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.

VERS. I.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

The chief Priests and the Scribes with the Elders.

SO it is in Mark XI. 27. but in Matth. XXI. 23. it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Chief Priests and Elders of the people. Now the question is, who these Elders should be, as they are distinguisht, from the Chief Priests and the Scribes. The Sanhedrin consisted chiefly of Priests, Levites, and Israelites, although the original precept was for the Priests and Levites only. a 1.1 The command is, that the Priests and Le∣viies should be of the great Council, as it is said, thou shalt go unto the Priests and Levites: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but if such be not to be found, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 although they were all Israelites, behold, it is allowed.

None will imagine that there ever was a Sanhedrin, wherein there were Israelites only and no Priests or Levites; nor on the other hand, that there ever was a Sanhedrin wherein there were only Priests and Levites, and no Israelites. The 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 there∣fore or the Scribes, seem in this place to denote either the Levites, or else, together with the Levites those inferior ranks, of Priests, who were not the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Chief Priests: And then the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Elders, may be the Israelites, or those Elders of the Laity, that were not of the Levitical Tribe. Such an one was Gamaliel the present President of the Sanhedrin, and Simeon his Son, of the Tribe of Judah.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Maimon. in Sanhedr. cap. 2.