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*H Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring firstfruits to me: of every man that offereth of his own accord, you shall take them.
Ver. 2. First-fruits: offerings, of some of the best and choicest of their goods. Ch. — This was the first time such a voluntary offering was made by the Hebrews. M. — It is a lesson for Christians to be liberal for God's service. W.
* Summa
*S Part 3, Ques 86, Article 1
[II-II, Q. 86, Art. 1]
Whether Men Are Under a Necessity of Precept to Make Oblations?
Objection 1: It would seem that men are not bound by precept to make oblations. Men are not bound, at the time of the Gospel, to observe the ceremonial precepts of the Old Law, as stated above (I-II, Q. 103, AA. 3, 4). Now the offering of oblations is one of the ceremonial precepts of the Old Law, since it is written (Ex. 23:14): "Three times every year you shall celebrate feasts with Me," and further on (Ex. 23:15): "Thou shalt not appear empty before Me." Therefore men are not now under a necessity of precept to make oblations.
Obj. 2: Further, before they are made, oblations depend on man's will, as appears from our Lord's saying (Matt. 5:23), "If . . . thou offer thy gift at the altar," as though this were left to the choice of the offerer: and when once oblations have been made, there is no way of offering them again. Therefore in no way is a man under a necessity of precept to make oblations.
Obj. 3: Further, if anyone is bound to give a certain thing to the Church, and fails to give it, he can be compelled to do so by being deprived of the Church's sacraments. But it would seem unlawful to refuse the sacraments of the Church to those who refuse to make oblations according to a decree of the sixth council [*Can. Trullan, xxiii, quoted I, qu. i, can. Nullus]: "Let none who dispense Holy Communion exact anything of the recipient, and if they exact anything let them be deposed." Therefore it is not necessary that men should make oblations.
_On the contrary,_ Gregory says [*Gregory VII; Concil. Roman. v, can. xii]: "Let every Christian take care that he offer something to God at the celebration of Mass."
_I answer that,_ As stated above (Q. 85, A. 3, ad 3), the term "oblation" is common to all things offered for the Divine worship, so that if a thing be offered to be destroyed in worship of God, as though it were being made into something holy, it is both an oblation and a sacrifice. Wherefore it is written (Ex. 29:18): "Thou shalt offer the whole ram for a burnt-offering upon the altar; it is an oblation to the Lord, a most sweet savor of the victim of the Lord"; and (Lev. 2:1): "When anyone shall offer an oblation of sacrifice to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour." If, on the other hand, it be offered with a view to its remaining entire and being deputed to the worship of God or to the use of His ministers, it will be an oblation and not a sacrifice. Accordingly it is essential to oblations of this kind that they be offered voluntarily, according to Ex. 25:2, of "every man that offereth of his own accord you shall take them." Nevertheless it may happen in four ways that one is bound to make oblations. First, on account of a previous agreement: as when a person is granted a portion of Church land, that he may make certain oblations at fixed times, although this has the character of rent. Secondly, by reason of a previous assignment or promise; as when a man offers a gift among the living, or by will bequeaths to the Church something whether movable or immovable to be delivered at some future time. Thirdly, on account of the need of the Church, for instance if her ministers were without means of support. Fourthly, on account of custom; for the faithful are bound at certain solemn feasts to make certain customary oblations. In the last two cases, however, the oblation remains voluntary, as regards, to wit, the quantity or kind of the thing offered.
Reply Obj. 1: Under the New Law men are not bound to make oblations on account of legal solemnities, as stated in Exodus, but on account of certain other reasons, as stated above.
Reply Obj. 2: Some are bound to make oblations, both before making them, as in the first, third, and fourth cases, and after they have made them by assignment or promise: for they are bound to offer in reality that which has been already offered to the Church by way of assignment.
