thus taking a similar extension of meaning to shakar, except that in m'ravai the idea of sweetness in the article used was not distinctly conveyed.

Observe-1. The matters of the prohibition—yayin and shakar.—If it be asked why all kinds of yayin (grape-juice) and of shakar (sweet juice in general) were prohibited, when the spirit of the interdict was limited to intoxicating species of both, it may be replied either (1) that the avoidance of all juices of the grape and other fruit when expressed was desirable in order to guard against mistake, where mistake would be so baneful; or (2) that the command was left to be interpreted by its spirit, just as a prohibition in the present day against 'drink' or 'liquor' would be universally understood as not extending to all drink and all liquor, but as applicable only to that of an intoxicating quality. The former view is confirmed by the extension of the Nazarites' vow of abstinence to even vine-fruit. The Rev. John Wesley, in his New Testament Notes, observes on the prohibition, "Nor eat grapes-forbidden him for greater caution, to keep him at the further distance from wine."

2. The occasion of the prohibition.—The Jewish rabbis, and most Christian commentators, connect it with the sin of Nadab and Abihu, described in ver. I; and the ground of this connection they find in the supposed commission of their sacrilege while under the influence of intoxicating drink. The Targum of Jonathan contains the clause, "As did thy sons, who died by the burning of fire." Keil and Delitzsch think that the only connection lay in the rashness of Aaron's sons, and the tendency of strong drink to induce a similar disposition; but this will not account for the issue of such a prohibition immediately after such a sin. More to the purpose is the language of Rev. J. J. Blunt, B.D. (in his 'Undesigned Coincidences of Scripture'):-" Thus far, at least, it is clear that a grievous and thoughtless insult is offered to God by two of His priests, for which they are cut off; that without any direct allusion to their case, but still very shortly after it had happened, a law is issued forbidding the priests the use of wine when about to minister. I conclude, therefore, that there was a relation (though it is not asserted) between the specific offence and the general law; the more so because the sin against which that law is directed is just of a kind to have produced the rash and inconsiderate act of which Aaron's sons were guilty." Sad thought! that while the people generally, at that time, neither used nor craved for any intoxicating drink, two of Aaron's sons and assistants should have indulged in it till they fell into heinous guilt, and brought upon themselves swift destruction.' Thus early had the priests begun to err through wine, and through strong drink to wander from the way of obedience and safety.

3. The extent of the prohibition.—It had respect to all priests, through all generations, during all the period of their sacred ministrations. It is a remarkable proof of the tendency of the Rabbinical mind to make void the law of God, that some of the Jewish doctors of the post-Christian period (such as Maimonides) held that this statute was not broken if a small quantity was drunk, with a pause of time between, or if mixed with water, etc. Ainsworth rejects these equivocations. To infer that the use of intoxicating liquor was sanctioned at other times, or among other classes, is to overlook,

4. The object of the prohibition.-This was to secure the sober, serious, and effectual performance of the priestly offices, those that related to God (the discrimination of clean from unclean), and those which regarded the people (their instruction in the divine law). "This is a strong reason," observes Dr. A. Clarke, "why they should drink no inebriating liquor."

5. The solemnity of the prohibition—' lest ye die.'-The meaning is either "Do not drink, lest ye die as the result of disobedience;" or, "Do not drink, lest ye die by imitating Nadab and Abihu's sin, and so incurring their capital penalty." This proscription proclaims the concern of the Most High for His own glory, for the purity of His worship, the integrity of His ministers, and the welfare of His people.

