Moses as they seem to me to be And said surely a bloody Husband art thou to me If the foregoing Interpretation be true these are not the words of an angry Woman but spoken with great affection signifying that she had espoused him again having saved his Life by the Blood of her Son Our famous Mr. Mede indeed Discourse XIV carries the Sense quite another way because an Husband he saith is never called Chatan after the Marriage Solemnity was over Which if it be true makes nothing against what I have said because she lookt upon her self as a second time espoused or married to him by this act which had restored him to her when his Life was in danger It must be granted that the word Chatan doth not signifie only a Spouse but sometime a Son in Law but why Zipporah should call her own Child by this Name I do not see Yet so Mr. Mede understands it and adds that the Rabbins tell us it was the custom of the Hebrew Women to call their Children when they were Circumcised by the Name of Chatan i. e. Spouse as if they were now espoused unto God And indeed Aben-Ezra saith so but I cannot find that this was an ancient Notion among them If it were his Interpretation might be the more easily embraced which is this That these were a solemn form of words used at Circumcision signifying as much as I pronounce thee to be a Member of the Church by Circumcision Thus Val. Schindler also expounds it in his Lexic Pentaglot p. 677. a Child was called Chatan upon the Day of his Circumcision because then he was first joyned to the People of God and as it were espoused unto God And he thinks the Targum countenances this Sense when it thus expounds these words by this Blood of Circumcision a Spouse is given to us Which may as well be understood of Moses being given to her as of the Child for he was as I said restored to her and to his Family upon the Circumcision of the Child So it follows in the next Verse They that have a mind to see the Sense of an eminent Writer of our Church concerning this Passage may consult Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity Book V. in the latter end of the LXII Section where he thus far agrees with me that these words were spoken out of the flowing of abundance of Commiseration and Love with her hands laid under his feet For so he thinks these words She cast it at his feet import Ver. 26. So he let him go i. e. The Angel no longer threatned Moses with death but his Wife to her great joy saw him restored to her in safety From which in after times sprang the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were so famous among the Greeks and Egyptians in the Feasts of Bacchus and Osiris whose Stories Huetius hath lately shown were framed out of this of Moses From whence also as he probably conjectures they used Remedies for Diseases in forma fascini which they hung as Amulets about their Childrens Necks Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. Cap. IV. n. 3. Then she said or when she said a bloody Husband thou art c. i. e. As soon as Zipporah had Circumcised the Child and thrown the Foreskin at her Husband's feet and said these words Moses was delivered from his danger Or according to our Translation as soon as her Husband was safe she repeated the foregoing words saying I have redeemed thy life by circumcising thy Son They that make these words to have been spoken in a rage because she was forced to do what she did suppose her to have had little kindness for her Husband and as little regard to Circumcision I should rather Translate the words So she let him go i. e. let Moses go to Egypt and went back her self to her Father only repeating these words before she went Remember me how I have saved thy Life and made thee my Husband again when Death was at hand by the Blood of thy Son whom I have Circumcised There is only this Exception to it that the Hebrew word for let him go is of the Masculine Gender which is of no great weight because it is usual in this Language when they speak of Females as I observed on I. 21. and it is certain she returned to her Father but whether in this manner no Body can certainly determine For we are not told any where upon what occasion she went back to Jethro unless it be here insinuated as we find she did XVIII 2. together with her Children But it is very probable that she fearing some other danger into which she and her Children might fall by the way or in Egypt might desire Moses to send her home again till he had finished the work he went about unto which he consented Ver. 27. And the LORD said unto Aaron In Egypt I suppose he received this order from God but we do not know how whether by an Apparition of the Divine Majesty to him or in a Dream or otherways Go into the Wilderness to meet Moses The Wilderness was a wide place therefore he directed him no doubt into what part he should go And he went and met him in the Mount of God He went almost to Midian that he might have the more time to hear what Moses's Commission was before they came to Egypt Ver. 28. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD c. Mentioned III. 6 7 8 c. and in this Chapter 14 15 16 c. And all the signs c. See v. 2 3 c. which he told him to confirm his belief that God had spoken those words to him Ver. 29. And Moses and Aaron went Came into Egypt And gathered together all the Elders of the Children of Israel The chief Persons in every Tribe who bore a great sway among them See III. 16. Ver. 30. And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses According to what God had promised v. 15 16. And did the signs The Signs are done by Moses as the Words were spoken by Aaron v. 17. In the sight of all the People Who came along with the Elders Ver. 31. And the People believed All the rest of the People also to whom the Elders reported what they had heard and seen believed that God had sent Moses to be their Deliverer And when they heard that the LORD had visited c. See III. 7 16 17. Then they bowed their heads and worshipped Most humbly acknowledged the Goodness of God and his Faithfulness to his Word CHAP. V. Verse 1. AND afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh When they had convinced the Elders of Israel of their Commission they desired Audience of Pharaoh Which having obtained they went to Court taking some of the Elders along with them to attend them Which is not a meer Conjecture from the decency of the thing that they should go alone on such a Solemn Embassy but so they were commanded
sore Plague more grievous than the former For that spoiled only their Water but not their other Liquors whereas this made them uneasie Day and Night in every place whether they sate or walkt or lay down or did eat and drink For their very Dough as we translate the word of this Verse in the Margin was infested with them as soon as they had kneaded it and so was their Drink in all likelyhood as soon as it was poured into their Cups Nay they got into their Ovens so that for the present I suppose they could not bake their bread Ver. 4. And the Frogs shall come up both upon thee and upon thy People c. They came not meerly into their Houses but crawled upon their Persons And here it is observable that this Plague is limited to the Egyptians Pharaoh his People and Servants the Israelites one would think by these words being exempted from it Ver. 5. And the LORD spake unto Moses say unto Aaron c. No doubt Moses delivered the foregoing Message unto Pharaoh but he it seems turned away and would give no Answer For here immediately follows a new Order which God perhaps gave Moses upon the spot as we speak before he returned home to inflict the Plague he had bid him threaten Ver. 6. And Aaron stretched forth his hand He as the Minister of Moses who was to him as God IV. 16. inflicted this Plague upon Egypt Over the Waters He did not go to every place where there was Water but stood by the River and stretcht his Rod over it towards every part of the Country as Eben Ezra rightly explains it and immediately God effected what Moses had denounced And the Frogs came up and covered the Land of Egypt That is there were vast numbers of them came up for they did not so cover the Land but there was room for more which the Magicians counterfeited The Jews think here was Mensura pro Mensura like for like as we speak For they say it was a piece of their Bondage that the Egyptians when they pleased sent them a fishing and now God made the River spawn nothing but Frogs Whose very croaking others of them think put the Egyptians in mind of the Cries of the poor Children whom they barbarously murdered Ver. 7. And the Magicians did so with their Inchantments c. They should rather have shown their skill in removing the Frogs or destroying those which Moses had brought Which one would think Pharaoh expected from them for they being unable to do this he betook himself to Moses whom he intreats to take them away which he would never have done if their power had not quite failed and been unable to give him any relief So Aben Ezra observes he called for Moses because he saw the Magicians had only added to the Plague but could not diminish it Ver. 8. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said intreat the LORD that he may take away the Frogs c. He that had proudly said not long ago Who is the LORD c. V. 2. now says Intreat the LORD c. This was an acknowledgment that the LORD sent them and that he only had power to remove them In the former Plague he did enough to make Pharaoh know he was the LORD VII 17. but this had that effect upon him for the present which made him earnestly intreat those whom he had scorned to become Intercessors to God for him and his People And I will let the People go that they may do Sacrifice unto the LORD This was not his setled Resolution but the present Danger made him consent to it For if the Frogs had continued long there had been no living in the Country As appears from what we read in Athenaeus out of Heraclides Lembus Lib. VIII Deipnos Cap. 2. who says the whole Country of Paeonia and Dardania were covered with Frogs which God rained down from Heaven in such abundance that the Houses and High-ways were full of them They spent some time in killing of them and by keeping their Doors shut they made a shift for a while to bear this Calamity but when it did no good but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. all their Vessels were full of them and they mingled themselves with their Meat whether boil'd or roast and they could tread no where but upon Frogs they left their Country being forced to it also by the stench of the Frogs when they died They that would see more of this out of several other Authours may consult Bonfrerius upon this very place and Bochartus in his Hierozoic P. 2. L. V. Cap. 2. p. 661 c. Ver. 9. And Moses said unto Pharaoh Glory over me when shall I intreat for thee Do thou appoint the time when I shall pray for thee as St. Hierom translates it and so doth the Syriack and Onkelos and the LXX who differ from the Hebrew Text in words only not in sense For by adding the word saying as we do in VII Judg. 2. where there is the same expression this Paraphrase of Bochart is very proper Hierozoic P. 2. L. V. Cap. 2. though it belongs not to thee to determine the time of thy Deliverance which depends wholly upon the Will and Pleasure of God yet I who am his Minister give thee leave to take so much upon thee as to prescribe what time thou pleasest for the removal of this Plague For thus he thinks Moses his words are to be translated Glory over me by telling me when I shall intercede for thee c. Moses saw perhaps that Pharaoh was much addicted to Astrologers who fancied all things here below to be governed by the Motion and Influence of the Stars and therefore would have him name the time that he might be satisfied there was no day nor hour under such an ill Aspect but he could prevail with God at any Moment he thought good to pitch upon to Deliver him Bonfrerius I think hath expressed in short the literal sense of the Hebrew words Tibi hunc honorem defero ut eligas quando c. I will do thee the honour that thou may'st assign the time And our Dr. Jackson still shorter Glory over me that is saith he you shall command me Ver. 10. And he said to morrow But why not on that very day all Men naturally desiring to be instantly relieved from their Sufferings Perhaps he thought as we said before to try Moses his Power believing the next day not to be so lucky as the present on which Moses had condescended to his Request Or it might now be towards night when he called for Moses who he thought would expect some time to pray to God for what he desired Be it according to thy word Thou shalt have thy desire That thou mayest know there is none like unto the LORD our God Mayest no longer depend upon thy Magicians and their Gods being convinced that our God alone whom we call JEHOVAH can wound and
Warning of their Danger that they might avoid it Ver. 20. He that feared the Word of the LORD among the Servants of Pharaoh c. That which is opposed to this in the next Verse is He that set not his heart unto the Word of the LORD or as we translate it regarded it not i. e. did not attend to what was said and done by Moses and seriously consider it Unto which the fear of God moves all those who are possessed with it and serious consideration will not fail to work in Men the fear of God and of his Judgments Ver. 21. And he that regarded not the word of the LORD c. This was the Cause of the Ruin of all that perished they did not set themselves to consider the irresistible Power of him who inflicted such terrible Judgments upon them as Moses threatned For at last they grew so stupid that they could not consider but were perfectly infatuated Ver. 22. And the LORD said unto Moses stretch forth thy hand With his Rod in it as it is explained in the next Verse and as he had directed on other occasions VIII 16 17. where it is said Aaron stretched out his and with his Rod. Towards Heaven To show the Plague was sent from God That there may be Hail on all the Land of Egypt c. Here he more fully expresses the Damage it would do both to Men and Beasts and to the Herb of the Field which comprehends all the Trees v. 25. Ver. 23. And Moses stretched forth his Rod. Sometimes Aaron did it but it was at the Command of Moses and as his Minister who sometimes did it himself and was Commanded by God so to do v. 22. He gave warning of this Plague about the fourth Day of the VIIth Month and inflicted it upon the fifth and removed it the sixth The Author of The Life and Death of Moses fancies that God sent this Plague to punish the Egyptians for the drudgery they imposed upon the Israelites in making them till their Fields for them And the LORD sent Thunder and Hail c. It was no wonder there should be Thunder but the Claps of this were far more terrible than any that had been heard before in that Country As the Hall also was more ponderous and came down with a greater force and was mixed with Fire Which the Author of the Book of Wisdom observes Chap. XVI as a thing unusual And herein consisted the miraculousness of this Plague That whereas other Storms of Hail generally reach but a little way sometimes not a Mile this spread it self over the whole Country v. 25. And Flashes of Lightning were not only mingled with it but Fire ran upon the Ground and killed their Cattle LXXVIII Psal 48. when at the same time all the Land of Goshen though a part of that Country felt nothing of this Storm v. 26. And the LORD rained Hail upon the Land of Egypt This is repeated to show that it fell as thick as Rain and was not a meer showr but a continual Hail and that this was the principal part of this Plague being alone mentioned v. 22. and 26. where nothing is said of Thunder or Fire and put in the first place by the Psalmist both in LXXVIII 48. and CV 32. Ver. 25. And the Hail smote c. That is killed every Man and Beast that was in the Field v. 19. And smote every Herb and broke every Tree of the Field Especially their Vines and Figtrees as the Psalmist tells us LXXVIII 47. CV 33. Very great Hailstones have fall'n in several Countries some of a prodigious bigness as credible Historians relate whereby some living Creatures have here and there been killed but none ever made such a general destruction as this Storm did Yet we are not to understand it as if no green thing escaped nor a Bough of any Tree was left but the meaning is that a great many of every kind were destroyed though some as appears by the following Chapter still remained Ver. 26. Only in the Land of Goshen c. So that the Egyptians that lived among them fared the better it is thought at this time for their sake Ver. 27. And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron This is no more than he had done several times before VIII 8 25. but it may seem strange he should do it now after the LORD had hardned his heart The clearest account of it is that he acted now as a Man distracted and frighted out of his Wits which made him rave and cry out for help in very passionate words without any serious meaning I have sinned this time c. The meaning is not that he had not sinned before but I now acknowledge my Offence and the Justice of God in punishing the wickedness of me and of my People Which Confession doth not argue any tenderness of heart but was extorted by the horrible Fright he was in of being undone if he did not make some Submission Ver. 27. Intreat the LORD for it is enough Or beseech him that what I have already suffered may suffice That there be no more mighty Thundrings and Hail The words import frightful Claps of Thunder which sounded as if God was angry with them especially since the Hail fell like Thunder-bolts upon their Heads and struck those down that walkt abroad This was the reason that he begg'd their Prayers For he and his Servants could not always continue within Doors and while the Hail lasted there was no Safety abroad And I will let you go Not quite away but three days Journey into the Wilderness as they desired And ye shall stay no longer He promises to dismiss them immediately Ver. 29. And Moses said unto him as soon as I am gone out of the City By this he demonstrated the great Power of God who he knew would protect him from receiving any harm by the Thunder Lightning and Hail which killed all others that went abroad into the Fields I will spread forth my hands unto the LORD This was an ancient Posture of Supplication in all Nations as many Learned Men have shown whereby Men declared that God is the Giver of all good things and that they hoped to receive Help from him For our Hands are the Instruments whereby we receive any Gift that is bestowed upon us That thou mayest know how that the Earth is the LORD's Have a demonstration which was sufficient to make him know that the LORD governs all things as appeared by the ceasing of this dreadful storm upon Moses his Prayers to God as well as by the powring of it in such violence upon them Ver. 30. But as for thee and thy Servants I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God The generality of the Court he knew would continue as obstinate as their Prince though some of them had some sense of God and of his Judgments as we read v. 20. Ver. 31. And the Flax and the Barley were smitten
