from that it being one of the most difficult and obscure Passages of the whole Pentateuch But still here is nothing proved That Moses wrote this Book called The Wars of the Lord appears not And granting it to be true it is nothing to the purpose For why might not Moses cite a Book of his own Writing as well as another and later Author And what if Moses did write the Wars of Amalek must he therefore write that of the Amorites Warring against the Moabites before he was concerned with them also These kind of pretences may amuse some that are not given to Thinking they can never prevail with them that consider duly Obj. X. 'T is pretended that the Pentateuch was not written by Moses but rather of him And that because Moses is generally mentioned by the Writer as a third Person And besides that we find Moses is commended in the Pentateuch Numb 12.6 8. Deut. 34.10 And if we take him for the Writer of those Books we must suppose him also to have commended himself which will hardly be granted in a Man of so great Humility and Wisdom as Moses was I answer 1. As to the Pretence that Moses is not the Author because he speaks of himself as of a third Person then it follows That whoever does in his History or Work mâ—ntion himself as Moses in these Books is supposed to do he cannot be the Author of that Book or Relation This wou'd be to conclude too much And yet if this Proposition be not true tâ—â—â— Objection hath so far as it goes no manner of force in it That he cannot be the Author of a Book that mentions himself as a third Person may be affirm'd indeed easily but can never be proved If this were admitted we must discharge several Authors of the Books of the Holy Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament also and then we must not believe that Julius Caesar wrote the Commentaries that go under his name or Josephus that part of his reputed Works where he speaks of himself as of a Third Person 'T is hardly credible that the Objectors can believe the Consequence of this Objection and I think there is no fear if they should that any indifferent Person shou'd believe with them 2. As to the second Part of the Objection That we cannot suppose that Moses wou'd commend himself nor consequently that he shou'd write the Pentateuch where he is commended I answer That this Objection whatever may be inferr'd from it does not conclude that Moses was not the Author of these Books For 't is not impossible for a Man to write an Encomium of himself But let us consider the Matter more closely 'T is said indeed that the Man Moses was very meek above all the Men which were upon the face of the Earth Numb 12.3 This is said upon occasion of what was said against him by Miriam and Aaron They spake against him very sharply Upon which 't is said And the Lord heard it Moses is not said to take notice of it himself He was not like to give any just offence nor apt to fall into anger when others reproach'd him It follows Now the man Moses was very meek c. I do not see what there is in these words unbecoming Moses Here 's no boasting or pride no shadow or foot-steps of it He had a just occasion to mention that he had neither provoked these angry persons nor did he highly resent the reproaches they followed him with He might say this well enough and ascribe due honour to God who had wrought this Temper in him The best Man in the World may well be allowed to defend his own Innocence and to own the great Things which God hath done for him The Objection will lie against Job against the Psalmist against St. Paul as well as against Moses if a good Man may not lawfully upon any occasion speak well of himself For what follows in v. 6 7 8. where Moses is preferr'd to any other Prophet 't is certain that they are the Words not of Moses but of God himself And well might he write what God himself said upon this occasion especially when it tended so much to justifie his Divine Mission upon the credit whereof the success of all his Ministry intirely depended The Sin of Moses is related Numb 20.12 and the Punishment inflicted on him on that account The relating of this is as strong an Objection against another Person 's writing these Books as what is nam'd above is against Moses For supposing another Person had been the Writer that Writer must be suppos'd not onely to relate what we read Numb 20. but to repeat it frequently also Obj. XI It is pretended that Moses cannot be supposed to be the Author of those words Exod. 6. These are that Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies These are they which spake to Pharaoh King of Egypt to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt These are that Moses and Aaron v. 26 27. 'T is suppos'd that Moses wou'd not write thus of himself I answer 1. That he may well be suppos'd to write as a Third Person as hath been shewed before And then 2. Allowing him to write for the sake of Posterity and not onely for the Persons of that present Age of which there can be no doubt He may well be granted to be the Writer of these words concerning himself and Aaron who were both greatly concerned in the Matters related afterwards Obj. XII The Author of the Book call'd Tractatus Theologico politicus mentions some other Books written by Moses and wou'd thence inferr by a way of reasoning peculiar to himself that Moses was not the Author of the Pentateuch He mentions the Book of the Covenant Exod. 24. This Book he says contains very little viz. Those Precepts onely which are found from Exod. 20.24 to chap. 24. And he allows that Moses wrote the Book of the Law of God Deut. 31.9 which Joshua afterwards enlarged viz. with the Relation of the Covenant which the People enter'd into in his Time Josh 24.25 26. And because we have no Book that contains at once the Covenant of Moses and that of Joshua he concludes that this Book of the Law is lost He grants that Moses wrote a Book of the Law and gave it to the Priests with a Command that it shou'd be at a certain time read unto the People which cou'd not therefore be the Pentateuch that being too great a Volume to be read at one Solemnity He grants also that Moses wrote the Song mentioned Deut. 32. And this Book of the Law containing part of the Deuteronomy and this Song is all that he will allow him to have written and left to Posterity I answer 1. I am willing to grant that the Book of the Covenant might not contain more than three or four Chapters of Laws And let it
from being idle that he is not onely employed in the main and greatest business but does it with all his Power and Might It requires the whole Man and the greatest Application that is possible 9. Let there more work c. Heb. Let the work be heavy upon the men 13. Your daily tasks Heb. A matter of a day in his day i. e. so much as is expected every day 14. The officers of the children of Israel who were Israelites See v. 6. 15. Vnto Pharaoh And not unto the Task-masters who were set over them upon a presumption that Pharaoh did not allow of their oppression and out of hopes that he would redress it 16. In thine own people i. e. In the Task-masters They do not here charge Pharaoh 21. To be abhorred Heb. To stink i. e. We are rendred vile in the sight of Pharaoh 22. Vnto the Lord Who was alone able to help them in their Calamity 23. Neither hast thou delivered thy people at all Hebr. Delivering thou hast not delivered CHAP. VI. The ARGUMENT God reneweth his Promise of delivering the Israelites out of Egypt Of the name JEHOVAH Moses is again commanded to go unto Pharaoh Of the Families of Reuben Simeon and Levi. 1. THEN the LORD said unto Moses Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh for with a strong hand shall he let them go and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land 2. And God spake unto Moses and said unto him I am the LORD 3. And I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them 4. And I have also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan the land of their pilgrimage wherein they were strangers 5. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage and I have remembred my covenant 6. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel I am the LORD and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I will rid you out of their bondage and I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm and with great judgments 7. And I will take you to me for a people and I will be to you a God and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians 8. And I will bring you in unto the land concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob and I will give it you for an heritage I am the LORD 9. And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage 10. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 11. Go in speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt that he let the children of Israel go out of his land 12. And Moses spake before the LORD saying Behold the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me how then shall Pharaoh hear me who am of uncircumcised lips 13. And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt 14. These be the heads of their fathers houses The sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel Hanoch and Pallu Hezron and Carmi these be the families of Reuben 15. And the sons of Simeon Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman these are the families of Simeon 16. And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations Gershon and Kohath and Merari And the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years 17. The sons of Gershon Libni and Shimi according to their families 18. And the sons of Kohath Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Vzziel And the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years 19. And the sons of Merari Mahali and Mushi these are the families of Levi according to their generations 20. And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife and she bare him Aaron and Moses And the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years 21. And the sons of Izhar Korah and Nepheg and Zichri 22. And the sons of Vzziel Mishael and Elzaphan and Zithri 23. And Aaron took him Elisheba daughter of Aminadab sister of Naashon to wife and she bare him Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar 24. And the sons of Korah Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph these are the families of the Korhites 25. And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Pâ—tiel to wife and she bare him Phinehas these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families 26. These are that Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies 27. These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt these are that Moses and Aaron 28. And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt 29. That the LORD spake unto Moses saying I am the LORD speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee 30. And Moses said before the LORD Behold I am of uncircumcised lips and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me 1. WITH a strong hand i. e. Being thereunto compelled with severe Judgments V. c. 3. v. 19 20. 3. God Almighty Or God All-sufficient V. Gen. 17.1 God gave unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob great proofs of his Almighty Power and many promises also of the Land of Canaan But by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them It is not said That this name was not known to them See Gen. 22.14 Nor can the words be understood of the Letters of the Name but it is by my name JEHOVAH was I not known c. By this name must be understood that which it doth signifie JEHOVAH denotes not onely God's Eternal Being but his giving of Being to other things and especially the performing his Promise Now Abraham Isaac and Jacob had received Promises but enjoyed not the thing promised The time was now come in which God would bring to pass what he had promised and now they should know that he is the Lord V. Isa 49.23 c. 52.6 c. 60.16 The knowing him by his name JEHOVAH implies the receiving from him what he had promised before He is not called JEHOVAH till he had finished the Creation Gen. 2.4 The doing of that which He before decreed and promised speaks Him to be JEHOVAH See Exod. 20.2 This Interpretation agrees exactly with the Context For in the very next words God lets them know that he would make good his Promise which is expressed
the LORD and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt in the first day of the fifth month 39. And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor. 40. And king Arad the Canaanite which dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan heard of the coming of the children of Israel 41. And they departed from mount Hor and pitched in Zalmonah 42. And they departed from Zalmonah and pitched in Punon 43. And they departed from Punon and pitched in Oboth 44. And they departed from Oboth and pitched in Ije-abarim in the border of Moab 45. And they departed from Iim and pitched in Dibon-gad 46. And they removed from Dibon-gad and encamped in Almon-diblathaim 47. And they removed from Almon-diblathaim and pitched in the mountains of Abarim before Nebo 48. And they departed from the mountains of Abarim and pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho 49. And they pitched by Jordan from Beth-jesimoth even unto Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab 50. And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho saying 51. Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan 52. Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their pictures and destroy all their molten images and quite pluck down all their high places 53. And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell therein for I have given you the land to possess it 54. And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families and to the mo ye shall give the more inheritance and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit 55. But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you then it shall come to pass that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell 56. Moreover it shall come to pass that I shall do unto you as I thought to do unto them 2. By the Commandment of the LORD These words may well referr both to their Journeyings which were directed by God Exod. 13.21.14.2 Numb 10.13 and to Moses his description of them in this place which tended to the rendring the History the more credible and to perpetuate the Memory of God's miraculous Works and special Providence 3. Departed from Rameses Exod. 12.37 Here follows an account of Two and forty Mansions reckoning Rameses the place from whence they set forth for one 4. Vpon their Gods See the Note upon Exod. 12.12 6. From Succoth Exod. 13.20 8. Passed through Exod. 15.22 9. Came unto Elim Exod. 15.27 10. By the Red-sea i. e. Upon the Shoar of it 11. Wilderness of Sin Exod. 16.1 14. Rephidim Exod 17.1 15. Wilderness of Sinai Exod. 19.1 Hither they came in the third month after they came out of Egypt and stayed here near a year viz. to the twentieth day of the second month of the following year Numb 10.11 12. 16. At Kibroth-hattaavah i. e. The graves of lust See ch 11.34 This was in the Wilderness of Paran ch 10.12 and three days Journey from their last Mansion v. 33. 17. Encamped Ch. 11.35 18. Rithmah This place was likewise in the Wilderness of Paran ch 12.16 near Kadesh-Barnea ch 13.26 30. Encamped at Moseroth Deut. 10.6 and the Note upon that place 31. Bene-jaakan Called Beeroth of the children of Jaakan Deut. 10.6 See the Note on ch 32.3 32. Hor-hagidgad Called Gudgodah Deut. 10.7 33. Jotbathah The same with Jotbath Deut. 10.7 35. Ezion-gaber This lay on the Shoar of the Red-sea 1 King 9.26 36. Wilderness of Zin Chap. 20.1 Which is Kadesh That is it was at Kadesh where they pitched There was a twofold Kadesh viz. Kadesh-barnea which was the fifteenth Mansion See verse 18. and in the South part of Canaan chap. 34.4 Josh 15.3 and in the Wilderness of Paran chap. 12.16 And Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin of which mention is made here This was upon the Borders of Edom chap. 20.14 towards Ezion-gaber and the Red-sea chap. 2.8 37. Kadesh Ch. 20.22 Mount Hor See ch 20.22 23. the same with Mosera Deut. 10.6 See the Note on that place 38. Aaron Chap. 20.25 Deut. 32.50 40. King Arad Chap. 21.1 c. 41. Hor Chap. 21.4 44. Ije-abarim Or Heaps of Abarim This is called Iim being absolutely taken verse 45. 49. Abel-shittim Or the Plains of Shittim See chap. 25.1 51. When ye are Deut. 7.2 Josh 11 12. 52. All their pictures All those Images and Representations upon what Material soever they were wrought which were worshipped or designed for such an use See Deut. 16.22 with Levit. 26.1 High places i. e. All Groves or Chappels for Worship which were generally in high places See Deut. 12.2 54. Ye shall divide Chap. 26.53 and the Note on verse 55. Give the more inheritance Heb. Multiply his inheritance Give the less inheritance Heb. Diminish his inheritance 55. Pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides Josh 23.13 Judg. 2.3 i. e. They shall torment and mischief you as Pricks and Thorns are wont to do CHAP. XXXIV The ARGUMENT Of the Borders of the Land of Canaan The Names of those Men who were to divide it 1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying 2. Command the children of Israel and say unto them When ye come into the land of Canaan this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance even the land of Canaan with the coasts thereof 3. Then your south-quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom and your south-border shall be the out-most coast of the salt-sea east-ward 4. And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Abrabbim and pass on to Zin and the going forth thereof shall be from the south to Kadesh-barnea and shall go on to Hazar-addar and pass on to Azmon 5. And the border shall fetch a compass from Azmon unto the river of Egypt and the goings out of it shall be at the sea 6. And as for the western-border you shall even have the great sea for a border this shall be your west-border 7. And this shall be your north-border from the great sea you shall point out for you mount Hor. 8. From mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath and the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad 9. And the border shall go on to Ziphron and the goings out of it shall be at Hazar-enan this shall be your north-border 10. And ye shall point out your east-border from Hazar-enan to Shepham 11. And the coast shall go down from
