A COMMENTARY UPON THE Second Book of MOSES CALLED EXODUS BY The Right Reverend Father in God SYMON Lord Bishop of ELY LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCVII A COMMENTARY UPON EXODUS ADVERTISEMENT BY reason of the Distance of the Author from the Press several Errata's have hapned which the Reader is desired to Correct before he read the Book He will find them printed at the end A COMMENTARY UPON THE Second Book of MOSES CALLED EXODUS CHAP. I. THIS Book hath its Name from the Principal Subject of it viz. the Departure of the Children of Israel out of Egypt For so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies going out or departing from one Place to another It contains an History of about an hundred forty and five years some make it two or three years less from the Death of Joseph to the Building of the Tabernacle For it treats of several Things which went before their Departure and which followed after it but they all relate to that and depend upon it Verse 1. Now these are the Names of the Children of Israel which came into Egypt c. Being to relate the Departure of the Children of Israel out of Egypt it was very proper first to set down the Number of those who came into it and the Heads of them Whereby it might the better appear also how God had fulfilled his Promise to Abraham of multiplying his Seed Which Moses had recorded in his first Book Genesis where he shows this Promise was made at that very time when he declared after a long Affliction in Egypt he would conduct his Posterity into Canaan XV Gen. 5 13 18. Ver. 2 3 4. Reuben Simeon c. He doth not set down their Names in these three Verses according to their Birth but first the Children of Leah then one of Rachels and then those of his Handmaids and last of all in the next Verses Joseph who was in Egypt before Ver. 5. And all the Souls i. e. Persons Who came out of the Loins In the Hebrew out of the thigh which signifies that part whereby Mankind is propagated as was observed upon XLVI Gen. 26. And so the Author of the Tripartite History uses the word femur when he speaks of the Martyrdom of Benjamin as Bochart observes P. 2. Hierozoic L. 5. cap. 15. Alium rursum acutum Calamum in ejus femur unde humana origo descendit jussit immitti For Joseph was in Egypt already In the Hebrew the Particle Vau which we commonly translate and and here for sometimes also signifies with See IV Gen. 20. And so it doth in this place which should be translated seventy Souls with Joseph who was in Egypt already For Joseph is not to be added to the LXX but reckoned among them to make up that number as appears from XLVI Gen. Ver. 6. And Joseph died See Gen. 26. And all his Brethren and all that Generation All that came with Jacob into Egypt Ver. 7. And the Children of Israel were fruitful c. Here are several words for the same thing to show their extraordinary Increase beyond what was usual in that or any other Country And because there are six words in all to express this great Increase some of the Hebrews conclude they brought forth six Children at a Birth Which others of them gather from the second word here used Jischretzu which is a word whereby the Increase of Fishes is expressed in I Gen. 20. So Theodorick Hacspan observes out of Baal-hatturim and Jalkut and thinks the Tradition is not to be rejected because they bring frivolous Conceits to support it For Aristotle saith L. VII Histor Animal c. 4. the Egyptian Women were so fruitful that some of them at four Births brought Twenty Children No wonder then if some of the Israelites brought Six at a time by the extraordinary Blessing of God upon them For Caspar Schottus names the Wife of a Citizen in Florence who had Two and fifty Children and never brought less than Three at a Birth L. III. Phys Curiosae Cap. XXIX where he hath collected a vast number of Examples of such strange fruitfulness But no Body hath explained this Verse now more soberly and unexceptionably than Abarbinel who considers every one of the words here used very judiciously and shows they are not multiplyed in vain For as the first word Were fruitful Signifies he thinks that none among them were barren but brought forth every year as Trees are wont to do So the next word And increased abundantly Signifies that they commonly brought forth more than One at a time as creeping things do to which this word alludes And because when more than one are born at a Birth they are frequently very weak and not long lived Therefore he adds And multiplied Which signifies that they grew up to be Men and Women and lived to have Children of their own And those not feeble but lusty and strong as the next words he thinks imports waxed exceeding mighty of which more presently Now this vast Increase began at their first coming into Egypt XLVII Gen. 27 28. and so continued till the death of all that Generation mentioned in the foregoing Verse When it began to be taken notice of by the Egyptians who thought it might prove dangerous to them For the Israelites having multiplied exceedingly during the space of XVII years that Jacob lived in Egypt there is no doubt they increased proportionably in the space of LIV years more which Joseph lived after the death of his Father And so in LXIV years more from the Death of Joseph to the Birth of Moses must needs be grown so numerous as to fill the Country So that in LXXX years more they were increased to Six hundred thousand Men besides Children XII Exod. 37. And the next year their Number being taken they were found to be Six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty Men from Twenty years old and upward as we read I Numb 45 46. And therefore reckoning Women Children and Youths under the Age of Twenty we cannot but think they were three times as many or perhaps Two Millions Which is not incredible by a moderate Computation if we consider how many might spring from LXX Persons in the space of Two hundred and fifteen years which the fore-named Sums make as Bonfrerius and several others from him in our own Language have been at the pains to demonstrate And waxed exceeding mighty This is commonly thought to signifie that they were not only numerous but robust and strong And it may as well denote that their vast Numbers made them very Formidable to the Egyptians who began it appears by the Sequel to be jealous of their power if they should have a will to attempt any thing against them And the Land was filled with them i. e. The Land of Goshen and perhaps some other Parts of the lower Egypt Ver. 8. Now there arose up a New King
she bore him Nadab and Abihu These two perished in the very first Sacrifice which their Father offered because they did not take Fire from the Altar but offered with strange Fire X Lev. 1 2. Eleazar Who succeeded his Father in the Priesthood Numb XX. 25 c. and assisted Joshua in the Division of the Land of Canaan XIV Josh 1. XIX 51. XXI 1. From him sprung Zadok and the following High-Priests till the Destruction of Jerusalem 1 Chron. VI. 4 c. And Ithamar From whom came Eli and Ahimelech and Abiathar in the time of David in whom this Family was Extinct Ver. 24. And the Sons of Korah c. Though he himself perished in his Rebellion against Moses who was his Cosin-German yet his Family remained XXVI Numb 58. and were famous in the days of David being often mentioned in the Book of Psalms Ver. 25. And Eleazar took one of the Daughters of Putiel to Wife Who this Putiel was is not certain Dr. Lightfoot thinks he was an Egyptian Convert whose Daughter Eleazar married But I see no good ground for this Opinion but rather think it more likely Eleazar would marry one of the race of Abraham being Son to the High-Priest He was married indeed before his Father was promoted to that Dignity yet Aaron was so great a Man in his own Tribe See IV. 14. and married into so honourable a Family in Israel v. 23. that it is not probable he would suffer his Son to match with an Egyptian Proselyte These are the Heads of the Fathers of the Levites c. The great Persons from whom sprung the principal Families among the Levites He saith nothing of the other Tribes because his intention was only to derive his own Pedigree and his Brother Aaron's from Israel Ver. 26. These are that Moses and Aaron to whom the Lord said bring out the Children of Israel c. These are the two Persons to whom God gave Commission to be the Deliverers of their Nation out of the Egyptian Bondage He had mentioned just before their Genealogy the Charge God gave them both to the Children of Israel and unto Pharaoh v. 13. And now he goes on to show that they were the Men who were peculiarly chosen by God to discharge that Office first by going to the Children of Israel which he mentions here and then to Pharaoh which he mentions in the next Verse Bring out the Children of Israel from the Land of Egypt Assure them of their Deliverance notwithstanding the Pressures under which they groan According to their Armies Not by a disorderly Flight but every Family in such good order as an Army keeps XII Exod. 41 51. XIII 18. Ver. 27. These are they that spake to Pharaoh c. Who carried the Message from God to Pharaoh requiring him to let Israel go out of Egypt V. 1 2 c. VI. 13. These are that Moses and Aaron He repeats it again that all Generations might mark who were the Men that God imployed in this great and hazardous Work of Demanding the Liberty of the Children of Israel from Pharaoh's Servitude and effecting it in such manner as is afterward related in this Book There have been Critical Wits who made this an Argument that Moses was not the Author of these Books because it is not likely they imagine he would write thus of himself But no Body but these Criticks can see any Absurdity in it that he and his Brother being the Instruments in Gods hand of effecting such wonderful things should not let Posterity be ignorant of it but take care not only to Record it but to set a special Note upon it that none might rob them of the Honour God bestowed on them and He by whose direction this was written might have the glory of working such mighty things by such inept Instruments as Moses often acknowledges himself to have been Nor is this more than Ezra Nehemiah and Daniel say concerning themselves and St. John may as well be denied to be the Authour of the Gospel which bears his Name because he saith This is the Disciple that testifieth these things c. XXI 24. And besides this the History of succeeding Ages show us the necessity of this which Moses hath said of himself For if he had not told us what his Progeny was we see by what we read in Justin and Corn. Tacitus and such like Authours what false Accounts we should have of him for Justin from Trogus Pompeius makes him as I observed before the Son of Joseph Nay the Jewish Writers have been so fabulous that we should have learnt as little Truth from them if Moses had not told it us himself Ver. 28. And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spake unto Moses c. Having finished the Account he thought fit to give of himself and of his Brother whom God was pleased to imploy in this great Embassy he resumes the Relation of it which he broke off at the end of v. 13. Ver. 29. That the LORD spake unto Moses saying I am the LORD c. This and the next Verse seem to be a Recapitulation of what God said in his last Appearances to him v. 2 10 c. and of his desire to be excused from the Employment on which he was sent urged by two Arguments v. 12 13. where they are related something more largely than they are here in the last Verse of this Chapter In which he mentions them again that there might be a clearer connexion with what God further added for his Encouragement when he gave him the forenamed Charge v. 13. to deliver a new Message unto Pharaoh Ver. 30. And Moses said before the LORD We read the very same v. 12. which makes me think this is not a new Objection but meerly a Recital of what he had objected there See what I have said on the foregoing Verse Behold I am of uncircumcised Lips c. See v. 12. CHAP. VII Verse 1. AND the LORD said unto Moses He received new Orders from the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty before whom he stood VI. 12 30. See Mark what I say in answer to all thy Objections I have made thee a God to Pharaoh Therefore why shouldest thou fear to appear before him who is but a Man Moses is not called absolutely a God but only a God unto Pharaoh Which denotes that he had only the Authority and Power of God over him or rather he was God's Ambassadour to speak to him in his Name with a Power ready to Execute all that he desired for the Humbling of Pharaoh and Punishing his Disobedience to his Message And Aaron thy Brother shall be thy Prophet Let therefore the Vncircumcision of thy Lips be no longer an Objection for he shall interpret thy Mind as Prophets declare the Mind of God Some slight Wits have from this place also drawn an Argument that this Book was not written by Moses but by some other Authour long after his time Because the word
any but those who had been always bred up in a deep sense of his Divine Majesty Which gave them such Courage that as Chytraeus expresseth it in Herodotus his Phrase which is in a manner the same with St. Peter's V Acts 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they made account the things of God were to be preferred before those of Men and therefore would not obey the King's Command by doing contrary unto God's Ver. 18. And the King called for the Midwives Sent out a Summons to appear before him And said unto them Why have you done this thing c. Their being questioned for their Disobedience made their Constancy the more remarkable Ver. 19. For they are lively and are delivered ere the Midwives come in unto them It doth not appear that these Midwives told a lye but only concealed some of the Truth which is not unlawful but commendable when it is to preserve the Innocent For many of the Hebrew Women might be such as they here describe though not every one of them The Hebrew word chajoth signifies three things either vivaces i. e. lively or obstetrices Midwives as Kimchi tells us or animantia living Creatures The LXX follow the first notion and so do we which is very proper Aquila follows the second who translates this Passage thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they can do the Office of Midwives themselves and are brought to Bed before we can get to them Thus the Vulgar also take it They have skill in Midwifry And the Author of the Life of Moses as several other Jews do take it in the third sense expounding it thus They are like other living Creatures who do not need any Midwives to help their young ones into the World And so Rasi also and Theodotion who thus translates it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not signifie as Gaulmyn observes they bring forth living Children but ad instar animantium pariunt they bring forth like Animals Such lively Women undoubtedly there have been and are still in some Parts of the World For Varro reports L. II. de R. R. cap. 10. that the Women of Illyricum when they found their Pangs coming were wont to go a little aside from the Work they were about and presently were delivered of a Child quem non peperisse sed invenisse putes which one would think they had found not brought forth out of their Womb. Which place our Gataker mentioning in his Cinnus p. 213. saith it is credibly reported by those who had lived there a great while that the Irish Women sometime rise from Table and are delivered and return to the Company again before all be taken away Ver. 20. Therefore God dealt well with the Midwives c. He rewarded their Services whereby the Children of Israel still more multiplied and waxed very mighty Ver. 21. Because the Midwives feared God he made them Houses These words seem to declare wherein God rewarded them which was in making them Houses Some indeed particularly Mr. Calvin refer this to the Israelites because the word them is of the Masculine Gender and therefore cannot they think be meant of the Midwives but must be interpreted by this means the Children of Israel were exceedingly increased But besides that this was said just before it is not unusual in Scripture when the Speech is of Women to use the Masculine Gender Thus Ruth 1. 8. prays for her Daughters in Law in these words the LORD deal kindly with you where in the Hebrew the Masculine Gender is used and not the Feminine But we need go no further for an instance of this than the very next Chapter to this II Exod. 17. where Moses is said to water their Flock speaking of Jethro's Daughters and the word for their is of the Masculine Gender It agrees also best with the whole story to take it so here that God made the Midwives Houses so the Chaldee and the LXX understand it that is gave them a numerous Offspring out of which arose many Families which in Scripture Language are called Houses XXX Gen. 30. When shall I make my self an House the same Phrase with this i. e. take care of my own Family XXV Deut. 9. IV Ruth 5. Or else the meaning may be he increased their Estate and gave them great Riches which the Psalmist may be thought to mean when he saith Except the Lord build the House i. e. preserve and increase the Estate of a Family their labour is in vain that endeavour it See also 2 Sam. VII 11. CXIII Psal 9. Some that take these Midwives to have been Egyptian Women proselyted to the Jewish Religion think the sense may be that they married to Israelites and God made their Families eminent in Israel Ver. 22. And Pharaoh charged all his People saying every Son c. Not being able to effect his end by the Midwives he commanded every Body to inform his Officers when any Hebrew Woman fell in Labour and appointed Searchers it 's likely to examine whether they were delivered of Male or Female and to act according to what is here ordered Some that understand the foregoing words of the Israelites make this the sense of the two last Verses Because the Midwives feared God and thereby the Families of the Israelites were increased not diminished Pharaoh took a new Course and charged all his People to see that done which the Midwives refused The Jews in the Book called The Life of Moses say that many of their People upon this Decree of Pharaoh resolved not to marry or not to come near their Wives and those who did were forced to have them brought to Bed alone and throw their Children into the Fields where the Angels took care of them c. But this is confuted by what follows in the next Chapter And yet they are so fond of such Fables that in one of their Medraschim or Books of Homilies they say God made Milk to come out of one Stone and Honey out of another to Suckle them while they lay hid in the Earth See Buxtorf of the Education of their Children Synag Judaic Cap. VII CHAP. II. Ver. 1. AND there went a Man of the House of Levi c. We are told both the Man's name and the Womans whom he married VI Exod. 20. XXVI Numb 59. Where Amram Grandson of Levi is said to have been Moses his Father and Jochabed Daughter of Levi to have been his Mother So Amram married his Father's Sister as the Text expresly tells us Which Moses was so ingenuous as not to conceal though it might not be for his Credit in future Ages when such Marriages were forbidden by that Law which he gave them from God though practised before the giving of his Law See Selden L. V. de Jure N. G. c. 9. The Jews also fancying his Mother Jochabed to have been born as soon as the Israelites came into Egypt make the Birth of Moses a Miracle because she must be by that account an Hundred and
thirty years old when he was born But it may as well be thought that she was born to Levi in his old Age by another Wife and so she was younger than her Nephew Amram and but his half Sister Which makes their Marriage no more strange than Abraham's Marriage with Sarah Besides it is not certain she was his Father's Sister in the strict sense of that word but might be only one of his Cosins who in Scripture are frequently called Sisters And then when it is said she was a Daughter of Levi the meaning must be his Grandaughter or the Child perhaps of one of his Grandaughters who in these Writings are commonly called Daughters And so all the Objections against this Marriage vanish and the first words of this Verse expound the last A Man of the House of Levi took to Wife a Daughter of Levi that is one of the same House or Family But see VI. 20. Verse 2. And the Woman conceived and bare a Son She had one before this viz. Aaron who it is probable was born before this Persecution began being three years elder than Moses VII 7. And when she saw him that he was a goodly Child His goodly Aspect which seems to have been an early indication of his future Greatness is taken notice of by Strangers particularly by Justin out of Trogus an ancient Heathen Historian L. XXXVI c. 2. where he saith That beside the Inheritance of his Father's knowledge whom he takes to have been Joseph etiam formae pulchritudo commendabat the gracefulness of his Person recommended him to others Insomuch that the whole Fable of Adonis among the Heathen was framed as Huetius conjectures out of this Story of Moses For Apollododorus relates L. III. how Venus admiring the great Beauty of the Infant took him away privily without the knowledge of the Gods and hiding him in an Ark delivered him to Proserpina c. See Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. Cap. III. n. 3. She hid him three Months R. Simeon in Pirke Elieser Cap. XLVIII saith she hid him in a Vault under ground But in Sota they say in the Gemara Cap. I. Sect. 38. he being hid in a secret inner Room of their House was in danger to be detected by his crying when some of the Egyptians came into the outer Room and brought a crying Child with them on purpose supposing the Israelites Infants would answer if any were in the House But there is no certainty of this Ver. 3. And when she could no longer hide him Some discovery being made of him by some means or other by their Neighbours or the search after new born Children being now more narrow and diligent she thought he could be no longer concealed and therefore resolved to expose him in the manner following She took for him an Ark of Bulrushes Or of Wicker for Kimchi observes the Hebrew word Gome signifies the lightest Wood. Patricides an Arabian Writer saith it was made of that which the Ancients call Papyrus and so the LXX and Josephus and Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. 1. p. 343. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was a frutex that grew peculiarly upon the Banks of Nile as Salmasius shows in Solin p. 1002 c. And daubed it with Slime and with Pitch Of this word Slime see XI Gen. 3. It is not improbable that this was used within and Pitch without to keep the Water from coming into the Ark. And so I find in the Gemara of that Title in the Talmud called Sota Cap. I. Sect. 29. where this is said to have been an ancient Tradition Only they say as many of the Rabbins do that Chemar signifies Plaister not Bitumen because the bad smell of that they think would have been noisom to the Child R. Solomon's opinion is that it was pitcht both within and without and plaistred within over the Pitch And she laid it in the flaggs by the Rivers brink That it might not be carried away with the Stream but she might come in the Night and suckle it Some think that the Ark notwithstanding was made below in the form of a Boat that if it should chance to be carried from among the Flaggs upon the Shore it might swim in the River For it is certain the Egyptians made Ships of the forenamed reed as we find in Pliny and Solinus who both mention Papyraceae Naves and in Theophrastus who mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of Papyrus as Salmasius observes in his Plin. Exercit. p. 1003 1115 1116. Herodotus also mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Euterpe Cap. XCVI See XVIII Isa 2. Ver. 4. And his Sister stood afar off to wit what c. By her Mothers order no doubt that she might not seem to be set there on purpose to watch him We read of no other Sister he had but Miriam XXVI Numb 59. who therefore is thought to be the Person Ver. 5. And the Daughter of Pharaoh Called Thermutis by Josephus L. II. Antiq. c. 5. but by Artapanus in Eusebius his Praepar Evang. L. IX c. 27. called Meris or Merris Which is her name as Jacobus Capellus observes in the Fasti Siculi The same Artapanus there says she was married to Cenephres King of the Country above Memphis but had no Child by him Clemens Alexandrinus says the same that she was not only a married Woman but had been long married without being with Child 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but very desirous to have one L. I. Strom. p. 343. Came down to wash her self at the River Not for Pleasure but for Purification this being an ancient Rite of Religion in all Nations to cleanse themselves by washing their Bodies after any Defilement Thus Philo seems to understand it in his Book of the Life of Moses where speaking of this matter he uses the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is proper to Sacred Cleansing And it seems far more probable than that the scorching heat of the Weather caused by an extraordinary hand of God made her betake herself to the cool Streams for her Refreshment as the Tale is told in the Hebrew Book called The Life of Moses or that the desire of Children carried her hither the Waters of Nile being thought to make Women fruitful Clemens Alexandrinus seems to have put both these together Refreshment and Religion when he saith she came hither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. I. Strom. p. 343. It is still a further fetch of Jonathan who would perswade us that at this time God had smote the Egyptians with a burning Ulcer which made their Flesh so hot that they could not endure it but run to the River to cool their Bodies And in Pirke Elieser Cap. XLVIII this Inflamation is said to have seized on Pharaoh's Daughter whom he calls Bathia Which is indeed the name of a Daughter of one Pharaoh 1 Chron. IV. 18. but to make her the Daughter of Pharaoh King of Egypt as G. Vorstius observes they do in Schemoth Rabba and Vaijra Rab. is altogether
