The altar of incense: money to be gathered for the use of the tabernacle: the brazen laver: the holy oil of unction, and the composition of the perfume.
How, and of what matter, the Altar of incense shal be made: 12. VVhat money shal be gathered for the vse of the Tabernacle. 18. A brasen lauer is also to be made, 25. and holie oile of vnction.
1Thou shalt make also an altar to burn incense, of setim wood.Farai anche un altare per bruciarvi i timiami di legno di setim,THOV shalt make also an Altar to burne incense, of the wood setim,Facies quoque altare ad adolendum thymiama, de lignis setim, 2It shall be a cubit in length, and another in breadth, that is, four square, and two in height. Horns shall go out of the same.Il quale avrà un cubito di lunghezza, e uno di larghezza, vale a dire, sarà quadro; e avrà due cubiti d'altezza. Spunteranno da esso i suoi corni.hauing a cubite of length, and an other of bredth, that is, foure square, and two cubites in height. The hornes shal procede out of the same.habens cubitum longitudinis, et alterum latitudinis, id est, quadrangulum, et duos cubitos in altitudine. Cornua ex ipso procedent. 3And thou shalt overlay it with the purest gold, as well the grate thereof, as the walls round about, and the horns. And thou shalt make to it a crown of gold round about,E lo rivestirai d'oro finissimo tanto la sua graticola, come i lati all'intorno, e i corni. E gli farai una piccola corona d'oro, che girerà intorno ad esso,And thou shalt plate it with the purest gold, as wel the grate therof, as the walles round about, and the hornes. And thou shalt make to it a crowne of gold round about,Vestiesque illud auro purissimo, tam craticulam ejus, quam parietes per circuitum, et cornua. Faciesque ei coronam aureolam per gyrum, 4And two golden rings under the crown on either side, that the bars may be put into them, and the altar be carried.E due anelli d'oro sotto la corona a ciascuno de' lati per passarvi le stanghe, affinché possa l'altare portarsi.and two golden ringes vnder the crowne on either side, that the barres may be put into them, and the Altar may be caried.et duos annulos aureos sub corona per singula latera, ut mittantur in eos vectes, et altare portetur. 5And thou shalt make the bars also of setim wood, and shalt overlay them with gold.Le stanghe ancora le farai di legno di setim, e le coprirai d'oro.The barres also them selues thou shalt make of the wood setim, and shalt plate them with gold.Ipsos quoque vectes facies de lignis setim, et inaurabis. 6And thou shalt set the altar over against the veil, that hangeth before the ark of the testimony before the propitiatory wherewith the testimony is covered, where I will speak to thee.E collocherai l'altare dirimpetto al velo, che pende dinanzi all'arca del testimonio innanzi al propiziatorio, che cuopre l'arca del testimonio, dove io a te parlerò.And thou shalt set the Altar against the veile, that hangeth before the arke of testimonie before the propitiatorie wherwith the testimonie is couered, where I wil speake to thee.Ponesque altare contra velum, quod ante arcum pendet testimonii coram propitiatorio quo tegitur testimonium, ubi loquar tibi.
7And Aaron shall burn sweet smelling incense upon it in the morning. When he shall dress the lamps, he shall burn it:E Aronne brucerà sopra di quello i profumi di soave fragranza ogni mattina. Li brucerà nel tempo, che accomoderà le lucerne:And Aaron shal burne incense vpon it, swetely fragrant, in the morning. When he shal dresse the lampes, he shal burne it:Et adolebit incensum super eo Aaron, suave fragrans, mane. Quando componet lucernas, incendet illud: 8And when he shall place them in the evening, he shall burn an everlasting incense before the Lord throughout your generations.E quando le rimetterà alla sera, brucerà sempre i timiami dinanzi al Signore per tutte le vostre generazioni.and when he shal place them at euen, he shal burne incense euerlasting before the Lord through your generations.et quando collocabit eas ad vesperum, uret thymiama sempiternum coram Domino in generationes vestras. 9You shall not offer upon it incense of another composition, nor oblation, and victim, neither shall you offer libations.Non offrirete sopra di esso alcun timiama di straniera composizione, né obblazione alcuna, né vittima, né vi farete libagioni.You shal not offer vpon it incense of an other composition, nor oblation, and victime, neitheir shal you offer libamentes.Non offeretis super eo thymiama compositionis alterius, nec oblationem, et victimam, nec libabitis libamina. 10And Aaron shall pray upon the horns thereof once a year, with the blood of that which was offered for sin; and shall make atonement upon it in your generations. It shall be most holy to the Lord.Una volta l'anno Aronne farà l'espiazione de' corni dell'altare col sangue offerto pel peccato, e con questo placherà (Dio) per tutte le generazioni vostre. Sarà cosa santissima dinanzi al Signore.And Aaron shal pray vpon the hornes therof once a yeare, with the bloud of that which was offered for sinne, and shal pacifie vpon it in your generations. It shal be most Holie to the Lord.Et deprecabitur Aaron super cornua ejus semel per annum, in sanguine quod oblatum est pro peccato, et placabit super eo in generationibus vestris. Sanctum sanctorum erit Domino. 11And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:E il Signore parlò a Mosè, e disse:And our Lord spake to Moyses, saying:Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens: 12When thou shalt take the sum of the children of Israel, according to their number, every one of them shall give a price for their souls to the Lord, and there shall be no scourge among them, when they shall be reckoned.Quando avrai fatto il conto de' figliuoli d'Israele, ciascheduno compreso in questo numero darà al Signore il prezzo del suo riscatto, e non saranno soggetti a flagello, quando saranno stati censiti.When thou shalt take the summe of the children of Israel according to their number, euerie one of them shal giue a price for their soules to the Lord, and there shal be no scourge among them, when they shal be reckened.Quando tuleris summam filiorum Israël juxta numerum, dabunt singuli pretium pro animabus suis Domino, et non erit plaga in eis, cum fuerint recensiti.
13And this shall every one give that passeth at the naming, half a sicle according to the standard of the temple. A sicle hath twenty obols. Half a sicle shall be offered to the Lord.Or tutti que' che saranno descritti, daranno la metà d'un siclo secondo il peso del tempio. Il siclo contiene venti oboli. La metà del siclo sarà offerta al Signore.And this shal euerie one giue that passeth to the naming, halfe a sicle according to the measure of the temple. A sicle hath twentee aboles. The halfe part of a sicle shal be offered to the Lord.Hoc autem dabit omnis qui transit ad nomen, dimidium sicli juxta mensuram templi (siclus viginti obolos habet); media pars sicli offeretur Domino. 14He that is counted in the number from twenty years and upwards, shall give the price.Quelli che avran luogo nel censo da' venti anni in là, pagheranno il riscatto.He that is accounted in the number, for twentie yeares and vpward, shal giue price.Qui habetur in numero, a viginti annis et supra, dabit pretium. 15The rich man shall not add to half a sicle, and the poor man shall diminish nothing.Il ricco non darà di più del mezzo siclo, e il povero non darà di meno.The rich man shal not adde to halfe a sicle, and the poore man shal diminish nothing.Dives non addet ad medium sicli, et pauper nihil minuet. 16And the money received, which was contributed by the children of Israel, thou shalt deliver unto the uses of the tabernacle of the testimony, that it may be a memorial of them before the Lord, and he may be merciful to their souls.E preso il denaro offerto da' figliuoli d'Israele, lo depositerai per servigio del tabernacolo della testimonianza, affinché rappelli al Signore la memoria di essi, ed ei si renda propizio alle anime loro.And the money being receiued, which was contributed of the children of Israel, thou shalt deliuer vnto the vses of the tabernacle of testimonie, that it may be a monument of them before the Lord, and he may be propitious to their soules.Susceptamque pecuniam, quæ collata est a filiis Israël, trades in usus tabernaculi testimonii, ut sit monimentum eorum coram Domino, et propitietur animabus eorum. 17And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:E il Signore parlò a Mosè, e disse:And our Lord spake to Moyses, saying:Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens: 18Thou shalt make also a brazen laver with its foot to wash in: and thou shalt set it between the tabernacle of the testimony and the altar. And water being put into it:Farai anche una conca di bronzo colla sua base, che serva di lavatoio: e la porrai tra 'l tabernacolo della testimonianza, e l'altare. E messavi l'acqua,Thou shalt make also a lauer with his foote of brasse, to wash in: and thou shalt set it betwen the tabernacle of the testimonie and the Altar. And water being put into it,Facies et labrum æneum cum basi sua ad lavandum: ponesque illud inter tabernaculum testimonii et altare. Et missa aqua,
19Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet in it:Si laveranno con essa Aronne, e i suoi figliuoli le loro mani, e i piedi,Aaron and his sonnes shal wash therin their handes and feete,lavabunt in ea Aaron et filii ejus manus suas ac pedes, 20When they are going into the tabernacle of the testimony, and when they are to come to the altar, to offer on it incense to the Lord,Quando saranno per entrare nel tabernacolo del testimonio, e quando dovranno accostarsi all'altare per offerirvi i timiami al Signore,when they are going into the tabernacle of testimonie, and when they are to come vnto the Altar, to offer on it incense to the Lord,quando ingressuri sunt tabernaculum testimonii, et quando accessuri sunt ad altare, ut offerant in eo thymiama Domino, 21Lest perhaps they die. It shall be an everlasting law to him, and to his seed by successions.Affinché per disgrazia non periscano: questa sarà legge eterna per Aronne, e pe' discendenti, che succederanno.lest perhappes they die. it shal be an euerlasting law to him, and to his seede by successions.ne forte moriantur; legitimum sempiternum erit ipsi, et semini ejus per successiones. 22And the Lord spoke to Moses,E il Signore parlò a Mosè, e disse:And our Lord spake to Moyses,Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, 23Saying: Take spices, of principal and chosen myrrh five hundred sicles, and of cinnamon half so much; that is, two hundred and fifty sicles, of calamus in like manner two hundred and fifty,Prendi tu questi aromi: cinquecento sicli di mirra la prima, e più eccellente; e la metà, cioè dugento cinquanta sicli di cinnamomo, e parimente dugento cinquanta sicli di canna odorosa,saying: Take spices, of principal and chosen myrrh fiue hundred sicles, and of cinnamon halfe so much, that is, two hundred fiftie sicles, of calamus in like maner two hundred fiftie,dicens: Sume tibi aromata, primæ myrrhæ et electæ quingentos siclos, et cinnamomi medium, id est, ducentos quinquaginta siclos, calami similiter ducentos quinquaginta, 24And of cassia five hundred sicles by the weight of the sanctuary, of oil of olives the measure hin:E cinquecento sicli di cassia a peso del santuario, e la misura d'un hin d'olio d'ulivo:and of casia fiue hundred sicles after the weight of the Sanctuarie, of oile of oliues the measure hin:casiæ autem quingentos siclos, in pondere sanctuarii, olei de olivetis mensuram hin: 25And thou shalt make the holy oil of unction, an ointment compounded after the art of the perfumer,E ne formerai l'olio santo per le unzioni, l'unguento composto con arte dal profumiere,and thou shalt make the holie oile of vnction, an ointment compounded by the art of an vnguentarie,faciesque unctionis oleum sanctum, unguentum compositum opere unguentarii, 26And therewith thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the testimony, and the ark of the testament,E con esso ungerai il tabernacolo del testimonio, e l'arca del testamento,and therof thou shalt anoynt the tabernacle of testimonie, and the arke of the testament,et unges ex eo tabernaculum testimonii, et arcam testamenti, 27And the table with the vessels thereof, the candlestick and furniture thereof, the altars of incense,E la mensa co' suoi vasi, e il candelabro, e le cose, che servono per esso, e l'altare del timiama,and the table with the vessel therof, the candlesticke, and the furniture therof, the Altars of incense,mensamque cum vasis suis, et candelabrum, et utensilia ejus, altaria thymiamatis, 28And of holocaust, and all the furniture that belongeth to the service of them.E quello degli olocausti, e tutti gli utensili, che servono ad uso di essi.and of holocauste, and al the furniture that perteyneth to the seruice of them.et holocausti, et universam supellectilem quæ ad cultum eorum pertinet.
