cre arl ceminyg ment between blood and blood », between plea and | - If «i
of controverſie q, within thy gates: then ſhalt thou a- —_— Wl
riſe, and get thee up into the place which the LORD regs
thy God (ball chuſer. ——— -m He ſpeaks to the inferiour Magiſtrates, who were ereCted in ſe- | 22.6
veral Cities,as appears by the oppoſition oftheſe to them at Jernſalem, * * 2 Ol
IF, faith he, thou hait nor skill or confidence to determine ſo
weighty and difficult a cauſe. » (5.e.) In capital cauſes in matter
of blocd-ſhed, whether it be willful os cafual murder, whether
puniſhable or pardonable by thaſe Laws, Exod.2r. 13,20; 22, 28. and
22.2, Numb, 35. 11, 16, 19. Dent. 19. 4, 10. 0 In civil catiſes or
ſuits between plaintiffs and defendants about words or eſtates þ (7.
e.) Either firſt in ceremonial cauſes, between plague and plague, between
the true leproſie, which is oft-rimes called the plague, an the ſeem-
ing and counterfeit leproſie; which was oft-times hard ro determine.
And under this as the moſt eminent of the kind, may ſeem to be
contained all ceremonial uncleatineſſes. But this ſeems not probable,
1. Becauſe the final determination of the matter of leproſie is ma-
nifeftly left to any —_ Prieſt, Levit. 13. and 14. 2. Becauſe
the perſon ſuſpe&ed of leprofie was not to be brought to Jeruſalem,
to be tryed there, but was to be ſhut up in his own Ciry and
houſe, Levit. r3. 4, 5. and the Judges at Jeruſalem neither could nor
would determine his caſe without once ſeeing the perſon. 3. Be-
cauſe the caſe of leproſie was not hard or ditficult, as thoſe cauſes
are ſaid to be, but plain and evident, and ſo particularly and pun&tu-
ally deſcribed, that the Prieſt needed only eyes to decide it. Or
rather 2. In criminal cauſes, concerning blows, or wounds infli&-
ed by one man upon another, and to be requited to him by the ſen«
tence of the Magiſtrate, according to that Law, Exod. 2r, 23, 24,25.
wherein there might be many cates of great difficulty and doubr,
about which ſee the Annotations there. q (5. e.) Such things or
maters of blood, and pleas and ſtrokes, being doubtful, and the
Magiſtrates divided in their opinions about it, for if it wasa clear
caſe, this was not to be done. Some make this an additional clauſe
ro comprehend theſe and all other things, thus as if he had ſaid, and
in general, any words or matters of ſirifes or contentions. r To wit,to
ſer up his Worlbip and Tabernacle, or Temple there; Becauſe
there was the abode, both of their Sanhedrim, or chief Council,
which was conſtituted of Prieſts and civil Magiſtrates, who were
moſt able to determine all controverſies, and of the High-Prieſts,
who wer2 to conſult Ged by Urim, Numb. 27. 21. in'great matters,
which could not be decided otherwiſe, 9 And thou ſhalt come unto the Prieſts the Levites s,
and unto the Judge #that (ball be in thoſe days,& enquire,
and they (ball ſhew. thee the ſentenceof Judgement #.
s (i, e.) Unto the great council, which it is here denominated from,becauſe it conſiſted chiefly of the Prieſts and Levites, as be- ing the beſt Expoſitors of the Laws of God, by whichall thoſe Controverlies mentioned v. 8. were to be decided. And the High- Prieſt was commonly one of that number, and may ſeem to be un- derſtood here under the Prizf#s whereof he was the chief. £ This Judge here, is either 1. The ſupream civil Magiſtrare, who was made by God the keeper of both Tables, and was by his Office to take care of the right adminiſtration both of Juſtice and of Reli- gion, who was to determine cauſes and ſuits by bis own skill and authority in civil matters, and by tke Prieſts dize&ion in ſpiri- tual or ſacred Cauſes. But this ſeems obnoxious to ſome dithcul- ties, becauſe this Judge was obliged to dwell in the place of God's Worſhip, which the civil Magiſtrate was not,and oft-times did nor.
2. This Judge was one whoſe Office it was to expound and teach a G 4 othery
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