Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
A fixed measure of libations for each sacrifice is established. Second, a law is enacted about giving the first-fruits of bread, harvest, and grapes, verse 18. Third, the man gathering wood on the sabbath is commanded to be stoned, verse 32. Fourth, God commands the Hebrews to wear fringes, which will always remind them of the law of God, verse 37.
Vulgate Text: Numbers 15:1-41
1. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2. Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you shall have entered the land of your habitation, which I will give you, 3. and you make an offering to the Lord in a holocaust, or a victim, fulfilling vows, or voluntarily offering gifts, or on your solemnities burning a sweet odor to the Lord, from oxen or from sheep: 4. whoever immolates a victim shall offer a sacrifice of fine flour, a tenth part of an ephah, sprinkled with oil, which shall have the measure of a fourth part of a hin: 5. and wine for libations of the same measure he shall give for the holocaust or for the victim. For each lamb, 6. and for rams, there shall be a sacrifice of fine flour of two tenths, which shall be sprinkled with oil of a third part of a hin: 7. and wine for a libation of the third part of the same measure he shall offer as a sweet odor to the Lord. 8. But when you make a holocaust of oxen or a victim, to fulfill a vow or peace offerings, 9. you shall give for each ox fine flour of three tenths, sprinkled with oil, which shall be half a hin: 10. and wine for libations of the same measure, as an offering of a most sweet odor to the Lord. 11. So shall you do 12. for each ox and ram and lamb and kid. 13. Both natives and strangers 14. shall offer sacrifices with the same rite. 15. There shall be one law and one judgment for you and for the strangers of the land. 16. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 17. Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 18. When you shall have come into the land which I will give you, 19. and shall eat of the bread of that region, you shall separate first-fruits for the Lord 20. from your food. As you separate first-fruits from your threshing floors, 21. so also shall you give first-fruits to the Lord from your dough. 22. And if through ignorance you omit any of these things which the Lord has spoken to Moses, 23. and has commanded through him to you, from the day He began to command and onward, 24. and the multitude has forgotten to do it: they shall offer a calf from the herd, a holocaust for a most sweet odor to the Lord, and its sacrifice and libations, as the ceremonies require, and a he-goat for sin: 25. and the priest shall pray for the whole multitude of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them, because they did not sin willfully, nevertheless offering incense to the Lord for themselves and for their sin and error; 26. and it shall be forgiven the entire people of the children of Israel, and the strangers who sojourn among them: because the guilt belongs to all the people through ignorance. 27. But if one soul shall sin unknowingly, he shall offer a she-goat of a year old for his sin: 28. and the priest shall pray for him, because he sinned unknowingly before the Lord, and shall obtain pardon for him, and it shall be forgiven him. 29. For natives and for strangers there shall be one law for all who sin through ignorance. 30. But the soul that commits anything through pride, whether he be native or stranger (because he has been rebellious against the Lord), shall perish from among his people: 31. for he has contemned the word of the Lord, and made His commandment void: therefore he shall be destroyed, and shall bear his iniquity. 32. And it came to pass, when the children of Israel were in the wilderness, and had found a man gathering sticks on the sabbath day, 33. they brought him to Moses and Aaron and to the whole multitude. 34. And they shut him up in prison, not knowing what they should do with him. 35. And the Lord said to Moses: Let that man die, let all the multitude stone him outside the camp. 36. And when they had brought him out, they stoned him, and he died as the Lord had commanded. 37. The Lord also said to Moses: 38. Speak to the children of Israel and tell them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments, placing in them ribbons of hyacinth: 39. which when they shall see, they shall remember all the commandments of the Lord, and not follow their own thoughts and eyes, going astray after various things, 40. but rather, being mindful of the Lord's precepts, they shall do them and be holy to their God. 41. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that I might be your God.
