forty years with the wonderful raising up of Moses who together with Aaron were to be instruments of their deliverance and accordingly after the inflicting ten dreadful Plagues upon Pharaoh brought them into the Wilderness through the Red Sea wherein Pharaoh his heart being hardned under all these Plagues and all his host pursuing of them were drowned God having first instituted the Passeover as an abiding Sacrament to bring to their remembrance in after times this great deliverance In their conduct through the Wilderness God gave them the signal mark of his presence in the pillar of a Cloud and the pillar of fire who notwithstanding their great and reiterated murmurings gave them food both bread and flesh from Heaven and drink out of the rock and when they were come to mount Sinai he there gave them the Moral Law beside other both Politick and Ecclesiastical Ordinances Afterwards the breaking of the Tables being occasioned by the Idolatry of the golden Calf God graciously renewed his Covenant with them There being also a Tabernacle and Ark and other things to be made by God's command the bounty of the People in order to the making and furnishing thereof is here set down which being finished the Tabernacle is anointed and filled with the glory of God CHAP. I. 1 NOW these are the names of the * Gen. 46. 8. Exod. 6. 14. children of Israel which came into Egypt a This list is here repeated that by comparing this small root with so vast a company of branches as grew upon it we may see the wonderful Providence of God in the fulfilling of his promises every man and his houshold b His Children and Grandchildren as the word house is taken Ruth 4. 11. 2 Sam. 7. 11. 1 King 21. 29. came with Jacob. 2 Reuben Simeon Levi and Judah 3 Issachar Zebulun and Benjamin c Who though the youngest of all is placed before Dan Naphtali c. because these were the Sons of the handmaidens 4 Dan and Naphtali Gad and Asher 5 And all the souls that came out of the †Heb. thigh loyns of Jacob were * Gen. 46. 27. seventy souls d Including Iacob and Ioseph and his two Sons See Gen. 46. 26 27. and Deut. 10. 22. Or if they were but sixty nine they are called seventy by a round number of which we shall have many instances for Joseph was in Egypt already 6 And Joseph died and all his brethren and all that generation e i. e. All that were of the same age with Ioseph and his brethren 7 * Act. 7. 17. And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly and multiplied f Here are many words and some very emphatical to express their incredible multiplication and waxed exceeding mighty g This may relate either to their numbers which greatly added to their strength or to their constitution to note that their off-spring was strong as well as numerous Atheistical wits cavil at this story and pretend it impossible that out of seventy persons should come above six hundred thousand men within two hundred and fifteen years Wherein they betray no less ignorance than impiety For to say nothing of the extraordinary fruitfulness of the Women in Egypt who oft bring forth four or five Children at one birth as Aristot. notes Hist. animal 7. 4. nor of the long lives of the men of that age nor of the plurality of Wives then much in use nor of the singular blessing of God upon the Hebrews in giving them Conceptions and Births without Abortion All which are but very reasonable suppositions the probability of it may plainly appear thus suppose there were only 200 years reckoned and onely fifty persons who did beget Children and these begin not to beget before they be twenty years old and then each of them beget onely three Children Divide this time now into ten times twenty years In the first time of 50 come 150. In the second of 150 come 450. Of them in the third come 1350. Of them in the fourth 4050. Of these in the fifth 12150. Of these in the sixth 36450. Of them in the seventh 109350. Of them in the eighth 328050. Of theâ—… in the ninth 984150. And of them in the tenth 2952450. It it be objected that we read nothing of their great multipâ—…tion till after Iosephs death which some say was not above 50 years before their going out of Egypt it may easily be replyed 1. This is a great mistake for there were above 140 years between Iosephs death and their going out of Egypt as may appear thus It is granted that the Israelites were in Egypt about 210 or 215 years in all They came not thither till Ioseph was near 40 years old as is evident by comparing Gen. 41. 46. with Gen. 45. 6. So there rests onely 70 years of Iosephs Life which are the first part of the time of Israels dwelling in Egypt and there remain 145 years being the other part of the 215 years 2. That the Israelites did multiply much before Iosephs death though Scripture be silent in it as it is of many other passages confessedly true cannot be reasonably doubted But if there was any defect in the numbers proposed in the first 55 years it might be abundantly compensated in the 145 years succeeding And so the computation remains good and the land was filled with them 8 Now there arose up a new King g i. e. Another King one of another disposition or interest or Family for the Kingdom of Egypt did oft pass from one Family to another as appears from the History of the Dynaâ—…es recorded in antient writers over Egypt which knew h Or acknowledged not the vast obligations which Ioseph had laid not onely upon the Kingdoms of Egypt and the King under whom Ioseph lived but upon all his Successors in regard of those vast additions of wealth and power which he had made to that crown This phrase notes his ungrateful disowning and ill requiting of Iosephs favours For words of knowledge in Scripture commonly include the affections and actions as men are oft said not to know God when they do not love nor serve him and God is said not to know men when he doth not love them not Joseph 9 And he said unto his people * Psal. 105. 