The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

SECTION XLIX.

Of the Urim and Thummim.

THat Urim and Thummim should be nothing but the name Jehovah written and put in∣to the Breast-plate, as some have held, savours more of exorcism than a divine Oracle. Or that the lustre, or dimness of the twelve stones should be the Oracle, as others, is as strange a fancy as the former, if we consider the particulars of Answers that have been given; As among others, that of Davids, Whither shall I go? the Urim answered, to Hebron.

This impossibility others having espyed, have averred that the Urim consisted of the names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the Twelve Tribes, and that when a question was asked, the letters that served to give the answer, either rose up above the others, or else met strangely together, and made words to give an answer. But if the letter Teth were to be spelled in the answer where was it to be had?

Leaving then these and other conjectures, let us see what light the Scripture will give us concerning these things.

First, Urim and Thummim were not two things, but one and the same thing, and for this reason, they are called sometime by a single name, Num. 27, 21. 1 Sam. 28. 6. &c.

Secondly, the stones in the High Priests Breast-plate, are called the Urim and Thum∣mim, Exod. 28. 30.

Thirdly, when God answered by Urim and Thummim, the answer was not given by any appearance in these stones, but by the mouth of the Priest, Numb. 27. 21.

Fourthly, the Priest when he was to receive his answer, was to have the Ephod on, 1 Sam. 23. 9.

Lastly, the Priest when he was to receive an answer, stood before the Ark, Judg. 20. 27, 28.

The manner then of inquiring of the Lord by Urim and Thummim, was thus.

The things to be inquired of must be of weight and generalty: for the stones represen∣ted the Judgment of all the people, Exod. 28. 30. therefore the inquiry by them must concern the general: Such was the general question at Shiloh, Judg. 1. 2. Who shall first set upon the Canaanites? Such was that of all Israel: Shall I shall go up against my Brother Benjamin? Judg. 20. 23. and divers others.

When such a scruple was to be resolved, it was told to the High Priest what he should ask: So did David wish Abimelech the High Priest at Nob to enquire whether his journey should prosper, 1 Sam. 22. 10. So did the Danites to the fained Idolatrous High Priests, Judg. 18. 5. The Priest knowing what to ask, put on the Ephod and Brest-plate, which hung unseparably at it. This do Davids wordsmean, when he saith to Abiathar the Priest, Bring hither the Ephod, 1 Sam. 23. 9. And for this it was that Abiathar made sure of the Ephod, when he fled from bleeding Nob, 1 Sam. 23. 6. Without the stones on his breast, the Priest enquired not: for the stones represented Israel, and when the Priest brought them before the Lord, he brought as it were Israel and their matters before him. To go without these was to go without his errand. If Sauls conscience could have told him off no other cause why God would not answer him, as it might many, yet he might see this to be one reason undoubted, viz. Because though he had the Ark near him, yet had he neither High Priest nor Ephod; and seeing his cross in this that he could not be answered, his conscience might tell him what he did when he slew the Priests of the Lord.

When the Priest knew what to enquire about, and had put on these habiliments, he went and stood before the Ark of the Lord, and enquired about the matter, and the Lord answered him from off the Propitiatory from between the Cherubims, and so the Priest answered the People. Now there was some difference in the Priests manner of inquiring, according to the situation of the Ark, when the Tabernacle was up, the Priest went in∣to the holy Place, and stood close by the vail which parted the holy from the most holy, and there inquired, and God from between the Cherubims which were within the vail, gave him an answer.

But when the Tabernacle was down, or the Ark distant from the Tabernacle, travel∣ling up and down, then did the Priest in his Robes stand before the Ark, as it stood covered with the curtains, and enquired, and the answer was given him, in behalf of Is∣rael whom God saw on his breast: For this reason the stones, for whose sakes the perfect light of resolution was given, are called the perfect light or Urim and Thummim, and the answer given from the Priests mouth is called the answer by Urim and Thummim.

David once enquired of the Priest, having the Ephod, but wanting the Ark, and God answered him, and shewed that God was not bound to means. On the contrary Saul once enquired of the Ark, wanting the Ephod, and God answered him not, shewing him how God honoured his Priests whom Saul had dishonoured, even to the Sword.

Thus have we seen the Breast-plates form, richness and glory. Form, four square a span every way: the richness, it was set with twelve precious stones: the glory, that for the sake of these stones, that is, for their sakes whose names these stones bare, God revealed secrets to his people. See this breast-plate fastened to the Ephod, and you see Aaron the High Priest arrayed in his glorious garments. At each corner of the breast-plate, was a golden ring fastned. On the upper side of the piece, just upon the edge, was laid a lit∣tle golden chain, which ran like an edging lace upon the edge, and was brought through the two rings, which were at either corner one, and the ends of the chains were made fast to bosses or loops of gold which were on the shoulder pieces of the Ephod by the Onyx stones. At the lower edg of the breast-plate was an edging chain, carried just in the same manner that the other was, through two gold rings, and the chains tyed to the em∣broidered girdle of the Ephod, as the other were to the shoulder pieces. Breast-plate and Ephod might not be parted, no more than might the Staves and Ark.