Commentaria in Numeros
Hence it is plain that if a Jew had vowed to abstain from flesh all the year, yet in spite of this vow he would have had to eat the flesh of the lamb at the pasch, because this was commanded by God, and could therefore not be annulled by a vow; nay, if any one had vowed not to eat flesh at the pasch, he would have sinned, and his vow would have been void, as opposed to the precept of God. So Abulensis.
Note: The words “in your nation” must be referred not to the journey but to the man of your nation; whosoever shall be afar off on a journey, let him keep the pasch in the second month.
You will ask: What if in the second month they were still unclean, or were still far from Jerusalem, journeying abroad on the way: would it have been lawful for them to celebrate the phase in the third or fourth month? I answer that it was not lawful, both because only the second month is prescribed here for the phase; and because otherwise the order of the feasts would have been disturbed, and the phase would have been celebrated with Pentecost, or the feast of tabernacles, of trumpets, etc.; and because the time at which the Hebrews were led out of Egypt, that is of the first month, or at least the next, is chiefly regarded in this paschal feast: since the feast of the pasch was an express memorial of the deliverance from Egypt, formerly accomplished at this same time; so the Jews practised, as is plain from 2 Paralipomenon 30:15, compared with verse 18.
You will say: St. Augustine here, Question 15, prolongs the pasch for the unclean and travellers to the third month.
I answer: St. Augustine speaks disjunctively; for he says that such either celebrated the pasch in the third month, or at least, if they did not keep the pasch that year, did not sin, which latter is true.
Verse 13. HE SHALL BEAR HIS SIN (the penalty of his sin, it is a metonymy).
Verse 14. THE STRANGER ALSO AND THE FOREIGNER, IF THEY BE AMONG YOU, SHALL KEEP THE PHASE.—For “stranger and foreigner” the Hebrew has one word, ger, signifying one who comes from abroad, that is a sojourner; understand, if he be a Jew, or initiated into Judaism: for he alone could and was bound to celebrate the pasch; and therefore all, even strangers and proselytes, who could, were bound at the pasch to come to Jerusalem: many, however, dwelling in places remote from it, were excused on account of various impediments. Hence he says: “If they be among you.”
Verse 15. NOW ON THE DAY THAT THE TABERNACLE WAS REARED UP, A CLOUD COVERED IT.—“Cloud” means the pillar of cloud, which went before the camp like a leader showing the way through the desert into Canaan, as I said on Exodus 13:21.
You will ask whether this pillar of cloud was created, and what kind of true cloud it was. Calvin, on Exodus 13, inveighs against the execrable ravings of his disciple Servetus: for Servetus imagined this cloud to be uncreated, as if it were the very deity of Christ, which alone he acknowledged, and which he substituted for the three persons of the Most Holy Trinity, whom he denied; as if the deity were then corporeal, which he calls a figurative substance, which afterwards was made flesh, not because he took on flesh, but because he appeared as man, compounded of three uncreated elements and the seed of David. How many monsters of error are here! Calvin gave us such disciples; from the egg know the raven: for Servetus was a bad egg of a bad raven (Calvin), because from the heresiarch Calvin he learned nothing but to invent heresies.
I say therefore first: It is certain that this cloud was not uncreated but created, and was stretched up on high in the shape and figure of a pillar, by which, as at the helm of a ship, an angel stood like a pilot, and through the angel it spoke in the name of God, by bending down to the earth or to the tabernacle, Numbers 12:5. Hence it is said in Psalm 98:7: “He spoke to them in the pillar of the cloud.”
I say secondly that this pillar of cloud was like a cloud in matter and in colour: for it was white and bright, like a white cloud; yet it differed from a cloud: first, because it was purer and brighter; secondly, denser and more solid; thirdly, it always kept the figure of a pillar, whereas clouds very often change their figure. Fourthly, clouds are moved by winds, this pillar by an angel. Fifthly, this pillar was always like itself, whereas clouds very often change either colour, or place, or thickness. Sixthly, clouds dissolve into rain, this pillar remained a pillar. Seventhly, clouds are moved by a circular motion with the heaven, this cloud was moved by a straight motion, now forward, now backward, now sideways.
For when the camp was moved, this cloud placed itself over, or before, the standard of the tribe of Juda (for this was the first and the leader of the others, as is plain from chapter 10, verses 13 and 14), and all the camp followed its motion and guidance: but when the camp was to be pitched, this pillar returned from the standard of the tribe of Juda to the tabernacle, which was in the midst of the camp, as is plain from chapter 2, verse 2. Eighthly, this pillar accommodated itself and its motion to the strength of the Hebrews, so as not to go faster than they could follow: it moderated its motion, therefore, according to the strength and pace of so many women, little ones, old men, sheep, lambs, etc., as were in the camp of the Hebrews, which are wont to advance at a slow pace.
AND FROM THE EVENING THERE WAS UPON THE TABERNACLE AS IT WERE THE APPEARANCE OF FIRE UNTIL MORNING—as if to say: This pillar by day had the appearance of a cloud, but by night had the appearance of fire, which lit up the whole camp. The Hebrews think there were two pillars, one of cloud by day, to which another of fire succeeded at night; but it is truer that there was one and the same pillar, which by day appeared as what it really was, namely a cloud erected like a pillar: by night, however, it shone like fire. For in this place it is said that by night there was as it were the appearance of fire, because this columnar cloud by night seemed flaming. Philo also relates that it was the same pillar, but that by day it shone with the splendour of the sun, by night with a flaming one. Again, this is plain from the fact that in Exodus 14:20 and 24 the same is called the pillar of cloud and of fire, which placed itself between the camp of the Hebrews and that of the Egyptians, and lit up the Hebrews like fire, but darkened the Egyptians like a cloud. So Abulensis, Cajetan, Pereira and others on Exodus 13. Hence it is clear that it is truer that this nocturnal fire of the pillar was not real fire, but as it were fire, that is, had the appearance of fire, as is said in chapters 15 and 16.
You will say: How then in Exodus 13:21 and 22 is this nocturnal pillar called fire, if it was really not fire but a cloud? I answer: It is called fire because to beholders it seemed to be fire: for it shone like fire, and God gave this splendour to the cloud by night, but took it away by day. For it is familiar to Scripture to speak after the common manner of men, and to call a thing such as it appears, even though in itself it is not really such. So it calls idols strange gods, which really are neither gods nor strange, but are held to be gods by strangers, or foreign Gentiles. So in Exodus 3 a burning bush is spoken of, which seemed to burn; yet in reality it did not burn. For so Plato in the Timaeus distinguishes a threefold fire: first, that which is in a fiery body, as in a coal or red-hot iron; second, that which is called flame, and burns and shines; third, that which shines and does not burn: such is the light of the sun and stars. Hence the Poet:
You, eternal fires, and inviolable divinity, I call to witness.