Reply Obj. 3: Those who do not make the oblations they are bound to make may be punished by being deprived of the sacraments, not by the priest himself to whom the oblations should be made, lest he seem to exact, something for bestowing the sacraments, but by someone superior to him. _______________________
SECOND
*H Violet and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
Ver. 4. Scarlet twice dyed. Aq. and Sym. have transparent. This colour is often confounded with purple, as our Saviour's robe is styled scarlet by S. Matt. xxvii. 28, and purple by S. John xix. 2. It was dyed with a worm called shani in Heb. S. Jer. ep. ad Fabiol. — Fine linen, byssus. Heb. shésh, "of six folds," or it may mean cotton, which was highly esteemed by the ancients; (Arab. version. Herod.) and it is not probable that Moses would have passed over it unnoticed. C.
*H And rams' skins dyed red, and violet skins, and setim wood:
Ver. 5. Setim-wood. The wood of a tree that grows in the wilderness, which is said to be incorruptible, (Ch.) as the Sept. intimate. It is perhaps the Acacia, which is very black and hard. S. Jer. in Joel iii. 18, says it resembles our white thorn.
*H Onyx stones, and precious stones to adorn the ephod and the rational.
Ver. 7. Onyx, emeralds. C. — The ephod and the rational. The ephod was the high priests upper vestment; and the rational his breast-plate, in which were twelve gems, &c. Ch. — Ephod means a kind of girdle or stole, peculiar to priests, or used by others only of the highest distinction, (C.) and in religious solemnities. S. Jer. ad Marcel. Josephus (Ant. ii. 8,) describes it as different from what it was in the days of Moses. Many other alterations had then taken place; the Urim and Thummim were disused, &c. The Pallium is in imitation of the high priest's ephod. The rational is so called, because by it the high priest was enabled to give his oracles. C. xxviii. 15. C. — The precise import of the Heb. cheshen, which Protestants render breast plate, is not known. It was certainly fastened on the ephod over the breast, and consisted of 12 stones, on which the names of the 12 patriarchs were engraven. H.
*H And they shall make me a sanctuary, and I will dwell in the midst of them:
Ver. 8. Sanctuary, or tabernacle, to serve as a portable temple. Such alone were probably used at that time. The high priest entered into this holy place once a year. C.
* Footnotes
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*
Hebrews
9:2
For there was a tabernacle made the first, wherein were the candlesticks and the table and the setting forth of loaves, which is called the Holy.
*H Frame an ark of setim wood, the length whereof shall be of two cubits and a half; the breadth, a cubit and a half; the height, likewise, a cubit and a half.
Ver. 10. Ark, to contain the tables of the law, as a constant memorial of the alliance made between God and his people, v. 16. In, or on the side of it, were also placed the rod of Aaron, (Num. xvii. 10.) and the golden urn, containing manna. Heb. ix. 3. Hence the pagans perhaps took occasion to keep their secret mysteries in an ark, cista secretorum. Apul. Met. 2. C. — The ark was three feet nine inches long, two feet three inches high, and as much in breadth. H.
*H And thou shalt overlay it with the purest gold, within and without; and over it thou shalt make a golden crown round about:
Ver. 11. Gold (deaurabis). Our method of gilding was not yet discovered. — Crown, or border, resembling "waves." (kumatia) Sept.
*H And thou shalt put them in through the rings that are in the sides of the ark, that it may be carried on them:
Ver. 14. Carried on them, when exposed in solemn processions. These were covered along with the ark: and other bars were used to remove the ark during the journeys in the desert. Num. iv. 6. C.
*H And thou shalt put in the ark the testimony which I will give thee.
Ver. 16. Testimony, the law which testifies the will of God to us. M. — An authentic record. Jeremias (xxxii. 11,) uses præceptum in the same sense. C.
*H Thou shalt make also a propitiatory of the purest gold: the length thereof shall be two cubits and a half, and the breadth a cubit and a half.
