Commentary on Harmony of the Law Volume 2 Complete John Calvin (continued)
JOHN CALVIN
5. And, when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. When he sees the people so infuriated, that he despairs of being able to resist their conspiracy, in perfidious cowardice he gives way to compliance. And this end awaits all those who do not dare ingenuously and firmly to maintain what is right, but who bargain, as it were, and descend to compromises; for, after they have vacillated for a while, 332 they at length succumb altogether, so as to shrink from nothing, however unworthy and disgraceful. He seems, indeed, by his proclamation to uplift their minds to the worship of the true God; but, when he is violating the law just given, it is a wretched quibble to shield their offensive and degenerate worship under God's sacred name.
6. And they rose up early on the morrow. The earnestness of the people in the prosecution of their error is again set forth; for there is no doubt but that it was at their demand that Aaron proclaimed the solemn sacrifice; and now it is not only added that they were ready for it in time, but their extraordinary diligence is declared in that they appeared at the very dawn of day. Now, if, at the instigation of the devil, unbelievers are thus driven headlong to their destruction, alas for our inertness, if at least an equal alacrity does not manifest itself in our zeal! Thus it is said in the Psalm, (110:3,)
"Thy 333 people (shall come) with voluntary offerings in the day (of the assembling) of thy army."
What follows as to the people sitting down "to eat and to drink," many 334 ignorantly wrest to mean intemperance; as also they wrongly expound their "rising up to play," as meaning lasciviousness; whereas thus Moses rather designates the sacred banquet and sports engaged in, in honor of the
Addition in Fr., "Et nage entre deux eaux;" and swam between two waters.
C. here quotes his own translation, see Calvin Soc. edit., vol. 4. 301, with the Editor's note. It will be seen that it nearly agrees with the Prayer-book version of the Church of England.
Willet, in loco, attributes the opinion rejected by C. as to their intemperance to Ambrose, and, after him, to Simler. The latter notion, with respect to the word play, seems to be a very common one with the Commentators. Bushe says it implies "not only such sports as singing, dancing, and merry-making in general, but in some cases also a species of conduct which the epithet wanton as correctly defines as any term which we deem it proper to employ. Compare the use of the same original word rendered mock, Genesis 39:14. Compare also Numbers 25:1, 2." Corn. A Lapide quotes a striking parallel as to the abuse of sacrifices among the heathen, from Epicharmus, ap Athenoeum, lib. 2, — "Ex sacrificio epulum, ex epulo facta est potatio, ex potatione comus, ex como ludus, ex ludo judicium, ex judicio condemnatio, ex condemnatione compedes, sphacelus, et mulctatio;" and adds, that "drunken-bouts were called μέθας, because they were indulged in μετὰτὸθύειν, i e., after sacrifices." Dathe appears precisely to represent C.'s view: "Postridie igitur mane holocausta et eucharistica sacrificant, atque commessationibus et compotationibus peractis, ad saltationes solennes sese convertunt."