5.6 To what hath been said I add That when Josephus mentions thâ—s passage that is related Deut. 1.1 and which we translate on this side Jordan he expresseth it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. about or near Jordan which he presently after opposeth to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. beyond Jordan Joseph Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. This is sufficient to justifie our English Version and to render this Objection void of all power and force it plainly argues in the Objectors great Ignorance or something worse Obj. II. It is pretended that Moses could not write what we read Gen. 36.31 These are the Kings that reigned in the land of Edom before there reigned any King over the children of Israel These words must be written 't is pretended by one who liv'd after there were Kings in Israel which was long after the Death of Moses I would willingly give this Objection its full strength before I answer it And I find a late Writer hath done it to my hand in his Prolegomena to his Commentary on Genesis printed at Amsterdam 1693. The substance of what he says is as follows Eight Kings are reckon'd up succeeding each other There were not more than so many Generations or Persons generated from Jacob to Obed the Grand-father of David But from Jacob to Moses there were but four reckoning Moses for one Then he tells what some answer viz. That Moses fore-knew that there would be Kings over Israel Deut. 17. But then he does not think it credible that God should reveal to him how many Kings and what their Names shou'd be that were to reign in Edom. He cannot think it a Prophecy He tells us of some-body but 't is with a Nescio quis who affirms these Kings reign'd in several places at the same time He concludes as if he had been retain'd against Moses Si candide hic agere licet c. That if he may deal candidly 't is best to own that the nine Verses from v. 31. to 39. were added by some-body he might here have put another Nescio quis who liv'd after the Kingdom establish'd in Israel Before I go any farther I will grant what he says of the Descents from Jacob to Obed and from him to Moses I will grant the Words are not a Prophecy and that these Kings reign'd successively one after another but will by no means allow that these words are not the words of Moses I will fully answer the Objection and shew the false Reasoning of this Author in the following Particulars 1. He might have spar'd his pains in computing the Descents from Jacob to Obed and Moses as things nothing to the purpose He wou'd I know insinuate by it that there was not time enough from Esau to the times of Moses for so many Kings to reign successively and that therefore Moses cou'd not give us this Relation This he should have consider'd better before he had given up the place From the Marriage of Esau to the Death of Moses are no less than 345 years Here 's room enough for eight Kings successively And that there are so many years in this space I need not prove 'T is evident and no Man can deny it Let any Man look over the Kings of Judah and begin where he will and he 'll soon find space enough here for these eight Kings to succeed each other though they had been successively Father and Son which they whom Moses mentions were not 2. 'T is very unfairly done to reckon from Jacob to Moses and Obed and thence to insinuate that there cou'd not be so many Generations from Esau to the Times of Moses who is suppos'd to give this Relation This is perfect Practice and Artifice We might have looked for it from a Deist or a Disciple of Mr. Hobbs but not from one who pretends to be an Advocate for Moses as this Author does Two ways the unfairness of this Practice may be discover'd 1. From hence that he cannot but know that there is a great difference in these things The Descents are more frequent in some Families than others as the Persons marry sooner or later as their eldest and first-born Sons live or die in their minority c. Who does not know that St. Matthew reckons from Abraham to Jesus but 42 Descents St. Luke 56. From Salathiel to Joseph in St. Matthew are reckon'd but 12 Generations but in St. Luke the Generations from Joseph to the same Salathiel as is supposed at least are no fewer than 21. Nor is there in all this any great Difficulty Admitting Salathiel in each place to be one and the same Person And where several Lines are drawn from the same Head of a Family there is very often a great difference in the number of Descents And the Generations from David to Joseph may well differ in St. Matthew and St. Luke when 't is remembred that they are reckon'd by Solomon or by his Brother Nathan ' Twou'd be too great a Digression or else 't were very easie to give a very large and clear account of this matter 2. It is very unfairly done to insinuate that there being but so many Generations from Jacob to Obed and Moses therefore 't was not probable there shou'd be such a Succession of Kings from Esau 'T is true Jacob and Esau were of an Age but he conceals something of moment They were not so when they marry'd Esau marry'd when he was forty years old but Jacob staid till he was near fourscore before he marry'd Here is near 40 years difference which is of great moment in this matter This Author in his Appendix affirms I will not answer for the Truth of it nor is this a place to dispute it that Jacob marry'd Leah in the 85th year of his Age. And for what he knows Moses might be near 120 years old when he wrote this Relation of the Kings of Edom. Upon the whole matter here is space enough for these Successions Joseph died when he was 110 years old and yet he saw Ephraim's Children of the third Generation Gen. 50.23 26. 3. Though here be space enough for these eight Kings though they were Father and Son yet we have no Cause to believe they were Father and Son but just ground to believe they were not And if they were not then might the less time serve for their Succession to one another We have these grounds to believe they were not Father and Son That 1. They are said to be of divers Cities or Places from each other One of Dinhabah his Successor of Bozrah a Third of the Land of the Temanites 'T is not very likely that the next Heir shou'd live in another City or Country and at a Remove from his Predecessor 2. 'T is not said upon the Death of a King that such a one his Son reigned in his stead But when Bela died 't is said that Jobah the Son not of Bela but Zerah reigned in his stead To him succeeded Husham of
the Land of Temani To him Hadad the Son of Bedad To him Samlah of Masrekah To him Saul of Rehoboth To him Baal-Hanan the Son of Achbor c. So that the succeeding King might for what this Author knows be as old or older than his Predecessor and then a very little space might serue for eight Kings to succeed each other in the six last Kings of Judah where Father was succeeded by the Son took up not above 56 years 4. That Moses knew there wou'd be Kings over Israel is unquestionable from Deut. 17. where he delivers Laws concerning that matter This being one of those three things that were made known to him but were not to take effect as Maimon well observes till they were in possession of the Land of Canaan Maimon H. Melach c. 1. The giving up these nine Verses is a thing of most dangerous Consequence At this rate this Author may give away more of the Holy Writings when he pleaseth And then we shall be sure of nothing For who the Author of them is he says not nor can the Reader know from our Author whether he were an inspir'd Author or not Nor does he give any just cause why any Man shou'd insert these nine Verses here had they not been written by Moses from the beginning I am sure he can give none To what hath been said I add That Moses himself was a King over Israel and then the Kings that reigned in Edom before Moses was King may well be said to have reigned before any King over the Children of Israel Moses had the title of King He was King in Jesurun Deut. 33.5 Nor was it a bare title He was really a King as appears from the Pentateuch This is proved at large by Mr. Selden de Synedriis l. 2. c. 1 2. This alone is a just and full Answer to the Objection which was sufficiently answered before So far are we from being forced to part with nine Verses at once that we are under no difficulty at all 'T is plain that when Moses came out of Egypt that Edom was under Dukes Exod. 15.15 These cou'd not be the first sett of Dukes mention'd Gen. 36.29 30. For they were Horites and if they were the second sett v. 40. then were the eight Kings dead before Moses was King in Jesurun After all these eight Kings might be Horites called Horim Deut. 2.12 whom the Children of Esau dispossessed and succeeded for any thing that appears They are said to have reigned in the land of Edom and so the Horite's Land was when Moses wrote these words but not to be descended or come from Esau as is expressly said of the following Dukes v. 40. This account agrees with the Context We have an account just before of the Dukes of the Horites the Children of Seir in the land of Edom v. 21. Though these are said to have been Dukes in the Land of Edom yet they were not descended from Esau but from Hori in the Land of Seir v. 30. And then there 's no ground to believe the eight Kings were descended from Esau because they are said to have reigned in the land of Edom since the Dukes in the land of Edom were Horites and did not come from Esau Besides the 4th of these eight Kings is said to have smitten Midian in the Field of Moab v. 35. If by Midian be meant the person so called Gen. 25.2 then there can be no doubt of this matter For then these eight Kings cou'd not be the Posterity of Esau but Horites they might be Gen. 14.6 and then they had finished their Reigns before Moses was King in Jesurun Obj. III. The Writer of the Pentateuch gives names to Places which did not belong to those Places till after the time of Moses and therefore Moses could not be the Author of the Pentateuch at least as we now have it Here they instance in Hebron and Dan. 'T is pretended that Hebron was not so called till after the time of Moses Josh 14.15 with chap. 15.13 Nor Dan neither as appears from Judges 18.29 I answer 1. And first as to Hebron And here 't is to be consider'd what Joshua says on this occasion He does not say it was not called Hebron before that time His Words are these The name of Hebron 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before was Kirjath-Arba chap. 14.15 i. e. It had formerly another name more than that he says not For what appears it might be call'd Hebron in the time of Moses Here 's no inconsistence at all the Hebrew which we render before admits of great Latitude Sometimes it denotes a long time before and we render it of old Psal 102.26 Elsewhere where we render it afore-time it signifies a long time before as Nehem. 13.5 But we render it in old time Deut. 2.20 Moses and Joshua were Contemporary and well might the City be call'd Hebron in the time of Moses though it were in old time call'd Kirjath-Arba We have an instance to this purpose beyond all exception Bethel of old time was called Luz Judges 1.23 and yet it was called Bethel long before the time of Moses Gen. 28.19 Hebron was a very ancient City and it is not for nothing that this is remark'd Numb 13.22 And though it were of old time call'd Kirjath-Arba yet even in the time of Joshua and after the Remark chap. 14.15 Hebron it is call'd as by the name it was most commonly known by When 't is call'd the City of Arba it follows and it seems to be by way of Explication which supposeth it most known by the following Name Which City is Hebron Josh 15.13 Again Kirjath-Arba which is Hebron v. 54. Had not Hebron been the common and famed Name of it it shou'd rather have been Hebron which is Kirjath-Arba See chap. 20.7 and 21.11 They must have a great inclination to drop Moses who will be mov'd by such a slight pretence as this 2. As to Dan the pretence is less than for the other if it be possible For who can assure me that Dan Gen. 14.14 is the same with that Judges 18.29 And if it be not then is the Objection just nothing at all Besides if it were the same place the same answer might be given as to the Case just before But alas Dan is an older Name than these Objectors seem to be aware of as the River Jor-Dan intimates for part of its Name it had from a place call'd Dan. And this is I think placed beyond controversie if we consider what Josephus relateth on this occasion who must be allowed in a matter of this nature to be of greater authority than these Modern Objectors He tells that Abraham fell on the Assyrians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. about Dan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. For so the other Fountain or Spring-head of Jordan is called Antiq. l. 1. c. 10. He that was willing to give away the nine Verses from Gen. 36. will not allow any force in this
pretence though he is content to part with Hebron Obj. IV. It is pretended that Moses cou'd not write those words Deut. 2.12 The Horims also dwelt in Seir before-time but the children of Esau succeeded them when they had destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their stead as Israel did unto the land of his possession which the Lord gave unto them The force of the Objection lies in the latter part of the words as Israel did c. By which it 's pretended is meant that Israel dwelt in Seir and expell'd the Idumaeans but that this hapned not in the time of Moses as appears from v. 5. but long afterwards This being that which David mentions Psal 108.9 and which was in his time effected 1 Chron. 18.13 Praeadamit l. 4. c. 1. I answer That here is no mention of the Israelites possessing the Land of the Idumaeans That is fiction and without any shadow of ground from this Text. And for the true meaning of the place I referr the Reader to the Note on Deut. 2.12 Obj. V. It is pretended that Moses could not write those words Gen. 12.6 And the Canaanite was then in the Land This Objection is made by Mr. Hobbs and by Spinosa The utmost of it amounts but to thus much That these words cou'd not be writ by Moses because it wou'd be impertinent for him to say this which was so well known at that time For the Canaanite continu'd above 400 years in the Land after this and therefore those words were added by some hand after the Destruction of the Canaanites Before I answer this I observe this by the way That this Objection is not of the sort of some others which pretend that Moses cou'd not write some passages because the words they insist on mention some-thing that hapned after his time That cannot be pretended here Here all that can be said is That we cannot think Moses wou'd write these words without a Cause I answer 1. That what Moses says is that the Canaanite was THEN in the Land i. e. He had in those early days of Abram possession of that Land which God intended above 400 years afterward to bestow on the Posterity of Abram In the very next words we read And the Lord appear'd unto Abram and said unto thy seed Will I give THIS Land i. e. This very Land which is now in possession of the Canaanite and for that reason call'd the Land of Canaan chap. 11.31 We have a particular account of the Destruction of the Canaanite and of the precise time when it hapned But that Relation does not tell us how long they had been possessed of it That we learn here The Objectors force a sense upon the words As if these words The Canaanite was then in the Land imported thus much The Canaanite was not as yet dispossess'd of the Land Whereas the Text onely tells us that they were Possessors of it THEN when Abram came first to it and when God promis'd it to his Posterity And then the words have no reference to the Destruction of the Canaanites but to their early Possession onely 2. It is very certain that the word Canaanite sometimes signifies a particular Tribe or Family so call'd and not the general Name of the Inhabitants of that Land Thus the word signifies Gen. 13.7.15.21 Numb 13.29.14.25 And then Moses onely relates that in that tract of Land in which Abram then was this Tribe dwelt 3. It is very unreasonable therefore to object this against Moses his being the Author of these words and that because we do not understand the reason of his bringing in these words in this place Because there might be sufficient Reasons though at this distance we were not able to discern them And at this rate we may reject any ancient Author whatsoever I add that 't is to be considered what Land is meant in these words 'T is said that Abram passed through the Land to the place of Sichem It follows The Canaanite was then in the Land viz. of Sichem But these Canaanites were destroyed and their City spoiled and their Land driven before the Israelites went into Egypt and thâ—â—efore before Moses wrote these words Gen. 34. In Abram's time the Canaanite was in that Land and even then he durst go thither and profess the Worship of the true God but he was not there afterward being destroyed by Jacob's Sons That Land being void they came thither to feed their Flocks Gen. 37.14 The Words are well rendred by a late Writer Et Cananaeus quidem tunc temporis in eo tractu fuit Obj. VI. 'T is farther objected that Moses cou'd not be the Author of some part of Deut. 3. And two places are insisted upon viz. v. 11. For onely Og King of Bashan remain'd of the remnant of Giants Behold his bed-stead was a bed-stead of Iron is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon c. These words 't is said cou'd not be written by Moses but by a later Author for Moses need not to have mention'd the Bed-stead to those Jews his Contemporaries who had seen the Giant himself Besides 't is pretended that this Bed-stead was not found out till the times of David 2 Sam. 12.30 And therefore these words must be written by a later Author than Moses The other place is v. 14. Jair the son of Manasseh took all the Country of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi and called them after his own name Bashan-Havoth-Jair unto this day 'T is pretended that these words were added by a later Writer by way of Explication of v. 13. And that Moses wou'd never have said unto this day if he had been the Writer of these words and that therefore the words were written by a much later Writer who gives an account of this matter à longissimâ primâ origine i. e. from the very ancient and first Original To which I answer First As to v. 11. For the mention of the Bed-stead Moses cannot be charged with impertinence He mentions it ad fidem faciendam and he wrote for Posterity and not barely for those who were then living Besides there might also be very many of them who never saw the Giant and to suppose it shou'd have been in Bashan proves nothing at all To affirm that this Bed-stead was not found till David's time and to cite to that purpose 2 Sam. 12.30 is to abuse the Reader for there 's no such thing to be found there Secondly As to v. 14. 'T is a lewd thing to suppose that Verse inserted by another hand and to offer no proof If there be any thing like a proof it must be fetch'd from those words Vnto this day I shall shew that there is nothing in that expression that will inferr a Writer later than Moses The Objection is in it self very unreasonable These Objectors have some pretence when they urge against Moses that he wrote of things after his time But shall he be blam'd
