oath, which would seem to be countenanced by Lev. 6: 2, where the same command is given. their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense h his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part h Lev. 6.5-7. 7.7. The prevarication and falsehood supposed in such a case, the denial of having received a deposit in trust, would be an aggravated offence against the Lord, who requires universal equity and honesty. honesty. And that person be guilty. Heb. nephesh hahiv, and that soul. That is, according to Pool, shall be sensible of his guilt, or be convicted of his conscience. Otherwise it would amount simply to a tautology, for the being really guilty is implied in the previous expression, "when one shall commit any sin." Rosenmuller, however, interprets it, "And shall in this manner have contracted guilt." Compared with the following verse this appears to be the most probable construction. V. 7. Then they shall confess their sin, etc. Heb. hithvaddu, shall make themselves to confess, implying somewhat of self-compulsion. Although here made a condition in a particular case, yet confession is the invariable requisite to remission in all cases. "Whoso that confesseth and forsaketh (sins) shall have mercy," Prov. 28:13. It is evident that the design of the divine Lawgiver was to encourage confession in regard to such offences as could not be discovered by the testimony of witnesses. This was merciful and wise. It tended to relieve the mind of a sense of guilt, and to promote an ingenuous disposition. In order still farther to effect this object, it will be observed that the fine in case of theft is much less than it would have been had not the crime been acknowledged, but had been proved in a court of justice. ¶ Shall recompense his trespass Heb. hashib eth thereof, and give it unto him | pensed unto the LORD, even to against whom he hath tres- the priest; beside the ram of passed. the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him. 8 But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recom ashomo, shall restore his trespass (or, his guiltiness), meaning the thing for which he is guilty. On the whole subject of ashams, trespasses, and trespassofferings, see the introductory observations to Lev. 5, where the nature of these offences and the prescribed offerings is fully discussed. See also Note on Lev. 6:4. Maimonides says, "The asham (guiltiness) here spoken of is the thing taken by rapine or the price thereof.”—¶ With the principal thereof. Heb. berosho, in his head, i. e. with the sum total in all its items, every whit. See Note on ch. 1:2, on the peculiar use of "head" in the sense of sum.- -T And add unto it the fifth part thereof. See the Notes on Lev. 6: 4, 5. This penalty was enjoined both as a compensation to the injured party for being deprived of the use of his property for a longer or shorter time, and as a proper though mild punishment to the offender, with a view to prevent the recurrence of similar wrongs. It is enacted in Ex. 22:1, that "If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep." But in this instance the law evidently contemplates the case of a high-handed and wilful act of theft, where the perpetrator is convicted by legal process, and not by his own confession, of the crime; whereas, in the passage before us, the fraudulent act is regarded as of milder form, and is extenuated by the voluntary confession of the guilty party. V. 8. But if the man have no kins 9 And every offering of all The man. Heb. goël, redeemer. On the import of this term, see Note on Gen. 9: 5. It denotes the person who, according to oriental custom, assumes the office of redeemer, avenger, and general agent in behalf of one who is deceased. On this ground the Hebrews apply this law mainly to the stranger, supposing there would not be apt to be any one in Israel without kinsmen of some kind, either parent, brother, child, or other relative; "but this," says Jarchi and Maimonides, "is meant of the stranger that dieth and leaveth no heirs.' ¶ Let the trespass be recompensed unto the Lord, even unto the priest. Lord and the priest are here, as it were, identified, from the fact that the priest was the Lord's representative or deputy, acting on his behalf and in his name. The case contemplated is where the man to whom an injury had been done was dead, and he who had committed it was required to make satisfaction to his heir, if he had one, by restoring the principal and adding a fifth part to it. In case he had no heir and no kinsman to act the part of a Goël, the restoration was to be made to the Lord, in the person of his representative the priest, though Jewish writers say, with much plausibility, that it was afterwards equally distributed among all the priests who were then serving in their course. T Beside the ram of atonement. Comp. Lev. 6:6,7. The guilty party had offended both God and man by his trespass. By restitution he was to satisfy the latter, and by atonement the former. V. 9. Every offering. Heb. terumah, i shall be his. the holy things of the children | any man giveth the priest, it of Israel, which they bring unto the priest, shall be his. 10 And every man's hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever heave-offering, taken here in a large sense so as to include the wave-offering, both which, according to Ex. 29:26-28, fell to the portion of Aaron. Chald. "Separation, or separated thing." Gr. "And every first-fruit according to all the hallowed things.". -T Which they bring unto the priest. Heb. yakribu, bring near, cause to approach, i. e. by way of religious offering. As before remarked, it was offered to the Lord in the person of the priest. Comp. ch. 18. Gr. "Whatsoever they shall offer to the Lord, to the priest to him shall it be."