Commentary on Harmony of the Law Volume 1 Complete John Calvin
JOHN CALVIN
41. And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
41. Agnum alterum facies inter duas vesperas sicut minha matutino, et sicut libamini ejus facies ei in odorem quietis, oblationem ignitam Jehovae.
42. This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
42. Holocaustum juge in generationes vestras, ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis coram Jehova, quo conveniam vobiscum nt tecum loquar.
43. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.
43. Et conveniam illie cum filiis Israel, et locus sanctificabitur in gloria mea.
44. And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office.
44. Sanctificabo tabernaculum conventionis et altare, Aharonem quoque et filios ejus, et sacrificia, ut sacerdotio fungantur mihi.
45. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
45. Habitaboqne in medio filiorum Israel, et ero ipsis in Deum.
46. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.
46. Et scient quod sum Jehova Dens eorum, qui eduxi eos e terra AEgypti: ut habitarem in medio eorum. Ego Jehova Deus eorum
The custom of sacrificing has always been in use among all nations, and its origin is doubtless to be traced to the ancient Fathers; but after the whole world had fallen away into superstition, first of all, the rites themselves became degenerate, when every one invented something new for himself, HARMONY OF THE LAW · VOLUME 1 and made an absurd mimicry of whatever remained having any similarity, since they no longer retained their proper end and use. All heathendom was ignorant of the reason why it was needful that God should be appeased by blood; and therefore they shed the blood of their victims unreasonably, inasmuch as they did not know themselves to be guilty before God, so as humbly to seek for pardon; and much less did they apply their minds to embrace the atonement, which was not only predestinated in God's secret counsels, but likewise promised to men. Hence we infer that all the religious services of the Gentiles were rejected of God, (reprobatos,) since they were not based upon His word. Only let this be deemed sure, that, by the very custom of sacrifice, adulterated as it was, they were convicted of their own unworthiness, so that they should have acknowledged that God can only be propitiated towards the human race through the medium of a reconciliation. Foolish, then, was the philosophy of Pythagoras, which held that God's name was contaminated by sacrifices; for thus does the Poet introduce him, inveighing against the eating of flesh, (εἰς τὴν σαρκοφαγίαν) "Nor will the sin itself their hearts content: The very gods must share that guilty deed, And He, they think, who reigns omnipotent, Joys to behold the patient victim bleed. Spotless it stands, of perfect form confess'd, (Its beauty nerves the hand which else might spare,) Before the shrine, with gold and fillets dress'd, And all unconscious, hears its murderer's prayer. It sees the fruits itself has toiled to rear Placed on its horned brow; and as the blow Descends, perchance the blood-stained knives appear, Mirror'd before it in the streamlet's flow." 570
He 571 was pained that an innocent animal should be slain for man's sin; but he might have considered, what it was gross ignorance not to feel, Ovid Metam. 15:127. The version here attempted is at least literal. That in Garth's Translation, though sanctioned by a great name, is but a poor paraphrase. The Fr. omits the whole quotation. The original stands thus, — "Nec satis est quod tale nefas committitur: ipsos Inscripsêre deos sceleri, numenque supernum Ctede laboriferi credunt gaudere juvenci. Victima labe carens, et prtestantissima form'a, (Nam placuisse nocet) vittis prsesignis et auro
Sistitur ante aras, auditque ignara precantem; Imponique sum videt inter cornua fronti Quas colttit fruges: percussaque sanguine cultros
Inficit in liquid& prmvisos forsitan unda."
"Ce fantastique, etc." — Fr.