24. Behold the people of the children of Israel are moe and mightier than we i This was not a true but an invidious representation and aggravation of the matter the better to justifie the severities which he designed 10 Come on * Act. 7. 19. let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to pass that when there falleth out any war k Which was not unusual in that countrey they joyn also unto our enemies and fight against us and so get them up out of the land l Which they might easily learn from some of the Hebrews that they were in
Moses or his God 2. Because he thought it an hard and long work to remove so vast a number of frogs and that Moses might use divers Ceremonies as the Magitians did in his addresses to God which would require some considerable time And he said Be it according to thy word that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God 11 And the frogs shall depart from thee and from thy houses and from thy servants and from thy people they shall remain in the river only 12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh and Moses cryed unto the LORD k Though he was assured that the frogs would depart at his word yet he would use the means appointed by God for the accomplishment of it because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh l Or as the place is fitly rendred by others because of the word or matter of or about the frogs which he had given or propounded to Pharaoh Because he had given his word both for the thing and the time of it he prayed more earnestly lest God should be dishonoured and Pharaoh have occasion of triumph The Hebrew verbs to put and to give are frequently exchanged as appears by comparing 1 King 10. 9. with 2 Chron. 9. 8. and Isa. 42. 1. with Mat. 12. 18. 13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses and the frogs died out of the houses m A short speech for they died and were removed out of c. as appears from the next verse It being frequent in the Hebrew tongue under one verb expressed to understand another agreeable to it See Examples in the Hebrew Gen. 43. 33 34. Exod. 18. 12. and 25. 2. Prov. 25. 22. out of the villages and out of the fields 14 And they gathered them together upon heaps n Which doubtless they cast into their rivers or pits c. though that be not here mentioned God would not instantly and wholly take them away both to convince them of the truth of the miracle and to make them more sensible of this judgment and more fearful of bringing another upon themselves and the land stank 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite * chap. 7. 14. he hardened his heart and hearkened not unto them as the LORD had said 16 And the LORD said unto Moses Say unto Aaron o God it seems gave him no warning because he shewed himself in the very last plague to be both perâ—…idious and incorrigible Others think he was forewarned though that be not here expressed Stretch out thy rod and smite the dust of the land that it may become lice p So the Hebrew word is rendred by all the Iewish and most other Interpreters But it is probable that what is said of the locusts Exod. 10. 14. was true of these that they were much more loathsome and troublesome then ordinary throughout all the land of Egypt 17 And they did so for Aaron stretched out his hand with his roâ—… and smote the dust q Which was not fit matter to produce lice and therefore shews this work to be divine and miraculous of the earth and it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in man and in beast all the dust of the â—…d * i. e. A great part of it the word all being commonly so understood in Scripture 〈◊〉 became lice throughout all the land of Egypt 18 And the Magicians did so r i. e. Indeavoured to do so Thus to enter Mat. 7. 13. is put for striving to enter Luk. 13. 24. Thus men are said to deliver Gen. 37. 21. to fight Ios. 24. 9. to return Ios. 10. 15. when they onely attempted or endeavoured to do so And therefore when it is said in any of the plagues that the Magicians did so it is not to be understood that they really did the same thing but that they indeavoured to do so and that they did something which looked like it with their inchantments to bring forth lice but they could not s It was as easie for them to produce lice as frogs but God hindred them partly to confound them and their devilish arts and to shew that what they did before was onely by his permission and partly to convince Pharaoh and the Egyptians of their vanity in trusting to such impotent Magicians and in opposing that God who could controll and confound them when he pleased so there were lice upon man and upon beast 19 Then the Magicians said unto Pharaoh This is * 1 Sam. 6. 9. the finger t Which is either Synecdochically for the hand as it is Exod. 31. 18. Psal. 8. 3. and 144. 1. or metaphorically for the power or vertue as Luk. 11. 20. compared with Mat. 12. 