Commentary on Harmony of the Law Volume 2 Complete John Calvin (continued)
JOHN CALVIN
given to outward adornment and finery, they have been always very fond of mirrors, both for the purpose of painting their cheeks and arranging their hair, so that not a single hair should be out of place. Isaiah, therefore, (3:23,) enumerates mirrors amongst the luxuries 299 of the female world.
Some, then, think that women, being devoted to God's service, laid aside this vanity, and consecrated their mirrors in testimony of their repentance. It might, however, have been that, amongst the other gifts before spoken of, they offered mirrors also, which were mounted as embossments in this brasen laver. Others suppose that they were carvings, by which the portraits of females were depicted, as if seen in mirrors. The simple notion is most approved by me, that they were votive offerings, wherewith pious women had desired to decorate the sanctuary, and that they had been applied to this use by the advice of the artificers; for he does not speak generally of all the women, but of those who warred or assembled by troops at the door of the tabernacle; for translators 300 variously explain this wordצבא, tzaba, both in this passage and that from Samuel which I have just quoted.
It is also applied to the Levites, who are said 301 "to war the warfare" of the sanctuary, whilst performing their appointed work. (Numbers 4:3; 8:24.) Indeed this metaphor is by no means unsuitable to watchings and long-continued prayers. The sum is, that the laver was cast of their materials, or, as I rather suppose, embossed with these mirrors, in order that it might be more splendid.
21. This is the sum of the tabernacle 302 As much as to say that this was the computation, or these the numbers; for he gives us to understand that not only was the tabernacle thus at once completed, but that its several parts were numerically distinguished, and consigned as it were to registers, 303 so as to be given in charge to the Levites, lest any part of it should be
"Entre les bagages superflus des femmes." — Fr.
C. here affords the reader a curious proof that he composed this note with S M. under his eye, by employing Munster's word labrum for the Hebrewכיור, which he had previously rendered concha in his own text. But whilst S M had translatedאשר צבאת צבאו, (mulierum) militantium, quae militabant, C. had the sagacity to drop the metaphor, and render the words convenientium, quae conveniebantצבא, says Professor Robertson, to assemble for worship, or for war. Clav Pentat in loco. — W
Numbers 4:3, "All that enter into the host." — A.V. Numbers 8:24, "They shall go in to wait upon the service," margin, "Heb., to war the warfare of the tabernacle." — A.V.
"These are the counted-things." — Lat. So also Ainsworth.
"Afin que les Levites sceussent ce qu'ils devoyent avoir en garde;" in order that the Levites might know what they ought to have in charge. — Fr.