from above He tells how many Cubits the Waters rosâ— above the Mountains and how many days the Waters kept above the Earth and the Effects of the Floud as to living Creatures 8. He relates by what means the Waters asswaged 9. In what month and day the Ark rested and in what place it did so 10. He relates when Noah opened the Window of the Ark and of his sending out the Raven and the Dove 11. He tells the month and the day when the Earth was dried 12. He relates the going out of Noah c. And 13. He tells of the Sacrifice of Noah and 14. Of God's promise not to send such another Deluge chap. 6 7 8. Here are all the marks of a true and complete Historian nor can the Wit of Man make any such Objections as will destroy the credibility of these Relations Moses next relates how God blessed Noah and his Sons forbad the eating of Bloud and Murder Covenanted not thus to destroy the Earth again and appointed the Rain-bow as a sign of this Covenant He tells also how Noah was over-come with Wine of the Curse denounced against Canaan and of the Blessing of Shem and Japhet and the Death of Noah chap. 9. Moses gives account of the Sons of Japheth of Ham where he speaks more particularly of Nimrod and of the Sons of Shem chap. 10. which is a most excellent piece of Antiquity A Relation of the Building of Babel and of the Children of Shem unto Abram Abram comes with his Father to Haran He receives the Promise of the Messias and comes into the Land of Canaan to Sichem Thence he removes to Bethel c. and on occasion of a Famine goes with Sarai to Egypt whom he gave out to be his Sister Pharaoh having taken her restores her to Abram being informed that she was his Wife chap. 11. and 12. Abram returns out of Egypt to Canaan with great Wealth His Kinsman Lot was with him who had also much Substance They part from each other and Lot pitched his Tent toward Sodom God promiseth to Abram the Land of Canaan chap. 13. Lot is taken Prisoner in the Battel between four Kings with five He is rescued by Abram who is blessed by Melchizedek Abram's Answer to the King of Sodom chap. 14. After this Moses relates how Abram was encouraged by God and assured that his Posterity should inherit the Land of Canaan The Birth of Ishmael by Hagar the Change of Abram s Name the Institution of Circumcision the Change of Sarai's Name and the Promise of Isaac and Circumcision of Abraham and Ishmael chap. 15 16 17. Moses goes on to relate Abraham's Hospitable entertaining of three Angels who appeared to Him in the likeness of Men Their Message is related the Birth of Isaac predicted and Sarah's Amazement and Weakness mentioned The Wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrha and Abraham's Intercession for Sodom The Destruction of these Places Lot preserved The incestuous Original of Moab and Ammon chap. 18 19. Abraham sojourns at Gerar The King thereof takes Sarah but being warned of God restores her Isaac is born and circumcised Hagar and Ishmael are dismissed Hagar being in great distress is relieved by God Abimelech makes a Covenant with Abraham chap. 20 21. Abraham is commanded to offer up his Son Isaac He readily obeys God accepts of this Obedience and preserves Isaac Abraham is again blessed Of the Posterity of Nahor chap. 22. After this we have an account of the Age and Death of Sarah Of the Purchase of a Burying place for her Of Abraham's sending his Servant to procure a Wife for Isaac Of the Servant's exemplary diligence and success and of the Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah ch 23 24. Of Abraham's Sons by Keturah Of his Age and Death Of the Posterity of Ishmael and of his Death c. Of the Birth of Jacob and Esau and how Esau sold his Birth-right Of the Journey of Isaac to Gerar c. Of a Covenant between Abimelech and Isaac and of the Marriage of Esau chap. 25 26. Moses proceeds to relate after what manner Jacob obtained the Blessing which Isaac bestowed on him and which he designed for Esau As also the Journey of Jacob to Padan-Aram and several Passages relating thereunto chap. 27 28. Jacob is entertained by Laban and contracts with him for his Service He Marries Leah and afterwards Rachel the Daughters of Laban The Children of Jacob Laban upon Jacob's desire to depart from him makes a new contract with him upon which Jacob useth policy and grows rich upon it chap. 29 30. Jacob leaves Laban privately Laban pursues him and enters into a Covenant with him at Galeed Jacob goes on and sends a Message to Esau whom he much feared He prays to God on this occasion and sends a Present to Esau He wrestles with an Angel and is called Israel Jacob meets Esau and is kindly received by him Jacob comes to Succoth thence toward Shechem in the Land of Canaan he purchaseth some Land there and builds an Altar Dinah is ravished and the Shechemites destroyed chap. 31 32 33 34. Jacob goes to Bethel where he builds an Altar His Name is changed into that of Israel God blesseth him Rachel dies and we have an account also of the Death of Isaac chap. 35. Moses relates an account of Esau of his Wives and Children and also of the Horites chap. 36. We have next a very particular Relation of Joseph one of the younger Sons of Jacob Of his Dreams and the hatred that his Brethren bore towards him Of their conspiring his Death and of his being carried into Egypt chap. 37. Of the Children of Judah another of Jacob's Sons Of the Birth of Pharez and Zarah by Tamar chap. 38. The History of Joseph is continued He is advanced in the House of Potiphar and resisteth the temptation of his Mistress he is however accused falsely and cast into Prison where God prospers him He interprets the Dreams of two of the King of Egypt's Servants who were in Prison with him to whom it hapned as Joseph fore-told The Dreams of Pharaoh King of Egypt are interpreted by Joseph who predicted a great Plenty and great Famine Upon this Joseph is greatly advanced in Egypt Of the Children of Joseph and the beginning of the Famine Ten Sons of Jacob are sent upon the occasion of the Famine to buy Corn in Egypt when Joseph saw them he accused them for Spies They are furnished with Corn and their Money returned into their Sacks They are required to bring with them Benjamin their younger Brother and their Brother Simeon is detained as a Pledge Joseph's Brethren return with Benjamin and are entertained by him They are sent away with Corn but brought back again to Egypt and accused of Theft The pathetical Supplication of Judah upon this occasion Joseph makes himself known to his Brethren minds them of God's Providence sends for his Father and being plentifully provided for they report to their Father that Joseph was
therefore Eighty five years old 4. Her Mistress For so she was still Servants and their Children were their Masters See v. 2 9. And compare Gen. 30.3 Exod. 21.4 2 Sam. 21.8 5. My wrong be upon thee Thou doest me wrong to that sense the Greek and Vulgar have it and it is thy part therefore to do me right Judge Or will judge Hebr. in case thou doest not right me Compare 1 Sam. 24.12 13. 6. Thy Maid i. e. Thy Servant or Bond-woman It is the same word which is used v. 1. In thine hand i. e. In thy power as that phrase signifies Compare ch 24.10 ch 39.4 6 8. Numb 31.49 7. The Angel of the Lord Or a Messenger from the Lord. This name Angel is sometimes given to a Man sometimes Christ is so called Mal. 3.1 See the Note on Exod. 23.20 This Angel speaks in the Person of God v. 10. and by Hagar is acknowledged as God v. 13. Which seems to some to intimate that it was the Son of God who appeared In the way to Shur In the way leading to Egypt her own Country Exod. 15.22 Gen. 25.17 18. 8. Whence c. By these Questions he gives Hagar occasion to relate her case 9. Submit thy self viz. As becomes a Servant and Criminal 10. I will multiply She is promised a numerous Off-spring though not an Heir The Inheritance was promised before ch 15.3 4. 11. Heard thy affliction The word which we render affliction comes from an Hebrew word which signifies to cry as well as to afflict And in this sense it signifies the cry or prayer which Hagar uttered in her affliction The Chaldee renders it thy prayer And Josephus relates that Hagar prayed to God to pity her Antiq. l. 1. c. 11. 12. A wild man Like a wild Ass or untamed Beast among whom he should dwell with whom he should contest ch 21. v. 20. His hand c. He will be of power and disposition to contend and to provoke others to it Dwell i. e. He shall dwell in Tents as the Hebrew word imports and the Vulgar renders it to that sense The Ishmaelites dwelt in Tents Kedar was the Son of Ishmael ch 25.13 Of the Tents of Kedar we read Cant. 1.5 In the presence of c. i. e. The rest of Abram's posterity shall not be able to rid themselves of so fierce and ill a neighbour ch 25.18 13. And she called c. Or as the Chaldee hath it And she prayed or called upon the Name of the Lord who spake with her saying Thou art a God who seest c. Seeth me i. e. That regardeth me in my misery 14. Kadesh Josh 14.6 7. Bered The Chaldee renders it Hagra 15. Ishmael As was required v. 11. 16. Fourscore and six Thus long did Abram live before the birth of this child and must wait Fourteen years longer before he receive the child of the promise CHAP. XVII The ARGUMENT God appeareth unto Abram as the Almighty God Abram's name is changed into Abraham who is promised to be the father of many nations God enters into Covenant with him and renews to him the promise of the land of Canaan Circumcision is instituted the sign of this Covenant Sarai's name is changed into Sarah and receives the promise of a son Abraham rejoyceth and intercedes for Ishmael God promises great increase to Ishmael but assures him also that he will establish his Covenant with Isaac Abraham circumoiseth Ishmael and the males of his house The age of Abraham and of Ishmael when they were circumcised 1. AND when Abram was ninety years old and nine the LORD appeared to Abram and said unto him I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect 2. And I will make my covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly 3. And Abram fell on his face and God talked with him saying 4. As for me behold my covenant is with thee and thou shalt be a father of many nations 5. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram but thy name shall be Abraham for a father of many nations have I made thee 6. And I will make thee exceeding fruitfull and I will make natiâ—â—â— of thee and kings shall come out of thee 7. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee 8. And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and I will be their God 9. And God said unto Abraham Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their generations 10. This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee Every man-child among you shall be circumcised 11. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your fore-skin and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you every man-child in your generations he that is born in the house or bought with money of any stranger which is not of thy seed 13. He that is born in thy house and he that is bought with thy money must needs be circumcised and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant 14. And the uncircumcised man-child whose flesh of his fore-skin is not circumcised that soul shall be cut off from his people he hath broken my covenant 15. And God said unto Abraham As for Sarai thy wife thou shalt not call her name Sarai but Sarah shall her name be 16. And I will bless her and give thee a son also of her yea I will bless her and she shall be a mother of nations kings of people shall be of her 17. Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old and shall Sarah that is ninety years old bear 18. And Abraham said unto God O that Ishmael might live before thee 19. And God said Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed and thou shalt call his name Isaac and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him 20. And as for Ishmael I have heard thee behold I have blessed him and will make him fruitfull and will multiply him exceedingly Twelve princes shall he beget and I will make him a great nation 21. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year 22. And he left off talking with him and God went up from Abraham 23. And Abraham took Ishmael his son and all that were born in his house and all that were bought with his money every male among the men of Abraham's house and circumcised the flesh of their fore-skin in
will I return unto thee according to the time of life and Sarah shall have a son 15. Then Sarah denied saying I laughed not for she was afraid And he said Nay but thou didst laugh 16. And the men rose up from thence and looked toward Sodom and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way 17. And the LORD said Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do 18. Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him 19. For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the LORD to do justice and judgment that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him 20. And the LORD said Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very grievous 21. I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know 22. And the men turned their faces from thence and went toward Sodom but Abraham stood yet before the LORD 23. And Abraham drew near and said Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked 24. Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein 25. That be far from thee to do after this manner to slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be far from thee shall not the Judge of all the earth do right 26. And the LORD said If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city then I will spare all the place for their sakes 27. And Abraham answered and said Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD which am but dust and ashes 28. Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five And he said If I find there fourty and five I will not destroy it 29. And he spake unto him yet again and said Peradventure there shall be fourty found there And he said I will not do it for fourties sake 30. And he said unto him Oh let not the Lord be angry and I will speak Peradventure there shall thirty be found there And he said I will not do it if I find thirty there 31. And he said Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord Peradventure there shall be twenty found there And he said I will not destroy it for twenty's sake 32. And he said Oh let not the Lord be angry and I will speak yet but this once Peradventure ten shall be found there And he said I will not destroy it for ten 's sake 33. And the LORD went his way assâ—on as he had left communing with Abraham and Abraham returned unto his place 1. IN the heat of the day Or about noon Say the Greek Interpreters The time of eating 2. Three The Jews say they were sent on three several messages viz. To fore-tell the Birth of Isaac v. 10 13. To destroy Sodom and to deliver Lot ch 19.1 Men They appeared so to Abraham Compare Heb. 13.2 One of them is called Jehovah v. 13. And the other two Angels ch 19. v. 1. 3. My Lord He speaks to one of these persons and after such a manner v. 27. as implies that he believed him to be sent by God 4. Wash your feet This was in those hot Countries a refreshment to the wearied Travellers and a part of their entertainment before they did eat ch 19. v. 2. and ch 24. v. 32. Tree From the heat of the Sun v. 1. 5. Comfort your hearts i. e. Refresh sustain yourselves Judg. 19.5 Psal 104.15 Compare Heb. 13.9 with Deut. 12.17 18. For therefore are ye come Or Because and seeing that ye are come This rendring agrees well with the Hebrew and is confirmed in the Note on ch 33.10 6. Hastened This speaks Abraham's forwardness to entertain strangers 7. Good c. This speaks his Bounty 8. Which he had dressed i. e. Which the young man had dressed v. 7. By them i. e. Waiting on them which speaks his Humility Compare Jer. 52.12 10. He said viz. One of the persons v. 1. According to the time of life i. e. The next or following year according to the usual time which passeth from the first conception to the timely birth of a living child Compare Rom. 9.9 and Gen. 21.2 with Gen. 17.24 and ch 21.5 See also 2 Kings 4.16 11. Women viz. That bear Children 12. Waxed old She being now Eighty nine years old 13. Laugh Her laughing is reproved as being in her a token of her unbelief 15. I laughed not And thus she adds one sin to another which 't is likely she thâ— more securely did because her laughter was not open the Text saying That she laughed within her self v. 12. For she was afraid Amazed or astonished with fear as the Vulgar renders it which might well be when she perceived her self discovered by this divine Person even then when she did but laugh within her self This sinfull fear or amazement of hers betrayed her into this denial And for that reason when the Apostle propounds Sarah as a pattern of obedience to Women he does at the same time caution them very seasonably against the sinfull fear by which she fell Whose daughters ye are says he as long as ye do well and are not afraid with any amazement 1 Pet. 3.6 18. Seeing c. For as much as God had before shewed him great favours and had made a Covenant with him and promised that he should be the Father of many Nations Compare Amos 3.7 Gen. 20.7 19. That he will command Of which Abraham had given some proof ch 17. v. 23 27. Parents and Masters of Families from the example of this Father of the Faithfull may learn their duty to instruct their Children and Servants in the way of the Lord. That Abraham may be furnished with a powerfull argument against a wicked course of life which he might make use of to his family he is acquainted with God's intentions against Sodom 20. Very grievous Of this we have a particular account Ezek. 16.49 50. and Gen. 19. 21. Go down God speaks after the manner of Men. See ch 11. v. 5. And see whether God does not destroy Men suddenly and teaches us to be wary where the lives of Men are concerned I will know Or try whether they be such Sinners as ought to be cut off God speaks after the manner of Men. See ch 22. v. 12. 22. Men Two of the three which appeared v. 1. See ch 19. v. 1. The third who is called Jehovah stayed with Abraham who stood yet before the Lord or prayed to him as the Chaldee hath it 23. Wilt thou c. Abraham did pray and intercede
in the last days 22. With Bilhah By which means he lost his Birth-right ch 49.4 26. In Padan-Aram Except Benjamin as is plain from what goes before CHAP. XXXVI The ARGUMENT The Wives and Children of Esau He removes to Mount Seir. The Dukes which descended from him The Sons and Dukes of Seir. Kings of Edom and Dukes 1. NOW these are the generations of Esau who is Edom 2. Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite 3. And Bashemath Ishmael's daughter sister of Nebajoth 4. And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz and Bashemath bare Reuel 5. And Aholibamah bare Jeush and Jaalam and Korah These are the sons of Esau which were born unto him in the land of Canaan 6. And Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all the persons of his house and his cattel and all his beasts and all his substance which he had got in the land of Canaan and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob. 7. For their riches were more then that they might dwell together and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattel 8. Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir Esau is Edom. 9. And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir. 10. These are the names of Esau's sons Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau 11. And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman Omar Zepho and Gatam and Kenaz 12. And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife 13. And these are the sons of Reuel Nahath and Zerah Shammah and Mizzah these were the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife 14. And these were the sons of Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon Esau's wife and she bare to Esau Jeush and Jaalam and Korah 15. These were dukes of the sons of Esau the sons of Eliphaz the first-born son of Esau duke Teman duke Omar duke Zepho duke Kenaz 16. Duke Korah duke Gatam and duke Amalek These are the dukes that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom these were the sons of Adah 17. And these are the sons of Reuel Esau's son duke Nahath duke Zerah duke Shammah duke Mizzah These are the dukes that came of Reuel in the land of Edom these are the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife 18. And these are the sons of Aholibamah Esau's wife duke Jeash duke Jaalam duke Korah these were the dukes that came of Aholibamah the daughter of Anah Esau's wife 19. These are the sons of Esau who is Edom and these are their dukes 20. These are the sons of Seir the Horite who inhabited the land Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah 21. And Dishon and Ezer and Dishan these are the dukes of the Horites the children of Seir in the land of Edom. 22. And the children of Lotan were Hori and Heman and Lotan's sister was Timna 23. And the children of Shobal were these Alvan and Manahath and Ebal Shepho and Onam 24. And these are the children of Zibeon both Ajah and Anah this was that Anah that found the mâ—les in the wilderness as he fed the asset of Zibeon his father 25. And the children of Anah were these Dishon and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah 26. And these are the children of Dishon Hemdan and Eshban and Ithran and Cheran 27. The children of Ezer are these Bilhan and Zaavan and Achan 28. The children of Dishan are these Vz and Aran. 29. These are the dukes that came of the Horites duke Lotan duke Shobal duke Zibeon duke Anah 30. Duke Dishon duke Ezer duke Dishan these are the dukes that came of Hori among their dukes in the land of Seir. 31. And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before there reigned any king over the children of Israel 32. And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom and the name of his city was Dinhabah 33. And Bela died and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead 34. And Jobab died and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his stead 35. And Husham died and Hadad the son of Bedad who smote Midian in the field of Moab reigned in his stead and the name of his city was Avith 36. And Hadad died and Samlah of Masrekahreigned in his stead 37. And Samlah died and Saul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead 38. And Saul died and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead 39. And Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died and Hadar reigned in his stead and the name of his city was Pau and his wife's name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred the daughter of Mezahab 40. And these are the names of the dukes that came of Esau according to their families after their places by their names duke Timnah duke Alvah duke Jetheth 41. Duke Aholibamah duke Elah duke Pinon 42. Duke Kenaz duke Teman duke Mibzar 43. Duke Magdiel duke Iram These be the dukes of Edom according to their habitations in the land of their possession he is Esau the father of the Edomites 1. THE Generations We have here an Accomplishment of what was foretold ch 25.23 and of what was promised ch 22.17 2. His Wives Who had several Names as well as he See the Note on ch 28.9 and ch 26.34 The daughter of Zibeon i. e. Grand-child of Zibeon referring it to Aholibamah And thus is Anah here distinguished from him mentioned v. 20. the one being the Brother the other the Son of Zibeon Compare v. 24. the Greek here and v. 14. 3. Bashemath See ch 28.9 4. Eliphaz Probably the same who is mentioned in the Book of Job or his Ancestor 6. Into the Country i. e. He left Canaan and went into another Country or Land and that was Mount Seir v. 8. 8. Seir So called from a Man of that name v. 20. God gave this place to Esau Deut. 2.5 Josh 24.4 11. Teman Job 2.11 12. Timna She was the Sister of Lotan the Son of Seir v. 20 22. Amalek Whence came the Amalekites great Enemies to Israel Exod. 17.8 16. 15. Dukes These Dukes mentioned from this to the 19th Verse are to be taken for the Heads of the Families from Esau 16. Korah He is not mentioned among the Sons of Eliphaz v. 11 12. and probably was his Grand-child 20. Seir the Horite Whose Race is here mentioned because of the Affinity between his and Esau's Family who succeeded the Horites in the possession of their Country Deut. 2.12 with verse 22. 24. Found the Mules in the Wilderness Mules are said to be ingendred of Horse and Ass and Anah is from these words supposed to have found the way of gaining these Creatures by committing them together when he fed the Asses of Zibeon