28. of God u Of that supreme God whom both the Egyptians and other heathen idolaters acknowledged as superiour to all men and Idols and Devils This they said lest they should be thought inferiour to Moses and Aaron in magical art But hereby they own the soveraign God to be on Israels side and yet like the Devils they proceed to fight against him And Pharaohs heart was hardened and he hearkened not unto them x Either to his Magicians of whom he last spake or rather to Moses and Aaron as the following words shew For relatives oft belong to the remoter antecedents as Gen. 19. 13. 1 Sam. 7. 17. Mark 2. 13. as the LORD had said 20 And the LORD said unto Moses Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh lo he cometh forth to the water and say unto him Thus saith the LORD let my people go that they may serve me 21 Else if thou wilt not let my people go behold I will send ‖ Or a 〈◊〉 of noisome beasts c. swarms of flies y Heb. a mixture of insects or flies as appears from Psal. 78. 45. which were of various kinds as bees wasps gnats hornets c. infinite in their numbers and doubtless larger and more venemous and pernicious than the common ones were upon thee and upon thy servants and upon thy people and into thine houses and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies and also the ground whereon they are 22 And * chap. 9. 4 26. and 10. 23. and 12. 13. I will sever in that day the land of Goshen in which my people dwell that no swarms of flies shall be there to the end that thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth z Either 1. of the wâ—…e earth and consequently of Egypt that I am not oâ—…ly the Lord of Israel but of thee and thy dominions too God is here spoken of after the manner of earthly Princes who use to reside in the midst of their Kingdomes that they may more conveniently rule and influence them Or rather 2. of Goshen the words being properly thus rendred that I the Lord am in the midst of
of parenthesis and now he returns to the story and sets down the last words which Moses spake to Pharaoh for a final parting Thus saith the LORD About Midnight will I go out g God is said to go out or go forth or come down c. by way of condescension to the custom and capacity of men when he doth any eminent act of power either in way of Justice or mercy into the midst of Egypt 5 And all the first-born of the land of Egypt shall die from the first-born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne h Either now actually ruling with his father as Solomon did even whilest David lived 1 King 1. 34. or more probably he that is to sit the present time for the future he whose right this is by the custom of Egypt and by the law of Nations even unto the first-born of the maid-servant that is behind the mill i The poor captive slave that was in the prison as it is chap. 12. 29. and there did grind at the Mill. In those times and places they had diverse Mills which were not turned about by wind or water as ours are but by the hands of their servants who for that purpose stood behind the mill and so with hard labour turned it about See Iudg. 16. 21. Isa. 47. 1 2. Lam. 5. 13. and all the first-born of beasts 6 And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt such as there was none like it nor shall be like it any more 7 * chap. 8. 22. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue k In stead of those loud cries of the Egyptian families there shall be so great a tranquillity among the Israelites that even the dogs which are sensible of and awaked and provoked by the least noise shall not be stirred up by them against man or beast that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel 8 And * ch 12. 31 33. all these thy servants l Thy Courtiers and great Officers who now are so insolent and obstinate shall come down unto me ‖ Both by their own inclination and necessity and in thy name and by thy command and bowe down themselves unto me saying Get thee out and all the people that †Heb. that is at thy feet follow thee m That are under thy conduct and command as this or the like expression is used Iudâ—… 4. 1â—… 1 King 20. 1â—… 2 King 3. 9. Isa. 41. 2. and after that I will go out and he went out from Pharaoh in †Heb. heat of anger a great anger n Not so much for the affront offered to himself as for his incurable rebellion against God Compare Mark 3. 5. 9 And * chap. 3. 19. the LORD said unto Moses Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you that * chap. 7. 3. my wonders may be multiplyed in the land of Egypt 10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh and the LORD hardened Pharaohs heart so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land CHAP. XII 1 AND the LORD spake a Had spoken before the three days darkness as may appear by comparing ver 3. and 6. of this chapter with chap. 11. 4. And the mention of it was put off by him till this place aswell that he might not interrupt the history of all the plagues as that he might give the whole institution of the Passeover together unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying 2 This month b The first moneth after the vernal Equinox called Abib Exod. 13. 4. and 23. 1â—… Deut. 16. 1. and Nisan Neh. 2. 1. Esth. 3. 7. containing part of our March and part of April shall be unto you the beginning c Heb. the head which I conceive notes not so much the order which is more plainly mentioned in the following words as the eminency of it that it shall be accounted the chief and principal of all moneths as the Sabbath hath been called by some the queen of days And justly must they prefer this moneth before the rest whether they looked backward to their prodigious deliverance from Egypt therein or forward to their spiritual redemption by Christ and to the acceptable year of the Lord Luk. 4. 