uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.

10

18 'And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

:

19¶ And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.

20 And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.

21 And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is "an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

22 ¶ Ye shall therefore keep all my "statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, 13spue you not out.

13

Verse 2. Stone him with stones.'-This was the ordinary capital punishment among the Hebrews, and is always to be understood when the legal infliction of death is mentioned in Scripture, without the form being specified. In later times punishment inflicted by or upon military men was by the sword, as also when a person was put to death by the direct order of the king--just as with us the ordinary legal punishment is hanging, while military offenders are shot. The common ideas of this punishment differ considerably from the accounts left of it by the Jewish writers, who state that when the criminal arrived within four cubits of the place of execution, he was stripped naked, except a slight covering about the loins; and, his hands being bound, he was led up to the fatal spot, which was usually an eminence about twice the height of a man. The first executioners of the sentence were the witnesses, who generally pulled off their clothes for the purpose (Acts vii. 50). One of them threw him down with great violence upon his loins; and if he rolled over upon his breast, he was turned upon his loins again. If he hap pened to die by the fall, the sentence of the law was executed; but if not, the other witness took a great stone and dashed it in his breast, as he lay upon his back: and then, if he still lived, all the people who stood by threw stones upon him till he died. In this way the execution was quickly over, and with fewer revolting circumstances than must occasionally have arisen had it been accomplished by the indiscriminate pelting which is usually supposed to have constituted this mode of capital punish

ment.

6

10. The adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.'-The law of Moses is by no means peculiar in the award of capital punishment to a breach of the matrimonial contract. We see indeed from the instance of Thamar (Gen. xxxviii.) that the present law was in operation among the forefathers of the Hebrews long before it thus received the Divine sanction. Those who are disposed to consider the law exceedingly severe, will do well to consult the vindication of it which Michaelis gives in Art. cclx. of his Commentaries. His leading, but by no means his only, argument is, that in the point of

view in which the crime is usually regarded by Orientals, and was regarded by the Hebrews, no punishment short of death would have been effectual in preventing the introduction and prevalence of a practice of self-avengement by assassination.

Michaelis, in a subsequent article, examines the Mohammedan law on the subject, and we observe, with surprise, that he does not find any other punishment than stripes. It is true that the Koran is not very distinct on the subject; but the traditions also should have been examined-the decisions in which are regarded as of equal authority with the Koran. We have looked into the Mischat-ul-Masabih, and find the law concerning adultery perfectly clear. It there appears that Mohammed was at all times reluctant to adjudicate on cases of adultery; but whenever he did so, he in all instances directed the woman to be stoned, and the man also, if he were married; but, if single, he was punished with eighty stripes. Accordingly we find that adultery is at this day almost invariably punished with death in Mohammedan countries. The crime is seldom made a matter of judicial enquiry and conviction, but the injured person avenges himself with his own hand. A woman almost never escapes, Among the Bedouin Arabs and the Eelauts of Persia, her paternal family is considered more dishonoured by her conduct than her husband; and hence she usually receives her death from the hand of her father or brother, although her husband, or even her son, may inflict it. The Eelauts exact the penalty of death rather more inexorably than the Bedouins, who sometimes, when the guilty parties succeed in eloping to another camp or tribe, are prevailed upon to forego their claim for blood, in consideration of certain payments, which are generally so heavy as to be ruinous to the seducer. The punishment of death for this crime is not confined to the Mohammedan countries, but generally prevails throughout Asia.

In the present text the capital punishment is denounced without its form being mentioned; and the Rabbins say, that in all such cases the punishment was that of strangling, as the mildest sort of death. Their authority, however, does not in this instance deserve the least attention. No such punishment for any crime is mentioned in the

law of Moses, or indeed in all the Bible, nor even in Josephus. Stoning was the general capital punishment; and we may always understand it as the punishment inflicted, where no particular form of death is specified; just as we, when a man is condemned to death, understand, without any explanation, that he will be hanged. Besides, we see, in other cases, that crimes which the law, in the same form of words, punishes with death, were in practice punished with stoning in the lifetime of Moses. (Compare Exod. xxi. 14; xxxv. 2, with Num. xv. 32.) Other crimes, such as unchastity, not amounting to adultery, were punished with stoning (Deut. xxii. 20-24), and it is not therefore likely that the greater crime received the milder punishment. Indeed, it seems from John viii. 7, that stoning was still considered the proper punishment of adultery so late as the time of our Saviour. To this we may add, that Mohammed distinctly understood that stoning was the punishment which the Pentateuch assigned, and thought that, in prescribing a similar punishment, he was following its authority. The Jews of his time had abolished capital punishment for adultery altogether, substituting stripes; and in this Mohammed was so far from concurring, as Michaelis seems to think he was, that he reproached them with the neglect of their law. The following anecdote, which forms one of the traditions which the Mohammedans consider most authentic, will illustrate this subject:-A Jew came to the Prophet, and said. "A man and woman of ours have committed adultery:" and the Prophet said, "What do you meet with in the Bible in the matter of stoning?" The Jew said, “We do not find stoning in the Bible, but we disgrace adulterers and whip them." Abdullah-bin-Salam, who was a learned man among the Jews, and had embraced Islam, said, “You lie, O Jewish tribe! verily the order for stoning is in the Bible." Then the Bible was brought and opened; and a Jew put his hand over the revelation for stoning, and read the one above and below it; and Abdullah said, "Lift up your hand;" and he did so; and behold the revelation for stoning was produced in the Bible: and the Jews said, "Abdullah spoke true, O Mohammed! the stoning is in the Bible." Then his highness ordered the man and woman to be stoned: and they were so." Mischat-ulMasabih.