was ordered upon the tenth of the Month Abib On which day they begun to prepare for the Passover by taking up the Lamb which was to be then slain four days after And God appointed this to be the first Month of the Year which hitherto had been the seventh XII 2 3 4. Ver. 23. They saw not one another We may well look upon this as an Emblem of the Blindness of their Minds which was so great that they had not the least discerning of their approaching Destruction Some of the Romans mention such Darkness for a short time as was counted prodigious by Livy and Julius Obsequens Particularly at the Death of the Emperour Carus there was such a Mist that one man could not know another See more Examples in Huetius L. II. Alnet Quaest c. 12. p. 203 c. But of such a Darkness as this which continued to obscure all things three days together there is no Record but in this Sacred Story Which no Man hath the least reason to disbelieve it being as easie for God to continue it for three days as for one hour there being also a very great reason for it both to punish the Egyptians and relieve the Israelites Neither rose any from his place None stir'd out of their Houses for they could not see one another within Doors no not by the help of a Candle or a Fire as the Author of the Book of Wisdom understood it XVII 5. where he also supposes that they were affrighted with Apparitions and their own evil Consciences were also a great Terrour to them while they remained Prisoners so long in dismal Darkness And the Psalmist justifies him in part when instead of mentioning this Plague of Darkness as he doth the rest which were inflicted on the Egyptians he saith God sent evil Angels among them LXXVIII Psal 49. But all the Children of Israel had light in their dwellings Whereby they were inabled to go about their business and get all things ready for their departure without any notice of the Egyptians much less any hindrance from them who were in a Mist and could not see what they were a doing Ver. 24. And Pharaoh called unto Moses He was so terrified by the horrible Apparitions he had seen that at the end of the three days of Darkness he sent a Messenger to call Moses for before that time none could find their way to him Or perhaps the meaning may be that in his ravening sit he called for Moses as if he had been near him And said When Moses came he made his former Confession a little larger but had not the heart to comply intirely Go ye serve the LORD only let the Flocks and the Herds be stayed c. It was a perfect infatuation to higgle as we speak with Moses and still drive his Bargain as low as he could when he was reduced to such Distress that he was upon the brink of Destruction But this was the effect of his Covetousness which was incurable and would not suffer him to part with them but still to keep a Pawn for their Return to his Servitude Let your little ones go with you His Blindness made him think this a great Condescention because he had denied it before v. 10. Ver. 25. And Moses said Thou must give us also Sacrifices and Burnt-offerings that me may Sacrifice c. The difference between Sacrifices and Burnt-offerings See XVIII 12. As they were to Sacrifice to the LORD their God which was the Service he required so they were to hold a Feast unto him at which both Sacrifices and Burnt-offerings were necessary Ver. 26. Our Cattle also shall go with us i. e. Therefore we cannot leave our Cattle here because we must use them in Sacrifices c. There shall not an Hoof he left behind i. e. The smallest thing For this was a Proverbial Speech in the Eastern Countries as appears by the like saying among the Arabians which was first used about Horses and afterwards translated to other things Present Money even to an Hoof That is they would not part with an Horse or any other Commodity till the Buyer had laid down the price of it to a Farthing as we now speak Or according to the present German Language the Hoof may be put for the whole Beast and the meaning be we will not leave so much as one behind us So Conr. Pellicanus For thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God To offer Sacrifice to him And we know not with what we must serve the LORD c. Who was to appoint his own Sacrifices as he afterwards did when they came into the Wilderness Ver. 27. But the LORD hardned Pharaoh's heart c. He did not incline Pharaoh to comply with this motion but suffered him to persist in his Obstinate Resolution not quite to part with them See v. 20. Ver. 28. And Pharaoh said unto him Get thee from me This sounds as if he intended again to have him driven from his Presence as v. 11. so soon did he forget his own humble Confessions and Supplications to him v. 16 17. and returned to his frantick Rage and Fury against him Take heed to thy self see my face no more for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die A Speech more foolish than proud as Dr. Jackson observes to come from a Man whom the LORD had so much impoverished and so often humbled and given sufficient Proofs of his Power not only to bring greater Plagues immediately upon him but to cut him off Ver. 29. And Moses said Thou hast spoken well I will see thy face again no more That is unless I be called for as one would think he was because Moses did deliver one Message more to him XI 4 8. Though we may suppose he delivered it now or that he did not deliver it himself but by some other Person But that doth not agree with the last words of v. 8. of the next Chapter And we read also XII 31. that Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron by night who perhaps did not go but only receive his Message CHAP. XI Verse 1. AND the LORD said unto Moses It is uncertain when the LORD spake this I suppose it was as soon as he came out from Pharaoh at the end of the three days Darkness which continued the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth of the Month Abib and on the fourteenth in the Morning Moses received this new Revelation Yet I will bring one Plague more upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt The killing of their First-born which was the last Plague inflicted on them in Egypt Afterwards he will let you go hence c. Not only consent to dismiss you intirely but be earnest with you and urge you to depart So we find it came to pass XII 31 33. Thrust you out altogether Perfectly and compleatly with some kind of compulsion Ver. 2. Speak now in the ears of the Children of Israel Give order therefore to the Israelites as I
the Prophet David prays to be purged from his sin LI Psal 9. Whence it is that Hesychius calls this Herb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Abstersive and Purging Herb because it was appointed by the Law of Moses for this purpose otherwise there is nothing Abstersive in its Nature And dip it in the Blood that is in the Bason The Hebrew word Saph which is here translated Bason is translated Cup in XII Zach. 2. but the LXX and Vulgar take it to signifie the Door or Threshold of the House where some suppose the Lamb was killed Certain it is that some of the Vessels of the Sanctuary are called in the Plural Number Sippim and Sippoth 1 Kings VII 50. LII Jer. 19. though the Vessels which received the Blood of the Beast at the Altar of Burnt-offerings are called by another name See XXVII Exod. 3. There were no such now and therefore they received the Blood at present in a common Bason or Cup. And strike the Lintel c. Or sprinkle it as many understand it For there being as yet no Altar the Blood is ordered to be sprinkled in this manner having in it something of the Nature of a Propitiation Because by this sprinkling of the Blood God's displeasure was turned away from the Israelites when it fell upon those Houses where this Blood was not seen And the two Side-posts See v. 7. And none of you shall go out of the Door of his House The destroying Angel could have discerned an Israelite from an Egyptian though he had met him in the Street But this was required to teach them that their Safety consisted in being under the protection of the Blood of this Lamb which was shed to save their Blood from being spilt Thus in the Flood there was no Safety but in the Ark nor could Rahab have been saved when Jericho was destroyed out of the House where the scarlet thred was tied Vntil the Morning When they were importuned by the Egyptians very early not long after Midnight v. 31 c. to be gone with all they had out of their Country Ver. 32. For the LODR will pass through to smite the Egyptians As he had threatned v. 12. For he rehearses to the Elders what God had told him And he seeth the Blood c. the LORD shall pass over the Door c. So he had promised before v. 13. Maimonides being of the Opinion that the Zabij and other Idolaters abhorr'd the killing of such Creatures thinks that God ordained this killing of the Lamb c. both to purge the Minds of the Jews from such false Opinions and make profession of the contrary and to perswade Men that that Action which they accounted deadly preserved from Death according to these words The LORD shall pass over the Door c. P. III. More Nevoch c. 46. Ver. 24. And ye shall observe this thing c. Keep this Feast by Sacrificing a Lamb and eating no leavened Bread though some of the Ceremonies wherewith it was now observed in after times were not necessary Ver. 25. When you be come to the Land which the LORD shall give you c. This Deliverance is not to be forgotten when God hath given you rest in the Land he hath promised you But there you are most carefully to preserve the memory of it by keeping this Feast every year And indeed most think they were not bound to keep it till they came thither but what they did in the Wilderness the next year was by a special Direction not by virtue of the Command in this Chapter IX Numb 1 2 c. Ye shall keep this Service In all things except what was proper and peculiar to their coming out of Egypt Ver. 26. When your Children shall say unto you What mean you by this Service When Children were Twelve years old their Parents were bound to bring them to the Temple where seeing what was done at this Festival they would be apt to enquire into the meaning of it At every Feast also of the Passover the eldest Person at the Table instructed all the younger sort that were there present in the reason of this Institution rehearsing these very words as Conradus Pellicanus observes This is the Sacrifice of the Passover in remembrance that the LORD passed over the Houses of the Children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our Houses Ver. 27. It is the Sacrifice of the LORD 's Passover Or the Sacrifice of the Passover to the LORD i.e. in honour of the LORD who passed over the Israclites when he smote the Egyptians It is frequently called by the Name of a Sacrifice XXIII 18. XXXIV 25. XVI Deut. 4 5 6. and it is call'd Corban which is a Name given only to those things which were brought to be offered up to God See IX Numb 13. where as it is called Corban so the same word is used for bringing it which is commonly used about other Sacrifices And it further appears to have been properly a Sacrifice by the Rites belonging to it For the Blood of it was sprinkled by the Priests 2 Chron. XXX 16. XXXV 11. Which though it could not de done here because they had no Altar in Egypt yet the Posts of their Houses as I observed before were sprinkled with it and it had an effect accordingly And the People To whom the Elders v. 21 reported these things from Moses Bowed the Head and worshipped Expressed their belief of what Moses had said and humbly acknowledge God's goodness to them Ver. 28. And the Children of Israel went away To their several Habitations And did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron v. 1. They kept the Passover So did they According to all the fore-named Rites belonging to it Ver. 29. And it came to pass that at Midnight the LORD smote c. According to the fore-going threatning XI 4 5. See there The Captive that was in the Dungeon The Pit or Hole under Ground For the Hebrew signifies the lowest part of the Prison See XI 5. Ver. 30. And Pharaoh rose up in the Night he and all his Servants and all the Egyptians I suppose the Angel made a great noise when he came to give the blow which made the Egyptians start out of their sleep and behold the Calamity which was come upon them Or perhaps the First-born gave such a lamentable Shriek when they were struck that it awakned the whole Family And there was a great cry in Egypt It is no improbable Conjecture which was made a great while ago by Fortunatus Seacchus in his Myrothec Ebaeochrism L. I. c. 6. that the Solemn Feast among the Egyptians wherein they went about with Candles in the Night seeking for Osiris with Tears and great Lamentations took its Original from Pharaoh's rising up out of his Bed at Midnight and all the Egyptians with him who lighting Candles and finding their Children dead bewailed them with loud Cries And it is not unreasonable to think as