19. for in this very moneth our Lord Jesus suffered Ioh. 18. 28. of months it shall be the first month of the year unto you d Heretofore your first moneth for all affairs hath been Tisri which in part answers to our September and is the first moneth after the Autumnal Equinox and so it shall be to you still as to civil affairs as it appears from Exod. 23. 16. and 34. 22. and Levit. 25. 8 9 10. but as to Sacred and Ecclesiastical matters this shall henceforth be your first moneth 3 Speak ye unto all the Congregation of Israel saying in the tenth day e Partly that they might have the lamb ready for the Sacrifice and might not be distracted about procuring it when they should be going to use it partly that by the frequent contemplation of the lamb as a sign appointed by God they might have their saith strengthned as to their approaching deliverance and afterwards might have their minds quickned to the more serious consideration of that great deliverance out of Egypt and of that more glorious deliverance from Hell by Christ the true Passeover which should be offered for them partly to teach the Church in all ages how necessary a thing preparation is to the solemn duties and exercises of Religion and partly to signifie that Christ should be first set apart and separated to the Ministry which was done 3 or 4 Prophetical days i. e. years before his death and afterwards offered Most of which reasons being perpetual it may seem this usage was so too and not for the first passeover onely of this month they shall take to them f Into their houses where the Iews tell us he was tied to the beds post every man a lamb g Or Kid ver 5. for the same word signifies both though a lamb was commonly used and a kid onely in case of the want of a lamb and the Chaldee and LXX do almost constantly translate the Hebrew word lamb And Christ is seldom or never typified by a kid but generally by a lamb as he is called Ioh. 1. 29. partly for his innocency meekness patience c. but principally with respect to this 〈◊〉 lamb in stead whereof he was in due time to be offered whence he is called our Passeover 1 Cor. 5. 7. according to the house of their fathers * Or kid a †A â—…amb was to be disposed of to every house or family according to its quantity or the numbers of persons in it as the next verse explains it The several families are called the
and second command concerning the same thing It may rather seem that these are other chains fastened to the breast-plate as it follows whereas those chains ver 14. seem to have been fastened to the ephod to those ouches made in it for that purpose ver 13. And whereas these chains also are fastened in the said ouches ver 25. two several chains may well enough be fastened in divers parts of each of the ouches and there seems to be this difference between the chains those chains mentioned ver 14. are said to be fastened onely at one end even to the ouches of the Ephod whence they might hang down loosely whereas these are manifestly fastened at both ends ver 24 25. of wreathen work of pure gold 23 And thou shalt make upon the breast-plate two rings of gold and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breast-plate 24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breast-plate 25 And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod before it f i. e. In the fore-part of the Ephod or before him i. e. the High-priest in his fore-part upon his breast 26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold and thou shalt put them upon the two ends g To wit upon the lower ends for there were other rings put upon the upper ends ver 23 24 25. of the breast-plate in the border thereof which is in the side of the ephod inward h i. e. In the inner side of the Ephod under which these rings were hid for the Ephod was double ver 16. 27 And two other rings i To answer the two rings in the breast-plate that by all these the breast-plate might be the better fastened to the Ephod of gold thou shalt make and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath k In the lower part of the ephod or in that part of it which is under the lowest part of the breast-plate towards the forepart thereof l Towards the breast over against the other coupling thereof m i. e. Over against the ouches on the shoulder-pieces where the upper part of the breast-plate was fastened to the Ephod above the curious girdle of the ephod 28 And they shall bind the breast-plate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod and that the breast-plate be not loosed from the ephod 29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breast-plate of judgment upon his heart n Partly to admonish the High-priest of that dear affection he should have to his people and with what ardency he should pray for them and principally to represent the tender compassions of Christ the great high-priest towards his people and how mindful he is of them and of all their concerns even when he is in the holy of holies that is in heaven where he remembers them still and uncessantly intercedes for them when he goeth in unto the holy place o i. e. Into the most holy place the positive degree being put for the superlative for a memorial before the LORD continually 30 And * Deut. 33. 8. Ezra 2. 63. Neh. 7. 