consult for his Safety rather than basely either deny or excuse what he had done or ask pardon for it unto which no fear of the wrath of the King could have moved him Ver. 15. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing Which was soon brought to his ears as Moses suspected and aggravated extreamly by the great Men of the Court as Philo represents it L. I. de Vita Mosis He thought to slay him Not so much because he had killed the Man as because he pretended to assert the Liberty of the Israelites and to be their Deliverer Demetrius bears witness to this Story just according to what is here related in Eusebius's Praepar Evang. L. IX c. 29. And Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh Wisely foreseeing the Danger he avoided it by flight into another Country where he was out of his reach For though the time of Israel's Deliverance was not yet come he was assured that God intended to work it by his hand and therefore thought it prudent to reserve himself till he received a further Commission from God But though this flight of Moses be here so plainly affirmed yet the Jews are so sond of their own Conceits and so bold in their Invention that they say he was not only condemned to have his Head cut off but brought to the Block and when the Executioner came to do his Office his Sword would not enter Moses his Neck being by a Miracle turned into a Pilaster of Marble and from thence called his Son Eliezer c. So the Tale is told by the Author of Moses his Life What Pharaoh this was is not certain but Eusebius calls him Orus who succeeded Amenophis in whose time Moses was born and he is said to have reigned Two and forty years And dwelt in the Land of Midian Where some of Abraham's Posterity were setled XXV Gen. 2. in a part of Arabia Petraea And therefore Philo only saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he withdrew into the neighbouring Arabia Into which Country he chose to flee both because his escape was easie thither and because they were descended from the same Stock with himself and continued still good People or at least had some good Governours and Families among them as appears by what follows And he sat down by a Well To refresh himself and expecting it 's likely to meet some Company there at the time when the Flocks came to water Ver. 16. Now the Priest of Midian Or Prince as it is in the Margin For the word Cohen indifferently signifies either Priest or Prince but most anciently it signifies the latter a Prince For so it is used in the Book of Job XII 19. He leadeth Cohenim Princes away spoiled And in after times it continued to have the same signification David's Sons being called by this Name of Cohenim 2 Sam. VIII 18. which in 1 Chron. XVIII 17. is expounded were chief at the hand of the King And so Ira is called 2 Sam. XX. 26. Cohen a chief Ruler about David And so I think it is to be taken here for a Ruler or Governour See XLI Gen. 50. not of the whole Country of Midian but of some Province of it And it may be most truly rendred a Prince i. e. one of the Princes or Rulers of Midian But in ancient time Princes executed the Priesthood also as Plato observes they did among the Egyptians and the Consuls and Emperours of Rome were ambitious of the same Dignity by which means the word Cohen came to signifie both Though where the Place or Territory of which any Person was Cohen is mentioned there it always signifies him to have been Prince or Civil Governour of that place So S. Jarchi observes The word COHEN always denotes some Divine Ministry or Function except where there is an addition of some particular Principality to it as COHEN of Midian and COHEN of On referring to this place and that I now mentioned in Genesis where it signifies a Prince though the Priesthood might be joyned with it And so Artapanus in Eusebius L. IX c. 27. relating Moses his Flight into Arabia saith he came to Raguel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ruler of those parts And the Jews in their German Translation of the Bible call him Heer Lord of Midian See our most Learned Selden L. I. de Synedr c. ult p. 648. I shall only add that it is most likely that this Prince or Priest was a Worshipper of the true God and not an Idolater for Moses we may be confident would not have married his Daughter if she had been bred in a false Religion Had seven Daughters and they came and drew Water c. He was but a small Prince it appears by this though it must be acknowledged it was a noble Employment in old time as I observed upon Genesis to look after Sheep and we must not imagine these young Women drew the Water themselves but had Servants to attend them and obey their Orders Ver. 17. And the Shepherds came and drove them away Some rude and idle Shepherds would have made use of the Water which they had drawn and had the benefit of their pains without any labour of their own This looks like an Argument that their Father was not a Prince for then one would think these Shepherds should not have dared to contest with them But it is as much an Argument that he was not a Priest for they were great Men also in those days And it seems probable to me that these were the Shepherds of some other greater Prince in those Countries who made thus bold with Jethro's Daughters and their Servants For one cannot think as I said that they alone looked after his Flock but were Overseers of those that did like Rebekkah and Rachel See Gen. XXIX 9. But Moses stood up and helped them c. This was an act as Maimonides suggests of the same Heroick Spirit mentioned before Ver. 12. which still rested on him and moved him here as it had done in Egypt And thus Philo also represents him as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transported by such an Enthusiasm when he spake to the Shepherds that it after frighted them from their attempt Though it is not certain that he overcame them by Perswasions but the whole Discourse seems rather to imply that he forced them to desist which he could not do alone but at the head of those Servants that belong'd to these young Women and it is not improbable he had some Servants of his own who attended him in his Flight Certain it is that the Arabian's great Imployment was feeding of Cattle as Philo there notes L. I. de Vita Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and that not only Men but Women young Men and Virgins looked after them and not those only of the meaner sort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they that were of Noble Families Ver. 18. And when they came to Reuel their Father He is thought to be the same with Jethro III.
Jethro had two Names Nay they fancy he had three being called Hobab they think IV Judg. 11. where Hobab is said to be the Father in Law of Moses But the word Son is there to be supplied which in other places is sometime to be understood he seeming to be Jethro's Son Brother to Zipporah And accordingly is said X Numb 29. to be Son of Raguel the Midianite i. e. of Jethro as many understand it See there And he led the Flock to the backside of the Desert Or as St. Hierom understands it ad interiora deserti to the inner parts of the Desert where there was better Pasture than in the place where he was before to which he was conducted by the Providence of God who intended here to reveal himself more fully to him And came to the Mountain of God even to Horeb. Sheep delight to feed on Mountains as Bochart observes out of Theocritus and Virgil. Whence such mountainous Places are often called in Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sheep-walks they being wont to feed there as Eustathius and Hesychius interpret it See Hierozoic p. 1. L. II. c. 46. And this is called the Mountain of God because when Moses wrote this Book there had been a Divine appearance upon Horeb which St. Stephen calls Sinai VII Acts 30. For Horeb and Sinai seem to have been two tops of one and the same Mountain which it is plain by this was not far from the Country of Midian We understand also by St. Stephen's words when this fell out viz. after he had dwelt Forty years in Midian for so long it is certain he continued there VII Exod 7. But how he imployed all that time we are not told No doubt in something else than meer feeding Sheep For being learned in all the Egyptian Wisdom we may well think he both taught others and made also great improvements himself in studying the Records of that and all other Neighbouring Countries and besides received it is likely Divine Revelations There are those likewise who think he now wrote the Book of Job to comfort the Israelites by the example of his admirable Patience under their heavy Oppressions in Egypt and the Book of Genesis also that they might the better understand what Promises had been made to their Noble Ancestors Abraham Isaac and Jacob and that the Time drew near when they would be fulfilled It is noted by Ludovicus Capellus in his Chronolog Sacra that the Number Forty was much observed in the Administrations of Divine Providence Moses being XL years old when he fled into Midian and staying there another XL years and then leaving the World in the end of the next XL years of his Age. It was so many years before the Israelites got to Canaan after they were delivered out of Egypt Forty days Moses continued with God in the Mount both the first and second time of his going up thither So many days the Spyes were in searching out the Land and the Israelites had just so many Mansions in the Wilderness Their first Judge governed just XL. years and the next twice as many Deborah Barak Gideon Eli all judged XL years and so long David reigned Ver. 2. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him So St. Stephen also VII Acts 30. By which some understand the Eternal WORD the Second Person in the Blessed Trinity But I think he is not called simply an Angel any where but with some addition as the Angel of the Covenant for it would be a dangerous insinuation that he was but a meer Creature Yet I believe he is not here to be excluded for I take this to have been the Appearance of the SCHECHINAH which comprehended both the LORD himself and the Angels that attended him as his Ministers One of which now appeared so gloriously that he showed God to be present and accordingly we find in the following words that he himself spake to Moses And thus the LORD is said to have sent his Angel when they cried to him and brought them out of Egypt XX Numb 16. Which Angel is called Michael by Menachem and the same which they also call Goel who redeemed Jacob from all evil XLVIII Gen. 16. In a flame of sire The Glory of the LORD as the SCHECHINAH is frequently called appeared in a flaming manner like fire exceeding bright and with an amazed splendor So it appeared though not so bright when the first Promise was made of their Deliverance XV Gen. 17 18. Out of the midst of a Bush To show say the Jews in Pirke Eliezer Cap. XL. that God was present with them in their great Affliction and Tribulation which was represented by this Bush of Thorns or Briers for so the Hebrew word signifies such a Bush as pricks those that touch it or as the Prophet Isaiah speaks LXIII 9. in all their affliction he was afflicted And by his Providence ordered things so that their Affliction did not consume them but rather multiplied and increased them for as it there follows the Angel of his presence saved them And thus Eusebius tells us in the latter end of L. V. Demonstr Evang. c. 13. some Christians understood it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This Fire also in the Bush might be intended to show that God would there meet with the Israelites and give them his Law in Fire and Lightning and yet not consume them For this is the place where God after they came out of Egypt delivered the Law to them which thence was called Sinai saith the fore-named Author in Pirke Elieser from this Bush which in Hebrew is Sene and signifies in Arabick a Thorn-bush whereas before this it was called Horeb from its driness and barrenness as that word imports And behold the Bush burnt with sire and the Bush was not consumed The Heathens had either read or heard of this wonder as appears by Artapanus who mentions it in Eusebius L. IX Praepar Evang. c. 27. but he disguises it and misreports it saying it was a Fire which suddenly broke forth out of the Earth and flamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when there was no Matter nor any kind of Wood in the place to feed it But in the next Chapter but one an ancient Tragaedian reports it exactly saying just as Moses doth here That the Bush burnt in a great fire and yet remained intire and green in the slame which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest Miracle The meaning of which I have already explained in the foregoing Observation There is a Story something like this in Dion Prusaeus Orat. XXXVI where he saith the Persians relate concerning Zoroaster that the Love of Wisdom and Vertue leading him to a Solitary Life separate from Company upon a Mountain he found it one day all in a flame shining with Celestial Fire out of the midst of which he came without any harm and instituted certain Sacrifices to God who then he made account appeared to him Which Joh. Henricus Vrsinus a
with Milk and Honey By which Phrase the Poets express the greatest Plenty as Bochart shows out of Euripides Horace Ovid c. Hierozoick P. II. L. IV. c. 12. For abundance of Milk and Honey argue a Country to be well watered fruitful full of fair Pastures and Flowers from whence the Flocks may fill their Duggs with Milk and the Bees their Cells with Honey Aelian L. III. de Hist Animal c. 35. saith the Goats of Syria which includes this Country afford such plenty of Milk as is in no other Country Vnto the place of the Canaanites c. See concerning all these People here mentioned XV Gen. 19 c. Ver. 9. Now therefore behold the Cry of the Children of Israel is come up to me c. This was said before Ver. 7. but here repeated as a reason of the Commission he intended immediately to give to Moses to go and Deliver them Ver. 10. Come now therefore and I will send thee unto Pharaoh c. Leave thy Flock for I have another more weighty Business wherein I will imploy thee For thou shalt go with my Authority to Pharaoh and command him not only to Release my People out of their Servitude but to let them go also out of Egypt He had called them by the Name of his People Ver. 7. and now mentions it again to incourage their hope that he would take care of his own What Pharaoh this was it being a common Name to all the Egyptian Kings is very much disputed The common opinion is that after Orus in whose time Moses sled into Midian Acenceres or Acherres reigned Twelve years and after him Achoris reigned Seven years more and then succeeded Cenchres the worst of them all to whom Moses was now sent But Clemens Alexandrinus tells us that Apion a great Enemy of the Jews and who wrote against them mentioning their going out of Egypt in his fourth Book of his History of Egypt saith it was in the the reign of Amosis For which he quotes Ptolomaeus Mendesius an Egyptian Priest who wrote three Books about their Affairs in which he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. I. Stromat p. 320. But Tacitus calls him Bocchoris or as some read it Occoris L. V. Hist c. 3. That thou mayest bring forth my People c. From this time we are to consider God as the King of this People Not in general only as he is Lord of the whole World but in a proper and peculiar manner For whatsoever Authority or Power of Jurisdiction the Kings of other Nations did exercise over their Subjects as Power of Life and Death of making Laws and Leagues c. the same Prerogative did the Lord of Heaven and Earth reserve to himself alone over the Children of Israel Upon which ground as Dr. Jackson well observes Moses was delegated to be his Ambassadour to the King of Egypt and constituted it appears by the whole Story his Deputy or Viceroy over Israel Ver. 11. And Moses said unto God who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh c. He modestly declines the Service considering how mean a Person he was in comparison with Pharaoh and how unable to do any thing for the Israelites He had felt some extraordinary motion in himself Forty years ago which he took to be an Indication that God would use him as an Instrument of their Deliverance See Chap. II. v. 11 12. but at that time he was a far greater Man than now and had more interest at Court the Princess who adopted him for her Son being then perhaps alive or having lest him what made him very considerable In short he was then the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter but now a poor Shepherd Ver. 12. And he said Certainly I will be with thee In answer to his Objection God bids him depend on this that he would preserve him by a special Providence from being hurt by Pharaoh So Maimonides shows this Phrase I will be with thee signifies in Scripture More Nev. P. III. c. 18. And the considence which God wrought in him of this gave him Courage and Resolution which is also denoted by this Phrase as he shows P. II. c. 38. For all the Prophets were endued with an extraordinary Fortitude and Magnanimity which was in Moses above all the rest he encountering a great King and all his Court and People barely with a Staff in his hand And this shall be a Token to thee that I have sent thee when thou hast brought forth the People out of Egypt ye shall serve God upon this Mountain This could not be a Token to him now but was afterward when God by his Power brought them to this very place to worship him according to this Promise upon this Mountain In the mean time there were many other Tokens God gave him as we find in this History which were all confirmed by this at last Ver. 13. And they shall say unto me What is his Name What shall I say unto them This doth not argue that they knew not what the Name of their God was for they and their Fathers had been long acquainted with him and they cried unto him and he heard them II. 23 24. But Moses being the first that ever spake to Men in the Name of God none of the Patriarchs either before the Flood or after it having said any such words as these God hath sent me to you the Lord commands me to bid you do so or so as Maimon observes in several places of his More Nevoch P. I. c. 63. P. II. c. 39. is was natural for the Israelites to ask him by what Name or peculiar Attribute God had made himself known unto him so as to authorize him to speak to them as never any Man before did He had spoken unto Noah and unto Abraham c. but it was only for their own Instruction He never bid them deliver any Message unto others and yet it is observable that upon particular occasions he still made himself known to them by different Names or Titles As he saith to Abraham XV Gen. 7. I am Jehovah who brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees But XVII 1. he saith I am Elshaddai And to Isaac he saith I am the God of thy Father Abraham XXVI 24. To Jacob he adds I am the LORD God of thy Father Abraham and the God of Isaac XXVIII 13. And after this I am the God of Bethel XXXI 13. No wonder then that Moses should think the People would expect upon so great an occasion when he came to them as an Ambassadour from Heaven that the God of their Fathers should speak to them in a New Stile beyond all that had been known in former days Ver. 14. And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM. That is saith Maimonides in the place above-named He that necessarily Exists He who so is that he must needs be Or as some translate it I will be what I will be i. e. the Eternal Immutable Being so Elmacinus