Israelites did lie under in Egypt and the great Hardships which they met with there of which we have an account in the remaining part of that Chapter and afterwards Chap. 5. III. The Persons by whose Ministry this Deliverance was wrought and under this Head is to be reckoned the account we have of Moses of his Birth and of his wonderfull Preservation and of his Divine Mission Ch. 2 and 3. and Power given to him to do wonderfull Works As also that of Aaron his Brother ch 4. and 6. IV. The Assurance which Moses received of his Success in this Undertaking ch 6. V. The Wonders which were wrought and the Plagues inflicted upon Pharaoh King of Egypt and upon his People to induce them to believe the Divine Mission of Moses and Aaron and to let the Israelites go out of Egypt And we have a particular account of these wonderfull Works to the end of the Eleventh Chapter These wonderfull Works deserve a special Consideration They were wrought to procure a belief of the over-ruling Power of the God of Israel and that Moses and Aaron were sent by him The Works themselves were above the Power of a Creature And though the Sorcerers and Magicians of Egypt were able in some measure to imitate some of the first Works of Moses ch 7. yet were they forced quickly to give out and to own the unimitable Power of God And when they inflicted Evils they were destitute of Power to remove those Inflictions ch 8. v. 7 8. The Magicians of Egypt could not produce so much as Lice out of the Dust of the Earth ch 8.18 't was above their Power and for the swarm of Flies which were sent upon the Egyptians the place where the Israelites dwelt was by the wonderfull Providence of God exempted from them ch 8.22 Thus it was also in the Murrain it did light on the Cattel of the Egyptians but not upon that which belonged to the Israelites ch 9. The Plague of Boyls succeeded which was so grievous upon the Egyptians that the Magicians themselves could not stand before Moses v. 11. The Hail with Thunder and Fire came next but this grievous Plague fell upon the Egyptians onely the Israelites felt it not v. 26. A grievous Plague from the Locusts followed and that was followed by a thick Darkness which affected the Egyptians only the Israelites enjoying Light as before And lastly the Death of the First-born which sell onely on those of the Egyptians and from which the Israelites were excused ch 11. After this wonderfull manner did God think fit to effect and bring to pass the Departure of the Israelites out of Egypt This was a most signal Blessing to that People and never to be forgotten And as God thought fit by Moses to transmit to Posterity the History of the Facts relating to this Matter so he appointed a Festival and a very Solemn one to be annually kept by the Israelites in remembrance of it and appointed the Month in which this Departure happened to be for the future observed as the first of at least the Ecclesiastical year The Israelites are often put in mind by Moses and the succeeding Prophets of this Deliverance and it is made use of as an Inducement to their Obedience to the Law given them afterwards Exod. 20.2 And that they might not forget this Deliverance they were afterwards obliged to keep up the remembrance of it once every Week on their Sabbath-day Deut. 5.15 And besides all this to perpetuate the memory of this Deliverance the first-born of Man and Beast are to be separated or set apart Exod. 13. Of this Departure of the Israelites out of Egypt and of the Solemn Festival appointed for a Memorial of it viz. The Passover and Feast of Unleavened-bread and the rites thereunto belonging we have an account ch 12. and 13. When the Israelites Went from Egypt God took care of them and directed their Journies by a certain Pillar which in the Day appeared as a Cloud and as Fire in the Night ch 13.21 22. And whereas the Egyptians were so hardy as to pursue them God miraculously saves the Israelites by giving them a passage through the Red-Sea and drowns the Egyptians which followed them ch 14. In memory whereof we have a Solemn Hymn or Song of Moses ch 15. I will now represent the Facts that were consequent upon this Deliverance The bitter Waters of Marah were made sweet by Moses ch 15.25 And when the People wanted Bread they were miraculously supplied with Quails and Manna ch 16. And when they wanted Water they are supplied with it from a Rock in Horeb. When they were assaulted by Amalek they prevailed whiles Moses held up his hands in memory of which Victory an Altar is built ch 17. Next follows an account of the coming of Jethro of his Reception by Moses and the Counsel he gave him ch 18. And now were the Israelites come to the Wilderness in Sinai in the third Month after they were come from Egypt And here God gives them the Law and that he does in a manner that was very solemn and awfull Moses goes up into a Mountain where God instructs him what he should say to the Israelites the better to prepare them for receiving the Law and returns their answer unto God He is sent down to them again to sanctify them and warn them And God sent him a third time with a charge to them to keep their distance The Mountain was in a smoke and God descended on it in Fire and it quaked and the People were terrified chap. 19. This was a fit time and place for them to receive their Law They had a little before received many proofs of the Power of God and of his care of them which might dispose them to Obedience to God's Law They were in a Wilderness a place of recess and leisure They were freed from the Slavery of Egypt and from the Idolatrous Examples of the Egyptians On the other hand they were short of Canaan and so not diverted by Wars with that People nor acquainted with their filthy Practices and idolatrous Rites nor rendred dull and stupid by the Plenty and Prosperities of that Land And therefore was this a most fit season for this Solemnity 'T was God's great care that his People should neither imitate the People of Egypt whence they came nor of Canaan whither they were going This he told them elsewhere by Moses After the doings of the Land of Egypt wherein ye dwelt and after the doings of the Land of Canaan whither I bring you shall ye not do neither shall ye walk in their Ordinances Levit. 18.3 To have given this Law in Egypt might have been too soon and to have done it when they were possessed of Canaan might have been too late Here they are placed between both intirely delivered from Egypt and unacquainted with Canaan and consequently the better disposed to receive God's Law And whereas they had been miraculously brought out of Egypt
the birth and preservation of Moses of the Wonders wrought in Egypt of the Israelites most miraculous deliverance thence of their travel in the Wilderness and the wondrous things which happened there If we be taken with the knowledge of Laws here we shall find that which will entertain us also For besides the moral Precepts in which all Mankind are concerned we have an account of the Laws of the Israelites by which they were to be governed in their own Land And tho' it be true that these judicial Laws were given to the Hebrews and that they were concerned in them and that other Nations must be governed by the Laws of their several Countries yet certain it is that the Justice and the Equity on which these Laws are founded and which they recommend are worthy the consideration and imitation too of other Nations And if inquisitive persons think it worth their while to look into the Laws of Sparta and Athens of Rome and other Kingdoms and Commonwealths certainly they must judge the Laws of Moses which came from God himself are well worthy their looking into and their serious consideration Again if Religion or the way of worshipping God and the Holy Rites and Ceremonies thereunto belonging will entertain us we have here some account of that also and a farther afterwards and of the Persons appointed to minister in Holy Things of their Vestments Separation and solemn Consecration to their Office Or lastly If our Curiosity leads us to consider curious Mechanism or the Work of the most able Artificers we have an account of the Structure of the Tabernacle of its several parts and dimensions of its Instruments and Utensils and the curious Work made use of about that and the Priest's Holy Garments Secondly Here is also to be found a Symbolical Representation of better things to come For several Matters related here are Symbols and Types of something else which was to be revealed in the days of the Messias which does mightily enhanse the value of these Relations and which exalts them above the rate of other Relations It would be too long to dilate upon Particulars I shall onely observe that the Redemption of the Israelites from Egypt was a great Symbol and Type of Christ's far greater Redemption of Mankind And that the Structure and Frame of the Tabernacle was a Type also of Evangelical Things And whoever will take the pains to compare what Josephus says of the parts of the Sanctuary and the mystical meaning thereof with what is said by the Divine Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews on that occasion will be farther convinced of the truth hereof Thirdly This Book lays before us a lively Idea of God's special Providence and Care of his People and consequently lays a great foundation for Piety particularly for Obedience to his Precepts and trust and affiance in him under all Events Moses is preserved notwithstanding all Arts used to destroy him The Israelites live and increase under the severest hardships The Bush is burnt with Fire but not consumed All the Wit and Malice and Power of Men cannot defeat God's Counsels nor destroy the People whom he will preserve They whom God will save Man cannot destroy They are safe who are under his protection He can find Meat and Drink for them in a barren Wilderness While they obey and follow God they are safe And therefore our greatest Care and highest Wisdom is with all imaginable care to do the Will of God and then to trust to him for a supply of our Necessities and a defence against our Enemies and a certain relief under our most pressing straits and difficulties And all this is powerfully recommended to us from the Matters laid before us in this Book of Moses called Exodus NOTES ON THE Book of EXODUS CHAP. I. The ARGUMENT The Names of the Sons of Israel who came into Egypt They multiply there when oppressed by a new King The Midwives obey not the King who commanded them to kill the Male-children of the Hebrews after which the same Command is given to the People of Egypt 1. NOW these are the names of the children of Israel which came into Egypt every man and his houshold came with Jacob. 2. Reuben Simeon Levi and Judah 3. Issachar Zebulun and Benjamin 4 Dan and Naphtali Gad and Asher 5. And all the souls that came out of the loyns of Jacob were seventy souls for Joseph was in Egypt already 6. And Joseph died and all his brethren and all that generation 7. And the children of Israel were fruitfull and increased abundantly and multiplyed and waxed exceeding mighty and the land was filled with them 8. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt which knew not Joseph 9. And he said unto his people Behold the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier then we 10. Come on let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to pass that when there falleth out any war they join also unto our enemies and fight against us and so get them up out of the land 11. Therefore they did set over them task-masters to afflict them with their burdens And they built for Pharaoh treasure-cities Pithom and Raamses 12. But the more they afflicted them the more they multiplied and grew And they were grieved because of the children of Israel 13. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor 14. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage in mortar and in brick and in all manner of service in the field all their service wherein they made them serve was with rigor 15. And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives of which the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah 16. And he said When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women and see them upon the stools if it be a son then ye shall kill him but if it be a daughter then she shall live 17. But the midwives feared God and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them but saved the men children alive 18. And the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said unto them Why have ye done this thing and have saved the man-men-children alive 19. And the midwives said unto Pharaoh Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women for they are lively and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them 20. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives and the people multiplyed and waxed very mighty 21. And it came to pass because the midwives feared God that he made them houses 22. And Pharaoh charged all his people saying Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river and every daughter ye shall save alive 1. THESE are the names God had promised to Abraham that he would exceedingly multiply his seed Gen. 15.5 And by comparing the number of those that went into Egypt with the number that came out thence we may
Zipporah his daughter 22. And she bare him a son and he called his name Gershom for he said I have been a stranger in a strange land 23. And it came to pass in process of time that the king of Egypt died and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage and they cried and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage 24. And God heard their groaning and God remembred his covenant with Abraham with Isaac and with Jacob. 25. And God looked upon the children of Israel and God had respect unto them 1. A Man Called Amram Exod 6.20 Numb 26.59 A daughter of Levi Her name was Jochebed and she was Amram's Father's Sister Exod. 6.20 The Family of Israel was as yet small and the Law of Marriages not yet given This was afterward forbid Lev. 18.12 2. A goodly child A beautifull Child Heb. 11.23 Act. 7.20 See Joseph Antiqu. l. 2. c. 5. 4. His sister viz. Miriam Exod. 15.20 5. The daughter of Pharaoh Called Thermuthis by Josephus 6. This is one of the Hebrews children She might very well thus judge not onely because he was circumcised as the Hebrews were but because she saw him thus exposed for fear of being discovered and killed according to the King's Command 7. His sister Who had placed her self so as she might see what became of her Brother 8. Go She was the more inclined not onely because the Child was beautifull but because she had none of her own as Josephus tells us 10. Her son Her adopted Son as the Vulgar hath it She called his name Moses i. e. Drawnout from a word that signifies to draw out See Ps 18.16 Josephus likewise tells us That Moses even among the Egyptians did signifie one saved from the Waters 11. Grown Not onely in Stature of which v. 10. but in Strength and Years He was now full forty years old Act. 7.23 12. He slew the Egyptian His example is not to be imitated by us who do not know what his Authority was However Moses supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them Act. 7.25 13. The second day i. e. The next day Act. 7.26 14. A prince Heb. a Man a Prince A ruler and a judge Act. 7.27 16. Priest Or Prince It is very possible he might be both Priest Prince also See Gen. 47.22 17. Drove them away Them i. e. not the Daughters it being the Masculin Gender in the Hebr. but the Flocks or some Servants who were under these Daughters 18. Reuel their father Reuel was Jethro's Father and their Grandfather And Jethro was also called Hobab See Numb 10.29 Judg. 4.11 It is usual in the Scripture to call the Grandfather Father See Gen. 24.48 V. M. B. Israel Concil in Exod. qu. 1. 21. Zipporah his daughter i. e. The Daughter of Jethro See the Greek v. 16. 22. Gershom Ch. 18.3 the former part of which word signifies a Stranger in the Hebr. 24. Covenant Gen. 15.14 and 46.4 25. God had respect unto them Heb. Knew them God had a mercifull regard to them See the Chaldee and Psal 1.6.31.7 CHAP. III. The ARGUMENT Moses keeps the Flock of Jethro and comes to Horeb. The burning Bush not consumed Moses is appointed by God to deliver the Children of Israel out of Egypt Of the Name of God The Message of Moses God fore-tells the Event or Success of his undertaking 1. NOW Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law the priest of Midian and he led the flock to the back-side of the desart and came to the mountain of God even to Horeb. 2. And the Angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush and be looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed 3. And Moses said I will now turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burnt 4. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said Moses Moses And he said Here am I. 5. And he said Draw not nigh hither put off thy shooes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground 6. Moreover he said I am the God of thy father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God 7. And the LORD said I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their task-masters for I know their sorrows 8. And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large unto a land flowing with milk and honey unto the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jeâ—â—sites 9. Now therefore behold the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them 10. Come now therefore and I will send thee unto Pharaoh that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt 11. And Moses said unto God Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt 12. And he said Certainly I will be with thee and this shall be a token unto thee that I have sent thee When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt ye shall serve God upon this mountain 13. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you and they shall say to me What is his name What shall I say unto them 14. And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM And he said Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel I AM hath sent me unto you 15. And God said moreover unto Moses Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel The LORD God of your fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath sent me unto you this is my name for ever and this is my memorial unto all generations 16. Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say unto them The LORD God of your fathers the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob appeared unto me saying I have surely visited you and seen that which is done to you in Egypt 17. And I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites unto a land flowing with milk and honey 18. And they shall hearken to thy voice and thou shalt come thou and the elders of Israel unto the king of Egypt and you shall say