65. thou shalt put in the breast-plate of judgement the Urim and the Thummim p The words confessedly signify light or illuminations and perfections which may be understood either of two differing things the one noting the knowledge the other the perfection to wit of vertues and graces which were required in the High-priest and which were in Christ in an eminent degree and from him alone communicated to his people or of one and the same thing noting perfect light or illumination by a figure called Hendyadis oft used in Scripture as Deat 16. 18. Mat. 4. 16. compared with Iob 10. 20. Ioh. 3. 5. Act. 17. 25. compared with Gen. 2. 7. Which may seem probable 1. because the great use of this instrument was to give light and direction in dubious and difficult cases and not to confer any other perfection upon any person 2. because sometimes both these words or things are expressed onely by one of them and that is by Urim Numb 27. 21. 1 Sam. 28. 6. which signifies lights And the name seems to be given from the effect because hence the Israelites had clear light and perfect or certain direction in dark and doubtful matters But the great question is What this Urim and Thummim was and in what manner God answered by it Which God having on purpose concealed from us and not set down the matter or form of it as he hath done of all the other particulars it may seem curiosity and presumption for men solicitously to enquire and positively to determine Many conceive it was nothing else but the twelve precious stones wherein the names of the 12 Tribes were engraven and that the answer of God was composed out of those letters which either shew more brightly or thrust themselves further outward than the rest did Which seems a frivolous and ungrounded conjecture both because all the letters of the Alphabet were not there and so all answers could not be given by them and because it was shut up within the duplicature of the breast-plate and therefore could not be seen by the High-priest and there is not a word to signifie that he was to take it out thence and look upon it but rather the contrary is evident And that this Urim and Thummim are not the same thing with those 12 stones may be easily proved 1 because the stones were set and ingraven in the breast-plate ver 17 21. this was only put into it which is a word of quite different and more loose and large signification and therefore probably doth not design the same thing 2. It is not likely that in such a brief account of the sacred utensils the same command would be repeated again especially in more dark and general words than it was mentioned before And how could Moses now put it in when the workmen had fastened it there before Or why should he be required to put it in the breast-plate when it was fastened to it already and could not without violence be taken from it 3. because the stones were put in by the workmen Exod. 39. 10. the Urim and Thummim by Moses himself Lev. 8. 8. It is objected that where the stones are mentioned there is no mention of Urim and Thummim as Exod. 39. and that where the Urim and Thummim are mentioned there is no mention of the stones as Lev. 8. 8. which shews they were one and the same thing But that is not necessary and there is an evident reason of both those omissions of the former Exod. 39. because he mentions onely those things which were
made by the workmen whereas the Urim and Thummim seems to have been made immediately by God or by Moses with Gods direction of the latter Lev. 8. because the stones are implyed in the breast-plate as a part of it and being fastened to it whereas there he onely mentions what was put in by Moses himself There are other conjectures as that it was the name Jehovah or some visible representations c. But such conjectures are easily denied as affirmed It is therefore more modest and reasonable to be silent where God is silent than to indulge our selves in boundless and groundless fancies It may suffice us to know that this was a singular piece of Divine Workmanship which the High-priest was obliged to wear upon solemn occasions as one of the conditions upon which God engaged to give him answers Which answers God might give to him either by inward suggestion to his mind or by a vocal expression to his ear But which of those ways or whether by any other way it is needless now to search and impossible certainly to discover and they shall be upon Aarons heart when he goeth in before the LORD and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel q A short speech As the testimony is oft put for the ark of the testimony so is the judgment here for the breast-plate of judgment i. e. that breast-plate which declared the judgment or oracle or mind of God to the Israelites in those cases which they brought to the Lord. upon his heart before the LORD continually r i. e. At all times when he shall appear before the Lord in the holy-place 31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod s Not the Ephod it self for that was prescribed before ver 6. but a long and loose robe called the robe of the Ephod because it was worn next under it and was girded about the High-priests body with the curious girdle of the Ephod all of blue 32 And there shall be an hole in the top of it in the midst thereof it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it as it were the hole of an habergeon that it be not rent 33 And beneath upon the ‖ Or Skirts hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates t The figures of Pomegranates but flat and embroidered of blue and of purple and of scarlet round about the hem thereof and bells u By the sound whereof the people might be admonished of the work which the Priest was employed in and thereby be provoked to joyn their affections and devotions with his These pomegranates and bels might note either 1. the qualifications of the Priest who was both to declare or give forth the sound of pure and wholesome doctrine and to adorn his doctrine with the fragrancy and fruitfulness of a good conversation Or 2. The glorious atchievements of Christ who caused the sound of his doctrine to be heard by all men and offered up himself as a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour Eph. 5. 