Verses 2, 3, and 4: The libations for each sacrifice
One may ask, in which year after the departure from Egypt, and at which encampment, was this law given, along with the others that are interwoven in this chapter and the following ones up to chapter 20? I answer: This is uncertain. For Moses passes over here seventeen encampments: for the last one he mentions in the preceding chapter was the fifteenth at Rithmah; but in chapter 20, verse 1, he relates that they came to Kadesh, which was the thirty-third encampment: therefore he is silent about and passes over the intervening ones, namely seventeen. It is likely, however, that all these things were said and done in the second year of the departure from Egypt. For they do not seem to have long done without the ashes of the red heifer, about which see chapter 19, because of the frequent purifications that necessarily had to be made with these ashes, after the ceremonies, sacrifices, and priests were instituted at Sinai.
2, 3, AND 4. WHEN YOU MAKE AN OFFERING TO THE LORD AS A BURNT OFFERING, OR A SACRIFICE (peace offering, etc.), WHOEVER OFFERS A SACRIFICIAL VICTIM SHALL OFFER A SACRIFICE OF FINE FLOUR. -- From this and other passages it is clear that libations were customarily added only in the burnt offering and the peace offering, but not in the sin offering, because in it no flesh was burned for God. For libations were added only to the flesh, as condiments for it, inasmuch as they were like the food and banquet of God, which is customarily seasoned with such things. Except, however, the libations of the sin offering in the cleansing of lepers, about which see Leviticus 14:11, where the libations were like appendages or condiments of the sacrifice, and there were five, namely: first, fine flour; second, oil; third, wine; fourth, salt; fifth, frankincense; but because salt and frankincense were small in quantity, hence no fixed measure of them is prescribed here, but for the other three it is prescribed.
Note secondly: For oil and wine in the libation, the same measure is always established.
The manner and rite of the libation was this, as Abulensis rightly noted: the layperson offering the victim and the libations would at home pour oil over the flour prescribed for his sacrifice, and in the measure prescribed here, namely for one tenth, or for one gomer of fine flour, he would pour a fourth part of the measure of a hin; for two tenths he would pour a third part of a hin; for three, half a hin. A hin was a measure containing twelve Hebrew sextarii, or cups of thirteen ounces of water or wine, as I shall show at the end of this work. Therefore this flour, to be offered as a libation to God, could not be mixed with water: for then it would have been considered unclean and unfit for sacrifice, as Abulensis teaches in his commentary on Numbers chapter 28, question 23, but it had to be mixed with oil. Then the offerer would bring the flour thus mixed to the Sanctuary, together with the measure of wine prescribed here, and hand it to the priest, who, receiving it, would pour part of the wine over the victim to be burned, as is gathered from verse 5 and chapter 28, verse 14; and from the fine flour he would take a handful, which he would burn upon the altar; but the remaining flour and wine he would keep for his own use. For the libation offerings always for the most part went to the priest, even in burnt offerings.
The rite therefore of sacrificing and offering libations was this: the priest would place the flesh of the victim, or the fat, if that alone was to be burned, upon the altar; then from the fine flour, which had been mixed and seasoned with salt and a fixed measure of oil, he would take a handful and place it upon the victim to be burned; and at the same time he would pour out not only upon the flour, but also upon the victim itself, the prescribed portion of wine; finally he would place frankincense upon the victim, and then, having placed wood beneath, he would kindle the fire and burn and consume the victim with the libations as an offering to God.
Verse 3: Burning an odor of sweetness
3. BURNING AN ODOR OF SWEETNESS. -- burning, that is, the victim; which burning was as an odor of sweetness, that is, it was acceptable and pleasing to God, just as some very sweet odor is pleasing to us, for example, of frankincense, rose, musk, etc.
FROM OXEN OR FROM SHEEP -- or he-goats, or kids, as is clear from verse 11.
Verse 4: Whoever shall offer a victim
4. WHOEVER SHALL OFFER A SACRIFICIAL VICTIM -- whoever offers a victim to be sacrificed. For laypeople only presented the victims but did not sacrifice them: for this was the role of the priests.
Verse 5: Wine for the libations
5. AND WINE FOR THE LIBATIONS (that is, drink offerings) TO BE POURED OUT. -- Whence in Hebrew it reads, "and wine for a libation." So also the Chaldean and the Septuagint.
