as it is said, Iehovah will keepe thee from all evill, hee will keepe thy soule, Psal. 121. 7. And for good, it is spoken in 1 Chron. 29. 18. So our Saviour prayeth, Holy Father, keepe through thine owne name, those whom thou hast giuen me, that they may be one, as we are: and, keepe them from the evill: Iohn 17. 11. 15.
Ver. 25. his face to shine upon thee] or, his counte∣nance to shine (to be lightsome) unto thee. For face, the [unspec 25] Chaldee putteth Shecinah, the Divine Maiestie: whereby Christ seemeth to be meant, as is noted on Exod. 34. 9. Gods face, sometime signifieth his anger, as Levit. 20. 6. Psal. 21. 10. and. 34. 17. some∣time his favour, Psal. 21. 7. But the light or shining of his face, usually meaneth his loving favour and salvation in Christ; as, Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved, Psal. 80. 4. 8. 20. and, The light of thy face, because thou didst favour them. Psal. 44. 4. So this second branch respecteth Christ, the Lamb which is the light of the world, and of the heavenly Ierusalem, Ioh. 8. 12. Rev. 21. 23. whose face shined at the Sunne, Rev. 1. 16. of whom it is said, God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse, hath shined in our hearts, (giving) the light of the know∣ledge of the glory of God, in the face of Iesus Christ, 2 Cor. 4. 6. So in him is that saying fulfilled, In the light of the kings face is life: and his favour is as a cloud of the latter raine: Prov. 16. 15. And this blessing implyeth deliverance out of miserie, as ap∣peareth by Psal. 80. and Dan. 9. 17. who saith, Cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuarie, which is desolate. bee gracious] or, as the Greeke translateth, bee mercifull. This Grace is opposed to all mans workes, with which it cannot stand, Rom. 11. 6. and 4. 4. and it is bestowed on whom God will, Exod. 33. 19. Rom. 9. 15, 16. by which grace, we are saved, through faith, God having shewed the exceeding riches of his grace, in his goodnesse towards us, through Christ Ie∣sus, Ephes. 2. 7. 8. by whom grace raigneth through righteousnesse, unto eternall life, Rom. 5. 21. There∣fore the Apostle blesseth the Churches, with the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, Rom. 16. 20. 2 Cor. 13. 13. For the Law was given by Moses; but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ, Ioh. 1. 17.
Verse 26. lift up his face] this in men, signifieth [unspec 26] a comfortable and chearefull countenance and ca∣riage, Ioh 29. 24. 2 Sam. 2. 22. so here in God to∣wards his people; and by face understand as before the light of his face, that is, his favour; as in Psal. 4. 7. Iehovah lift thou up the light of thy face upon us; and it signifieth the applying and communicating of Gods foresaid grace, to mans conscience and see∣ling, as after it is said, Thou hast put gladnesse in mine heart, &c. Psal. 4. 8. Thus the first branch of the blessing (in verse 24.) implieth the love of the Fa∣ther; the second (in verse 25.) the grace of the Sonne; and this third, the communion of the Holy Ghost; as the Apostle distinctly expoundeth this blessing, in 2 Cor. 13. 14. And by this Spirit, all gracious gifts, of wisedome, knowledge, faith, prophe∣sie,, and the like, are given to the Church, 1 Cor. 12. 8-11. The word face sometime meaneth an∣ger, as before is noted; and the Hebrew Nasa, Lift up, is sometime used for taking away, as in Exod. 10. 19. and so the Chaldee translateth this here, The LORD remove (or take away) his anger from thee. The same exposition the Zohar also giveth of this place, that wrath may be taken away, and not found in the world. and give] Hebr. and put (or dispose) unto thee, that is, communicate with thee: which the Greeke translateth give: and in the Scrip∣tures one of these words is used for another: as hee hath put thee, 1 Kings 10. 9. or, he hath given thee, 2 Chron. 9. 8. So, put glory, Ios. 7. 19. that is, give glory, and to put mercie, Esai. 47. 6. is to give or communicate the same. Peace] this word generally signifieth all prosperitie, and the perfect injoying of all good things; it is opposed to war, Eccles. 3. 8. to discord and onmitie, Ephes. 2. 14, 15. Luke 12. 51. to tumult and confusion, 1 Cor. 14. 33. and to all adversitie, Gen. 43. 27. 2 Kings 4. 26. Ioh. 16. 33. and is therefore added for a con∣clusion of blessings, Psal. 29. 11. & 125. 4. 1 Pet. 5. 14. This peace is obtained by Iesus Christ, Eph. 2. 14, 15, 17. Rom. 5. 1. and enjoyed by the Holy Ghost, Rom. 8. 6. 9. & 14. 17. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall guard our hearts and mindes through Christ Iesus, Phil. 4. 7. And the Hebrew Doctors expound this peace, to be the kingdome of the house of David; R. Nathan in Siphri: which is true, for when the Angell said, Unto you is borne this day, in the citie of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord; then the heaven∣ly host sang, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, Luke 2. 11—14. and one part of his name is, THE PRINCE OF PEACE; Esai. 9. 6.
Verse 27. And they shall] the Priests in all ages, such as were meet to serve in the Sanctuary, per∣formed [unspec 27] this as the other services. The Hebrew Canons have here their limitations; they say, Six things doe let from lifting up the hands (to blesse) 1 the tongue, 2 blemishes, 3 transgression, 4 yeares, 5 wine, 6 and uncleannesse of hands. The tongue, as if they stammer and cannot pronounce the letters aright, or lisp, &c. Blemishes, as if they have any ble∣mishes in their face, hands, or feet; as if they have crooked fingers, &c. Transgression, as if a Priest hath killed a man, though unawares, and though hee have repented for it, yet may he not lift up his hands, Esai. 1. 15. Or, if the Priest have served idols, &c. though he have repented for it, he may never lift up hands; as it is written (in 2 Kings 23. 9.) The Priests of the high places came not up to the Altar, &c. and bles∣sing is as a service, Deut. 21. 5. Yeares, as a young Priest lifteth not up his hands till he be fully come to his age. Wine, as if he have drunke a quarter (of a Log) of wine, hee may not lift up his hands, till hee hath put away his wine from him, Levit. 10. 9. Vncleannesse of hands, as a Priest that hath not washed his hands, may not lift them up (to blesse) but he must wash his hands, as they use to sanctifie them for service, and afterwards hee blesseth. Maim. treat. of Prayer, chapt. 15. sect. 1-.-5. put my name] or, impose my name; which the Chal∣dee expoundeth, shall put the blessing of my name; and Chazkuni saith, the memoriall of my name in eve∣ry