John Calvin on Exodus 28:42-43

42. And thou shalt make them linen breeches. Since men, in their natural levity and frowardness, lay hold of the very slightest causes of offense to the disparagement of holy things, and so religion easily sinks into contempt, God here, as a precaution against such a danger, delivers a precept respecting an apparently trivial matter, viz., that the priests should cover their nakedness with breeches. The sum is, that they should conduct themselves chastely and modestly, lest, if anything improper or indecorous should appear in them, the majesty of holy things should be impaired. Some, therefore, thus explain the clause, “that they may minister in holiness,” “To minister in the holy place.” — A. V. as if it were said, “that they may be pure from every stain, and may not desecrate God’s service.” In my opinion, however, the word קודש kodesh, should be taken for the sanctuary; and this is the more natural sense. A threat is added, that if they neglected this observance it would not be with impunity, since they would bring guilt upon themselves. Nor can we wonder at this, since all carelessness and negligence in the performance of sacred duties is closely connected with impiety and contempt of God. What immediately follows as to its being a perpetual law or statute, some, in my judgment improperly, restrict to the precept respecting the breeches, for it has a natural reference to the other ordinances of the priesthood. God therefore declares generally, that the Law which He gives is not for a little time, but that it may always remain in force as regards His elect people; whence we infer that the word עולם gnolam The primary signification of this word is hidden; hence a period of time, of which either the end or the beginning is hidden; and therefore frequently it is used for eternity, or as in the A. V., for ever. — W. whenever the legal types are in question, attains its end in the advent of Christ; and assuredly this is the true perpetuity of the ceremonies, that they should rest in Christ, who is their full truth and substance. For, since in Christ was at length manifested what was then delineated in shadows, these figures are established, because their use has ceased after the manifestation of their reality. And this we have already seen was long ago foretold by David, when he substitutes for the Levitical priesthood another “after the order of Melchisedec,” (Psalm 110:4;) but the dignity being transferred, as the Apostle well reminds us, the Law and all the statutes must be of necessity transferred also. (Hebrews 7:12.) The ancient rites, therefore, are now at an end, because they do not accord with the spiritual priesthood of Christ; and herein the twofold sacrilege of the Papacy betrays itself, in that mortal men have dared to substitute another third priesthood for that of Christ, as if His were transitory; and also, in their foolish imitation of the Jews, have heaped together ceremonies which are directly opposed to the nature of Christ’s priesthood. They reply, indeed, that His priesthood remains entire, although they have innumerable sacrifices; but they vainly endeavor to escape by this subterfuge, for if it was unlawful to change, or to innovate anything in the legal priesthood, how much less is it lawful to corrupt the priesthood of Christ by strange inventions, when its integrity has been ratified by the inviolable oath of God? The Father says to the Son, “Thou art a priest for ever;” how, then, does it avail to make the silly assertion that nothing is taken away from Christ, when an innumerable multitude (of priests) are appointed? How do these things accord, that He was anointed to offer Himself by the Spirit, and yet that He is offered by others? that by one offering He completed His work unto our full justification, and yet that He is offered daily? Now, if there be now-a-days no lawful priest except such an one as possesses in himself what was foreshewn in the ancient types, let them bring forth priests adorned with angelic purity, and as it were separate from the ranks of men, otherwise we shall be at liberty to repudiate all who are defiled by the very slightest stain. Hence, too, has arisen their second sacrilege, viz., that they have dared to obscure the brightness of the gospel with a new Judaism. They were altogether without the means of proving their priesthood, and so their easiest plan was to envelop their vanity in an immense mass of ceremonies, and, as it were, to shut out the light by clouds. So much the more diligently, then, must believers beware of departing from the pure institution of Christ, if they desire to have Him for their one and eternal Mediator.

Exodus 29

Exodus 29:1-35

1. And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest’s office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,

1. Hoc quoque facies eis ad sanctificandum eos, ut sacerdotio fungantur mihi: Tolle juvencum unum filium bovis, et arietes duos immaculatos.

2. And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them.

2. Panes praeterea infermentatas, et placentas infermentatas mixtas oleo, et lagan infermentata uncta oleo: ex simila triticea facies ea.

3. And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.

3. Ponesque ea in canistrum unum, et offeres ea in canistro, una cum juveneo, et duobus arietibus.

4. And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.

4. Tum Aharonem et filios ejus accedere fades ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis, et lavabis cos aqua.

5. And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:

5. Et accipies vestes, induesque Aharon tunicam, et pallium ephod, et ephod pectorale, cingesque cum baltheo ephod.

6. And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre.

6. Pones praeterea cidarim super caput ejus: coronam autem sanctitatis pones super cidarim.

7. Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.