As legitimate inferences from the whole passage, we may conclude (1) that God regards the use of intoxicating liquor as pregnant with danger to His servants, whatever their rank and attainments; (2) that the avoidance of this danger, by means of abstinence from such drink, having been a rule of His appointment, is still a course worthy of general imitation; (3) that the adoption of this abstinence as a habit of life is specially approved by Him in the case of those who are required as 'a holy priesthood' to offer up without ceasing "spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to Him by Jesus Christ." [See Note on Ezek. xliv. 21, where the continuance of this rule is affirmed, and its application to Christian times demanded, unless a revival of the Aaronic priesthood and the Levitical service is to be expected.] Philo Judæus, the celebrated Alexandrian Jew and Platonist, who was contemporary with Christ, says in his treatise On Drunkenness (sect. 32) in reference to this text, "It is almost the only occupation of the priests and ministers of God to offer abstemious sacrifices, abstaining in the firmness of their minds from wine and from every other cause of folly. But Aaron is the priest, and the interpretation of his name is 'mountainous'; reasoning occupying itself with sublime and lofty objects. And no one who is so disposed will ever voluntarily touch unmixed wine or any other drug (pharmakon) of folly." [See also a quotation from Philo in the Note on Ezek. xliv. 21.] Some such impression St Jerome appears desirous of conveying in a passage in his letter to Nepotian concerning the life to be led by the clergy and monks (de vitâ clericorum et monachorum). In the section on 'feasts to be avoided' (convivia fugienda) he writes:— "The apostle condemns, and the old law forbids, winebibbing priests (Lev. x.). Those who serve at the altar may not drink wine and sicera. Whatever inebriates and throws the mind off its balance, fly, in like manner as if it were wine. Nor do I say this in order that a creature of God should be condemned by us [Jerome, like many later theologians, confounds the corruption of the creature with the creature as formed by God], since, indeed, the Lord is called a wine-drinker (Matt. xiv.), and a small portion of wine was allowed to Timothy when suffering as to his stomach (1 Tim. v.); but in drinking we strictly require that there should be a measure according to the age, and the state of the health, and of the bodily members. So that, if without wine I possess the glow of youth, and my blood affords sufficient warmth, and my system is vigorous and well strung, cheerfully will I abstain from the cup which is suspected to contain a poison."*

If St Jerome, who flourished at the close of the fourth century, reflects in this passage the fallacy which attributes salutary, or at least marked medicinal properties, to intoxicating liquor; he no less clearly reflects the profound conviction of the purest minds, that the influence of such drink is dangerous to the moral and

Vinolentos sacerdotes Apostulus damnat et vetus lex prohibet. Qui altario deser viunt vinum et siceram non bibant. Quidquid inebriat et statum mentis evertit, fuge similiter ut vinum. Nec hoc dico quod Dei a nobis creatura damnetur. Siquidem et Dominos vini potator est appellatus, et Timotheo dolenti stomachum modica vini sorbitio relaxata est, sed modum pro atatis et valetudinis et corporum qualitate exigimus in potando. Quod si absque vino ardeo adolescentia, et inflammor calore sanguinis, et succulento validoque sum corpore, libenter carebo poculo in quo suspicio veneni est.

religious well-being even of those who fill the most sacred offices in the church. (4) Finally, if God in His wisdom enforced abstinence and prohibition as His prophylactic against intemperance within the circle of the priesthood, who can regard those measures as needless or extreme remedies for the same evil in general society at the present day?

CHAPTER X. VERSE 12.

And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar for it is most holy.

WITHOUT LEAVEN] Hebrew, matzoth, 'unfermented cakes.' 'Eat it with sweet [fresh] cakes' is therefore the proper translation of this clause; ‘unleavened,' by inference, as opposed to that which had fermented or corrupted.

CHAPTER XIX. VERSE 10.

And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.

The literal translation of the first two clauses is-‘And thy vineyard [vě-karměkah] thou shalt not glean, and the scattering of [u-pheret] thy vineyard [karměkah] thou shalt not gather.' The grapes left after the first plucking or cutting, whether left on the vine or scattered on the ground, should be for the gleaning of the poor. [See Note on Deut. xxiv. 21.]

CHAPTER XXIII. VERSE 6.

And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.

UNLEAVENED BREAD, twice] Hebrew, matzoth, 'unfermented-cakes.'

