yet he, above all others; muſt take heed ſo to do ie that he do nor prefane himſelf by doing as follows. Or, for a chief man, &c. the prepoſition Lemed being eaſily underſtood from the former Verſe, where it is oft uſed, ſuch ſupplements. being nor unuſual in the Hebrew tongue. So the ſence is, He ſba/l net defile himſelf for any other perſon whatſoever who is not thus near of kin to hira, no not for a prince or chief ruler among his people, who might ſeem to challenge this duty from him, to joyn with all others in their reſentment of the pubyck loſs, much leſs ſhall he defile himſelf for any other. And © the laſt word, to profane himſelf, may be added as a reaſon why he ſhould not defile himſelf for the prince or any other, except the - perſons named, becauſeſuch defilement for the dead did profane him, or make him as a common perſon and unclean, and conſequently unfit to manage his ſacred Employment, which was an impediment to the Service of God, and a publick inconvenience to the people: whoſe concerns with God he negotiated. . And it was not meet ſuch great and important affairs ſhould give place to the ceremonies of a funeral for a ſtranger. :
5 * They ſhall not make baldneſs upon their head þ, * Chap: neither ſhall they ſhave off the corner of their beard, nor "ro
make any cutting in their fleſh, | jo
h To wit, in Funerals, as the Heathens did: 9. & Though I allow them to defile themſelves for ſome of the Dead, yetin no caſe ſhall they uſe theſe Superſtitious and Heatheniſh -rites, which alſo the people are forbidden to do, Levit: 19: 27: Dent: 14: 1. but the Prieſts in a more peculiar manner, becauſe they are by word and example to teach the people their Duty not to ſorrow fer the Dead as perſons without hope.
6 They ſhall be holy unto their God 3, and not pro- fane the Name of their God & : for the offering of the LORD made by fire, andthe bread of their God / they ,
do offer : therefore they ſhall be Þ holy. - Heb.
; Devoted to God's ſervice, and always prepared and fit for it, and holineſs. therefore ſhall keep themſelves, as far as they can, from all defile- ment, which makes them unmeet for their Maſters uſe. k Which they eſpecially bear : they ſhall not diſparage the ſervice of God by making it give place to ſuck ſleight occaſions. 1 ( 7. e. ) the ſhew- bread : or rather, all the other offerings, beſides burnt-offerings :
' which are called bread, either becauſe bread is commonly put for
all food, as below, Yerſe 17, 21: or, becauſe God is ſatisfied and refreſhed with theſe offerings, asa man is with his bread : or rather,
| becauſe they, or part of them, are the bread or food of the Prieſts,
and are here called the bread of their God, either objeftively beeauſe they were offered to God, or efficiently , becauſe they were given by God to the Priefts- And theſe are called bread in oppoſitien to the burnt-offerings, which being wholly conſumed gave no food to the Prieſts, Or, the offerings made by fire are here put Synecdochica)ly for all the reſt, the moſt eminent kind for all, which are here called bread, becauſe devoured by fire to the honour of God. For the pax- ticle and is not in the Hebrew, and may be omitted. |
7 *. They ſhall not take a wife ha: is a whore, or profane m, neither ſhall they take a woman put away
from her husband# : for he is holy unto his God.
m Or, aefilzd, or defloured, though it were done ſecretly, or by accident, orby force : becauſe the Prieſt muſt take care that all the members of his family be free not only from groſs wickedneſs, bur from all ſuſpicions of evil, and occaſions of reproach or contempr, becauſe this would refle& upon himſelf, and upon his God, and re- ligion alſo, The word may note one defloured by any perſon, though it were by her husband ; or a widow, becauſenot only the High-Prieſt | was obliged to marry a virgin, ver: 13: but alſo the inferiour Prieſts, as appears from Ezek; 44: 22: and that iseither ſignified by this word, or by none other here. It is true, & widow, and a profane perſon are diftinguiſhed, werſe 14. but the ſame word may be, and ott is taken in-differing ſences, both more largely and more ftriQtly, inthe ſame Chapter. And there wasſome reaſon why it ſhould-be more expreſly and diſtinly ſer down there, # widow, or one profane or defloured, otherwiſe, becauſe there was the more need of caution in the High- Prieſt, and therefore the widow is particularly mentioned, which in the former caſe might be ſufficiently comprehended under a general title. » Tho' not for adultery, but for light cauſesand by the husbands faulr, becauſe tho' the woman might be wholly innocent and free, yet it would leave ſome blemiſh upon her.
8 Thou ſhalt ſanctifie him s therefore, for he offereth the bread of thy God ; he ſhall be holy unto thee : p for
I the LORD which ſandtifie you am holy 9.
o Thou, O Moſes, and whoſoever ſhall ſucceed in thy place, to whom it belongs to ſee thoſe and other of my laws obſerved, ſhajl take care that the Prieſt be holy, and do not defile himſelf by any ef theſe forbidden marriages, though he would de it. p Either, r, in thy eſteem, and therefore ſhall not give thee cauſe to think mean]! and irreverently of him by his defiling or debaſing of himſelf wich irregular mixtures: or, 2. te thy uſe or ſervice, in whoſe name he is to a&t with God, and therefore ſhall preſerve himſelf in a ſtate of holineſs and acceptation with God. 9 And therefore my Miniſters muſt be ſuch alſo.
9 And the daughter rof any prieft, if ſhe profane her ſelf by playing the whore, ſhe profaneth her father s ; ſhe ſhall be burnt with fire 7.
r Andby analogy his ſon alſo, and his wife, becauſe the reaſon of And nothing is more common than ro name one kind for-the reſt of the ſame nature, as alſo is done Lev: 18, 4 (5: e: ) Expeſeth his yerſon and office, and conſequent! religion, one of whoſe prime Miniſters he is, to contempt. * Whic was the ſevereſt of all the kinds of puniſhments among the Jews. Whereby God would ſhew, both the greatneſs of their fins who and in nearer relation to God than others, and how far God is from allowing ſin in thoſe who are neareſt to him.
x0 And be that is the high prieſt among his brethren, * Exod:
l :26; * that is conſecrated to put on the garments x, ſhall * foes
7 Ezek: 44: 237
— though he might defile kimſclffor the perſons now named,
not uncover his hgad 7, nor rent his clothes z, 16; 323 | * Leu,
Chap. XXI. "
FOr,foo,
age *. ks