, and did alſo oft aſſemble near the Tabernacle where God was emi.
nently preſent. Add to this, that the Hebrew word, Kahal, cene- rally ſignifies a Congregation or Company of men met together, and there- fore this cannot ſo conveniently be meant of all the body of the people, which coulJ never meet in one place, but of the chiefRy- lers, which frequently did ſo.” Nor is it ſtrange that Funuchs are excluded from government, partly becauſe ſuch perſons are com- monly obſerved to want that courage which is neceſſary for a Go- vernour, Exod: 18: 21. and partly becauſe as ſuch perſons ordi- nar1]y was deſpicable, ſo the Office and Authority in their hands was likely to be expoſed to the ſame contempt.
2 A baſtard c (ball not enter into the congregation of the LORD: even-to his tenth generation 4d ſhall he not
g Which is in that caſe to be preſumed ; charity obliging us to | enter into the congregation of the LORD.
c So the word is commonly rendred, and ſo it notes a perſon ' baſe-born, or born in Fornication or Adultery,or by inceſtuous or any prohibired mixtures of man and woman. Obj. 1. This Law ſeems harſh, and too ſevere for the innocent Baſtard. Anſ. 1. Tt was only an excluſion from Government, which was a tolerable burden. 2. Ir was a neceflary caution to prevent and brand the fin of un- cleanneſs, ro which the Jews wer: more than ordinarily prone. Obj. 2. Pharez and Jephthe were both Baſtards, yet advanced to orear Honour and Authority. 4». God gives laws to us,and not to him= ſelf; and therefoyre he might, when he ſaw fir, confer what favour or power he pleaſed upon any ſuch perſcn, as he did to theſe. Bur ſome add,thar the Hebre»' word mamzer ſignifies not every Baſtard but a Baſtard born of any ſtrange woman, as the word may ſeem to intimate ; and as ſuch perſons generally ſeem to have been,bec:uſe of thar ſpecia) proviſion,that there ſhould be no whore of the daughters of Iſrael, as it is here below, v. 17. d Or, his tenth generation, as it is in the Hebrew, and ſo in the following verſes. g
3 * An Ammcnite, or Moabite e ſha.l not enter into » Neb the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth ; +. 4g generation ſhall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever f. |
e This may be underſtooJ either 7. Of the Males only, or the children of ſuch fathers, as Interpreters commonly take it. Or ra- ther 2. Of Females alſo, or of all that were born either of ſuch Fa. thers or Mothers, as may be gathered from Ezra 10. and Nehem: x ++ where the Children of {ſtrange Wives were ſeparated from Iſrael _ leſs than the Children of ſtrange Fathers. And itis an allowed ma- xim, that the birth follows the belly. And whereas the Children of Rahab and Ruth are produced to the contrary, it may be ſaid as it was before, that theſe were extraordinary inftances,and that God when he pleaſed might exempr any particular perſon of them from this curfe, though the 17-azlizes might not do ſo. f So it ſeems to note the immutability and perpetuity of this Law, thac it ſhould be inviolably obſerved in all ſucceeding ages,and not difpenſed with for any merit in the perſons,or any pretence what 'vever. But wh then ſhould this clauſe be added only here, ſcing the foregoin Laws are as inviolable as this? Ir ſeems therefore to extend the 20 f ration of this excluſion of them from the Congregation of the Lord beyond what was faid art firſt, and to be added, by way of aggra- vation,, even #0 their tenth generation ſhall they not enter-====yea, even for ever ; 7, e. they ſhall never enter, as it is expreſſed, without any mention of the tenth generation, Neh 13: 1. that they ſhall not come into the congregation of God for ever, t
4 Becauſe they met you not with bread and with wa- ter in the way g when ye came forth our of Egypt, and « yum: * becauſe they hired againſt thee Balaam the ſon of Beor 22; 5, 6 of Pethor of Meſopetamia, to curſe thee. 5
g As the manner of thoſe times was to wait, and provide for ſtrangers and travellers, ſee Gen, 14: 18. and 18; 2, 3, and x 9. 1, 2.
make them Eunuchs. And theſe Eunuchs and Baſtards, v. 2. ſeem to be not only thoſe of other nations, as ſome underſtand it, with- out any foundation for ſuch reſtri&ions, bur alſo of the Iſraelites, the reaſon of this law being the fame in all, to wit, that God
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Juag: 19. 18, 19, 20, 21. which was the more neceſſary, becauſe in thoſe times and countries there were no ſuch publick houſes of en« - tertainment, as now there are among us. Their fault then was un- mercifulneſs to ſtrangers and pilgrims, and afflifted perſons, which was aggravated borh by their relation to the 1aelires, as being the children
Chap. RXIT |
Ch
jHebs 0)
ens IS co @ A od EIT OTST
Wwarg.
: ; |
a
j Heb. turneth wward.
FReb. fo.
te down.
Y
F chap. XXuL
Heb god
There is a manifeſt reaſon of rhe diff:rence, becauſe in their houſes they had private Chambers, where they could in fuch caſes k2ep themſelves from converſe w:th : thers, whereas in the Camp thet: conveniencies were ſo ſmall, and their occaſions of a&ion ſo many,
in the ſame Tent, »r part of tie C:mp, to avoid che touching of
waſh himſelf wich water : and when the ſun is down, he ſhall come into the camp again.
whither thou ſhalt go forth abroad 9.
and it ſhail be when thou F wilreaſe thy ſelf abroad, thou
follows. 5 Part!y to prevent the annoyance of our ſelves or others : .partly to preſerve and exerciſe Modeſty and natural Honeſty ; and
greater reverence of the Divinz Mzjeſty, and che greater caution to avoid: all real and moral uncleannels, eſpecially now when it was
7-1o6res to them, in not fighting againſt them, as they had juſt occation to do, and as they did by others, Derr. 2. Obj. Q«. How doth this agree wirh Der. 2. 28, 29. where the Moabites which awelt in 4r are ſaid to have fold them meat and drink ? Anſ. 1.It is one thing
voluntarily to meet them, and kindly to relieve them with bread and -