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
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
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
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
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