29And thou shalt sanctify all, and they shall be most holy: he that shall touch them shall be sanctified.E santificherai tutte queste cose, e diverranno santissime: chiunque le toccherà, sarà santificato.And thou shalt sanctifie al, and they shal be most Holie: he that shal touch them, shal be sanctified.Sanctificabisque omnia, et erunt Sancta sanctorum; qui tetigerit ea, sanctificabitur. 30Thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and shalt sanctify them, that they may do the office of priesthood unto me.Ungerai Aronne, e i suoi figliuoli, e li santificherai, affinché esercitino il mio sacerdozio.Thou shalt anoynt Aaron and his sonnes, and shalt sanctifie them, that they may doe the function of priesthood vnto me.Aaron et filios ejus unges, sanctificabisque eos, ut sacerdotio fungantur mihi. 31And thou shalt say to the children of Israel: This oil of unction shall be holy unto me throughout your generations.Dirai pure a' figliuoli d'Israele: Quest'olio della unzione sarà consacrato a me per tutte le generazioni vostre.To the children of Israel also thou shalt say: This oile of vnction shal be holie vnto me through your generations.Filiis quoque Israël dices: Hoc oleum unctionis sanctum erit mihi in generationes vestras. 32The flesh of man shall not be anointed therewith, and you shall make none other of the same composition, because it is sanctified, and shall be holy unto you.Nissun uomo con esso si ungerà, e altro non ne farete di simile composizione, perché questo è santificato, e sarà santo per voi.The flesh of man shal not be anoynted therewith, and you shal make none other after the composition of it, because it is sanctified, and shal be holie vnto you.Caro hominis non ungetur ex eo, et juxta compositionem ejus non facietis aliud, quia sanctificatum est, et sanctum erit vobis. 33What man soever shall compound such, and shall give thereof to a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.Qualsivoglia uomo, che una simile ne formi, e ne dia ad un estraneo, sarà sterminato dal consorzio del popol suo.What man soeuer shal compound such, and shal giue therof to a stranger, shal be abandoned out of his people.Homo quicumque tale composuerit, et dederit ex eo alieno, exterminabitur de populo suo. 34And the Lord said to Moses: Take unto thee spices, stacte, and onycha, galbanum of sweet savour, and the clearest frankincense, all shall be of equal weight.E il Signore disse a Mosè: Prendi questi aromi, statte, oniche, e galbano di grato odore, e incenso lucidissimo: il tutto in eguali porzioni:And our Lord said to Moyses: Take vnto thee spices, stactee, and onycha, galbanum of swete sauour, and the clearest frankincense, al shal be of equal weight:Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen: Sume tibi aromata, stacten et onycha, galbanum boni odoris, et thus lucidissimum; æqualis ponderis erunt omnia:
35And thou shalt make incense compounded by the work of the perfumer, well tempered together, and pure, and most worthy of sanctification.E farai un timiama composto secondo l'arte di profumiere manipolato con diligenza, e purificato, e degnissimo d'esser offerto.and thou shalt make incense compounded by the worke of an vnguentarie, exactly tempered, and pure, and most worthie of sanctification.faciesque thymiama compositum opere unguentarii, mistum diligenter, et purum, et sanctificatione dignissimum. 36And when thou hast beaten all into very small powder, thou shalt set of it before the tabernacle of the testimony, in the place where I will appear to thee. Most holy shall this incense be unto you.E quando avrai ridotto il tutto in minutissima polvere, ne porrai dinanzi al tabernacolo e lei testimonio, nel qual luogo io ti apparirò. Sarà questo per voi santissimo timiama.And when thou hast beaten al into verie smal pouder, thou shalt set of it before the tabernacle of testimonie, in the place where I wil appeare to thee. Most Holie shal the incense be vnto you.Cumque in tenuissimum pulverem universa contuderis, pones ex eo coram tabernaculo testimonii, in quo loco apparebo tibi. Sanctum sanctorum erit vobis thymiama. 37You shall not make such a composition for your own uses, because it is holy to the Lord.Composizione simile non farete per vostro uso, perché è cosa consacrata al Signore.Such confection you shal not make vnto your owne vses, because it is holie to the Lord.Talem compositionem non facietis in usus vestros, quia sanctum est Domino. 38What man soever shall make the like, to enjoy the smell thereof, he shall perish out of his people.Chiunque ne farà una simile per goderne l'odore, perirà di mezzo al suo popolo.What man soeuer shal make the like, to enioy the smel therof, shal perish out of his people.Homo quicumque fecerit simile, ut odore illius perfruatur, peribit de populis suis.
30:1
Challoner
An altar to burn incense. This burning of incense was an emblem of prayer, ascending to God from an inflamed heart. See Psalm 140:2; Apocalypse 5:8, and 8:4. (Challoner)
Nothing but incense was daily offered by the high priest upon this altar. On the day of expiation he touched the four corners with blood. It stood over-against the bread of proposition.
30:2
Height. Ezechiel (xli. 22,) describes his altar of incense, a cubit higher.
30:3
Menochius
Grate, or covering. Some think the fire and incense were placed on this grate, and the ashes fell under the altar. But fire was taken hence, and put in the thuribles; (Numbers 16:17; Calmet) or a brazen thurible was placed on the fire, Leviticus 10:1. (Menochius)
Walls, or sides, of setim-wood.
Crown, cornice or moulding. See Exodus 25:25.
30:6
Calmet
Where, etc. Hence some infer, that its situation was in the most holy place. But God spoke also to Moses at the door of the sanctuary (chap. 29:42.; Haydock); and most people suppose, that it was placed out of the holy of holies, beside the veil. The golden censer, which St. Paul (Hebrews 9:4,) tells us was within, might be that of Aaron, which was placed there after the sedition of Core, (Numbers xvi.) or one that might be left smoking before the ark, on the day of expiation. (Calmet)
St. Augustine, etc., believe, however, that it was in the holy of holies. (q. 133.; Origen, hom. 19.; St. Gregory; 1 Kings xiv.; etc.)
30:7
Calmet
Aaron, or some other priest. They did it by turns, and were bound to observe continence during the time of their ministry. (Leviticus 15:16; Luke 1:9.) (Calmet)
30:9
Menochius
Composition, than what is prescribed, ver. 34. (Menochius)
30:10
It. This altar, or this rite; all deserve a singular respect.
30:12
Calmet
Sum. David perhaps neglected this injunction. (2 Kings xxiv; Josephus, Antiquities 7:10.) Yet we do not read that Moses took the half sicle when he numbered the people, Numbers 1:Whence others gather, that this sum was to be paid every year, as it was done in our Saviour's time, for the support of the temple, Matthew 17:23. Vespasian ordered the Jews to pay the same money for the capitol. (Josephus, Jewish Wars 7:13.) After the captivity, the third part of a sicle was demanded, 2 Esdras 10:32. (Calmet)
30:13
Challoner
Half a sicle. A sicle or shekel of silver, (which was also called a stater) according to the standard or weight of the sanctuary, which was the most just and exact, was half an ounce of silver; that is, about half a crown of English money. The obol, or gerah, was about three halfpence. (Challoner)
Calmet
A priest kept the weights and measures, 1 Paralipomenon 23:29. The Egyptians and Romans took the like precaution to prevent any fraud; and Justinian required that such things should be kept in churches. Some have supposed, that the royal or common sicle was less than that of the sanctuary. But Moses admits of no distinction. (Leviticus 27:25.; Ezechiel 45:12.) Perhaps the weights of the Egyptians, etc., might differ from this, which Moses therefore particularizes so well. (Calmet)
Haydock
Arbuthnot makes the weight of the sicle equal to 9 dwt. 2,57 gr. English Troy weight; and he values that of silver at 2s. 3,375d. sterling. (Haydock)
30:15
Menochius
Rich. The life of every man is equal in the sight of God, and He will not give the rich occasion to despise his poor neighbour. Thus also the number of the people would be ascertained. (Menochius)
30:18
Haydock
Its foot also of brass, made of mirrors which the women gave, Exodus 38:8. It was double; one vessel being shallower, to wash the feet etc., and the other containing a quantity of water, which was let out by pipes. The pagans had lavers also; and our holy-water vessels should remind us of that purity and holiness which became the house of God. (Haydock)
30:19
Calmet
Feet. The priests went barefoot in the tabernacle. In the Misna we find the same law binds laymen. None were allowed to enter the temple of Diana, in Crete, with shoes on; and the Roman ladies followed the same custom, when they came down to the temple of Vesta. Huc pede matronam nudo descendere vidi. (Ovid, Fast. 6.) (Calmet)
Haydock
The priest is ordered to put off his shoes on Good Friday, out of respect for Jesus Christ, who suffered on the cross. (Haydock)
30:23
Spices. Perfumes were probably first invented in Arabia and Egypt. Ovid makes Bacchus the author of bloody sacrifices, and of incense offered to Jupiter. (Fast. 3.)
Calmet
Myrrh. Hebrew, "the head of the myrrh of liberty," or such as flowed freely and was most excellent, free from any mixture. Sudant sponte....stacten dictam. (Pliny, [Natural History?] 12:15.) (Calmet)
Menochius
Stacte takes its name from distilling. (Menochius)
Sicles; this is not expressed in the Hebrew, as this measure is commonly meant.
Cinnamon, a plant extremely rare. Matthcole assures us, that it is not now to be found in Arabia, no more than balm in Judea.
Calamus. Hebrew adds the epithet sweet-smelling both to cinnamon and calamus, or cane, the latter of which grows in the Indies. (Dioscor. 1:17.) That which druggists sell, under this name, is not a proper ingredient for ointments.
30:24
Calmet
Cassia, not the common sort, which would spoil the perfumes, but the essence of iris, (Hebrew, kode) mentioned in the Septuagint; Ezechiel 27:19; Josephus; etc. (Calmet)
30:29
Calmet
Sanctified. But if he ought not to touch it, he shall be defiled the more: (Deuteronomy 22:9) a double effect, which we perceive in the Christian sacraments. (Calmet)
30:31
Haydock
Holy unto me, or set apart for the persons and things employed in my service. (Haydock)
30:32
Rabbins
Of man. Some except the kings of Juda, till the reign of Josias. (Rabbins)
Menochius
But they were anointed with common oil. (Menochius)
30:33
Menochius
Cut off. Excommunicated, and deprived of all the privileges of the Israelites; (Calmet) or even put to death for his presumption. (Menochius)
30:34
Onycha. An aromatic root, shining like "the nail," or perhaps the bdellium of Arabia, which is clearer than that of the Indies. (Dioscor.; Galen Medic.) It distills from a tree. Others affirm, that it is the shell of a fish which feeds on spikenard (spica nardi) in the watery places of India.
Galbanum, an unctuous gum, of a strong but not very agreeable smell when alone.
Frankincense, is a juice proceeding by incision from the trees of Saba.
Weight. The Rabbins say 70 or 74 pounds of each.
30:35
Together. Hebrew literally, "salted," (Chaldean) as salt was to accompany all the sacrifices, Leviticus 2:13. But it was not, perhaps, to be mixed with this perfume, no more than with the wine of libations. The word may signify "a thing used in embalming, pure and holy."
30:36
Calmet
Place. On the table of perfumes, to be burnt morning and evening. (Calmet)
30:1
30:13
Half a sicle.... A sicle or shekel of silver, (which was also called a stater,) according to the standard or weight of the sanctuary, which was the most just and exact, was half an ounce of silver, that is, about half a crown of English money. The obol, or gerah, was about three halfpence.
30:13
That is, 7. d ob English. For a sicle of the Sanctuarie is about 15. d
Obolus, 3. farthings.
30:1
St Methodius † AD 311 The Banquet of the Ten Virgins; or Concerning Chastity 5.6
… thus virginity appears to be something great and glorious. Therefore it ought to be preserved undefiled and altogether pure, having no participation in the impurities of the flesh; but it should be set up before the presence of the testimony, gilded with wisdom, for the Holy of holies, sending forth a sweet savour of love to the Lord; for He says,
30:7
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 49.27
… for it was lawful for the high priest alone to place the incense on the altar.
30:20
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 12.43
… for they were sore afraid at the supernatural sight, and the things which were spoken from the sight. But consider if you can also say this with reference to the details in the passage, that the disciples, having understood that the Son of God had been holding conference with Moses, and that it was He who said, “A man shall not see My face and live,”
30:22
Tertullian † AD 220 An Answer to the Jews 13
Now, if (according to the Jews) He is hitherto not come, when He begins to come whence will He be anointed? For the Law enjoined that, in captivity, it was not lawful for the unction of the royal chrism to be compounded.
