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. XVII.

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

And there was delivered unto him the Book of Esaias.

I. THE Minister of the Church kept the sacred Books in his custody, and brought them out to be read, when they met together in the Synagogue.

m 1.1 The High-Priest came to read (on the day of expiation) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Minister of the Synagogue, takes the Book of the Law, and giveth it to the Ruler of the Synagogue, &c. Where the Gloss is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Chazan of the Synagogue, that is, the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Minister. From him did our Saviour receive the Book, and to him he returned it again.

II. If it be askt whether he received the Book of the Prophet Isaiah by it self, or joyned with the other Prophets, it is not easie to determine it. We may gather some∣thing from what vulgarly obtained amongst them.

n 1.2 The Rabbins deliver; Let a man frame the Law, and the Prophets, and the Holy Writ∣ings into one volume. They are the words of R. Meir. But R. Judah saith, Let the Law be apart, by it self: the Book of the Prophets by it self: and the Book of the Holy Writings by it self. o 1.3 And the Wise-men say, Every Book by it self.

But we may ask, if every Prophet was by himself? Isaiah by himself, Jeremiah by himself, &c. It is probable they were: For so they sometimes divided the Law into single Quintanes, or fifth parts.

All know what title the Books of the Law do bear in the front of the Hebrew Bibles, viz. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The five Quintanes of the Law. Genesis is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the first Quintane: Exodus is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the second Quintane; and so of the rest. Concerning the dividing of every of these quintanes into particular Volumes, consult the Tract Sopherim, in the place already quoted.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 p 1.4 They fold up the Book of the Law in the cloth of the Quintanes, and the Quintanes in the cloth of the Prophets and Hagiographa; but they do not fold up the Prophets and Hagiographa in the cloth of the Quintanes, nor the Quintanes in the cloth of the Law. And a little after, They lay the Law 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 upon the Quin∣tanes, and the Quintanes upon the Prophets and Hagiographa, but not the Prophets and Ha∣giographa upon the Quintanes, nor the Quintanes upon the Law. That is, not any one single Quintane, upon all the Quintanes made up into one Volume. So the Gloss hath it; A Quintane, that is, A Book of the Law, in which there is only one Quintane.

Seeing therefore that the Book of the Law was sometimes divided in this manner into distinct Books, we may judge as well, that the greater Prophets might be thus divided al∣so, and the twelve lesser made up into one Volume. Hence perhaps that passage: q 1.5 The Reader of the Prophet might skip from one Text to another; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but he might not skip from Prophet to Prophet: but in the twelve Prophets it was lawful. For they were all made up in one Volume ready to his hand; and so were not the greater Prophets.

Give me leave therefore to conjecture that on that Sabbath wherein these things were transacted in the Synagogue at Nazareth, that Section which was to be read in the Pro∣phets, was according to the Rubrick in the Prophet Isaiah; and upon that account the Mi∣nister of the Synagogue, delivered that Book to our Saviour when he stood up to read.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.

And when he had opened the Book he found the place, &c.

In the Talmudick Language I would render it thus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Hebrew, unroling the Book. But then how should we render 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Vers. 20? Even in the very same words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 roling up the Book.

r 1.6 The High-Priest after the reading of the Law 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, roling, or folding up the Book, puts it into his bosom: And yet

s 1.7 It is said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (which we must not render they do not fold up, but) they do not unfold, or unrol the Book of the Law in the Synagogue.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 t 1.8 They unrol a Prophet in the Congregation, but they do not unrol the Law in the Congregation. That is, as the Gloss hath it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 u 1.9 They unrol from one place or passage, to another passage in another place. So they were wont to do in the Prophets but not in the Law. And upon this account was it permitted for the Reader to skip in the Prophet from one place to another, because it was permitted them to unrol the Prophet, either a single Prophet, or the twelve lesser, in the Synagogue; but as to the Law, it was not allowed them so to do.

And they put the question, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 x 1.10 How far may he skip? 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 So that he that Interprets do not break off. The Gloss is, Let him not skip from the place he reads, unless that he may 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 unrol the Book, and be ready to read the place to which he skips, when the Interpreter ceaseth.

And because it was not lawful for him so to unrol the Law in the Synagogue. On the Kalends of the month Tebeth, if it proved to be the Sabbath day, they brought three Books of the Law and read in one of them, the place for the Sabbath, in another, that for the Ka∣lends, in the third, that for the Feast of dedication y 1.11.

The words therefore of our Evangelist 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to me seem not barely to mean, that that he unfolded, or opened the Book, but that, being opened he unrolled it from folio to folio, till he had found the place he designed to Read and Expound. Which, though it was not the Section appointed by the Rubrick for the day: yet did not Christ much recede from the custom of the Synagogue, which allowed the Reader to skip from one place to another.

Notes

• m 1.1

  Joma, fol. 68. 2.
• n 1.2

  Bava bathr•• fol. 13. 2.
• o 1.3

  See the Tract Sopherim, cap. 3.
• p 1.4

  Megill. fol. 27. 1.
• q 1.5

  Megill. fol. 24. 1.
• r 1.6

  Joma, cap. 7. hal. 1.
• s 1.7

  Fol. 70. 1.
• t 1.8

  Massech. So∣pherim. cap. 11.
• u 1.9

  Megill. fol. 32. 1.
• x 1.10

  Megil. fol. 24. 1.
• y 1.11

  Joma, fol. 70. 1.