Ver. 17. A propitiatory: a covering for the ark; called a propitiatory, or mercy-seat, because the Lord, who was supposed to sit there upon the wings of the cherubims, with the ark for his footstool, from thence shewed mercy. It is also called the oracle, ver. 18 and 20, because, from thence, God gave his orders and his answers. Ch. — It was the lid or covering of the ark, from kapha, "to cover, efface," &c. C. — Here the hanan, or cloud representing God, rested, (Lev. xvi. 2.) and the divine oracles were audibly given: for which reason, God is said to sit upon the cherubims, the mercy-seat being his footstool. Ps. lxxix. 2.
*H Thou shalt make also two cherubims of beaten gold, on the two sides of the oracle.
Ver. 18. Cherubims, symbolic figures, which Moses does not perfectly describe, and therefore we cannot pretend to know their exact form. Some represent them as young men, with their wings joined over the propitiatory, in a contrary direction to those of birds, in order to form a throne for God, and bending towards Him, with profound respect. Others only admit their heads, with six wings: while many suppose, that they resembled those compounded figures mentioned, Ezec. i. 5. x. 20. They denote some extraordinary figure not found in nature. 3 K. vii. 29. An order of angels is known by this name. Yet the four animals, or cherubims, represent the saints. Apoc. v. 8. 10. The different forms under which they appear, set before us their various perfections. Their wings denote agility, &c. The Egyptians adored Anubis, under the form of a man, with a dog's head. Isis had the head of a cow, Apis that of a bull. They placed a sphinx at the entrance of their temples, to shew that their theology was enigmatical. God condescended perhaps to satisfy the inclinations of his people, by representing the mysteries of religion under similar forms. Wisd. xviii. 24. C. — Would he have allowed such things, if they were so dangerous, as to be inseparable from idolatry! H.
* Summa
*S Part 2, Ques 100, Article 4
[I-II, Q. 100, Art. 4]
Whether the Precepts of the Decalogue Are Suitably Distinguished from One Another?
Objection 1: It would seem that the precepts of the decalogue are unsuitably distinguished from one another. For worship is a virtue distinct from faith. Now the precepts are about acts of virtue. But that which is said at the beginning of the decalogue, "Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me," belongs to faith: and that which is added, "Thou shalt not make . . . any graven thing," etc. belongs to worship. Therefore these are not one precept, as Augustine asserts (Qq. in Exod. qu. lxxi), but two.
Obj. 2: Further, the affirmative precepts in the Law are distinct from the negative precepts; e.g. "Honor thy father and thy mother," and, "Thou shalt not kill." But this, "I am the Lord thy God," is affirmative: and that which follows, "Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me," is negative. Therefore these are two precepts, and do not, as Augustine says (Qq. in Exod. qu. lxxi), make one.
Obj. 3: Further, the Apostle says (Rom. 7:7): "I had not known concupiscence, if the Law did not say: 'Thou shalt not covet.'" Hence it seems that this precept, "Thou shalt not covet," is one precept; and, therefore, should not be divided into two.
_On the contrary,_ stands the authority of Augustine who, in commenting on Exodus (Qq. in Exod. qu. lxxi) distinguishes three precepts as referring to God, and seven as referring to our neighbor.
_I answer that,_ The precepts of the decalogue are differently divided by different authorities. For Hesychius commenting on Lev. 26:26, "Ten women shall bake your bread in one oven," says that the precept of the Sabbath-day observance is not one of the ten precepts, because its observance, in the letter, is not binding for all time. But he distinguishes four precepts pertaining to God, the first being, "I am the Lord thy God"; the second, "Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me," (thus also Jerome distinguishes these two precepts, in his commentary on Osee 10:10, "On thy" [Vulg.: "their"] "two iniquities"); the third precept according to him is, "Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven thing"; and the fourth, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." He states that there are six precepts pertaining to our neighbor; the first, "Honor thy father and thy mother"; the second, "Thou shalt not kill"; the third, "Thou shalt not commit adultery"; the fourth, "Thou shalt not steal"; the fifth, "Thou shalt not bear false witness"; the sixth, "Thou shalt not covet."