12. That thou Ch. 22.29 and 34.19 Ezek. 44.30 Set apart Heb. Cause to pass over i. e. Thou shalt not reckon it thine own but God's Vid. Levit. 27.32 13. Of an Ass Of unclean beasts Numb 18.15 The Ass is named that creature being very common among them Jud. 10.4 and 12.14 And the Ass therefore seems named here as a most common Beast and comprehending other Creatures that were not fit for Sacrifice And Philo the Jew when he mentions this Law reckons Horses Asses and Camels and such-like de Sacerdot Honor. l. Lamb Or Kid vid. ch 12.3 14. In time to come Heb. To morrow Vid. Matt. 6.34 16. And it shall be for a token upon thine hand and for frontlets between thine eyes See verse 9. Hence the Jews understanding these words literally took up a custom of using their Phylacteries Matt. 23.5 which they wore on their Hands and Foreheads These were made of Skins of a clean Beast in which were written four Tracts or little Sections of their Law viz. Deut. 6.4 to the end of v. 9. Exod. 13.1 to the end of v. 10. Exod. 13.11 to the end of v. 16. Deut. 11.13 to the end of v. 21. 18. Harnessed Or by five in a rank i. e. They went in good order and having their Loins girded See ch 12.11 19. The bones of Joseph Vid. Act. 7.16 God will c. Gen. 50.25 Josh 24.32 20. They took c. Numb 33.6 21. The LORD Numb 14.14 Deut. 1.33 Nehem. 9.19 Psal 78.14 1 Cor. 10.1 He is called the Angel of God ch 14.19 And it is supposed that he is the Son of God it being said that they tempted Christ in the Wilderness 1 Cor. 10.9 And Philo the Jew thinks it credible that a certain invisible Angel accompanied the Cloud as the Conductor of the People Whom says he we may not see with bodily eyes Vid. Phil. de Vit. Mos l. 1. And there is ground for this opinion of his from the place compared with ch 14.19 where it is said And the Angel of God which went before the Camp of Israel removed and went behind them And the Pillar of the Cloud went from before their face and stood behind them 22. The Pillar The Pillar of a Cloud and of Fire seem to be but one Pillar ch 14.19 20 24. Spread as a Cloud by day and having the appearance of Fire by night for the guidance of the People CHAP. XIV The ARGUMENT The Israelites are directed in their Journey Pharaoh pursues them The Israelites are much afraid Moses endeavours to quiet them The Angel and Cloud remove behind the Camp of Israel The Israelites pass through the Red sea the Egyptians following them are drowned 1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying 2. Speak unto the children of Israel that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth between Migdol and the sea over against Baal-zephon before it shall ye encamp by the sea 3. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel They are entangled in the land the wilderness hath shut them in 4. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart that he shall follow after them and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh and upon all his host that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD And they did so 5. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people and they said Why have we done this that we have let Israel go from serving us 6. And he made ready his chariot and took his people with him 7. And he took six hundred chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt and captains over every one of them 8. And the LORD hardned the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and be pursued after the children of Israel and the children of Israel went out with an high hand 9. But the Egyptians pursued after them all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh and his horse-men and his army and overtook them encamping by the sea beside Pihahiroth before Baal-zephon 10. And when Pharaoh drew nigh the children of Israel lift up their eyes and behold the Egyptians marched after them and they were sore afraid and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD 11. And they said unto Moses Because there were no graves in Egypt hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us forth out of Egypt 12. Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt saying Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians then that we should die in the wilderness 13. And Moses said unto the people Fear ye not stand still and see the salvation of the LORD which he will shew to you to day for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day ye shall see them again no more for ever 14. The LORD shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace 15. And the LORD said unto Moses Wherefore criest thou unto me Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward 16. But lift thou up thy rod and stretch out thine hand over the sea and divide it and the children of Israel shall go on dry-ground through the midst of the sea 17. And I behold I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians and they shall follow them and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh and upon all his host upon his chariots and upon his horse-men 18. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh upon his chariots and upon his horse-men 19. And the angel of God which went before the camp of Israel removed and went behind them and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face and stood behind them 20. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel and it was a cloud and darkness to them but it gave light by night to these so that the one came not near the other all the night 21. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east-wind all that night and made the sea dry-land and the waters were divided 22. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry-ground and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left 23. And the Egyptians pursued and went in after them to the midst of the sea even all Pharaoh's horses his chariots and his horse-men 24. And it came to pass that in the morning-watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud and troubled the host of the Egyptians 25. And took off their chariot-wheels that they drave them heavily so that the Egyptians said Let us flee from the face of Israel for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians 26. And the LORD
2.16 Zach. 7.3 1 Cor. 7.5 16. Thunders c. These were so many tokens of the great and terrible Majesty of God who therefore ought to be feared and obeyed 18. Mount Sinai Deut. 4.11 Descended Vid. v. 11. In fire Hence the Law might be called a fiery Law Deut. 33.3 19. Moses spake So terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12.21 21. Charge Heb. contest Break through Namely by going beyond the bounds which were set See v. 12. 22. Priests Aaron and his Sons were not yet set a-part to the Priesthood as is generally supposed Yet see the Note on ch 18.12 And therefore by Priests here we may understand those who ministred in Holy things before Aaron and his Sons were consecrated And these are supposed to be the first-born ch 13.2 who are called young men ch 24.5 And what is rendred young men elsewhere signifies Ministers or those who serve 2 Kings 19.6 That come near to the LORD Who come near to minister unto the Lord. The Priest by vertue of his Office is placed between God and the People for whom he prays and offers Sacrifice unto God 23. Cannot come up i. e. They are sufficiently warned already of the danger of passing the bounds 24. Thou and Aaron Ch. 24.1 CHAP. XX. The ARGUMENT The Ten Commandments The People are in great fear Moses comforts them Idolatry is forbidden Rules concerning the Altar on which they should sacrifice 1. AND God spake all these words saying 2. I am the LORD thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage 3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me 4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth 5. Thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me 6. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments 7. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain 8. Remember the sabbath-day to keep it holy 9. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work 10. But the seventh is the sabbath of the LORD thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid servant nor thy cattel nor thy stranger that is within thy gates 11. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath-day and hallowed it 12. Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee 13. Thou shalt not kill 14. Thou shalt not commit adultery 15. Thou shalt not steal 16. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour 17. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant nor his ox nor his ass nor any thing that is thy neighbours 18. And all the people saw the thundrings and the lightnings and the noise of the trumpet and the mountain smoaking and when the people saw it they removed and stood a-far off 19. And they said unto Moses Speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we die 20. And Moses said unto the people Fear not for God is come to prove you and that his fear may be before your faces that ye sin not 21. And the people stood a-far off and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was 22. And the LORD said unto Moses Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven 23. Ye shall not make with me gods of silver neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold 24. An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings and thy peace-offerings thy sheep and thine oxen In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee 25. And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone thou shalt not build it of hewn stone for if thou lift up thy tool upon it thou hast polluted it 26. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon 1. ALL these words i. e. All these Precepts which follow These are called the ten Words or Commandments ch 34.28 The Hebrew which we render Words is observed to signifie Precepts See Deut. 18.19 2. I am the LORD c. Deut. 5.6 Psal 81.10 This Verse contains the Preface to the following laws and therein very powerfull arguments to gain their attention and obedience Viz. I. From the Excellency of the Person who Commands The Lord. II. His Relation to them whom he commands Thy God III. His Mercy bestowed on them Which have brought thee c. Bondage Heb. Servants 3. Thou shalt have Or There shall not be unto thee Before me Or besides me As the Chaldee and Greek render it This third Verse contains the first Commandment and teacheth that there is one God and he alone is to be worshipped saith Josephus Antiq. Judaic l. 3. c. 4. 4. Thou shalt not c. Levit. 26.1 Psal 97.7 There being Ten of these Commandments ch 34.28 This must be the second as Josephus rightly affirms See this farther proved in the Notes on v. 17. 5. A jealous God Idolatry is frequently expressed by Whoredom Deut. 31.16 Jer. 3.9 And God is said to be an husband to his People Jer. 2.2 Hos 2.19 And in proportion and conformity hereunto God's displeasure against Idolatry is expressed by Jealousy which is says Solomon the rage of a man Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance c. Prov. 6.34 This is here added to deterr Men from Idolatry And is a powerfull Argument to keep Men from the appearance and suspicion of this Sin Children That are rebellious says the Chaldee Third and fourth So long the Idolaters may be supposed to live and be punished in their Children Of them that hate me That is of Idolaters who are especially the haters of God Vid. Mor. Nevochim p. 1. c. 36. 6. And keep c. The keeping God's Commandments being the best argument that we love him 7. Thou shalt not c. Levit. 19.12 Deut. 5.11 Matt. 5.33 Thou shalt not swear falsely nor lightly and commonly but greatly reverence the Holy Name of God Not hold him guiltless i. e. He will severely punish More is understood than is expressed vid. 1 Cor. 10.5 8. To keep it holy i. e. To separate
meat-offering mingled with oyl for to day the LORD will appear unto you 5. And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD 6. And Moses said This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do and the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you 7. And Moses said unto Aaron Go unto the altar and offer thy sin-offering and thy burnt-offering and make an atonement for thy self and for the people and offer the offering of the people and make an atonement for them as the LORD commanded 8. Aaron therefore went unto the altar and slew the calf of the sin-offering which was for himself 9. And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him and he dipt his finger in the blood and put it upon the horns of the altar and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar 10. But the fat and the kidneys and the caul above the liver of the sin-offering he burnt upon the altar as the LORD commanded Moses 11. And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp 12. And he slew the burnt-offering and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood which he sprinkled round about upon the altar 13. And they presented the burnt-offering unto him with the pieces thereof and the head and he burnt them upon the altar 14. And he did wash the inwards and the legs and burnt them upon the burnt-offering on the altar 15. And he brought the people's offering and took the goat which was the sin-offering for the people and slew it and offered it for sin as the first 16. And he brought the burnt-offering and offered it according to the manner 17. And he brought the meat-offering and took an handfull thereof and burnt it upon the altar beside the burnt-sacrifice of the morning 18. He slew also the bullock and the ram for a sacrifice of peace-offerings which was for the people and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood which he sprinkled upon the altar round about 19. And the fat of the bullock and of the ram the rump and that which covereth the inwards and the kidneys and the caul above the liver 20. And they put the fat upon the breasts and he burnt the fat upon the altar 21. And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave-offering before the LORD as Moses commanded 22. And Aaron lift up his hand towards the people and blessed them and came down from offering of the sin-offering and the burnt-offering and peace-offerings 23. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation and came out and blessed the people and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people 24. And there came a fire out from before the LORD and consumed upon the altar the burnt-offering and the far which when all the people saw they shouted and fell on their faces 1. ON the eighth day That is From the beginning of the Consecration of the Priests ch 8.33 35. Exod. 29.30 Ezek. 43.26 27. 2. Take Exod. 29.1 For a sin-offering i. e. To expiate his own sins v. 8. The High-priest was obliged to bring a young Bullock for his sin Lev. 4.3 And it is required of Aaron here upon his entring upon his Office Whence it is evident that his Priesthood was designed for his own Expiation as well as that of the People Heb. 5.2 and 9.7 3. For a sin-offering Of the order of these Offerings See the Note on ch 8.14 4. For peace-offerings These were for the People v. 18. Here is no Peace-offering required of Aaron because part of that Offering being the Portion of the Priest and the greater part of the Offerer it could not be offered aright by Aaron who would have been both Priest and Offerer The LORD will appear i. e. The Glory of the Lord will appear See v. 6. 5. Before the LORD i. e. At the entrance of the Tabernacle 6. The glory of the LORD i. e. A visible sign of the Presence and Favour of God This was fulfilled v. 24. when by the fire which God sent and which consumed the Sacrifice He gave them assurance that he accepted the Offering See Gen. 4.4 1 King 18.38 2 Chron. 7.1 2 Mac. 2.10 11. And any such token or sign of God's favour and more especial Presence may be called the Glory or the Glory of the Lord 2 Pet. 1.17 with Matt. 17.5 Rom. 9.4 with 1 Sam. 4.22 7. For thy self and for the people In which respect the Legal Priests came short of Christ Heb. 5.3 and 7.26 27 28. 15. As the first As the Sin-offering mentioned v. 8. And he also burnt it as he did that without the Camp v. 11. For which he is reproved by Moses ch 10.16 17. 16. Manner Or Ordinance Took an handfull thereof Heb. Filled his hand out of it Beside the burnt-offering c. Exod. 29.38 This Oblation was offered beside the continual Offering that was with its Meat-offering offered every morning 18. For the people See the Note on v. 4. 21. Breasts and the right shoulder These are the portion of the Priest who ministred Levit. 7.34 Waved See the Notes on Exod. 29.24 22. Blessed them This was the Office of the Priest 2 Chron. 23.13 The form of doing this is prescribed Numb 6.23 In this Aaron was a Figure of Christ Act. 3.26 Who lift up his hands and blessed his disciples Luk. 24.50 23. Appeared unto all the people See the Notes on v. 6. 24. There came c. Gen. 4.4 1 King 18.18 2 Chron. 7.1 2 Mac. 2.10 11. CHAP. X. The ARGUMENT Nadab and Abihu for offering strange Fire are burnt Aaron and his Sons are forbidden to Mourn for them The Priests are forbidden Wine and strong Drink when they go into the Tabernacle Aaron and his Sons commanded to eat their portion of the Offerings Aaron excuseth his not Eating at this time 1. AND Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron took either of them his censer and put fire therein and put incense thereon and offered strange fire before the LORD which he commanded them not 2. And there went out fire from the LORD and devoured them and they died before the LORD 3. Then Moses said unto Aaron This is it that the LORD spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the people I will be glorified And Aaron held his peace 4. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan the sons of Vzziel the uncle of Aaron and said unto them Come near carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp 5. So they went near and carried them in their coats out of the camp as Moses had said 6. And Moses said unto Aaron and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar his sons Vncover not your heads neither rend your clothes lest you die and lest wrath come upon all the people but let your brethren the whole house of Israel