Prince of the Tribe of Judah VI. 23. For it is but a fancy of R. Solomon's that he is therefore called the Levite because the Levitical Order should have proceeded from him and the Priesthood been entailed on Moses his Family but because of Moses his backwardness to serve God in this present Imployment he in anger quite changed his Intention and advanced Aaron to the Priesthood I know that he can speak well Is Eloquent and can deliver his Mind in fluent words There are two things which compleat a Commander as Pericles speaks in Theucydides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdom and Eloquence which do not often meet in one Person but God is pleased to distribute these Gifts as he did to these two Brethren So Polydamas in Homer tells Hector God's way is not to give all Accomplishments to one Man but some to one and some to others Iliad IV. v. 730. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. which he expresses admirably again Odyss Θ v. 168. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold he cometh forth to meet thee c. By God's direction no doubt who suggested to him that Moses was coming by his order towards Egypt which was such comfortable News to him that when he saw him after such a long Separation it could not but be a very joyful Meeting The fulfilling of this Prediction was a new sign unto Moses that God would be with him Ver. 15. And thou shalt speak unto him and put words in his mouth Tell him from me what he is to speak And I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth Thou shalt have Directions from me what to say to him and I will enable him to speak to the People and to Pharaoh And will teach you what you shall do Instruct you in all your Proceedings Ver. 16. And he shall be thy spokesman to the People Acquaint them with what thou hast to deliver to them And he shall be even he to thee He doubles the words to denote that he should need no other Assistant but Aaron who being his Brother he might the more securely rely on his fidelity Instead of a mouth To speak what thou canst not so well deliver thy self And thou shalt be to him instead of God Deliver my Mind and Will to him The Chaldee translates the Hebrew word Elohim in this place a Prince or a Judge who hath the Power of Life and Death See Grotius in VII Acts 35. and L. de Dieu VII 1. For Moses by God's order and appointment executed all those Judgments upon Pharaoh which Aaron pronounced See Selden L. I. de Synedr cap. ult If Justin Martyr did not misapprehend Diodorus Siculus he saith the Jews called Moses a God For so he reports Diodorus his words Adhort ad Graecos p. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which now are otherways in the Books of Diodorus Edit Steph. p. 59. where mentioning several Lawgivers that pretended to receive their Laws from God or some good Angel names Moses among the rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who received his from the God called Jao So they pronounced that Name which we call Jehovah Ver. 17. And thou shalt take this Rod in thy hand The Rod mentioned v. 2. which is v. 20. called The Rod of God because it was an Ensign of Divine Authority and Power by which all the wonders were wrought Wherewith thou shalt do signs By stretching out so mean a thing as this Rod at God's Command great Miracles followed which demonstrated the Power of God and not of Man Ver. 18. And Moses went and returned From Horeb where he had all his Converse with God he returned to the Place where his Father in Law lived See v. 1. To Jethro In the Hebrew his Name is written Jether And the Tradition is in Semoth Rabba that he was once a Gentile and then his Name was Jether but being proselyted to the true Religion there was a Letter added to his Name as there was to Abrahant's and he was called Jethro And Mr. Selden observes he is called a Proselyte in the Gemaru Babylon and the first we sind mentioned in Scripture L. 2. de Jure N. G. c. 2. And said unto him let me go I pray thee He did not think it honest to leave his Service without his consent especially since he entertain'd him and gave him his Daughter when he was a Stranger to him And return unto my Brethren which are in Egypt To his Kindred and Country-men who called one another Brethren whom he had not seen many years And see whether they be yet alive He concealed his main design from Jethro not thinking it safe perhaps to trust him who though a good Man was not an Hebrew with his Commission or fearing he might discourage him from that Undertaking which he had already too much declined but now was fully resolved upon and therefore loth to be again disheartned It may seem strange that Moses in so long a course of time as Forty years should not have heard of the state of his Relations and Friends But it is to be considered that as he was afraid perhaps it should be known where he was so intercourse with Nations and very far distant was not so easie then as it is now adays And Jethro said to Moses go in peace He dismist him kindly and wisht him a prosperous Journey Ver. 19. And the LORD said to Moses in Midian Some translate it the LORD had said c. to show the Reason why he now desired to have leave to visit his Friends in Egypt However that be it is plain this was a distinct Appearance of God to him from that in Horeb for this was in Midian Where God who had set him no precise time before enjoyns him to be gone presently and assures him that there were none left in Egypt who designed to be revenged of him for the slaughter of the Egyptian So it follows For all the men are dead which sought thy life This is an incouragement which God reserved as a Reward of his Obedience having said nothing of it during the time of his Hesitancy and Reluctance Ver. 20. And Moses took his Wife and his Sons We read hitherto but of one Son born to him but it is plain he had another from XVIII 4. He carried his whole Family with him to let his Brethren see he was so confident of their Deliverance that he ventured not only himself but his dearest Relations in their Society And set them upon an Ass One Ass could not carry them all with every thing necessary for their removal therefore the singular number as is very usual is put for the plural Though one Ass might perhaps carry her and two Children one of which if not the other was very small See Drusius Quaestiones per Epistol 86. and Simeon de Muis in his Varia Sacra Asses are vile Creatures here with us but they were
delivered thy People at all He might have remembred that God told him more than once that Pharaoh would not obey him at the first III. 19. IV. 21. But the bitter Reflections which the Officers of the Children of Israel made upon his Conduct had so disturbed his Mind that he forgot himself so far as to ask the undecent Questions mentioned in the foregoing Verse and complains here that God had done Nothing to fulfil his Promise of Deliverance to his People CHAP. VI. Verse 1. AND the LORD said unto Moses The SCHECHINAH I suppose appeared to him See v. 12. as it had done often before since he was first sent upon this Business IV. 22. and graciously condescended to satisfie his two Complaints in the latter end of the foregoing Chapter Where he complains first of all that he had sent him about a fruitless Message for secondly he had not at all delivered his People To the last of these he Answers in the first place here in this Verse where he tells him Now thou shalt see what I will do to Pharaoh That is be patient and wait a while and thou shalt see Pharaoh compelled to dismiss my People For with a strong hand shall he let them go c. I will so terribly scourge him that he shall not only let them go but thrust them out of Egypt and be glad to be rid of them Ver. 2. And God spake unto Moses and said unto him I am the LORD He also answers here to his first Question Why hast thou sent me by telling him I am JEHOVAH and have sent thee to make known this great Name that is my self who am constant to my word and will faithfully perform all my Promises Ver. 3. And I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the Name of God Almighty Or God All-sufficient as the word El-shaddai may be interpreted See XVII Gen. 1. God infinite in Power and Goodness of which he gave their Fathers abundant proofs by delivering them in many and great Straits But by my Name JEHOVAH was I not known to them This Name of four Letters as the Jews speak is by the Ancients called the ineffable Name For they would never pronounce it Not because they could not as Drusius well observes L. I. Observat Cap. I. Sed quod religione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quadam ab eo efferendo abstinerent but because out of a Religious Reverence they abstained from it And this respect to it all the ancient Interpreters observe even St. Hierom himself though in several of the ancient Fathers as Irenaeus Clem Alexandrinus Epiphanius and Theodoret and in some of the ancient Heathens as Macrobius and Diodorus Siculus it is expressed by Jaho and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek write it Which Name however it be pronounced some of the Jews imagine was concealed till Moses his time who was the first to whom it was revealed But this is evidently false as appears from the whole Book of Genesis and particularly from XV. 7. where before he calls himself El-shaddai he saith to Abraham I am Jehovah which brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees In short the Opinion of Reuchlinus in his Verb. Mirisicum is far more justifiable which is that it was revealed to our first Parents at the same time that God breathed into them the breath of Life For as soon as Eve brought forth her First-born she saith I have got a Man from the LORD IV Gen. 1. which Name descended in a perpetual Succession from Seth to Abraham who when he went by God's Direction out of his own Country into Canaan the LORD appeared to him there and there he built an Altar to the LORD XII Gen. 7 8. And it is to be noted that he doth not say to Moses in this place My Name Jehovah was not known to them but I was not known to them by this Name That is by that which it imports viz. the giving being as we may say to his Promises by the actual performance of them i. e. by bringing them into the Land of Canaan and in order to it delivering them out of Egypt Both which he had promised in the fore-named Chapter XV Gen. 14 18. and now intended to make good And thus R. Solomon interprets this place as P. Fagius notes I have promised but have not yet performed The like Expression we find in the Prophet Isaiah as Theodorick Hackspan hath observed Disput de Nominibus Divinis N. 15. LII Isa 5 6. where the Lord saith My Name is blasphemed every day continually therefore my People shall know my Name therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak behold it is I. Which cannot signifie that the Jews did not then know that this was one of the Names of God but that all who blasphem'd him should be confuted by sensible Proofs which he would give of his own unchangeable Resolution to fulfil his Promises in bringing them out of Babylon which fully demonstrated that he was JEHOVAH Which word some think includes in it not only his Eternal Existence and Immutable Truth but his Omnipotent Power which gave being to all things The last of which was now made known so as it had never been to Abraham Isaac and Jacob for Moses was the first that wrought Miracles and Prodigies God was known to the Fathers by Visions and Dreams but not by Signes and Wonders Moses made him known by these unto the World And therefore upon the whole Maimonides well concludes from this place that the Prophetical Spirit on Moses was more excellent than that which had been upon any before him More Nevoch P. II. c. 35. Ver. 4. And I also c. The Hebrew word vegam may be better translated although Which makes a clear connexion of this Verse with the former and explains the meaning of the Name Jehovah By which he was not known in former times although he had made a Covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob to give them the Land of Canaan and often ratified confirmed and establisht as he here speaks this Covenant XVII Gen. 7 8. XXVI 3 4 c. But now he not only declares himself mindful of that Covenant v. 5. but because he was the LORD v. 6. would deliver them from the Egyptian Bondage and that with a miraculous Power Which should make them know more of him than their Fathers did v. 7. both by his Delivering them out of Egypt and by bringing them into the Land which he swore he would give to their Fathers v. 8. This is the Sense of these five Verses The Land of their Pilgrimage c. So it is often called when he speaks to Abraham XVII Gen. 8. and so Isaac calls it XXVIII 4. and Jacob also XXXVII 1. And so it might be called not only with respect to Abraham Isaac and Jacob but also to their Posterity because of the near Union that is between Fathers and Children Thus God is said
Children of Israel and also unto Pharaoh So these words have respect to both parts of the foregoing Objection And gave them a Charge unto the Children of Israel He laid his Commands upon them strictly requiring them to obey him Which is an higher Expression than we meet withal before in the foregoing Injunctions either in v. 6. or 11. and makes me think this Verse is not a meer Recapitulation of what had been said as some take it but an Inforcement of what he had before commanded And unto Pharaoh King of Egypt to bring the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt I suppose he now gave them Authority to Threaten him if he did not obey Ver. 14. These are the Heads of their Fathers Houses The principal Persons of the several Families of Israel The Sons of Reuben the first-born c. See XLVI Gen. 9. where the Sons of Reuben are reckoned up in this very order in which they are here mentioned again to introduce the Genealogy of Moses and Aaron Who being chosen by God to be the Deliverers of his People it was sit to show that they were of the same Stock though not of the eldest Family of the Children of Israel To whom God promised when he went down into Egypt that he would surely bring him up again XLVI Gen. 4. that is in his Posterity which would not have been so manifestly the Work of God if they that were the Instruments of it had not been of his Posterity Ver. 15. The Sons of Simeon c. They are mentioned for the same reason and in the same order that they were in Genesis XLVI 10. Ver. 16. These are the Names of the Sons of Levi c. Having briefly set down the Heads of the two eldest Families of Israel he enlarges now upon the third from which he himself was descended Gershon Kohath and Merari These three are mentioned also in the XLVI Gen. 11. as coming with Jacob into Egypt And the years of the Life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years He is thought to have lived the longest of all the Sons of Jacob none of whose Ages are recorded in Scriptures but only his and Joseph's whom Levi survived Twenty seven years though he was much the elder Brother Kohath also the second Son of Levi attained near to the same Age with himself v. 18. And his Grandson Moses his Father lived just so long as Levi did v. 20. Next to Levi the longest Liver of all Jacob's Sons was Naphthali if we may believe the Tradition in R. Bechai who saith he lived to the Age of an Hundred thirty and three years which was the Age of Kohath Ver. 17. The Sons of Gershon Libni and Shimi c. These were born in Egypt from whom descended two Families mentioned afterwards III Num. 18 21. Ver. 18. The Sons of Kohath Amram c. He had the most numerous Off-spring of all Levi's Sons III Numb 28. from the eldest of which Moses came And the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years He sets down the Age of none but only of Levi his great Grandfather and Kohath his Grandfather and of Amram his Father And Primate Vsher makes account that Kohath was Thirty years old when Jacob came into Egypt and lived there an Hundred and three years and died Thirty two years before Moses was born See Chronolog Sacra Cap. XI Ver. 19. The Sons of Merari Mehali From this Mehali it is thought sprung the famous Singer Heman who composed the LXXXVIII Psalm 1 Chron. VI. 33. And Mushi From whom descended Ethan who composed the LXXXIX Psalm 1 Chron. VI. 44. Ver. 20. And Amram took him Jochabed his Father's Sister to Wife It must be acknowledged that the Hebrew word Dod signifies an Uncle and therefore some would have the word Dodah in this place to signifie only his Vncle's Daughter So the Vulgar and the LXX translate it But Moses tells us so expresly that she was born to Levi in Egypt XXVI Numb 59. that it unavoidably follows she was Sister to Amram's Father Which the forenamed great Primate maintains Cap. VIII of the same Book against Scaliger and Pererius who would have Jochabed called Levi his Daughter only as Ephraim and Manasseh are called Jacob's Sons Which would make a very easie Sense as I observed II. 1. if it would consist with those words in Numbers XXVI 59. whom her Mother for that must be understood bare to Levi which show she was his Daughter And thus R. Solomon understood it and so did Tostatus and Cajetan and divers others whom our Vsher there mentions And see our most Learned Selden L. V. de Jure N. G. Cap. IX p. 584. Which shows how sincere a Writer Moses was who doth not stick to relate what might be thought in after Ages when the Law against such Marriages was enctaed a blot to his Family And it is observable that he doth not say one Syllable in Commendation of his Parents though their Faith deserved the greatest Praise as the Apostle to the Hebrews shows XI 23. But Moses as Jac. Capellus truly observes did not write for his own Glory but for the Service of God and of his Church ad A. M. 2481. And she bare him Aaron and Moses This shows that God exactly fulfilled his Promise of Delivering the Israelites out of Servitude in the fourth Generation XV Gen. 16. i. e. the fourth from their Descent into Egypt for Moses was the fourth from Levi being his great Grandson And the years of the Life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years The very same Age with his Grandfather Levi v. 16. Ver. 21. And the Sons of Izhar Korah c. He gives an account of his Uncle's Sons but saith not one word here of his own Who were not to succeed him in his Place and Dignity nor to be advanced to any other Office Such was his Humility and generous Love to his Country that he only sought the Good of that but Nothing for his own Family Ver. 22. And the Sons of Uzziel c. This was another of his Uncles whose Posterity he mentions that it might be seen how God blessed the Tribe of Levi notwithstanding the Sin he had committed at Schechem and the Punishment his Father denounced against him for it XLIX Gen. He saith nothing of Hebron another of his Father's Brothers because perhaps he died Childless or his Children had no Issue Ver. 23. And Aaron took him Elisheba Daughter of Aminadab Sister of Naashon to Wife Though he says nothing here of himself yet he relates particularly what concerned Aaron who he shows was matcht into an honourable Family with the Sister of a Prince of the Tribe of Judah chief Commander of their Host when they were come out of Egypt I Numb 7. II. 3. The knowledge of this he thought might breed in Posterity a greater Reverence to the Priesthood which was setled in the Family of Aaron And
Homer to have changed Vlysses's Companions into Hoggs But there are those who take these to have been real Serpents brought hither by the power of the Devil who withdrew their Rods and put these which he suddenly transported from some other place in their room Which if it be true it makes the Power that wrought by Moses the more wonderful whose Serpent devoured them all But Aaron 's Rod swallowed up their Rods. The Serpent into which Aaron's Rod was turned moved towards them and eat them up Which was as I said the more astonishing if they were real Serpents of the same bigness as we may well suppose they would indeavour to bring with that of Moses However their Serpents whatsoever they were could not stand before his but were swallowed up while his still remained This might have convinced Pharaoh if his Magicians had not made him believe that they would in time sind a Power superious to Moses The Jews also imagine Pharaoh himself was a Magician and helpt to get out of Moses the Secret whereby he wrought these Wonders Which were the greater because Moses no doubt in conclusion took this Serpent by the Tail as God had commanded him IV. 4. and it became a Rod in his hand again Whereas the Egyptian Sorcerers had no Rods remaining to take up they being vanished with their Serpents Greg. Nyssen L. de Vita Mosis p. 173. takes the devouring of their Rods to have been a plain Argument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that the Rods i. e. Serpents of the Magicians had no vital power in them able to defend themselves but were meer Delusions without any real vertue And here I cannot but take notice of a remarkable Passage in Numenius a Pythagoraean Philosopher recorded by Eusebius L. IX Praepar Evang. Cap. VIII where he tells us that Numenius in this third Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresly saith that Jannes and Jambres were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inferiour to none in Magical Skill and therefore chosen by the common consent of the Egyptians to oppose Musaeus as the Heathens call Moses the Leader of the Jews of whom he gives this noble Character that he was a Man most powerful with God in Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is a plain Confession that he took Moses to be as he is called in these Books a Man of God and may serve to shame those who either believe not this History or think Moses to have been only a great Magician Ver. 13. And he hardned Pharaoh 's heart or rather Pharaoh's heart was hardned For so we translate this very Hebrew Phrase v. 22. and I can give no account why we translate it otherwise here Especially since the Vulgar and the Chaldee so render it and the LXX also in this Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pharaoh 's heart grew stiff or waxed strong and stubborn And v. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his heart was hardned And it is plainly the like form of Speech with that in the next Verse 14. where God himself interprets his own meaning Pharaoh's heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is heavy and will not stir Nor is there in any of these three Verses the least mention of any Person by whom his heart was hardned That he hearkned not unto them as the Lord had said It is likely upon the first sight of the Serpent his heart was inclined to hearken but seeing the Magicians do the same it returned to its first bent and there fixed notwithstanding Moses's Rod devoured theirs This God had predicted III. 19. knowing his wicked Disposition would not yield to any means he should think sit to use for his Reformation Ver. 14. And the LORD said unto Moses c. It is likely Moses after he had been with Pharaoh and wrought this Miracle returned to the place where the Divine Majesty was wont to appear unto him VI. 12 30. and gave him an account of what had passed Whereupon the LORD told him he saw Pharaoh was resolved in his way and therefore it would be to no purpose to wait to see what would be the effect of the late Miracle but bid him go the next Morning and carry a threatning Message to him Pharaoh 's heart is hardned he refuseth to let the People go It is observable that he doth not say I have hardned Pharaoh's heart and therefore there should have been no such intimation in our translation of v. 13. but Pharaoh's heart is hardned Which can imply no other hardning than what proceeded from his own setled Resolution not to lose the Service of the Israelites Ver. 15. Get thee unto Pharaoh in the Morning Of the very next day after he had wrought the foregoing Miracle And now begins the first of the Ten Plagues which God sent upon the Egyptians for disobeying his Ambassadours Whose Treaty with Pharaoh as Jacobus Capellus ad A. M. 2502. thinks continued about Eleven Months from the end of Harvest which he makes account was in our May to the beginning of the next year which is the Opinion of the Hebrew Doctors But our excellent Primate Vsher thinks that all the following Plagues were inflicted within the space of One Month in such order of time as I shall observe in the beginning of each of them And Bochartus gives good reason for it in his Hierozoic P. 2. L. IV. Cap. VIII For we are told here v. 7. that Moses was fourscore years old when he began to treat with Pharaoh and in V Josh 6. that they walked forty years in the Wilderness Now if he had spent a year in inflicting these Plagues Moses who died just as they were entring into Canaan must have been an Hundred and one and twenty years old whereas he was but an Hundred and twenty as we read XXXIV Deut. 5. Nor was it sutable to the Divine Goodness to be so long in delivering his People who were reduced to extream Misery It was but just also that God should follow Pharaoh whose heart was so obstinately hard with one Plague upon the neck of another and give him no time to breathe after one was removed before another came upon him Lo he goeth out unto the Water God who knows all things foresaw his motion before hand and speaks as if he then saw him actually going out of his Palace to the River Either to walk there for Recreation or to Worship the River Nile For as Bochart whose words these are observes out of Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing was had in such honour among the Egyptians as the River Nile If it was so in Moses his days it is not unlikely that he went to pay his Morning Devotions to it Or if he were a Magician as the Hebrews fancy he might be skilled in that which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so he observes they say in the Talmud and make this the reason of Pharaoh's going to the River Which Jonathan follows in his Paraphrase Behold he goeth out to observe