2. of gold between them round about 34 A golden bell and a pomegranate a golden bell and a pomegranate upon the hem of the robe round about 35 * Ecclesiastic 45. 9. And it shall be upon Aaron to Minister and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD and when he cometh out that he die not u For his disobedience or carelesness For though the matter might seem small in it self yet it was an errour in Gods worship wherein God is more severe than in other things and it was an errour of the High-priest who had more knowledge of Gods mind herein and was obliged to more care and diligence not onely for himself but for the influence of his bad example upon the people 36 And thou shalt make a plate x Like an half coronet reaching as the Iews say from ear to ear of pure gold and grave upon it like the engravings of a signet HOLINESS TO THE LORD y To mind the Priest of his special consecration to God and of that singular â—…oliress which was required of him as at all times so especially in his approaches to God It might also represent Christ who is called the holy one of God and who is a crowned Priest or both King and Priest 37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace z The words may be rendered thou shalt put it on or bind it as the vulgar renders it with a blue lace to wit upon the mitre as it follows that it may be upon the mitre upon the fore-front of the mitre it shall be 38 And it shall be upon Aarons forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things a Either 1. that he being consecrated to God for this end that he should take care as far as he could that both persons and things presented to God should be holy or agreeable to the mind of God might bear the punishment for any miscarriage committed therein which he could have prevented Or rather 2. that he being an holy person and appointed by God to make a typical reconciliation for the 〈◊〉 of the people and to intercede for them might take away or obtain from God the pardon of their iniquity wherewith even their holy things are defiled if God should severely mark what is amiss in them Which sence the last words of the verse favour And the High-Priest was herein eminently a Type of Christ who properly and truly bare and took away the iniquity of his peoples holy things by his sacrifice and intercession which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts b i. e. Shall separate or consecrate unto God in all their offerings or gifts If there be any thing amiss either in the thing offered or in the manner of offering God upon the Priests intercession will pardon it and it shall be alwayes c i. e. At all times of his solemn appearance before God upon his forehead that they may be accepted before the LORD 39 And thou shalt embroider the coat d This was a loose and large garment made with sleeves worn under the Ephod reaching down to the seet which was girt with a girdle Lev. 8. 7. of fine linen and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen and thou shalt make the girdle of needle-work 40 And for Aarons sons thou shalt make coats e Not of woollen Ezek. 44. 17. but of linnen Exod. 39. 27. These were Ephods 1 Sam. 22. 18. and thou shalt make for them girdles and bonnets shalt thou make for them for glory and for beauty 41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother and his sons with him and * chap. 29. â—… and 30. 30. shalt anoint them and †Heb. fill their hand consecrate them f Heb. fill their hands i. e. present them to God with part
workmen here spoken of but by others How then comes this to be mentioned here Ans. 1. The shew-bread may be here put for the vessels for the receiving of the shew-bread by an usual Metonymy of the adjunct the thing contained put for the thing containing as treasures are put for the place where the treasures are put Psal. 135. 7. Mat. 2. 11. and 12. 35. and the gifts or offerings of God for the treasury where they were put Luk. 21. 4. Hence Tremellius renders this place and the vessels of the shew-bread Obj. All the vessels of the Table are mentioned before of which this was one Ans. It is not unusual after a general expression comprehending all distinctly to name one eminent member of that kind such as this unquestionably was the table being made principally for this use Thus Mark 16. 7. Tell my disciples and Peter Like examples are in 2 Sam. 2. 30. 1 King 11. 1. Psal. 18. the Title Act. 1. 14. and in other Authors And for the particle Vau and which may seem to imply that these were things of another kind and not any vessels of the Table that is oft put for especially as Ios. 2. 1. Mark 16. 7. and so onely notes an eminent thing of the same kind as hath been said Ans. 2. Though God did not prescribe the making of the shew-bread yet he mentions it together with the table Exod. 25. 