15. Saying, touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. Abraham and his descendants were in the midst of the world a generation
of priests anointed to present sacrifice unto the Most High God; since to them
the oracles were committed, they were also the prophets of mankind; and they
were kings too—a royal priesthood; hence they had received a threefold
anointing. Their holy office surrounded them with a sacredness which rendered
it sacrilege to molest them. The Lord was pleased to impress the wild tribes of
Canaan with a respectful awe of the pious strangers who had come to abide with
them, so that they came not near them to do them ill. The words here mentioned
may not have been actually spoken, but the impression of awe which fell upon
the nations is thus poetically described. God will not have those touched who
have been set apart unto himself. He calls them his own, saying, Mine
anointed; he declares that he has anointed them to be prophets,
priests, and kings unto himself, and yet again he claims them as his
prophets—Do my prophets no harm. All through the
many years in which the three great fathers dwelt in Canaan no one was able to
injure them: they were not able to defend themselves by force of arms, but the
eternal God was their refuge.
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