Commentaria in Leviticum
32. OF ALL THE TITHES OF OXEN, AND SHEEP, AND GOATS, THAT PASS UNDER THE SHEPHERD’S ROD, EVERY TENTH THAT COMETH SHALL BE SANCTIFIED TO THE LORD,—that is, shall be offered and given to the Lord for tithes.
Note: The Roman reads “and of goats,” and Radulphus. And the Hebrew tson signifies cattle, goats as well as sheep, and the same account of goats as of sheep held among the Jews in tithes as in sacrifices. The Septuagint and Chaldee, therefore, who mention the sheep alone, understand the goat under the sheep.
Note secondly: “That pass under the shepherd’s rod” hints the manner of tithing, namely that the shepherd, standing at the gate of the fold or pen, with his rod holds back his sheep, goats and oxen, that they go not out together, but one by one in order, so that the tenth that comes and goes out falls to the Lord for tithes, and it is not lawful to exchange it for another, whether it be good or bad, fat or lean.
Note thirdly: As in the preceding verse God exacted the tithes of all crops and fruits, so here he exacts the tithes of animals, and that only of three, namely ox, sheep and goat, because these alone were clean and fit for sacrifice. Abulensis, however, thinks that equally tithes of other animals also, even unclean, as horses, camels, asses, were commanded and given by the Jews: but he adduces no place of Holy Scripture that asserts it. Hence it is plain that the Jews by the law had to offer to God yearly, both of all crops and of animals, first, tithes; secondly, firstfruits, and these fourfold, as I said Num. 18:25; thirdly, victims and sacrifices, prescribed both daily and on each sabbath and feast, Num. 28 and 29.
34. THESE ARE THE PRECEPTS WHICH THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES FOR THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, IN MOUNT SINAI,—near mount Sinai, as I said in the preceding chapter, ver. 46.
“The fountain of wisdom is the word of God on high, and her ways are everlasting commandments.” So live that thou mayest live for ever. O Eternity, how long art thou, how rarely art thou turned over in the minds of men! What is eternity? It is a circle running back into itself, whose centre is “always,” whose circumference is “nowhere,” that is, “never to be ended.” What is eternity? It is a globe everywhere round, and like itself, in which is no beginning, nor end, in which is no beginning to be, no ceasing. What is eternity? It is a wheel which is ever turned, and will be turned through every rolling age. What is eternity? It is a year perpetually revolving, which where it sets and dies, there is born again and rises anew. What is eternity? It is a fountain in which the waters through windings ever flow back to their source, that they may flow again; it is a perennial fountain giving ever-running waters, either most sweet of blessing, or most bitter of cursing. What is eternity? It is a labyrinth twisting itself in numberless turns, which leads those who enter it perpetually round, drives them round, and destroys them. What is eternity? It is an abyss of coils, a coil ever whirling, and circling into the immeasurable.
What is eternity? It is a serpent bent back upon itself in a circle, embracing its tail with its mouth, which at its own end always begins again, and will never cease to begin. It is a beginning without beginning, without middle, without end. It is a perpetual, endless, ever-beginning beginning, in which the Blessed continually enter on a blessed life, and abound for ever in new delights: the damned always die, and after every death and agony of death begin again perpetually to die and to agonize; that as it was in the beginning, so it may be now, and always, and shall be for ages of ages. As long as earth shall be earth, as long as heaven shall be heaven, as long as God shall be God, so long the Blessed shall be blessed, so long shall they reign and triumph; so long the damned shall be damned, so long shall they burn in pitch and brimstone, and the smoke of their torments shall ascend for ages of ages.
O eternal truth, O true charity, O dear eternity! God of my heart, grant that we may know thee, may gape after thee with mind and heart; grant that no vanity may take us, so brief, and to be lamented for ever; grant that we may draw many with us to blessed eternity; grant that we may in this moment mark out heroic works of virtues, which before God and the angels may shine as trophies, and endure to all eternity. Amen.
OF THE HOLY GOD AND SANCTIFIER, TO BE WORSHIPPED HOLILY, FROM THE SANCTIFICATIONS OF LEVITICUS.
Offer to the Lord, ye sons of God: offer to the Lord the offspring of rams.
Bring to the Lord glory and honour: adore ye the Lord in his holy court.
Offer holocausts, meat-offerings, peace-offerings, sin-offerings: let your victims and holocausts be made fat.
Offer holocausts full of marrow with the incense of rams: offer bullocks with goats.
But holocausts and sin-offerings thou wouldst not, O Lord: when Christ, the true victim for sin, appeared, and said: Behold I come.
In the head of the book it is written of me that I should do thy will: O my God, I have desired it, and thy law in the midst of my heart.
Offer to God the sacrifice of praise: and pay thy vows to the most High.
The sacrifice of praise shall glorify me: and there is the way by which I will show him the salvation of God.
A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Let our prayer, O Lord, be directed as incense in thy sight: the lifting up of our hands, as evening sacrifice.
as in thousands of fat lambs.
So let our sacrifice be made in thy sight, that it may please thee: for there is no confusion to them that trust in thee.
And now we follow thee with all our heart, and we fear thee, and seek thy face.
Kindle continually, O Lord Jesus, the divine fire on the altar of our heart: which thou camest to send upon the earth, and wouldst have vehemently kindled.
The Lord chose Aaron and exalted him; he established with him an everlasting testament: that he might teach Jacob his testimonies, and give light to Israel in his law.
He gave him the priesthood of the nation: his sacrifices the fire consumed daily.
Moses filled his hands: and anointed him with holy oil.
He clothed him with a robe of glory: he crowned him with a tiara, in vessels of power.
As the morning star in the midst of a cloud, and as the sun when it shineth: so did he shine in the temple of God.
The offering of the high king was in his hand: he poured out at the foot of the altar of the blood of the grape.
Then the sons of Aaron shouted, with trumpets of beaten work they sounded, and gave a great voice, singing to the Lord.
All the people fell down upon their face, adoring the Lord: and made prayer to almighty God the most high.
Then coming down he lifted up his hands over all the congregation of Israel: and blessed it in the name of the Lord.
He repeated his prayer, begging that joy of heart be given to the people, and peace be made in Israel, for everlasting days.
Nadab and Abiu offered strange fire: fire went out from the Lord and devoured them.
The Lord separated clean animals from unclean: he forbade that souls be defiled with unclean ones.
He ordained purification in childbirth, in leprosy, in the issue of seed and of blood, saying: Be ye holy, for I am holy.
He ordained on the day of expiation that the lot of the goats be cast, and the high priest expiate the Holy of Holies.
All blood and fat he reserved to himself: because in his hand is our death and life.
He ordained the lawful conditions of matrimony: that none approach to the next of blood.
He ordained that both priests and victims be without blemish: because he himself is holy, and sanctifies them.
He ordained the celebration of the phase, pentecost, sabbaths and tabernacles: holy feasts to the Lord.
Blow the trumpet in the new moon: in the noted day of your solemnity of Israel.
He ordained the sabbath of the land, he ordained the joyful jubilee: and in it remission to all the inhabitants of the land.
He ordained the laws of vows, of firstborn, of tithes: and of cherem, holy of holies to the Lord.
Vow ye, and pay to the Lord your God: all you that are round about him bring presents.
He hath not done in like manner to every nation: and his ceremonies and judgments he hath not made manifest to them.
Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore my soul hath sought them.
Give me understanding, and I will search thy law: I will consider the wonderful things of thy law.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.