14. Burnt with fire.'-See the note on Gen. xxxviii. 24. There is only one other crime against which this punishment is denounced in the law (chap. xxi. 9). It seems, upon the whole, very doubtful whether these and other texts of the same import in the early books of the Old Testament express the punishment of burning alive, or of the ignominious burning of the body after execution. It is certain that we have no example of the former punishment; but we have of the latter, as resulting from such a law as that expressed in the text. Thus, in Josh. vii. 15,

it is declared that the unknown person who had taken of the accursed thing should be burnt with fire;' and when the man was discovered, we find that this intention was executed, not by burning him alive, but by stoning him first, and then burning his remains (v. 15). We therefore lean to the opinion that stoning, being the common and wellknown punishment, is understood in these texts, and that only the additional punishment of burning the body is expressed. Michaelis thinks that burning alive was not sanctioned by the Mosaic law: but Horne, who generally follows him, seems to consider that both burning alive and burning after death are among the punishments mentioned by Moses; and it is rather odd that he cites the same texts in proof of both-namely, that before us and the one in the next chapter. The testimony of the Rabbins is worth very little in this matter, as many capital punishments were in later times introduced, of which the law of Moses takes no notice. They say, that because the bodies of Nadab and Abihu were not consumed by the fire which slew them, it was thought unlawful to burn a criminal alive; but that he was put to death by melted lead being poured down his throat. We may accept this so far as to shew that persons were not consumed alive in the fire; but we are bound to reject the other part, as wholly unsanctioned by the law of Moses. It is possible that they may have had this punishment in after times, when the meaning of the law had been greatly perverted by absurd glosses and inferences.

21. They shall be childless.'-It is doubtful whether this is to be regarded as a prediction or an injunctionthat is, whether the punishment was to be inflicted by the hand of God or of man. The idiom of the original seems to favour the latter conclusion, which has also the sanction of the scholiast in the Vatican Septuagint, of Augustin (Quæst. 76 in Levit.), of Eben Ezra, and others. It is also advocated, perhaps rather too positively, by Michaelis. This does not mean, he says, that God would miraculously prevent the procreation of children from such a marriage; for God no where promises any continual miracle of this nature: but only that the children proceeding from it should not be put to their account in the public registers; so that in a civil sense they would be childless. The Hebrew word "yariri, unfruitful,' has this meaning, and is applied to the case of a man who has children, but will not be heired by them. Thus in Jer. xxii. 30, it is said of a king, who certainly had children, though they did not receive his inheritance, Inscribe this man as childless; for of his posterity none shall prosper, nor any sit upon the throne of David.' The children of such a marriage would be ascribed to the deceased brother; and that, among the Israelites, where a man made so much of the honour of being called father, was a very sensible punish

ment.

CHAPTER XXI.

1 Of the priests' mourning. 6 Of their holiness. 8 Of their estimation. 7, 13 Of their marriages. 17 The priests that have blemishes must not minister in the

sanctuary.

AND the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people :

2 But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,

3 And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh

unto him, which hath had no husband; for her he be defiled. may

4 But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

5 They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

6 ¶ They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer therefore they shall be holy.

2 Chap. 19. 27.

7 They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.

8 Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.

9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.

10 T And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;

11 Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;

12 Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him; I am the LORD.

13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.

8 Or, food.

15 Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him. 16 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the "bread of his God.

18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing 'superfluous,

19 Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,

20 Or crookbackt, or 'a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;

21 No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.

22 IIe shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.

23 Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries for I the LORD do sanctify them. 24 And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to sons, and unto all the children of Israel. 5 Or, too slender.

his

Verse 5. Neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard.'-In chap. xix. 28, this is made a general law, not peculiar to the priests. They are here forbidden to do that which had already been prohibited to the people in general. There is a difference of opinion as to the interpretation of the text. Some think that it is to be understood generally, as interdicting the shaving of the beard. If thus understood, there seems an adequate reason for it in the contrary practice of the Egyptians, who did shave their beards (see note on Gen. xli. 14); and its repetition to the priests may have been to shew them that they were not exempted from the general law, as they might have been led to conclude from having observed the peculiar scrupulosity of the Egyptian priests on this point, who, as we are informed by Herodotus, were particularly careful to shave all the hair off their bodies every third day. The other alternative is that which has the sanction of our translation, and by which it appears we are to understand the whiskers, or upper extremities of the beard. The object would then appear to be to keep them a distinct people from the Arabs, who either shaved their whiskers or cropped them short. We must not forget that it was one great object of many of the Mosaical laws to keep the Israelites separate from all the neighbouring nations; and whether the Egyptians or the Arabs were in view, it is certain that a different fashion of the beard would have a more marked effect, in assisting such a distinction, than can be readily calculated by those who hold that appendage in light esteem. That such a distinction as we have mentioned did exist, is not only manifested by existing usages, but by ancient accounts. Mohammed perceived the effect of this distinction, for many Jews resided in Arabia in his time

