Numbers 19

Chap. XIX. Verse 1—22. The sacrifice of the red heifer.— This sacrifice differed from all the others, in that, not only was the body burned, but the animal was slain without the camp: and the most part of the blood, with all the skin and filth, were burned with the carcass: fragrant wood, &c. being cast upon the flames. These circumstances are all calculated to suggest the idea, that this sacrifice was of a most polluted and polluting nature, and yet from the ashes of this animal is prepared the water of separation. The Jews perceive a mystery in this sa- [crifice] could not penetrate it. The Gospel, however, explains this mystery: and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews gives us a key to it in the following words; ((Numbers 13:11-12),) “ For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the High Priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.” There is no doubt but this passage refers, first and principally, to the sacrifices offered on the great day of atonement, (for which see (Numbers 29:7).) but as the object of all the sacrifices was the same, and the atonement of the Gospel is one only, we are warranted to apply the sacrifice of the heifer on this occasion, in the same manner as the others.—We may remark, then, 1. That Jesus was led to be crucified loaded with the vilest charges and bitterest execrations of his enemies; and he was led without the city, (which was the same as without the camp, while in the wilderness,) even to the common place of execution for the vilest malefaectors.

2. That, notwithstanding, he was “ without blemish,” pure and undefiled. Many ingenious reasons, of a mystical nature, are given for the want of this heifer; but, probably, the true reason was the difficulty of procuring such an animal, without a spot of white or black upon some part of it; and notwithstanding the number of red cows we have seen, perhaps we never saw one qualified for such a sacrifice. This may, therefore, point out the extraordinary, and even unique or unparalleled character of the Son of God.— 3. We may remark, that execrated and abhorred as our Saviour was, from him alone can be derived either our pardon or sanctification; for it was evidently in consequence of his death, that the Holy Spirit was given for the purification and consolation of believers.

Thus said Jesus to his apostles, “It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.” ((John 16:7-8).) Lastly, we may add, that since so many mysterious traits of character met in the person of Christ, we may well explore every type of the Mosaic economy with reference to him; and, after all, we shall find they fall short of fully depicting his merits or his perfections.; “* All over glorious is my Lord, Must be belov’d and yet ador’d: His worth, if all the nations knew, Sure the whole earth would love him too.”’—Watis.

Notes on the verses

Ver. 20. Have no inheritance.—{The principal part of what was offered to God was the portion of the priests; who had no inheritance of land in Israel. The Rabbins say, 24 gifts were given to the priests; all of which are expressed in the law. Eight were only ate in the sanctuary: 1. The flesh of the sin-offering, (Leviticus vi. 25, 26.) 2. The flesh of the trespass-offering, (Leviticus vii. 1, 6.) 3. The ‘pega’ of the congregation, (Leviticus xxiii. 19, 20.) 4. The remainder of the sheaf, (Leviticus xxiii. 10.) 5. The remnants of the meat-offerings, (Leviticus vi. 16.) 6. The two loaves, (Leviticus xxiii. 17.) 7. The shewbread, (Leviticus xxiv. 9.) 8. The lag of oil offered by the leper, (Leviticus xiv. 10.) Five they ate only at Jerusalem: 1.

The breast and shoulder of the peace-offerings, (Leviticus vii. 31, 34.) 2. The heave-offering of confession, (Leviticus vii. 12—14.) 3. The heave-offering of the Nazarite’s ram, (Leviticus vi. 17—20.) 4. The firstling, (ch. xviii. 15.) 5. The first-fruits, (ch. xviii. 13.) Five were due to them only in the land of Israel: 1. The heave-offering [the word is partly lost] (ver. 12.) 2. Of the tithe, (ver. 28.) 3. The cake, (ch. xv. 20.) 4. The first of the [lost words] within and without the land: 1. The gifts of slain beasts, (Deuteronomy xviii. 3.) (see Deuteronomy xviii. 4.) 5. The field of possession, (ch. xxxv.) Five were due 2. The redemption of the first-born, (ver. 15.) 3. The lamb for a firstling ass, (Exodus iv. 20.) 4. That taken by violence from a stranger, (ch.

v. 8.) 5. All devoted things. One was from the sanctuary, the skins, &c. (Leviticus vii. 8.)]— Bagster. i 4 Ver. 26. A tenth part of your tithe.—By this it appears, that the Levites, who received tithes of the people, paid tithes of their tithes unto the priests. _Chap. XIX. Ver. 2. Bring thee a red heifer.—(The following curious particulars have been remarked in this ordinance: 1. A heifer was appointed for sacrifice in opposition to the Egyptian superstition, which held these sacred, and worshipped their goddess Isis under this form; and this appears the more likely, because males only were chosen for sacrifice. So Herodotus says, they sacrifice males, both old and young, but it is not lawful for them to offer females.

2. It was to be a red heifer, because the Egyptians sacrificed red bulls to the evil demon Typhon. 3. It was to be without spot, having no mixture of any other colour. Plutarch says, the Egyptians ‘sacrifice red bulls, and select them with such scrupulous attention, that if the animal has a single black or white hair, they reckon it unfit to be sacrificed.” 4. Without blemish. (See note on Leviticus xxii. 21.) 5. On which never came yoke * because an animal which had been used for a common purpose was deemed improper for sacrifice. None of the heathen would offer an animal in sacrifice which had been employed in agricultural purposes. Diomede and Nestor vow to offer to Pallas, a yearling heifer, ‘‘ which no man had yet brought under the yoke.”]—Bagster.

Dr. Allix says, the Jews have a tradition that God has descended nine times to this earth, and that he will descend a tenth time “in the age to come;” i. e. the time of the Messiah. In harmony with this notion, Maimonides mentions a tradition, that nine red heifers have been sacrificed between the original delivering of this precept and the desolation of the second temple. ‘Our master, Moses, (says he,) sacrificed the first; Ezra offered up the second; and seven more were sacrificed during the period which elapsed from the time of Ezra to the destruction of the temple; the tenth, King Messiah himself will sacrifice.’—Orient. Cust. No. 731. In other sacrifices, the learned Ainsworth says, the Jews were not particular as to this circumstance; in the colour, however, they were most exact The pbc say, if it had but two hairs, black or white, close together, it was Ver.

3. Unto Eleazar the priest.—As the high priest must never knowingly contract defilement, this office was committed to the next in office. ~ Ver. 9. For a water of separation.—{That is, water prepared by being mixed with the ashes of the heifer, and set apart for the special purpose of being sprinkled on those who had contracted any legal defilement. ‘To this rite the apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, (ch. ix. 13, 14.) pointedly alludes: “ For if,” says he, “ the blood of bulls and of goats,” alluding, probably, to the sin-offerings and the scape-goat, “and the ashes of a heifer [sprinkled] to the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot unto God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

|—Bagster. Ver. 11. Toucheth the dead.—{He who touched a dead beast was only unclean for one day, (Leviticus xi. 12, 27, 39.) but he who touches a dead man is unclean for seven days. This was certainly designed to show the peculiar impurity and sinfulness of man, and the hatefulness of sin—seven times worse than the vilest animal !|—Bagster.: Ver. 12, He shall purify himself.—The Hebrew literally reads, ‘* He shall sin himself;” i. e, put away sin: so, as Dr. Clarke remarks, we use the words to fleece, and to skin, for divesting an animal of its fleece or skin. We have before remarked, that the same word is also used in the original for sin, and a sin-offering, because the sin was imputed to the sacrifice.

r Ver. 17, And running water.—Hebrew, “ Living waters shall be given’ to mix with the ashes. By living waters, the Hebrew always means, spring or river water, in distinction from rain or stagnant water… ‘