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PENTATEUCH
(c) xxiv, 9-xxxi, IS. — Moses alone remains with
God on the mountain for forty days, and receives
various instructions about the tabernacle and other
points pertaining to Divine worship.
(d) xxxii, 1-xxxiv, 35. — The people adore the golden calf; at this sight, Moses breaks the divinely given tables of the law, punishes the idolaters, obtains par- don from God for the survivors, and, renewing the covenant, receives other tables of the law.
(e) XXXV, 1-xl, 38. — The tabernacle with its appur- tenances is prepared, the priests are anointed, and the cloud of the Lord covers the tabernacle, thus showing that He had made the people His own.
C. Leviticus, called by Rabbinic writers "Law of the Priests" or "Law of the Sacrifices", contains nearly a complete collection of laws concerning the Levitical ministry. They are not codified in any log- ical order, but still we may discern certain groups of regulations touching the same subject. The Book of Exodus shows what God had done and was doing for His people; the Book of Leviticus prescribes what the people must do for God, and how they must render themselves worthy of His constant presence.
(1) First Part, i, 1-x, 20. — Duties of Israel towards God living in their midst.
(a) i, 1-vi, 7. — The different kinds of sacrifices are enumerated, and their rites are described.
(b) vi, 8-vii, 36. — The duties and rights of the priests, the official offerers of the sacrifices, are stated.
(c) viii, 1-x, 20. — The first priests are consecrated and introduced into their office.
(2) Second Part, xi, 1-xxvii, 34. — Legal cleanness demanded by the Divine presence.
(a) xi, 1-xx, 27. — The entire people must be legally clean; the various ways in which cleanness must be kept; interior cleanness must be added to external cleanness.
(b) xxi, 1-xxii, 33. — Priests must excel in both in- ternal and external cleanness; hence they have to keep special regulations.
(c) xxiii, 1-xxvii, 34. — The other laws, and the promises and threats made for the observance or the violation of the laws, belong to both priests and people.
D. Numbers, at times called "In the Desert" by certain Rabbinic writers because it covers practically the whole time of Israel's wanderings in the desert. Their story was begun in Exodus, but interrupted by the Sinaitic legislation ; Numbers takes up the account from the first month of the second year, and brings it down to the eleventh month of the fortieth year. But the period of 38 years is briefly treated, only its beginning and end being touched upon; for this span of time was occupied by the generation of Israelites that had been condemned by God.
(1) First Part, i, 1-xiv, 4.5. — Summary of the hap- penings before the rejection of the rebellious genera- tion, especially during the first two months of the second year. The writer inverts the chronological order of these two months, in order not to interrupt the account of the people's wanderings by a descrip- tion of the census, of the arrangement of the tribes, of the duties of the various families of the Levites, all of which occurrences or ordinances belong to the sec- ond month. Thus he first states what remained un- changed throughout the desert life of the people, and then reverts to the account of the wanderings from the first month of the second year.
(a) i, 1-vi, 27. — The census is taken, the tribes are arranged in their proper order, the duties of the Levites are defined, the regulations concerning clean- liness in the camp are promulgated.
(b) vii, 1-ix, 14. — Occurrences belonging to the first month : offerings of the princes at the dedication of the tabernacle, consecration of the Levites and duration of their ministry, celebration of the second paech.
(c) ix, 15-xiv, 45. — Signals for breaking up the
camp; the people leave Sinai on the twenty-second
day of the second month, and journey towards Cades
in the desert Pharan; they murmur against Moses on
account of fatigue, want of fle.sh-meat, etc.; deceived
by faithless spies, they refuse to enter into the Prom-
ised Land, and the whole living generation is rejected
by God.
(2) Second Part, xv, 1-xix, 22. — Events pertaining to the rejected generation.
(a) XV, 1-41. — Certain laws concerning sacrifices; Sabbath-breaking is punished with death; the law of fringes on the garments.
(b) xvi, 1-xvii, 13. — The schism of Core and his adherents; their punishment; the priesthood is con- firmed to Aaron by the blooming rod which is kept for a remembrance in the tabernacle.
(c) xviii, 1-xix, 22. — The charges of the priests and Levites, and their portion; the law of the sacrifice of the red cow, and the water of expiation.
(3) Third Part, xx, 1-xxxvi, 13.— History of the journey from the first to the eleventh month of the fortieth year.
(a) XX, 1-xxi, 20. — Death of Mar}', sister of Moses; God again gives the murmuring people water from the rock, but refuses Moses and Aaron entrance to the Promised Land on account of their doubt; Aaron dies while the people go around the Idumean mountains; the malcontents are punished with fiery serpents.
(b) xxi, 21-xxv, 18.— The land of the Amorrhites is seized; the Moabites vainly attempt to destroy Israel by the curse of Balaam; the Madianites lead the people into idolatry.
(c) xxvi, l-.xxvii, 23. — A new census is taken with a view of dividing the land; the law of inheritance; Josue is appointed to succeed Moses.
(d) xxviii, 1-xxx, 17. — Certain laws concerning sac- rifices, vows, and feasts are repeated and completed.
(e) xxxi, 1-xxxii, 40. — After the defeat of the Madi- anites, the country across Jordan is given to the tribes of Ruben and Gad, and to half of the tribe of Man asses.
(f) xxxiii, 1-49. — List of encampments of people of Israel during their wandering in the desert.
(g) xxxiii, .50-xxxvi, 13. — Command to destroy the Chanaanites; limits of the Promised Land and names of the men who are to divide it; Levitical cities, and cities of refuge; laws concerning murder and manslaughter; ordinance concerning the marriage of heiresses.
E. Deuteronomy is a partial repetition and ex- planation of the foregoing legislation together with an urgent exhortation to be faithful to it. The main body of the book consists of three rliscourses delivered by Moses to (he people in the eleventh month of the fortieth year; but the discourses are preceded by a short introduction, and they are followed by several appendices.
Introduction, i, 1-5. — Brief indication of the sub- ject matter, the time, and the place of the following discourses.
(1) First Discourse, i, 6-iv, 40. — God's benefits are enumerated, and the people are exhorted to keep the law.
(a) i, 6-iii, 29. — The main occurrences during the time of the wandering in the desert are recalled as showing the goodness and justice of God.
(b) iv, 1-40. — Hence the covenant with God must be kept. By way of parenthesis, the sacred writer adds here (i) the appointment of three cities of refuge across the Jordan, iv, 41-43; (ii) an historical pre- amble, preparing us for the second discourse, iv, 44-49.
(2) Second Discourse, v, 1-xxvi, 19. — This forms almost the bulk of Deuteronomy. It rehearses the whole economy of the covenant in two sections, the one general, the other particular.
(a) The General Repetition, v, 1-xi, 32. — Repeti-
