Moses and Aaron. Ciuil and ecclesiastical rites, vsed by the ancient Hebrewes; obserued, and at large opened, for the clearing of many obscure texts thorowout the whole Scripture. Herein likevvise is shewed what customes the Hebrewes borrowed from heathen people: and that many heathenish customes, originally haue beene vnwarrantable imitations of the Hebrewes. By Thomas Godwyn, B.D.

CHAP. II.

Of their first fruits, and their firstlings, or first-borne.

THe vse and end of their first fruits, was that the after fruits might be consecra∣ted in them. To this purpose they were inioyned to offer the first fruits of their trees, which serued for food, Leuit. 19. 23, 24. In which this order was obserued; the three first yeeres after the tree had beene planted, the fruits were counted vncircumcised, and vn∣cleane: it was vnlawfull to eat them, sell them, or make any benefit of them: on the fourth yeere, they were accounted holy, that is, eithera they were giuen to the Priests, Numb. 18. 12, 13. or the owners did eat them before the Lord at Ieru∣salem, as they did their second tithe: and this b latter is the common opinion of the Hebrews. After the fourth yeere, they returned to the vse of the owner: we may call these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, simply the first fruits.

Secondly, they were inioyned to pay yeerely the first fruits of euery yeeres increase; and these wee may call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and of them there were many sorts. First, first fruits in the sheafe, Leuit. 23. 10. Secondly, first fruits in two waue loaues,

Leuit. 23. 17. These two bounded their haruest, that in the sheafe was offred in the beginning of haruest, vpon the fifteenth of Nisan; the other of the loaues at the end, vpon their Pentecost: and Leuit. 23. they are both called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Thenuphoth, that is, shake offrings. Thirdly, there was a first of the dough, Numb. 15. 20. namely, ac foure and twentieth part thereof giuen vnto the Priests: which kinde of offring was obser∣ued, euen when they were returned out of Ba∣bylon, Nehem. 10. 37. vnto this Saint Paul hath reference, Rom. 11. 16. If the first fruit bee holy, the lumpe is also holy. Fourthly, they were to pay vnto the Priests, the first fruits of the threshing floore, Numb. 15. 20. These two last are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Therumoth, that is, heaue-offrings; this the heaue-offring of the threshing floore; the other, the heaue-offring of the dough, Numb. 15. 20. Vnder the name of first fruits, commonly authors treat of no other, but this last, and wholly omit all the former sorts: before wee proceed to the explaining of the last, note with me the difference of these two words, Thenuphoth, and Therumoth; both signifie shake-offrings, heaue-offrings, or waue-offrings, but with this difference;d The Therumoth, was by a wauing of eleuation, lifting the oblation vp∣ward and downward, to signifie that God was Lord both of heauen and earth. The Thenu∣photh, was by a wauing of agitation, wauing it to and fro, from the right hand to the left, from the East to the West, from the North to

the South: by which kinde of agitation, they ac∣knowledged God to bee Lord of the whole world. Now, that we may know what these first fruits of the threshing floore were, the Rab∣bies, and others following them, distinguish them into two sorts: the first of these, was first fruits of seuen things onely, 1. Wheat. 2. Barly. 3. Grapes. 4. Figges. 5. Pomegranets. 6. Oliues. 7. Dates. For all which, the promised Land is commended, Deut. 8. 8.e These the Talmudists terme 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Biccurim; and when they treat of first fruits, they treat of them vnder this name, and vnderstand by the name of Bic∣curim no other. These, they say, are the first fruits, which the people are so often in the Law commanded to bring vp vnto the Sanctu∣ary, at the feast of Pentecost, which was the end and closure of their haruest, as was signified, both by this oblation, and likewise by that of the two waue loaues, Leuit. 23. 17.

The second, was paid of Corne, Wine, Oyle, and the Fleece, Deut. 18. 4. Numb. 18. 12. yea, of all things else that the earth brought forth for mans food. Thus their Doctors are to bee vn∣derstood, where they say,f Quicquid eduliorum ex terra incrementum capit, obnoxium est primi∣tijs, Therumae, & decimis. This they call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Theruma, an heaue offring, the Greeke renders it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, A separation, because this was a consecration, or setting apart of the Lords portion. In allusion vnto this, I take Saint Paul to haue termed himselfe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,

separated vnto the Gospell, Rom. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Aaron shall separate the Leuites, so the Greeke renders it, but the Originall is, Aaron shall waue the Leuites, Numb. 8. 11. Againe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Sepa∣rate mee Barnabas and Saul, Acts 13. 2. Drusius deliuereth another reason, as hath beene said in the Chapter of the Pharises. But to proceed: the Hebrews called this second paiment, not onely Theruma simply, but sometimesg Theru∣ma gedola, the great heaue offring, in comparison of that tithe which the Leuites paid vnto the Priests: for that was termed Theruma magna∣sher, the heaue offring of the tithe, Numb. 18. 26. which, though it were one of ten, in respect of that portion which the Leuites receiued; yet it was but one of an hundred, in respect of the hus∣bandmans stocke, who paid the Leuites: and thus was it a great deale lesse, then the great heaue offring, as will presently appeare. This (the Hebrews say) the owners were not bound to bring vp to Ierusalem.

The Law prescribed no set quantity to bee paid, either in the Biccurim, or in the Theruma; but by tradition, they were taught to pay at least the sixtieth part in both, euen in those se∣uen things, also paid vnder the name of Biccu∣rim, or first fruits, as well as in their heaue offring termed Theruma, or Theruma gedola.