Mount XVII 6. IX Deut. 21. By which means the Calf was utterly abolished and demonstrated as Abarbinel notes to have no more Divinity in it than the dust or water hath And made the Children of Israel drink of it He did not constrain them but having no other water they could not avoid when they were thirsty to drink with this mixture Which Moses threw into it not to discover who were guilty of Idolatry as the Jews fancy who say this was like the Water of Jealousie V Numb 27. which made their Bellies swell or their Beards as some have since fabled turn yellow for it was a general Apostacy v. 1 3. but to make them sensible how vile a thing this Idol was which was gone into their Draught and mixed with their Dung and their Urine They that have a list to see the Conceits of the Jews about it may look into Selden de diis Syris Syntag. I. c. 4. and J. Wagenseil upon Sota p. 1128. Ver. 21. And Moses said unto Aaron what did this people unto thee It was not sufficient that the Idol was destroyed but he thought fit to call his Brother to an account for his mis-government in his absence Who makes a very weak defence as all Commentators observe to whom I refer the Reader And shall only note That the best Apology he could have made had been this if it had been true that he only represented God unto them as he had represented himself to him and the Elders of Israel when the Cherubims in the form of Oxen made part of the Train of the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty But he says not a word of this which I suppose therefore is a groundless opinion That thou hast brought so great a sin upon them If they had made or built an House for the Divine Worship saith Sepher Cosri in the place above-named according to their own fancies that they might have offered their Sacrifices there and directed their Devotions thither it would not have seemed to me so grievous a sin for at this day we make such Houses and have a veneration for them and promise our selves the Divine Benediction in them c. But to make an Image was directly against the Command of God and to fancy that he would be present with that which he abhorred very much aggravated the Crime Ver. 22. And Aaron said let not the anger of my Lord wax hot He beseeches him in a very humble manner to hear him calmly Thou knowest the people He had been long acquainted with their rebellious and obstinate Humour which made them fall a murmuring as soon as ever they were delivered from Pharaoh at the Red-sea XV. 24. XVI 2 c. That they are set on mischief The words in the Hebrew beráhu are more emphatical they are in wickedness or in Idolatry like that expression in St. John 1 Epist V. 19. the whole World lyeth in wickedness Or as we say in our Language they were stark naught Ver. 23. For they said unto me Make us Gods c. This Verse is but a recital of what the People said to him v. 2. see there Ver. 24. And I said unto them Whosoever hath any Gold let him break it off so they gave it me This is the sense of v. 2. 3. Then I cast it into the fire and there came out this Calf He speaks as if he did not make the Calf but the Gold being cast into the fire out it came in this form Which made Dr. Jackson think it more than probable that there was some Magical or Daemoniacal skill practised in the sudden moulting of this Idol which very much increased the Peoples Superstition to it For what else saith he could Aaron mean by these words I cast it into the fire and there came out this Calf than that there was some secret invisible operation whereby it was moulded into this form in an instant which raised as I said the Peoples Devotion to it Herein he follows some Jews who go a great deal further saying That the Devil entred into it and made it roar like a Bull to strike a greater awe into the People as R. Juda saith in Pirke Elieser c. 45. And in Tanchuma they say it not only roared but danced also Which seem to me to be Conceits invented for the Excuse of Aaron who is said plainly enough v. 4. to have made this molten Calf Which he could not have done without designing it and running the Gold into a Mould of this Figure Here is no account at all given what Judgment Moses made of this defence but it appears by IX Deut. 20. that God was so angry with him that he had been destroyed if Moses had not interceded for him and beseeched God to pardon his weakness in complying with a People set on Mischief v. 22. For no doubt in his own Mind he was against this Fact as the Levites were of whom he was the Chief Ver. 25. And when Moses saw that the people were naked Without the Divine Protection For the Glory of the LORD in the Cloud it is likely departed and went up from them which we read descended again XXXIII 9. For Aaron had made them naked c. Laid them open by this Sin to the Scorn of all their Enemies who should hear of such a shameful Revolt from their God Ver. 26. Then Moses stood in the gate of the Camp Where the Courts of Judgment were wont to sit to hear Causes and to punish Offenders So it was in their Cities in after times which it is likely was derived from the usage now as now they did but follow the practices of their Fore-fathers For in the days of Abraham the City Gate was the place where all publick and private Business was transacted XXIII Gen. 10 18. which seems to have been the manner in all the Country for at Schechem we find as well as here at Hebron when Hamor and his Son proposed to make an Alliance with the Israelites they motioned it to the People at the Gate of the City XXXIV Gen. 20. Which was the same thing with the Forum or Exchange among the Romans the Market being also held here where there were Seats for the Judges and Elders And said Who is on the LORD's side Abhors this Idolatry and cleaves to the Worship of the LORD only Let him come unto me To receive his Commands who was under God their Leader And all the Sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him If not the whole Tribe yet as many as had any Zeal for the LORD who were the most This is an Argument there was a general defection of the People to this Idolatrous Worship that none but the Sons of Levi appeared to joyn with Moses on this occasion Ver. 27. And he said unto them thus saith the LORD God of Israel put every man his sword by his side The LORD himself by his Command warrants what I bid you do And go in and out from gate to
made him very unfit he thought to be an Ambassadour And this doth not disagree with what St. Stephen saith that he was mighty in Words as well as Deeds VII Acts 22. for the sense of what he spake was great and weighty though his pronunciation was not answerable to it Nor did his ill or weak pronunciation nor his slowness in bringing forth his words hinder him from being an excellent Judge and deciding Causes from Morning to Night as we read XVIII Exod. In the determination of which there was no need of Oratory but of a quick Apprehension exact Judgment and proper Language which he never wanted One would think also that by Use and Exercise he grew prompt in the delivery of his Mind for he made several very long Speeches to the People and especially an incomparable Discourse before his departure out of the World in the beginning of the Book of Deuteronomy In the latter end of which his Song shows that he wanted no eloquent words when he pleased to use them Ver. 11. And the LORD said unto him who hath made mans mouth c. Cannot I who formed all the Organs of Speech and made the rest of mens Senses and when I please deprive them of their use take away this Impediment of which thou complainest and make thee to speak as roundly and gracefully as any Man living The Authour of the Life of Moses who makes Pharaoh to have condemned Moses for killing the Egyptian c. See II. 15. fancies that God puts him in mind of his Deliverance at that time As if he had said Who taught thee to make thy Defence when thou wast Arraigned before Pharaoh Who made the King dumb that he could not urge and press thy Execution Who made the Executioner deaf that he could not hear the Sentence when pronounced And who made them all blind that they could not see when thou madest thy escape which is very ingeniously invented but we have no assurance of the truth of this Explication Ver. 12. Now therefore go and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say Excuse thy self no longer but obey the Commission I have given thee and I will both help thy Speech and suggest to thy Mind what thou shalt deliver This doth not signifie as I take it that if he had without further disputing gone about his Business God would have given him a better Elocution but that he would have made his words as powerful as if they had been pronounced with the greatest advantage Or the meaning may be that he should never want either words or thoughts to instruct his Brother Aaron whom God always intended to send along with him Ver. 13. And he said O my Lord. The same form of Speech with that v. 10. Send I pray thee by the hand of him whom thou wilt send The Vulgar Latin having translated the word SCHILO XLIX Gen. 10. qui mittendus est him that is to be sent it hath inclined several great Men to think that Moses here desires God to send the MESSIAH And several of the ancient Fathers Just Mart. Tertull. and S. Cyprian c. were of this mind as many later Interpreters both of the Roman and of the Reformed Church have been Particularly Flacius Illyricus in his Clavis upon the word MITTO thus explains this Passage Manda id functionis c. commit this Office to the true Messiah or blessed Seed whom thou hast resolved to send who will discharge this Trust far better than I can do c. But there have been and are other very considerable Persons who think Moses means no more than this Send a more proper Person one sitter for this Imployment than I am And the truth is such Speeches as these in Scripture do not denote any certain Person or Thing but signifie something indesinite and in general Examples of which we have in 1 Sam. XXIII 13. 2 Sam. XV. 20. upon which Phrase Vado quo vado I go whither I may the same Flacius observes that it denotes an uncertain motion In like manner Moses here determines his desire to no particular Person but only wishes God would send any Body rather than himself And that he did not think of the Messiah there is this Argument that he had no reason to believe he was now born and yet God's Promise was to send one immediately to relieve the Israelites Upon which Errand also if he had prayed God to send him it would argue Moses to have been in the same Errour with the present Jews that the Messiah was to be a Temporal Deliverer Ver. 14. And the Anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses These words seem to import that God was highly displeased with him and consequently that he had very much offended him Yet some of the Fathers particularly St. Hierom and St. Basil impute his backwardness to serve in this Imployment unto his great Modesty Humility and a deep Sense of his own Infirmities of which the wisest and best Men are far more sensible than other Persons And then this Anger amounts to no more than such a Displeasure as a Father hath at his Child when he is too dissident notwithstanding all that he hath said and done to breed in him a just confidence And therefore no Punishment followed this Anger unless we think as R. Solomon doth that because of this backwardness God preferred Aaron's Family above his or that this was the Cause he would not Cure his Imperfection of Speech but only a Chiding which we may suppose went before the following Question Is not Aaron the Levite thy Brother which carries something of sharpness in it And indeed this may be said in Moses his Excuse That the most Excellent Persons are the least forward to embrace the Offers of great Advancement According to the observation of Plato L. I. de Republ which I find Eusebius also hath noted out of him L. XII Praep. Evang. c. 9. that no Magistracy being designed for the Profit of him that Governs but of those that are Governed I must needs conclude saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no Man who is considerate he means will voluntarily take upon him the Government of a People but he must be hired to it or he must be punished if he will not undertake it For he that will use his Power well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never doth that which is best for himself but for those whom he governs Such an one was Moses who sought not his own Profit or Glory as those that now seek for great Places by which they design a Benefit to themselves and not to their Neighbours and therefore was not easily perswaded to accept of the high Authority which was offered to him Is not Aaron the Levite thy Brother One would think by this that Aaron was now a principal Person and of most eminent Quality in the Tribe of Levi as may be concluded also from his Marriage with the Sister of the
to do III Exod 18. and it will appear from v. 3. of this Chapter that so they did I have observed before III. 10. that this Pharaoh is commonly thought to be him called Cenchres Thus saith the LORD God of Israel Let my People go c. These words contain only the Substance of what they said which was delivered we may well suppose in a longer Oration Wherein they declar'd they had received a Commission from their God the LORD of Heaven and Earth to make this Address to him In all Nations there were some Persons who pretending to greater Familiarity with their Gods than other Men were highly reverenced both by their own Country-men and by Strangers And therefore it is no wonder Pharaoh offer'd no Violence to them when they came to make this Demand because their Persons were held Sacred as those of Ambassadours now are who come from one Prince to another This is a better account than that which some of the Jews in Schalsch-Hakkabah give of it who say that when they came into Pharaoh's Presence they appeared in such Majesty as daunted him being like the Angels of the Ministry and raised to a taller Stature than they had before and having a splendour in their Countenances like that of the Sun c. In which they seem to imitate the Story of St. Stephen whose Face shined like that of an Angel when he appeared before their Council That they may hold a Feast unto me in the Wilderness In order to which it was necessary they should offer Sacrifice v. 3. which they could not do in Egypt and therefore desired to go into the Wilderness where they might use their own Rites and Ceremonies of Religion without offence to the Egyptians Every word hath its weight in it For a Feast denotes an extraordinary Service and to me signifies such peculiar Rites of Worship as should be prescribed and instituted by the LORD in whose Name they spake For which the Wilderness was most proper because there was no Concourse of People likely to be in that place to disturb them in their Solemnity Ver. 2. And Pharaoh said Who is the LORD c. These are not Atheistical words for he owned such Gods as the Egyptians worshipped but slighted that God whom Moses called JEHOVAH to whom he saith he owed no Obedience because he did not know who they meant by him He speaks also with too much Scorn his Pride and Passion not suffering him to ask seriously who Jehovah was I know not the LORD c. Nor did he desire to know being so transported with Anger that he would not Examine their Commission but only resolved he would not obey it Ver. 3. And they said the God of the Hebrews They give him no other account since he was so haughty and huffing but that they came in the Name of him whom they and their Ancestors had for many Generations worshipped Whom they had at first called v. 1. the LORD God of Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Artapanus in Eusebius expounds it the Lord and Governour of the Vniverse Hath met with us Appeared to us and given us this Commission when we thought of no such thing For they would not have him think that they sought this Embassy but were put upon it by the Divine Authority which they durst not disobey Let us go we pray thee three days Journey into the Desert These are the very words in which God commanded Moses to deliver his Message III. 18. And as their Desire was moderate to go but three days Journey so it was very modestly delivered by humble intreaty and with such a Reason as they thought might move him to grant their Request And Sacrifice unto the LORD our God That he may be propitious to us Lest he fall upon us with the Pestilence or with the Sword Send a Plague among us for our neglect of him or some Foreign Enemy to infest us and cut us off Whereby Pharaoh they secretly suggest would lose the benesit of their Labours more than by their going for a little time into the Wilderness See VIII 27. It is observable that they neither wrought any Miracle nor threatned any Punishment to Pharaoh at their first Application to him but only told him the danger they themselves were in if they did not obey their God Which was a very submissive way of treating with him Artapanus indeed in Euseb Praep. Evang. L. IX c. 27. and in Clem. Alex. L. I. Strom. tells us of several Miraculous things which Moses did at this Audience whereby Pharaoh and his Servants were astonished and frighted from doing them any hurt nay he askt Moses the Name of his God which he whispered in Pharaoh's ear But he had all this out of some such fabulous Authour as him I mentioned above v. 1. and I mention him only to show that the Heathen had the knowledge of this History and report it as a Truth though with some mixture of Humane Invention Ver. 4. Wherefore do ye Moses and Aaron let the People from their works Instead of answering their Reasons he tells them That he lookt upon them two as Disturbers of the Peace of the Kingdom and Hinderers of his Business Get you unto your Burdens This seems to be spoken unto the Elders which they had brought along with them Ver. 5. Behold the People of the Land now are many They are very numerous notwithstanding all their Labours to what will they grow if they have nothing to do Or as some expound it they will think of nothing but Sedition now they are so numerous if they be suffered to cease from their Burdens Cajetan hence gathers that the Law for throwing their Infants into the River was abolisht as infamous or he could not get it put in Execution And you make them rest from their Burdens Which was the Course he took to make them less numerous Perhaps this was the Sabbath-day on which they had been wont to rest when they had their Liberty Ver. 6. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the Task-masters of the People and their Officers The Task-masters were the chief Exactors of their Labours being Egyptians who had Officers under them to execute their Orders and to give an account how they were obeyed And it appears from v. 14 15 c. that they were Israelites Ver. 7. Ye shall no more give the People straw to make brick as heretofore c. Instead of easing them he increased their Burdens and made them intolerable What the use of Straw was in making Bricks is variously conjectured Some think it was mixed with the Clay to make the Bricks more solid Others that they only heated their Kilns with it to burn the Bricks Others who think they were not baked in a Kiln imagine it served only to cover them that they might not be crackt by the violent heat of the Sun wherein they were baked For so Vitruvius tells us that the best Bricks were made in the Spring and