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 10.14
… as thou heardest on the Lord’s day, when we were discoursing in the congregation on the phrase, After the Order of Melchizedek . He received not the High-Priesthood from bodily succession, nor was He anointed with oil prepared by man
30:23
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 2.24.3
… But what of the anointing oil, which sanctified the whole tabernacle? Perhaps it escaped the notice of the Saviour, or, while their Mother was sleeping, the Demiurge of himself gave instructions as to its weight; and on this account it is out of harmony with their Pleroma, consisting,
30:33
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 2.94
… It was not lawful for everyone to touch the priestly vesture, or any of the holy vessels; nor might the sacrifices themselves be consumed except by the proper persons, and at the proper time and place; nor might the anointing oil nor the compounded incense
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St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 2.24.3
… and on this account it is out of harmony with their Pleroma, consisting, as it did, of five hundred shekels of myrrh, five hundred of cassia, two hundred and fifty of cinnamon, two hundred and fifty of calamus, and oil in addition, so that it was composed of five ingredients. The incense
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1. Thou shalt make also an altar to burn incense upon. — There is described here the altar of incense, upon which no victims, but only incense was burned to God, not only by the high priest, but also by the lesser priests, who ordinarily performed this duty, and that twice daily, namely in the morning and in the evening, in the manner of a continual sacrifice. Hence therefore this altar was called the altar of incense; or, as it is in Hebrew, the altar of the perfume of incense. Note first: This altar was made of setim wood gilded, and it was one cubit long, one cubit wide, and two cubits high. Note secondly: This altar was in the Holy Place, in the midst of the candlestick and the table, and it was set before the mercy seat or oracle, which was in the Holy of Holies above the ark, supported by two Cherubim; hence this altar is called the altar of the oracle: for it was so set before the oracle, that through the opening which was above in the wall dividing the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, the smoke of the aromatic incenses burned upon the altar of incense would ascend, and evaporate into the oracle itself, so that God dwelling in the oracle might be honored by this perfume. Thirdly, God willed that these odors be burned to Him, not because He delights in the smell of incense, since He has no sense of smell, nor nostrils, nor body; but because it is accounted a great honor among men to present or fumigate pleasant odors to someone: hence God, who deals with men in human fashion, willed that the same be burned to His worship before Him. Thus by the custom and rite of all nations, the burning of frankincense and odors has been attributed to God; hence the Poets call "the honors of frankincense" divine honors, and the three Magi gave these three gifts to Christ, namely: "gold to the king, frankincense to God, and myrrh to Him that is buried." Whence we Christians also burn incense to God; Fourthly, this altar had four horns, and a golden crown round about: in the middle it had a grate of network, through which the ashes and cinders of the burned incense would fall beneath the altar, and from there they were removed at their proper times. Fifthly, this altar had four rings, through which two poles were inserted, by which it was carried and borne by the priests through the desert. Tropologically: This altar, says Bede, signifies the life of the perfect, who as it were are placed in the vicinity of the oracle: because, having abandoned the lowest delights, they devote all their care to the entrance into the kingdom of heaven alone. Whence rightly upon this altar not the flesh of animals, but only incenses were burned: because such persons do not yet need to slay the sins of the flesh and the allurements of thoughts in themselves, but almost only offer the fragrances of spiritual prayers and heavenly desires through the fire of internal love in the sight of their Creator. Hence this altar is of setim wood, because it befits such to be beautiful in virtues, and incorruptible to vices; it is also square, because such are firm and immovable, so that they say: Who shall separate us from the charity of Christ? Secondly it is gilded, because such ought to shine with distinguished charity. Nine, according to Pliny, lib. xxxiii, cap. iii, are the excellences and gifts of gold, namely "wonderful generation, splendor, weight, facility of material (for gold is ductile into the thinnest surfaces, lines and points), constancy, purity, medicinal properties, miracles, value;" which he pursues at length, and Alcazarius in the Apocalypse adapts individually to charity. Thirdly, these have a cubit of length and width, because they maintain equal patience in any adversities sent from every side, because in all things they think one thing, that is God, from whom they know these things are sent to them, and for whose honor and will they willingly endure all things; and they have two cubits in height, because both in body and in mind they are borne toward heavenly things, and they say with the Psalmist, Psalm LXXXIII: "My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God." Fourth, these four have horns, that is, four cardinal virtues flowing from the altar, that is, from the very bosom and disposition of the heart. Fifth, the grating is their heart, in which those aromatics are burned to God, and if anything of earthly ash falls in them, so that prayer and praise of God may be pure, and the desires of the heart may be pure. Sixth, the golden crown signifies the crown prepared for them in heaven. Seventh, the four rings with the poles are gifts of the Holy Spirit, by which the just are easily moved by Him and are stirred up to glorious deeds. Eighth, at the same time incense was offered as the perpetual sacrifice, because these two things, namely mortification, which the perpetual sacrifice or immolation of the lamb represents, and the ardor of contemplation, which incense represents, must be joined together: for one cannot exist without the other; whence in the Canticle v, the Bridegroom says: "I have gathered myrrh with my aromatics." Where by myrrh mortification is understood, by aromatics divine love and contemplation. Note in this place that Christ compared Himself in His passion to a reaper, both to signify the joy of soul with which He suffered, and to indicate the abundant fruit of His passion, which He then seemed to reap and gather as it were by suffering: and thus the very passion of Christ was as it were a certain harvest and gathering of fruits. Oh that our heart might be an altar of incense, which might exhale perpetual incense, namely pious and frequent vows, desires and sighs to God! Thus St. John saw an angel take fire from the altar of incense and offer to God phials full of odors, which are the prayers of the Saints, Apocalypse viii, 3 and 5. Hence Urban IV the Pontiff, explaining that passage of Psalm L, Then shall they lay calves upon thy altar: "This is the altar," he says, "of thy holy temple, which I am, near which stands an angel appointed for its custody, having a golden censer in his hand, so that with much incense he may present before thee, O Lord, prayers poured forth with tears. This is a hollow and empty altar, namely emptied of all earthly affections, which thou didst command to be made, for placing the ashes of the memory of our death." Moral concerning the fruit of prayer, miracles, and examples. "Many," says St. Augustine in Psalm LXV, "grow weary in praying, and in the newness of their conversion they pray fervently; afterwards languidly, afterwards coldly, afterwards negligently, as if they were secure: the enemy watches, and thou sleepest?" The same to Proba: "It is said," he says, "that the brothers in Egypt have frequent prayers indeed, but very brief ones, and hurled forth hastily: lest that watchful attention, which is most necessary to one praying, should vanish and grow dull through longer delays." The same again: "Prayer," he says, "is the stronghold of a holy soul, the consolation of a good angel, the torment of the devil, an acceptable service to God, and the whole praise of penance and religion, perfect glory, sure hope, uncorrupted health." The same to Dioscorus: "This," he says, "business is conducted more by groans than by words, more by weeping than by speech." For, as St. Chrysostom says, "God is a hearer not of the voice, but of the heart." And St. Jerome in his Epistle: "Those going out," he says, "from their lodging let prayer arm them, let it meet those returning from the street: let not the body rest in sitting before prayer feeds the soul." And St. Isidore, in book III On the Highest Good, chapter viii: "He who," he says, "wishes to be always with God, ought frequently to pray and read. For when we pray, we ourselves speak with God: but when we read, God speaks with us." And soon after: "This is the remedy for him who is troubled by the temptations of vices, that as often as he is touched by any vice, so often he should apply prayer; because frequent prayer extinguishes the assault of vices." And again: "Prayer is hindered in two ways," he says, "so that it cannot obtain what is asked, if either the one praying still commits evil, or if he does not forgive to the one who has sinned against him his debts." St. Basil asks, in book I of the Hexaemeron: "How shall one obtain that his senses do not wander in prayer?" and he answers: "If he think that he stands before the eyes of the Lord." "Prayer," says Cassiodorus, "calms the heart, draws it away from earthly things, cleanses it from vices, lifts it up to heavenly things, makes the heart more capable and worthy to receive spiritual goods." Abbas John used to say: As a man seeing beasts flees and climbs into a tree: so when evil thoughts come, flee through prayer to the Lord, and thou shalt be saved. For as water extinguishes fire, so prayer extinguishes temptation. In the Lives of the Fathers, book III, chapter last, number 208. Another used to say: One must pray so that the soul may be cleansed from sins and passions; for as nothing is seen in turbid water, so a troubled soul cannot see God. Do you wish examples of those praying and obtaining? The prayers of Moses, Elijah, David and others in Scripture are well known. Rufinus, in the Lives of the Fathers, book III, number 194, relates concerning a Religious man singing psalms, that when he sang, from his mouth through each verse a torch of fire went forth ascending to heaven. St. Antony and Arsenius often prayed entire nights, and in the morning were found standing in the same spot where they had begun to stand in the evening, intent upon heaven; through prayer they overcame all the temptations and snares of devils. Abbas Bessarion prayed for 14 continuous days, with hands extended toward heaven. Whence he made the water of the sea sweet, as Rufinus has it, book III in the Lives of the Fathers, number 215, and book V, chapter xii, number 3. James of Nisibis defended the city of Nisibis against Sapor by prayer, and rendered all his machinations vain, as Theodoret testifies in his Life. Publius by prayer stopped a devil sent by Julian the Apostate, as is found in the Lives of the Fathers, book VI, chapter ii, number 12. Simeon Stylites obtained water by prayer, and performed very many miracles, as Theodoret testifies. Theonas the Abbot by prayer made robbers immobile. Zuchaeus averted the plague from Caesarea. St. Hilarion cast out demons. By prayer and fasting of seven days, Macarius of Egypt cast out a gluttonous demon, as his Life has it. Prayer is therefore a conversation with God, a prelude of future blessedness, the work of angels, the victory over all difficulties, medicine for the infirm in the way of God, correction of the mind, fruitfulness of the soul, ignition of the spirit, joy and jubilation.
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2. Foursquare, that is, square shall it be; for it had a cubit both in length and in breadth. Our author therefore calls it square "foursquare," because it had four horns and angles. Horns shall proceed from it. These horns therefore were not additions, but arose from the four corner beams, serving the function of feet, elaborated skillfully in the manner of an obelisk. They were therefore like four elegant rays, erected upward upon the four angles of the altar, so that from the four beams which sustained the altar they proceeded and were raised up. Thus Cajetan, Lipomanus, Ribera and Villalpando, in whom see their figure and representation page 336 in the Fabric of the Temple. Lyra however and the Hebrews think these horns were certain knobs, placed in those four angles, for the beauty and ornament of the altar; but these knobs are not horns. Abelensis notes, that nothing was hung upon these horns; but all the vessels pertaining to the altar of incense were kept at the altar of holocausts, and hung upon it.
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3. Its grate. Thus also the Septuagint translates the Hebrew gaggo, that is, its covering or covering. This grate was reticulated, so that through its openings the ash of the incense, or of the aromatic incenses, falling to the ground beneath the altar might be carried down. This grate therefore, upon which fire was placed with the incense, was golden; the remaining part of the table of the altar, although it were wooden, was nevertheless covered with thicker plates of gold in such a way that no access of fire to the wooden boards was open: although St. Jerome in chapter xii of Ezekiel says these boards were of wood brought from paradise, which is not harmed by fire, but is made purer by it like asbestos. But who brought this wood from paradise? Adam, or afterwards someone else, having obtained permission from the Cherubim, the guardians of paradise? Note: The incense was not placed immediately upon this grate with fire (for thus the gold would have been melted by fire, and obscured by ash), but in a bronze censer, which was placed upon the grate itself, as is clear from Leviticus x, 1. And thou shalt make for it a crown, a border, or circle similar to that which the table of the loaves of proposition had, of which I spoke chapter xxv, verse 23. This crown was square, as was the altar itself: it is called a crown, however, because it surrounded the entire altar round about.
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6. And thou shalt set the altar against the veil (which divides the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies), which hangs before the ark of the testimony (namely before the ark of the covenant), before the mercy seat by which the testimony is covered, that is, by which the ark of the testimony or covenant is covered; it is a metonymy. Hence it is clear that the altar of incense was not in the Holy of Holies, as St. Augustine thought, but in the Holy Place, as I shall show in many ways chapter XL, verses 4 and 5.
