God [is] the Lord, which hath showed us light
These are the words of the people, acknowledging divine favours;
particularly that the Lord had caused his face to shine upon
them, as the priest wished for, ( Numbers 6:25
) . The Lord might be said to show them light, by sending the
Messiah to them, who came a light into the world; by making a
Gospel day, for which they expressed their gladness, ( Psalms
118:24 ) ; by causing the light of his glorious Gospel to
shine into their hearts; by making them who were darkness light,
the darkness of ignorance and unbelief to pass away, and the true
light to shine; by lifting up the light of his countenance upon
them, and giving them hopes of the light of glory and happiness,
and making them meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the
saints in light; for all which they are thankful, and call for
sacrifices;
bind the sacrifice with cords, [even] unto the horns of the
altar;
that is, the lamb, as the Targum and Aben Ezra. Take a lamb for
sacrifice, and bind it with cords; and being bound, lead it to
the altar; there slay it, and then pour the blood upon the horns
of it; which were the usual rites in sacrifice. Or bring a large
number of sacrifices bound, as many as will fill the court, even
up to the horns of the altar, upon this joyful occasion: for the
sacrifice was not bound to the horns of the altar; but it denotes
here such a number of sacrifices as would fill the court, and
reach thither; so Gussetius F8 interprets it very rightly.
But we are not to think of slain beasts, but of holy and living
sacrifices, even the persons of God's people; their bodies and
souls, and their sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving; since
this refers to Gospel times; whose hearts in such service are to
be united to fear the Lord, and fixed trusting in him; and are to
be drawn to it with the cords of love, which are more than all
whole burnt offerings; and which sacrifices are to be brought to
the altar, Christ; which is most holy, and sanctifies gifts and
persons, and renders them acceptable to God; and which is to be
compassed about with songs of deliverance and salvation, by
persons from every quarter, the four corners of the earth. Luther
renders it,
``adorn the feast with leaves;''and others,
``bind on the feast day branches,''of trees, as was usual on the feast of tabernacles; see ( Leviticus 23:40 ) ; and it was usual with the Heathens to strew their altars with green herbs and flowers F9, particularly vervain, put for all other sweet herbs {k}: hence Ovid F12 calls them "herbosas aras"; which the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions seem to countenance.
F8 Comment. Ebr. p. 87.
F9 Martial. l. 3. Ep. 24. "virides aras". Vid. Ovid. de Trist. l. 3. Eleg. 13. "Ramis tegerem ut frondentibus aras", Virgil. Aeneid. 3. v. 25.
F11 Terent. Andria, 4. 2.
F12 Metamorph. l. 15. Fab. 49.