in the Autumn ut uno tenore siccescant that they might dry by an equal heat they that were made at the Solstice being suddenly crusted over by the Sun and left too moist within L. II. de Architect c. 3. Ver. 8. And the tale of the Bricks which they did make heretofore you shall lay upon them c. It appears from v. 13 14. that there was a certain quantity exacted from them every day For they be idle and therefore they cry saying Let us go and Sacrifice to our God They have not work enough to employ their Thoughts which makes their Mind wander after other things Ver. 9. Let there more work be laid upon the Men. Or make it heavy upon them as it is in the Margin That they may labour therein Have no time to think of any thing else And let them not regard vain words So he calls the Message of Moses and Aaron who he pretends were meer Deceivers and fed their Hope with Lyes for so it is in the Hebrew words of falshood or lying words or at least he resolved their words should not prove true for he would not let the People go Ver. 10. Thus saith Pharaoh I will not give you Straw The Task-masters with their Officers proclaimed the King's Order that every Body might take notice of it Ver. 11. Go get you Straw where you can find it c. A heavy Sentence importing that whether they could find any or no no abatement would be made of the number of Bricks that was expected from them This was to drive them to Desperation by demanding things impossible And added as Conradus Pellicanus observes to the Burdens on their Bodies very sore Anguish of Mind For it tempted them to doubt of the Goodness of their God who they thought had sent a deliverer to them IV. 31. by whom they were now reduced into a more miserable Condition Ver. 12. So the People were scattered abroad throughout all the Land of Egypt c. Some part of them were forced to go and pick up Straw or for want of it Stuble and sometime travel a great way for it while the rest were working in the Brick-kilns without their help which they were wont to have whereby they were disabled from making so many Bricks as formerly they had done Ver. 13. And the Task-master hasted them c. Quickned them in their work when they saw they were likely to fall short of their wonted Task Ver. 14. And the Officers of the Children of Israel c. By this it appears as I said v. 6. that these Officers were Israelites And from this place Bonavent Bertram concludes Lib. de Rep. Hebr. Cap. IV. that there was a Civil Government among the Israelites all the time they were in Egypt and that these Schoterim as they are called in Hebrew were Men of the greatest Note among the Elders who executed all their Decrees and consequently of high Authority among the People For which reason Pharaoh's Task-masters chose them to Oversee and Direct the Labours of their Brethren But Mr. Selden L. I. de Synedr Cap. XV. hath made it appear that there was no such Judicature among them at this time and when there was this was the Name of those who executed the Sentence of the Judges being like to our Apparitors and such like under Officers See p. 621 c. Were beaten With Sticks or scourged with Rods. Wherefore have yet not fulfilled your Task both yesterday c. They punished the Officers as if they had been negligent in not pressing the People to their Duty Yet it seems they forbore them one day to see if they would mend their Fault the next V. 15. Then the Officers of the Children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh saying c. They had some hope this Oppression might proceed from the Task-masters and not from the King himself and therefore they represented their Case to him and petitioned for Relief It is said indeed v. 6. that Pharaoh laid this Command both upon the Task-masters and their Officers but it is not unlikely that he gave it immediately only to the Task-masters who were his own Ministers and by them to the Officers Ver. 16. Thy Servants are beaten but the fault is in thine own People This shows that they thought such Inhumane Usage was the effect of the Task-masters Cruelty Ver. 17. But he said ye are idle ye are idle c. He soon made them understand it was by his Decree and not his Servants pleasure that they were thus used And which was worse they saw he was sixed in his Resolution being void of all pity and mocking at their Complaints For nothing could be more Sarcastical than to tell them they were idle when they sunk under their Burdens Ver. 18. Go therefore now and work c. Do not spend your time in making Complaints to me but return immediately to your Labours and continue at them till my Commands be executed and expect no mitigation Ver. 19. And the Officers did see that they were in evil Case c. By this Answer they found themselves reduced to such Straits that now they despaired of all Relief the King himself being set against them Ver. 20. And they met Moses and Aaron who stood in the way as they came forth from Pharaoh They had placed themselves there on purpose to hear what Success the Officers had in their Petition Ver. 21. And they said the LORD look upon you and judge This seems to be an Imprecation or at least the Officers bid Moses and Aaron expect that God would take them to task as we speak for bringing his People into so bad a Case Ye have made our Savour to be abhorred in the Eyes c. Made us odious as this Phrase signifies XXXIV Gen. 30. To put a Sword into their hand to slay us Who may take an occasion from hence and make this a pretence for the destroying our whole Nation Ver. 22. And Moses returned unto the LORD this plainly intimates that the LORD had appeared to Moses since he came to Egypt as he did at Mount Horeb and that he appeared in some setled place where he might upon all Occasions resort to him And said LORD wherefore hast thou so evil intreated this People c. It was to no purpose to answer the Officers who expostulated with him for they were too much exasperated and thereby prejudiced against any thing he could say And therefore he chose rather to represent to God the Complaints they had made to him that he might be directed what Satisfaction to give them For he was not able of himself to give an account why the LORD should suffer their Condition to grow worse rather than better since he delivered his Message to Pharaoh No nor why he should send him on an Embassy which was not at all regarded Ver. 23. For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy Name he hath done Evil to this People neither hast thou
delivered thy People at all He might have remembred that God told him more than once that Pharaoh would not obey him at the first III. 19. IV. 21. But the bitter Reflections which the Officers of the Children of Israel made upon his Conduct had so disturbed his Mind that he forgot himself so far as to ask the undecent Questions mentioned in the foregoing Verse and complains here that God had done Nothing to fulfil his Promise of Deliverance to his People CHAP. VI. Verse 1. AND the LORD said unto Moses The SCHECHINAH I suppose appeared to him See v. 12. as it had done often before since he was first sent upon this Business IV. 22. and graciously condescended to satisfie his two Complaints in the latter end of the foregoing Chapter Where he complains first of all that he had sent him about a fruitless Message for secondly he had not at all delivered his People To the last of these he Answers in the first place here in this Verse where he tells him Now thou shalt see what I will do to Pharaoh That is be patient and wait a while and thou shalt see Pharaoh compelled to dismiss my People For with a strong hand shall he let them go c. I will so terribly scourge him that he shall not only let them go but thrust them out of Egypt and be glad to be rid of them Ver. 2. And God spake unto Moses and said unto him I am the LORD He also answers here to his first Question Why hast thou sent me by telling him I am JEHOVAH and have sent thee to make known this great Name that is my self who am constant to my word and will faithfully perform all my Promises Ver. 3. And I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the Name of God Almighty Or God All-sufficient as the word El-shaddai may be interpreted See XVII Gen. 1. God infinite in Power and Goodness of which he gave their Fathers abundant proofs by delivering them in many and great Straits But by my Name JEHOVAH was I not known to them This Name of four Letters as the Jews speak is by the Ancients called the ineffable Name For they would never pronounce it Not because they could not as Drusius well observes L. I. Observat Cap. I. Sed quod religione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quadam ab eo efferendo abstinerent but because out of a Religious Reverence they abstained from it And this respect to it all the ancient Interpreters observe even St. Hierom himself though in several of the ancient Fathers as Irenaeus Clem Alexandrinus Epiphanius and Theodoret and in some of the ancient Heathens as Macrobius and Diodorus Siculus it is expressed by Jaho and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek write it Which Name however it be pronounced some of the Jews imagine was concealed till Moses his time who was the first to whom it was revealed But this is evidently false as appears from the whole Book of Genesis and particularly from XV. 7. where before he calls himself El-shaddai he saith to Abraham I am Jehovah which brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees In short the Opinion of Reuchlinus in his Verb. Mirisicum is far more justifiable which is that it was revealed to our first Parents at the same time that God breathed into them the breath of Life For as soon as Eve brought forth her First-born she saith I have got a Man from the LORD IV Gen. 1. which Name descended in a perpetual Succession from Seth to Abraham who when he went by God's Direction out of his own Country into Canaan the LORD appeared to him there and there he built an Altar to the LORD XII Gen. 7 8. And it is to be noted that he doth not say to Moses in this place My Name Jehovah was not known to them but I was not known to them by this Name That is by that which it imports viz. the giving being as we may say to his Promises by the actual performance of them i. e. by bringing them into the Land of Canaan and in order to it delivering them out of Egypt Both which he had promised in the fore-named Chapter XV Gen. 14 18. and now intended to make good And thus R. Solomon interprets this place as P. Fagius notes I have promised but have not yet performed The like Expression we find in the Prophet Isaiah as Theodorick Hackspan hath observed Disput de Nominibus Divinis N. 15. LII Isa 5 6. where the Lord saith My Name is blasphemed every day continually therefore my People shall know my Name therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak behold it is I. Which cannot signifie that the Jews did not then know that this was one of the Names of God but that all who blasphem'd him should be confuted by sensible Proofs which he would give of his own unchangeable Resolution to fulfil his Promises in bringing them out of Babylon which fully demonstrated that he was JEHOVAH Which word some think includes in it not only his Eternal Existence and Immutable Truth but his Omnipotent Power which gave being to all things The last of which was now made known so as it had never been to Abraham Isaac and Jacob for Moses was the first that wrought Miracles and Prodigies God was known to the Fathers by Visions and Dreams but not by Signes and Wonders Moses made him known by these unto the World And therefore upon the whole Maimonides well concludes from this place that the Prophetical Spirit on Moses was more excellent than that which had been upon any before him More Nevoch P. II. c. 35. Ver. 4. And I also c. The Hebrew word vegam may be better translated although Which makes a clear connexion of this Verse with the former and explains the meaning of the Name Jehovah By which he was not known in former times although he had made a Covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob to give them the Land of Canaan and often ratified confirmed and establisht as he here speaks this Covenant XVII Gen. 7 8. XXVI 3 4 c. But now he not only declares himself mindful of that Covenant v. 5. but because he was the LORD v. 6. would deliver them from the Egyptian Bondage and that with a miraculous Power Which should make them know more of him than their Fathers did v. 7. both by his Delivering them out of Egypt and by bringing them into the Land which he swore he would give to their Fathers v. 8. This is the Sense of these five Verses The Land of their Pilgrimage c. So it is often called when he speaks to Abraham XVII Gen. 8. and so Isaac calls it XXVIII 4. and Jacob also XXXVII 1. And so it might be called not only with respect to Abraham Isaac and Jacob but also to their Posterity because of the near Union that is between Fathers and Children Thus God is said
to have given to these three Patriarchs as the famous Primate Vsher observes the Land of Canaan for an Inheritance CV Psal 11. which was not fulfilled to them but to their Posterity And as the Possession of Posterity is attributed to the Fathers so upon the same ground he thinks the Peregrination of the Fathers is attributed here to the Children Chronol Sacra Cap. VIII Ver. 5. And I have also c. This Verse also begins with the same Particle vegam and must be translated although if the former Interpretation be right Or else those words by my Name Jehovah was I not known to them must come in by a Parenthesis and both these Verses be connected with what goes before appeared unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob by the Name of God Almighty to whom he so appeared as to make a Covenant with them which he perfectly remembred and having taken notice to what condition they were reduced was now come to deliver them Ver. 6. Say unto the Children of Israel I am the LORD Tell them I will now show that I am what this Name imports v. 2. And I will bring them from under the burdens of the Egyptians The heavy Oppressions under which you groan v. 5. And I will rid you of their bondage They were meer Slaves and lay also under such insupportable Loads as made it impossible for them to deliver themselves but it was to be the sole work of God And I will redeem you with a stretched out Arm. This word redeem implies their Servitude from which he rescued them by a Power superiour to Pharaoh's or any Power on Earth as appears by the following Story And with great Judgments When God first promised this Deliverance which Moses was about to effect he told Abraham I will judge that Nation which oppressed them XV Gen. 14. That is punish them which is one Office of a Judge according to their Deservings This now he intended to perform and thereby show himself to be Jehovah and that in a most terrible manner by inflicting not only very grievous but many Plagues upon them For Greg. Nyssen observes that all the Elements the Earth the Water the Fire and the Air were all moved against the Egyptians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an Obedient Army L. de Vita Mosis p. 173. Thus Judgments and to Judge are used in many places for Punishing IX Psal 17. XIX Prov. 29. 