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8. It shall burn incense perpetually. Not that incense be kindled or burn the whole day, but that each day once in the morning and once in the evening it should be offered up continually. Moreover, this was the manner and rite of offering up incense, as Abulensis rightly teaches, Question VII. First, the priest went to the altar of holocausts, from whose horns censers hung, and receptacles of fire, and from there he took one censer, and in it he placed burning coals, which he took from the altar of holocausts. Then he entered the Holy Place, and there he took incense from the censers, which were upon the table of the loaves of proposition, and he placed it in his censer and fire; soon he placed his censer with fire and incense upon the altar of incense, and there the incense was burned and consumed: when it was consumed the priest took his censer, and going out outside the camp he emptied it, and poured out the ashes in a clean place, and finally he brought the censer back to the altar of holocausts, and hung it again from its horns, whence he had taken it.
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9. Ye shall not offer upon it incense of a composition other than that prescribed. "Other," namely than that which I shall prescribe to you in verse 34. Upon the altar of incense, therefore, it was not lawful to offer a victim, nor to pour out a libation, nor even to offer other incense, however most precious, composed by human industry; but only that which the Lord commands to be composed, verse 34.
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10. And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year. Here Moses passes, says Cajetan, from the daily office of this altar to the annual office to be performed upon the same altar, which belonged not to the lesser priests, but to Aaron alone, that is, the high priest; to be performed, I say, on the day of expiation, which was celebrated on the tenth day of the seventh month. For on that day the high priest, after the expiation of the Holy of Holies, returning thence to the Holy Place and the altar of incense, there made atonement for his sins, and anointed the horns of the altar with blood, which he carried with him in a vessel, with which he had also already sprinkled the Holy of Holies, Leviticus chapter xvi, 18, and this is what he says here: "He shall make atonement in the blood (that is, by the blood, or by anointing the horns of the altar with its blood, namely of the animal, such as a calf and a goat), which (animal) is offered for sin." For this lustration of the altar was made by the sprinkling of blood for this purpose, that by it the altar might be expiated, as being defiled by the sins of all the people in whose midst it was, committed throughout the whole year, and therefore needing to be lustrated and reconciled by this lustration and expiation. And he shall make atonement, namely Aaron the high priest, to God. It shall be most holy to the Lord, that is to say, Most holy shall be this rite of expiation: most holy also shall be the altar, which is thus expiated; for it can be referred both to the altar and to the rite of expiation, the phrase "most holy." Thus Abulensis. Note: The Hebrews express exaggeration, or the superlative degree by an abstract noun, or by a concrete noun doubled, as, "Holiness is," or "Holy of Holies is," that is, "it is most holy." And he shall make atonement, namely Aaron the high priest, to God. It shall be most holy to the Lord, that is to say, Most holy shall be this rite of expiation: most holy also shall be the altar, which is thus expiated; for it can be referred both to the altar and to the rite of expiation, the phrase "most holy." Thus Abulensis. Note: The Hebrews express exaggeration, or the superlative degree by an abstract noun, or by a concrete noun doubled, as, "Holiness is," or "Holy of Holies is," that is, "it is most holy."
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12. When thou shalt take the sum (in Hebrew, head, that is, heads, that is, the sum of heads) of the children of Israel according to the number, each one shall give a price for their souls to the Lord: and there shall be no plague among them, when they shall be numbered, as if to say: Whenever thou shalt number the people, not from vanity or pride (as David did, whose numbering or census of the people was therefore a sin, and was gravely punished by God), but either at my command, or from public necessity, such as tribute, war, or some other just cause: so many times shall each one numbered pay a price for their souls, by which namely they redeem their soul, that is, their life from God as it were, so that God may preserve them in life, and may not send upon them plague or any other evil, from this as it were law and covenant: for if thou dost not redeem thyself, O Hebrew, by price, when thou shalt be numbered, the Lord will punish thee as a transgressor of this law and covenant by some plague, as He did in the time of David, when namely he numbered the people, and yet did not receive from him the census here prescribed. Although there was also another fault there, namely pride, as I have already said. By this therefore census price, from this law and as it were covenant with God, the Hebrews redeemed their life, so that they might escape plague and other deadly plagues, into which those fell who withheld this census price from God and the temple. Thus also today those who steal tithes from the temple and God often fall into grave plagues and calamities, by which they are impoverished or consumed. God willed that in the census this price should be paid to Him by each Hebrew, first, so that the Hebrews might know and remember that the multiplication of His people was from God, and from the promise made to the fathers; and that God cares for His people, and wishes to have them as it were numbered by Him. For this is signified by the tribute which was paid to the temple. Secondly, so that He might teach that no one is master of his own head and his own life, but all have one master, namely God, as St. Cyril says, book II on John, chapter xcii. Thirdly, so that by this temporal thing might be signified the spiritual tribute of the new law, which is to adore God in spirit and truth, which each one numbered by God, that is, each Christian, ought to pay to Him. Thus St. Cyril. Vespasian the Emperor imposed the same price on the conquered Jews: "The tribute," says Josephus, book VII of the War, chapter xxvii, "he imposed on the Jews wherever they dwelt, and commanded them to pay two drachmas each year to the Capitol, so that formerly they paid to the temple at Jerusalem." Anagogically, Bede, book III On the Tabernacle, chapter xiii: The sum, he says, of the children of Israel signifies the sum of all the elect, who by the price of ten obols, that is, by the observance of the Decalogue, redeem their souls, and merit the denarius of eternal life, in the evening, that is at the end of life, to be received.
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13. But this shall every one give that passeth to the number, half a sicle according to the measure of the temple. "Every one that passeth to the number," in Hebrew every one that passeth to those numbered, that is, every one who is numbered, or whose name is reckoned, namely from the twentieth year and upward, as is evident from verse 14; for from that age the Jews were reckoned and numbered, as if fit for war. Whence our Interpreter, cap. xxxviii, 23, where he first enumerates the census of the people, says this price of the census was offered by six hundred thousand armed men, although "armed men" in Hebrew is not found: for the Interpreter rightly understood that only those were numbered who were fit to bear arms, and consequently would be armed in this army and in the array of the Hebrews. Half a sicle. The sicle was once a most common coin among the Hebrews, which was also called a stater; sicle in Hebrew is called seckel, that is, weighed, measured. For the root sakel signifies to weigh and measure. For the ancient Jews, like the Romans, used rough masses of bronze, silver or gold at a certain weight, in place of price and money: afterwards they also stamped and cast coined money, but which they always weighed at just weight. Thus Pliny testifies, book XXXIII, cap. iii, that the Romans first began to use stamped silver after Pyrrhus was defeated, which was in the year of the City 585, and therefore before the first Punic War; the golden coin was then cast after 62 years. Bronze indeed was stamped earlier, namely among the ancients by Saturn, among the Latins by Numa Pompilius, the second Roman king, who marked it with images and inscribed it with the title of his name, and from this the name "numus" or "nummus" was derived from Numa, says Isidore, lib. XVI, cap. xvii, Cedrenus and Epiphanius, lib. De Ponder., at the end. The weight of the sicle was four Attic drachmas, or a semiuncia, as Josephus testifies, lib. III Antiq. cap. ix. The silver sicle therefore weighed and was equivalent to four Spanish regals, namely it was worth one Brabantine florin. There was also a bronze and a golden sicle, all of equal weight, but of unequal price according to the material. For one drachma of gold is worth ten or twelve drachmas of silver: for the price of gold is tenfold or twelvefold to the price of silver. The golden sicle therefore was worth ten silver sicles. Arias Montanus describes the coining of sicles, in the book De Mensuris: namely that the sicle on one side had an urn with manna, with this inscription (in ancient Samaritan letters) sekel Israel, that is, sicle of Israel; on the other side it had the rod of Aaron in flower, with this inscription: Jerusalem kedesca, that is, Jerusalem holy. See here how small a tribute, namely half a sicle, and that paid rarely, God demands for himself. Let Princes imitate this. Constantius the Emperor, as Eutropius testifies, was accustomed to say, "Public wealth is better held by many private persons than reserved within the enclosure of one prince." Trajan the Emperor called the treasury the spleen, because as it grew all the other members would waste away. Fabricius the Roman, when Cineas the legate of the Epirotes offered him a great quantity of gold, refused to accept it, saying, "he preferred to rule over those who had gold, than to have gold." According to the measure of the temple. Many thought the sicle of the sanctuary differed in weight and price from the common sicle. For some thought it was smaller than the common one. Thus R. Solomon and Lyran give the common sicle twenty-four obols, but the sacred one twenty. Others however thought the sacred sicle was larger than the common one. Thus Pagninus gives the sicle of the sanctuary forty obols, but the common one twenty. Vatablus however, and from him Lipomanus and Covarruvias, lib. De Monetis, cap. ii, num. 9, give the common sicle ten obols, but the sacred one twenty. But this distinction of the sacred and common sicle was unknown to the ancients, namely to Josephus, St. Jerome and others; indeed that these sicles were equal is evident from Ezech. cap. xlv, vers. 12; for there it is said the common sicle has twenty obols, as many as the sacred one is said to have here. For that Ezekiel speaks of the common sicle of the laity, the rich and the poor, is evident from what precedes. Thus Ribera in Amos cap. viii, num. 15 and following; Vilalpando part. II De Apparatu templi, lib. II, cap. xxviii. You will say: The Septuagint here, in Leviticus chapter twenty-three, Numbers three, and elsewhere interprets the shekel as a didrachm; therefore here the sacred shekel was smaller than the common shekel: for this one, according to the testimony of Josephus, weighed four drachmas. Whence Epiphanius calls the sacred shekel half a stater, that is, of the common shekel. "The shekel," says Epiphanius, "which is also called a quadrans, is a fourth part of an ounce, half a stater, having two drachmas;" and a little before: "A pound is twelve ounces; an ounce has two staters; a stater is half an ounce; and it has two didrachmas." I answer: The Septuagint takes didrachm in the Hebrew manner, not the Attic: but the Hebrew didrachm was the Attic tetradrachm: for one Hebrew drachma made two Attic ones. The Septuagint therefore call didrachm two Hebrew silver coins, each of which weighed two Attic drachmas, according to the testimony of Budaeus, book V On the As. Although the silver coin was also another, larger one, of the same value and price as the shekel and stater, namely worth a didrachm, as is evident from the version of the Septuagint compared with ours, Genesis chapter twenty, verse sixteen; for there Our version translates, a thousand silver coins; the Septuagint, however, a thousand didrachms. On the other hand, in Matthew chapter seventeen, verse twenty-four, the tribute money which the publicans demanded from Christ was an Attic didrachm, namely half a shekel; for Christ paid there one shekel or stater, namely half for himself, and half for Peter. You will say: If the sacred shekel and the common shekel were the same, why then does Scripture here and elsewhere limit the shekel, and call it the shekel of the sanctuary? I answer that this is done because in the sanctuary, as in a sacred and safe place, the shekel of the most just weight would be kept, to which all the others could be weighed and examined, lest there be room for fraud, namely for clipping and diminution: just as among the Romans a public measure of the foot stood, as it were the first and most certain of the others, and a public measure of the amphora stood in the Capitol, concerning which Priscian writes: "An amphora is made, whose force lest it be violated, the Quirites consecrated to Jupiter on the Tarpeian mount." Scripture therefore calls here the shekel "according to the measure of the temple," a shekel of the most just weight; this is evident in Leviticus chapter last, verse twenty-five, where it is said: "All estimation shall be weighed by the shekel of the sanctuary" (not, reckoned, as however it would have had to be said, if this sacred shekel had been worth more), where the Septuagint translate, and all price shall be in holy measures, that is to say, Every shekel, and every weight and price shall be weighed by the shekel, and the most just measure, which is kept for this purpose in the sanctuary. To Epiphanius I answer that he was mistaken in memory, or that an error crept into his codex: for Epiphanius openly contradicts the Septuagint, who call the didrachm a stater or shekel. The shekel has twenty obols, namely Jewish ones: for it had twenty-four Attic ones; for so many obols make up four Attic drachmas, which the shekel is worth. Therefore the obol was a twentieth part of the shekel, that is, of the Brabantine florin, which is worth twenty stufers; the obol therefore was a stufer, and the shekel worth twenty obols, was worth twenty stufers. Tropologically Radulphus, book III on Leviticus chapter eight: Half a shekel, he says, or a denarius of obols signifies the integrity of faith. This one ought to have the measure of the temple, because it ought to be conformed not to the doctrine of heretics, but of the holy Fathers. It is a half, because although it has all that is necessary for human salvation, yet it does not attain to the fullness of the vision of God: in this neither from the poor nor from the rich is anything to be taken away.
