The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 324

tation of insult; How, then, can a son sin gained thy brother. But if be will not hear gravely when be curses his father without thee, then take with thee one or two more, the latter's knowing it, or mocks at him that in the mouth of two or three witnesses behind his back, inasmuch as in that oaee every word may be established. And if he there is neither insult nor irreverence? And shall negleot to hear them, tell it unto the I think that the same is to be said, even Church; but if he negleot to hear the Church, though he does this before others. H let him be unto thee as a.n heathen man and must be altogether understood thnt he does a publicnn" (lllatt. xviii. 15-17). '.I.'here- not sin gravely if he curses hi~ parents, fore St. Paul wa.rus his delegates, Timothy whether they are alive or dea<l, unless tho and Titus, " Them that sin rebuke before curses are uttered with malevolent mean- all " ( I Tim. v. 20). "Reprove, rebuke" ing." This is the decision of one that is (2 Tim. iv. 2). "Rebuke them sharply" ealled not only a saint, but a "doctor of the (Titus i. 13). "Rebuke with all authority" Church" (Liguori. 'Theo[. Moral.,' iv. 83-1). (Titus ii. 15), By withholding reproof in a. " Whoso curselh his father or his mother, his bitter spirit, or from a feeling of cowardice, lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness," we me.y become partakers of other men's says the Word of God (Prov, xx. 20). Nor sins. Whoever fails to rebuke his neighbour pnt a stumblingblock before the blind, bnt when he ought to do so, bears sin on his 6halt fea.r thy God. Dy the last clause the account (the more correct e.nd less ambiguous eye is directed to God, who cen see and rendering of the words translated in the punish, however little the blind man is able Authorized Version, suffer sin upon him, to help l,imself. (Cf. Job x.xix.. 15, "I was cf. Numb. xviii. 22, 82). God's people are eyes to the blind,and feet was I to the lame.") their brothers' keepers (Gen. iv~9). Ver. 15.-J ustice is to be done to all. The Ver. 18.-Revenge and me.lice are for- less danger of respecting the person of the bidden as well e.s hatred, and the negative poor has to be guarded against, as well as the precepts culminate in the positive law, Thou greater and more obvious peril of honour- &halt love thy neighbour as thyself, which ing the person of the mighty. The sea.lea sums up in itself one half of the Decalogue of Justice must be held even and her eyes (Matt. xxii. 40). "For he that loveth another bandaged, that she me.y not prefer one appel- he.th fulfilled the Le.w. For this, Thou shalt lant to another on any ground except that not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, of merit and demerit. "If ye have respect Thou she.it not steal, Thou shalt not bear to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if of the le.was transgressors" (Jas. ii. 9). there be any other commandment, it is Ver. 16.-Thou shalt not go up and down briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, as a talebearer among thy people, For the Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. evil done by mere idle talebearing, see Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: there- Bishop Butler's sermon, 'Upon the Govern- fore love is the fulfilling of the Le.w" (Rom, ment of the Tongue,' and four sermons by xiii. 8-10). Bishop Jeremy Taylor, on 'The Good and Ver. 19.-Ye shall keep my statutes. Evil Tongue; Slander and Flattery; the Having arrived at the general conclusion, Duties of the Tongue.' Neither shalt "Thou shalt love thy neighbour e.s thyself,"in thou stalld against the blood -,f thy the previous verse, the legislator pauses, and neighbour ; that is, thou shalt 10t en- then presents a collection of further le.we, danger his life, which is the result llf the arranged e.s before in no speoial or<ler. The worst kind of ta.lebearing, namely, bearing first is a mystical injunction against the false witness age.inst him. '.I.'h us the effect confusion of things which are beet kept of the false witness of the two men of Bclial a.part, illustrated in three subjects-diverse against Naboth we.s that "they carried him kinds of cattle in breeding, mingled seeds forth out of the city, e.nd stoned him with in sowing a field, e.nd mixed materials stones, that he died" (1 Kings XIi 13; cf. in garments. In Deut. xxii. 10, a further Matt. uvi 60; uvii 4). illustration is added, "Thou ehalt not plow Ver.17.-On the one side wee.re not to hate with an ox and e.n ass together." The exist- our brother in our hea.rt, wha.tever wrongs he ence of mules, which we find frequently men- me.y colII.IUt; but on the other side, we aro in tioned in the later history (2 Se.m. xiii. 29; e.ny wise to rebuke our neig'nbour for bis wrong xviii. 9 ; 1 Kings i. 88), may be accounted for doing. So our Lord teaches, "If thy brother by supposing that the positive precept with trespa.es age.inst thee, rebuke him" (Luke regard to breeding cattle here laid down was xvii. 3); e.nd he appoints a solemn mode of tre.nsgreased,or that the mules were imported procedure, by which this fraternal rebuko is from abroad (see I Kings x. 25). The word to be conveyed in his Church: "If thy used here e.nd in Deut. xxii. 11 for a gar- brother shall trespass a.gainat thee, go and ment mingled of linen and woollen, is tell him hie fault betwoon thee e.nd him ahaaunez, an Egyptian word, mea.ning pro- alone ; if he shall hear thee, thou hast bably llli.xed. The dilll.oulty roiled on thiil orr. XIX. 1-37.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 289