But, in the first place, it seems unbecoming for the precept of the Sabbath-day observance to be put among the precepts of the decalogue, if it nowise belonged to the decalogue. Secondly, because, since it is written (Matt. 6:24), "No man can serve two masters," the two statements, "I am the Lord thy God," and, "Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me" seem to be of the same nature and to form one precept. Hence Origen (Hom. viii in Exod.) who also distinguishes four precepts as referring to God, unites these two under one precept; and reckons in the second place, "Thou shalt not make . . . any graven thing"; as third, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain"; and as fourth, "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day." The other six he reckons in the same way as Hesychius.
Since, however, the making of graven things or the likeness of anything is not forbidden except as to the point of their being worshipped as gods--for God commanded an image of the Seraphim [Vulg.: Cherubim] to be made and placed in the tabernacle, as related in Ex. 25:18--Augustine more fittingly unites these two, "Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me," and, "Thou shalt not make . . . any graven thing," into one precept. Likewise to covet another's wife, for the purpose of carnal knowledge, belongs to the concupiscence of the flesh; whereas, to covet other things, which are desired for the purpose of possession, belongs to the concupiscence of the eyes; wherefore Augustine reckons as distinct precepts, that which forbids the coveting of another's goods, and that which prohibits the coveting of another's wife. Thus he distinguishes three precepts as referring to God, and seven as referring to our neighbor. And this is better.
Reply Obj. 1: Worship is merely a declaration of faith: wherefore the precepts about worship should not be reckoned as distinct from those about faith. Nevertheless precepts should be given about worship rather than about faith, because the precept about faith is presupposed to the precepts of the decalogue, as is also the precept of charity. For just as the first general principles of the natural law are self-evident to a subject having natural reason, and need no promulgation; so also to believe in God is a first and self-evident principle to a subject possessed of faith: "for he that cometh to God, must believe that He is" (Heb. 11:6). Hence it needs no other promulgation that the infusion of faith.
Reply Obj. 2: The affirmative precepts are distinct from the negative, when one is not comprised in the other: thus that man should honor his parents does not include that he should not kill another man; nor does the latter include the former. But when an affirmative precept is included in a negative, or vice versa, we do not find that two distinct precepts are given: thus there is not one precept saying that "Thou shalt not steal," and another binding one to keep another's property intact, or to give it back to its owner. In the same way there are not different precepts about believing in God, and about not believing in strange gods.
Reply Obj. 3: All covetousness has one common ratio: and therefore the Apostle speaks of the commandment about covetousness as though it were one. But because there are various special kinds of covetousness, therefore Augustine distinguishes different prohibitions against coveting: for covetousness differs specifically in respect of the diversity of actions or things coveted, as the Philosopher says (Ethic. x, 5). ________________________
FIFTH
*H Thou shalt make a table also of setim wood, of two cubits in length, and a cubit in breadth, and a cubit and a half in height.
Ver. 23. A table: on which were to be placed the twelve loaves of proposition; or, as they are called in the Hebrew, the face bread; because they were always to stand before the face of the Lord in his temple: as a figure of the eucharistic sacrifice and sacrament, in the church of Christ; (Ch.) which shews that Christ must be present in the eucharist. W. — By this bread, renewed at the public expense every sabbath-day, the Israelites made profession that they were indebted for their food to God's providence; and in gratitude, offered him this sacrifice, with incense and wine, v. 29. The priests alone were to eat these loaves (1 K. xxi.) at the expiration of the week. T.
*H And to the ledge itself a polished crown, four inches high; and over the same another little golden crown.
Ver. 25. Polished, (interrasilem, sculptured and plain, at equal distances). Heb. "Thou shalt make all round at the top, a ledge (border) of a hand's breadth," &c. The tabernacle was the tent of God, the king of Israel: and food and lights were on that account placed before him, (C.) though he stood not in need of them. The idolatrous priests set all sorts of meats before Bel. Dan. xiv. H.
*H Thou shalt prepare also dishes, and bowls, censers, and cups, wherein the libations are to be offered, of the purest gold.