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15. The rich man shall not add to the half shekel, so namely that the number of the people may consist of shekels; secondly, so that in the census the rich man may not be given occasion for pride, and of despising his poor fellow-contributor; thirdly, because the soul of all men is one, whether you were Croesus or Irus; fourthly, because with God riches are not more valued than poverty; fifthly, because the life and soul of each one is equally precious to God, inasmuch as for the redemption of each one individually, the Son of God poured out his precious blood on the altar of the cross; sixthly, because no one, whoever he may be, ought to render equal thanks to God, as far as in him lies, whether he has received riches from him, or labors in want: of which equity the mirror was St. Job, who from being very rich became very poor, rendering thanks to God: "The Lord," he says, "gave," showing himself munificent and liberal; "The Lord hath taken away," what was his, when he had judged it would be less profitable to me. Therefore for the life and soul, preserved by him among so many perils of death, I will give him the sacred didrachm, the price of my soul, namely praise and thanksgiving, saying: "Blessed be the name of the Lord."
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16. And the money received thou shalt deliver to the uses of the tabernacle. Great were the expenses of the tabernacle, and greater were those of the temple, in so vast a structure, in feeding and clothing so many thousands of priests and Levites, in victims, in carrying wood, water, etc. Whence the Hebrews relate that in each year at the feast of expiation this collection of half a shekel from each person was made. Thus Lipomanus. That it may be a memorial before the Lord, that is to say: You shall give this census price, namely half a shekel, to the temple and to God, so that by this God may be mindful of you, and may be propitious to you.
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18. And thou shalt make a brazen laver with its foot to wash withal. For laver in Hebrew is kiior, that is a basin; the Septuagint renders it λουτήρ, as if to say a washing vessel, from τοῦ λούειν, that is from washing. For this vessel was made to hold water, by which were washed first, the priests, before they approached to sacred things; secondly, the parts of the victims which were sacrificed. Thus Abulensis and Lipomanus. Hence this laver was placed between the tabernacle or the Holy Place, and the altar of holocausts, as follows: for both in the Holy Place and at the altar of holocausts the priests had to perform their sacred duties, which they could not do unless they were first washed. Solomon made a similar vessel for the same purpose, but much larger, which from its great capacity was called the brazen sea; for it was like a great hemisphere, whose upper and wider circumference was thirty cubits, so that this whole vessel contained three thousand metretae: now a metreta contains seventy-two sextarii, or twelve congii. Furthermore, Moses made this basin or laver from the brazen mirrors of the women who kept watch at the door of the tabernacle, Exodus xxxviii, 8. Mystically, some understand by this laver and washing baptism; but because this washing was in the court, which signified the Church, not before the court or at its entrance, to which baptism is likened: hence more rightly with St. Gregory, hom. 47 in the Gospel, and Bede, lib. III On the Tabernacle, final chapter, we shall understand by this laver penance, or the Sacrament of penance. For first this laver is made from the mirrors of women, that is from the contemplation of the last things, and from the precepts of God, in which the faithful souls behold themselves, and discover and correct their stains. Hear St. Gregory: "Moses sets up the brazen laver, in which the priests ought to wash, and enter the Holy of Holies, because the law of God first commands us to wash through compunction, so that our uncleanness may not be unworthy of penetrating the purity of God's secrets." He then adds why this laver was made from the mirrors of women: "For the mirrors of women are the precepts of God, in which holy souls always behold themselves, and if there are any stains of foulness in them, they discover them. They correct the vices of their thoughts, and as it were compose their resistant faces, as from a restored image; because while they are diligent in attending to the Lord's precepts, they certainly know in them both what may please the heavenly Spouse and what may displease Him." He adds why these women keep watch at the door of the tabernacle: "Because holy souls, even while they are still weighed down by the weakness of the flesh, nevertheless with continual love observe the entrance of the eternal entry. Moses therefore made the laver for the priests from the mirrors of women, because the law of God exhibits the washing of compunction for the stains of our sins, while it provides us with heavenly precepts to behold, through which holy souls have pleased the heavenly Spouse. If we attend diligently to these, we see the stains of our inner image: seeing the stains, we are smitten with the sorrow of penance; smitten, we are as it were washed in the laver made from the mirrors of women. But it is very necessary that when we are affected with compunction concerning ourselves, we also be zealous for the life committed to us." Lysimachus the king, when he had surrendered his army to the enemy on account of thirst, after he was taken captive and received water and drank it, said: "By the faith of God, for how small a pleasure, how much good, how much a kingdom have I lost; and have made myself from a king a slave!" Let the penitent say this: Good God, for gluttony, for lust of one quarter of an hour, how much good, how many delights of heaven have I lost, and have made myself the slave of the devil, of death and of hell, and that forever! Secondly, in this laver our priests ought to wash who are about to offer the sacred victim, and other faithful, who are also in a certain way priests, and offer the calves of their lips and hands, namely praises and holy works, and become partakers of the sacred victim. Thirdly, this laver is placed between the altar of holocausts and the tabernacle or the Holy Place, in which was the altar of incense; because, in order to enter the inner altar, namely of incense, the exterior mortification is not sufficient, but also interior penance is required, by which we purge the very affections. See Ribera, lib. II On the Temple, cap. xvii, adapting each thing in detail.
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19. And they shall wash in it with water. Thus it should be read, not in it. For the priests did not wash themselves in the basin (for thus they would have defiled it), but in water flowing out from the basin through a tube, which could be opened and closed by a stopper. What therefore is in Hebrew, they shall wash from it, understand from the water which flows out from the basin through a tube. Thus Cajetan. So we are said to drink wine from a vessel, that is, from a cup, which has been drawn from the vessel. Their hands and their feet. From this Cajetan, Lipomanus and Ribera probably hold that the priests ministered in the tabernacle with bare feet (which they did twice a day, namely in the morning and in the evening, as I said above). For this reason they seem to have washed their feet, lest they should defile the tabernacle with them. For if afterwards they had again put on shoes and stockings on their feet, what need was there to wash them? For this washing was done only for the cleanliness and decorum both of the feet and of the tabernacle. By the symbol of this matter Moses was commanded on Sinai, as if about to speak with God in a holy place, to put off his shoes, Exodus iii, 5. Assuredly the Lord wished by this ceremony of bare feet to teach the priests that decorum and reverence in divine worship must be observed, even outwardly. Secondly, by this He wished to admonish them of internal purity, so that the priests might remember that they were henceforth to walk not on the earth, but through the air, says Philo, in the book On Victims. The Gentiles imitated this in their profane sacred rites. Whence that saying of Hesiod: "It is impious to handle sacred things with unwashed hands." Hence also the priests of the new law wash their hands at Mass, and indeed all Christians formerly, when about to enter the church and to communicate, washed their hands, both that they might be admonished of internal purity, and because they were about to receive the sacred Eucharist with their hands: and for that reason a vessel of water was placed before the doors of the church for purification; in place of which afterwards remained a small vessel of holy water, placed at the entrance of the church, as I showed in 1 Timothy ii. And indeed it was the dogma of Pythagoras: "Sacrifice with bare feet;" which both others and the Lacedaemonians adopted. Josephus also writes that Berenice, the sister of King Agrippa, when she had gone to Jerusalem for the sake of a vow, did the same thing, and thus stood bare-footed before the tribunal of Florus the prefect. Hence also that exclamation of St. Leo in a certain sermon on fasting, speaking of the fasting of the Hebrews: "Let them have their bare-footed garments, and in the sadness of their countenance show their idle fastings." Now also the Moors and Saracens do not enter the temples in which they are about to perform sacred rites except with their shoes removed. Therefore I think Pythagoras admonished that during sacrifice, being clean and having left worldly cares, and purged from the stains of sins, they should apply themselves to divine matters. For to wash feet mystically, we say, is to purify the mind. Concerning which matter our Theologians also expound the Lord's commandment about the washing of feet, and at the same time that about shaking off the dust from the feet. Euthymius also interprets "feet" as thoughts in Psalm LXXII: "By feet," he says, "he understands thoughts, as it were those which, like feet, govern and sustain the religion of our soul." Our priests, however, celebrate shod, not bare-footed, both on account of chastity and modesty, and because they are soldiers and leaders (whom it befits to be shod, indeed booted) of Christ, always prepared for war against demons, and for preaching everywhere: hence they ought to have "their feet shod in the preparation of the gospel of peace," as the Apostle says in Ephesians vi, 15. See the things said there.
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21. Lest perchance they die, lest I punish them with death (if they neglect this ceremony of washing prescribed by me) as disobedient and irreligious. Think the same, if they should otherwise omit any other ceremonies prescribed by God, especially if it were done out of contempt. Legitimate, that is, this law shall be eternal for you, so that you observe it continually.
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23. Take unto thee spices, of pure myrrh and choice. Thus both the Chaldean and the Septuagint; but the more recent Hebrews distinguish their codices otherwise, and read in this manner: Take unto thee spices of the head, that is the first and most excellent, namely of choice myrrh. St. Jerome, however, the Chaldean and the Septuagint thus punctuate and translate, take unto thee spices, the head of myrrh free, that is freely flowing or distilling. Moreover the head of myrrh free is stacte, which is the flower of myrrh (as the Septuagint and St. Jerome translate to Principia), that is the tear of myrrh, namely the liquid flowing forth and distilling spontaneously from myrrh, which myrrh is most pure, most choice and most excellent. Whence in Hebrew it is called the head of myrrh, that is, that which in myrrh is first and most excellent. There is described here the composition of the ointment, with which priests were to be anointed and consecrated, likewise the tabernacle and its vessels. For this ointment is made from five spices and oil, Exodus xxx, 23-25. This ointment was made by mixing five kinds, and olive oil, so that it would be like an ointment prepared by the art of perfumers. Moreover these five spices were these: First, choice myrrh and free, that is flowing forth spontaneously, of the weight of five hundred shekels. Second, cinnamon, whose weight was half of the preceding, namely two hundred fifty shekels. Third, aromatic cane of the same weight. Fourth, cassia, of the weight of five hundred shekels. Fifth, olive oil, of the measure of one hin, that is twelve sextarii. Of five hundred shekels. The Hebrew shekel contains, as I have said, four Attic drachmas, or half an ounce. Therefore five hundred shekels make one hundred ounces, which make eight pounds with a quarter of a pound. Similarly two hundred fifty shekels make fifty ounces, that is four pounds with an eighth part. Note here how heavy these spices were; how precious also in former times were these species, which today are vile and common. Whence St. Jerome: "Cinnamon," he says, "was once among gifts sent by kings." For if the first species, namely myrrh, weighed five hundred shekels, that is eight pounds and a quarter, and cassia likewise, and cinnamon half, cane half: the sum of all was twenty pounds with a half, or three quarters of one pound above twenty: which is indeed a great weight, and, as we have said, a great price in former times. Of cane. — Understand here an odorous cane, or aromatic, as is evident from the Hebrew, Chaldean and Septuagint, concerning which Theophrastus, lib. IX Hist. Plant. cap. VII; Pliny, lib. XII, cap. XXII; Galen, lib. VIII Med. simplic.; Dioscorides, lib. I, cap. XVII. 24. Of cassia five hundred shekels in the weight of the sanctuary, — that is to say. I take the shekel here of that weight which was the shekel of the sanctuary, or a shekel which is of such weight as the shekel of the sanctuary weighs, not that this is greater than the common shekel, but that it itself is of most just measure, as I have said vers. 13. For it is not necessary to place with Arias Montanus another shekel here of weight, different from the shekel of money, as if this shekel had been a kind of weight, which the shekel of money was not equal to, but had a different weight: for Scripture gives no indication of this diversity of shekel. Wherefore it is more probable that the Hebrews transferred the weight of the shekel of money to other things as well: as we also sometimes do in familiar speech, when we say that rare and precious things weigh two, three or four reals; especially because the ancients used money, for example, shekel not coined, but weighed out, and by it they valued their goods and things, as I have said vers. 43. The shekel therefore by its origin, as also by its etymology, was a measure of weight, equally as of money.
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The Scripture follows calling this unction "the oil of holy unction," because by it priests, the tabernacle and its vessels were consecrated. 25. And thou shalt make the oil of holy unction, an ointment compounded by the work of a perfumer. In Hebrew, the work of a perfumer or apothecary. The Septuagint, the work of a perfumer. All these signify one and the same thing.
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26. And thou shalt anoint therewith the tabernacle of the testimony. — In Hebrew moed, that is assembly or testimony, concerning which I have spoken in the preceding chapter vers. 43. Note, says Abulensis, that this unction of altars, tabernacle, etc., was not made daily or periodically, but only once in the primitive consecration: just as also in our churches, altars, chalices, are consecrated only once. But priests were anointed daily with oil, when they ministered in the sanctuary.