30. and therefore it is conveniently mentioned with the table in this place also where Moses to shew his exactness and fidelity doth punctually repeat the same things to the people which he had received in command from God In like manner the oil which fed the light of the lamps is mentioned here in the next verse because the lighting of the lamps was prescribed Exod. 25. 37. 14 The candlestick also for the light and his furniture and his lamps with the oil for the light 15 * 〈…〉 And the incense altar and his staves and the anointing oil and the sweet incense and the hanging for the door at the entring in of the Tabernacle 16 * chap. 27. 1. The altar of burnt-offering with his brazen grate his staves and all his vessels the laver and his foot 17 The hangings of the court his pillars and their sockets and the hanging for the door of the court 18 The pins of the tabernacle and the pins of the court and their cords 19 The clothes of service to do service in the holy place the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons to minister in the priests office 20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses 21 And they came every one whose heart stirred him up k i. e. Whose heart being desirous and ready to serve God ingaged his hand to offer what he had to his service and every one whom his spirit made willing and they brought the LORDS offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation and for all his service and for the holy garments 22 And they came both men and women as many as were willing-hearted and brought bracelets and ear-rings l Obj. Aaron had goâ—… these from them for the making of the calf Exod. 32. Ans. Though the generality of the people did then part with their ear-rings yet there was a considerable number who did not as being unsatisfied with that Idolatrous design and it may seem that the women would not part with theirs being more fond of their ornaments than of their Idols See the notes on Exod. 32. 3. and rings and tablets all jewels of gold and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD 23 And every man with whom was found blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen and goats hair and red skins of rams and badgers skins brought them 24 Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORDS offering and every man with whom was found shittim-wood for any work of the service brought it 25 And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands and brought that which they had spun both of blue and of purple and of scarlet and of fine linnen 26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom m This word seems better to agree with the following than with the foregoing word they spâ—… with wisdom i. e. with skill and art spun goats hair 27 And the rulers brought onyx-stones and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breast-plate 28 And * chap. 30. 23. spice and oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense 29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses 30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel See * chap. 31. 2. the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah 31 And he hath filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom in understanding and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship 32 And to devise curious works to work in gold and in silver and in brass 33 And in the cutting of stones to set them and in carving of wood to make any manner of cunning work 34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach n To wit others to work under him for the work required many hands and it is a peculiar gift of God to be apt to teach which every skilful man hath not both he and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. 35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart to work all manner of work of the ingraver and of the cunning workman and of the embroiderer in blue and in purple in scarlet and in fine linen and of the weaver even of them that do any work and of those that devise cunning work CHAP. XXXVI 1 THen wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab and every wise-hearted man in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary a Or of the holy place to wit of the Tabernacle so called by a Prolepsis and Synecdoche according to all that the LORD had commanded 2 And Moses called b God had qualified them before but that is not sufficient without a call Bezaleel and Aholiab and every wise-hearted man in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it 3 And they received of Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary to make it withal And they brought yet unto him free-offerings every morning c Which time they chose as the first and
