17 And thou ſhalt # ſet inir ſettings of ſtones, even , 11,1, ;, | 4 71 it filling; of ſtone.
© Ttis needleſs ro trouble the Reader with the explication of theſe tOr,7uvie, |
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Chap. XX VIIT. LORD: and Aaron ſhall bear the judgment . of the children of Iſrael q upon his hearr, before the LORD
continually r, |
> The words confeſſedly ſignify {7z/:t, or illuminotions and perfe- Hions, which may be underſtood either of two differing things,the onc noting the knowledge, the other the perfe&ion,to wit, of ver- rues and graces, Which were required inthe High-Prieſt,and which were in Chriſt in an eminent degree,and from him alone communi- cated ro his people ; or of one and the ſame thing, noting perfe& light or illumination,by a figure called Hendyadis,oftt uſed in Scri- pcure, as Det: 16: 18: Mat: 4: 16: compare with Job 10: 20: Joh: 3:5: 44s 17: 25: compare with Gen: 2: 79. Which may ſeem probable, 1. becauſe the great uſe of this Inſtrument was to give light and di- retion in dubious and difficult caſes, and nor to confer any other perfetion upon any perſon. 2.Becauſe ſometimes both theſe words and things arc expretled only by one of them, and that 1s by Urim, Mmb: 29: 21: 1 Sam: 28: 6: which ſignifies lights. And the name lems to be given from the effe&t, becauie hence the 1/raelires had clear lighr, and perfe& or certain direttion in dark and doubtful matters. But the great queſtion is, What this Urim and Thummim was, and in what manner God anſwered by it. Which God having o11 purpoſe concealed from us,and not ſet down the matter or form of it,as he hath done of all the other particulars,it may ſeem curio- ſity and preſumption, for men ſolicitouſly ro enquire,and poſitively to determine. Many conceive it was nothing elſe, but the twelve precious Stones, whereih the narhes of the 12 Tribes wereengraven, & that the anſwer of God was compoſed out of thoſe letters, which either ſhew more brightly,or thruſt themſelves further outward than the reſt did. Which ſeems a frivolous and ungrounded conjeQture, both becauſe all the letters-of the Alphabet were not there, and fo all anſwers covlid not be given by them ;and becauſe it was thutup within the duplicature ot the Breaſt-plate, and therefore could not be ſeen by the High-prieſt, and there is not a word to ſignity that he was to take it out thence, and look upon it,but rather the con- trary is evident». And that this Urim and Thummim are not the Gme thing with thoſe 12 ſtones, may be eaſily proved. r. Becauſe the ſtones were ſet and ingraven in the Breaſt-plate, wer: 17:21: this was only put into it, which is a word of quite different and more looſe and large ſignification,and therefore probably doth not deſign” the ſame thing. 2. It is not likely, that in ſuch a brief account of the ſacred Utenſils, the ſame Command would be repeated again, eſpecially in' more dark and general words than it was mentioned | before. And how could Moſes now put it in, when the Workmen | had faſtned it there before ? Or why ſhould he be required to put | it in the Breaſt-plate, when it was faſtened to it already,and could not without violence be taken from it ? 3. Becauſe the ſtones were put in by the Workmen, Exod: 39: 10: the Urim and Thummim by Moſes himſelf, Lev: 8: 8» Ir is objetted; that where the ſtones are mentioned, there is no mention of Urim and Thummim, as Exod: 39: and that where the Urim and Thummim are mentioned, there 15 no mention of the ſtones,as Lev: 8: 8: whichſhews they were one and the ſame thing. But that is not neceſſary, and there 1s an evi- dent reaſon of both thoſe omiſſions ; of the former, Exod:39: becauſe he mentions only thoſe things which were made by the Workmen, whereas the Urim and Thummim ſeems to have been made imme- diatly by God, or by Moſes with God's direCtion:Of thelatter, Lev 8: becauſe the ſtones are implied in the Breaſt-plate as a part of it,and being faſtened to it, whereas there he only mentions what was put in by Moſes himſelf. There are other conje&ures, as that it was the name Jehovah, or ſome viſible repreſentations, ec. But ſuch con- jeQtures are as eaſily denied as afhrmed. Ir is therefore more modeſt and reaſonable to be ſilent where God is ſilent, than to indulge our ſelves in boundleſs and groundleſs fancies. It may ſuffice us roknow that this was a _—_— piece of Divine Workmanſhip, which the High-prieſt was obliged to wear upon ſolemn occaſions, as one of the Conditions upon which God engaged to give him anſwers. Which anſwers God might give to him either by inward ſuggeſtion to his mind,or by a vocal expreſſion to his ear. But which of thoſe ways, or whether by any other way, it is needleſs now to ſearch, | and impoſſible certainly to diſcover. q A ſhort Speech. As the | teſtimony is oft put for the ark of the teſtimony, ſo is the judgment here for the breaſt-plate of judgment, 7: e: that Breaſt-plate which declared the judgment, or oracle, or mind of God to the Iſraelites in thoſe caſes which they brought to the Lord. r(7.e. ) Ar all times when he ſhall appear before the Lord in the holy place.
31 And thouſhalt make the robe of the ephod s all
of blue.
s Not the Ephod it ſelf, for that was preſcribed before,ver:6:but a long and looſe Robe called the robe of the Ephod,becauſe it was worn next under it, and was girded about the High-prieſt's Body with ' the curious girdle of the Ephod. : RT
32 And there ſhall be an hole in the top of it in the midſt thereof ; it ſhall havea binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent. :
33. And beneath upon the F hem of it thou ſhalt make
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round about the hem thereof, and bells « of gold be-
tween them round abour.