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29. They shall be holy of holies, — they shall be most holy from this consecration. Whosoever toucheth them shall be sanctified, — that is to say. He who touches them shall be sanctified by contact with the holy vessels, says R. Solomon: but I have shown this to be false in cap. XXIX, vers. 37. "Shall be sanctified" therefore, that is ought to be sanctified, so that if he be unclean, he shall purify himself with the water of lustration, concerning which Levit. XIV, and Num. XIX, before he touches the altar or other holy vessels, says Abulensis.
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30. Thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and thou shalt sanctify them, that they may do the office of priesthood to me. This anointing of priests was twofold. The first, common to all priests, in which oil was poured upon the hands of the priest, and from thence he himself anointed his forehead. The second, proper to the High Priest, in which oil was poured upon his head, Psalm CXXXII: "Like the ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron."
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32. The flesh of man shall not be anointed with it, that is, no layman, no profane person shall be anointed with this ointment, but priests alone and sacred things. Neither shall you make any other according to the composition thereof. It was therefore forbidden to others to mix these ingredients for profane and common use. For this sacred oil ought to be singular and proper to sacred things alone.
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33. Whosoever shall compound such a thing, and shall give thereof to a stranger, shall be cut off from his people, that is, shall be punished with death. Note: The Hebrews by cutting off understand death, whether natural or violent. Note also the mystical, allegorical, anagogical and tropological significations of this ointment and of each of its ingredients, as handed down by the Fathers, which I pass over for brevity's sake. See Bede, book III On the Tabernacle; Origen, homily 9 on Leviticus, and others. Myrrh signifies mortification of the flesh; cinnamon, the fervor of the spirit and charity; aromatic cane, good reputation; cassia, integrity and perseverance; oil, mercy and grace. These five, as it were five fingers of one hand, compose the sacred anointing of chrism. "To a stranger," that is to someone who is not a priest, or of the priestly race: for as he previously forbade anyone to compound such priestly ointment for his own use, so here he forbids it to be done for the uses of others. Thus Augustine, Question CXXXV.
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34. Take to thee aromatics, stacte and onycha, galbanum of good odour, and frankincense most pure. Four species of incense are here enumerated; to which therefore add a fourth, as it is had in the Hebrew, and there will be five. For in Hebrew it is thus: Take to thee aromatics, stacte and onycha and galbanum, aromatics and frankincense pure. That "aromatics" is repeated indicates another, that is a fifth species, different from the four already enumerated. There is described here the composition of incense, which was to be burned upon the altar of incense. Moreover this incense consisted of four or five aromatics, namely of stacte, which is the flower or tear of myrrh; onycha, which is the covering of a fragrant marine shell; galbanum, which is the resin of a certain plant; frankincense most pure; and perhaps a fifth species, which the Hebrews call "aromatics," that is, fragrant species not named elsewhere. All shall be of equal weight, that is, let each be taken of equal weight, for instance let the weight of each be equal. Thou shalt make the incense a compound, the work of a perfumer, mixed diligently and pure. It is known that just as the holy oil, so also the compound of incense is forbidden to others, lest it be applied to profane uses. Thus all sacred things ought to be separated from profane things. He commands therefore that this incense be made and mixed from stacte, onycha, galbanum and frankincense. For just as God wished to be nourished by victims in an anthropopathic manner, so also he wished to be refreshed by odours, and thus to be appeased, because the indication of wrath and indignation is in the nostrils. Whence in Job cap. XLI, vers. 11, it is said: "Out of his nostrils a smoke goeth forth;" but the nostrils are soothed by a sweet odour. Whence here it is an apt symbol of appeasement. Thus Arias Montanus and Alcazar in Apocal. cap. V, vers. 8, note 3. Note first: Stacte is the tear of myrrh, as I said vers. 23. Secondly, "Galbanum is a juice, says Dioscorides book III, cap. LXXXI, of ferula growing in Syria, which some call metopium: it is most praised when cartilaginous and fatty (whence perhaps in Hebrew it is called chelbana; for cheleb signifies fatness); galbanum draws forth months and childbirth either by application or by fumigation; it resists poisons, kills serpents, is swallowed for old cough, difficulty of breathing, and other ailments to be soothed." Concerning galbanum also Pliny writes, lib. XII, cap. XXV, and lib. XXIV, cap. V, and Galen, lib. Simplic. medicam. Scripture adds and requires that galbanum be of good odour, in Hebrew sammim, that is aromatic, so that it signifies select and fragrant. For Dioscorides asserts galbanum to be of heavy odour; and Pliny says galbanum stinks, and castor smells: which perhaps he understands of the more earthly parts of galbanum, not however of the more subtle, as I shall presently say of onycha, and therefore our Interpreter adds of good odour. Thirdly, onycha, says the Gloss, is a small oyster smelling like a human nail; indeed I think onycha to be that which Dioscorides calls fragrant nail, lib. II, cap. VIII; and he says it is the covering of a shell in the spikenard-bearing marshes of India, and therefore breathes a sweet odour, because the shells there feed on spikenard: onycha is burned for the sake of odour, but smells somewhat of castor; understand with Matthiolus, if its subtle fragrant parts having been exhaled, the shell remaining is burned: for otherwise concerning onycha thus sings Propertius: And with saffron the myrrh-scented nail anoints the nostrils. Pharmacists call onycha blattum Byzantium, as testified by Amatus and Matthiolus in Dioscorides. Tropologically St. Gregory, lib. I Moral. XXXIX: "Incense, he says, composed of aromatics we make, when we smell in the altar of good work with the multitude of virtues." And conveniently thou mayest understand by frankincense religion and prayer, by stacte mortification, by galbanum (as being hot and fatty) charity and mercy, by onycha (as being in colour similar to a nail, and in odour to spikenard) chastity. Hence symbolically, St. Basil in cap. 1 Isaiae, before the middle: This incense, he says, is the sanctity of the body through temperance, and the bridle of reason in the body, which consists of four elements: stacte is referred to water, frankincense to air, onyx to earth on account of dryness, galbanum to fire on account of excessive heat. This sanctity therefore tempers and moderates these among themselves, as it were holy incense. But incense is especially prayer. Alluding to this incense St. John, Apoc. V, 8, says that to those four animals were given phials full of odours, which are "the prayers of the Saints;" and in chapter VIII, verse 3: "There were given, he says, to him much incense." Where note: The prayers of the Saints are compared here to fumigation, not to any, but to fragrant fumigation. First, because prayer like frankincense ascends upward, Psal. CXL: "Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight." Secondly, because just as frankincense is fragrant, so the prayers of the Saints delight God. Thirdly, as frankincense drives away stench, so prayer drives away sin, and mitigates God's wrath. Fourthly, incense was made from crushed aromatics: so prayer ought to proceed from a mortified and humble heart. Fifthly, incense was burned in fire: so prayer burns in the fire of tribulations. Whence Cant. IV the Bride says: "I will go to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense."
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35. And thou shalt make incense, etc., mixed diligently, and pure, and most worthy of sanctification. — In Hebrew, for sanctification, as if to say: Thou shalt make incense so well, purely and diligently mixed and composed, that it be worthy to be sanctified to God, that is to be burned, offered, kindled.
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36. And when thou shalt have beaten all into the finest powder, — so that the mixture may be more perfect, and from it the incense may be more fragrant. Tropologically St. Gregory, at the end of book I of the Morals: "Into the finest, he says, powder we beat all the aromatics, when we beat our good deeds, as it were in the hair of the heart, with hidden examination, and if they be truly good, we subtly reconsider them." Hence among the ancients, a heart placed in a censer signified hieroglyphically prayers and supplications poured forth to God with a pure, humble, contrite and ardent heart, says Pierius, in hieroglyphic 34. Thou shalt put of it (of the incense) before the tabernacle of the testimony, — namely on the altar of incense, which is before or in front of the tabernacle of the testimony, that is, before the Holy of Holies. For there was a twofold tabernacle, as it were, on account of its two parts: one was called the Holy Place, the other the Holy of Holies; Scripture speaks here of the second. In which place (namely in the tabernacle already mentioned, that is, in the Holy of Holies) I will appear to thee. The Holy of Holies (that is the most holy) shall be this incense.
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38. Whosoever shall make the like (incense) to enjoy the odour thereof, shall perish from among his people. — In Hebrew it is, shall be cut off from his people, because namely God will slay him, as disobedient and sacrilegious, with some plague in this life, or certainly will punish him eternally in hell. For thus on the contrary "to be gathered to his people" signifies to be joined to the fellowship of the Saints and the Blessed. The Lord forbade under so grave a penalty that anyone should apply the composition of incense to profane uses, lest sacred things and things of the temple be profaned, or the ecclesiastical ministry be degraded and despised. Moreover He wished to teach them to avoid softness of ointment; for these sacred things were not applied to softness, but to a sacred symbol and signification, and to the reverence of the priesthood. The Gentiles likewise admonished the same. Socrates said that ointments should be left to women; in young men no ointment smells better than the oil which they used in exercising. For with marjoram oil or leaf oil, immediately both slave and free man smell the same. When asked what it befits the aged to smell of: Virtue, he said. When asked where this ointment was sold? he recited in the verse of Theognis: From the good, good things are taught. Whoever is good, learn good things from him. Xenophon gathers some things of this kind in the Banquet; Erasmus, book III of the Apophthegms. Likewise when he censured those anointed with ointments, Phaedo being asked who was so anointed with ointments? answered Aristippus: "I, he said, am wretched: but the king of the Persians is much more wretched than me. But see thee, he said, how just as in this respect he is superior to no other animal, so neither is he superior to any of men." By which saying he perceived that man is made nothing better by ointments and odours, since even a horse anointed with balsam smells the same as the king; and a beggar anointed with the same ointment smells no less well than the highest pontiff. Laertius, book II. Diogenes having obtained ointment, anointed his feet with it contrary to public custom. When they marveled at this he said: Because ointment poured on the head evaporates into the air; but from the feet it ascends to the nostrils. Similarly another censured the public custom by which they place crowns on the head, when it would be more fitting to place them below the nostrils, because the vapor of fragrance does not so much descend as ascend. Laertius, book VI. The same, to someone having hair anointed with ointment: "Beware, he said, lest the sweet smell of thy head bring about the foul smell of thy life;" for we have striven to render somewhat the pleasant affinity of the Greek words, εὐωδίαν and δυσωδίαν. For ointment in a man argues softness of life; fame moreover is like the odor of a man. Martial said something similar: Posthumus, he does not smell well, who always smells well. Thus Laertius, book VI. The same said that the gods are easy in giving life to men: but this is unknown to those who seek ointments. Laertius, ibid. Lycurgus cast ointments out of the republic as a corruption and ruin of oil. For oil, he said, vitiated by odours has no use, neither for eating nor for anointing the limbs; and while they corrupt a necessary thing into luxuries, it comes about that there is less abundance. Plutarch in the Laconian Apophthegms. When a certain young man gave thanks to Flavius Vespasian for obtaining a prefecture, because he was fragrant with ointment, he was both despised by a nod and severely rebuked: "I would rather, said Vespasian, thou hadst smelled of garlic." Soon he also revoked the letters granted. Suetonius in his Life. Ancharsis said that oil was a poison generating madness, because he saw athletes anointed raging against one another. Nor did the Scythians, as I think, know the use of oil, because it neither grew among them nor was imported from elsewhere. Athletes do not fight except anointed: for they think the body becomes stronger; and the Scythian pretended to believe that oil was the cause of madness in them. Laertius, book I, chapter IX.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
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v. 1 « Facies quoque altare », locum « ad adolendum thimiama, de lignis setim »,
Arg. — Haec est pars extrema longioris divini alloqui 25,1-30,10. Cum porro altare thymiamatis collocandum fuerit in sancto, ubi etiam candelabrum et mensa panum propositionis, admirationem facit illud non cap. 25 cum illis describi. Verum alio ordine procedere narrationem monebamus p. 257 sq. Iahve sc. in sanctuario habitatio alium praeter sacrificium quotidianum perpetuum cultum consequentem habebit, incensum perpetuo mane et vespere adolendum. Cap. XXX
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v. 9 « habens cubitum longitudinis et alterum latitudinis , 1. e.] quadrangulum, et duos cubitos in altitudine. Cornua ex ipso procedent », cf. 91,9, erunt individua ipsius altaris pars.