neighbour's wife to defile thy self with her 21. And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God I am the LORD 22. Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind it is abomination 23. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thy self therewith neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto it is confusion 24. Defile not you your selves in any of these things for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you 25. And the land is defiled therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it and the land it self vomiteth out her inhabitants 26. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments and shall not commit any of these abominations neither any of your own nation nor any stranger that sojourneth among you 27. For all these abominations have the men of the land done which were before you and the land is defiled 28. That the land spue not you out also when ye defile it as it spued out the nations that were before you 29. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations even the Souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people 30. Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs which were committed before you and that ye defile not your selves therein I am the LORD your God 3. Egypt Which was an Idolatrous Nation Ezek. 20.7 8. ch 23.8 and where they had defiled themselves And they being warned against Idolatry before ch 17.7 are seasonably here cautioned to shun the doings of Egypt Of Canaan That Land was guilty of that uncleanness which is forbidden in the following words and therefore the Israelites are here very seasonably warned against the Practices of that People v. 24 25 27 28. and ch 20.23 And the Wilderness is chosen as a very fit place to give these Laws in the Israelites being removed from the Snares and Temptations of Egypt and not as yet mingled with the People of Canaan 5. Which if a man do he shall live in them Ezek. 20.11 Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 Life in the phrase of the Holy Scripture implies Ease and Prosperity or the Comforts and Blessings of Life Levit. 25.36 1 Sam. 25.6 1 King 1.25 These were promised to the Israelites upon Obedience to the Laws of Moses In or by these Laws while they adhered to them they enjoyed these good things The express promise of Eternal life belongs to the Gospel-Covenant Joh. 17.3 1 Tim. 4.8 2 Tim. 1.10 Heb. 8.6 For though Obedience to the Law the Moral part of it especially were the way to a future as well as present Happiness Matt. 19.17 18 19. Yet that Obedience through the Corruption of humane Nature being imperfect could not intitle them to the Reward of Eternal life 6. Near of kin to him Heb. Remainder of his flesh This general Expression is to be explained by the following Particulars To uncover their nakedness This is to be understood of carnal Copulation as is plain from what follows as well as from the use of the words themselves in other places v. 18. 1 Cor. 12.23 7. Of thy father or the nakedness of thy mother The Hebrew Particle which we translate Or may be translated Even as it sometimes signifies 1 Sam. 28.3 2 Sam. 2.15 Zech. 9.9 and then the latter words are but Exegetical of the former And then the Prohibition is but one though the fault be double For he that lieth with his Father's Wife doth uncover his Father's nakedness as well as his Mothers ch 20.11 and verse 8. of this Chapter It is expressly said v. 8. that the nakedness of the Father's Wife is the nakedness of the Father And chap. 20.11 that the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness Again ch 20.20 21. The Man that lies with his Uncle's or Brother's Wife is said to uncover his Uncle's and Brother's nakedness And he that defiles his Father's bed may be fitly said to uncover his Father's nakedness She is thy Mother i. e. Thine own Mother the Mother-in-law being forbid in the next Verse 8. The nakedness Chap. 20.11 Deut. 22.30 and 27.20 1 Cor. 5.1 9. Born at home or born abroad i. e. Begotten by thy Father of another Wife or Woman or born of thy Mother by another man ch 20.17 10. Thine own Thy Son and Daughter being thine own Flesh 11. Thy Sister i.e. By the same Father 12. Thou c. Ch. 20.19 Near kinswoman viz. Partaking of the same Flesh 14. Thou shalt not uncover c. Ch. 20.20 See the Notes on verse 7. 15. Thou c. Ch. 20.12 16. Thou c. Ch. 20.21 Thy brother's wife i. e. During his life but if he dye and dye Childless then the Brother that was next married her Deut. 25.5 17. Wickedness Incest saith the Vulgar 18. Wife to her Sister Or One wife to another This is the Marginal reading but we are not so to understand these words as if Polygamy were here forbid For that it was not is evident from the practice of the Israelites which passeth without reproof And therefore though the Marginal reading be such as the Original abstractly considered will bear yet the subject-matter requires that we take the word Sister in the common acceptation of it and then is an Israelite forbid to take to Wife his Wife's Sister whiles that Wife is living To vex her As a Rival to her which frequently occasions vexation 1 Sam. 1.6 19. Also c. Ch. 20.18 21. Thy seed That is Thy Children or Off-spring Deut. 18.10 Pass through the fire Chap. 20.2 2 King 23.10 Here is no mention of Fire in the Hebrew Text but that it is to be understood is plain from Deut. 18.10 2 King 23.10 Such a Custom obtained among the ancient Heathens they made it a part of their Religion to burn some of their Children as a Sacrifice to their false God 2 Chron. 28.3 Jer. 7.31.19.5 Ps 106.37 38. Molech Called Act. 7.43 Molach the name of an Idol which the Ammonites worshipped 1 King 11.7 and otherwise called Milchom 2 King 23.13 It hath been thought to be the same with the Planet Saturn or else the Sun which they worshipped and Molech may indifferently relate to the Star or the Image and Figure thereof Jer. 49.3 Amos 5.36 It was a very principal Idol among the Heathen and the Hebrew word implies Dominion and Kingly Superiority 23. Neither c. Ch. 20.15 25. Vomiteth out her inhabitants Being as it were overcharged and burthened with them Jer. 9.19 26. Stranger Or Sojourner and Proselyte 27. For all these abominations c. As Abominations implies such things as have a a Moral turpitude a filthiness and malignity antecedent to any positive Law these words cannot extend to all the particulars mentioned from v. 7. but these words must referr to the sins mentioned v. 20 21 22 23.
might have been made once before the manner of which Water follows in this Chapter A red heifer c. This Law concerning the Water of Separation for the purifying those who were legally unclean fitly succeeds in this place for the Israelites were now in great fear that by coming near the Tabernacle they should be consumed chap. 17.12 13. Here is a way appointed to cleanse them from their legal Impurities which would have rendred their approach to the Sanctuary dangerous to them This is a Type of Christ Who hath washed us from our sins in his own blood Rev. 1.5 3. Vnto Eleazar Not unto Aaron but to Eleazar because Aaron being the High-priest was under the strictest obligation to shun every legal Uncleanness Lev. 21.11 12. which he who ministred in this Service could not do v. 7. Forth without the camp Heb. 13.11 His face i. e. Eleazar's 4. Sprinkle Heb. 9.13 Before the tabernacle viz. The place where God did more especially presentiate himself and the Type of Heaven into which we can onely by the Blood of Jesus hope to enter Heb. 10.19 5. Her skin Exod 29.14 Levit. 4.11 12. 7. Be unclean The same is said of him that burned the Heifer v. 8. and of him that gathered the Ashes v. 10. and of him that should sprinkle with the Water of Separation or touch it v. 21. which intimate to us the imperfection of the legal Dispensation and Typifie Christ's being made a Curse for us The red Heifer was a Type of Christ who bore our sins Isa 53.12 2 Cor. 5.21 9. Clean That is Free from legal pollution Separation i. e. Which takes away the legal impurities from men a Type of Christ's Blood which purgeth the Conscience from dead works 10. Vnclean See the Note on v. 7. Stranger i. e. Proselyte 11. Man Heb. Soul of man Seven days He that touched the Carcase of an unclean Beast was unclean onely to the Evening Levit. 11.24 13. Defileth the tabernacle That is By approaching to it in his Uncleanness he polluteth the Holy Place For Holy Things were defiled by Unclean Haggai 2.13 with Levit. 15.31 16. Slain with a sword Or any other ways slain as appears from the following words 17. Ashes Heb. Dust Running water shall be put Heb. Living waters shall be given 20. Defiled See v. 13. 22. The unclean person i. e. He that sprinkleth that Water of Separation v. 21. as well as the mentioned v. 7. and he that gathered the Ashes of the Red Heifer v. 10. CHAP. XX. The ARGUMENT The Children of Israel come to Zin Miriam dieth The People murmur for want of Water Moses smites the Rock and they were supplied with Water Moses and Aaron excluded from bringing the Israelites into Canaan Moses is denied passage through Edom. Aaron dieth 1. THen came the children of Israel even the whole congregation into the desart of Zin in the first month and the people abode in Kadesh and Miriam died there and was buried there 2. And there was no water for the congregation and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron 3. And the people chode with Moses and spake saying Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD 4. And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness that we and our cattel should die there 5. And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place it is no place of seed or of figs or of vines or of pomegranates neither is there any water to drink 6. And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and they fell upon their faces and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them 7. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 8. Take the rod and gather thou the assembly together thou and Aaron thy brother and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes and it shall give forth his water and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink 9. And Moses took the rod from before the LORD as he commanded him 10. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock and he said unto them Hear now ye rebels must we fetch you water out of this rock 11. And Moses lift up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock twice and the water came out abundantly and the congregation drank and their beasts also 12. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron Because ye believed me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them 13. This is the water of Meribah because the children of Israel strove with the LORD and he was sanctified in them 14. And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom Thus saith thy brother Israel Thou knowest all the travel that hath befallen us 15. How our fathers went down into Egypt and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time and the Egyptians vexed us and our fathers 16. And when we cried unto the LORD he heard our voice and sent an angel and hath brought us forth out of Egypt and behold we are in Kadesh a city in the uttermost of thy border 17. Let us pass I pray thee through thy country we will not pass through the fields or through the vineyards neither will we drink of the water of the wells we will go by the king's high-way we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left until we have passed thy borders 18. And Edom said unto him Thou shalt not pass by me lest I come out against thee with the sword 19. And the children of Israel said unto him We will go by the high-way and if I and my cattel drink of thy water then I will pay for it I will onely without doing any thing else go through on my feet 20. And he said Thou shalt not go through And Edom came out against him with much people and with a strong hand 21. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border wherefore Israel turned away from him 22. And the children of Israel even the whole congregation journeyed from Kadesh and came unto mount Hor. 23. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor by the coast of the land of Edom saying 24. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah 25. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up unto mount Hor 26. And strip Aaron of his garments and put them upon Eleazar his son and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people and shall die there 27. And Moses did as the LORD commanded and they went up into
mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation 28. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them upon Eleazar his son and Aaron died there in the top of the mount and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount 29. And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead they mourned for Aaron thirty days even all the house of Israel 1. IN the first mouth viz. Of the fortieth Year after they came out of Egypt ch 33.38 and when the Generation of Men who were fit for Battel were consumed Deut. 2.14 Miriam She was Sister to Moses and Aaron and a Prophetess also Exod. 15.20 Micah 6.4 2. There was no water The Water which came out of Horeb and had supplied them in the Wilderness 1 Cor. 10.4 now they draw nigh the promised land fails them Exod. 17.6 3. Chode Exod. 17.2 When our brethren ch 11.33 6. Fell upon their faces See Chap. 14. v. 5. 8. The rod i. e. That Rod with which Moses wrought his Miracles in Egypt which is called his Rod v. 11. and it is probable was lodged in the Sanctuary v. 9. For Moses is said v. 9. to have taken it from before the LORD 12. Because ye believed me not c. It may be matter of enquiry wherein consisted the sin of Moses with which Aaron is also charged as consenting to it In answer to which it is to be considered I. That the very Letter of God's command was broken First In that Moses smote the Rock with his Rod and smote it twice v. 11. whereas he had received no such command from God but was commanded to speak to the Rock v. 8. that the People might see how easily God could supply their want of Water Whereas in the Waters of Horeb he was indeed expressly required to smite with the Rod as well as to take it Exod. 17.5 6. For though he were here commanded to take the Rod yet that does not imply that he was to smite with it as appears from the following Instances Exod. 8.5 6. with ch 9.23 and ch 10.13 and ch 14.16 Secondly In speaking to the People which Moses had no Commission to do and not to the Rock which was expressly commanded v. 8 10. II. That this open breach of God's Command was committed in the sight and face of the Assembly v. 8. hence are Moses and Aaron charged for not sanctifying the Lord in the eyes of the children of Israel v. 12. III. Moses was also guilty of some degree of Unbelief and distrust of God's Power and Veracity as appears from v. 12. compared with v. 10. Must we or can we as the Vulgar hath it fetch water c. which seems to intimate a doubting Vid. Gen. 18.13 and too much Anger and Commotion of Mind They provoked his spirit so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips Psal 106.33 And as the degrees of these sins were known to God onely so it is certain upon the whole they were guilty of that which is elsewhere called Trespass and Rebellion Numb 27.14 Deut. 32.51 To sanctifie me c. i. e. By your ready and absolute Obedience to my Command to own my Sovereignty as well as Veracity in the presence of the Children of Israel 13. This is c. Ps 106.32 Meribah That is Strife And he was sanctified in them i. e. In Moses and Aaron by punishing their Disobedience See Levit 10.3 Ezek. 38.16 22 23. 14. Befallen us Heb. Found us 16. An Angel See Exod. 3.2 17. The King 's high way i. e. The Common Road of all Travellers See v. 19. and ch 21.22 21. Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border Though he refused this yet he did not deny them Victuals and Water for Money as they passed by him See Deut. 2.28 29. 22. Kadesh Ch. 33.37 Mount Hor This Mount was upon the Coast of Edom v. 23. Hence the Horims might have their Name to whom the Children of Esau succeeded in Seir Deut. 2.12 And hence Seir was called an Horite Gen. 36.20 24. Word Heb. Mouth 25. Take Aaron c. Ch. 33.38 Deut. 32.50 26. Of his garments viz. Of his Priestly Robes This implied the devesting him of his Office as the putting them upon Eleazar his Son implied the succeeding of Eleazar into his Father's Employment and Dignity Isa 22.20 21. 28. Aaron died there Deut. 10.6 and ch 32.50 This happened in the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt on the first day of the fifth month when Aaron was an hundred twenty and three years old ch 33.38 39. The Death of Aaron shews the Insufficiency of the Levitical Priesthood Heb. 7.23 24. 29. Thirty days See Deut. 34.8 CHAP. XXI The ARGUMENT The Israelites get a Victory over the Canaanites They murmur and are thereupon destroyed with fiery Serpents They are upon their Repentance healed by a Serpent of Brass They remove to a Place called Oboth and after other Removes they come to Arnon and thence to Beer Some other Removes Sihon and Og are over-come by the Israelites 2552. 1452. 1. AND when king Arad the Canaanite which dwelt in the south heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners 2. And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD and said If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand then I will utterly destroy their cities 3. And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites and they utterly destroyed them and their cities and he called the name of the place Hormah 4. And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red-sea to compass the land of Edom and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way 5. And the people spake against God and against Moses Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness for there is no bread neither is there any water and our soul lotheth this light bread 6. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people and much people of Israel died 7. Therefore the people came to Moses and said We have sinned for we have spoken against the LORD and against thee pray unto the LORD that he take away the serpents from us and Moses prayed for the people 8. And the LORD said unto Moses Make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live 9. And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived 10. And the children of Israel set forward and pitched in Oboth 11. And they journeyed from Oboth and pitched at Ije-abarim in the wilderness which is before Moab toward the sun-rising 12. From thence they removed and pitched in the valley of Zared 13. From
