ࡱ>  Root Entry( Jr`¿MatOST@B¿`¿MMMN0 tND ( JrMicrosoft Works MSWorksWPDoc9qtT COMMENTS O.V N1~~!RE RN. CHAPTER II. Numbers a. And the Lord apake unto Moses, saying. a Commasd the children of Israel. that they put out of the camp every leper, and every (sOC that =/8=/8dCompObjUto the won,r,n, it tietta t~.n.t it,,t ~,i aside be titno free tram thia Ititter w ,,t'r tl,d caus,tl, the etnes,. so lint it thou t,ast gtttt,? Ilile at,tl it titto be defiled. ni ittt.u the ;trist sit all It arg e the w ,n,an with an tall, ot tnt sing, tot itt' l~e'~t sttall utttct It o wot,tan, lItt. lot itik,- tI to at, roe anti all uattt attttttt~ the 04 Attd ito Ott;,t1 tittot lit'' otto In t,,lr ink the t,itter svatt'r that rat,-.etl, tt 2~ ?Ittell the Itriest sitalt tIlte ti to o.tl ,ttt.vt,ffertug ttot t,t tttt. wtnt;ntt's tott I 1,11 wIet? the offering belttte tite let, till tile it ttjn,ln Itte altar: offerirtg, even the ntrrtt,tti;tl tltert ott I tsrt,,~ u1.tt ttte Ilt;tr alt' I tttte,ssa,> Is .Ini11 t u-Itt-C, 11,0 it stt~tl tIt,, It tO-, f/ta! I the toettter ittttt her, tint ft ante Itttter. slAnt-I if tite svtt,,tan Ite Itot tittiletI, Itut be clean tlte~ site sItati be tree. AT the first blush it seems very cruel for the Jewi-1t (sod ti) order the diseased and unfortunate to he thrown titt of tlte camp and left in the wilderness. But coSTt =/8dtT COMMENTS O.V N1~~!RE RN. CHAPTER II. Numbers a. And the Lord apake unto Moses, saying. a Commasd the children of Israel. that they put out of the camp every leper, and every (sOC that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the (lead: E,th male and female that they defile nut their camps. ~? Awl the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, IS If any man's wife go aside and commit a trespass against him. 14 And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and she be defiled or if she be not defiled ~ Then shall the man bring his wile unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, tite tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; t'e shall pour no oil upon it. nor put frankincense thereon ; for it is a,, offering of jealousy. 17 And the priest sitall take holy water tn an earthen vessel and of the dust tltat is ia the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water: ~8 Awl the priest shall set the woman before the Lord and uncover the wo,nan's head, awl put the offering of memorial in her hands.wltict, is the jealousy offering, and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse: 19 And the priest shall ettarge hr l'v an t,afl,. anti say unto the won,r,n, it tietta t~.n.t it,,t ~,i aside be titno free tram thia Ititter w ,,t'r tl,d caus,tl, the etnes,. so lint it thou t,ast gtttt,? Ilile at,tl it titto be defiled. ni ittt.u the ;trist sit all It arg e the w ,n,an with an tall, ot tnt sing, tot itt' l~e'~t sttall utttct It o wot,tan, lItt. lot itik,- tI to at, roe anti all uattt attttttt~ the 04 Attd ito Ott;,t1 tittot lit'' otto In t,,lr ink the t,itter svatt'r that rat,-.etl, tt 2~ ?Ittell the Itriest sitalt tIlte ti to o.tl ,ttt.vt,ffertug ttot t,t tttt. wtnt;ntt's tott I 1,11 wIet? the offering belttte tite let, till tile it ttjn,ln Itte altar: offerirtg, even the ntrrtt,tti;tl tltert ott I tsrt,,~ u1.tt ttte Ilt;tr alt' I tttte,ssa,> Is .Ini11 t u-Itt-C, 11,0 it stt~tl tIt,, It tO-, f/ta! I the toettter ittttt her, tint ft ante Itttter. slAnt-I if tite svtt,,tan Ite Itot tittiletI, Itut be clean tlte~ site sItati be tree. AT the first blush it seems very cruel for the Jewi-1t (sod ti) order the diseased and unfortunate to he thrown titt of tlte camp and left in the wilderness. But comment;itors suggest that they must have had a sanatorium near by where the Ilelhtless could he protected. Though improbable, still tIle stiggestion will be a relief to sensitive souls. This ordinance t)f Moses probably suggested the first idea of a hospital. The ahove account of the unfortunate wifc was called trial It)' ortle;tl.? of which Clarke gives a minute (lescription in Ins cttnimctit;tries. It was common at one time among many il;it;ons, tile wIlliten in all cases being the chief sufferers ;ts in the Ill t(lerll tri;ils for witchcraft. If the witch was guilty \vlleIl titrowli ill Iii tite water she ~vent to tile hottom, if itlllttCCtlt >hie flo.ted on the surface and was left to sink, so in either case her fate was the same. As men make and execute the laws, prescribe and administer the punishment, ?trials by a jury or ordeal? for women though seemingly fair, are never based on principles of equity. The one remarkable fact in all these social transgressions in the early periods as well as in our modern civilization is that the penalties whether moral or material all fall on woman. Verily the darkest page in human history is the slavery of women I The offering by the priest to secure her freedom was of the cheapest character. Oil and frankincense signifying grace and acceptableness were not permitted to be used in her case. The woman's head is uncovered as a token of her shame, the dust from the floor signifies contempt and condemnation, compelling the woman to drink water mixed with dirt and gall is in the same malicious spirit. There is no instance recorded of one of these ?trials by ordeal? ever actually taking place, as divorce was so easy that a man could put away his wife at pleasure, so he need not go to the expense of even ?a tenth part of an ephah of barley,? on a wife of doubtful faithfulness. Moreover the woman upon whom it was proposed to try all these pranks might be innocent, and the jealous husband make himself ridiculous in the eyes of the people. But the publication of these ordinances no doubt had a restraining influence on the young and heedless daughters of Israel, and they serve as landmarks in man's system of jurisprudence, to show us how far back he has been consistent in his unjust legislation for woman. E.C.S. nce{+7_/4t*46qq !6 Y [ &6'(Goudy Old Style