here follows Ver. 19. Then the Magicians said unto Pharaoh This is the singer of God The same with what is called in other places of Scripture the hand of God CIX Psal 27. that is his Power There are those particularly Bochartus who think these Magicians did not by these words give Glory to God but thought to save their own Credit with Pharaoh by telling him that it was not Moses or Aaron who were too hard for them but a Divine Power superiour to them all To this purpose Jonathan But they ought then to have been sensible that the Power which they dealt withal was far from being Supream being unable to assist them upon all occasions And no doubt God intended to confound them by taking that time to disable them when they least expected it For why should not their Power have extended to such a small thing as this when they had done greater But God would not let them always abuse Pharaoh with their Illusions and gave them a check when they thought themselves most sure of Success And Pharaoh 's heart was hardned One would have rather expected to have heard that his heart began to relent when he saw his Magicians not only puzzled but quite bafled so that they owned Moses acted by a Power above theirs But this it was not to stick to the good Resolutions which had lately been wrought in him v. 8. from which he not only revolted but grew more resolute not to yield to God The effect of which was this further Induration it being natural for evil Men who resist the Means of their Cure to grow worse and worse affected This Miracle also of the Lice being more loathsom to Pharaoh than terrible might haply be the reason as Dr. Jackson conjectures that he did not intreat Moses and Aaron to pray for him as he had done upon the sight of the Frogs and as he straightway did after he felt the next Plague of the Flies I cannot but add also this further reflection of his Book X. on the Creed Chap. XL. that though the singer of God was very remarkable in producing the Lice which the Magicians could not yet it was no way remarkable in hardning Pharaoh's heart For it is neither said nor intimated that the singer of God hardned it but Pharaoh's heart was hardned that is remained obstinate The Cause of which was his not hearkning to them as it had been before v. 15. Ver. 20. And the LORD said unto Moses rise up early in the Morning and stand before Pharaoh As he had ordered him to do before he sent the second Plague VII 15. Lo he cometh forth to the Water This confirms what was said there that in the Morning it was usual with him to walk out by the River either for his Refreshment or for his Devotion Perhaps that after washing he might worship the Rising Sun For Moses is commanded to rise up early in the Morning and present himself before him And say unto him Thus saith the LORD let my People go c. The same Message he had often sent him VII 16 17. VIII 1. together with an Admonition and Warning of his Danger which God had not given him before the last Plague v. 16. Ver. 21. Behold I will send swarms of flies upon thee c. The Hebrew word Arob being generally thought to come from a word which signifies to mingle Interpreters commonly think it denotes a mixture of several sorts of Creatures And some take it as we seem here to do for all manner of Flies which Aquila calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all sorts of Insects Others take it as it is in our Margin for a mixture of noisom Beasts and so the Authour of The Life and Death of Moses God sent Lions Wolves Bears and Leopards and suck like wild Beasts which killed not only their Cattle in the Field but their Children in their Houses And so Josephus expounds it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Bochartus hath confuted this Notion by very good Arguments in his Hierozoicon P. 2. L. IV. Cap. XV. where he shows no words have more significations than the Hebrew word Arab which signifies not only to mingle but among many other things to obscure and darken From whence the Even time is called Ereb And therefore with great reason he approves of the LXX Version who translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Flesh-sly very bold and troublesome being not easily drove away which infests Dogs very much especially about the flaps of their Ears Some take it for that large black fly which fastens upon Beasts and sucks their Blood called Arob from its black colour as Oreb from thence signifies a Crow And so Philo describes this fly called Cynomya that it is as impudent as a Dog and makes its Assaults with great Violence like a Dart fastning its Teeth so deep in the Flesh and sticking so close that it makes Cattle run mad This Plague the Jews say in the forenamed Book of The Life of Moses was sent upon the Egyptians because of the hard Service they made the Israelites undergo in feeding their Cattle Ver. 22. And I will sever in that day the Land of Goshen in which my People dwell c. Here now the distinguishing Mercy of God to the Israelites is plainly expressed which is to be understood in the foregoing Plagues And the Hebrew word as well as the Chaldee signifies I will make a wondrous difference So Jonathan in that day I will work a Miracle in the Land of Goshen For indeed it was a marvellous thing that Countries so near one another should be in such a different Condition at the same time And it was the more wonderful because there was such store of Cattle in Goshen whose Dung is apt to breed Flies That thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the Earth Who governs all things here below or that have a special care of my People For so Bochart understood by Earth the Land of Goshen In the midst of which God is said to be because he defended and delivered them from this sore Calamity which their Neighbours suffered For thus this Phrase is used in many places VII Deut. 22. XXIII 14. XLVI Psal 6 c. And thus Conr. Pellicanus seems to have understood this Passage which he interprets you shall know that I am the LORD and Prince of this Country Ver. 23. I will put a division between thy People and my People c. It is repeated again because it was a remarkable thing and denoted the Israelites to be God's peculiar People for whom he had a singular favour Which is the reason that this Mercy is called here a Redemption as the word in the Hebrew signifies which we translate division because God exempted and delivered the Israelites from those Flies which sorely infested all the rest of Pharaoh's Dominions To morrow shall this sign be The finger of God was so remarkable in the last Plague v. 19. that
that had been seen and they were a frequent Plague in those Countries either in bigness or in in number or in both That is all that had been seen in Egypt For in other Countries perhaps there might have been as large if Pliny may be believed that in India there had been some seen three foot long The Jews in the Book called The Life and Death of Moses fancy these to have been of such a vast Bulk that their Jaw-teeth were like those of Lions But it 's likely Moses speaks here only of their multitude For the Prophet Joel hath such an Expression when he speaks also of their being without number I Joel 6. Whose Teeth are the Teeth of a Lion i. e. they devoured all things greedily and speedily And he turned himself and went out from Pharaoh Either Moses did not stay for an Answer knowing he would give him none better than formerly or Pharaoh answered so churlishly that Moses hastily turned about as the words seem to import and went away in some indignation Ver. 7. And Pharaoh 's Servants said Some of his Counsellors or Courtiers who feared the word of the LORD IX 20. Or perhaps the whole Court began now to be sensible of their Danger How long shall this Man They seem to speak contemptibly of Moses to please Pharaoh who they were afraid would not like their Counsel unless they flattered him Be a Snare to us The LXX and the Vulgar translate it be a stumbling-block i. e. lay before us the Occasion of our falling into one Calamity after another Or involve and intangle us in so many Mischiefs Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed Dost thou not consider that so many Plagues have ruined our Country Ver. 8. And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh c. Upon this Advice he commanded them to be called back again and consented to let them go with some Limitations to which Moses could not agree But who are they that shall go In the Hebrew the words are but who and who that is Name the particulars For his Covetousness would not suffer the whole Nation to go but he would keep some fast in his hands as a Pledge for the Return of the rest Ver. 9. And Moses said we will go with our young and our old c. with our Flocks and with our Herds c. The reason of this large Demand is given in the end of this Verse They did not know what and how often they must Sacrifice to the LORD and therefore it was necessary their Flocks and Herds should go with them And they being to hold a Feast unto the LORD none of them were to be absent from the Solemnity Hold a Feast unto the LORD It appears from V. 1 3. that it was to be a Feast upon a Sacrifice of which every one was to be a partaker Ver. 10. And he said unto them Let the LORD be so with you as I will let you go c. Most take this for a form of Imprecation as if he had said I wish you may prosper no better than I will accord to your desire But some look upon it as an Irrision or Jeer as if he had said you trust in the LORD let him do all he can to deliver you as I am resolved to keep you here This justifies the truth of their Observation who say that Pharaoh at the first behaved himself like a proud Phantastick Humorist who slighted all that Moses said or did but since the Plague of Murrain on the Cattle and Blains upon the Egyptians like a fantastick distracted Bedlam who raved as if his Brains had been blasted to use Dr. Jackson's Phrase with the Fumes of his seared Conscience Look you to it for evil is before you It is uncertain whether he meant evil that they designed against him or which he designed against them The former best agrees with what follows as if he had said you intend a Rebellion therefore I will let none but the Men go Or more plainly it is visible you design some evil i. e. you have conspired to be gone and make a Revolt Or it is plain and manifest by your very Countenances that you intend some evil If we take it the other way for evil which he threatned to them the meaning must be Mark what I say I will take a course with you unless you be content to go and Sacrifice upon my terms i. e. the Men only Ver. 11. Not so You shall not have your will Go now ye that are Men and serve the LORD for that you did desire So he Interprets their Demand V. 1. pretending that Women and Children needed not to attend upon Sacrifices And they were driven out from Pharaoh 's presence It is likely he said I have no more to say to you or you know my mind and therefore get you gone and then commanded his Officers to thrust them out of Doors which they did with some violence This shows he was in a fury which made him neither regard God nor Man but reject the good Counsel his own Servants had given him v. 7. as well as the Commands which Moses from God had delivered to him Ver. 12. And the LORD said unto Moses siretch out thine hand c. Upon this the Lord immediately ordered Moses to Execute the Judgment he had denounced Which as I said before was threatned about the seventh day and inflicted upon the next and removed on the ninth day of Abib Compare v. 4 13 19. Ver. 13. And Moses stretched forth his Rod over the Land of Egypt See VIII 6. And the LORD brought an East wind c. Though the Hebrew word kadim doth properly signifie the East yet it is sometimes used for the South as Boehart hath demonstrated P. II. Hieroz L. I. c. 15. and so the LXX here understood it For though in Arabia which lay East of Egypt there were great store of Locusts yet not such Numbers as were in Ethiopia which lay South of it and abounded with them more than any Country in the World Some People there lived upon nothing else but Locusts which were brought thither in the Spring about the Vernal Aequinox in vast quantities partly by the Western and partly by the Southern Winds as the same Bochart shows out of good Authors L. IV. c. 3. And now it was about that time of the year when by a Wind blowing from those parts they were brought into Egypt See LXXVIII Psal 26. Ver. 14. And the Locusts went up over all the Land of Egypt Being lifted up by the Wind as Pliny speaks they sly in the Air in a great Cloud which now it seems spread it self over all the Land of Egypt solicitè spectantibus populis c. as the same Author speaks People looking on them in great fear lest they fall down and cover their Country as the words following tell us they did here in Egypt And rested in all the Coasts of Egypt After they had hovered
a while in the Air over the whole Country they came down and setled upon the Ground in every part of it Very grievous were they By their vast Numbers For so the word Caved I have often observed signifies and so the Vulgar Latin here translates innumerable Before them there were no such Locusts See v. 6. Neither after them shall be such i. e. Not in the Land of Egypt though in other Countries there might particularly in Judea when God brought this Plague upon it I Joel 2. Ver. 15. For they covered the Face of the whole Earth c. The word in the Hebrew which we translate Face signifying properly the Eye it induced Onkelos to translate this Passage they covered the Sun which is the Eye of the Earth That is there was such a thick Cloud of them before they fell that they darkned the Sun as when they were fall'n they darkned the Land as it here follows Or the meaning is there were such Numbers that they not only covered the Earth but the Sun also For many Authors mentions such prodigious Clouds of them as have so thickned the Sky that the Day hath been turned into Night See Bochart P. II. Hieroz L. IV. c. 5. And they did eat every Herb of the Land c. See v. 5. Ver. 16. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste This Dr. Jackson not improperly calls another raving sit or phrenetical symptom into which this new Calamity threw him I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you Whom he had lately caused to be driven out of his Presence v. 11. but now humbles himself before them more than he had done at any time before For this was such a Plague as all Men accounted a manifest Token of the Divine Displeasure According to that of Pliny L. XI c. 29. Deorum irae pestis ea intelligitur This is taken for a Plague of the Anger of the Gods or as some Copies have it Mira pestis a wonderful Plague sent from above Ver. 17. Now therefore forgive I pray you my sin only this once c. Nothing could be spoken more humbly and seemingly penitent than this Supplication which includes in it also a Promise never to offend again But there was no Sincerity in it being the effect only of a great fright which extorted this Confession and Submission from him without any serious meaning to continue in this Resolution Thus we all naturally think of Repenting as Pellicanus here piously reslects when we are in great straits nay and promise it too till we are out of danger when we perform little of what we promised as our whole Life testifies That he may take away from me this death only We cannot gather from hence that the Locusts killed Men and Women as the Hail did for the Fields and the Trees c. are said to die as well as Men XLVII Gen. 19. XIV Job 8 c. But the Locusts destroying the Supports of Life by eating up the Corn and the Grass c. might by consequence be said to kill the People In both which regards Pharaoh might call them deadly Locusts Ver. 18. And he went out from Pharaoh and intreated the LORD Both Moses and Aaron were called to Pharaoh and therefore now went both out But one only is mentioned viz. Moses because by his Prayers this Plague was removed Ver. 19. And the LORD turned This is supposed to be done the next day as I observed v. 12. according to what is said VIII 29. A mighty strong West-wind Strong Winds are the only Remedy to free a Country from this Plague as Pliny hath observed For if they die in those Fields on which they settle the Air is so corrupted by the stench that it breeds Pestilential Diseases Which took away the Locusts and cast them into the Red-sea That which we call the Red-sea the Hebrews call the Sea of Suph i. e. of Flags as we translate the word Suph in the second Chapter of this Book v. 3. because it was full of a certain Weed which the Latines call alga and the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some Travellers have affirmed to be of a red Colour and to make the Water appear as if it were red also from whence some fancy it was called the Red-sea Certain it is it had the Hebrew Name of Suph from hence there being such abundance of this Weed in that Sea that the Inhabitants of the Coast plucking it up out of the Water and laying it in heaps to be dried by the Sun it becomes so compact that they build Houses of it as Bochartus hath observed in his Phaleg L. IV. c. 29. But it is most likely to have had the Name of the Red-sea from this that what the Hebrews called the Sea of Suph the nearer Neighbours called the Sea of Edom from the Country which it washed viz. Idumaea 1 Kings IX 26. XXI Numb 4. From whence the Greeks who knew not the reason of the Name called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Red-sea because Edom in Hebrew signifies red as we find XXV Gen. 29. Now this Sea which late Writers call Sinus Arabicus lies East of Egypt and therefore a West wind was most proper to drive the Locusts thither There remained not one Locust in all the Land of Egypt The Power of God appeared no less in sweeping them all away than in bringing them upon the Country for both were done at the instance of Moses Ver. 20. But the LORD hardned Pharaoh 's heart c. See IX 12. He left him to himself and did not move him to persist in his late good Resolution Ver. 21. And the LORD said unto Moses He left off now to treat with Pharaoh and only proceeds in the Execution of the Sentence of utter Destruction which he had decreed against him Stretch out thine hand towards Heaven See IX 22. That there may be Darkness over the Land of Egypt So that they should not see any thing at Noon-day Even Darkness that may be felt In the next Verse he calls it thick Darkness which was made I suppose by such clammy Foggs that they sensibly affected the Egyptians Ver. 22. And there was thick Darkness in all the Land of Egypt three days Some think that during this three days Darkness the Israelites were Circumcised when the Egyptians by reason of the great Horrour they were in all that time could take no Advantage of them And so Dr. Lightfoot expounds CV Psal 28. They rebelled not against his word but submitted to be Circumcised For the words seem to signifie some special piece of Obedience which they then performed The Author of The Life and Death of Moses will have it that they punished and cut off several wicked People among the Israelites themselves which they did at this time that the Egyptians might not know it and rejoyce at it But that which is more certain is that if the former Plague ended on the ninth day this Judgment