for the proof of what is said v. 13. That Arnon was now the border and not the possession of Moab This being of moment because the Israelites were forbidden to invade the possession of Moab he confirms it from a certain Book or Narrative of the Wars of the Lord which was then well known and now lost Out of which he citing a fragment onely to his present purpose it is no wonder that the passage is obscure What he did in the Red-sea Or Vaheb in Suphah It is enough for the present purpose that the Author of that Narrative who gives an account of the Wars of the Lord and particularly what he did at the Red-sea or at Vaheb in the Country of Suphah gives also a Relation of what happened about Arnon of which we have some account v. 26. and such a Relation as confirms what he said v. 13. viz. That Arnon was now onely the Border of Moab 15. Ar A City of Moab called Ar of Moab v. 28. and Isa 15.1 Lieth Heb. Leaneth 16. To Beer Or to the Well which God promised to Moses and supplied the Israelites with at this time 17. Song viz. O Praise Spring up Heb. Ascend Sing Or Answer It was the ancient Custom of the Hebrews to sing their Hymns of Praise alternately and he that made the Response or answered sang as well as he that began the Hymn Then Miriam is said to answer Exod. 15.20 And the Singing Women to answer one another 1 Sam. 18.7 18. Digged i. e. They thrust their Staves against the ground but God gave them the Water v. 16. Law-giver i. e. Moses v. 16. 20. That is in Or that is nigh or near So the Hebrew Particle sometimes signifies 1 Sam. 29.1 2 Chron. 15.16 Judg. 6.11 1 King 15.13 And this sense very well suits with this place Country Heb. Field Pisgah Or the Hill Jeshimon Or the Wilderness 21. Sent messengers Though Sihon were devoted to destruction yet this Course rendred him the more inexcusable and the justice of his destruction more conspicuous 22. Let me pass Deut. 2.27 Judg. 11.19 23. And Sihon Deut. 29.7 24. Israel Josh 12.2 Psal 135.10 11. Amos 2.9 Jabbock A River on the Borders of Ammon For the border of the children of Ammon was strong These words are not brought in as the reason why the Israelites carried their Victory no farther for the Country of Ammon was no part of their promised Land nay they were forbid to invade it Deut. 2.19 but as the reason why Sihon had not gained upon the Country of the Children of Ammon as he had upon that of Moab 25. Villages Heb. Daughters 27. Wherefore they that speak in proverbs c. The meaning of the place seems to be this That the Success of Sihon against the Moabites was so notorious and his Strength and that of Heshbon which he took from them so renowned that Men were wont in that time commonly to triumph and boast of it and say Come into Heshbon c. A Proverb sometimes imports no more than a Common Saying or By-word 1 Sam. 24.13 accompanied with insulting and boasting Hab. 2.6 Deut. 28.37 And what we render they that speak in proverbs in the Hebrew is expressed by one word which signifies ruling or imperious Men. Come into Heshbon c. These are the insulting Words which were commonly used at that time setting forth the Strength of Heshbon now in the possession of a powerfull Prince and therefore justly formidable to the remainder of Moab which is insulted over as a destroyed People v. 29. 29. People of Chemosh Or People that serveth Chemosh as the Chaldee hath it Chemosh was the Idol or Abomination as it is called 1 King 11.7 of Moab 30. In the land of the Amorites i. e. In that Land which they at that time possessed some of which was awhile ago in the possession of the Moabites 32. Jaazer A City at this time in the possession of the Amorites about which was good Pasture for Cattel Numb 32.1 3 4. 33. And they turned c. Deut. 3.1 and 29.7 34. Thou shalt do c. Psal 135.10 11. CHAP. XXII The ARGUMENT The Israelites remove to the Plains of Moab Balak sends to Balaam to Curse the People of Israel he refuseth to come He sends to him again and he goeth Of Balaam's Ass An Angel meets him He is received by Balak 1. AND the children of Israel set forward and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho 2. And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites 3. And Moab was sore afraid of the people because they were many and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel 4. And Moab said unto the elders of Midian Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us as the ox licketh up the grass of the field And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time 5. He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor which is by the river of the land of the children of his people to call him saying Behold there is a people come out from Egypt behold they cover the face of the earth and they abide over against me 6. Come now therefore I pray thee curse me this people for they are too mighty for me peradventure I shall prevail that we may smite them and that I may drive them out of the land for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed and he whom thou cursest is cursed 7. And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand and they came unto Balaam and spake unto him the words of Balak 8. And he said unto them Lodge here this night and I will bring you word again as the LORD shall speak unto me And the princes of Moab abode with Balaam 9. And God came unto Balaam and said What men are these with thee 10. And Balaam said unto God Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab hath sent unto me saying 11. Behold there is a people come out of Egypt which covereth the face of the earth Come now curse me them peradventure I shall be able to overcome them and drive them out 12. And God said unto Balaam Thou shalt not go with them thou shalt not curse the people for they are blessed 13. And Balaam rose up in the morning and said unto the princes of Balak Get you into your land for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you 14. And the princes of Moab rose up and they went unto Balak and said Balaam refuseth to come with us 15. And Balak sent yet again princes more and more honourable then they 16. And they came to Balaam and said to him Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor Let nothing I pray thee hinder thee from coming unto me 17. For I will promote thee unto very great honour and I will
her soul 7. And her husband heard it and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it then her vows shall stand and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand 8. But if her husband disallow her on the day that he heard it then he shall make her vow which she vowed and that which she uttered with her lips wherewith she bound her soul of none effect and the LORD shall forgive her 9. But every vow of a widow and of her that is divorced wherewith they have bound their souls shall stand against her 10. And if she vowed in her husband's house or bound her soul by a bond with an oath 11. And her husband heard it and held his peace at her and disallowed her not then all her vows shall stand and every bond wherewith she hound her soul shall stand 12. But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning the bond of her soul shall not stand her husband hath made them void and the LORD shall forgive her 13. Every vow and every binding oath to afflict the soul her husband may establish it or her husband may make it void 14. But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day then he establisheth all her vows or all her bonds which are upon her he confirmeth them because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them 15. But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them then he shall bear her iniquity 16. These are the statutes which the LORD commanded Moses between a man and his wife between the father and his daughter being yet in her youth in her father's house 1. UNto the heads of the tribes Who were to impart it to the rest of the People whom it concerned 2. A man This denotes both the Sex as appears from v. 3. and a competent age Vow a vow unto the LORD i. e. Make a Religious Promise unto the Lord. Swear an oath c. i. e. Confirm his Vow with an Oath by calling God to witness Break Heb. Profane He shall do c. Provided what he vows be a lawful thing Mark 6.23 3. A woman Who is in Subjection as appears from what follows And therefore the Law extends to other Subjects who are not to dispose of themselves without the consent of their just Superiors A Woman is named because she is most subject Being in her father's house in her youth That is Being in the Family and under the Government of her Father and not disposed of in Marriage See v. 6 9. 5. In the day that he heareth i. e. Forth-with after it is come to his knowledge See v. 8 9 14 15. Shall forgive her Or Will forgive her i. e. Will not impute her not performing such a Vow unto her 6. She vowed Heb. Her vows were upon her 9. Every vow 〈◊〉 widow i. e. Every Vow made in her Widowhood and when she had power to dispose of her self and Actions 10. And if she vowed in her husband's house i. e. If she that is now a Widow or divorced did make her Vow during her Husband's life or before she was divorced from him This sense which is very natural distinguisheth this Law from that in the sixth Verse 11. All her vows shall stand Those Vows which she then made shall oblige her in her Widowhood 13. To afflict the soul Such are Vows of Fasting or Abstinence Levit. 16.29 15. But if he shall any ways make them void c. i. e. If the Husband after he hath by his silence established the Vow of his Wife shall by his Power and Authority over her hinder her from performing such a Vow the sin in this case shall not be imputed to the Wife who was ready to perform her Vow but to her Husband who restrained her CHAP. XXXI The ARGUMENT The Israelites overcome the Midianites and slay Balaam They saved the Women alive at which Moses is offended and commands them what they shall do with them and also to purify themselves Of dividing the Prey and of the Lord's Tribute out of it 1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying 2. Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people 3. And Moses spake unto the people saying Arm some of your selves unto the war and let them go against the Midianites and avenge the LORD of Midian 4. Of every tribe a thousand throughout all the tribes of Israel shall ye send to the war 5. So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel a thousand of every tribe twelve thousand armed for war 6. And Moses sent them to the war a thousand of every tribe them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the war with the holy instruments and the trumpets to blow in his hand 7. And they warred against the Midianites as the LORD commanded Moses and they slew all the males 8. And they slew the kings of Midian beside the rest of them that were slain namely Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba five kings of Midian Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword 9. And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives and their little ones and took the spoil of all their cattel and all their flocks and all their goods 10. And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt and all their goodly castles with fire 11. And they took all the spoil and all the prey both of men and of beasts 12. And they brought the captives and the prey and the spoil unto Moses and Eleazar the priest and unto the congregation of the children of Israel unto the camp at the plains of Moab which are by Jordan near Jericho 13. And Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the princes of the congregation went forth to meet them without the camp 14. And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds which came from the battel 15. And Moses said unto them Have ye saved all the women alive 16. Behold these caused the children of Israel through the counsel of Balaam to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD 17. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him 18. But all the women-children that have not known a man by lying with him keep alive for your selves 19. And do ye abide without the camp seven days whosoever hath killed any person and whosoever hath touched any slain purifie both your selves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day 20. And purifie all your raiment and all that is made of skins and all work of goats hair and all things
as great a share as the Congregation which staid at home though they were but about the fiftieth part of them 28. One soul of five hundred Or One of five hundred This is but the tenth part of what was taken out of the other Moyety belonging to the Congregation This being taken for the Priests the other for the Levites Now as the Levites were far the greater number so the same proportion is observed here as in the Tithes where the Priests received but one tenth of what was paid to the Levites 30. One portion of fifty The Congregation not having hazarded their lives are enjoined to part with ten times as much as those who went to the Battel and in such a proportion as the number of them that went to Battel held to the whole Congregation which was about the fiftieth part For that is the proportion between the 12000 Men of War and the whole Congregation which made up the number of 600000 and upwards ch 26. Flocks Or Goats 32. The rest of the prey i. e. That remained after they had killed the Males and the adult Women v. 17. and possibly eaten some of the Cattel also 37. Six hundred c. Which is exactly the proportion of one in five hundred injoined v. 28. See the Note there 49. Charge Heb. Hand 50. Gotten Heb. Found To make an atonement For they had sinned as appears from v. 14. 52. Offering Heb. Heave-offering 53. For himself See the Note on v. 26. 54. A memorial A Memorial at once of God's Mercy in preserving their number intire and of their Gratitude and Piety in offering up their Tribute of Praise CHAP. XXXII The ARGUMENT The Reubenites and Gadites desire their Inheritance on that side of Jordan Moses is displeased with their Request They offer Conditions whereupon their Request is granted 1. NOW the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattel and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead that behold the place was a place for cattel 2. The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses and to Eleazar the priest and unto the princes of the congregation saying 3. Ataroth and Dibon and Jazer and Nimrab and Heshbon and Elealeh and Shebam and Nebo and Beon 4. Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel is a land for cattel and thy servants have cattel 5. Wherefore said they if we have found grace in thy sight let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession and bring us not over Jordan 6. And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben Shall your brethren go to war and shall ye sit here 7. And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them 8. Thus did your fathers when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land 9. For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol and saw the land they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them 10. And the LORD's anger was kindled the same time and he sware saying 11. Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt from twenty years old and upward shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob because they have not wholly followed me 12. Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite and Joshua the son of Nun for they have wholly followed the LORD 13. And the LORD's anger was kindled against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years untill all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was consumed 14. And behold ye are risen up in your father's stead an increase of sinfull men to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel 15. For if ye turn away from after him he will yet again leave them in the wilderness and ye shall destroy all this people 16. And they came near unto him and said We will build sheepfolds here for our cattel and cities for our little ones 17. But we our selves will go ready armed before the children of Israel untill we have brought them unto their place and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land 18. We will not return unto our houses untill the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance 19. For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan or forward because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward 20. And Moses said unto them If ye will do this thing if ye will go armed before the LORD to war 21. And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD untill he hath driven out his enemies from before him 22. And the land be subdued before the LORD then afterward ye shall return and be guiltless before the LORD and before Israel and this land shall be your possession before the LORD 23. But if ye will not do so behold ye have sinned against the LORD and be sure your sin will find you out 24. Build ye cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth 25. And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses saying Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth 26. Our little ones our wives our flocks and all our cattel shall be there in the cities of Gilead 27. But thy servants will pass over every man armed for war before the LORD to battel as my lord saith 28. So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel 29. And Moses said unto them If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan every man armed to battel before the LORD and the land shall be subdued before you then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession 30. But if they will not pass over with you armed they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan 31. And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered saying As the LORD hath said unto thy servants so will we do 32. We will pass over armed before the LORD unto the land of Canaan that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours 33. And Moses gave unto them even to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan the land with the cities thereof in the coasts even the cities of the country round about 34. And the children of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer 35. And
who hear the report of them 26. Wilderness of Kedemoth A Wilderness so called from a City of that name mentioned among the Cities which were given to the Reubenites Josh 13.18 With words of peace There are several weighty Reasons may be assigned why Moses took this course with Sihon who was to be destroyed viz. I. That the Israelites might be sensible that their Victory over Sihon was not imputable to his fearfulness and want of courage who was so hardy as to refuse them passage v. 30. II. To strike terror by this Example into the other Nations that would be inclined to resist III. To give the Israelites a proof that God's Counsel should stand in that Sihon hardened himself and refused the Offer of Peace 27. Let me pass Numb 21.21 22. 29. As the children c. Not that the Edomites and Moabites gave them passage through their Land but furnished them with Meat and Water as they went by their Coasts 30. Hardened c. That is He so left him that he was inexorable to the desire of the Israelites 32. Then Sihon Numb 21.23 34. Men and the women and the little ones of every city Heb. Every City of men and women and little ones 36. City that is by the river i. e. Ar Numb 21.15 37. Jabbok This was the Border of Ammon Josh 12.2 which they went not beyond CHAP. III. The ARGUMENT Moses proceeds to relate their Conquest over O G King of Bashan and their Possessing his Country He relateth the Greatness of the Bed of O G and how his Country was distributed to the Reubenites and Gadites and to half of the Tribe of Manasseh He tells us also what he required of these two Tribes and half Moses telleth also that he is not permitted to go into the Land of Canaan 1. THen we turned and went up the way to Bashan and Og the king of Bashan came out against us he and all his people to battel at Edrei 2. And the LORD said unto me Fear him not for I will deliver him and all his people and his land into thy hand and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites which dwelt at Heshbon 3. So the LORD our God delivered into our hands Og also the king of Bashan and all his people and we smote him untill none was left to him remaining 4. And we took all his cities at that time there was not a city which we took not from them threescore cities all the region of Argob the kingdom of Og in Bashan 5. All these cities were fenced with high walls gates and bars beside unwalled towns a great many 6. And we utterly destroyed them as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon utterly destroying the men women and children of every city 7. But all the cattel and the spoil of the cities we took for a prey to our selves 8. And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side Jordan from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon 9. Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion and the Amorites call it Shener 10. All the cities of the plain and all Gilead and all Bashan unto Salchah and Edrei cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan 11. For onely Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants behold his bed-stead was a bed-stead of Iron is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon nine cubits was the length thereof and four cubits the breadth of it after the cubit of a man 12. And this land which we possessed at that time from Anoer which is by the river Arnon and half mount Gilead and the cities thereof gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites 13. And the rest of Gilead and all Bashan being the kingdom of Og gave I unto the half-tribe of Manasseh all the region of Argob with all Bashan which was called the land of giants 14. Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi and called them after his own name Bashan-havoth-jair unto this day 15. And I gave Gilead unto Machir 16. And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley and the border even unto the river Jabbok which is the border of the children of Ammon 17. The plain also and Jordan and the coast thereof from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain even the salt-sea under Ashdoth-Pisgah east-ward 18. And I commanded you at that time saying The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel all that are meet for the war 19. But your wives and your little ones and your cattel for I know that ye have much cattel shall abide in your cities which I have given you 20. Vntill the LORD hath given rest unto your brethren as well as unto you and untill they also possess the land which the LORD your God hath given them beyond Jordan and then shall ye return every man unto his possession which I have given you 21. And I commanded Joshua at that time saying Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest 22. Ye shall not fear them for the LORD your God he shall fight for you 23. And I besought the LORD at that time saying 24. O Lord GOD thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness and thy mighty hand for what God is there in heaven or in earth that can do according to thy works and according to thy might 25. I pray thee let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan that goodly mountain and Lebanon 26. But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes and would not hear me and the LORD said unto me Let it suffice thee speak no more unto me of this matter 27. Get thee up into the top of Pisgah and lift up thine eyes west-ward and north ward and south-ward and east-ward and behold it with thine eyes for thou shalt not go over this Jordan 28. But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him for he shall go over before this people and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see 29. So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor 1. OG See Numb 21.33 c. ch 29.7 2. Sihon Numb 21.24 3. Og Numb 21.33 4. All the region of Argob This was a Region subject to Bashan v. 13. 1 King 4.13 5. Fenced with high walls And our having taken them may encourage our hopes for the future See Numb 13.28 9. Shener The Chaldee expresseth it by a Mountain of snow 11. His bed-stead c. This account of his Bed-stead which was at that time to be seen in Rabbath is added here as an Evidence of