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v. 3 « Vestiesque illud auro purissimo, tam craticulam etus quam parietes per circuitum , et. cornua ». Quare. vocatur altare aureum 39,37; 40,5. 2; Num. 4,11 (Donfr.). Notabat Ca., 33 non esse craticulam, sed tectum planum (los. 2,6. 8; 1 Reg. 9,25); certe craticula (cf. 297,4) non fiebat e ligno auro vestito. Probabilius summo altari, quod planum erat et clausum, imponebatur thuribulum. « Faciesque ei coronam aureolam per gyrum », « himbum affabre factum, aureum supraque altaris tabulam prominentem » (Bonfr.). v. ^ « Et duos annulos aureos sub corona per singula latera, ut mittantur in eos vectes, et altare portetur ». vnybs nv 5y et vox ouv 5y reapse videntur esse duae lectiones unius eiusdemque, quae primitus in textu erat, expressionis. Cf. Aug. Omnino patet (cf. 25,926 ; 27,4), fuisse bi- nos annulos in duobus lateribus sibi oppositis, ut essent quatuor omnino annuli, et altare duobus vectibus commode ferri posset. Annuli, uti 25,977, dicuntur /oca pro vectibus (Chald. Syr.) ; hinc LXX dVaXsc, | arcus seu curvaturae ad. retinendos vectes (Aug.).
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v. 5 « Ipsos quoque | vectes facies de lignis setim et inaurabis ».
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v. 6 « Ponesque altare con- (ra velum, quod ante arcam pendet. testimonii, coram propitiatorio . quo tegitur testimontum , ubi loquar tibi ». Ponendum erat extra. velum, in medio, ubi directe opponebatur propitiatorio (Cai.). Hoc altare fuisse extra sanctum sanctorum praeter hune versum evincit v. 20, qui docet simplices etiam sacerdotes ad illud accessisse, quibus nefas erat sanctum sanctorum ingredi. Idipsum testantur Philo (De Vita Moysis III) et Ios. (Ant. VIII. 6. 8; III. 3. 7; Bell. Iud. VI. 6.). Quod ergo Hebr. 9,4 dicitur « sanctum sanctorum aureum habens thuribulum », id non ad altare thymiamatis refertur, sed ad thuribulum, quod Lev. 16,12 pontifex secum in sancta sanctorum ferebat. Cf. Bonfr. Aut dicas cum Ribera, S. Paulum considerare altare thymiamatis tamquam aliquid cum sancto sanctorum unum.
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v. 1 « Et adolebit incensum super eo Aaron », et filiu eius v. 20, « suave fragrans, mane » singulis : « quando componet lucernas, incendet illud » ;
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v. 8 « et quando collocabit eas ad vesperum » , — ànler duas vesperas , cf. 26,6; collocabat autem accensas, hine LXX Targ. Syr. accendet — « uret thiymiama sempiternum coram Domino in. generationes vestras » (19,14). 5"2n, perpetuo, intellige non sine ulla interruptione , sed, uti alias, temporibus statutis , sc. mane et vespere.
30:9
v. 9 « Non offeretis super eo thymiama |compositionis| alterius », quam eius, quae v. 3^ sqq. describitur, « nec oblationem et victimam , nec libabitis libamina », non holocaustum , non sine sanguine oblationem, non libamen; haec quippe ad altare holocaustorum spectant. Una tamen statuitur exceptio, quando semel in anno cornua altaris thymiamatis linienda sunt sanguine :
30:10
v. 10 « et deprecabttur » , seu expiabit, « Aaron super cornua. eius semel per annum » (cf. Lev. 16, 18), « in. sanguine [quod oblatum est| pro peccato » expiationis , 1. e. in sanguine victimae expialionis, quae offertur pro peccato; « et p/acabit super eo. » semel in anno « in generationibus vestris », per omnes ex ordine generationes. « Sanctum sanctorum », 1. e. res sacrosancta (cf. 29,31), « erit Domino » istud altare. - Haec eloquia sunt: 30,11-16 de congerenda pecunia pro sanctuarii usu; 17-21 de labro aeneo; 22-33 de oleo unctionis; 34-38 de thymiamatis compositione ; 31,1-11 de opificibus operi adhibendis; 12-17 de sabbati observatione. Ultima haec pericope intime connectitur cum traditis 31,18 tabulis. Tamquam pacti officium primarium 31,16 Deus sabbati observationem inculeat, pro eiusdem signo tabulas tradit. Hinc Moyses accepta Dei mandata populo explicaturus, 35,2 sq. ab inculcando hoe sabbati praecepto orditur. Ergo hoc praeceptum reapse a Deo datum est ante traditas 31,18 tabulas. Mandeta de labro aeneo, unetionis oleo, thymiamate et de opificibus potuere quidem brevi ante Moysis eum secundis tabulis descensum 34,29 dari. Tamen, quod immediate ante primum descensum recenseantur, nullaque appareat ratio e1 descensui ea postponendi, censenda sunt ante primum descensum esse data. Deus sc., qui sanctuarii partes omnes adamussim desecripserat, neque ea, quae labrum aeneum ete. spectabant, definire distulit. Tamen cultum illa remotius attingebant, quam ipsum tabernaculum, altaria; labrum aeneum solam maiorem eultus decentiam spectabat. Revelavit ergo haec Deus ante primum quidem Moysis descensum, alloquiis tamen adiectitiis atque ab illo longiori alloquio diversis, quo ipsius saeri cultus formam demonstraverat. Superest unicum de congerendis pro sanctuario pecuniis mandatum. Quod potuit a Deo provido eodem, atque reliqua mandata minora tempore tradi, idque fere probabilius esse videtur. Potuit tamen hoc mandatum etiam serius edi, sed h. l. aliis sanctuarii cultum spectantibus adscribi. Se. primum omnis generis opes pretiosae 35,20 sqq. liberaliter oblatae sunt, etiam postea homines liberaliter primum sua contulere, sed temporis decursu necessarium visum est certa lege sanctuarii necessitatibus providere : quam legem Deus a Moyse interrogatus tulit. Arg. — Sequitur monitum, ut, quando habeatur populi census, contribuant singuli dimidium siclum ad usum sanctuarii. Unicum censum praescribi, excluditur sententiae constructione conditionali. Fuit postmodum usus singulis annis contribuendi pro sanctuario : /os. Ant. XVIII. 12; Bell. Iud. VII. 13; 26. Hic usus facile potuit originem traxisse ex censu hac pericope indicto. At nulla h. 1l. voce innuitur, censum singulis annis esse repetendum, cum tamen secus v. g. v. 10 adscribatur, quid singulis annis sit faciendum. Si contextum attendas, pericopae finis videtur esse hic, ut pro futuro de pecunia sanctuario necessaria provideatur; ergo crediderim, concedi hic facultatem census habendi, quandocunque ea pecunia exhausta esset.
30:11
v. 41 « Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen dicens » : v. 129. « Quando tuleris summam filiorum Israel vuzxta numerum », — Hebr. : quando levabis, i. e. computabis capita filiorum Israel secundum censum eorum — « dabunt singuli pretium », expiationem, Aózgov , « pro animabus suis Domino; et non erit plaga in eis, cum fuerint recensiti ». Dabunt illud tamquam pretium protectionis divinae contra plagas (cf. 12,13); qui dare detrectaretur, exponeret se periculo, ut a Deo inflicta plaga puniretur. « Agnoscebatur tributi illius solutione summum Dei in populum suum imperium; perinde enim habebatur, ac capitatio a rege Israelis subiectis sibi gentibus imperata » (Calm.).
30:13
v. 13 « Hoc autem dabit omnis, qui transit ad nomen », — Hebr. ad recensitos : recensendi ab una parte stabant, recensiti ab altera : qui ab illis ad. hos transibat, dimidium siclum solvebat — « dimidzum sicli quxta mensuram templi. Siclus viginti obolos habet » (Lev. 21,95; Num. 3, 7; 18,16; Ez. 45,12): sed quid sit n^3, non edocemur. « Media pars sicli offeretur Domino ». Siclus sanctuarii (Hebr.) etiam habetur v. 24; 38,24; Lev. 5,15; 27,3. 25; Num. 3,47. 50; 7,13 sqq.; 18,16 estque idem cum « siclo regio » (2 Reg. 14,26), de quo cf. Schrader ad Gen. 23,16. Ille siclus argenti pondere aequabat 14:55 gramm., valore 2 fr. 93. Vocabatur regius aut sanctuarii, quia apud reges vel in templis asservabantur pondera quaedam accuratissima, dum ea, quibus homines passim utebantur, saepe erant attrita et diminuta. Eiusmodi pondera regia apud Assyros reperta sunt, et sine dubio apud Babylonios antiquitus in usu erant. David 1 Par. 25,29 constituit sacerdotem aliquem « super omne pondus atque mensuram ». Vix est dubium, etiam apud Aegyptios hisce invigilasse sacerdotes. Ibi eam distinctionem didicerant Hebraei, nisi eam patriarchae iam e Mesopotamia compertam habuerant. Non ergo est ratio cum Dillm. suspicandi, illam vocem sanctuarii posterius a quodam locis omnibus citatis esse adscriptam.
30:14
v. 14 « Qui habetur in numero », — Hebr. : omnis , qui transit ad recensitos — « a viginti annis et supra, dabit pretium » seu oblationem, maown (cf. 99,28). Num. 1,18 sqq., qui sienumerabantur, semper vocantur « procedentes ad bellum », unde suggerit Ca?. eos, qui ob senium armis ferendis essent impares, uti viginti annis minores a censu fuisse exemptos.
30:15
v. 15 « Dives non addet ad medium siclt, et pauper nihil ménuet ». Ita ex ipso siclorum numero perspiciebatur recensitorum numerus (Jans.). Praeterea omnes ostendebantur aequales esse coram Deo (Bonfr.) praeter levitas, qui non recensebantur Num. 1, VT. sqq.
30:16
v. 16 « Susceptamque pecuniam, quae collata est a filis Israel, trades in usus tabernaculi testimoni , ut sit monumentum eorum coram Domino, et propitietur animabus eorum ». Hebr. : ut sit. filiis Israel in memoriale coram Domino, in ezpiationem pro vitis eorum : in pretium redemptionis a plagis, quibus hominum vitae affliguntur, et in memoriale, quod ipsos benignissimo foederis Deo in memoriam revocet (Vat.). | b. De labro aeneo Ex. 30,17-21.
30:17
v. 47 « Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen dicens » :
30:18
v. 18 « Facies et labrum aeneum. », seu luterem, « vas quoddam amplum, habens parietes eminentes » (Tost.), « cum basi sua » aenea « ad lacandum; ponesque illud inter tabernaculum testimonii et. altare » holocaustorum. « Et missa aqua »,
30:19
v. 19 » lavabunt in ea » — sc. aqua; sed reliqui ez eo, sc. labro, aqua e labro hausta : « modus autem non est aliter seriptus » (Cat.) — « Aaron et filii eius manus suas ac pedes », cuius lotionis significationem exprimit CAald. substituens verbum sanctificabunt,
30:20
v. 20 « quando ingressuri sunt tabernaculum testimonii, et » — Hebr. Sam. Chald. aut , e qua coniunctione disiunctiva infert Ca. intelligi sequenti inciso altare holocaustorum, altare quippe thymiamatis erat intra tabernaculum — « quando accessuri sunt ad altare, ut offerant in eo thymiama Domino »,
30:21
v. 91 « ne forte] moriantur » , « me ob neglectam hanc legem eos percutiente » (Bonfr.). Poenam minatur Deus; non tamen se minas semper exsecuturum esse promittit. Ceterum Hebr. : ut cultu fungantur, ut adoleant sacrificium (new) Domno; quibus omnis generis sacrificia includuntur. Repetit dein h. 1l. Hebr. : et lavabunt manus suas et pedes suos, ne moriantur. Ubi monet Ca?., e pedum lotione effici, sacerdotes hebraeos nudis pedibus (cf. 3,5) sacris operari consuevisse; et notat Calm., nusquam affirmari quidquam de sacerdotum calceamentis. « Legitimum sempiternum erit ipsi et semini etus per successiones » . seu generationes eorum. Arg. — Kàius v. 22-25 compositio traditur, v. 26-30 res et personae ungendae enumerantur, v. 30-33 usus profanus prohibetur.