That this is so is clearly evident from the Hebrew, Chaldean, and Septuagint. So Vatablus and the Hebrews.
Anagogically, Cyril, Book 16 of On Worship in Spirit and Truth, page 327, says: Wine signifies joy, oil signifies gladness, which in the future glory will be measured out unequally to the Saints according to the varying measure of the good works offered to God.
In like manner tropologically, to a greater pious work more oil and wine must be given, that is, more gladness and devotion, than to a lesser one.
For each lamb
FOR EACH LAMB. -- These words are to be referred to what precedes, along with the Royal Bibles, the Hebrew, Chaldean, and Septuagint, not to what follows. For with a lamb one tenth of fine flour was to be offered, but with a ram two tenths of fine flour, as follows.
Note on the proportions of libations
Note here: The larger the animal or victim, the greater the libation that had to be given. For with a lamb (under which understand also a kid) that had not yet exceeded one year, a tenth of fine flour had to be given, and a fourth part of a hin both of oil and of wine; but for a ram or he-goat, two tenths of fine flour had to be given, with a third part of a hin of oil and wine; finally for a young bull or ox, three tenths of fine flour had to be given, with half a hin of oil and wine.
Verse 13: Foreigners and natives
13. FOREIGNERS -- that is, strangers, namely proselytes converted to Judaism. For in Hebrew this is called ger, which our translator renders now as "foreigner," now as "stranger," as is clear from verses 13, 14, 26, and elsewhere.
14. THERE SHALL BE ONE PRECEPT AND JUDGMENT (that is, statute or law; for this is the Hebrew mishpat) BOTH FOR YOU AND FOR THE STRANGERS (proselytes) OF THE LAND.
Verse 19: Firstfruits from your food
19. YOU SHALL SET APART FIRSTFRUITS FOR THE LORD FROM YOUR FOOD (that is, from your bread) -- as preceded. This will be clearer from verse 20.
Verses 20-21: Firstfruits from cooked food
20 AND 21. JUST AS YOU SET APART FIRSTFRUITS FROM THE THRESHING FLOORS: SO ALSO FROM YOUR COOKED FOOD YOU SHALL GIVE THE FIRST THINGS TO THE LORD. -- Under "threshing floors" understand also "wine presses." For just as from the threshing floor they were to offer to God the firstfruits of the harvest, so from the vineyard or wine press they were to offer the firstfruits of the vintage and grapes at the end of the year, namely at the Feast of Tabernacles. Again, firstfruits were to be given "from cooked food," that is, from bread. So the Hebrew, Chaldean, and Septuagint. Bread is therefore here called "cooked food" because the ancients, both Romans and Hebrews, used porridge in place of bread; whence they were also called "porridge-eaters." For to give God firstfruits daily of all other foods would have been nearly impossible. Therefore only when the Hebrews baked bread did they give some bread of the firstfruits to the priests, or to the Levites who were in their city, or who had been appointed by the high priest and priests to receive the firstfruits.
The challah tradition among the Jews
Even today Jewish women, every time they knead dough, separate the challah, that is, a cake or a small round bread, from the rest of the dough, and as it were consecrate it to the Lord. But because they no longer have a temple, nor priests to whom it was given, they throw it into the oven and burn it: for they say it is not lawful to eat it; it would surely be better to give it to the poor. Moreover, the formula of the blessing which the woman uses in the consecration of this cake is this: "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who have sanctified us with Your commandments and have commanded us to separate the cake from the dough," etc. I shall say more about these firstfruits in chapter 28, verse 12.
Piously therefore, and according to this counsel, indeed this law of God, do Christian mothers of families act, who every time they knead bread, set aside one loaf as firstfruits for God and for the poor.