2 Chron. XX. 12. Ver. 7. And I will take you to me for a People By the right of Redemption before mentioned And I will be to you a God He was so before but now after a peculiar manner And ye shall know that I am the LORD your God c. By seeing my Promises to Abraham Isaac and Jacob fulfilled Ver. 8. And I will bring you unto the Land concerning which I did swear to give it c. Two things were promised to Abraham in that Vision mentioned XV Gen. First That he would deliver his Seed from this Nation which oppressed them v. 14. And secondly That he would bring them into the Land of Canaan v. 16. Both these he now declares should be fulfilled the former in the foregoing Verse and the latter in this and thereby they should be convinced that he was indeed Jehovah true and constant to his word I am the LORD He concludes as he began having said this twice before v. 2 6. Ver. 9. And Moses spake so unto the Children of Israel He delivered this Message as he was commanded which one would have expected should have raised their drooping Spirits But quite contrary They hearkened not unto Moses They did not believe or receive what he said So Maimon More Nev. P. I. cap. 45. or it made no Impression upon them The Reason follows For anguish of Spirit In the Hebrew because of shortness of Breath They were so extreamly oppressed that they could scarce fetch their Breath as we speak Or had no heart so much as to think of Deliverance much less hope for it but sunk under their burdens And for cruel Bondage Common Slaves though they cannot deliver themselves rejoyce to hear the good News that they are likely to be delivered by those who have power and will to do it But in this Slavery they were used so cruelly that they were quite dejected and uncapable of any Comfort So the LXX translate the foregoing words for anguish of Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of faint-heartedness they being quite dispirited Ver. 10. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying It is likely that Moses finding the Israelites so regardless of what he said went to the usual place where he was wont to have recourse to the Divine Majesty See v. 22. to receive new Directions what to do Ver. 11. Go in speak unto Pharaoh King of Egypt c. The LORD bids him go again to Pharaoh and renew the Demand he made before v. 1. Ver. 12. And Moses spake before the LORD This Phrase liphne Jehovah before the LORD plainly denotes that God appeared unto him in a visible Majesty as I observed above v. 1. and See XI 4. Behold the Children of Israel have not hearkened to me how then shall Pharaoh hear me Their faint-heartedness disheartened Moses also and made him unwilling to renew his Address unto Pharaoh And there seems to be good reason in what he says if the Children of Israel whose interest it was to give ear to him did not believe him what hope was there that Pharaoh should comply against his interest Who am of uncircumcised Lips This Reason he had alledged before and was fully answered IV. 10 11 c. and therefore ought not to have been repeated now For his being of uncircumcised Lips signifies no more than that he was an ill Speaker and wanted Eloquence It being the manner of the Hebrews to call those parts Vncircumcised which are inept to the use for which they were designed and cannot do their Office Thus Jeremy saith of the Jews that their ear was uncircumcised and adds the Explication they cannot hearken VI Jer. 10. In like manner uncircumcised Lips are Lips that cannot utter words as uncircumcised in heart IX Jer. 26. are such as cannot understand St. Stephen puts both together uncircumcised in heart and ears VII Acts 51. Perhaps Moses thought it some disparagement to him that he was not able himself to deliver his Mind in an handsome manner unto Pharaoh and therefore mentions this again to move the Divine Majesty to circumcise his Lips as they speak that is remove this impediment Ver. 13. And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron Here is no express Answer made to his Objection but it seems to be included in God's speaking unto Moses and unto Aaron whereas before he had spoken only to Moses v. 1 10. And it is likely Moses was admonished that the LORD having given him Aaron to supply his defect he ought to be satisfied therewith and go with him and renew his Address both to the
she bore him Nadab and Abihu These two perished in the very first Sacrifice which their Father offered because they did not take Fire from the Altar but offered with strange Fire X Lev. 1 2. Eleazar Who succeeded his Father in the Priesthood Numb XX. 25 c. and assisted Joshua in the Division of the Land of Canaan XIV Josh 1. XIX 51. XXI 1. From him sprung Zadok and the following High-Priests till the Destruction of Jerusalem 1 Chron. VI. 4 c. And Ithamar From whom came Eli and Ahimelech and Abiathar in the time of David in whom this Family was Extinct Ver. 24. And the Sons of Korah c. Though he himself perished in his Rebellion against Moses who was his Cosin-German yet his Family remained XXVI Numb 58. and were famous in the days of David being often mentioned in the Book of Psalms Ver. 25. And Eleazar took one of the Daughters of Putiel to Wife Who this Putiel was is not certain Dr. Lightfoot thinks he was an Egyptian Convert whose Daughter Eleazar married But I see no good ground for this Opinion but rather think it more likely Eleazar would marry one of the race of Abraham being Son to the High-Priest He was married indeed before his Father was promoted to that Dignity yet Aaron was so great a Man in his own Tribe See IV. 14. and married into so honourable a Family in Israel v. 23. that it is not probable he would suffer his Son to match with an Egyptian Proselyte These are the Heads of the Fathers of the Levites c. The great Persons from whom sprung the principal Families among the Levites He saith nothing of the other Tribes because his intention was only to derive his own Pedigree and his Brother Aaron's from Israel Ver. 26. These are that Moses and Aaron to whom the Lord said bring out the Children of Israel c. These are the two Persons to whom God gave Commission to be the Deliverers of their Nation out of the Egyptian Bondage He had mentioned just before their Genealogy the Charge God gave them both to the Children of Israel and unto Pharaoh v. 13. And now he goes on to show that they were the Men who were peculiarly chosen by God to discharge that Office first by going to the Children of Israel which he mentions here and then to Pharaoh which he mentions in the next Verse Bring out the Children of Israel from the Land of Egypt Assure them of their Deliverance notwithstanding the Pressures under which they groan According to their Armies Not by a disorderly Flight but every Family in such good order as an Army keeps XII Exod. 41 51. XIII 18. Ver. 27. These are they that spake to Pharaoh c. Who carried the Message from God to Pharaoh requiring him to let Israel go out of Egypt V. 1 2 c. VI. 13. These are that Moses and Aaron He repeats it again that all Generations might mark who were the Men that God imployed in this great and hazardous Work of Demanding the Liberty of the Children of Israel from Pharaoh's Servitude and effecting it in such manner as is afterward related in this Book There have been Critical Wits who made this an Argument that Moses was not the Author of these Books because it is not likely they imagine he would write thus of himself But no Body but these Criticks can see any Absurdity in it that he and his Brother being the Instruments in Gods hand of effecting such wonderful things should not let Posterity be ignorant of it but take care not only to Record it but to set a special Note upon it that none might rob them of the Honour God bestowed on them and He by whose direction this was written might have the glory of working such mighty things by such inept Instruments as Moses often acknowledges himself to have been Nor is this more than Ezra Nehemiah and Daniel say concerning themselves and St. John may as well be denied to be the Authour of the Gospel which bears his Name because he saith This is the Disciple that testifieth these things c. XXI 24. And besides this the History of succeeding Ages show us the necessity of this which Moses hath said of himself For if he had not told us what his Progeny was we see by what we read in Justin and Corn. Tacitus and such like Authours what false Accounts we should have of him for Justin from Trogus Pompeius makes him as I observed before the Son of Joseph Nay the Jewish Writers have been so fabulous that we should have learnt as little Truth from them if Moses had not told it us himself Ver. 28. And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spake unto Moses c. Having finished the Account he thought fit to give of himself and of his Brother whom God was pleased to imploy in this great Embassy he resumes the Relation of it which he broke off at the end of v. 13. Ver. 29. That the LORD spake unto Moses saying I am the LORD c. This and the next Verse seem to be a Recapitulation of what God said in his last Appearances to him v. 2 10 c. and of his desire to be excused from the Employment on which he was sent urged by two Arguments v. 12 13. where they are related something more largely than they are here in the last Verse of this Chapter In which he mentions them again that there might be a clearer connexion with what God further added for his Encouragement when he gave him the forenamed Charge v. 13. to deliver a new Message unto Pharaoh Ver. 30. And Moses said before the LORD We read the very same v. 12. which makes me think this is not a new Objection but meerly a Recital of what he had objected there See what I have said on the foregoing Verse Behold I am of uncircumcised Lips c. See v. 12. CHAP. VII Verse 1. AND the LORD said unto Moses He received new Orders from the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty before whom he stood VI. 12 30. See Mark what I say in answer to all thy Objections I have made thee a God to Pharaoh Therefore why shouldest thou fear to appear before him who is but a Man Moses is not called absolutely a God but only a God unto Pharaoh Which denotes that he had only the Authority and Power of God over him or rather he was God's Ambassadour to speak to him in his Name with a Power ready to Execute all that he desired for the Humbling of Pharaoh and Punishing his Disobedience to his Message And Aaron thy Brother shall be thy Prophet Let therefore the Vncircumcision of thy Lips be no longer an Objection for he shall interpret thy Mind as Prophets declare the Mind of God Some slight Wits have from this place also drawn an Argument that this Book was not written by Moses but by some other Authour long after his time Because the word
Nabi they fancy was not now in use to signifie a Prophet as appears say they from 1 Sam. IX 9. where it is said He that is now called Nabi a Prophet was before time called Roch a Seer Which seems to signifie that the word Nabi which Moses here uses for a Prophet was but newly come into use in Samuel's days But this is very far from Samuel's meaning whose plain sense is this that he who foretold things to come or discovered secrets was anciently called a Seer not a Prophet Which signified heretofore only an Interpreter of the Divine Will but now they began in Samuel's days to apply the word Nabi or Prophet to those who could reveal any Secret or foresee Things future Which had not been the use of the word formerly but it signified as I said one that was familiar with God and knew his Mind and delivered it to others as I observed upon XX Gen. 7. where God himself calls Abraham a Prophet as he here calls Aaron And what holy Writer would dare to alter the word which God himself used Which is far more proper also to this purpose than either ROEH or CHOSEH which these Men sancy were the words in use in Moses his time not Nabi for they do not answer the intention of God in this Speech concerning Aaron Who was not to see and Divine or to receive Revelations from God but to be a Mouth to Moses to utter what God revealed to him not to Aaron Which is the original signification of the word Nabi there being no derivation of it so natural that I can find as that of R. Solomon's from the word Nub which signifies to utter or to bring forth X Prov. 31. Ver. 2. Thou shall speak all that I command thee c. This explains the latter end of the former Verse that Moses should deliver God's Mind to Aaron and Aaron should deliver it to Pharaoh requiring him from God to dismiss the Children of Israel out of his Country Ver. 3. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart Or but I will harden c. which Avenarius translates I will permit his heart to be hardned Though there is no need of it for God here only foretels what Pharaoh would force him to do See IV. 21. after several Signs and Wonders had been wrought to move him to Obedience For he was so stupid and hardned his heart so often VIII 15 32. that in conclusion God hardned him by withdrawing all good motions from him And therefore the first time that Jehovah is said to harden his heart there is a special remembrance of this that the LORD had foretold it IX 12. And multiply my Signs and my Wonders c. The first Plagues that were inflicted on him proving ineffectual it was necessary to send more and greater that if it had been possible his heart might have been mollified Ver. 4. But Pharaoh will not hearken unto you Or rather and Pharaoh shall not hearken to your demands For this was the effect of his hardning That I may lay my Hand upon Egypt Smite all their First-born upon which immediately followed their march out of Egypt And bring forth mine Armies c. All the Tribes of the Children of Israel which were so multiplyed that every one of them singly made an Army See VI. 26. By great Judgments That is grievous Plagues which he inflicted on them one after another And thereby made good his word that Moses should be a God to Pharaoh v. 1. that is a Judge as the word Elohim sometimes signifies See VI. 6. Ver. 5. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD Be convinced or made sensible that none can withstand me When I stretch forth my hand against Egypt c. This was most especially fulfilled when he smote their First-born which made them look upon themselves as lost Men if they continued disobedient XII 33. Ver. 6. And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commaded them so did they He repeats what he saith of their Obedience to God's Commands because from this time forward they no longer disputed nor made any Objection but roundly went about their business Ver. 7. And Moses was fourscore years old c. The Israelites were under an heavy Persecution when Moses was born and God exercised their Patience it appears by this a very long time that their Deliverance might be for ever remembred with the greater Thankfulness and Obedience Such grave Persons as these were fittest to be imployed as God's Commissioners in this Affair for they could not well be thought to be hot-headed Men who thrust themselves forward into this Embassy without a Warrant So some of the Jews very judiciously have observed that God made choice of aged Men to work all his Miracles before Pharaoh and to receive his Revelations because they were not apt to invent nor to be under the power of Fancy at those years See Sepher Cosri L. I. Sect. 83. where Buxtorf notes that Aben Ezra observes upon this place That none besides Moses and Aaron ever prophesyed in their old Age because they were more excellent than all the Prophets Ver. 8. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron saying When they were about to renew their Address to Pharaoh God was pleased again to appear and give them his Directions in their Proceedings Ver. 9. When Pharaoh shall speak unto you saying shew a Miracle for you It was likely that Pharaoh would when he was not in a Passion ask How shall I know that you come from God with this Message to me give me some proof of your Authority And such a proof as can be done by none but by the Power of God And therefore God directs Moses what to do in this case Say unto Aaron Take thy Rod. The same Rod is sometime called the Rod of God IV. 20. sometime Moses his Rod and sometime Aarons as we find it in many places v. 10. 19. of this Chapter and VIII 5.19 c. Because God wrought all the following Miracles by this Rod which sometimes Moses and sometimes Aaron held in their hand But commonly Moses delivered it unto Aaron as an Agent under him to stretch it out for the effecting of Wonders For he tells Pharaoh in this very Chapter that with the Rod which was in his hand he would smite the Waters c. v. 17. And immediately the LORD bad him Say unto Aaron Take thy Rod and stretch out thy hand upon the Waters of Egypt v. 19. By which it appears he had delivered the Rod unto Aaron For a Rod being the Ensign of Authority Prophets were wont to carry one in their hand in token of their Office And so did the Egyptian Magicians also who had every one their Rod ready to throw down v. 12. And Mercury whom the Egyptians counted a Prophet and thence called him Anubis was represented with a Wand in his hand And cast it before Pharaoh As God had before directed Moses IV. 3 21. Ver. 10. And
Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh and did so as the LORD commanded them At their first Address to Pharaoh they only delivered their Message but did nothing to confirm it V. 1 c. Nor were they commanded now to work any Miracle unless Pharaoh demanded one Which it is likely he did this second Address to him moving him to ask How shall I know that you come from God And Aaron cast down his Rod before Pharaoh and before his Servants The great Men of the Court who are always supposed to be present where the King was though not mentioned in the foregoing Verse And it became a Serpent See IV. 3. where we read that Moses himself when this Change was first made fled from before it the sight of it was so terrible And therefore it is highly probable that Pharaoh and his Servants were no less startled at the first appearance of it Artapanus relates several other Miracles besides this in Eusebius his Praepan Evang. p. 434 435 441. which I mention to show that the Fame of Moses's Miracles was spread among the Heathen who were so far from disbelieving them that they gave credit to other false Reports which some ill People had mingled with them Ver. 11. Then Pharaoh also called the Wise men When he had recovered the fright in which we may well suppose him to have been he sent some of his Servants to call in those who he thought could cope with Moses and Aaron in wonderful Works Wise men This word is sometimes used in a good sense and therefore to show they were such as we now call Cunning-men he joyns another word to it which is never taken in a good sense viz. Sorcerers Which most take to be such as we call Juglers who cast mists as we speak before Mens eyes and make things appear otherwise than they really are For the Hebrew word Cischeph from whence comes Macaschephim which we translate Sorcerers signifies to delude the sight with false Appearances Sir John Marsham puts these two words together and by the figure of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translates them accersivit peritissimos artis magicae he called the most skilful Persons in the Magical Art Chron. Can. Secul IX Now the Magicians of Egypt This is a third word which seems to be of worse import than the two former Some translate it Necromancers but it being a foreign word we cannot determine its particular meaning though in general no doubt it signifies men that by evil Arts performed amazing things Such as Simon Magus and Elymas in after times See XLI Gen. 8. and Bochart in his Hierozoicon P. 2. L. IV. Cap. XVIII where he hath a large Discourse about the meaning of this word Chartumim which after all that others have said about it he thinks comes from the word Retan which in Arabick and Chaldee signifies to murmur as Magicians were wont to do in their Incantations So Hartun is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Inchanter And the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same with Hecate he thinks alludes to it whom Magicians were wont frequently to invoke The Names of the principal Magicians at this time among the Egyptians were Jannes and Jambres as not only St. Paul 2 Tim. III. 8. but several both Jewish Greek and Roman Writers tell us I will mention but one the Author of Schalsch-Hakkabalah who calls them by these names and saith that in our Language we would call them Johannes and Ambrosius The Reader may find a great many more if he please in Primate Vsher's Annals ad A.M. 2513. and in Bochart's Hierozoic P. I. L. II. c. 53. p. 645. Artapanus in Eusebius calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Priests at Memphis whom Pharaoh sent for to oppose Moses The Original of which sort of Men seems to have been this that God being pleased to admit the holy Patriarchs to familiar Colloquies with him the Devil indeavoured to imitate him that he might keep Men in his Obedience by pretending Discoveries of Secret things to them And when God was pleased to work Miracles for the confirmation of the Truth the Devil directed these Men who were familiar with him how to invoke his help for the performance of strange things which confirmed them in their Errours They also did in like manner with their Inchantments If the Hebrew word come from lahat which signifies a flame See III Gen. 24. it seems to denote such Sorcerers as dazzled Mens eyes and then imposed on them by shows and appearances of things which had no real being But it may be derived from laat which signifies hidden and secret and then denotes those that used secret Whispers or Murmurs as Inchanters did as Bochartus in the place now mentioned interprets it or such as had secret Familiarity with Daemons as it is expounded in the Gemara Sanhedrin Cap. VII n. 10. where there are many Examples of the former sort of Inchantments by the deception of the sight For instance R. Asche relates that he saw a Magician blow his Nose and bring pieces of Cloth out of it And R. Chajah saw one cut a Camel in pieces with his Sword and then set it together again which was nothing saith he but the delusion of the Eye Several other stories are told of the same Nature Ver. 12. For they cast down every Man his Rod. They were sent for to confront Moses and therefore attempted to do the very same thing that he had done For they took him for a meer Magician like themselves and it was a common thing in ancient times for such kind of Men to contend one with another And their great study was as Gaulmy hath observed in his Notes upon The Life and Death of Moses written by a Jew p. 241 c. to find out the Genius that attended their Opposer whom they strove to gain to their side or to terrifie him by a greater and more powerful Angel And they only were insuperable who had a Deity to their genius as Porphyry saith Plotinus had Who contending with Olympius an Egyptian when his Genius was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to appear visibly there came a God and not a Daemon Which made the Egyptian cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is happy who hath a God for his Genius as I suppose it should be interpreted And thus the Jewish Authour of The Life and Death of Moses fancies that these Magicians who resisted Moses turned over all their Books to sind out the Name of that Deity by which he did wonders so much superiour to theirs c. And they became Serpents Not real Serpents but seeming as Josephus understood it and several Christian Writers Particularly Sedulius L. IV. Carm. imagine ficta Visibus humanis Magicas tribuere figuras I omit other ancient Authours who suppose that as Spirits can assume Bodies like to Men so they can as easily out of the same Air make the appearance of a Serpent just as Circe is said in
Homer to have changed Vlysses's Companions into Hoggs But there are those who take these to have been real Serpents brought hither by the power of the Devil who withdrew their Rods and put these which he suddenly transported from some other place in their room Which if it be true it makes the Power that wrought by Moses the more wonderful whose Serpent devoured them all But Aaron 's Rod swallowed up their Rods. The Serpent into which Aaron's Rod was turned moved towards them and eat them up Which was as I said the more astonishing if they were real Serpents of the same bigness as we may well suppose they would indeavour to bring with that of Moses However their Serpents whatsoever they were could not stand before his but were swallowed up while his still remained This might have convinced Pharaoh if his Magicians had not made him believe that they would in time sind a Power superious to Moses The Jews also imagine Pharaoh himself was a Magician and helpt to get out of Moses the Secret whereby he wrought these Wonders Which were the greater because Moses no doubt in conclusion took this Serpent by the Tail as God had commanded him IV. 4. and it became a Rod in his hand again Whereas the Egyptian Sorcerers had no Rods remaining to take up they being vanished with their Serpents Greg. Nyssen L. de Vita Mosis p. 173. takes the devouring of their Rods to have been a plain Argument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that the Rods i. e. Serpents of the Magicians had no vital power in them able to defend themselves but were meer Delusions without any real vertue And here I cannot but take notice of a remarkable Passage in Numenius a Pythagoraean Philosopher recorded by Eusebius L. IX Praepar Evang. Cap. VIII where he tells us that Numenius in this third Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresly saith that Jannes and Jambres were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inferiour to none in Magical Skill and therefore chosen by the common consent of the Egyptians to oppose Musaeus as the Heathens call Moses the Leader of the Jews of whom he gives this noble Character that he was a Man most powerful with God in Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is a plain Confession that he took Moses to be as he is called in these Books a Man of God and may serve to shame those who either believe not this History or think Moses to have been only a great Magician Ver. 13. And he hardned Pharaoh 's heart or rather Pharaoh's heart was hardned For so we translate this very Hebrew Phrase v. 22. and I can give no account why we translate it otherwise here Especially since the Vulgar and the Chaldee so render it and the LXX also in this Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pharaoh 's heart grew stiff or waxed strong and stubborn And v. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his heart was hardned And it is plainly the like form of Speech with that in the next Verse 14. where God himself interprets his own meaning Pharaoh's heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is heavy and will not stir Nor is there in any of these three Verses the least mention of any Person by whom his heart was hardned That he hearkned not unto them as the Lord had said It is likely upon the first sight of the Serpent his heart was inclined to hearken but seeing the Magicians do the same it returned to its first bent and there fixed notwithstanding Moses's Rod devoured theirs This God had predicted III. 19. knowing his wicked Disposition would not yield to any means he should think sit to use for his Reformation Ver. 14. And the LORD said unto Moses c. It is likely Moses after he had been with Pharaoh and wrought this Miracle returned to the place where the Divine Majesty was wont to appear unto him VI. 12 30. and gave him an account of what had passed Whereupon the LORD told him he saw Pharaoh was resolved in his way and therefore it would be to no purpose to wait to see what would be the effect of the late Miracle but bid him go the next Morning and carry a threatning Message to him Pharaoh 's heart is hardned he refuseth to let the People go It is observable that he doth not say I have hardned Pharaoh's heart and therefore there should have been no such intimation in our translation of v. 13. but Pharaoh's heart is hardned Which can imply no other hardning than what proceeded from his own setled Resolution not to lose the Service of the Israelites Ver. 15. Get thee unto Pharaoh in the Morning Of the very next day after he had wrought the foregoing Miracle And now begins the first of the Ten Plagues which God sent upon the Egyptians for disobeying his Ambassadours Whose Treaty with Pharaoh as Jacobus Capellus ad A. M. 2502. thinks continued about Eleven Months from the end of Harvest which he makes account was in our May to the beginning of the next year which is the Opinion of the Hebrew Doctors But our excellent Primate Vsher thinks that all the following Plagues were inflicted within the space of One Month in such order of time as I shall observe in the beginning of each of them And Bochartus gives good reason for it in his Hierozoic P. 2. L. IV. Cap. VIII For we are told here v. 7. that Moses was fourscore years old when he began to treat with Pharaoh and in V Josh 6. that they walked forty years in the Wilderness Now if he had spent a year in inflicting these Plagues Moses who died just as they were entring into Canaan must have been an Hundred and one and twenty years old whereas he was but an Hundred and twenty as we read XXXIV Deut. 5. Nor was it sutable to the Divine Goodness to be so long in delivering his People who were reduced to extream Misery It was but just also that God should follow Pharaoh whose heart was so obstinately hard with one Plague upon the neck of another and give him no time to breathe after one was removed before another came upon him Lo he goeth out unto the Water God who knows all things foresaw his motion before hand and speaks as if he then saw him actually going out of his Palace to the River Either to walk there for Recreation or to Worship the River Nile For as Bochart whose words these are observes out of Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing was had in such honour among the Egyptians as the River Nile If it was so in Moses his days it is not unlikely that he went to pay his Morning Devotions to it Or if he were a Magician as the Hebrews fancy he might be skilled in that which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so he observes they say in the Talmud and make this the reason of Pharaoh's going to the River Which Jonathan follows in his Paraphrase Behold he goeth out to observe
Divinations upon the Water as a Magician Hierozoic P. 2. L. IV. Cap. XV. And thou shalt stand by the Rivers brink against he come Perhaps Pharaoh as the same Bochart observes had forbid him to come any more to the Court and so God directs him to take this occasion to meet with him And the Rod which was turned into a Serpent shalt thou take in thine hand To give him the greater Authority and to put Pharaoh in fear at the sight of that Rod which had lately swallowed up all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Greg. Nyssen calls them Magical Staves which encountred him Ver. 16. And thou shalt say the LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee saying See V. 3. To which add that it is plain by this whole Story that all the Messages delivered by Moses and all the Answers which Pharaoh returned were true and formal Treaties of a Solemn Embassage as Dr. Jackson speaks upon which Moses was sent to the King of Egypt from the LORD God of the Hebrews that is their King as he was become in a peculiar manner under whom Moses acted as his Deputy or Viceroy Let my People go that they may serve me c. The merciful kindness of God to an hardned Sinner is here very remarkable in renewing his Message and giving him Warning of what would come upon him if he did not yield Whereas he might in Justice have inflicted it without any Notice of his Intentions He sets before him also his Sin and his Danger in being hitherto Disobedient and behold hitherto thou wouldst not hear i. e. thou hast provoked the Divine Majesty by disregarding several Messages I have brought to thee from him Ver. 17. Thus saith the LORD Attend to this new Message I bring to thee in his Name In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD He had askt in a contemptuous way Who is the LORD and said after a supercilious manner I know him not v. 2. nor indeed cared to know him but slighted him and his Messengers as the word know not sometime signifies being as much as not to regard Therefore now he bids Moses tell him He would make him know that he was the Omnipotent LORD of the World by the change of the Waters of the River which Pharaoh perhaps adored into Blood Behold I will smite with the Rod that is in mine hand God and Moses are represented in this History as one Person according to what he had said v. 1. of this Chapter and therefore it was the same thing to say the LORD whose words Moses had begun to recite will smite or to say I will smite See v. 16. It is to be observed also that Aaron smote the River v. 19. but it being by Moses his Direction and Order it was counted his Act so that he might say I will smite c. The Waters of the River and they shall be turned into Blood This Plague was the more remarkable because as Theodoret here observes they having drowned the Hebrew Children in this River God now punishes them for it by giving them bloody Water to drink XII Wisd 7 8. And if they had the same Notions then that the Egyptians had in future times the Plague was the more terrible because it fell on that which they thought had some Divinity in it and as the same Theodoret observes was honoured as a God because it made Plenty when it overflow'd its Banks The Hebrew Doctors add another reason for this Punishment because the Egyptians had hindred them from their wonted Baptisms as the Authour of The Life and Death of Moses speaks that is saith Gaulmyn from Purifying themselves in the River by Bathing after they had lain in of their Children which in the scarcity of Water in that Country could no where be done but in the River Ver. 18. And the Fish that is in the River shall die c. Here are three grievous Effects of this Plague It deprived them of their most delicious Food for so their Fish were XI Numb 5. And took away the Pleasure they had of washing by the Rivers side because it stank both by the death of the Fish and the corruption of the Blood through the heat of the Sun by which means the Water was made unfit for their Drink Ver. 19. And the LORD spake unto Moses After he had been with Pharaoh and delivered this Message to him Say unto Aaron take thy Rod and stretch out thy hand This Warning being despised by Pharaoh who would not relent God requires them actually to do as he had threatned And now Moses had delivered his Rod to Aaron that he might by his Authority execute this Judgment Vpon the Waters of Egypt These are general words comprehending all the particulurs following Vpon their Streams There were seven Branches into which the River Nile was divided before it fell into the Sea which seem to be here understood being called IX Isa 15. the seven Streams or Rivers of Egypt Vpon their Rivers There were several Cuts made by Art out of every Stream to draw the Water into their Grounds which seem to be here meant by Rivers And upon their Ponds These were digged to hold rain water when it fell as it did sometimes and near the River also they digged Wells it is likely which may be here intended And upon all Pools of Water There were here and there other Collections of Water particularly in their Gardens derived by Pipes from the River into Cisterns In Vessels of Wood or of Stone Wherein Water was kept in private Houses for their present use Ver. 20. And Moses and Aaron did so as the LORD commanded c. This first Plague our Primate Vsher makes account was inflicted about the XVIIIth day of the Sixth Month which in the next year and ever after became the Twelfth Month. Artapanus tells this Story otherwise but it is evident he had heard of it among the Gentiles and Ezekiel the Tragaedian relates it all right together with the following Miracle See Euseb Praepar Evang. L. IX Cap. XXIX p. 442. Nor is there any thing more frequent in the Roman Story as Huetius observes L. II. Alnet Quaestion Cap. XII n. 12. than Relations of Rivers of Blood flowing out of the Earth Pits full of Blood showres of Blood and Waters of Rivers changed into Blood c. And he lift up the Rod and smote the Waters that were in the River c. Here is mention only of Smiting the Water in the River And it is likely that only the Waters of the River were turned into Blood as it here follows at the first lifting up of his Rod and then all the rest of the Waters mentioned in the precedent Verse Ver. 21. And the Fish that was in the River died c. All the effects of this Plague which were threatned v. 18. See there immediately following The first of which was the death of the Fish which perished in such great numbers that