30:22
v. 99 « Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen » v. 93 « dicens » : Et tu « sume tibi aromata : primae marrhae let] electae quingentos [siclos], et cinnamomi medtum, [?. e.] ducentos quinquaginta [siclos], calami similiter ducentos quinquaginta »,
30:24
v. 2& « casiae autem quingentos [s?c/os| in pondere sanctuarti » (cf. v. 13), « olei de olivetis |mensuram] hin ». Nox siclos, uti in similibus sententiis, apud Hebr. subintelligitur.
30:25
v. 25 « Faciesque unctionis oleum sanctum, unguenteun compositum opere unguentart » (cf. 26,1; 27,16; 28,11). vM? Vulg. et LXX (xo &v9ec) ad sequentia trahunt; melius Masor. Chald. Syr. ad praecedentia (cf. Cant. 4.14; Ez. 21,22) : primae qualitatis. — àYY1 23 est myrrha sponte fluens seu myrrha stacte, quae cortice arbusti non incisa fluit : hinc LXX adiicitur, quo genuinum aroma ab aliis quibusdam discernatur, jeo9oxtvvaptc. et SuAoxtyvau uo. — DW3 nip, calamus aromaticus; ler. 6,20 « calamus bonus »; Is. 43,24; Ez. 27,19; Cant. 4,14 absolute « calamus »; crescebat in Arabia et Syria : Acorus Calamus L. — "np Ez. 27,19 ex Arabia petebatur : Vulg. Targ. Syr. cassia, sed LXX iet, Vulg. ad Ez. 27,19 stacte. — 500 sicli — 7:275 kilogr. — 250 sicli — 3:637 kilogr. — De hin, quae mensura est originis aegyptiacae et aequat 6-49 lit., cf. 29,40.
30:26
v. 96 « Et unges ex eo tabernaculum testimonii, et arcam testamenti »,
30:27
v. 21 « mensamque cum vasis suis, candelabrum et utensilia eius, altaria thymiamatis »
30:28
v. 98 « et holocausti , et universam supellectilem , quae ad. cultum eorum pertinet », et labrum et basin eius (cf. 40,11).
30:29
v. 29 « Sanctificabisque omnta, et erunt sancta sanctorum », valde saneta (cf. 29,37; 30,10). « Qu tetigerit ea sanctificabitur », sanctus erit, nonnisi lotus ad vitam profanam redibit : cf. quae dicebamus ad 29,37. Altare sanctüificat victimas, labrum sanctifieat aquam ete. ; haee vero omnia sanctificantur oleo (Ca?.); oleum ipsum sanctifieatur eo, quod eius compositio cultui divino reservetur.
30:30
v. 30 « Aaron et filios eus unges , sanctificabisque eos, ut sacerdotio fungantur mihi ».
30:31
v. 34 « Filiis quoque Israel dices : Hoc oleum unctionis sanctum erit mihi in generationes vestras » , reservabitur meo cultui.
30:32
v. 32 « Caro hominis », excepta sacerdotum consecratione, « non ungetur ex eo, et uxta compositionem etus non facietis aliud » : soli pontifici vel sacerdoti licebat unguentum illud componere , et ad solum quidem servatum, « et sanctum erit vobis », aliis usibus non impendendum (Vat.).
30:33
v. 33 « Homo quicumque tale composuerit », praeter ponüficem seu sacerdotem specialiter deputatum, « e/ », sive a se ipso sive ab alio sive a pontifice compositum, « dederit ez eo alieno , exterminabitur de eum odiosa sint restringenda, sufficit interpretari non hebraeum. Hebraeus quivis, cui eiusmodi unguentum daretur ab hebraeo vel non hebraeo, lege v. 31 sq. tenebatur illud sanctuario deferre aut certe destruere : erat igitur unguenti sanctitati penes ipsum satis consultum. At si quis hebraeus alieno non hebraeo istud unguentum daret , erat vix non certa unguenti profanatio. prohibetur; usus vero sacer, cum v. 7 sqq. explicatus sit, non repetitur. ro, verbotenus gutta (Iob. 36,27; Vulg. ad Eccli. 24,21), quod graece vertitur o:««T5 : est igitur aliquod aroma, quod ex arbusto guttatim sponte effluit, non vi exprimitur : non myrrha, quae v. 23 audiebat "1*5 133. Ps. Ion. vertit arp balsaimum : sed an certam sequitur traditionem, an meram vocum consonantiam? — nonv, LXX óvo£ uti Vulg., ostracium, unguis odoratus seu blatta byzantina, e qua constant conchae quaedam Maris Rubri et Indici; habet aroma penetrans, atque hodiedum adhibetur pro medicina et suffitione. Ungulam vertit Vulg. Eccli. 24,91 (15), eundemque sensum habet h. 1. Chald. Syr. N12YO. E contra Ps. Ion. rW?2 dicitur esse costus, arbustum indicum ; et Targ. Hier. NYYYO NO2 V? explicatur (ap. Levy), ut sit idem atque 371 Np'EVN, spica nardea. — nisbn, galbanum, quod parari dicitur e succo plantae, quae in Syria nascitur et ierula vocatur, neque solum si adhibeatur, suave olet, attamen aliis aromatibus vigorem addit. Apud Aegyptios adhibebatur unguento Mendesio (Plin. 13. 2). Testatur Kn., se thymiama, quale a Moyse describatur, miseuisse et reperisse habere odorem fortem, reereantem et amoenum. Ceterum h. l. additur mQ'D, ergo galbani species intelligitur suavius olens. — ni25 est thus, quod in Arabia potissimum nascitur (Is. 60,6; Ier. 6,20). Adiicitur purum : « Autumno legitur ab aestivo partu. Hoc purissimum, candidum. Secunda vindemia est vere, ad eam hieme corticibus incisis. Rufum hoc exit nec comparandum priori » (Plin. 12. 32).
30:34
v. 95 « Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen : Sume tibi aromata : stacten et onycha, galbanum bon odoris et thus lucidissimum; aequalis ponderis erunt omnia ». Aegyptii quoque e pluribus substantiis odoriferis thymiama componebant.
30:35
v. 35 « Faciesque thymiama compositum opere unquentari, mixtum [diltgenter| et purum et sanctificatione [dignissimum] ». n» mixtum vertunt LXX Vulg. Targ.; sed nativa verbi significatio est salsum (Amama), sal autem omnibus sacrificiis admiscebatur Lev. 2,13. Ergo thymiama debet sale condiri, ab omni aliena substantia esse purum et, uti v. 37 sq. explicatur, sanctum , soli divino cultui reservatum. Debet etiam esse minute contusum v..36 : « Cumque in tenuissimum |pulverem universa| contuderis, pones ez eo coram. tabernaculo testimoni, in quo loco apparebo tibi. Sanctum sanctorum erit vobis |thymdiama] » ; 1. e. erit res sanctissima, ef. 29,37; 30,10.
30:37
99. v. 32 « Talem compositionem non facietis in usus vestros, quia. sanctum est Domino ».
30:38
v. 38 « Homo quicumque fecerit simile, ut odore illius perfruatur, peribit de populis suis ». LXX Chald. Syr. de populo suo. Cap. XXXI
30:1
… the Temple 20; the dimensions grew still further in Herod's Temple), solemnly consecrated (Ex. 30:25-28), on which the perpetual holocaust was offered morning and evening and on which the fire always burned. B) the altar of incense or of perfumes (Ex. 30:1-10; I Reg. 6:20, 22) in the Sanctuary, of cedar covered with gold ("golden altar"; I Reg. 7:48), two cubits high, one long and wide, on which incense was burned morning and evening.
30:6
… Jud., IV, 10, 5). An arm of the Nile 90 m wide separates E. from the city of Sūn (Sāwēnāh in Ex. 29, 10; 30, 6), in Greek Σαβγη (Herodotus, II, 28), today Aswan. …
Propitiatory (Heb. Happōreth, Septuagint Ἐναστήρων)
… Of unspecified thickness, it measured two and a half cubits (= approx. 1.31 m) in length and one and a half (= 0.78 m) in width (Ex. 25:17; cf. 26:34; 30:6; 31:7; 37:6).
30:9
Abiu (Hebrew 'Abihû 'my father is He'; Septuagint: 'Abioû)
… While they assisted their father Aaron the high priest in the first sacrifices, on the eighth day of his and their consecration (Lev. 8-9). A. and his brother Nadab placed in the censer, to offer incense to the Lord, "strange" or profane fire, that is, not taken from the altar, as was prescribed (Ex. 30:9). Struck down for this sacrilege by the "fire of Yahweh" (which probably came forth from the Holy of Holies), they were buried outside the camp, with their linen garments. …
Already in the Mosaic Tabernacle there was a special altar (v.) of perfumes, on which morning and evening the priest burned a mixture of aromatic substances, namely storax, onycha, galbanum and incense (Ex. 30, 34). This mixture, called thymiana (ibid. 30, 9; Num. 16, 7, 47), was reserved for cultic use under penalty of death (Ex. 30, 38).
30:11
The treasure of the sanctuary, established by Moses, increased by gifts of the faithful and of sovereigns, underwent various vicissitudes and plunderings (Ex. 30:11-16; I Macc. 1:21-24; II Macc. 3:5, 21). In the temple restored by Herod the Great the g. must have been located in rooms to the right of the court of the women. …
30:12
… Copious Babylonian and Palestinian gēmārā'. d) Šēqālim ("shekels"): deals with the half-shekel tax (Ex. 30:12 and following) for the maintenance of the cult. …
30:17
Tabernacle (Tent) of Meeting (Hebrew 'Ohel, usually followed by Me'eth: "Tabernacle of Convene")
… In the court, finally, there were the altar of holocausts and the bronze basin ("sea"), with a stand for the water of the ablutions of the officiating priests (Ex. 30:17-21; 38:8). The symbolism of the T. is evident (cf. Heb. 8-9; Rev. 13:6; 15:5; 21:3). Each object had its own symbolism.
30:23
Cinnamon (Heb. Qinnāmōn, Greek κυνάμωμον)
… Qinnāmōn, Greek κυνάμωμον). - An aromatic element of the anointing oil (Ex. 30:23). It is often joined in enumeration with other perfumes, such as cassia, myrrh, aloes. …
Myrrh (Heb. Môr; LXX Αὐωρία; Lat. Myrrha)
Myrrh was mixed with oil in the anointing of Aaron (Ex. 30:23) and of his successors. …
30:24
… For this reason, from antiquity it was used in sacred worship, as in the consecration of altars, vessels and places (Gen. 28, 18; 35, 14; Ex. 30, 24 ff.; 40, 9 ff.), of priests (ibid. 29, 7 ff.; Lev. 8, 11), of kings (I Reg. 10, 1; 16, 13); in sacrifices and in the oblations of first-fruits (Lev. 2, 1 ff.; Deut. 14, 23); …
30:25
… wood covered with bronze, called therefore also the "bronze altar" (I Reg. 8:64; II Reg. 16:14), three cubits high (in the Temple 10), five long and wide (in the Temple 20; the dimensions grew still further in Herod's Temple), solemnly consecrated (Ex. 30:25-28), on which the perpetual holocaust was offered morning and evening and on which the fire always burned. B) the altar of incense or of perfumes (Ex. 30:1-10; I Reg. 6:20, 22) …
30:33
… After the destruction of the first Temple (587 B.C.) the high priest was consecrated by vesting alone (thus Jonathan Maccabee: 1 Macc. 10:21) and by sacrifice, no longer by anointing, because the sacred anointing oil had disappeared and could not be prepared anew (Ex. 30:33).
30:34
Gelbanus (Heb. Bēbēdhēn, Gr. Chalbánē)
… In the Bible (Ex. 30, 34-38) g. is described as one of the ingredients of the sacred perfume destined to burn in the sanctuary. …
Already in the Mosaic Tabernacle there was a special altar (v.) of perfumes, on which morning and evening the priest burned a mixture of aromatic substances, namely storax, onycha, galbanum and incense (Ex. 30, 34). This mixture, called thymiana (ibid. 30, 9; Num. 16, 7, 47), was reserved for cultic use under penalty of death (Ex. 30, 38).
In Ex. 30:34 it is the perfume of the fragrant nail (blatta byzantina; Heb. lēhēlētō), which is found as the operculum of certain mollusks or shells; together with other substances, it served …
30:38
… on which morning and evening the priest burned a mixture of aromatic substances, namely storax, onycha, galbanum and incense (Ex. 30, 34). This mixture, called thymiana (ibid. 30, 9; Num. 16, 7, 47), was reserved for cultic use under penalty of death (Ex. 30, 38).
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Douay 1609-10), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.