The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 419

represented by the Eternal, and it has boon ness: e.nd plo.ce such over them, to be ruler& proposed to substitute the latter rendering of thousands, e.nd rulers of hundreds, rulers for the LoRD in our own version. But it ie of fifties, and rulers of tens : e.nd let them more than doubtful whether wo ebould judge the people o.t e.ll seasons: e.nd it shall then come nearer to the true sense of the be, that every gree.t matter they she.11 bring original Yahveh, although e.t first eight it unto thee, but every sme.ll me.tter they shall appears that this would be the c.ase. For judge: . , . e.nd they judged the people e.t the word Yahveh is po.rt of the causative e.ll see.sons: the hard co.uses they brought form of the verb havah, or hayah, to be; but unto Moses, but every small matter they this verb is not used to express unchange- judged themselves." able or absolute existence, but rather an Ver. 12.-And they put him in ward. occurrence: its causative form, therefore, The same course was followed in the case would signify that which brings about of the me.n found ge.tbering sticks upon the events; e.nd the substantive derived from ee.bbe.tb de.y: "And they put him in w1ml, that causative form would signify, not one because it was not declared what should be that eternally exists, but one tho.t provi- done to him" (Numb. xv. 34). 'rhe so.me dentially governs. For e.n induction of penalty was a.warded in both co.see. instances for the further proof of the above Vers. 13, 14.-Bring forth him that ha.th meaning of the word Yahveh, we refer the oursed without the camp ;-lest the camp reader to Sir William Martin's essay 'On should become polluted by his dee.th-o.nd let the Divine Name' (' Semitic Lan~uagee,' e.ll that heard him le.y their hands upon hie pt. ii.), from which we transcribe the con- head. The ceremony of laying on of hands cluding paragraph. " Thie view of the in all cases set ape.rt the person or thing on Di'l"ine Name, to which we are led by the whom or on which they were le.id for some evidence of the Hebrew languo.ge itself, is special purpose. Its further signification in full conformity '\\'ith the general religious wo.e determined by the particular circum- teaching of the Old Testament, which is stances of the case. Here it probably re- practical and moral ; setting forth in form turned back on the hee.d of the blasphemer readily intelligible, the character of God in the guilt which otherwise would he.ve his relations to man. It does not concern adhered to the witnesses from the fact of itself with those problems which philosophy their bee.ring his blasphemy, e.nd o.ppeo.ring has ever been seeking to solve. It ad- to acq uiesoe in it. dresses itself to hnme.n needs e.nd human Vars. 15, 16.-In accordance with the duties, e.nd nGt to abstract inquiries. Not judicial decision on the me.n is framed the that the highest abstract truths were un- general le.w age.inst blasphemy e.nd its known or untaught. Lo.wgiver e.nd prophet penalty. It rnns o.e follows : Whoeoevor e.nd psalmist set before the people the ourseth hie 0od she.ll beo.r his sin. And he greatness e.nd the eternity of God in lan- that ble.sphemeth the name of the Lord, he guage most clear and impressive. Yet the shall surely be put to death, and e.ll the Ne.me whereby he was put before them as oongrego.tion shall oerteinl.y stone him, It the object of their daily worship, wo.s not he.e been questioned whether two offences or one which would exalt him to the utmost one e.re here contemplated, whether cursing above the frail and ohangeful and transi- his God is one offence, bearing his sin being tory lives of hie worshippers, and thereby its punishment, e.nd blaspheming the Name remove him fe.r away from them into the of the Lord another and greater offence, for height of e. Being beyond man's search or which the punishment is stoning; or whether comprehension; but rather e. Ne.me which the latter offence e.nd punishment e.re a should bring him nigh to them, e.e One more specific statement of the offence and ever mindful of them, ever co.rryiug for- punishment which ho.d only generally been ward hie great purpose for their good, work- described before. Those who to.ke the first ing for their delivero.nce in every time of view point out the.t the present offender need; as One • whose providence ordereth we.e an Egyptian, e.nd urge tho.t had he all things in heaven e.nd on earth.' If this cursed his God, that is, the Egyptio.n god or No.me did convey to the mind of e. Hebrew gods, he would only ho.ve lie.d to bear hie hearer the thought above expressed, it sin; but tbo.t e.e he he.d blo.sphemed the follows that the old rendering Adonai, No.me of Israel's God, Jehovah, he wo.s to Kvpws, or Lord, is to be preferred to that be stoned. The second explanation, how- which haa of le.ta been 1ubetitnted for it." ever, is the truer one. The Scriptures And they brought the blasphemer unto recognize but one God, and he is tbe Lord Moses. Thie was in e.ccorde.nce with the Jehove.h. Whoever curses him shall bear couneel of Jethro, accepted by Moses (Exod. his sin, tho.t is, shall be guilty in such e. :niii. 13-26) : " Moreover thou she.It we.y the.t hie sin must be purged either by provide out of e.ll the people able men, such punishment or by so.criflce, and it is then ~ fear God, men of truth, be.tin~ coveto1.1s- furtµor d,ec~e.fed th11t this po.rtioule,r siu OQII (JJJ, XXIV, 10-23,) THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 185