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the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Nova Vulgata

Judith 10:34

[10:35] Sortes ergo misimus super oblationem lignorum inter sacerdotes et Levitas et populum, ut inferrentur in domum Dei nostri per domos patrum nostrorum, in temporibus constitutis ab anno in annum, ut arderent super altare domini Dei nostri, sicut scriptum est in lege;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Decision;   Fuel;   Liberality;   Lot, the;   Offerings;   Priest;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Forsaking God;  

Dictionaries:

- Easton Bible Dictionary - Wood-Offering;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Nethinim;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Games;   Nehemiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Addan;   Canon of the Old Testament;   Ezra;   Ezra, Book of;   Feasts;   Jehoiarib;   Nehemiah, Book of;   Synagogue;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Lots;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Lots, Casting;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Idolatry;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Divide;   Father's House;   Feasts, and Fasts;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ab;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ab, Fifteenth Day of;   Poll-Tax;   Ta'anit;  

Parallel Translations

Clementine Latin Vulgate (1592)
De filiis Bani, Maadi, Amram, et Vel,
Jerome's Latin Vulgate (405)
Sortes ergo misimus super oblationem lignorum inter sacerdotes, et Levitas, et populum, ut inferrentur in domum Dei nostri per domos patrum nostrorum, per tempora, a temporibus anni usque ad annum: ut arderent super altare Domini Dei nostri, sicut scriptum est in lege Moysi:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cast: 1 Chronicles 24:5, 1 Chronicles 24:7, 1 Chronicles 25:8, 1 Chronicles 25:9, Proverbs 18:18

the wood offering: It was the business of the Nethinim to procure the wood for the fires of the temple, but it is probable few of them returned to their former masters after the captivity; and therefore they found it necessary to cast lots among the priests, Levites, and people, who should furnish the wood at appointed times. This bringing of the wood to the temple at last became a great day; and was constituted into a feast, called by Josephus, מץכןצןסיב, "the carrying of the wood" (Bell. 1. ii. c. 17. sec.6). Nehemiah 13:31, Leviticus 6:12, Joshua 9:27, Isaiah 40:16

at times: Hebrews 10:3-7

as it is written: Leviticus 6:12, Leviticus 6:13

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 12:19 - Take Nehemiah 11:1 - cast lots

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people,.... The priests and Levites were in one lot, and the people in another, as Aben Ezra:

for the wood offering; for providing wood to burn upon the altar continually, concerning which Maimonides c thus writes:

"what is the wood offering? there was a time fixed for families to go out unto the forests, and bring in wood of disposition (to be laid in order on the altar); and the day when it came to the turn of a family to bring the wood, they offered up freewill burnt offerings, which were called a wood offering; and it was to them as a good day (or festival), and they were forbid to mourn, fast, or do any work on it;''

and he observes, that if a single person brought wood of his own free will, he was obliged to the same; and Josephus d speaks of a feast called χυλοφορια, when it was customary for all to bring wood to the altar, to keep alive the sacred fire, that it might not go out, which, according to him, was on the fourteenth of the month Lois, or August; but this was not the business of all the people, lots were cast, as here said, who should do it, and when:

to bring it into the house of our God; the temple, where there was a place called the "wood room", into which the wood was brought after it had been wormed by the priests e

after the houses of our fathers; or families on whom the lot fell to do it: some render it,

into the house of our fathers, meaning the same as before; the temple so called, because they built it, and worshipped God in it; so Jarchi and Aben Ezra:

at times appointed, year by year; as the lot directed; these, according to the Jewish doctors f, were nine times in the year; on the first of Nisan (or March), the sons of Arach, of the tribe of Judah, brought the wood; on the twentieth of Tammuz (or June), the posterity of David, of the tribe of Judah; on the fifth of Ab (or July), the children of Parosh, of the tribe of Judah; on the seventh of the same month, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab; on the tenth of the same month, the posterity of Senaah, of the tribe of Benjamin; on the fifteenth of the same month, the children of Zattu, and with them the priests and Levites, and all who were of an uncertain tribe, c. on the twentieth of the same month, the posterity of Pahathmoab, of the tribe of Judah on the twentieth of Elul (or August), the children of Adin, of the tribe of Judah; on the first of Tebeth (or December), the posterity of Parosh again brought the wood:

to burn upon the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law; the wood should be burnt upon it, and fire kept on it continually, Leviticus 6:12, for this refers only to that, the wood offering is nowhere spoken of in the law.

c Hilchot Cele Hamikdash, c. 6. sect. 9, 10. Vid. Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Taanith, c. 4. sect. 5. d De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 17. sect. 6. e See Lightfoot's Prospect of the Temple, ch. 25. f Misn. Taanith, c. 4. sect. 5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

No special provision was made by the Law, by David, or by Solomon, for the supply of wood necessary to keep fire ever burning upon the altar. Nehemiah established a system by which the duty of supplying the wood was laid as a burden in turn on the various clans or families, which were regarded as constituting the nation. The lot was used to determine the order in which the several families should perform the duty. A special day (the 14th of the fifth month, according to Josephus) was appointed for the bringing in of the supply; and this day was after a time regarded as a high festival, and called “the feast of the wood-offering.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 34. Cast the lots -for the wood-offering — There does not appear to have been any wood-offering under the law. It was the business of the Nethinim to procure this; and hence they were called hewers of wood and drawers of water to the congregation. But it is very likely that after the captivity few Nethinim were found; for as such, who were the descendants of the Gibeonites, were considered only as slaves among the Israelites, they would doubtless find it as much, if not more, their interest to abide in the land of their captivity, than to return with their former masters. As there was not enough of such persons to provide wood for the fires of the temple, the people now cast lots, not who should furnish the wood, but what class or district should furnish it at a particular time of the year, so that there might be a constant supply. One district furnished it for one whole year, or for the first month or year; another, for the second month or year; and so on. Now the lot was to determine which district should bring the supply on the first month or year; which on the second; and so on. When the wood was brought, it was delivered to the Levites: they cut, prepared, and stacked it; and when wanted, delivered it to the priests, whose business it was to lay it upon the altar. Perhaps this providing of the wood was done only once a year by one district, the next year by another district, and so on: and this bringing the wood to the temple at last became a great day; and was constituted into a feast, called by Josephus ξυλοφορια, the carrying of the wood.-See De Bell. Jud. lib. ii., cap. xvii., sec. 6, p. 194. This feast is not mentioned in the sacred writings: then there was no need for such an institution, as the Nethinim were sufficiently numerous.


 
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