Verses 22 and 24: Sins of ignorance
22 AND 24. BUT IF THROUGH IGNORANCE YOU HAVE OMITTED ANYTHING OF THESE THINGS, etc., AND THE MULTITUDE HAS FORGOTTEN TO DO IT, IT SHALL OFFER A YOUNG BULL FROM THE HERD AS A BURNT OFFERING, etc., AND A HE-GOAT FOR SIN. -- You may object: In Leviticus 4:13, it is prescribed that if the whole multitude of the children of Israel sins, it should offer a bull for sin, to be burned outside the camp: how then does this law prescribe a bull not for sin, but as a burnt offering, and a he-goat for sin? Cajetan answers that Leviticus speaks of sins committed against natural divine law, while this law speaks of sins committed against God's positive law, and therefore a different victim is prescribed for expiation here and there. But this does not seem true: for that law of Leviticus in the same chapter 4, speaking of victims and sins both of the prince and of each individual, speaks of any sins whatsoever: therefore equally when it speaks of victims and sins of the whole people, it speaks of any sins whatsoever.
I say therefore that this law is different from that of Leviticus: and consequently, besides the bull for sin prescribed in Leviticus 4, here the sinning people is commanded to offer in addition another bull as a burnt offering, and a he-goat for sin. So Abulensis.
Note: This he-goat for sin was not burned outside the camp (for nothing of the sort is said here), as was that bull of Leviticus 4, because the blood of this he-goat was not brought into the Holy of Holies, as the blood of that bull was brought in. Therefore only the fat of this he-goat went to God and was burned for Him, while the flesh went to the priest: for this is how it was done in other sin offerings, according to the law of Leviticus 6:26.
24. AND ITS SACRIFICE AND LIBATIONS (understand a grain sacrifice: for in Hebrew it is minchah; and the libations are the drink offerings of oil and wine, to be offered with the bull and the he-goat), AS THE CEREMONIES (here prescribed by Me) REQUIRE.
Verse 25: They did not sin willingly
25. SINCE THEY DID NOT SIN WILLINGLY. -- Because if someone sinned willingly, and by pride despising the commandment of God, this guilt was not expiated by sacrifice, but by the judge, if the matter was proven; otherwise, he was punished and put to death by God, as is clear from verse 31.
NEVERTHELESS OFFERING INCENSE TO THE LORD, that is to say: Their sin shall be forgiven, because it was committed through ignorance; yet in such a way that they nevertheless offer "incense," that is, the sacrifice or victim just prescribed, which is to be burned and consumed by fire for God. This is clear from the Hebrew, Chaldean, and Septuagint. For thus "incense," or as it is in Hebrew, "a fire-offering," is often taken in Leviticus, not for incense proper, but for a sacrifice and animal victim.
Verse 30: Rebellion against the Lord
30. BECAUSE HE WAS REBELLIOUS AGAINST THE LORD. -- The Septuagint and Chaldean render: because he provoked the Lord.
Verse 31: He made the commandment void
31. HE MADE THE COMMANDMENT VOID -- not as regards the obligation of the commandment, but as regards its end and purpose, which is to obey the commandment. Thus the Hebrews often say: "He made the law void," that is, he transgressed the law, violated it, and was disobedient to it; for such a person, insofar as it is in his power, breaks, destroys, and makes void the law itself.
Verse 32: The man gathering wood on the sabbath
32. AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN, etc., THEY FOUND A MAN GATHERING WOOD ON THE SABBATH DAY. -- From this it is clear that the Sabbath was observed in the wilderness, even though the Hebrews did not observe other ceremonial laws there: because the Sabbath had been promulgated by the voice of God at Sinai to the whole people, Exodus 20:8. Therefore the Hebrews observed the Sabbath in the wilderness as regards abstaining from work, but not as regards sacrifices, namely that on the Sabbath they should offer two lambs, one in the morning and one in the evening; for after their departure from Sinai they did not sacrifice until they reached Canaan.
Verse 34: Not knowing what to do with him
34. NOT KNOWING WHAT THEY SHOULD DO WITH HIM. -- In Hebrew, ki lo paras, that is, because it had not been declared, or, as the Septuagint renders, decreed, what should be done to him. For although in Exodus 31:14 the penalty of death had been decreed against one who violated the Sabbath, nevertheless the Hebrews did not know whether God wished someone to be put to death for so small a task as gathering wood; and if He did wish it, they did not know by what kind of death He desired him to be afflicted. Therefore God here commands that he be stoned. See here how strictly and severely God commands that His precepts and feasts be observed.
