Leviticus 19

23. And when ye shall come. There seems to me no question but that the circumcision of trees as well as of men appertains to the First Commandment, not only that the Jews might see a symbol of their own adoption in the very trees, but that they might learn that it was permitted to none but the children of God to feed on their fruit; and also that whatsoever the earth produces is in a manner profane, until it is purified. For surely by this ceremony was set forth what Paul teaches, that all things are “sanctified by the word of God, and prayer,” (1 Timothy 4:5;) not that anything is in itself impure, but because the earth has contracted pollution from the corruption of man, it is just, as regards us, that the harmless fruits also should be accounted to be in uncircumcision. In sum, God would raise up a wall whereby He might separate His people from the Gentiles, and at the same time admonish them that a legitimate use of those things which the earth produced could not be made by the sons of Adam, except by special privilege. But the similitude of uncircumcision , until the year appointed for their being circumcised, was a very appropriate one, that they might acknowledge the fruits of their trees to be pure for them by the same right whereby they were consecrated as God’s peculiar people. But, lest the three years’ unproductiveness should press heavily upon them, he promises them compensation from the future blessing of God; for, if they should abstain from eating the unclean fruit, a larger produce was to be expected in future.

27. Ye shall not round the corners. It clearly appears that God had no other object than by the interposition of this obstacle to sever His people from heathen nations. For there is nothing to which men are more prone than to conform themselves to the customs of others; and hence it arises, that they mutually communicate each other’s vices. Wherefore care was especially to be taken lest the people of Israel should adopt foreign habits, and by this pliableness should fall away from the true worship of God; from whence too the ordinary phrase has arisen, that the word “common” should be used for “unclean.” God then strictly forbids them from declining to the habits of the Gentiles, and confounding the distinction which He had Himself placed between them. There is no doubt but that it was usual for the Gentiles, out of superstition, to cut marks upon their faces, to trim the hair in certain steps or circles, and in their mourning to lacerate their flesh, or to disfigure it with marks. It is well known that the priests of Cybele made gashes in their flesh with knives and razors, and covered themselves all over with wounds, for the sake of shewing their zeal. The same thing was also commonly practiced by others; inasmuch as the world is easily deceived by external ceremonies. But though this were a thing in itself indifferent, yet God would not allow His people to be at liberty to practice it, that, like children, they might learn from these slight rudiments, that they would not be acceptable with God, unless they were altogether different from uncircumcised foreigners, and as far as possible from following their examples; and especially that they should avoid all ceremonies whereby their religion was testified. For experience teaches how greatly the true worship of God is obscured by anything adscititious, and how easily foul superstitions creep in, when the comments of men are tacked on to the word of God. Doubtless that part, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead,” etc., might be expounded as a correction of immoderate grief; because we know how intemperately men set themselves against God when they give the reins to their sorrow; but since the object of the Gentiles was to pay what was due to the dead, and to celebrate their funeral obsequies as a kind of propitiation, it is probable, and more suitable, that by the whole context those preposterous gestures are condemned, which were proofs of piety among the Gentiles, but which would have been defilements to the people of God. The same thing appears more clearly from the passage in Deuteronomy, which next follows, wherein Moses condemns cutting themselves, and making themselves bald for the dead in connection with each other, as if they were one thing; and confirms the law by a general argument, that they might withdraw themselves from every pollution as the children of God; since they were chosen to be His peculiar people; as much as to say, that God’s grace would be altogether frustrated, if they did not differ at all from foreign nations. As to his saying that they were chosen out of all the nations, it does not a little illustrate the gratuitous mercy of God, wherewith He honored them alone, by calling them to the hope of eternal salvation, and passing by the Gentiles; for there was no nobility found in them, nor did they exceed others either in number or in any other superiority, on account of which He should prefer them to the whole world. But the design of Moses in magnifying the extraordinary goodness of God, was that they might the more abhor that impure cornmixture, which, by bringing them on a par with the Gentiles, degraded them from this high honor.

Another Supplement touching the Clean and Unclean Beasts

Leviticus 20

Leviticus 20:25, 26

25. Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.

25. Vos quoque discrimen facite inter animal mundum et immundum, et inter avem immundam et mundam, et ne abominabiles reddatis animas vestras in animalibus et volatilibus, atque in omni quod reptat in terra: quae separavi vobis ad immunditiam.

26. And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.

26. Eritis autem sancti mihi: quia sanctus sum ego Jehova, et separavi vosa populis, ut essetis mei.

Deuteronomy 14

Deuteronomy 14:3-20

3. Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

3. Non comedes ullam abominationem.

4. These are the beasts which ye shall eat: The ox, the sheep, and the goat,

4. Haec sunt animalia quae comedetis: bovem, agnum ovium, et hoedum caprarum,

5. The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.

5. Cervum, et capream, et bubalum, et hircum sylvestrem, et damam, et bovem sylvestrem, et capram rupicolam.

6. And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.

6. Omne animal findens ungulam, et findens fissuram duarum ungularum, ruminans inter animalia, illud comedetis.

7. Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.

7. Veruntamen hoe non comedetis ex ruminantibus et ex findentibus ungulam divisam, camelum, et leporem, et cuniculum: quia ruminant, et ungulam non dividunt, immunda sunt vobis.

8. And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.

8. Et porcum, quia findit ungulam, et non ruminat, immundus est vobis: de carne eorum non comedetis, et cadavera eorum non contingetis.

9. These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:

9. Hoc comedetis ex omnibus quae sunt in aqua, quicquid habet pinnulam et squamam, comedetis.

10. And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.

10. Quicquid vero non habet pinnulam et squamam, non comedetis: immundum est vobis.

11. Of all clean birds ye shall eat.

11. Omnem autem mundam comedetis.

12. But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,

12. Hae autem sunt ex quibus non comedetis, aquila, et gryphus, et haliaeetus,

13. And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind,

13. Et ixus, et vultur, et milvus secundum speciem suam.

14. And every raven after his kind,

14. Et omnis corvus. secundum speciem suam.

15. And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,

15. Et filia struthionis, et noctua, et larus, et accipiter secundum speciem suam.

16. The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan,

16. Et herodius, et ibis, et cygnus,

17. And the pelican, and the gier-eagle, and the cormorant,

17. Et pellicanus, et porphyrio, et mergulus,

18. And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

18. Et ciconia, et charadrius secundum speciem suam: et upupa et vespertilio.

19. And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.

19. Et omne reptile alatum immundum est vobis, non comedetur.

20. But of all clean fowls ye may eat.

20. Omnem avem mundam cometis

Leviticus 19:30; 26:2. Ye shall keep my Sabbaths. From these two passages it is manifest that the service of the tabernacle was annexed to the Sabbath, and that the two things were not only connected by an indissoluble tie, but that the rest from labor had reference to the sacrifices; since it would have been a mere mockery to rest without any ulterior object; nay more, after Moses has spoken of the rest, he seems to subjoin the reverencing of the sanctuary, as if it were the generic ordinance; so that the people might understand that all impediments were removed which are wont to withdraw them from the service of God. The expression, “fear the sanctuary,” is a figurative one; but is equivalent to this, that they should shew by their very reverence of the sanctuary how truly and sincerely they fear God, who had promised that He would be present there, whenever He should be invoked.

Exodus 23

Exodus 23:12

12. Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.

12. Sex diebus facies opera tua: die autem septimo quiesces, ut quiescat bos tuus, et asinus tuus, et respiret filius ancillae tuae, et peregrinus.