heal Ver. 11. And the Frogs shall depart from thee c. This demonstrated the power of Moses with God that he could as certainly foretel the removal of the Frogs as he had done the bringing them upon the Land Ver. 12. And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh To the place it is likely where Moses was wont to attend upon the Divine Majesty And Moses cried unto the LORD because of the Frogs In the Hebrew the words are Cried to him about the business or the matter of the Frogs which God had sent upon Pharaoh Or as Aben Ezra understands it concerning the Frogs which he had promised Pharaoh should be removed as if the words should be translated thus He cried unto the LORD concerning what he said about the Frogs and appointed unto Pharaoh For so the word Sham in XV. 25. signifies to appoint or propose and so the LXX here translate the words which we render had brought against Pharaoh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he had appointed to Pharaoh Ver. 13. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses So powerful was he with God in Prayer as the Heathens themselves observed from this Story See what I observed out of Numenius VII 12. And the Frogs died c. The Egyptians could not kill them but God took away their breath yet not removing them from the places where they were but leaving them dead there As appears by what follows Ver. 14. And they gathered them together on heaps That they might carry them it is likely into the River and so they might go down into the Sea God could have dissolved them into Dust if he had pleased or swept them into the River from whence they came or made them quite vanish in an instant But he would have them lye dead before their eyes as a Token they were real Frogs and no Illusion of their sight And the Land stank This was a further sensible Evidence that they were real Frogs Ver. 15. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite That he was freed from the great strait in which he was For the Hebrew word for respite signifies breathing or inlargement and makes the sense to be this that when the burden that pressed him was taken off so that he could take his breath he was of another mind c. He hardned his heart and hearkned not unto them c. Was not so good as his word v. 8. but returned to his former Resolution not to let Israel go Which Resolution grew so much more stubborn and obstinate than it had been before by how much the Plague of the Frogs had softned his heart and inclined it to yield to God more than the two former Miracles had done Ver. 16. And the LORD said unto Moses say unto Aaron The LORD seems to have given Pharaoh no warning of this Plague but to have inflicted it immediately upon the removal of the Frogs viz. on the Twenty seventh day of the sixth Month. For his breach of Faith was such an high Provocation that he deserved no other Treatment but a more notable Judgment Smite the Dust of the Land that it may become Lice Some would have the Hebrew word Cinnim to signifie Gnats or some such kind of Creature Thus many of the Ancients understand it and Artapanus calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a flying sort of living Creature which made such Ulcers by its biting as no Medicine could cure See Eusebius L. IX Praepar Evang. p. 425. But Bochartus hath sufficiently proved that our Translation is right and that out of the very Text. For Gnats and such like Insects are bred in Fenny places but these were brought out of the Dust of the Earth Ver. 17. Aaron stretched out his hand with his Rod. He still is the Instrument to execute all the Judgments which Moses denounced as he was his Mouth to deliver all the Messages he carried to Pharaoh And smote the Dust of the Earth and it became Lice This showed the Lice were not a Natural Production for they come out of the sweat and filth of Mens Bodies and of other Living Creatures In Man and Beast This proves they were Lice which stick fast both to Men and Beasts Whereas Gnats though they sting sorely cannot be said to be in Man and Beast for they are a most restless Creature continually buzzing about and never setling constantly in one place And there were various sorts of these Lice for Beasts do not breed the same that Men do nor have all Beasts alike but some are peculiar to Horses others to Oxen others to Sheep and others to Swine and Dogs All the Dust of the Land became Lice That is Nothing could be seen but Lice where Dust was before Or Lice were mingled every where with the Dust Throughout all the Land of Egypt Not of Goshen it is very probable which was inhabited mostly by Israelites Ver. 18. And the Magicians did so c. Attempted and endeavoured to do so by using their wonted Invocations and Rites of Incantation For the common saying among the Jews is very frivolous That Daemons have no power over Creatures so small as Lice The meaning of which Gaulmyn thinks they themselves did not understand which according to the Principles of the ancient Magick was this That all Animals had a particular Genius presiding over them by whose Assistance their Worshippers could do any thing among that sort of Creatures But this is meant only of perfect Animals not of Insects among whom they reckon'd Lice which had no such heavenly Power waiting on them But if there had been any such Notions then these Magicians sure would have understood it and not fruitlesly have attempted that which they had no hope to produce But they could not Though they had counterfeited the former Wonders yet here a stop is put to their Power so that they themselves confess their weakness So there were Lice upon Man and upon Beast This seems to suggest that since they could not produce any new Lice they attempted to remove those which Moses had brought upon the Country But they failed in that also for notwithstanding all that they could do both Men and Beasts were pestered with Lice The Hebrews say in The Life and Death of Moses that this Plague was inflicted upon the Egyptians for another piece of Oppression which they exercised on the Israelites to whom they said Go sweep our Houses and sweep our Streets c. therefore God made Lice to cover the Earth a Cubit deep But this favours too much of their fabulous invention It is more pertinent to observe that though we read of particular Persons who for great Crimes were punished with the Plague of Lice See Huctius L. II. Quaest Cap. XII n. 12. yet we do not find in any Story a whole Nation infested with them and that both Men and Beasts without Exception the Magicians themselves in all likelyhood being sorely asslicted with them which made them cry out as
apud illos quae nobis incesta Ver. 28. And Pharaoh said I will let you go that you may Sacrifice to the LORD your God in the Wilderness He doth not say expresly they should go three days Journey as was demanded which hath made some think this was but a niggardly Concession of Pharaoh's who intended to deceive them with general words But Moses understood it otherwise as appears by his acceptance of the Grant Only you shall not go very far away No further than three days Journey Intreat for me This indeed is added so quickly and as it were with the same breath that he granted their three days Journey that it may make one think it was the least part of his intention to permit that but only to get rid of this Plague Which if it had continued long the Egyptians must have left their Country to preserve themselves Several People having been forced by Flies to quit their Habitations as many ancient Authours inform us mentioned by Bonfrerius and Bochartus Ver. 29. And Moses said Behold I go out from thee and I will intreat the LORD that the swarm of Flies may depart c. He was not more ready to desire than the LORD and his Servant Moses were to grant the total removal of this Plague which was sent for his Reformation not his Destruction if he would have duly considered it To morrow Yet he would not pray that he might be released from it presently but let him lye a while under the smart of this Rod that he might be truly humbled and deal no more deceitfully with him as he feared he would But let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more c. He had promised fair before v. 8. but broken his word which made this solemn Caution the more necessary lest he should be guilty of such false dealing again Ver. 30. And Moses went out from Pharaoh and intreated the LORD He gave Pharaoh a good Example of Stedfastness by making good his Promise immediately which he gave him in the beginning of the foregoing Verse Ver. 31. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses Here was punctual performance on God's part of what was agreed between him and Pharaoh in the foregoing Treaty There remained not one This was a greater Miracle than that of removing the Frogs for they remained in heaps and stank v. 14. But these were all swept away by a mighty wind perhaps either into the Sea or into the Deserts of Libya Ver. 32. And Pharaoh hardned his heart at this time also c. This is here made an act of his own as it was no doubt in all the former Refusals to let them go v. 15 19. And he hardned his heart by not hearkning or not regarding what they had done as the word is used and translated IX 21. That which made him not to hearken or regard was his excessive Pride and Covetousness for he thought it a dishonour to submit to Moses and he was very loth to lose the Service of so many Slaves which was really more worth to him than all the Land they possessed in Egypt CHAP. IX Verse 1. Then the LORD said unto Moses See VII 1. Go in unto Pharaoh It seems now he went to the Palace And say unto him Thus saith the LORD c. He sends the same Message to him he ordered at the first v. 13. and had continued ever since VII 16 c. Ver. 2. For if thou refuse to let them go and wilt hold them still If thy covetous griping Humour make thee still resolve to detain them in their Slavery Ver. 3. Behold This word as in most other places as Dr. Jackson notes is here a special Character of the speedy Execution of the Plague threatned and of the remarkable manner of its Execution The hand of the LORD is upon thy Cattle c. That is he will smite them which is done by the hand and is just ready to do the Execution Here is no mention of Aaron's Rod no more than in the foregoing Plague and for the same reason See VIII 21. A very grievous Murrain That is a great Plague or Pestilence as we call it in Mankind of which abundance of Cattle shall die For so the word Caved which we translate grievous is used for numerous See VIII 24. But the greater the Number was that died the more grievous no doubt was the Calamity God intending to deal more severely than formerly with him because he had been guilty of a fraudulent Contempt of his former solemn Monition VIII 29. Ver. 4. And the LORD shall sever between the Cattle of Israel and the Cattle of Egypt c. See VIII 22. This was the greater wonder as the word imports because the Israelites and Egyptians were mingled together in the Land of Goshen and their Cattle breathed in the same Air and drank of the same Water c. By which it appeared this Pestilence was not natural but proceeded as was said before from the hand of God Ver. 5. And the LORD appointed a set time That they might know this stroke came from him Saying to morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the Land This Plague was threatned upon the first day of the VIIth Month which afterwards was changed into the first Month of the Year and inflicted on the second Day Ver. 6. And all the Cattle of Egypt died Some survived it is plain from v. 19. Therefore the meaning is either all that were in the Field v. 3. not those in the Cities or Houses or rather a great many of all sorts of Cattle as Drusius expounds it Omne genus all kinds as the word all must be expounded v. 26. Vide L. 2. Animadvers Cap. XVIII But of the Cattle of the Children of Israel died not one Of any sort whatsoever Ver. 7. And Pharaoh sent and behold there was not one of the Cattle of the Israelites dead We do not find that he sent to make any such Enquiry in the former Plagues It is likely he slighted what they said and would not do them the Honour to seem to believe them Moses also had said nothing of this difference God would make between the Israelites and them till the last Plague when the Flies were so busie and vexatious that it made Travel uneasie as it was likewise in the two other before that when they could tread upon nothing but Frogs or Lice And the heart of Pharaoh was hardned One would rather have expected to hear that it relented because he took the pains to satisfie himself that e-every thing foretold by Moses was come to pass which looks as if he meant upon the Truth of that Information to alter his Course This Plague likewise was much heavier than all or most of the preceding which were rather more noisom and terrible as Dr. Jackson speaks than detrimental to Pharaoh and his People For we do not read before this time of the death of any useful Creatures except Fishes when