Examples of sabbath-breakers punished
Gregory of Tours, Book 1 of On the Glory of the Martyrs, chapter 15, relates that a certain woman who was kneading bread on Sunday had her hand immediately set aflame by divine fire.
Rodrigo of Toledo, Part 4 of the History of Spain, relates that John, the victorious king of Castile, while devoting himself to horse riding on Sunday before lunch, was thrown from his stumbling horse and crushed to death, so that we may learn to give feast days to God, not to hunting or vain amusements. In the Life of St. Austregisilus, Archbishop of Bourges, which is found in Surius under May 20, chapter 9, it is narrated that when a certain miller named Monulphus was repairing his millstone on Sunday, the handle of his tool adhered so firmly to his hand that no one could remove it. Blood also burst forth between his fingers, which, putrefying, moved everyone to nausea by its stench. But he was healed by St. Austregisilus touching his hand. Eucherius, in the Life of St. Maurice and his fellow Martyrs, writes that a certain goldsmith, a pagan, because he worked at home on Sunday, was beaten by the Theban Martyrs, and by that terror was made a Christian.
Verse 38: Fringes on the corners of their garments
38. TELL THEM TO MAKE FOR THEMSELVES FRINGES ON THE CORNERS OF THEIR GARMENTS. -- In Hebrew: that they make for themselves fringes on the wings, that is, on the edges of their garments, namely the outer ones, which are called mantles: on these therefore the Hebrews are commanded to sew on or weave fringes thread by thread, so that they protrude in the way that we see fringes, or remaining threads, protruding at the edges of woven cloths.
The Pharisees and the fringes of Christ
Hence the Pharisees, as Christ testifies in Matthew 23:5, in order to appear more religious than others, enlarged these fringes: indeed Christ Himself, according to the custom of His nation, wore these fringes, as is clear from Luke 8:44, where the woman with the issue of blood is said to have touched the fringe of Christ's garment and to have been healed immediately.
Over these fringes the Jews drew and extended all around a thread, or ribbon, or band of hyacinth color, both for the purpose of distinction, that by this sign they might be recognized from the Gentiles; and for the sake of piety, namely that this might be as it were a reminder of the commandments of God.
The hyacinth color and its meaning
Moreover, these fringes were of hyacinth, that is, of violet and heavenly color, so that by this it might be signified that the conversation and hope of the Jews ought to be in heaven, so that having their thoughts with God, they might always have the fear and presence of God before their eyes; for this is what follows: "When they see them, let them remember all the commandments of the Lord."
Jewish customs of the fringes
The Jews, even at this time, use this ceremony in their synagogues. For among their other garments they have one resembling a breastplate, except that it lacks sleeves, which they use daily in their prayers, and they put it on over all their other garments, and they call it arba camphot, that is, "four-cornered"; for it has four wings or corners, from which hang the tzitzit, that is, those twisted threads or fringes, which they commonly call zetten, and they say that these have a special power against evil concupiscence, and this from what is added here: "Nor follow their own thoughts and eyes, fornicating after various things." Therefore those among them who are more religious, or rather more superstitious, always wear this fringed garment under their other clothing, says Oleaster and others. St. Jerome adds in his commentary on Matthew 23 that the Jews inserted very sharp thorns into these fringes, so that while walking, they might always be reminded of the divine law by their pricking. What then shall Christians do? How shall they strive that the law of God may be constantly observed before their eyes?
Verse 39: Nor follow their own thoughts and eyes
39. NOR FOLLOW THEIR OWN THOUGHTS AND EYES, FORNICATING AFTER VARIOUS THINGS. -- In Hebrew: lest you explore, or look upon, or investigate after your heart and after your eyes, after which you go fornicating, that is to say: Wear these fringes, so that being reminded by them of the law of God, you may not follow the thoughts and, as the Chaldean translates, hirhur, that is, the impious curiosity of your heart, and the concupiscence of your eyes, which following you stray from the precepts of God, and like fornicators you defile yourselves with the illicit love of desired things and with sins, says Vatablus.