CHAPTER XXIII. VERSE 13.

And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.

See NOTE on Exod. xxix. 40.

CHAPTER XXIII. VERSE 17.

Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

LEAVEN] Hebrew, khahmatz, 'fermented matter."

CHAPTER XXV. VERSE 3.

Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof.

THY VINEYARD] Hebrew, karmekah, 'thy vineyard.'

CHAPTER XXV. VERSE 4.

But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

THY VINEYARD] Hebrew, karmekah, 'thy vineyard.'

CHAPTER XXV. VERSE 5.

That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.

THE GRAPES OF THY VINE UNDRESSED] Hebrew, ve-eth-invai nezirekah lo thivtzor, and the grapes of thy separated thou shalt not gather.' The vine is here called nazir (separated or consecrated) because during the seventh year it was not to be pruned or plucked.

CHAPTER XXV. VERSE II.

A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.

NOR GATHER THE GRAPES IN IT OF THY VINE UNDRESSED] Neither 'grapes' nor 'vine' is in the original Hebrew, which reads, vě-lo thivtzeru eth-nězirah, 'and thou shalt not gather (or cut off) thy separated.' Each fiftieth year was to be like every seventh-a year separated from the ordinary cultivation of the soil, and this idea of separation from toil, and consecration to rest, was naturally assigned to the whole produce of the land on these septennial and jubilee festivals.

CHAPTER XXVI. VERSE 5.

And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

THE VINTAGE, twice] Hebrew, batzir, 'the cutting off,' from bahtzar, 'to cut off,' a name transferred to the season when the grapes were gathered, which was generally done by cutting them away with a sharp instrument [mazmārah, pruninghook], in order to avoid injury to the vine.

THE BOOK OF NUMBERS.

CHAPTER VI. VERSES I-4.

2

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: 3 He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. 4 All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.

V. 2. A NAZARITE] The Hebrew nahzir (from nahzar, 'to separate one's self') has been retained in the English A. V. The Lxx. reads, "Man or woman, whoever shall specially vow a vow to separate or purify himself with purity to the Lord (aneer ee gunee hos ean megalōs euxeetai eucheen aphagnisasthai hagneian kuriō).” V. 3. HE SHALL SEPARATE HIMSELF FROM WINE AND STRONG DRINK] The Hebrew is miy-yayin vě-shakar yatzir, 'from yayin and shakar he shall separate himself.' The LXX. has apo oinou kai sikera hagnistheesetai, 'from wine and sicera he shall purify himself (or purely abstain).' The V. is à vino et omni quod inebriare potest abstinebunt, 'from wine and whatever is inebriating they shall abstain.' The T. of Onkelos has makhamar khadath vě-atiq yivour, 'from wine, new and old, he shall be separated.' Onkelos thus gives yayin the sense of 'new wine,' and shakar that of 'old wine,' which makes their difference to consist, not in a difference of the juice, but in a difference of age between portions of the same kind of juice,-that of the grape. A rabbinical tradition is mentioned by Maimonides, that strong drink made of dates, or such like, was lawful for the Nazarite, the kind forbidden here being strong drink made with mixture of wine! Another of these traditions went so far as to state that "if a little wine be mingled with honey, or the like, so that there be no taste of the wine, it is lawful for the Nazarite to drink it." What law could survive such unprincipled glosses and elastic interpretations?

AND SHALL DRINK NO VINEGAR OF WINE, OR VINEGAR OF STRONG DRINK] The Hebrew is khometz yayin vě-khometz shakar lo yishteh, 'fermented-liquor of wine and fermented-liquor of shakar he shall not drink.' The Lxx. reads, kai oxos ex oinou kai oxos ex sicera ou pietai, 'and vinegar (fermented liquor) from wine, and vinegar from sicera, he shall not drink.' The T. of Onkelos gives "the vinegar (khol) of wine new, and the vinegar of wine old." The V. has acetum ex vino et