And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and
scarlet,
&c.] Another priest, according to the Targum of Jonathan; but
it seems to design Eleazar the priest, and so, in later times,
the same priest that burnt the cow took these things; the Jews
say F8, when he took them he said, is this
cedar wood? is this hyssop? is this scarlet? so he said three
times for everyone of them, and he was answered, yes, three times
to each of them: these were the same that were used at the
cleansing of the leper, ( Leviticus
14:4 ) ;
and cast [it] into the midst of the burning of the
heifer;
these were rolled or bound up together, as the Jews say
F9, and made one bundle of, that they
might the more easily be cast into the fire; the hyssop was
wrapped about the cedar wood with the scarlet wool: the true
reason of the use of these, Maimonides says F11, was
never clear to him; but the cedar wood, being durable, may denote
the continued efficacy of Christ's sufferings; the hyssop, being
purgative and of a good smell, the purging nature of Christ's
sacrifice, who by himself purged away our sins, and the sweet
odour thereof ascended to the Lord; and the scarlet, the sins of
his people destroyed thereby.