_Estimation. Hebrew is obscure, "Whoever has separated, or made a singular vow; the souls to the Lord according to thy estimation." (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "shall vow as it were the price of a soul to the Lord." (Haydock) --- The person or the beast shall belong to the Lord; but if it be redeemed,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fifth. The parents might make a vow of their children. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_The estimation. Hebrew is pointed improperly, "thy estimation;" for the price was fixed already. The priest had leave to reduce it only in favour of the poor. (Houbigant) See ver. 2, and following._... [ Continue Reading ]
_That offereth it. This addition of the Vulgate shews, that if any other purchased the animal, he would not have to give a fifth part more than the value. That only concerned the person who had made the vow, to punish him for his inconstancy, and that he might not have a desire to get possession aga... [ Continue Reading ]
_House. The Rabbins say this fifth part went towards repairing the temple. We may suppose it was laid on to indemnify the priests, for the loss which they sustained by selling a house, or a field, (ver. 16,) to the former owner; since if any other had purchased them, the priests would have been able... [ Continue Reading ]
_Possession, or inheritance. If he had only purchased the field, he could not, by his vow, transfer the property of it to the priests beyond the year of jubilee, ver. 22. --- Seed, not of the produce, which is uncertain. The goodness of the soil must also be considered. --- Silver: which rent must b... [ Continue Reading ]
_Consecrated. Hebrew, "a field of anathema," devoted and separated from common uses for ever to the Lord. (Haydock) --- Priests. They were bound to sell it from one jubilee to another to some of the same tribe, to which the person, who vowed it, had belonged. (Menochius) --- In the new law, religiou... [ Continue Reading ]
_Obols. Hebrew, "gerah." which were worth 1d.-2687; so that a sicle amounts to 2s. 3d.-375. (Arbuthnot.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_First-born. Septuagint add "a beasts." Men, though belonging to the Lord on that title already, (Exodus xiii. 2,) might still be more particularly consecrated to him by vow, as Samuel was. (Calmet) --- A vow must be concerning some greater good to which we are not otherwise bound. Such vows are agr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Unclean, either on account of some blemish, or because it is of those species which cannot be sacrificed; such as the horse, camel, &c., which might nevertheless be vowed to the Lord, and sold for the benefit of his priests. --- By thee. Moses and the succeeding priests. Many manuscripts read, with... [ Continue Reading ]
_Devoted. Hebrew, "anathema," different from the other vows. In this case all that had life was slain, (or consecrated to God; Haydock) houses were demolished, the land belonged to the priests for ever, so that they could only let it out to laymen for a certain rent. Moses thus devoted the Amalecite... [ Continue Reading ]
_Die. Grotius says, only public enemies and deserters could be thus devoted. Other men and women were only consecrated for ever to the divine service. (Du Hamel)_... [ Continue Reading ]
Tithes. Abraham and Jacob paid tithes, out of devotion, Genesis xiv., and xxviii. 22. Moses first made a law on this subject, which began to be in force when the Hebrews had obtained quiet possession of Chanaan. The people paid them more exactly when they were determined to keep God's law, and had p... [ Continue Reading ]
_Of them. When the distance from Jerusalem was great, so that a person judged it more convenient to sell his tithes, and with the money purchase more for a feast in Jerusalem, (which the Rabbins call Zudui, Charisterion, grace or thanksgiving) he had to pay something additional, 12, for example, ins... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rod; on which was some red colouring, to mark the tenth animal as it passed through a narrow gate. If it was proper for sacrifice, its blood was poured out around the altar, and its flesh was returned to the giver. If it could not be offered in sacrifice, it was slain. The priest received none of t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sinai. The laws specified in the ten first Chapter s of the following book, were given here also. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XXVII.... [ Continue Reading ]