The use and end of their first-fruits, was that the after-fruits might be consecrated in them. To this purpose they were enjoyned to offer the first fruits of their trees, which served for food, Levit. 19. 23, 24. In which this order was observed; the three first years after the tree had been planted, the fruits were counted uncircumcised and unclean: it was unlawful to eat them, sell them, or make any benefit of them: on the fourth year, they were accounted holy, that is, either they were given to the Priests,[634] Num. 18. 12, 13. or the owners did eat them before the Lord at Jerusalem, as they did their second tithe: and this latter is the common opinion of the Hebrews.[635] After the fourth year, they returned to the use of the owner: we may call these πρωτογεννήματα, simply the first-fruits.

[634] ‎‏והכהן יאכול‏‎ Sacerdos ea comedebat. Aben Ezra in hunc locum.

[635] Talmud. Bab. in Magnasher sheni cap. 1.

Secondly, they were enjoyned to pay yearly the first-fruits of every years increase, and these we may call, ἀπαρχὰς, and of them there were many sorts. First, first-fruits in the sheaf, Lev. 23. 10. Secondly, first-fruits in two wave-loaves, Levit. 23. 17. These two bounded their harvest, that in the sheaf was offered in the beginning of harvest, upon the fifteenth of Nisan, the other of the loavs at the end, upon their Penticost: and Levit. 23. they are both called ‎‏תנופות‏‎ Thenuphoth, that is, shake-offerings. Thirdly, there was a first of the dough. Num. 15. 20. namely,[636] a four and twentieth part thereof, given unto the Priests: which kind of offering was observed, even when they were returned out of Babylon, Nehem. 10. 37. Unto this St. Paul hath reference, Rom. 11. 16. If the first fruits be holy, the lump is holy. Fourthly, they were to pay unto the Priests the first-fruits of the threshing floor, Numb. 15. 20. These two last are called ‎‏תרומות‏‎ Therumoth, that is, heave offerings: this the heave-offering of the threshing floor; the other the heave-offering of the dough, Numb. 15. 20. Under the name of first-fruits, commonly Authors treat of no others but this last, and wholly omit all the former sorts. Before we proceed to the explaining of the last, note with me the difference of these two words, Thenuphoth, and Therumoth: both signifie shake-offerings, heave-offerings, or wave offerings, but with this difference;[637] the Therumoth was by a waving of elevation, lifting the oblation upward and downward, to signifie, that God was Lord both of Heaven and Earth. The Thenuphoth was by a waving of agitation, waving it to and fro, from the right hand to the left, from the East to the West, from the North to the South: by which kind of agitation, they acknowledged God to be Lord of the whole world. Now, that we may know what these first-fruits of the threshing floor were, the Rabbies, and the others following them, distinguish them into two sorts: the first of these, was first-fruits of seven things only: 1 Wheat. 2 Barley. 3 Grapes. 4 Figs. 5 Pomgranates. 6 Olives. 7 Dates. For all which the Promised Land is commended, Deut. 8. 8. These the Talmudists[638] term ‎‏בכורים‏‎ Biccurim; and when they treat of first-fruites they treat of them under this name, and understand by the name of Biccurim no other. These, they say, are the first fruits, which the people are so often in the Law commanded to bring up unto the Sanctuary, at the Feast of Pentecost, which was the end and closure of their harvest, as was signified both by this oblation, and likewise by that of the two wave-loaves, Lev. 23. 17.

[636] ‎‏עשרין וארבעה תרומו‏‎ Uziel Numb. 15. 20.

[637] P. Fagius in Pentat.

[638] R. Solom. Deut. 26. 2. It. Moses Kotsens. fol. 201. Col. 4.

The second was paid of Corn, Wine, Oyl, and the Fleece, Deut. 18. 4. Numb. 18. 12. yea, of all things else that the earth brought forth of mans food. Thus their Doctors are to be understood, where they say,[639] Quicquid eduliorum ex terra incrementum capit, obnoxium est primitiis, Therumæ, & decimis. This they call, ‎‏תרומה‏‎ Theruma, an heave-offering: the Greek renders it, ἀφωρίσμος, A separation, because this was a consecration, or setting apart of the Lords portion. In allusion unto this, I take S. Paul to have termed himself ἀφωρισμένον ἐς ἐυαγγέλιον, separated unto the Gospel, Rom. 1. 1. ἀφοριεῖ Ἀαρὼν, Aaron shall separate the Levites, so the Greek renders it; but the Original is, Aaron shall wave the Levites, Numb. 8. 11. Again, ἀφορίσατε Separate me Barnabas and Saul, Acts 13. 2. Drusius delivereth another reason, as hath been said in the Chapter of the Pharisees. But to proceed: the Hebrews called this second payment, not only Theruma, simple, but sometimes Theruma gedola,[640] the great heave offering, in comparison of that Tithe which the Levites payed unto the Priests: for that was termed Theruma magnasher, the heave offering of the Tithe, Numb. 18. 26. which though it were one of ten, in respect of that portion which the Levites received; yet it was but one of an hundered, in respect of the Husbandmans stock, who payed the Levites: and thus it was a great deal less than the great heave offering, as will presently appear. This (the Hebrews say) the owners were not bound to bring up to Jerusalem.

[639] Moses Egypt. in. Jud. part. 3. tract. de Therumoth. cap. 2.

[640] ‎‏תרומה גדולה‏‎