Thus the Talmudists doe distinguish the Bic∣curim, from the Theruma gedola; but in my opi∣nion, the Biccurim may bee contained vnder Theruma gedola, and in truth, both of them are

nothing else but the heaue-offring of the floore, formerly mentioned out of Num. 15. 20. My reasons are these; 1. Scripture giueth no such leaue to keepe any part of their first fruits at home; if that could be proued, the distinction were warrantable. 2. Scripture doth not limit first fruits vnto those seuen kindes, which alone goe vnder the name of Biccurim. 3. Them∣selues confound both members; for in their Biccurim, they say, they paid, 1. Wheat. 2. Barley. In their Theruma, they say, they paid corne; as if vnder corne, wheat and barly were not con∣tained. Some may say they paid their Biccurim in the eare, whiles the haruest was yet standing: and their Theruma in wheat and barley ready threshed and winnowed. My reasons why it can∣not be so, are these: 1. Because then they should pay twice a sixtieth part in their corne. 2. Be∣cause the corne offred in the sheafe was but a little quantity, and it was offred, not at their Pentecost when their haruest ended, but at their Passeouer when their haruest began, Leuit. 23. 10. Whereas their Biccurim, or first fruits, were alwaies offred at their Pentecost.

But omitting farther proofes, I proceed to shew the ground, why in this heaue-offering of the floore, at least a sixtieth part was prescribed: it is grounded vpon that of the Prophet Ezeki∣el, This is the oblation that yee shall offer, the sixth part of an Ephah out of an Homer, Ezek. 45. 13. that is, the sixtieth part of the whole, because an Homer containeth ten Ephahs. Hence they

tooke that distinction of these offrings. Some, say they, gaue the fortieth part of their increase: this, because it was the greatest quantity giuen in this kinde of oblations, they termedh The∣ruma Oculi boni, the oblation of a faire eye: others, (though they were not so liberall as the for∣mer, yet that they might not be reputed nig∣gardly) gaue a fiftieth part, and this they ter∣med, i Theruma mediana, the oblation of a middle eye: others, whom they reputed sordid, gaue iust the sixtieth part, lesse than which they could not giue, this they termedk Theruma oculi mali, the oblation of an euill eye; so that the payment of these was bounded by the tradition of the Elders, betweene the sixtieth and the fortieth part: but thel Pharises, that they might be ho∣ly aboue others, made their bounds the fiftieth, and the thirtieth part; so that he was reputed sordid with them, that paid the fiftieth part; and none liberall, except he paid the thirtieth. The manner how these first fruits termed Biccurim were paid, is at large set downe, Deut. 26. But in time of the Prophets, other Ceremonies seeme to haue beene receiued, of which the Hebrew Doctors say thus:m When they caried vp their first fruits, all the cities, that were in a Countie, gathered together to the chiefe citie of the Countie, to the end that they might not goe vp alone; for it is said, In the multitude of people is the Kings honour, Prou. 14. 28. And they came and lodged all night in the streets of the citie, and went not into houses for feare of pollution: and in the morning the Gouer∣nour

said, Arise, and let vs goe vp to Sion, the citie of the Lord our God. And before them went a bull, which had his hornes couered with gold, and an Oliue garland on his head, to signifie the first fruits of the seuen kinds of fruits. There was likewise a pipe strooke vp before them, vntill they came neere to Ierusalem, and all the way as they went, they sang, I reioyced in them that said vnto me, We will goe into the house of the Lord, &c. Psal. 122. Vn∣to this, and other like manner of solemne assemblies, the Prophet hath reference, saying, Yee shall haue a song, as in the night when an holy solemnity is kept, and gladnesse of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come vnto the mountaine of the Lord, Esa. 30. 29.

The first-lings or first-borne of man and beast, the Lord challenged as his owne, Exod. 13. The ground of this law was, because God smote all the first-borne in Egypt, from man to beast, but spa∣red the Israelites; for a perpetuall memory of which benefit, hee commanded them to san∣ctifie all their first-borne males vnto him. Now the first-borne of men, and vncleane beasts, were redeemed for fiue siluer shekels of the Sanctua∣ry, paid vnto the Priests for each of them, Num. 18. 15, 16. Vnto this Saint Peter alludeth, say∣ing, We are not redeemed with corruptible things, as siluer and gold, 1 Pet. 1. 18. The firstlings of cleane beasts ought to be sacrificed, their bloud to bee sprinkled on the altar, their fat to bee burnt for a burnt offering, and their flesh to re∣turne to the Priests.

Obserue how God would bee honoured by the firstlings of men, and cattell; by the first fruits of trees, and of the earth, in the sheafe, in the threshing floore, in the dough, in the leaues; All which teach vs to consecrate the first and prime of our yeeres vnto the Lord.

Notes

• a

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sacerdos ea come∣debat. Aben Esra in hunc locum.
• b

  Talmud Bab. in Magnasher sheni. cap. 1.
• c

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Vzziel. Num. 15. 20.
• d

  P. Fag. in pentat.
• e

  R. Solom. Deut. 26. 2. It. Mos. Kotsens. fol. 201. col. 4.
• f

  Moses Aegypt. in Iad part. 3. tract. de Therumoth. cap. 2.
• g

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• Solom. Iarchi. Deut. 18. 4. Item Hieronym. in Ezek. 45. Fol. 260
• h

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Therumagnaijn iapha.
• i

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Theruma benonith.
• k

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Theruma gnaijn ragna.
• l

  Epiphan. contr. Pharis. pag. 11.
• m

  Maimonid. in Riccurim. cap. 4. §. 16.