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. XXVIII.

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

But that they might eat the Passover.

I. WE have already shewn in our Notes upon Mark XIV. 12. that the eating of the Paschal Lamb, was never upon any occasion whatever transferred from the Evening of the fourteenth day drawing to the close of it; no not by reason of the Sabbath, or any uncleanness that had happened to the Congregation; so that there needs little argument to assure us, that the Jews eat the Lamb at the same time wherein Christ did. Only let me add this: Suppose they had entred Pilate's House, and had defiled them∣selves by entring the house of an Heathen, yet might not that defilement come under the predicament of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉? If so, then they might wash themselves in the evening and be clean enough to eat the Paschal Lamb, if it had been to have been eaten on that even∣ing, but they had eaten it the evening before.

II. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The Passover, therefore here doth not signifie the Paschal Lamb, but the Paschal Chagigah, of which we will remark these two or three things:

1. Deut. XVI. 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Thou shalt Sacrifice the Passover unto the Lord thy God, of the Flock and the Herd. Where R. Solomon, The Flocks are meant of the Lambs and the Kids; the Herd, of the Chagigah. And R. Bechai in loc. The Flocks 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are for the due of the Passover; the Herd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for the Sacrifices of the Chagigah. So also R. Nachman. The Herd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for the celebration of the Chagigah. Pesachin * 1.1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Flock for the Passover, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Oxen for the Chagigah.

Where the Gloss, Pag. 1. Doth not th Passover consist wholly of Lambs and Kids? Exod. XII. 5. If so, why is it said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Oxen? To equal every thing that is used in the Passover. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 As the Passover [i. e. the Paschal Lamb] is of due, and is not taken but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 out of the common Flocks [neither from the first born, nor from the tenths] so this also [i. e. of the Oxen] is of due, and not taken, but out of the common Herd. See 2 Chron. XXX. 24, &c. and XXXV. 8, 9.

2. The Chagigah was for joy and mirth, according to that in Deut. XVI. 14. And thou shalt rejoyce in the Feast, &c. Hence the Sacrifices that were prepared for that use, are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sacrifices of Peace, or Eucharistick Offerings, Sacrifices of joy and mirth.

3. The proper time of bringing the Chagigah, was the fifteenth day of the Month. Aruch in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 they eat, and drank, and rejoyced, and were bound to bring their Sacrifice of Chagigah, on the fifteenth day. i e. The first day of the Feast, &c.

There might be a time indeed when they brought their Chagigah on the fourteenth day, but this was not so usual, and then it was under certain conditions. s 1.2 When is it that they bring the Chagigah at the same time with the Lamb? 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 When it comes on another day in the week, and not on the Sabbath, when it is clean, and when it is small. Let the Gloss explain the last clause, and for the two former we shall do that our selves.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 If the Lamb be less than what will satisfie the whole company, then they make ready their Chagigah, eating that first, and then the Lamb, &c. And the reason is given by ano∣ther Glosser, viz. That the appetites of those that eat might be pretty well satisfied, before they begin the Lamb; for if they should fall upon the Lamb first, it being so very small, and the company numerous and hungry, they would be in danger of breaking the bones, whiles they gnaw it so greedily.

For this and other reasons the Rabbins account the Chagigah of the fourteenth day to be many degrees less perfect, than that of the fifteenth, but it would be very tedious to quote their Ventilations about it. Take only these few instances.

t 1.3 R. Issai saith, the Chagigah on the fourteenth day, is not our duty. And a little after, R. Eliezer saith, by the Peace-Offerings, which they stay on the evening of the Feast, a man doth not his duty, either as to rejoycing, or as to Chagigah.

And now let us return to the words of our Evangelist.

III. It was the fifteenth day of the Month, when the Fathers of the Council refused to enter into the Pretorium, lest they should be defiled; for they would eat the Passover; that is the Chagigah.

1. The Evangelist expresseth it, after the common way of speaking, when he calls it the Passover. u 1.4 It is written, Observe the Month Abib: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And keep the Passover. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That all that you do, may go under the denomination of the Pass∣over. x 1.5 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Calf and the young Bullock which they kill in the name of the Passover. Or, for the Passover. Whence we may observe▪ The Calf is the Passover, as well as the Lamb.

2. The Elders of the Sanhedrin prepare, and oblige themselves to eat the Chagigah [the Passover] on that day, because the next day was the Sabbath; and the Chagihah must not make void the Sabbath.

y 1.6 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Chagigah doth not set aside the Sabbath. Hence that we quoted before, that the Chagigah was not to be brought upon the Sabbath day, as also not in case of uncleanness: because however the Chagigah, and defilement might set aside the Passover, yet it might not the Sabbath.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Fol. ••0. 2.
• s 1.2

  Pesachin, fol. 89. 2.
• t 1.3

  Pesachin ubi supr.
• u 1.4

  Zevachin, fol. 7 2.
• x 1.5

  Menacoth, fol. 3. 1.
• y 1.6

  Pesachin ubi supr.