that their cruel usage by Pharaoh especially his Decree that all the Male Children should be slain was the occasion of this name for it made their life bitter to them as the Text saith I. 14. Thus the Author of Dibre Hajamim or of the Life of Moses and our Dr. Lightfoot and others But L'Moine guesses not unhappily that it signifies as much as Mar-jam which is in English a drop of the Sea from which the Story of Venus was framed among the Greeks who feigned her to have been born of the froth of the Sea which gave her the Name of Aphrodite The Fable of Diana also as well as Venus had no other original but from that which is here said of Miriam as Huetius hath probably conjectured in his Demonstratio Evang. Prop. IV. c. 12. sect 4. The Prophetess She was called by this Name I suppose because she had a Gift of composing Hymns in praise of the Divine Majesty which it is certain is meant sometimes by prophecying in Scripture See 1 Sam. X. 5 6. And thus among the Greeks a Prophet and a Poet were the same thing and the Latine word Vates signifies both For as Quintilian saith L. I. c. 10. Musick was had in such veneration in ancient times that iidem Musici Vates Sapientes judicarentur But there are other places of Holy Scripture which would incline one to think that she also received Revelations from God for the direction of the People Particularly VI Mich. 4. where she is mentioned as one that conducted Israel out of Egypt and her own words with Aaron's XII Numb 2. hath not the LORD spoken by us also Which the LORD heard and doth not contradict but rather allow to be true though they had not such near Communication with him as Moses had v. 6. Perhaps she instructed the Women as Moses and Aaron did the Men. The Sister of Aaron And why not of Moses The common Answer is that Aaron and she lived longest together Moses having been absent from them XL. years Or perhaps Moses was not by the same Mother which Aaron and Miriam had She was married to Hur if we may believe Josephus Took a Timbrel in her hand So the manner was in after-times when they prophesied 1 Sam. X. 5 6. 2 Kings III. 15. and when they sang Hymns XXXIII Psalm 2. LVII 7 8. and upon any occasion of great rejoycing XI Judg. 34. 1 Sam. XVIII 6. From which we may learn how ancient Musick was in the Service of God there being nothing in which it can be better imployed than in his Praises Therefore it was no part of the Gentile Idolatry that they used such Instruments as these in their Divine Worship but they honoured false Gods in that manner that Moses and the Israelites had done the true And it ought to have a remark set upon it that this way of praising God was no part of the Mosaical Institution but derived from more ancient times before the Law was given And all the Women went out after her To joyn with her in the Praises of God as the Men did with Moses and Aaron with Timbrels and Dances As they played with these Instruments in their hands so their whole Bodies made a decent motion with their feet Which afterwards tended to lasciviousness but anciently was very grave and so becoming that such Dances were as devout Expressions of Joy as their solemn Musick This appears by the Example of David dancing before the Ark when it was brought up from the House of Obed-Edom in a joyful Procession both of Men and Women with Vocal and Instrumental Musick 1 Chron. XV. 27 28 29. LXVIII Psalm 26. From which Patterns all Nations from the most ancient Times made Dancing a part of the Worship of their Gods as Huetius observes in his Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. c. 6. n. 2. who ingeniously conjectures in another place of that Work c. 12. n. 4. that from this Dancing of Miriam and her Companions on the Sea-shore Callimachus in his Hymn to Diana ascribes to her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 threescore Dancers the Daughters of the Ocean Ver. 21. And Miriam answered them c. i. e. She and the Women answered Moses and the People Verse by Verse or after every Verse sung by Moses and the Men Miriam and the Women interposed and repeated this Verse which is the first of the Song saying Sing to the LORD for he hath triumphed gloriously c. And this was a way of singing in after Times as appears from the CXXXV Psalm and III Ezra 11. of which I have given some account in my Preface to the Paraphrase of the Book of Psalms Which justisies or rather commends our way of Reading or Chanting the Psalms interchangeably by Responses as we call them or Answering one to another which certainly it appears by this place is the most ancient way of all other And is represented in VI Isa 3. as practised by the Angels themselves in their Worship of the Divine Majesty Ver. 22. So Moses brought Israel from the Red-sea Not without some importunity they being eagerly bent upon gathering the Spoil of the Egyptians Some such thing the Hebrew word seems to import which is jassa he made them to go up Which signifies some unwillingness or backwardness arising either from that Cause or from a desire to return to Egypt as some fancy which now perhaps they thought to be so empty that they might get it for themselves And they went out From the Station where they were at the Red-sea Into the Wilderness of Shur Mentioned XVI Gen. 7. and was a part of the Wilderness of Etham which was the general Name for this Desert XXXIII Numb 8. And they went three days in the Wilderness Viz. the XXII XXIII and XXIVth of Nisan And found no Water Which was a very great Trial of them For their Cattle as well as they suffered much by it and could not afford them Milk sufficient to quench their thirst Ver. 23. And when they came to Marah This was the fourth Station of the Israelites after they came out of Egypt and in the same Wilderness which had this Name given it after they came there from the bitterness or brackishness of the Water They could not drink of the Water c. This was the more grievous because they had wanted this refreshment three days Ver. 24. And the People murmured against Moses saying What shall we drink It is the conceit of Abarbinel that Moses brought them from the Red-sea without the direction of the Cloud which conducted them thither but then left them to his Guidance Which made the People think it was Moses his Fault that they were in this destress who did not know how to lead them to the most commodious and likely places for the finding good Water And therefore from Marah they stirred not till the Cloud again led them because it is said XVII 1. they journied from Sin by the Commandment of the LORD
dressed up the High Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the liberty and freedom also wherein they were instated I doubt not is signified by these words Kings and Priests as Onkelos translates them and as it is expressed in the New Testament I Revel 6. V. 10. and the Syriac also Kingdom and Priesthood for Kings and Priests were of all other Men freed from Oppression And thus I sind our Mr. Thorndike a most Learned man glosses upon thess words Review of the Rights of the Church p. 132. God calls them Kings because redeemed from the Servitude of Strangers to be a People Lords of themselves and Priests because redeemed to spend their time in Sacrificing and feasting upon their Sacrifices under which Figure he afterwards represents the happy estate of his Church LXI Isa 6. though they Sacrificed not in Person but by their Priests appointed in their stead by imposition of the Elders hands VIII Numb 10. An holy Nation A People separated to God from all other Nations and from their Idolatry to serve God in an acceptable manner These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the Children of Israel The sum of what he was to say to them comprehending both their Duty and their high Priviledge Ver. 7. And Moses came Down from the Mount where he had been with God v. 3. And called for the Elders of the People The principal Persons in the several Tribes See III. 16. which he seems to have done in the Evening of the second day of the Month. And laid before their faces all these words c. Plainly declared to them what God had given him in charge which they went and propounded to the People of the several Tribes whom they represented Ver. 8. And all the People answered together and said All with one consent declared as here follows All that the LORD hath spoken we will do They consented to have the LORD for their King and promised to be obedient to his Will And Moses returned the words of the People unto the LORD This seems to have been done the next day which was the third day of the third Month. Upon which Report made to God of the Peoples Consent he proceeds after a few days preparation to declare the Laws by which they should be governed Chap. XX XXI XXII XXIII and then in the XXIVth Chapter these Laws pass into a Covenant between God and them Here Moses plainly acted as a Mediator between God and the People Ver. 9. And the LORD said unto Moses lo I will come unto thee Appear upon the Mount In a thick Cloud In a darker Cloud than that which had hitherto gone before them to conduct them so that they should see nothing but Flashes of Lightning which came out of it in a very frightful manner v. 16 18. For that there was sire in it appears from IV Dent. 11. V. 22 23. though at first perhaps only a thick Cloud appeared as a token of his approach That the People may hear when I speak with thee Though they saw no Similitude yet they plainly heard a voice speaking unto Moses and declaring their Duty Maimonides indeed thinks that the words were directed only unto Moses and that the Israelites heard meerly the sound of the words but did not distinctly understand them More Nevoch P. II. c. 33. Which is directly against what Moses says IV Deut. 12. The LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the sire c. and V. 4 5. The LORD talked with you face to face in the Mount c. saying I am the LORD thy God c. which words are plainly directed to all the People And believe thee for ever They had been staggered in their Belief after they had professed it at the Red Sea XV. ult but after this it might be expected they would never question his Authority any more And Moses told the words of the People unto the LORD Or rather for Moses had told c. Upon which account God was pleased to make the foregoing Declaration Till they had owned him for the LORD their God i.e. their King and Governour he did not speak unto them at all but only unto Moses But now that they had consented to be his he resolves to speak audibly to them and henceforth to dwell among them and in order to it six his Tabernacle with them For which he gives order Chap. XXV c. immediately after they had entred into Covenant to do as they had promised Or these words which seem to be a needless repetition may relate to that which follows and be translated thus Moses having told the words of the People unto the LORD the LORD said unto Moses Go unto the People and sanctifie them c. Ver. 10. Go unto the People and sanctifie them to day and to morrow This shows that Moses was sent down early on the fourth day to prepare them for the Appearance of the Divine Majesty among them by sanctifying them that is separating them from all Uncleanness or rather from all common and ordinary Imployments that they might give themselves to Fasting and Prayer and Abstinence from otherwise lawful Pleasures For Pirke Elieser takes Abstinence from their Wives mentioned v. 15. as a part of this Sanctification cap. 41. And so doth Gregory Nyssen in his Book de Vita Mosis p. 178. And Maimonides observes that Separation from Wine and strong Drink is called Holiness in the Law of the Nazarites VI Numb 5. and therefore may be thought part of the Sanctification here required More Nevoch P. I. c. 33. And let them wash their Clothes The Hebrews understand it of washing their whole Bodies For thus Aaron and his Sons were to be consecrated to their Office XXIX 4. XL. 12. and therefore thus the People were now to be made a holy People unto the LORD and made sit for the Presence of the Divine Majesty Under whose Wings as they speak none were received in future times i.e. made Proselytes but by Baptism or washing of their whole Body which was taken from this pattern And accordingly where we read in the Law of particular Purifications by washing their Clothes in case of any Uncleanness as XI Lev. 25 28 40. XIV 8 47. where Moses speaks of cleansing a Leprous Person XXXI Numb 24. where he speaks of cleansing Soldiers and many other Cases they understand it in the very same manner In some cases indeed it is expresly prescribed XV Lev. 5 6 7. XVI 26 c. and they expound all other where Clothes only are mentioned by the same Rule as Mr. Selden shows I. I. de Synedr c. 3. where he observes that in the Pagan Language pure Garments signifie the washing of the whole Body See p. 29. Ver. 11. And be ready against the third day He doth not mean the third day of the Month but the third day after this command to Sanctifie themselves In which they were bound to spend two intire days and then the LORD promised to
to be a plain gradation in this Commandment three things being here forbidden if we take the first part of it to signifie that they might not so much as make a graven Image or any likeness of any thing for fear they should be tempted to Idolatry But though this may be supposed to have been a sin yet not so great as the next to bow down to them which was a degree of Honour too high to be paid unto any Image But was not the highest of all which was to serve them by offering Sacrifice burning Incense making Vows to them or swearing by them or consecrating Temples to them or lighting Candles before them For I the LORD thy God am a jealous God This reason shows that this Commandment is different from the first and not a part of it For worshipping of Images is forbidden not meerly because he was their God and there is but one God but because He is a jealous God who could not endure any Corrival or Consort in that which was proper to himself And so the ancient Jews and Christians also before St. Austin took this for the second Commandment The Arabian Christians in later times particularly Elmacinus distinctly name the Ten Commandments in that order which we now do as Hottinger observes in his Smegma Orientale p. 436. Visiting i.e. Punishing with heavy Judgments XXVI Lev. 39. The iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children This was threatned to terrifie them from this sin which would ruin their Families being a kind of High Treason against the LORD of Heaven and Earth Yet Aben-Ezra understands it only of such Children as trod in the steps of their Forefathers for if they repented the Punishment was mitigated XXVI Lev. 40 c. Vnto the third and fourth Generation That is as long as they could be supposed to live which might be to see the third and perhaps the fourth Generation he threatens to pursue them with his Vengeance in their Posterity whose Punishment they themselves should behold to their great grief So great was his hatred to this Sin and so odious were such People to him Thus Maimonides expounds it in his More Nevoch P. I. c. 54. Visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children is threatned only against the Sin of Idolatry as appears from what follows that such Sinners are called haters of him And he mentions only to the fourth Generation because the most a Man can live to see of his Seed is the fourth Generation Accordingly God orders saith he that if any City prove Idolaters the Inhabitants should be destroyed utterly and all that was therein XIII Deut. 13 14 15. Fathers Children Grand-children Great-grand-children and the new-born Children were all killed for the Sin of their Parents Hence he saith VII Deut. 10. he repayeth them that hate him to their face which is there twice mentioned Of them that hate me For he looked on them not only as Enemies but as haters of him It is an Observation of the same Maimonides that in the whole Law of Moses and in the Books of the Prophets we shall never find these words Fury Anger Indignation Jealousie attributed to God but when they speak of Idolatry nor any Man called an Enemy to God an Adversary an Hater of him but only Idolaters VI Deut. 14 15. XI 16 17. XXXI 29 c. I Nehem. 2. VII Deut. 10. XXXII Numb 21. XII Deut. 31. XVI 22. See More Nevoch P. 1. c. 36. which he repeats c. 54. No man is called an hater of God but an Idolater according to that XII Deut. 31. every abomination to the LORD which he hateth By which it appears that they counted the Worshippers of Images Idolaters though they did not think these Images to be Gods for no Man in the World ever thought an Image made of Wood and Stone Silver or Gold to be the Creator of Heaven and Earth or the Governour of the World but took them only for things intermediate between God and them as he there speaks This was a Law so well known to the ancient Heathens that the best Menamong them would suffer no Images to be set up in their Temples In particular Numa forbad this to the Romans which he learnt as Clemens Alexandrinus thinks from Moses Insomuch that for the space of an Hundred and seventy years though they built Temples yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they made no Image neither Statue nor so much as a Picture L. I. Stromat p. 304. Plutarch relates the same in the Life of Numa Pompilius and adds this reason that he thought it a great Crime to represent the most excellent Being by such mean things and that God was to be apprehended only by the Mind The ancient Persians pretend to have received the same Law from their Zoroaster who in a number of things is so like to Moses that Huetius thinks not without reason his story was framed out of these Books Ver. 6. And showing mercy unto thousands To invite their Obedience he promises to be kind unto them and their Posterity for many Generations so thousands signifies who were loyal and faithful to him Such is the infinite goodness of God that he delights in showing Mercy more than in Acts of Severity there being such a disproportion between the one and the other as there is between three or four and a thousand Which made the heavy Punishment of Idolaters the more reasonable because they might have enjoyed such great and long continued Blessings if they would have kept close to their Religion Of them that love me Adhered to him alone as the only Object of Worship and Adoration with such an Affection as a chaste Wife bears to her Husband For God now espoused this Nation to himfelf as the Prophets taught them to understand it and therefore all the Idolatry which is forbidden in these Commandments is called going a whoring from him And keep my Commandments Not only professed to be his intirely but proved it by observing his Precepts Which keeping or observing of his Commandments is mentioned here perhaps and not any of the following Commandments because this and the first were the principal upon which the rest depended There being no reason to mind what he said if they acknowledged any other God but him Ver. 7. Thou shalt not take the Nante of the LORD thy God in vain By the Name of the LORD in Scripture is meant the LORD himself and to take or lift up his Name is to Swear by him So this word Nasa sometimes signifies without the addition of God's Name III Isa 7. Jissa he shall lift up in that day which we truly render in that day he shall swear which they did then with the Hand lifted up to Heaven And to take his Name or swear in vain is to swear falsly That 's the principal meaning undoubtedly that they should not call God to witness unto a Lie promising in his Name that which they meant not to perform or affirming or denying
built at their return from Babylon to their own Country III. 2 3. Myrothec II. Sacr. Elaeochrys c. 59. where he represents the form of such an Altar among the Heathen out of an ancient Monument p. 585. And there is little doubt I think that the Altars built by the Patriarchs were of this sort particularly that which Abraham erected whereon to offer his Son Isaac XXII Gen. 9. for it was raised so suddenly that no Art could be imployed about it I omit other Reasons which the Jews alledge for this Law for they seem to me to be fanciful And shall rather observe that Plato in his Laws ordered all things belonging to the Service of God should be very simple and plain without any Cost or Ornament and therefore forbids Gold Silver or Ivory because they were things too invidious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Brass and Iron he would not have used because they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Instruments of Wars but one single piece of Wood or Stone should serve for an Image and that made in a days time L. XII de Legibus p. 955. 56. Edit Serran It seems difficult also to reconcile these two Verses with God's own Ordinance not long after in the XXVIIth Chapter of this Book where he bids Moses to make him an Altar neither of Earth nor of Stone but of Shittim-wood covered with Brass for the use of the Tabernacle where he recorded his Name But it is to be considered that these two Verses speak only of occasional Altars as I may call them which they might have use of not only before but after the Tabernacle was erected These God doth not forbid when there was a special reason for them but he intending there should be no stated Altar but that at the Tabernacle he would have these made of unpolished Stone laid one upon another that they might be thrown down as soon as raised and that they might not draw People from the Tabernacle nor administer occasion of Idolatry by an artificial Workmanship and Imagery Now that there were such Altars raised upon certain great Occasions but not to continue appears from the Sacred History For XXIV 4. Moses built one at the Foot of Mount Sinai by God's command it 's likely and of this fashion And he gave order for building one of Stone after they came to Canaan XXVII Deut. 1 2 3. which Joshua performed according to this Rule as is expresly said VIII Josh 30 31. Of this sort were those of Gideon and Manoah VI Judg. 24 26. XIII 19. And we read of Altars built by Samuel 1 Sam. VII 17. and by Saul XIV 35. and David as was before observed 2 Sam. XXIV 25. and Solomon 1 Kings III. 2 34. besides the Altar which was in the Tabernacle and the Temple Ver. 26. Thou shalt not go up by steps unto my Altar This was most sutable to the state of Travellers to have their Altars low not lofty Besides he would not have them imitate the Gentiles who Sacrificed in High Places imagining their Sacrifices were most acceptable when they were nearest to Heaven Whence the Egyptians living in a flat Country wherein were no Mountains built Altars of a very great height which could not be well done by Sods of Earth or Stones loosely laid together Nor would God have it done when he ordered Mofes to make an Altar of Brass and Wood at the Tabernacle which it is evident was so low that a Man might stand and minister there without being raised from the Earth For it was but three Cubits high XXVII 1. which is less by one Cubit than the ordinary stature of Men. Not go up by steps There were steps in the Temple built by Solomon unto the brazen Altar which was ten Cubits high And Ezekiel expresly mentions them in the description of his Temple XLIII 17. which seeming to disagree with this Command Interpreters are much concerned to reconcile them And the fore-named Fortun. Scacchus c. 63. contends earnestly that no Altar was higher than three Cubits and therefore those steps mentioned by Ezekiel did not belong to the Altar but to the Basis or Ground-work as we speak upon which it stood But this is said without good ground for we read expresly that Solomon's Altar was ten Cubits high 2 Chron. IV. 1. at which therefore the Priest could not minister without some steps whereby he ascended so high as to be able to lay on the Wood and the Sacrifice upon it c. By steps therefore to omit other Conjectures I understand many steps which are here forbidden such as the Gentiles had to go up to their Bamoth or High Places as we see by one of the Pyramids in Egypt and the high Tower at Mexico to which they ascended by an Hundred and eighty steps But a very few served for Solomon's Altar and they were so contrived also as the Hebrew Writers tell us that there was no danger of that which God intended hereby to prevent in the words following That thy nakedness be not discovered thereon The Hebrews say it was a kind of Causway or Bridge whereby they went up to the Altar which rose by little and little till they came to the place where they were to stand See L'Empereur upon the Codex Middoth c. 3. sect 3. Or else the steps were so broad and so little distant one from another and the ascent thereby made so easie and equal that there was no need of lifting up their leggs high and therefore no danger of discovering the lower parts of the Body their Thighs Buttocks and Secret Parts which might have been seen by those below had they ascended by many large and high steps under such loose Garments as were worn in those Countries and thereby the Priests might have been exposed to contempt and the People moved to laughter or had bad thoughts excited in them In short the meaning is they should not go up many steps far distant one from another so that one must have taken large strides to ascend them The Jews say particularly Maimonides P. III. More Nevoch c. 45. that the Worshippers of Baal-Peor were wont to discover their Nakedness that is their Secret Parts before him Which he takes to be the reason of this Command lest any such thing should happen in God's Presence and this was the reason also of another Law that the Priests should have Breeches made for them which none of the People wore in those times but the Priests alone and that only when they ministred The Gemara Hierosolym upon the story of Balaam gives a long account of this Impure Worship as L'Empereur observes upon Codex Middoth c. 3. sect 4. But there is no proof of this from any ancient Author and the Babylonian Gemara gives a different account of the Worship of Peor which looks as if the Jews studied how to make it ridiculous as well as filthy But if there were any solid ground for it it would afford the clearest explication of