—and strictly enjoined that it should be kept up. According to the traditions, he used to clip his own whiskers; and frequently said, 'He who does not lessen his whiskers is not of our ways: and he expressly said, that he inculcated this practice in opposition to the Jews, who were not accustomed to clip either their beards or whiskers. In these counter regulations we seem here to perceive the object of the apparently trivial injunction of the Hebrew legislator. Some ideas in illustration of this subject may be obtained from the inspection of the different forms in which the beard is worn at present in Western Asia, as represented in the annexed engraving.

13. He shall take a wife in her virginity,' etc.-Compare this and the following verse with verse 7, where the prohibited marriages of common priests are mentioned. The difference is, that widows are included among those whom the high- priest might not marry, but not among those with whom the common priest is forbidden to contract alliance. It would therefore seem that the common priest was allowed to marry a widow, as Josephus declares; Grotius and others, however, think that a priest could not marry any widow, but one whose deceased husband had also been a priest. This is inferred from Ezek. xliv. 22. The high-priest, being precluded from marrying a widow, was of course exempt from the common obligation of marrying the widow of a brother who died without children. It is possible that the real or apparent difference between the regulation in this matter for the highpriests and that for the common priests, suggested to the oriental Christian churches the establishment of a difference as to the marriages of their superior and inferior dignitaries. The patriarchs and bishops are not married

at all; but the common priests usually are so-that is, they usually marry before they take orders, and afterwards retain their wives; but if they become widowers, they are not in general allowed to marry again. Thus, although there are married priests, a priest may not marry. This, we believe, is the common rule; but there may be variations in different sects. If the common priests were allowed to marry widows-what happened when one who had married a widow became high-priest? Probably, as in the case just stated, it was lawful for him to retain a connection previously formed, which it would not have been lawful to contract after his elevation. The Mohammedans have no regulations on this subject, being, in fact, without any distinct priestly order. But in India it is not lawful for the priests to marry any but virgins.

17. Blemish.'-A similar regulation operated in most ancient nations, excluding from the priesthood all persons labouring under any bodily defects or deformities. This appears to have arisen from the natural enough feeling, that it was a sort of indignity to the gods to consecrate a blemished or imperfect man to their service. A general opinion prevailed that the presence of a priest who was defective in any member was to be avoided as ominous of

evil. Such persons were seldom admitted to the priesthood, or allowed to remain in it. Candidates were examined with great care; and if it happened that a priest, after consecration, suffered any bodily deprivation, he was expected to lay down his office. Several instances of this occur in the Roman history. Metellus, who lost his sight in preserving the Palladium from the flames which destroyed the temple of Vesta, was obliged to resign his priestly office; as was also M. Sergius when he lost his right hand in defence of his country. The most complete parallel to the present regulation is, however, perhaps to be found in the state of things now existing in India. The illustration is furnished by Mr. Roberts, who observes: The priesthood among the Hindoos is hereditary, but a deformed person cannot perform a ceremony in the temple, but he may prepare the flowers, fruits, oils, and cakes for the offerings, and also sprinkle the premises with holy water. The child of a priest deformed at the birth will not be consecrated. A priest having lost an eye or a tooth, or being deficient in any member or organ, or who has not a wife, cannot perform the ceremony called Teevasam, for the manes of departed friends. Neither will his incantations, or prayers, or magical ceremonies have any effect.'

CHAPTER XXII.

1 The priests in their uncleanness must abstain from the holy things. 6 How they shall be cleansed. 10 Who of the priest's house may eat of the holy things. 17 The sacrifices must be without blemish. 26 The age of the sacrifice. 29 The law of eating the sacrifice of thanksgiving.

AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD.

3 Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of

Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.

4 What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath 'a 'running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;

5 Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath;

6 The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with

water.

7 And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.

8 That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD.

9 They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them. 10 There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.

11 But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house they shall eat of his meat.

:

12 If the priest's daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.

13 But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.

14 ¶ And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.

15 And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;

16 Or 'suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

17 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his

oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;

19 Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.

20 But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.

21 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.

22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.

23 Either a bullock or a 10lamb that hath any thing "superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

24 Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.

25 Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.

26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

27 When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

18

28 And whether it be cow or "ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.

29 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.

14

30 On the same day it shall be eaten up; shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD.

ye

31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.

32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,

33 That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.

Ezek. 44. 31. 4 Heb. with the purchase of his money. iniquity of trespass in their eating. 8 Deut. 15. 21, and 17. 1. is Deut. 22.6. 14 Chap. 7. 15. 15 Chap. 10. 3.