ye are this day 21. Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes and sware that I should not go over Jordan and that I should not go in unto that good land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance 22. But I must die in this land I must not go over Jordan but ye shall go over and possess that good land 23. Take heed unto your selves lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God which he made with you and make you a graven image or the likeness of any thing which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee 24. For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire even a jealous God 25. When thou shalt beget children and childrens children and shalt have remained long in the land and shall corrupt your selves and make a graven image or the likeness of any thing and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God to provoke him to anger 26. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto you go over Jordan to possess it ye shall not prolong your days upon it but shall utterly be destroyed 27. And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen whither the LORD shall lead you 28. And there ye shall serve gods the work of mens hands wood and stone which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell 29. But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul 30. When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter days if thou turn to the LORD thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice 31. For the LORD thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thee neither destroy thee nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them 32. For ask now of the days that are past which were before thee since the day that God created man upon the earth and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is or hath been heard like it 33. Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire as thou hast heard and live 34. Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation by temptations by signs and by wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by a stretched-out arm and by great terrors according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes 35. Unto thee it was shewed that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God there is none else besides him 36. Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice that he might instruct thee and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire 37. And because he loved thy fathers therefore he chose their seed after them and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt 38. To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier then thou art to bring thee in to give thee their land for an inheritance as it is this day 39. Know therefore this day and consider it in thine heart that the LORD he is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath there is none else 40. Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes and his commandments which I command thee this day that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth which the LORD thy God giveth thee for ever 41. Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sun-rising 42. That the slayer might flee thither which should kill his neighbour unawares and hated him not in times past and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live 43. Namely Bezer in the wilderness in the plain-country of the Reubenites and Ramoth in Gilead of the Gadites and Golan in Bashan of the Manassites 44. And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel 45. These are the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments which Moses spake unto the children of Israel after they came forth out of Egypt 46. On this side Jordan in the valley over against Beth-peor in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites who dwelt at Heshbon whom Moses and the children of Israel smote after they were come forth out of Egypt 47. And they possessed his land and the land of Og king of Bashan two kings of the Amorites which were on this side Jordan toward the sun-rising 48. From Aroer which is by the bank of the river Arnon even unto mount Sion which is Hermon 49. And all the plain on this side Jordan east-ward even unto the sea of the plain under the springs of Pisgah 2. Ye shall not add c. chap. 12.32 Josh 1.7 Prov. 30.6 Revel 22.18 It is fit to require that they should neither add to nor take from the Divine Precepts at the beginning of this Exhortation to Obedience because God had given them his Law for their Rule of Life and had annexed his Promises to their Universal Obedience thereunto 3. Because of Baal-peor Numb 25.4 c. Or against Baal-peor and his Worshippers as the Vulgar and Chaldee have it Compare Numb 25.5 and the words which follow here 6. Your wisdom It is a fruit of great wisdom to fear God and obey his Laws The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments Psal 111.10 Besides many of these Laws were such as the wiser Heathen could not but approve and did actually receive several of them into their own Laws 7. In all things that we call upon him for God shewed himself ready to hear the Prayers of his Servants upon all occasions Exod. 17.11 and to protect and defend them in all straits and dangers as appeared by the many Miracles which he had wrought 8. So righteous This speaks a Nation great For righteousness exalteth a nation Prov. 14.34 10. Thou stoodst The most aged among them were present at the giving of the Law 11. Mountain Exod. 19.18 Midst Heb. Heart which is well translated midst here not that it signifies the exact midst it is enough that it be in that in the midst of which it is said to be Of Heaven i. e. Of the Air or lower Heaven 12. Onely ye heard a voice Heb. Save a voice 14. Statutes and judgments i. e. The Judicial and Ceremonial Laws in contradistinction to the Moral mentioned v. 13. 15. Take ye therefore good heed c. They saw no Similitude when God gave his Law and are thereupon vehemently warned against Worshipping of God by any kind of Image
the copulative Particle as there is in some other places Vid. Hab. 3.11 Jud. 5.27 Exod. 15.9 and then Moses is said here to deliver the Law unto the priests and to the sons of Levi which bare the ark c. Numb ch 3. and ch 4. and unto all the elders of Israel So that the Law was delivered to the three Ranks and Degrees of Men of which the whole Congregation consisted viz. the Priests the Levites and the Representatives of the People And this Interpretation of these words will receive some confirmation from the Greek Interpreters in another place not unlike to this viz. Josh 3.3 When ye see the ark c. and the Priests the Levites bearing it There the Greek suppose an Ellipsis and do therefore render it and the Levites supplying the copulative Particle supposed to be wanting here 10. At the end c. See the Note on chap. 15.1 In the solemnity Or rather in the time as the Hebrew word signifies and as it is rendred by the Chaldee Syriack and Greek This appointed time was very convenient for this solemn hearing of the Law For it was at a time of the year when their Harvest was gathered in chap. 16.13 and they were freed from those cares and in a year when they were freed both from the Labours and from the Exactions which in other years they were liable unto chap. 15.1 2. 11. Thou shalt read This care concerned the body of the People and was discharged by the King as the Jews affirm or some other great Man when there was no King See Nehemiah 8. But then that all Israel might hear it was necessary that there should be care taken that it should be done by so many that all might hear it 13. Their children i. e. Their Posterity as appears from what follows May hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as ye live in the land 15. In a pillar of a cloud See Exod. 33.9 10. 17. I will hide my face from them i. e. I will remove from them the tokens of my favour and punish them as appears from the following words 19. This song i. e. The Song which follows in the next Chapter which is composed in the form of a Song that they might the more easily learn and remember it Put it in their mouths i. e. Take care that they learn it That it may be a witness for me against or among the children of Israel That is that it may be a perpetual Monitor among them of my Mercy towards and of the justice of my proceedings with them see v. 21. 22. Taught it As he was commanded v. 19. 23. He gave That is God gave as it is evident from the following words 26. Put it in the side of the ark Here it was put for the greater security and as the authentick Copy and Original was laid up in a safe place 30. And Moses spake in the ears of all c. Not that he did this all at once but either at several times or else he did it at once to the Heads and Representatives of the whole Congregation CHAP. XXXII The ARGUMENT The Song of Moses which sets forth the Divine Perfections and the Mercies of God to the Israelites And also lays before them their Rebellions and particularly their Idolatry It gives an account also of the wrath of God upon that account Moses is commanded to go up into Mount Nebo to take a view thence of the Land of Canaan and to die there 1. GIve ear O ye heavens and I will speak and hear O earth the words of my mouth 2. My doctrine shall drop as the rain my speech shall distil as the dew as the small rain upon the tender herb and as the showers upon the grass 3. Because I will publish the name of the LORD ascribe ye greatness unto our God 4. He is the rock his work is perfect for all his ways are judgment a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he 5. They have corrupted themselves their spot is not the spot of his children they are a perverse and crooked generation 6. Do ye thus requite the LORD O foolish people and unwise is not he thy father that hath bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee 7. Remember the days of old consider the years of many generations ask thy father and he will shew thee thy elders and they will tell thee 8. When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance when he separated the sons of Adam he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel 9. For the LORD's portion is his people Jacob is the lot of his inheritance 10. He found him in a desart land and in the waste howling wilderness he led him about he instructed him he kept him as the apple of his eye 11. As an eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them beareth them on her wings 12. So the LORD alone did lead him and there was no strange god with him 13. He made him ride on the high places of the earth that he might eat the increase of the fields and he made him to suck honey out of the rock and oyl out of the flinty rock 14. Butter of kine and milk of sheep with fat of lambs and rams of the breed of Bashan and goats with the fat of kidneys of wheat and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape 15. But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked thou art waxen fat thou art grown thick thou art covered with fatness then he forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation 16. They provoked him to jealousie with strange gods with abominations provoked they him to anger 17. They sacrificed unto devils not to God to gods whom they knew not to new gods that came newly up whom your fathers feared not 18. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindfull and hast forgotten God that formed thee 19. And when the LORD saw it he abhorred them because of the provoking of his sons and of his daughters 20. And he said I will hide my face from them I will see what their end shall be for they are a very froward generation children in whom is no faith 21. They have moved me to jealousie with that which is not God they have provoked me to anger with their vanities and I will move thew to jealousie with those which are not a people I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation 22. For a fire if kindled in my anger and shall burn undo the lowest hell and shall consume the earth with her encrease and set on fire the foundations of the mountains 23. I will heap mischiefs upon them I will spend mine arrows upon them 24. They shall be burnt with hunger and devoured with burning heat and with bitter destruction I will also send the teeth of beasts upon
stout And they seem to think it necessary thus to vindicate their Sister's Reputation who might else have been reputed as a Common Woman CHAP. XXXV The ARGUMENT Jacob is directed by God to go to Bethel and to build an Altar there He prepares his family in order thereunto and goes Deborah dieth God appears to Jacob calls his Name Israel and blesseth him and promiseth the Land of Canaan to his Posterity Jacob erects a Pillar Benjamin is born and Rachel dieth Reuben lieth with Bilhah The Sons of Jacob. The Age and Death of Isaac 1. AND God said unto Jacob Arise go up to Beth-el and dwell there and make there an Altar unto God that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother 2. Then Jacob said unto his houshold and to all that were with him Put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments 3. And let us arise and go up to Beth-el and I will make there an Altar unto God who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me in the way which I went 4. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand and all their ear-rings which were in their ears and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem 5. And they journeyed and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. 6. So Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan that is Beth-el he and all the people that were with him 7. And he built there an Altar and called the place El-beth-el because there God appeared unto him when he fled from the face of his brother 8. But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died and she was buried beneath Beth-el under an oak and the name of it was called Allon-bachuth 9. And God appeared unto Jacob again when he came out of Padan-Aram and blessed him 10. And God said unto him Thy name is Jacob thy name shall not be called any more Jacob but Israel shall be thy name and he called his name Israel 11. And God said unto him I am God Almighty be fruitfull and multiply a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee and kings shall come out of thy loins 12. And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac to thee I will give it and to thy seed after thee will I give the land 13. And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him 14. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him even a pillar of stone and he poured a drink-offering thereon and he poured oyl thereon 15. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him Beth-el 16. And they journeyed from Beth-el and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath and Rachel travailed and she had hard labour 17. And it came to pass when she was in hard labour that the midwife said unto her Fear not thou shalt have this son also 18. And it came to pass as her soul was in departing for she died that she called his name Benoni but his father called him Benjamin 19. And Rachel died and was buried in the way to Ephrath which is Bethlehem 20. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day 21. And Israel journeyed and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar 22. And it came to pass when Israel dwelt in that land that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine and Israel heard it Now the sons of Jacob were twelve 23. The sons of Leah Reuben Jacob's first-born and Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun 24. The sons of Rachel Joseph and Benjamin 25. And the sons of Bilhah Rachel's hand-maid Dan and Naphtali 26. And the sons of Zilpah Leah's hand-maid Gad and Asher These are the sons of Jacob which were born to him in Padan-aram 27. And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre unto the city of Arbah which is Hebron where Abraham and Isaac sojourned 28. And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years 29. And Isaac gave up the ghost and died and was gathered unto his people being old and full of days and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him 1. GOD said Jacob being now in great fear from the Inhabitants of the Country ch 34.30 2. Houshold Those of his own family All that were with him i. e. All his servants and dependants whatsoever Strange Gods i. e. Idols or Images by which God was worshipped whether the Teraphim which Rachel stole ch 31.19 or any other Images or Idols taken from the Shechemites or remaining with any of those who were taken Captives from them or who had followed Jacob from Padan Aram. Be clean viz. from the pollution of Idolatry Change your garments As an outward sign or token of an inward change 2 Sam. 12.20 Exod. 19.10 Ezek. 16.8 10. 3. Answered me By taking me into his protection Distress viz. When he fled from Esau unto Padan-Aram ch 28. where he staid Twenty years 4. Their Ear-rings The materials of Idolatry See Judg. 8.24 Hos 2.13 Possibly these Ear-rings might be taken from the Shechemites and might have some marks of Idolatry upon them Hid them From the knowledge of his people and the Greek adds that he abolished them Possibly he broke or melted them down Compare Exod. 32.20 2 Kings 18.4 Oak A Tree not likely to be suddenly digged up being Sacred in the esteem of Idolaters Isa 1.29 5. Terror of God Or a mighty Terror And this was from God who restrained the people from destroying Jacob and his Family notwithstanding their power and the provocation given by the slaughter of the Shechemites 7. The place See the Note on ch 23.20 God appeared The Angels of God says the Chaldee 8. Rebekah's nurse The Nurse who was sent with her from Padan-Aram ch 24.59 10. Israel See the Note on ch 32.28 This Name is a second time assigned him and thereby his Faith in God is confirmed 11. Be fruitfull The Blessing of Abraham is bestowed on him ch 28.3 4. And from his numerous Off-spring it appears that it was made good to him 13. God The glory of God says the Chaldee 14. Oyl See ch 28.18 16. Ephrath Which is Bethlehem v. 19. called Bethlehem Ephratah Micah 5.2 where Christ was born 20. A Pillar A lasting Monument Testimony of Jacob's affection 1 Sam. 10.2 21. Tower of Edar Or Tower of the flock as the Vulgar renders it Here probably the Shepherds were who received the tidings of Christ's birth Luk. 2.8 This place is called the Tower of the flock Micah 4.8 and mentioned there as a place that should be dignified at the appearance of the Messiah One Chaldee Paraphrast on this place tells us expressly that this is the place where the King Messiah was to be revealed