whatsoever was desired All this he saith he took out of their Books then extant from which he concludes That the Scope of the Law being that all Idolatry should be taken out of the World and that no vertue should be ascribed to any Star of doing good or hurt to Men which opinion led Men to their worship it necessarily followed that all Witches and Wizards should be put to death because they were Idolaters though after a peculiar and different way from that wherein the Vulgar worshipped Idols And he thinks that a Witch is rather mentioned than a Wizard though both intended because Men are naturally more tender towards the Female Sex and apt to favour them and therefore it is as if Moses had said Thou shalt kill even a Woman that is guilty of this Crime But afterward XX Lev. 27. he commands both Men and Women to be stoned Others of the Hebrew Doctors particularly R. Levi Barzelonita give this Reason why Witches were not to live Because they directly thwarted God most blessed who made all things when he created them for such and such purposes which they perverted and by devices of their own made to serve other ends which God never designed Praecept LXII But this they could not do without the help of Evil Spirits and therefore their Crime consisted in entering into a Familiarity and a League with them whose assistance upon such occasion they invoked which was in effect a renouncing of God This was an Impiety which had overspread the whole World especially the Eastern parts of it And as for the Romans we find a Law as old as the XII Tables against Witchcraft Apud nos in duodecine Tabulis cavetur ne quis alienos fructus excantassit as we read in Seneca L. IV. Nat. Quaest c. 7. where he mentions the like Law among the Athenians For the Greeks were extreamly addicted to this especially in Thessaly Of which none that I have read spake so plainly as Plato in his Eleventh Book of Laws p. 932 933. where he orders Punishments not only for those who destroyed others by Potions but for those who pretended to be able to revenge themselves or others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either by certain Inchantments or by Charms or by those Spells which are called Ties or Knots Concerning which he acknowledges it is hard to know any thing or to perswade others there is nothing in them For if a Man see any where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. waxen Resemblances made and set either at their doors or in the turning of the ways or at the Tombs of their Ancestors none can prevail with him to neglect these things because he knows not what efficacy is in them And therefore he would have even such People who used these sorts of Witchcrafts to be put to death if they were Professors of any sort of Knowledge as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if they were simple People he leaves the Judges to punish them as they found reason Ver. 19. Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death This is so infamous a sin and such a dishonour to Nature and the Author of Nature as Conr. Pellicanus well glosses that it was not fit such a Person should live upon the face of the Earth but die without mercy See XVIII Lev. 23. XX. 15 16. where this is more largely handled Ver. 20. He that sacrificeth unto any god save unto the LORD only he shall be utterly destroyed Sacrifice being the principal act of Worship in those days includes in it all other acts of Worship and Divine Service which they were required to pay to the LORD alone XX. 2 3 c. but the Punishment of doing otherwise was not enacted till now Of which he treats more largely XVII Deut. 2 3 c. See there Ver. 21. Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppress him Here are two distinct Commands The first of which not to vex a stranger the Hebrews will have to consist in not upbraiding him with his former state of Heathenism nor giving him any approbrious words as saying remember what thou wast or what thy father did And this was neither to be done to a Proselyte of Justice nor to a Proselyte of the Gate as far as Mr. Selden could judge of their opinion herein L. II. de Jure N. G. c. 4. The second not to oppress him consisted in not using him hardly in their dealings with him by making him pay for instance for any thing more than it was worth Which the same Mr. Selden L. VI. c. 5. p. 690. thinks the Hebrews were of opinion belonged only to their usage of Proselytes of Justice who were perfectly in their Communion But this is very unreasonable for as R. Levi Barzelonita himself observes by thus treating any Proselyte they might endanger their return to Paganism again out of indignation to be so despised and much more when they saw they were wrong'd Which God took care they should not be because they were more helpless than other Men and had fewer Friends Which is the reason that this Precept as the Jews themselves have computed is inculcated in one and twenty places See particularly XXIII 9. XIX Lev. 33. For ye were strangers in the land of Egypt There could not be a more powerful reason to more them to treat Strangers kindly than the remembrance of their own Oppressions in Egypt from which they were delivered by the meer Mercy of God which they ought to imitate Ver. 22. Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child Give them no trouble either in word or deed as the same R. Levi interprets it Praecept LXV but in all their Commerce with them in buying felling or any other intercourse to treat them not only civilly but kindly and benignly And the reason of the Precept saith he is the same with the former because Widows and Orphans have few or none to protect them or plead their Cause and therefore the Law took care of them as if their Husbands and Parents were yet alive Ver. 23. If thou afflict them in any wise By giving them ill Language or by infulting over them or destroying their Goods much more if 〈◊〉 Man smote them he was liable to the Judgment of God as Nachmanides interprets it And they cry at all unto me A Child saith the same R. Levi cries to his Father and a Wife to her Husband but the Widow and the Fatherless cry unto me and I will hear them for I am merdiful I will surely hear them Punish you for your ill usage of them as it follows in the next Verse Ver. 24. And my wrath shall wax hot This signifies their Punishment should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sent upon them from God who orders no Penalty to be inflicted by their Judges because he intended himself to be their Avenger and that in a very remarkable manner by serving them in their kind as it here follows And I will kill you with
this was and have been pleased to fancy that some Book which Moses wrote is lost When this plainly refers to what is said v. 4. where we read that Moses wrote all the words of the LORD that is the Commandments and Judgments mentioned in the four foregoing Chapters Which though they made no great Volume yet might be called a Book in their Language for even the Bill of Divorcement which they gave their Wives and was very short is called by this Name of Sepher a Book XXIV Deut. 1. Of the Covenant That they might remember upon what terms he would bestow upon them the fore-named Blessings he engages them in a Solemn Covenant to observe the Commandments and Judgments contained in this Book Ver. 8. And Moses took the blood That half of it which was in the Basons v. 6. And sprinkled it on the people As he had sprinkled one half on the Altar in token God was a Party in the Covenant so he sprinkled the other half on the XII Pillars which represented the Children of Israel in token that they were the other Party engaged in the same Covenant Thus our fore-named Primate and several others understand it and it carries some show of probability in it Yet I cannot think it unlikely that it was sprinkled upon the LXX Elders by whom the People consented if not upon all the People who stood next to the Altar and are here expresly mentioned The Apostle to the Hebrews IX 19. saith he sprinkled the Book as well as the People which is not here mentioned but supposed For when he went to sprinkle the Blood we must conceive he laid down the Book that he might be at more liberty for this other action And perhaps he laid it on one of the Pillars where it was sprinkled as they were together with the People whom they represented And said Behold the Blood of the Covenant which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words Look upon your selves as obliged by this Blood to observe all the Commands which I have delivered to you in the words you have heard For there were two ways of making Covenants anciently both which were here used The first was after a Sacrifice had been offered to sprinkle the Blood of it upon both Parties who were to be Confederates which was done here v. 6 8. And secondly the Confederates thereupon proceeded to eat together some part of the Sacrifice which follows v. 11. where we find the Elders of Israel who represented the People did eat and drink in the Presence of God Ver. 9. Then went up Moses and Aaron Nadab and Abihu and LXX of the Elders of Israel These things being done they went up into the Mount as they were ordered v. 1. i. e. they went up to that part of the Mount where Aaron and his Sons and the Elders were appointed to come but no further Ver. 10. And they saw the God of Israel When Moses is commanded to come near unto the LORD v. 2. Maimonides acknowledges it may be understood of his local approach to the place where the Light or Glory of God then appeared More Nevoch P. I. c. 18. And therefore it is something strange that he expounds the Elders seeing God of their apprehension of him by their Understanding and not rather of their beholding some glimpse of that visible Majesty which was on the Top of the Mount For that I doubt not is the meaning as appears by what follows And so the Chaldee expounds it They saw the Glory of the God of Israel surrounded we may well suppose with an heavenly Host of Angels attending upon the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty as it was also called And there was under his feet This hath made some conceive that this visible Glory appeared in the form of a Man with his Back towards them standing upon a shining Pavement But this is contrary to IV Deut. 15. For though that be spoken of another time and place viz. the Giving of the Law which all the People heard but saw no Similitude yet if the Elders had afterward seen a Similitude it would have spoiled Moses his Argument they being the Representatives of the People This glorious Light therefore far surpassing all other had no form nor could be described by any Art and consequently by its feet is meant only the lower part of it which rested as it were upon a most glorious Pavement And thus the Divine Majesty is said to have had a Foot-stool which was the cover of the Ark though it had no Human shape As it were a paved work of Saphire stone The glorious Majesty of God was represented as having under it a Pavement sutable to it self very bright and shineing For there is a sort of Saphire called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spotted with little points or pricks of Gold which shine like Stars interspersed in the Body of it See Salmasius in Solinum p. 131 203. Such was this Pavement as we may gather from the following words And as it were the body of Heaven in its clearness As clear as the purest and serenest Sky when it is all spangled with Stars All which signifies as I take it that the Glory of the LORD appeared far above the Glory of the Sun in its greatest brightness upon a Pavement sparkling like the Stars in the Heaven when it is most clear The LXX instead of the words saw the God of Israel have saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the place of the God of Israel As if they saw a Throne upon which there was a visible Majesty beyond all description And if this be admitted then this Throne may well be said to have feet standing upon such a glorious Pavement And so they translate it in the next Verse where this is repeated Ver. 11. And upon the Nobles of the Children of Israel i. e. The Elders before-mentioned v. 1 9. called here Atzilim to signifie that they were the prime and choicest Persons among the Israelites For Atzal signisies to separate and consequently atzilim imports Men distinguished from others either by their Birth Office or some excellent qualities He laid not his hand Did not hurt them Whereas it was the common Opinion That they who saw God though it was by one of his Angels should presently die The splendour of that glorious Light was so dazling that it was a singular favour it did not put out their Eyes as the Light wherein St. Paul saw our Saviour did his We are told v. 17. The sight of the Glory of the LORD was like devouring fire Which might put them in fear perhaps they had been scorched by it when it flasht out upon them but they found not the least hurt by it Thus Jonathan saith in his Paraphrase upon the XXXII Chapter that when Moses delayed to come down from the Mount the People fancied him to be burnt up by the fire which shone from the Presence of God which there appeared This sight of God which he vouchsafed to
Sacrifices were slain and offered Of Shittim-wood What sort of Wood this was see XXV 5. Five Cubits long and five Cubits broad c. It was two yards and an half square according to the common notion of a Cubit at the top and bottom of it And the height thereof shall be three Cubits Being a yard and half in height from the ground the Priest as Fortunatus Scacchus observes who ministred at it was half a yard above it the common stature of a Man being four Cubits i. e. two yards Sacr. Elaeo Myroth 2. c. 65. It is not said how thick the Wood was of which this frame as I may call it was made but it 's certain that it was hollow within that the Grate mentioned v. 4. might hang in the midst of it Ver. 2. And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof The Hebrew word kerem which properly signifies an horn signifies also an eminent or High Place as in V Isa 1. God saith he had planted a Vineyard in a fruitful Hill where the words in the Hebrew are in a horn of the Son of Oil. From whence it signifies a Pinacle or Spire rising up from any Building as these Horns did from the Altar for the Ornament of it Some will have it that they were useful also to tye the Sacrifices to it which they gather from CXVIII Psalm 27. and that they were of the fashion of Oxen or Rams-horns Fortunatus Scacchus contends earnestly for this in his Myrothec 2. Sacr. Elaeochrism c. 65. such Horns being much in use in the ancient Religion as appears he observes from the Altars of the Gentiles And yet he confesses in the LXIX Chapter of the same Book that such kind of straight Pinacles as I mentioned before after the manner of Obelisks as his words are were more convenient for the putting of the Blood of the Sacrifices round about them as is required XVI Lev. 18. His horns shall be of the same These Spires seem to have been wrought out of the same piece of Wood with the Corners of the Altar And thou shalt overlay it with brass Some think it was overlaid with Brass not only without but within that the fire which burnt in the Grate might not take hold of the Wood. To prevent which others fancy it was lined within with unhewn Stone but there is no mention of any such thing and it was unnecessary if the Brass be supposed to have been of such a thickness as to secure the wooden frame of the Altar Ver. 3. And thou shalt make his pans The Hebrew word Siroth signifies Pots as well as Pans but there is determined to the latter sense by the use of them which here follows To receive his ashes Or rather to carry out the ashes which fell from the Altar upon the Earth and being taken up were put into these Pans to be carried into a a clean place IV Lev. 12. Fortunatus Scacchus hath adventured to delineate the form of them in the Book before-mentioned cap. 73. And his shovels The Hebrew word Hajahim properly signifies Beesoms or Brooms but here is rightly translated Shovels by which being made of Brass the Ashes under the Altar were scraped together on an heap and then thrown into the Pans And his basons The principal use of these Vessels was to receive the Blood of the Sacrifices which was to be sprinkled as the Law directed For the Hebrew word Mizrakoth carries this signification in it Besides which Fort. Scacchus thinks they served for the mixture of the Oyl with sine Flour and Frankincense which were to be burnt on the Altar For when any Man offered a Meat-offering the Priest was to take an handful of the Flour and of the Oyl with all the Frankincense as Gods part to be consumed on the Altar and therefore we must suppose some Vessel wherein these were brought to the Priest as the Law requires II Lev. 1 2. And his flesh-hooks Or Forks as the word Mizlegoth may be translated which Fort. Scacchus thinks were in the form of a Trident. With which they stirred up the Fire and also ordered the pieces of the Sacrifice if any chanced to lye out of it and put them into it that every bit might be surely consumed And his fire-pans These are commonly taken for Dishes or Censers in which the Priest carried burning Coals from this Altar into the Sanctuary to offer Incense upon the Golden Altar But the above-named Fort. Scacchus thinks they did not Minister in the Holy Place with brazen Censers and therefore takes these Fire-pans for a larger sort of Vessel wherein the Sacred Fire which came down from Heaven was kept burning whilst they cleansed the Altar and the Grate from the Coals and Ashes and when this Altar was to be carried from one place to another as it was often in the Wilderness Myrothec 2. Sacr. Elaeochrism c. 73. Ver. 4. And thou shalt make for a grate This was the principal part of the Altar the Wood being laid here and the Sacrifices burnt in it Whence the Greeks call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was the Name the Heathen gave to the Fire-place upon their Altars as we learn from Jul. Pollux The figure of it was round as Fort. Scacchus gathers from the very Name in Hebrew for Michbar signifies a Scive but grew less and less till at the bottom it ended like a Top in a point So he describes it in the fore-named Book cap. 71. Of Net-work It was made full of holes like a Scive or Net and thence called simply the Net in the latter end of this Verse and in the next that the Ashes might fall through them to the bottom of the Altar where there was a Door on the East-side to open and take out the Ashes Of brass The Motal of which all the fore-named things were made and the Altar it self was overlaid And upon the Net i. e. the Grate full of holes as was said before Thou shalt make four brazen rings The use of which was double first that by them it might be hung upon the Altar and then when it was to be cleansed or removed in their Travels it might by them be taken off In the four corners thereof This seems to overthrow what I now said of its Circular Figure But it is to be observed that Moses doth not use the same word here which he doth when he speaks of the four Corners of the Altar which he calls Pinoth v. 2. but calls these only Ketzoth which may be better translated the extremities of it as the said Fort. Scacchus hath noted Ver. 5. And thou shalt put it under the compass of the Altar beneath Some have fancied that this Grate was placed only at the top of the Altar but that doth not agree with these directions which only place it beneath in the hollow part of the Altar called in the Hebrew Carcob which signifies as R. Solomon saith any thing that is round and
