232 Cf. ch. xxiv. 17; Lev. x. 6, xxi. 5, 10.
233 It is remarkable that neither here nor in Leviticus (ch. xxi. 1‐3) is the priest’s wife mentioned as one for whom he may defile himself at her death.
234 Cf. 2 Kings xii. 11, xxiii. 14, xxv. 18; Jer. xx. 1.
235 Hence it does not seem to me that any argument can be based on the fact that a high priest was at the head of the returning exiles either for or against the existence of the Priestly Code at that date.
236 Lev. iv. 3, 13: cf. Lev. xvi. 6.
237 Exod. xviii. 25 ff.
238 Hosea iv. 6.
239 Cf. Deut. i. 17: “judgment is God’s.”
240 See below, p. 493.
241 2 Kings xii. 4‐16.
242 They also receive the best of the _arîsoth_, a word of uncertain meaning, probably either dough or coarse meal. This offering is said to bring a blessing on the household.
243 Deut. xviii. 3.
244 Deut. xviii. 4.
245 The regulations of the Priests’ Code with regard to the revenues of the Temple clergy are most comprehensively given in Numb. xviii. 8‐32. The first thing that strikes us there is the distinction between the due of the priests and that of the Levites. The absence of any express provision for the latter is a somewhat remarkable feature in Ezekiel’s legislation, when we consider the care with which he has defined the status and duties of the order. It is evident, however, that no complete arrangements could be made for the Temple service without some law on this point such as is contained in the passage Num. xviii. and referred to in Neh. x. 37‐39; and this is closely connected with a disposition of the tithes and firstlings different from the directions of Deuteronomy, and probably also from the tacit assumption of Ezekiel. The book of Deuteronomy leaves no doubt that both the tithes of natural produce and the firstlings of the flock and herd were intended to furnish the material for sacrificial feasts at the sanctuary (cf. chs. xii. 6, 7, 11, 12, xiv. 22‐27). The priest received the usual portions of the firstlings (ch. xviii. 3), and also a share of the tithe; but the rest was eaten by the worshipper and his guests. In Numb. xviii., on the other hand, all the firstlings are the property of the priest (ver. 15), and the whole of the tithes is assigned to the Levites, who in turn are required to hand over a tenth of the tithe to the priests (vv. 24‐32). The portion of the priests consists of the following items: (1) The meal‐offering, sin‐offering, and guilt‐ offering (as in Ezekiel); (2) the best of oil, new wine, and corn (as in Deuteronomy) (ver. 12); (3) all the firstfruits (an advance on Ezekiel) (ver. 13); (4) every devoted thing (Ezekiel) (ver. 14); (5) all the firstlings (vv. 15‐18); (6) the breast and right thigh of all ordinary private sacrifices (ver. 18: cf. Lev. vii. 31‐34) (like Deuteronomy, but choicer portions); (7) the tenth of the Levites’ tithe. It will be seen from this enumeration that the Temple tariff of the Priestly law includes, with some slight modification, all the requirements of Deuteronomy and Ezekiel, besides the two important additions referred to above.
246 Psalm cxxxiii.
247 Chs. xlv. 7, 8, xlviii. 21, 22.
248 _I.e._, either the seventh year, as in Jer. xxxiv. 14, or the year of Jubilee, the fiftieth year (Lev. xxv. 10); more probably the former.
249 Amos viii. 5.
250 Ezek. xlv. 9, 10. In the translation of ver. 9 I have followed an emendation proposed by Cornill. The sense is not affected, but the grammatical construction seems to demand some alteration on the Massoretic text.
251 In Exod. xxx. 13, Lev. xxvii. 25, Numb. iii. 47 (Priests’ Code) the shekel of twenty geras is described as the “shekel of the sanctuary,” or “sacred shekel,” clearly implying that another shekel was in common use.