and 9. 1. Mich. 1. 7. an whore] in Hebrew Zo∣nah; which seemeth to be the same with Kedesah before mentioned: though it comprehendeth ge∣nerally all such as are forbidden in Lev. 18. to any which, or for which, if a man give hire or reward, to lie with her, it might not be brought into the Lords house. And this, as the Hebrews explaine, whether she were an heathenish whore, or a bond-woman, or an Israelitesse. He that saith to his neigh∣bour, this thing thoushalt have to let thy bond-woman lie with my Hebrew servant, loe this is an (whores) hire. If a man agree with an whore to give her a Lambe, (as Gen. 38. 16, 17.) and he doth give her many, though hee give a thousand, they are all an whores hire, and forbidden to come on the altar. If he tie with her, & give her it not, and after the time he give it her, though it be after many yeeres, yet it is an whores hire. Howbeit they restraine this (though perhaps too much,) to such things onely, as might in themselves be brought to the altar, as cleane beasts, & fowles, wine, oile, and fine flower, &c. If he give her money, & a sacrifice be bought with it, that sacrifice (they say) was lawfull. If he give her wheat, & after it be made flower; olives, & after oile is made of thē; grapes, & they be turned into wine; these are lawfull, for the hire is now altered. Maim. tom. 3. in Issure mizbeach, chap. 4. sect. 8, 10, 11,—15. This law taught the honour and sancti∣ty due unto Gods house and service, when things which were thus made impure and vile, might not be brought unto him: so in Esay 61. 8. hee saith, I hate robbery, for burnt-offering. the price of a dog] in Chaldee, the exchange of (that is, the thing exchanged for) a dog. This some doe understand of the whoremonger or Sodomite fore-mentioned; as the Scripture calleth vile persons dogs. Matth. 7. 6. Rev. 22. 15. 2 Pet. 2. 22. But the Hebrewes under〈…〉〈…〉d it literally; for as the dog was an un∣cleane beast, and most abominable for sacrifice, E∣say 66. 3. so they write, if a man said to his neigh∣bour, I will give thee this Lambe for that Dog; or if he exchange a dog for any beasts or fowles, they were all unlawfull to be brought unto the altar. But if the price were altered, as he exchanged a dog for wheat, and turned it into flower; that (flower) was lawfull. Maimony in Issure mizbeach, ch. 4. sect. 16, &c. for any vow] whether for a sacrifice on the al∣tar, or for the maintenance or reparation of the house, court-yard, or any thing about the Sanctu∣ary; the thing it selfe, which was either the hire, or the price of these vile things, might not be brought thither. Vnder the name of a vow, (which men voluntarily tooke upon themselves, vers. 21, 22, 23.) other sacrifices which God commanded, are forbidden to be brought of either of these, that is, of any thing which was filthy or vile. both of the] the one proceeding from the breach of the morall Law, the other (taken properly) being against the Legall ordinances of divine service, are abominati∣on to the Lord, who requireth his Sanctuary to be reverenced, Lev. 19. 30. and forbiddeth his name to be despised, his altar or table to be thought con∣temptible, Mal. 1. 6, 7, 8. or his house to be made a den of theeves, Ier. 7. 11. Matth. 21. 13.
Vers. 19: not lend upon biting usurie] Hebr. not [unspec 19] cause to bite; which meaneth, as the Greeke and Chaldee both interpret it, not lend upon biting usu∣rie (or increase:) for usurie is biting or devouting of a mans substance; he that borroweth on usurie is bitten thereby; and he that so lendeth, causeth to bite, or maketh his neighbour to be bitten thereby. It may also imply, thou shalt not borrow upon usury, for that also is unlawfull, Ier. 15. 10. and hee that so borroweth, causeth himselfe to be bitten, and thus the Hebrewes understand it, as is noted on Ex. 22. 25. usury] Hebr. biting of silver, that is, usury for silver (or mony) which is lent. So after, bi∣ting of meat, that is, usury for meat which is lent. of any thing] Hebr. of any word: which though it be often used for any thing, as the Greeke here also translareth it, yet from hence the Hebrews gather, usury of words also to be unlawfull: see the Anno∣tations on Exod. 22. 25. that is lent upon usurie] Hebr. that biteth, (or may bite) Vnder this prohi∣bition, the contrary is commanded, that we should lend unto our poore brother freely, and not take againe any thing more than was lent, Deut. 15. 7. 8, 9. Luk. 6. 34, 35. Lev. 25. 35, 36.
Vers. 20. a stranger] or alien, in the Chaldee, a [unspec 20] sonne of the peoples, meaning a Gentile, an infidell: for to the strangers which were brethren in the faith, they might not lend upon usurie, Levit. 25. 35, 36, 37. maist lend] or shalt lend upon usurie; Hebr. shalt cause to bite, to wit, if thou wilt; so it may be taken for a permission, like the bill of divorce. But the Hebrewes under∣stand this to be a commandement, not a permission onely; (Maimony tom. 4. treat. of the Lender and Borrower, chap. 5. sect. 1) As if God would by this cut off occasions of familiarity with Infidels, lest Israel by much dealing with them, should learne their waies. Howbeit, our Saviour (by the example of God himselfe,) teacheth us to be loving and bountifull unto all, both good and bad, Matt. 5. 44,—48. Luke 6. 35, 36. Spiritually this shewed the use of the Law, which as an hard creditour exa∣cteth more of men than it giveth unto them; and is to be laid, not upon the righteous man, (who by faith is freed from the rigour & curse of the same,) but on the lawlesse, disobedient and sinners, 1 Ti••••. 1. 9. Rom. 7.
Vers. 21. a vow] the law whereof, see in Levit. [unspec 21] 27. and Num. 30. And whether it were a thing promised unto God, or to be given to the poore, it was a vow. not delay] that is, not faile, either altogether, or by deferring the time of paiment: see the notes on Exod. 22. 29. Wherefore if a man have absolutely vowed a thing to the Lord, (seeing no man hath assurance that his life shall continue, Iam. 4. 13, 14.) he must with all speed performe it, lest death prevent him. So the Hebrewes say; He that saith, I will not depart out of the world un∣till I be a Nazirite; loe, hee is a Nazirite out of hand, lest hee die by and by. And if hee deferre his Naziriteship, he transgresseth, &c. Maimony tom. 3. treat. of Nazirites, chap. 1. sect. 4. The time and place of paying vowed sacrifices, was at the solemnefeasts, & in the Sanctuary, Deu. 12. 5, 6, 7