7. Postremo accipies oleum unctionis, et fundes super caput ejus, et unges eum.

8. And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them.

8. Post haec filios ejus accedere facies, et indues cos tunicas.

9. And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest’s office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.

9. Cingesque illos baltheo: Aharon et flios ejus, et aptabis eis pileos, et erit eis sacerdotium in statutum perpetuum, implebisque manum Aharon, et manum filiorum ejus.

10. And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.

10. Et offeres juveneum coram tabernaculo conventionis, imponentque Aharon et filii ejus manus suas super caput juvenei.

11. And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

11. Tunc mactabis juveneum coram Jehova ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis.

12. And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.

12. Accipiesque e sanguine juvenci, et pones super cornua altaris digito tuo: reliquum autem sanguinem fundes ad fundamentum altaris.

13. And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.

13. Tollesque omnem adipem operientem intestina, et reticulum quod est super jecur, et duos renes, et adipem qui est super illos, et incendes ea super altare.

14. But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.

14. At carnem juvenei, et pellem ejus, fimumque ejus combures igni extra castra: sacrificium pro peccato est.

15. Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.

15. Arietem quoque alterum accipies, et imponent Aharon et filii ejus manus suas super caput arietis.

16. And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.

16. Tunc mactabis arietem, accipiesque sanguinem ejus, et asperges super altare per circuitum.

17. And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head.

17. Arietem autem concides ix, frusta sua, et lavabis intestina ejus, cruraque ejus, et pones super frusta ejus, et super caput ejus.

18. And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

18. Incendes praeterea totum arietem super altare: nam holocaustum est Jehovae in odorem quietis: oblatio ignita Jehovae est.

19. And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.

19. Accipies insuper arietem secundum, imponentque Aharon et filii ejus manus suas super caput arietis.

20. Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

20. Tunc mactabis arietem, accipiesque de sanguine ejus, et pones super tenerum antis Aharon, et super tenerum auris filiorum ejus dextrae, et super pollisem manus eorum dextrae, et super pollicem pedis corum dextri, aspergesque sanguinem super altare per circuitum.

21. And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.

21. Tollesque de sanguine qui erit super altare, et de oleo unctionis: atque asperges super Aharon, et super vestes ejus, et super illlos ejus, et super vestes filiorum ejus cum eo.

22. Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration:

22. Deinde tolles de ariete adipem, et caudam, et adipem operientem intestina, et reticulum jecoris, duosque renes, atque adipem qui est super eos, et armum dextrum: quia aries consecrationum est:

23. And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD:

23. Et tortam panis unam, et placentam panis ex oleo unam, et laganum unum e canistro infermentatorum qui est coram Jehova.

24. And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD.

24. Ponesque omnia ilia in manibus Aharon, et in manibus filiorum ejus, exaltabisque ilia exaltationem coram Jehova.

25. And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

25. Accipies autem illa e manu eorum, et incendes super altare, ultra holocaustum in odorem quietis coram Jehova: oblatio ignita est Jehovae.

26. And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part.

26. Accipies item pectus arietis consecrationum quod est ipsi Aharon, et exaltabis illud exaltationem coram Jehova, eritque tibi in partem.

27. And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:

27. Sanctificabis itaque pectus exaltationis, et armum elevationis quod exaltatum est, et qui elevatus est de ariete consecrationum ipsius Aharon et filiorum ejus.

28. And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’ by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the LORD.

28. Et erit ipsi Aharon et filiis ejus in statutum perpetuum a filiis Israel: quia exaltatio est: et exaltatio erit a filiis Israel de sacrificiis prosperitatum suarum, exaltatio inquam eorum erit Jehovae.

29. And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them.

29. Porro vestes sanctae quae sunt ipsius Aharon, erunt filiis ejus post eum ad ungendum cos cure eis, et ad consecrandum cum els manum eorum.

30. And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.

30. Septem diebus induct eas sacerdos qui fuerit loco ipsius de filiis ejus, qui ingredietur tabernaculum conventionis ad ministrandum in sanctuario.

31. And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place.

31. Arietem autem consecrationum tolles, et coques carnem ejus in loco sanctitatis.

32. And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

32. Comedetque Aharon et filii ejus carnem arietis, et panem qui est in canistro, ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis.

33. And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.

33. Comedent inquam illa quibus expiatus fuit ad consecrandum manum earum, ad sanctificandum cos: et alienigena non comedet, quia sanctificatio sunt.

34. And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

34. Quod si superfuerit de carne consecrationum, et de pane, usque mane, combures quod supcrest igni: non comedettur, quia sanctitas est.

35. And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.

35. Facies igitur ipsi Aharon et filiis ejus sic, juxta omnia quae praecepi tibi: septem diebus consecrabis manum eorum.