Números 15
Matthew Henry · Citado em PreceptAustin
Números 15
Henry - Provision had been just now made by the law for the pardon of sins of ignorance and infirmity; now here is an expedient provided for the preventing of such sins. They are ordered to make fringes upon the borders of their garments, which were to be memorandums to them of their duty, that they might not sin through forgetfulness. Currid - The legislative section of chapter 15 has a fitting conclusion. It deals with the command of God for Israelites to wear tassels with a blue cords (cf. Deut. 22:12). These are reminders that Israel is to keep God’s law. (Ibid) Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue - Why on each corner? Presence on 4 corners would make it very easy to see the blue tassel. Why blue? "Perhaps a blue thread was commanded because the ark of the covenant was covered with a blue cloth, blue curtains adorned the tabernacle, and blue was in the high priest’s garments. The color blue was full of holy reminders." (Guzik) Larry Richards - “A blue cord on each tassel” Num. 15:38. Blue represents royalty and deity. It was the dominant color in the high priest’s garments and the color of the cloth that wrapped the ark of the covenant. The blue thread in the tassels to be attached to the clothing of ordinary Hebrews reminded them that each believer was holy, a community called to be a royal priesthood. Matthew Henry - The Jews being a peculiar people, they were thus distinguished from their neighbours in their dress, as well as in their diet, and taught by such little instances of singularity not to be conformed to the way of the heathen in greater things. Thus likewise they proclaimed themselves Jews wherever they were, as those that were not ashamed of God and his law. Our Saviour, being made under the law, wore these fringes; hence we read of the hem or border, of his garment, Mt. 9:20. These borders the Pharisees enlarged, that they might be thought more holy and devout than other people. The phylacteries were different things; these were their own invention, the fringes were a divine institution. The Jews at this day wear them, saying, when they put them on, Blessed be he who has sanctified us unto himself, and commanded us to wear fringes. If some outward sign helps us to remember, then let us use it; only let us ever fear lest we become so accustomed to it, that we forget its true significance. -- G Campbell Morgan Bush - Bid them that they make fringes in the borders of their garments. Heb. tzitzith, from tzitz, a flower, probably from the fact that the fringe was an ornamental appendage somewhat resembling a flower. The English term occurs Deut. 22:12, “Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters (Heb. wings) of thy vesture,” but in this case the original is gedilim, of a somewhat different, but related purport, as it denotes the tufts or tassels which were inserted in the fringe. From the threads or thrums of a fringe hanging down from the edge of the garment somewhat like locks of hair, the original word tzitzith is so rendered Ezek. 8:3, “And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head.” It is rendered in the Gr. by κρασπεδα kraspeda, which occurs Mat. 23:5, where our version has “borders“—“they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments,” i. e. the fringes. “There have been various conjectures as to the object of this law. The most probable is that the ‘fringe’ was intended as a sort of badge or livery, by which, as well as by circumcision and by the fashion of their beards, and by their peculiar diet, the Hebrews were to be distinguished from other people. Be this as it may, much superstition came in the end to be connected with the use of these fringes. The Pharisees are severely censured by our Saviour for the ostentatious hypocrisy with which they made broad the ‘borders’ of their garments. Our Lord himself wore the fringe, which is commonly called in the New Testament the ‘hem or border,’ and it was this part of his dress which the sick desired to touch, under the impression that the contact would make them whole. It was probably the peculiar sanctity of this part of the dress, which directed attention to it in preference, for we may be certain that Christ himself did not point it out. We think that we may thus obtain a new light on the subject which has escaped observation. In Luke 8:43, a woman having an issue of blood comes behind him, touches the ‘border’ of his garment, and is healed. She afterwards falls down at his feet and acknowledges what she has done. Hence the ‘fringe,’ so to call it, was not, as the modern Jews think, before exclusively, but behind also, if not wholly behind; and hence also the same fringe could scarcely have been at the bottom of the robe, as the other account supposes. We may therefore ask whether it was not in fact such an embroidered edge, of various breadth, as we now see wrought with colored worsted or silk around the opening for the neck and down the breast of the abba, or woollen mantle, now in use among the Arabs (see the note on Ex. 22:27) and which is a very ancient article of dress, and probably in use among the Jews. This border might, on the one hand, be touched by a person behind the wearer, while on the other, the part in front would be under his own eye, as the law seems to require. We would by no means make a stand upon this conjecture; but being founded on a real Oriental usage, it is at least entitled to as much attention as the others, which are not so.”—Pict. Bible. Bush - on the corners of their garments throughout their generations- In the borders of their garments. Heb. “On the wings.” The skirt, edge, or border of a garment is usually called a wing, as Ruth 3:9, 1 Sam. 15:17, Deut. 22:30, Zech. 8:13. So the four corners of the earth are called its four wings, Is. 11:12, Ezek. 7:2, Job 37:3. The fringes were the threads left unwoven at the end of the web, on the edge of which, or just above the fringe, was put a band or lace of blue, or rather of purple color, binding the fringe, which was of the same color with the garment, and that was usually white. This band or ribbon served not only to distinguish them from other people, but when they looked down upon it they were reminded of the duty they owed to God, as a holy and consecrated nation. Such among them as laid claim to greater sanctity than others, enlarged their fringes and extended them to so great a length that they sometimes swept the ground, which made them the more noticeable, of which they were ambitious. The modern Jews wear a long tassel at each corner, consisting of eight white woollen threads, knotted with five knots like small buttons, and open and untwisted at the ends. and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue - The blue color, the color of the firmament of heaven, with which the purple was closely allied, seems to have been deemed of peculiar sanctity, and as it was the color of the priest’s robe, so it would naturally tend to put the Israelites in mind that they were a kingdom of priests, and thus bound to act in accordance with their holy designation. (Bush) The effect of the blue tassel would be like "tying a string around the finger," serving as constantly visible reminders to obey God's commands. Henry
Números 15
Henry - The intention of it was to remind them that they were a peculiar people. They were not appointed for the trimming and adorning of their clothes, but to stir up their "sincere mind by way of reminder." (2 Pt. 3:1+), that they might look upon the fringe and remember the commandments. Many look upon their ornaments to feed their pride, but they must look upon these ornaments to awaken their consciences to a sense of their duty, that their religion might constantly beset them, and that they might carry it about with them, as they did their clothes, wherever they went. If they were tempted to sin, the fringe would be a monitor to them not to break God's commandments: If a duty was forgotten to be done in its season, the fringe would remind them of it. Eugene Merrill - Prevention is better than cure, and the first generation couldn’t seem to remember much longer than three days (11:1–3; Allen 1990:828), so the Lord gave Israel an item of decoration on their clothing that would remind them of their sacred office and duty. Every time they glanced down and saw a tassel swinging from their clothes, they should have been reminded of the law and been urged to explore its implications. Swinging in silent exhortation, “Be holy to your God” (15:40), the tassels reminded the people that they were a national priesthood (Exod 19:6). (CBC) Bush - This appendage to their dress was appointed as a badge a memento, by which they were constantly reminded of their peculiar relation to God, and of their obligations to walk holily and religiously before him. NIVSB - As one would walk along, the tassels would swirl about at the edge of one’s garment (cf. v. 39), serving as excellent memory prods to obey God’s commands (cf. Dt 6:4–9).