-T Shall be his. That is, his who officiates as offerer at the time. Compare with this what is said about the provision for the priests, Ezek. 44: 28-30, "I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession. They shall eat the meat-offering, and the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering; and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. And the first of all the first-fruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest's ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house." These verses appear to have no specially intimate connection with the foregoing, but having spoken of a recompense to be made under certain circumstances to the priest, he takes occasion to deliver some other laws in which the priests were concerned. V. 10. Every man's hallowed things 11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If commit a trespass against him, any man's wife go aside, and shall be his. That is, every man's hallowed things are to be considered, in the first instance, as being his own, and subject to his own voluntary disposal; but when he has determined to make a present of any of them to the Lord, then they fall to the share of that priest into whose hand it is delivered, who is to consider it his. The former verse speaks of the holy things of the children of Israel in general, this of what any particular person bestowed upon a priest. | The Trial of Jealousy. V. 12. If any man's wife go aside. Heb. ish, ish, a man, a man, that is, as rightly rendered, the wife of any mana not unusual Hebrew idiom. Adultery was a crime expressly forbidden by the seventh commandment, and the punishment assigned by the law to both the adulterer and the adulteress was death by stoning, when the commission of the crime was discovered. But sometimes the crime might be suspected, and a spirit of jealousy, with or without just cause, might come over the mind of the husband. In such a case express provision was made, by this law, for determining the guilt or innocence of the wife; and although God might have declared her innocence or guilt at once, yet he chose that it should assume the form of a public trial, that the attention of the people might be the more called, both to the crime of adultery, as also to his own presence and active agency in the administration of the law he had hands. To meet such a case, a trial was instituted, by which the innocence or guilt of a suspected wife might be established beyond question. The trial of a case of only suspected guilt, and incapable of proof, could not be other than an ordeal; and no one who pays attention to this awful process can doubt that it must have had a powerful effect for the intended purpose, or believe that any really guilty woman could go through it and brave its results. It must have been an awful thing even to the innocent, who knew that the result would clear their character from suspicion; and this was perhaps intended in order that their conduct might not only be free from actual guilt, but that they might avoid all conduct calculated to give cause for suspicion. We read no instance in which the trial took place; and if the administration of the ordeal were really infrequent, we may regard that as an evidence of its practical utility. For it would seem that the trial and its result were so dreadful, that the guilty rather confessed their crime, as they were earnestly exhorted to do, than go through it. The innocent only would then drink the bitter given them. The connection of this | sions, and take the law into his own enactment with the preceding is not very obvious, but it may be that inasmuch as the preceding verses allude to various kinds of frauds, this may be introduced here as the most aggravated form of that iniquity which a man could have practised upon him. The law in itself is one of the most remarkable of all the Mosaic institutes. It goes on the assumption that as the Lord is the author of marriage, so he will show himself the revenger of the breach of it; and it would naturally carry with it, so far as the predicted results ensued, indubitable evidence of miraculous agency, and consequently afford full proof of the divinity of its origin; and if this particular law were divine, it could not well fail to make out the same character for the whole system. Here is a crime threatened with a punishment which could only fall upon it through a special divine interposition, and such a fact would establish a permanent supernatural administration of the affairs of the Jewish nation. It is one of the earliest specimens on record of what is termed the trial by ordeal. Ordeal (Lat. ordalium) is plausibly supposed to be derived from the Saxon ordal or ordel, compounded of or, great, and dæl, judg-water; and as it produced no marked ment, implying the greatest, most solemn, and decisive mode of judgment. It always implied an appeal to the immediate interposition of God, and was therefore resorted to only in momentous cases, where there was no sufficient evidence whereby accused parties could be convicted of guilt. Such were the cases of jealousy described in this chap | effect upon them, this may have led to the gradual disuse of the trial, under the impression that it had ceased to be operative. The Jews, however, say that this form of trial continued in use till towards the latter end of the second temple; for they were of opinion that the bitter water would have no effect if the husband himself were guilty of a similar crime; and they add that the adulteries of men became so common, that the ordeal ceased to distinguish the guilty woman from the innocent." Pict. Bible. Although there is good reason to believe, with Spencer, that the ordeal, as a purgation of crime, ex |