Ver. 29. Dishes. (acetabulum.) Properly a vessel to hold vinegar, but used for various purposes. — Bowls, or vials full of wine. Tostat. — Censers, to contain incense, &c. C. xxxvii. 16. The first term, karuth, might also mean vessels to contain the flour and oil of which these loaves were made. Num. vii. 13. The Levites made the bread themselves, (1 Par. xxii. 29,) and even sowed the corn, and did every thing about it. S. Jer. in Mal. i. 7. The second term, coputh, may denote vessels to keep incense; the third, monkiuth, instruments to clean either the floor or the table, &c. All these vessels seem intended to accompany the table of shew-bread. — Cups, used for libations (C. xxxvii. 16. Num. iv. 7,) of wine, on the sabbath. Kossuth signifies a porringer or dish, like the ancient patera. Whether wine was placed on this table, we cannot determine. But we read of salt, (C.) which was to accompany all God's sacrifices. Lev. ii. 13.
*H And thou shalt set upon the table loaves of proposition in my sight always.
Ver. 30. Loaves. There were 12, containing each six pints of flour, made up in a square form, without leaven. They were placed in two rows, one above the other, and were kept separate by plates of gold. C. See Levit. xxiv. 5.
*H Thou shalt make also a candlestick of beaten work, of the finest gold, the shaft thereof, and the branches, the cups, and the bowls, and the lilies going forth from it.
Ver. 31. A candlestick. This candlestick, with its seven lamps, which was always to give light in the house of God, was a figure of the light of the Holy Ghost, and his seven-fold grace, in the sanctuary of the church of Christ. Ch. — It contained a talent of gold, or above 113 lb.; worth 5475l. sterling, including the snuffers, &c. (v. 39,) and had seven branches, adorned alternately with cups, bowls, or knobs, and lilies; (H.) or with cups, pomegranates, and lilies. The shaft was adorned with 15, the branches with only 12 of these ornaments. All was of massive gold, mokssé. — Bowls, sphærulas, globes, apples, &c. C. — Thou shalt make. The Heb. thiásse, has evidently the letter i redundant, and rejected by the best MSS. Ken. Dis. i. Houbigant.
*H Three cups as it were nuts to every branch, and a bowl withal, and a lily: and three cups likewise of the fashion of nuts in the other branch, and a bowl withal, and a lily. Such shall be the work of the six branches, that are to come out from the shaft:
Ver. 33. Cups. Heb. "cups which produce almonds or nuts;" that is three buds of flowers, out of which comes the stalk, as fruit does from the flower. The Heb. Gr. and Lat. languages use the word chalice, or cup, for a flower full-blown. The height of this candlestick is undetermined; but it would not exceed five feet.
*H Thou shalt make also seven lamps, and shalt set them upon the candlestick, to give light over against.
Ver. 37. Against. The table of proposition on the north, and that of perfumes in the middle, before the veil. T. — The lamps might be detached from the rest, (C.) and were trimmed every evening to burn all night; but, in the day, four were extinguished. Bonfrere.
*H The snuffers also, and where the snuffings shall be put out, shall be made of the purest gold.
Ver. 38. Put out, with the oil, &c. Nothing was to be treated with disrespect that had been dedicated to God's service. H. — Alexander adorned the temple of Apollo with a grand candlestick, resembling a tree laden with fruit; (Plin. xxxiv. 3,) and Dionysius the younger made a present of one to the prytaneum of Athens, which had 365 lamps upon it. They stood on the ground, and burnt oil, being the more necessary, as the ancient temples had generally no windows. The Egyptians, according to S. Clem. (strom. 1,) were the first who introduced them into their temples. C. — Solomon set up ten candlesticks, five on the north, and five on the south of the holy place. 3 K. vii. 49.
* Footnotes
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*
Hebrews
8:5
Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. As it was answered to Moses, when he was to finish the tabernacle: See (saith he) that thou make all things according to the pattern which was shewn thee on the mount.
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*
Acts
7:44
The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the desert, as God ordained for them, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the form which he had seen.