Solomon was 1 Kings I. 39. though we may doubt of David when he was anointed King of Judah 2 Sam. II. 4. which was I suppose by a special direction of the Prophets that the People might look upon them as sacred Persons and special Ministers of God for their good The Jews also will have it that he whom they call the anointed of War that is say the Jews the Priest mentioned XX Deut. 2. but I should rather think the General who commanded their Forces in any sudden danger was anointed also with this Oyl that he might be inspired with Courage when he fought as a sacred Person So that they interpret the first words of the foreging Verse upon mans flesh shall it not be poured in this sense None shall be anointed with it but the High Priest the anointed of War and the Kings of the House of David For the Kings of Israel were not anointed with it but with simple Balsom as they also tell us Ver. 34. And the LORD said unto Moses take unto thee sweet Spices There are the same words here in the Hebrew that we had before v. 23. save only that there he saith Take to the Besammim with the addition of Rosch principal or most excellent and here take to the Samim which we translate sweet Spices How these two differ Interpreters of all sorts extreamly vary But they both seem to be general words which contain the following Species under them and Samim to signifie Spices of less value than Besamim The latter of which denotes such Spices as were either liquid or most proper to mix with Oyl and other liquid things to give them a fragrancy as Fort. Scacchus thinks who hath discussed these two words with great diligence in his Elaeochrism Myroth P. II. c. 7. Stacte The Hebrew word signifies something that drops which some have taken for Balsom but the LXX translate it as we do and Salmasius hath shown that it is the liquid part of Myrrhe not which slows of it self which drops from it when it is pressed out by Art See Plin. Exercit. p. 520. The same Fort. Scacchus c. 8. observes out of Dioscorides who calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the most unctuous part of fresh Myrrhe pressed out with a little Water c. 74. This was used in their Perfumes which the Heathen burnt upon their Altars as appears by that of Euripides in Troad where he mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onycha The Hebrew word Secheleth is translated by Jonathan Ceseth which the famous Bochartus proves by many Arguments to be ladanum which was one of the principal Aromaticks among the Arabians The Stream of Interpreters indeed carry it for Onycha but are not agreed what that is For some take it for the Hoof or Claw of an Animal as Maimonides others as Jarchi for the Root of a Plant which is smooth and transparent as the Nail of a Man's Hand which the Greeks call Onyx But there are others and more numerous who take it for the shell of a Fish in the Fens of India that are full of Spikenard upon which this Fish feeding it makes the very Shell odoriferous See Hierozoic P. II. Lib. V. cap. ult He observes also P. I. L. III. c. 1. that there was such a Shell-fish in Babylonia which was nearer to the Jews than the Indian The Greeks called it Onyx from the form of it and the Hebrews Secheleth from its colour which was black And Galbanum That which is sold in our Shops is of an offensive smell but there was another in Syria in the Mount Amanus which had an excellent Scent And therefore to distinguish it from ordinary Galbanum there is a word added to it as the Vulgar Latin takes it in which it is called Galbanum boni odoris For that Translation joyns the next word which we translate sweet Spices unto Galbanum as if he had said Aromatick Galbanum With pure Frankincense It was gathered twice in the year in the Spring and in the Autumn and Pliny tells us that gathered in the Autumn was the purest and whitest with which the other that was reddish was not to be compared L. XII c. 14. Every one knows that this was very much used by the Gentiles upon their Altars Of each shall there be a like weight This is the common Interpretation of the Hebrew words and I will not trouble the Reader with any other But we have no certain knowledge what weight this was for I see no Authority for what the Hebrew Doctors say that there was LXX pound of each of these four Spices And they add which makes all they say of this matter questionable that there were also several pounds of Cinamon and Cassia and Crocus in short of XIII several Spices which Josephus L. VI. Haloseos c. 6. assirms were in this Composition Of which Moses they say made in the whole CCCLXVIII pound that is one pound for every day in the year and three for the day of Expiation And accordingly R. Levi Barzelonita saith the Priests made every year as much as would suffice for every day of it and that the ordinary Priests might make it as well as the High Priest Praecept CI. Ver. 35. And thou shalt make it a perfume Some think the last words of the foregoing Verse signifie that each sort of Spices was to be pounded one by one and then they are all ordered here to be put together A Confection after the art of the Apothecary Made with great care and according to this Divine Prescription Thus Plutarch speaking of the Aromatick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Egyptians which was burnt Morning and Evening on their Altars saith it was not put together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on any fashion or as it hapned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. but the Sacred Books were read to those who compounded it when it was mixed L. de Isid Osiride Tempered together Both the Chaldee and the LXX render this mingled just as Salt is with any thing upon which it is sprinkled Pure Without any other mixture And holy To be used only in the Divine Service For this was one of the most ancient ways of worshipping God the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Sacrifice as Porphyry saith L. II. being derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Men making a Fume by burning parts of Trees and Shrubs and Seeds and Fruits And the sweeter their scent was the more grateful they fancied the Fume was unto their Gods So that though at first they contented themselves with simple Herbs and Plants and Moses here prescribes only some few Spices fetcht from Foreign Countries yet in after-times they increased them to a greater number for that Aromatick Mixture I mentioned before among the Egyptians called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a Composition of sixteen things which Plutarch reckons up in the forenamed Book And Sophocles brings in Clytemnestra in his Electr. v. 637. calling for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Synedris c. 6. The sense is this in short He that violates a Negative Precept as they call it either doth it secretly which is most frequent or openly which happens seldom unless a Man be one of those profligate Wretches whom we call Apostates Now him that secretly brake the Sabbath the Scripture threatens with cutting off viz. by the hand of God according to what is written here in this place In like manner incestuous and unlawful Conjunctions are threatned XVIII Lev. 29. because they were wont to be committed secretly But if any Man did any Work openly on the Sabbath so that there were Witnesses of it he was to be stoned according to what is said XV Numb 35. Though if he did it out of mistake either secretly or openly he was only to bring a Sacrifice for his Errour And if he offended against any of the Decrees of the Wise-men about the Sabbath he was to be beaten Or if there was no Court of Judgment in the place as now in their present Condition then all such Transgressors were left to God to punish them of whatsoever sort they were Ver. 15. Six days may work be done but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest holy to the LORD So it is called also XXXV 2. and XXIII Lev. 3. And so the Sabbath wherein the Land rested is likewise called XXV Lev. 4. But the Hebrew words Schabbat Schabbaton Sabbath of Rest properly signifies Sabbath above all Sabbaths i. e. the greatest Sabbath on which a rest was to be most punctually observed from all manner of Work which the Jews as de Dieu notes call the weighty Sabbath as if other days of rest were but light in comparison with this According to that saying of R. Josee Great is Circumcision because the weighty Sabbath gives place to it that is admits of this Work though the Rest on this Sabbath be so very great Shall surely be put to death As an Idolater who did not acknowledge the Creator of the World See before v. 14. Ver. 16. Wherefore the Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their Generation for a perpetual Covenant The most litteral Interpretation of this Verse seems to me to be that of Lud. de Dieu The Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath by making the Sabbath a perpetual Covenant throughout their Generations That is by never suffering it to be interrupted they made it a perpetual Covenant between God and them throughout all Ages Ver. 17. It is a sign between me and the Children of Israel for ever A Badge and Livery that they were the Servants of the most High who made the Heavens and Earth A Mark of their being devoted to him and continuing in Covenant with him no less than Circumcision For in six days the LORD made Heaven and Earth In memory of which the Sabbath was first instituted to preserve perpetually and establish that most precious History and Doctrine of the Creation of the World as Maimonides speaks More Nevoch P. III. c. 43. And on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Delighted in the Contemplation of all his Works which he saw were very good I Gen. 31. The same Maimonides observes that the word jinnaphash which we translate was refreshed comes from nephesh which among other things signifies the intention of the Mind and the Will and therefore the sense of this Phrase is All the Will of God was perfected and brought to a Conclusion his whole good Pleasure was absolutely finished on the seventh day More Nevoch P. I. c. 67. Ver. 18. And he gave unto Moses when he made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai When he dismissed him having said all that is before related during his forty days stay with him in the Mount he delivered unto him two Tables of Testimony to carry down with him to the People Two Tables of Testimony Wherein God testified to them his Mind and Will in the principal things which concerned their Duty See XVI 34. Tables of stone That what was written upon them might be more durable There is no ground to think that these Tables were made of some precious Stone as the Author of the Book Cosri and other Jews fancy for the word Eben in the Hebrew simply signifies any sort of Stone and is wont to have some other joyned to it when precious Stones are meant as in 2 Sam. XII 30. 1 Kings X. 2. 2 Chron. III. 6. Written with the finger of God i. e. By God himself Just as the Heavens saith Maimonides are said to be the work of his fingers VIII Psal 4. which he interprets in another place XXXIII 6. By the word of the LORD were the Heavens made Therefore written by the singer of God is as much saith he as by the word that is the Will and good Pleasure of God More Nevoch P. I. c. 66. In short this Phrase signifies that God employed neither Moses nor any other Instrument in this Writing but it was done by his own powerful Operation For all things that we do being wrought by our hands and our fingers these words are used to express God's power See XXXII 16. This was a thing so notorious in ancient times and so much believed by those who were not Jews that many other Nations pretended to the like Divine Writings that they might gain the greater Authority to their Laws Thus the Brachmans report in their Histories That the Book of their Law which they call Caster was delivered by God to Bremavius upon a Mount in a Cloud and that God gave also another Book of Laws to Brammon in the first Age of the World The Persians say the same of those of Zoroaster and the Getes of Xamolxis Nay the Brachmans have a Decalogue like this of Moses and accurate Interpretations of it in which they say there is this Prophecy That one day there shall be one Law alone throughout the World This evidently shows how well the World was anciently acquainted with these Books of Moses and what a high esteem they had of them See Huetius L. II. Alnetan Quaest c. 12. n. 19. CHAP. XXXII Verse 1. AND when the People Not the whole Body of the Congregation but so many of them that the rest durst not appear to oppose their desires Saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the Mount The Jews fancy that he stayed beyond the time that he had appointed for his return to them But that is not likely for he himself was not told how long God would detain him there See XXIV 14. The meaning therefore is that he stayed longer than they expected so that they did not know what to think of it And having as yet received no Directions about the Service of God for which they were called out of Egypt VII 16. and other places they thought it was time to desire Aaron to set about it in such a way as other People served their Gods The people gathered themselves
together unto Aaron They applyed themselves to him as being left by Moses to be the chief Director and Governour of Affairs together with Hur during his absence XXIV 14. And according to the Computation made concerning the time of his going up into the Mount See XXIV 18. this hapned upon the fifteenth of our July which Month the Hebrews call Tamuz And said unto him Vp One cannot think that they spake thus to him at the very first word but other Discourse passed before this unto which Aaron in all probability making some difficulty to consent and perswading them not to persist in their Demand they would not be denied any longer but said in a seditious manner Vp make no further delay for we will have what we desire Make us Gods Or rather make us a God for so Nehemiah expresses it in the Singular Number IX 18. and so Elohim is often translated XX Gen. 13. XXXV 7 c. For their meaning was Make us a sacred Symbol or Sign as other Nations have that may represent God in a visible manner to us So the Jews expound it in Pirke Elieser c. 45. They said to Aaron the Egyptians extol their Gods they sing and chant before them for they behold them with their eyes Make us such Gods as theirs are that we may see them before us And so R. Jehudah in the Book Cosri P. I. Sect. 97. They desired a sensible Object of Divine Worship to be set before them not with an intention to deny God who brought them out of Egypt but that something in the place of God might stand before them when they declared his wonderful Works Such no doubt was their meaning for they could not be so sensless as to imagine the true God could be made by a Man or that an Image could go before them as it here follows which may have feet but cannot walk as the Psalmist speaks And therefore Eben-Ezra judiciously interprets it Some Corporeal Image in which God may reside Which shall go before us Conduct us through the Wilderness God himself in a Pillar of Cloud and Fire hitherto went before them but that Cloud now covering the Mount where Moses was and not stirring at all from thence they imagined perhaps that Moses being lost it would no longer lead them as it had done For as for this Moses c. This doth not seem to be the Language of those who had any regard to him We wot not what is become of him They thought perhaps that he was consumed in the Mount by the Fire which shone from the Face of God as Jonathan paraphrases it Greg. Nyssens Reflexion upon this Demand of the People is very natural That they were like School-boys who in the absence of their Master were carried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with sensless impetuous Motions into Rudeness and Disorder p. 183. de Vita Mosis For there were many among them who were infected with the Egyptian Idolatry as we learn from XXIV Josh 14. XX Ezek. 7 8. XXIII 3 8. And therefore hankering after that way of Worship by Images which they had learnt there they took this opportunity to desire a visible Representation of God among them as the Egyptians had And so St. Stephen looks upon this as a turning back in their hearts unto Egypt VII Acts 39 c. Ver. 2. And Aaron said unto them break off the golden ear-rings c. This confirms what I said that there was some debate about this matter before they spake those words to him v. 1. Vp make us Gods c. For it is not credible that Aaron would immediately consent to so foul a Fact as this without the least Argument against it Which is so unlikely that the Jews have devised this Tale That Hur rebuked them in his Presence the People fell upon him and killed him which affrighted Aaron into a speedy Compliance The golden ear-rings These it is probable were some of the Jewels which they borrowed of the Egyptians XII 35. and possibly might have worn superstitiously as I observed XXXV Gen. 5. they did very anciently There are those who think Aaron hoped they would not have easily parted with these and so their Design might have been broken From the ears of your Wives of your Sons and your Daughters Men wore these Ornaments in the Eastern Countries as well as Women as we find in the story of the Ishmaelite and Midianite Souldiers VIII Judg. 24. and Pliny L. XI c. 31. In Oriente quidem viris aurum eo loci c. In the East it is esteemed an Ornament for Men to wear Gold in that place speaking of their Ears See Bochart Hierozoic P. I. L. I. c. 34. Ver. 3. And all the People All that were engaged in this Design who were so many as I said v. 1. that the rest it 's likely durst not oppose it Broke off the golden ear-rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron So zealous is Superstition which prevails over Pride and Covetousness Ver. 4. And he received them at their hands They seem to have presented them as an Offering towards the making of a Representation of God wherein every one of them might have an Interest and accordingly Aaron accepted them And fashioned it with a graving tool The Hebrew word cheret which we translate graving Tool is used for a writing Pen VIII Isa 1. and for a crisping Pin which Women used about their Hair III Isa 22. And therefore Interpreters take it here for an Instrument of Engraving And some think that Aaron made such marks with it in this Calf as there were in the Egyptian Apis which was a Cow that had a Spot on her right side like a Crescent as some Writers say though Herodotus say otherwise and the marks are variously reported See Pignorius in his Mensa Isiaca p. 18 c. and a square white spot in the forehead But others think it more likely that the Calf coming rough out of the Mould Aaron only polished it with a proper Tool For though Apis was in great honour among the Egyptians yet it was a living Cow and not the Image of one which they had in such Veneration Therefore Mr. Selden in his Syntagma I. de Diis Syris c. 4. takes it to be more probable that this golden Calf or Ox or Bullock for so the Psalmist differently calls it CVI. 19 20. was made in imitation of that golden Ox that represented Osiris which was very famous among the Egyptians Who had a mighty Veneration for the River Nile called in Hebrew Sichor from whence came Siris and for the Dog-star called Siris likewise at whose rising that River began to swell and for the Sun which was principally meant by this Name to whom both the Bull at Heliopolis and the Ox at Memphis were Consecrated as Macrobius tells us L. I. Saturnal c. 21. But though all this be very ingenious yet the truth of it may be well questioned as I shall show
painted in the Roman Church Which perhaps came from the ancient Custom among the Heathen who thus represented their Gods as Tho. Bartholinus observes de Morbis Biblicis cap. 5. out of Lucian de Dea Syria where he saith she did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carry Beams upon her Head Whence it was that the Roman Emperours who were raised so much above the rest of Mankind that they honoured them as a sort of Deities were thus represented as appears by many Testimonies particularly Pliny who in his Panegyrick to Trajan laughs and jeers at the radiatum Domitiani caput While he talked with him While he conversed so famaliarly with the Divine Majesty and both saw his Glory and heard him proclaim his Name v. 5 6 7. At his first being in the Mount there was no such Brightness left upon his Countenance for he did not see the Divine Majesty in so great a Splendour as he did now when the LORD upon his Petition vouchsafed him such a sight of his Glory as he could bear XXXIII 18 23. Which was so exceeding piercing that it altered the very Skin of Moses his Face and made it luminous Of which Moses doth not seem to have been sensible till some time after he came down from the Mount when Aaron as well as others were afraid to come nigh him having his Thoughts wholly possessed with the far more transcendent Glory of the Divine Majesty of which he had a Glimpse From this familiar Conference which Moses had with God it is likely the Heathen took occasion to invent the like Stories of their Zamolxis who pretended to receive his Laws from Vesta and Minos and Lycurgus who said they received theirs from Jupiter and Apollo with several others mentioned by Diodorus Siculus L. I. who then adds Moses had his from the God Jao so they pronounced the Name Jehovah But they had no such Testimony as this of their Communication with the Divine Majesty much less were their Laws confirmed by such Miracles as lasted for the space of XL. years under the Conduct of Moses in the sight of all People Ver. 30. And when Aaron and all the Children of Israel saw Moses behold the skin of his face shone This highly established his Authority and bred in them a Reverence to the Laws he brought that they were all Witnesses of the brightness or glory of his Countenance as the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. III. 7. which demonstrated he had been with God as he affirmed and had beheld the Glory of his Majesty and received from him the Tables of Testimony By all the Children of Israel in this Verse seems to be meant all the Rulers of the Congregregation mentioned in the next And they were afraid to come nigh him The Light which shone from his Countenance was so great that it dazled the Eyes of Beholders even of Aaron himself who did not know whether it would be safe to approach him This was an illustrious Testimony that he had been with God who dwells as the Apostle speaks in light inaccessible Ver. 31. And Moses called unto them Invited them to come near him and not to fear any hurt And Aaron and all the Rulers of the Congregation returned unto him Viz. After he had put a Vail upon his Face till which they could not steadfastly look upon it as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. III. 7. the Light of it being so strong that it hurt their Eyes if they fixed them there And Moses talked with them Acquainted them with what he had seen and heard Ver. 32. And afterward all the Children of Israel came â—igh c. There was a general Assembly of all the Tribes summoned that he might deliver to them all that which he had received from God See XXXV 1. And he gave them in Commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai All the Orders he had given about the Building of the Tabernacle and the rest contained in the XXV XXVI Chapters and those that follow to the XXXII For at his first coming from the Mount finding them in an Apostacy from God he said nothing to them about these matters but in abhorrence of their foul Idolatry broke the Tables of Testimony which God had given him to deliver to them Ver. 33. And till Moses had done speaking with them he put a vail on his face This seems to belong as well to v. 31. as to the 32d and accordingly I have interpreted it Though there are those who think he perswaded Aaron and the Rulers to approach without a Vail but put it on when he spake to the People who were less able to bear it But there seems to be the same reason for both Aaron being no less afraid than any of them And the Majesty of his Countenance appeared sufficiently even when it was vailed for the brightness was not quite obscured though very much shaded by it Ver. 34. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him he took the vail off till he came out He went into the Tabernacle where he spake with him face to face as a Man speaks to his Friend XXXIII 9 10 11. And he came out and spake unto the Children of Israel that which he was commanded This seems to relate unto the frequent occasions Moses had to go and consult with God in difficult Cases whose Mind he declared to them when he had received it Ver. 35. And the Children of Israel saw the face of Moses that the skin of Moses face shone c. Some great Men have thought that the brightness continued on Moses's Face till his death so that he spake to them with a Vail on his Face from this time as long as he lived Of which we cannot be certain though thus much is evident from this and the foregoing Verse that the Splendour of his Countenance did remain for some time after he came down from God's Presence in the Mount During which as oft as he went in to speak with God he took off his Vail and when he came out to speak with them he put it on until he went in to speak with God again as this Verse concludes How long it was before it vanished none can resolve Perhaps not till he had set up the Tabernacle and consecrated Aaron and his Sons and delivered all the Laws he had received about the Service of God which are recorded in the Book of Leviticus That is all the time they stayed near Mount Sinai from whence they removed a little more than half a year after this X Numb 11 12. CHAP. XXXV Verse 1. AND Moses gathered all the Congregation of the Children of Israel together Having told them what orders he had received from the LORD and sufficiently convinced them of his Authority XXXIV 32 33. he now proceeds to put them in Execution And in order to it he gathered Col-hadath all the Congregation which sometimes signifies all the Elders and Judges c. the prime Governours of