unrighteous decrees which they have made in form of Laws Or by false pretences of law Or against law against all right and the laws both of God and men 21 They gather themselves together against the soul f Against the life as the soul commonly signifies and as the next clause explains it They are not satisfied with the spoil of their estates but do also thirst after their lives of the righteous and condemn the innocent blood g They shed the blood of those innocent persons whom they have wickedly condemned Innocent blood is here put for the blood or life of an innocent person as it is also 1 Sam. 19. 5. Mat. 27. 4. 22 But the LORD is my defence and my God is the rock of my refuge 23 And * Psal 7. 16. he shall bring upon them their own iniquity h i. e. The fruit and punishment of their sins and shall cut them off in their own wickedness i Either in the midst of their sins Or by their own wicked devices the mischief whereof he will cause to fall upon their own heads yea the LORD our God k The God of Iacob of whom they said that he did not see nor regard them but now they find the contrary proved to their cost shall cut them off PSAL. XCV The Author of this Psalm was David as is affirmed Heb. 4. 7. and although the Psalm be delivered in general terms as an invitation to mankind to yield unto the true God that praise and worship and obedience which he requireth and deserveth yet it hath a special reference to the days of the Messiah of which Christians have no great reason to doubt seeing it is so understood by the Hebrew Doctors themselves as also by the Apostle Heb. 3. 7 c. and especially Heb. 4. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. where he not onely expounds it of those times but proves that it cannot be meant of the former times and state of the Church 1 O Come let us a He speaks to the Israelites whose backwardness to this work in the times of the Gospel was foreseen by the spirit of God which dictated this Psalm sing unto the LORD let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation 2 Let us †Heb. 〈◊〉 his face Isai. 3â—… 33. come before his presence b Which he will then afford us in a singular manner in his Son the Messiah in and by whom he will be visibly present with the Sons of men with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms 3 For * Psal. â—…6 4. 135. 5. the LORD is a great God and a great King above * Psal. 86. 8. all gods c Above all that are accounted and called Gods Angels and Earthly Potentates and especially the false gods of the Heathens which upon Christs coming into the World were struck dumb and could no more deliver their Oracles as Platarch and other Heathens observed with admiration nor deceive the World but were forced to give place to the true God and to the knowledge and worship of him alone which was propagated among all Nations by the Gospel 4 †Heb. in 〈◊〉 In his hand d Under his Government are the deep places e Those parts which are far out of mens sight and reach and much more those that are at mens disposal of the earth ‖ Or the 〈◊〉 of the hills 〈◊〉 his the strength of the hills f The strongest or highest Mountains are under his feet and at his disposal The fence of the Verse is All the parts of the Earth whether high or low are subject to his power and providence and therefore it is not strange if all the Nations of the Earth be brought to the acknowledgment of him and if the Gentiles receive his Gospel is his also 5 †Heb. whos 's the sea is The sea is his and he made it and his hands formed the dry lands 6 O come let us worship and bow down let us kneel g By which expressions he teacheth that even in Gospel times God is to be glorified and worshipped as well with the members of our bodies as with the faculties of our Souls before the LORD our maker 7 For he is our God h In a peculiar manner and therefore it will be most unreasonable and abominable for us to forsake him when the Gentiles submit to his law and * Psal. â—…9 1â—… 80. 1. 10â—… 3. we are the people of his pasture i Whom he feedeth and keepeth in his own proper Pasture or in the land which he hath appropriated to himself and the sheep of his hand k Which are under his special care and conduct or government which is oft expressed by the hand as Numb 4. 28. and 31. 49. Judg. 9. 29. * Heb. 3. 7. 4. 7. to day l i. e. Forthwith or presently as this word is used Deut. 4. 4 8. and 27. 9. Ios. 22. 16 18 c. Or this day in this solemn day of grace or of the Gospel which the Psalmist speaks of as present according to the manner of the Prophets And this word though belonging to the following clause as appears from Heb. 3. 7. may seem to be thus placed to shew that it had some respect to the foregoing words also For the sence of the place may be this We Jews are or shall be the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand God will still own us for his people this day i. e. in the days of the Messiah if this day or in that time we shall hear his voice Otherwise God will reject us and receive the Gentiles in our stead if ye will hear his voice m If you will hearken to his call and obey his further commands Which may be added as a necessary caution and admonition to the Israelites that they might understand and consider that Gods presence and favour was not absolutely necessarily and everlastingly fixed to them as they were very apt to believe but was suspended upon the condition of their continued obedience which if they violated they should be rejected and the Gentiles performing it should be received to his mercy And this clause may be connected either 1. with the former words as the condition of their interest in God as their God as was now said Or 2. with the following Verse If you are willing to hearken to Gods call delivered by his Son take the following counsel 8 Harden not your hearts n By wilful disobedience and obstinate unbelief rebelling against the light and resisting the Holy Ghost and his clear discoveries of the truth of the Gospel * Exod. 17. 2 7. Numb 14. 2â—… 20. 13. Deut. 6. 16. as in the †Heb. conâ—… tion provocation o As you did in that hold and wicked contest with God in the Wilderness Or As in Meribah which was the