this Book 11. Or the word Tabernacle may be thought to signifie the inward part of this House as Tent the outward part which covered the inward See v. 17 19 29. Why it is called Ohel moed the Tent of the Congregation see XXIX 44. Ver. 3. And thou shalt put therein the Ark of the Testimony This was the principal end of building this House that God as was said before might dwell among them and his Residence was over this Ark. Which therefore is ordered in the first place to be brought into the Holy of Holies prepared for it as soon as the House was erected Why called the Ark of the Testimony see XXVI 20 21. And cover the Ark with the vail Which hung before it that no Body not the Priests themselves might see it XXVI 33. Ver. 4. And thou shalt bring in the Table c. When the Ark was placed in the Holiest of all then the Table with all belonging unto it and the Candlestick whose Lamps were to be lighted are ordered to be set in the Sanctuary which was divided by the Vail from the other XXVI 35. Ver. 5. And thou shalt set the Altar of Gold for the Incense before the Ark of the Testimony See XXX 6. And put the hangings of the door to the Tabernacle XXVI 36 37. This is ordered to be hung up when the Table Candlestick and Altar of Incense were put into the Holy Place because there were no more things but these three to be there Ver. 6. And thou shalt set the Altar of Burnt-offering c. In this and the two following Verses he is ordered to place the Altar of Burnt-offering and the Laver as he had been before directed XXX 18. and to set up the outward Court and the Hanging at the Gate of it in order to place the Altar and the Laver there XXVII 9 c. Ver. 9. And thou shalt take the anointing Oyl Mentioned in the XXX 23 c. Every thing being disposed in its proper place now follows their Consecration For they were not Consecrated separately before the House was erected and its Furniture brought in but after every thing was set in the order which God appointed And anoint the Tabernacle and all that is therein c. As was before directed and now ordered to be put in execution XXX 26 27 28 29. where this and the two following Verses are explained Ver. 12. And thou shalt bring Aaron and his Sons to the door of the Tabernacle The Laver being sanctified v. 11. many think that the Sanctification of Aaron and his Sons i. e. their Separation to their Office began in their being washed with Water But I look upon this as a Mistake there being a washing prescribed before the Laver was ordered XXIX 4. where they were to wash only when they went in to Minister XXX 19 20 21. Ver. 13. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy Garments Mentioned in the XXVIIIth Chapter And anoint and sanctifie him c. XXX 30 31. Ver. 14. And thou shalt bring his Sons and clothe them with Coats See XXVII 40 41. Ver. 15. And thou shalt anoint them as thou didst their Father See concerning this XXIX 7. where both their anointing and their Fathers is explained For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting Priesthood c. Not only consecrate them to the Priest's Office as long as they live but consecrate their Posterity also who shall need no other anointing in succeeding Generations but Minister to God by vertue of this anointing as long as that Priesthood lasted So the Hebrews interpret it None of them needed in after times saith R. Levi ben Gersom upon 1 Kings 1. to be anointed but only the High-Priest whose Successors were to be anointed as they gather from VI Levit 22. The Priest of his Sons who shall be anointed in his stead c. See Selden de Succession in Pontisicat L. II. c. 9. Ver. 16. Thus did Moses according to all that the LORD commanded him so did he He took the same care in erecting the Tabernacle and disposing every thing in its place that the Workmen had done in making all things according to God's mind XXXIX 43. Ver. 17 18 c. And it came to pass in the first month c. This and the following Verses to Verse 34. give an account of the Execution of what God commanded in the foregoing part of this Chapter But it is not easie to resolve whether every thing was executed at this very time or no. For full understanding of which it will be necessary to mark diligently the order wherein God requires all the foregoing Commands to be performed And first he bids him set up the Tabernacle and put every thing belonging to it in its place v. 2 3. and so forward to v. 9. And next to consecrate it and all the Vessels thereof with the Altar of Burnt-offerings and its Vessels c. v. 9 10 11. And then to proceed to consecrate Aaron and his Sons v. 12 13 14 15. Now it is expresly here affirmed that Moses did perform the first of these that is set up the Tabernacle and put every thing appertaining to it in its right place on the first day of the first month of the second year after their coming out of Egypt At which time we must suppose also he began to consecrate it and spent seven days in the Consecration of it and of the Altar of Burnt-offering as is appointed XXIX 37. But the difficulty is to determine when he consecrated Aaron and his Sons as he is here required in which seven days were also spent as we read VIII Lev. Some think there were but seven days in all set apart for this work and consequently they were consecrated together So Torniellus in his Annals and Abulensis before him who follow Seder Olam and other Jewish Writers who are of this Opinion The ground of which is that the Tabernacle being erected on the first day of the month before-mentioned and its Consecration finished on the eighth there was a Solemn Passover kept upon the fifteenth IX Numb 1 2 c. which could not be held they suppose unless there were Priests to offer the Passover who therefore were consecrated at the same time with the Tabernacle because on the eighth day another business began which was the offering made by the Princes of the Tribes every one in their day VII Numb 1. But the principal ground is that in VIII Lev. 10 11 c. Moses speaks of the anointing i. e. Consecrating the Altar and of Consecrating Aaron and his Sons as done both at the same time But there is a weighty Objection against all this which is that in the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons there were three Sacrifices offered upon the Altar one for a Sin-offering another for a Burnt-offering and the Ram of Consecration for a Peace-offering VIII Lev. 4.18 22. None of which could be acceptable for their Sanctification till the Altar it self was made
17 25. and sometimes at the door of the Tabernacle XXXI Deut. 14 15. Because the Cloud abode thereon and the Glory of the LORD filled the House The Cloud and the Glory of the LORD were not two different things but one and the same as the Pillar of Cloud and of Fire were For outwardly it was a Cloud and inwardly a Fire and accordingly here the External part of it covered the Tabernacle without while the Internal part shone in full Glory within the House Thus it was upon Mount Sinai where Moses is said to draw near to the thick Darkness where God was XX. 21. That is the Glory of the LORD was in that thick Darkness And so we read before that the Glory of the LORD appeared in the Cloud XVI 10. And so those words are to be interpreted XXIV 16. The Glory of the LORD abode upon Mount Sinai and the Cloud covered it that is covered the Glory of the LORD not the Mount six days After which on the seventh day the Glory of the LORD broke through it and appeared like devouring fire in the sight of all the People v. 17. Ver. 36. And when the Cloud was taken up from over the Tabernacle the Children of Israel went onward in their journeys That is the LORD whose glorious Presence was in this Cloud led and conducted them in all their Removals And therefore they are said to have journeyed at the commandment of the LORD because when the Cloud wherein the LORD was was taken up then they journeyed IX Numb 17 18 20 23. Ver. 37. But if the Cloud were not taken up then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up They were wholly governed by its motions and followed its directions Ver. 38. For the Cloud of the LORD So it is called also in X Numb 34. because the Glory of the LORD was in it Was upon the Tabernacle by day And so it was by Night but then had another appearance as it here follows And fire was on it by night The Fire and the Cloud as I said v. 35. were not different things but the same Pillar which was dark by day when there was no need of light shone like fire by night when the dark part of it could not be seen to lead and conduct them It appeared therefore like a Cloud by day and turned the light side to them which was bright as fire by night that they might march if there were occasion by its direction both day and night And thus it is described XIII 21 22. IX Numb 15 16 c. And so this Verse may be translated The Cloud of the LORD was upon the Tabernacle by day and the Fire was bo in it i.e. in the Cloud by night For so they are elsewhere described as one within the other V Deut. 22. The LORD spake unto all your Assembly out of the midst of the fire of the Cloud and of the thick Darkness In the sight of all the Children of Israel throughout all their journeys The whole Congregation had constantly this comfortable Token of God's Presence among them by the Cloud in the day time and Fire in the night which never left them all the time they were in the Wilderness but brought them to Canaan The End of the Book of EXODUS ERRATA PAge 3. line 1. read See Gen. L. 26. l. 27. dele now before more p. 5. l. 24. r. Aben-Ezra p. 12. l. 6. r. the Hebrews p. 27. l. 12. r. Schalschalah p. 31. l. 5. r. he called his Son p. 41. l. 31. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 51. ult r. his words p. 56. l. 1. for exciting r. exerting p. 62. l. 19. r. because he came with an unusual p. 68. l. 20. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 70. l. 10. r. all this converse l. 19. r. Temara p. 71. l. 9. r. though not very far p. 73. l. 11. r. kashah p. 75. l. 17. r. such knives p. 80. l. 22. r. should not go alone p. 81. l. 13. r. Schalshalah Hakkabalah p. 86. l. 17. r. Taskmasters p. 114. l. 14. r. Gaulmyn p. 136. l. 12. r. Quastiones Alnetanae p. 138. l. 23. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 139. l. 4. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 141. l. 23. for Aretius r. Huetius l. 25. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 143. l. 17. r. as the Jews did long p. 153. l. 20 31. r. Schechin p. 163. l. 22. r. as the Wheat and the Rye 23. r. Trees were not broken p. 193. l. 1. r. expresly p. 197. l. 4. r. Elaeochrisin p. 220. l. 22. r. without the profession p. 242. l. 14. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 249. l. penult r. so long p. 250. l. 28. r. the next verse p. 251. l. 12. r. to protect them p. 256. l. 29. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 262. l. 4. r. tells this story p. 268. l. 13. r. compact p. 278. l. 25. r. distress p. 285. l. 12. r. when we sat p. 294. l. 10. r. who therefore tells them p. 309. l. 24. r. some other Stations p. 324. l. 17. r. German Jews p. 345. l. 6. r. of our minds p. 351 l. 21. r. phrase imports p. 366. l. ult r. and not in any p. 370. l. 18. r. they are the words p. 376. l. 16. r. backward p. 377. l. antepenult r. Gem. Bab. p. 380. l. 25. r. therefore ought not p. 427. l. 15. r. opprobrious p. 443. l. 31. r. where he pleases p. 449. l. 14. r. eat and drink p. 460. l. 3. r. to be true p. 462. l. 9. r. here p. 464. l. 26. r. having owned him p. 466. l. 31. r. he speaks p. 487. l. 3. r. when they were p. 488. l. 13. r. the ten words p. 501. l. 24. r. so in the six p. 511. l. 15. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 513. l. 33. r. set it up p. 520 l. 19. r. make for it p. 545. l. 31. r. Jaspis p. 559. l. 2. r. letters deep p. 567. l. 1. r. and his sons his sons garments p. 572. l. 24. r. which went round p. 573. l. ult r. the Jews say p. 580. l. 18. r. in the first p. 585. l. 30. r. that he might p. 586. l. 11. r. at his entrance p. 608. l. 19. r. Periegetes p. 609. l. 15. r. unto thee p. 614. l. 9. r. take to the Rosamim l. 11. r. take to thee p. 617. l. 6. r. contented themselves p. 623. l. 13. r. were ordered p. 631. l. 8. r. rebuking them p. 640. l. 11. r. the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 642. l. 30. r. make thee Prince p. 666. l. 18. r. v. 20. p. 674. l. 25. r. till men p. 677. l. 16. r. thine inheritance p. 679. l. 17. r. ad praelium ferunt p. 683. l. 20. r. fear oct of their p. 714. l. 9. r. Author of Sepher l. 26. r. in the latter end it is probable p. 721. l. 7. r. as the Priess Books Written by SYMON PATRICK D. D. now Lord Bishop of ELY and Printed for Richard Chiswell THE Parable of the Pilgrim written to a Friend The 6 Edition 4to 1681. Mensa Mystica Or a Discourse concerning the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper In which the Ends of its Institution are so manifested our Addresses to it so directed our Behaviour there and afterward so composed that we may not lose the Profits which are to be received by it With Prayers and Thanksgivings inserted To which is annexed Aqua Genitalis A Discourse concerning Baptism In which is inserted a Discourse to persuade to a confirmation of the Baptismal Vow 8vo Jewish Hypocrisie A Caveat to the present Generation Wherein is shewn both the false and the true way to a Nations or Persons compleat Happiness from the sickness and recovery of the Jewish State To which is added a discourse upon Micah 6. 8. belonging to the same matter 8vo Divine Arithmatick A Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Samuel Jacomb Minister of St. Mary-Woolnoth-Church in Lombard-street London With an Account of his Life 8vo A Sermon preached at the Funeral of Mr. Tho. Grigg Rector of St. Andrew-Vndershaft London 4to An Exposition of the Ten Commandments 8vo Heart's Ease Or a Remedy against all Troubles With a Consolatory Discourse particularly directed to those who have lost their Friends and Rekitions To which is added Two Papers printed in the time of the late Plague The sixth Edition corrected 12mo 1695. The Pillar and Ground of Truth A Treatise shewing that the Roman Church falsly claims to be That Church and the Pillar of That Truth mentioned by St. Paul in 1 Tim. 3. 15. 4to An Examination of Bellarmin's Second Note of the Church viz. A NTIQVITY 4to An Examination of the Texts which Papists cite out of the Bible to prove the Supremacy of St. Peter and of the Pope over the whole Church In Two Parts 4to A private Prayer to be used in difficult times A Thanksgiving for our late wonderful Deliverance A Prayer for Charity Peace and Unity chiefly to be used in Lent A Sermon preached upon St. Peter's Day printed with Enlargements 4to A Sermon preached in St. James's Chappel before the Prince of Orange Jan. 20. 1688. on Isaiah 11. 6. A Second Part of the Sermon before the Prince of Orange on the same Text. Preached in Covent-Garden A Sermon preached before the Queen in March 1688 9. on Colos 3. 15. A Sermon against Murmuring preached at Covent-Garden in Lent 1688 9. on 1 Cor. 10. 10. A Sermon against Censuring preached at Covent-Garden in Advent 1688. on 1 Cor. 4. 10. Fast-Sermon before the King and Queen Apr. 16. 1690. on Prov. 14. 34. A Thanksgiving-Sermon before the Lords Nov. 26. 1691. for reducing of Ireland and the King 's safe Return On Deut. 4. 9. A Fast-Sermon before the Queen Apr. 8. 1692. On Numb 10. 9. Sermon before the Lord Mayor at St. Brides Church on Easter-Munday 1696 on 2 Tim. 2. 8. A Commentary on the First Book of Moses called Geneses 4to 1695. A Commentary on the Second Book of Moses called Exodus 4to 1697. A Sermon before the Lords Nov. 5. 1696. on Dan. 4. 35.
Nabi they fancy was not now in use to signifie a Prophet as appears say they from 1 Sam. IX 9. where it is said He that is now called Nabi a Prophet was before time called Roch a Seer Which seems to signifie that the word Nabi which Moses here uses for a Prophet was but newly come into use in Samuel's days But this is very far from Samuel's meaning whose plain sense is this that he who foretold things to come or discovered secrets was anciently called a Seer not a Prophet Which signified heretofore only an Interpreter of the Divine Will but now they began in Samuel's days to apply the word Nabi or Prophet to those who could reveal any Secret or foresee Things future Which had not been the use of the word formerly but it signified as I said one that was familiar with God and knew his Mind and delivered it to others as I observed upon XX Gen. 7. where God himself calls Abraham a Prophet as he here calls Aaron And what holy Writer would dare to alter the word which God himself used Which is far more proper also to this purpose than either ROEH or CHOSEH which these Men sancy were the words in use in Moses his time not Nabi for they do not answer the intention of God in this Speech concerning Aaron Who was not to see and Divine or to receive Revelations from God but to be a Mouth to Moses to utter what God revealed to him not to Aaron Which is the original signification of the word Nabi there being no derivation of it so natural that I can find as that of R. Solomon's from the word Nub which signifies to utter or to bring forth X Prov. 31. Ver. 2. Thou shall speak all that I command thee c. This explains the latter end of the former Verse that Moses should deliver God's Mind to Aaron and Aaron should deliver it to Pharaoh requiring him from God to dismiss the Children of Israel out of his Country Ver. 3. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart Or but I will harden c. which Avenarius translates I will permit his heart to be hardned Though there is no need of it for God here only foretels what Pharaoh would force him to do See IV. 21. after several Signs and Wonders had been wrought to move him to Obedience For he was so stupid and hardned his heart so often VIII 15 32. that in conclusion God hardned him by withdrawing all good motions from him And therefore the first time that Jehovah is said to harden his heart there is a special remembrance of this that the LORD had foretold it IX 12. And multiply my Signs and my Wonders c. The first Plagues that were inflicted on him proving ineffectual it was necessary to send more and greater that if it had been possible his heart might have been mollified Ver. 4. But Pharaoh will not hearken unto you Or rather and Pharaoh shall not hearken to your demands For this was the effect of his hardning That I may lay my Hand upon Egypt Smite all their First-born upon which immediately followed their march out of Egypt And bring forth mine Armies c. All the Tribes of the Children of Israel which were so multiplyed that every one of them singly made an Army See VI. 26. By great Judgments That is grievous Plagues which he inflicted on them one after another And thereby made good his word that Moses should be a God to Pharaoh v. 1. that is a Judge as the word Elohim sometimes signifies See VI. 6. Ver. 5. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD Be convinced or made sensible that none can withstand me When I stretch forth my hand against Egypt c. This was most especially fulfilled when he smote their First-born which made them look upon themselves as lost Men if they continued disobedient XII 33. Ver. 6. And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commaded them so did they He repeats what he saith of their Obedience to God's Commands because from this time forward they no longer disputed nor made any Objection but roundly went about their business Ver. 7. And Moses was fourscore years old c. The Israelites were under an heavy Persecution when Moses was born and God exercised their Patience it appears by this a very long time that their Deliverance might be for ever remembred with the greater Thankfulness and Obedience Such grave Persons as these were fittest to be imployed as God's Commissioners in this Affair for they could not well be thought to be hot-headed Men who thrust themselves forward into this Embassy without a Warrant So some of the Jews very judiciously have observed that God made choice of aged Men to work all his Miracles before Pharaoh and to receive his Revelations because they were not apt to invent nor to be under the power of Fancy at those years See Sepher Cosri L. I. Sect. 83. where Buxtorf notes that Aben Ezra observes upon this place That none besides Moses and Aaron ever prophesyed in their old Age because they were more excellent than all the Prophets Ver. 8. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron saying When they were about to renew their Address to Pharaoh God was pleased again to appear and give them his Directions in their Proceedings Ver. 9. When Pharaoh shall speak unto you saying shew a Miracle for you It was likely that Pharaoh would when he was not in a Passion ask How shall I know that you come from God with this Message to me give me some proof of your Authority And such a proof as can be done by none but by the Power of God And therefore God directs Moses what to do in this case Say unto Aaron Take thy Rod. The same Rod is sometime called the Rod of God IV. 20. sometime Moses his Rod and sometime Aarons as we find it in many places v. 10. 19. of this Chapter and VIII 5.19 c. Because God wrought all the following Miracles by this Rod which sometimes Moses and sometimes Aaron held in their hand But commonly Moses delivered it unto Aaron as an Agent under him to stretch it out for the effecting of Wonders For he tells Pharaoh in this very Chapter that with the Rod which was in his hand he would smite the Waters c. v. 17. And immediately the LORD bad him Say unto Aaron Take thy Rod and stretch out thy hand upon the Waters of Egypt v. 19. By which it appears he had delivered the Rod unto Aaron For a Rod being the Ensign of Authority Prophets were wont to carry one in their hand in token of their Office And so did the Egyptian Magicians also who had every one their Rod ready to throw down v. 12. And Mercury whom the Egyptians counted a Prophet and thence called him Anubis was represented with a Wand in his hand And cast it before Pharaoh As God had before directed Moses IV. 3 21. Ver. 10. And