the Waters were turned into Blood And that Calamity was not so universal neither being only in the River and some think only near the Court as this Murrain which was all over the Country and did them a far greater Mischief But having accustomed himself to do evil he grew still more obstinate and hardned in Pride and Covetousness For he doth not so much as pray to be delivered from this Plague which had done all the Execution he thought that was designed and he intended perhaps to repair his loss out of the Flocks and Herds of the Israelites which haply might make him less affected with this wonder than he had been with some of the former Ver. 8. And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron The former Plague having so little moved his proud and stubborn heart the Lord instantly without any further Message to him as being now in Process of Sentence says Dr. Jackson commands them to bring another Judgment upon the Egyptians more dreadful and noysom than any of the rest had been Take to you handfuls of Ashes of the Furnace In which Pharaoh had made them labour IV Deut. 20. which moved God to punish him and his People with this Plague for their cruel usage of his People there And let Moses sprinkle it The Jews think God imployed him only in Executing this Judgment being much heavier than all the foregoing But both he and Aaron being commanded to take Ashes in the words foregoing as we read they did v. 10. it is more probable they both sprinkled and so the meaning is let Moses as well as Aaron sprinkle it Towards Heaven To show that the Plague came from thence In the sight of Pharaoh That he might be convinced of it Ver. 9. And it shall become small dust in all the Land of Egypt c. Instead of these Ashes which they threw up into the Air there came down a small Sleet as we call it like that of Snow or the Hoar-frost which scalded the Flesh of Man and Beast and raised a Blister in every part upon which it fell The Poison of which penetrating into the Flesh made sore swellings like those we now call Bubo's Insomuch that as Philo understood it L. I. de Vita Mosis they were full of Blotches from Head to Foot Certain it is that the Hebrew word Schechni signifies an Inflammation that made a Tumor or Bile as we translate the word XIII Levit. 18 19. which turned into such a grievous Ulcer that Moses speaks of it afterwards as an unusual Plague which he calls the Botch of Egypt XXVIII Deut. 27. Dr. Lightfoot indeed observes that in the Book of Job II. 7 8. it signifies only a burning Itch or an inflamed Scab an intolerable dry Itch which his Nails could not scratch off but he was glad to make use of a Potsherd to scrub himself But then he confesses that this Schechni here spoken of was higher than that having Blains and Boils that broke out with it which Job's had not So that the Egyptians he thinks were vexed with a double Punishment at once aking Boils and a fiery Itch. But our Interpreters take it otherwise and say that Job also was smote with Boils which in conclusion perhaps had a Scab that itched very much Ver. 10. And they took Ashes of the Furnace c. This Plague was inflicted about the third Day of the seventh Month according to Archbishop Vsher's Computation who thinks it probable as many others do that from hence the Tale was spread among the Heathens that the Egyptians drove the Israelites out of Egypt because they were Scabby lest the Infection should spread all over the Country For they endeavoured in future Ages to make it be believed that what befel themselves was a Plague upon the Israelites Ver. 11. And the Magicians could not stand before Moses because of the Boils c. This Plague seized on them as well as the rest of the Egyptians and that in the Presence of Pharaoh as these words seem to import which perfectly confounded them For though since the Plague of Lice which they could not counterfeit we read of no attempt they ventured to make to vie Miracles with Moses and Aaron yet they still continued about Pharaoh it appears from this place and endeavoured to settle him in his Resolution not to let Israel go perswading him perhaps that though Moses for the present had found out some Secret beyond their skill they should at last be too hard for him But now being on a sudden smote with these Ulcers they were so amazed that we do not find they appeared again to look Moses in the face For now as the Apostle speaks their Folly was manifested to all Men 1 Tim. III. 8 9. In that they could not defend themselves from this terrible stroke whick publickly seizing on them before Moses in the sight of Pharaoh and all his Servants rendred them so contemptible that we never hear more of them Ver. 12. And the LORD hardned the heart of Pharaoh c. If we suppose that the Magicians who had hitherto confirmed Pharaoh in his obstinacy were forced to withdraw in great Confusion when they were smitten with the Boils one would have thought the next thing we should have heard would have been that Pharaoh relented But here is not the least token of that mentioned in this History but rather the express contrary that God was so angry with him that he himself hardned his heart which he had never done before This hardning therefore which is said to be God's doing was something sure very extraordinary Yet it was not an infusion of any bad Qualities or ungodly Resolutions into Pharaoh's heart but only that God did not vouchsafe him those Convictions that might have softned him and gave him up to his own hearts lusts and likewise ordered things so to fall out that he should hereafter be made by them more and more obdurate For he had hardned himself against five Plagues therefore God leaves him to himself and resolves he shall continue in his hardness Accordingly he doth not so much as desire to be freed from this Plague no more than he had done in the former which was nothing so grievous The effect of such Induration is well expressed by Dav. Chytraeus in these words Cor induratum est quod nec compunctione scinditur c. An hardned heart is neither cut by Compunction nor softned by any sense of Piety It is neither moved by Prayers and Intreaties nor yields to Threatnings nor feels the smart of Scourges It is ungrateful for Benefits treacherous to Counsels sullen to Judgments shameless to things most base fearless of Dangers For getful of things past negligent of things present improvident for the future In short it neither fears God nor reverences Man As the LORD had spoken unto Moses The Margin of our Bible directs the Reader to IV. 21. where God saith I will harden c. See there and III. 19. And observe
c. From hence our Learned N. Fuller gathers that this fell out in the Month of Abib as Archbishop Vsher observes in his Annals For it appears by Pliny and others that Barley began to ripen in those Countries in March but Wheat not till April Herm. Conringius differs from this account a little for he thinks in his Treatise de initio anni Sabbatici that this Hail fell in the Month of February Flax being sown here and among the Romans from the Calends of October to the VIIth of the Ides of December as he observes out of Columella Ver. 32. But the Wheat and the Rye were not smitten for they were not grown up In the Hebrew they were hidden i. e. were as yet under ground as Kimchi and from him Junius and Tremellius expound it But that cannot be the meaning for there was but a Months difference between the growth of Wheat and of Barley to maturity And therefore Bochartus hath more truly expounded the meaning Hierozoic P. II. L. IV. c. 3. that they were not yet eared and so being tender and flexil yielded to the stroke of the Hail and received less harm than the Barley which was in the ear and the Flax which was bolled Ver. 33. And Moses went out of the City c. As he had promised v. 29. And the Rain was not powred out It seems there was Rain together with the Hail and Fire which made this Plague still the more wonderful Or by Rain must be understood the showr of Hail which the Lord rained from Heaven v. 18. which sense is confuted by the next Verse Ver. 34. And when Pharaoh saw that the Rain and the Hail and the Thunder were ceased As soon as the Storm was over and the Heavens clear again He sinned yet more and hardned his heart c. That which should have made him acknowledge the Power of God which was as apparent in stopping the Hail as in powring it on his Country made him the more contumacious For seeing this danger over he fancied there would be no more Ver. 34. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardned c. Continued in hardness for God would not soften it having resolved still to harden him as he had began to do v. 12. and did now X. 1. For he neither moved his heart to remember his Confession and his Promise v. 27 28. nor continued the means which extorted that seeming Repentance from him But by granting his Desire to have this stroke removed suffered him to return to his wonted Obstinacy CHAP. X. Verse 1. AND the LORD said unto Moses Go in unto Pharaoh Perhaps Moses might think that after seven Messages delivered to him and as many Plagues for his Refusal and God's Declaration that he had hardned his heart it was to no purpose to make any new Address unto him Which it is likely he would have forborn if he had not received this express Command from God to go to him again For I have hardned his heart c. This is rather a Reason why he should not go and therefore the Particle ki is not to be translated for but although as it many times is used in these Books and then the sense is clear Although I have hardned his heart yet let not that hinder thy going to him but still importune him because I intend to take occasion from his Refusing to obey me to work greater Signs and Wonders for your benefit as it follows in the next Verse and for his Ruin That I might shew these my Signs before him The Signs he speaks of were those already done since he hardned him and those which were to follow For he had threatned when he said he would harden Pharaoh's heart VII 3. to multiply his Signs and Wonders in the Land of Egypt Ver. 2. And that thou mayest tell The LXX translate it that ye may tell for he speaks to Moses as sustaining the Person of the whole People of Israel In the ears of thy Son and thy Sons son All future Posterity What things I have wrought in Egypt This may refer to the Ten Plagues which he inflicted on the Egyptians And my Signs which I have done among them The turning of his Rod into a Serpent and two other Miracles mentioned at his first Mission are called Signs IV. 8 9. and see VII 9 10. That ye may know how that I am the LORD That there is no other God but me Ver. 3. And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh As God had commanded Moses v. 1. Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews This is the stile wherein they began to deliver their Message to him and which they continued all along V. 1 3. VII 16 c. How long wilt thou refuse to humble thy self before me We meet not with this chiding Question in any of the former Messages which was most proper now that he had so often refused to yield or instantly revolted from his seeming Submissions Ver. 4. Behold to morrow This word behold denotes the speedy Execution of a remarkable Judgment See IX 3. And according to the Computation before mentioned it was threatned on the seventh day of the Month Abib to be executed the next day I will bring the Locusts into thy Coasts The Hebrew word Arbeh comes from rabah which signifies to be multiplied For there is no living Creature multiplies more than this Whence they are said in the next Verse to cover the face of the Earth and the Psalmist speaking of them saith they came without number CV Psal 34. Ver. 5. And they shall cover the face of the Earth c. So that nothing could be seen but Locusts See v. 15. And they shall eat How devouring they are and destructive to the Fruits of the Earth Vossius shows at large L. IV. de Orig. Pr. Idol c. 19. and Bochartus P. I. L. IV. Hieroz c. 3. whole Countries having been laid so bare by them in a few hours that it hath brought a Famine upon the Inhabitants See Pliny L. XI Hist. Nat. c. 29. The residue of that which is escaped c. By this it appears that the Wheat and the Rye escaped the stroke of the Hail IX 31. so the Trees were not to be broken but some Boughs remained And shall eat every Tree c. These Creatures spare not the very Bark of the Trees eating all things that come in their way as Pliny testifies in the forecited place Omnia morsu erodentes fores quoque tectorum Ver. 6. And they shall fill thy Houses c. The Author of the Book of Wisdom XVI 9. seems to think that they killed Men and Women But that mistake it is likely arose from v. 17. which may have another Interpretation See there Though if the Locusts died in their Houses the stench of their dead Bodies was so offensive that it often bred the Pestilence as Bochartus observes P. I. Hieroz L. IV. c. 3 5. Which neither thy Fathers c. They exceeded all
that had been seen and they were a frequent Plague in those Countries either in bigness or in in number or in both That is all that had been seen in Egypt For in other Countries perhaps there might have been as large if Pliny may be believed that in India there had been some seen three foot long The Jews in the Book called The Life and Death of Moses fancy these to have been of such a vast Bulk that their Jaw-teeth were like those of Lions But it 's likely Moses speaks here only of their multitude For the Prophet Joel hath such an Expression when he speaks also of their being without number I Joel 6. Whose Teeth are the Teeth of a Lion i. e. they devoured all things greedily and speedily And he turned himself and went out from Pharaoh Either Moses did not stay for an Answer knowing he would give him none better than formerly or Pharaoh answered so churlishly that Moses hastily turned about as the words seem to import and went away in some indignation Ver. 7. And Pharaoh 's Servants said Some of his Counsellors or Courtiers who feared the word of the LORD IX 20. Or perhaps the whole Court began now to be sensible of their Danger How long shall this Man They seem to speak contemptibly of Moses to please Pharaoh who they were afraid would not like their Counsel unless they flattered him Be a Snare to us The LXX and the Vulgar translate it be a stumbling-block i. e. lay before us the Occasion of our falling into one Calamity after another Or involve and intangle us in so many Mischiefs Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed Dost thou not consider that so many Plagues have ruined our Country Ver. 8. And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh c. Upon this Advice he commanded them to be called back again and consented to let them go with some Limitations to which Moses could not agree But who are they that shall go In the Hebrew the words are but who and who that is Name the particulars For his Covetousness would not suffer the whole Nation to go but he would keep some fast in his hands as a Pledge for the Return of the rest Ver. 9. And Moses said we will go with our young and our old c. with our Flocks and with our Herds c. The reason of this large Demand is given in the end of this Verse They did not know what and how often they must Sacrifice to the LORD and therefore it was necessary their Flocks and Herds should go with them And they being to hold a Feast unto the LORD none of them were to be absent from the Solemnity Hold a Feast unto the LORD It appears from V. 1 3. that it was to be a Feast upon a Sacrifice of which every one was to be a partaker Ver. 10. And he said unto them Let the LORD be so with you as I will let you go c. Most take this for a form of Imprecation as if he had said I wish you may prosper no better than I will accord to your desire But some look upon it as an Irrision or Jeer as if he had said you trust in the LORD let him do all he can to deliver you as I am resolved to keep you here This justifies the truth of their Observation who say that Pharaoh at the first behaved himself like a proud Phantastick Humorist who slighted all that Moses said or did but since the Plague of Murrain on the Cattle and Blains upon the Egyptians like a fantastick distracted Bedlam who raved as if his Brains had been blasted to use Dr. Jackson's Phrase with the Fumes of his seared Conscience Look you to it for evil is before you It is uncertain whether he meant evil that they designed against him or which he designed against them The former best agrees with what follows as if he had said you intend a Rebellion therefore I will let none but the Men go Or more plainly it is visible you design some evil i. e. you have conspired to be gone and make a Revolt Or it is plain and manifest by your very Countenances that you intend some evil If we take it the other way for evil which he threatned to them the meaning must be Mark what I say I will take a course with you unless you be content to go and Sacrifice upon my terms i. e. the Men only Ver. 11. Not so You shall not have your will Go now ye that are Men and serve the LORD for that you did desire So he Interprets their Demand V. 1. pretending that Women and Children needed not to attend upon Sacrifices And they were driven out from Pharaoh 's presence It is likely he said I have no more to say to you or you know my mind and therefore get you gone and then commanded his Officers to thrust them out of Doors which they did with some violence This shows he was in a fury which made him neither regard God nor Man but reject the good Counsel his own Servants had given him v. 7. as well as the Commands which Moses from God had delivered to him Ver. 12. And the LORD said unto Moses siretch out thine hand c. Upon this the Lord immediately ordered Moses to Execute the Judgment he had denounced Which as I said before was threatned about the seventh day and inflicted upon the next and removed on the ninth day of Abib Compare v. 4 13 19. Ver. 13. And Moses stretched forth his Rod over the Land of Egypt See VIII 6. And the LORD brought an East wind c. Though the Hebrew word kadim doth properly signifie the East yet it is sometimes used for the South as Boehart hath demonstrated P. II. Hieroz L. I. c. 15. and so the LXX here understood it For though in Arabia which lay East of Egypt there were great store of Locusts yet not such Numbers as were in Ethiopia which lay South of it and abounded with them more than any Country in the World Some People there lived upon nothing else but Locusts which were brought thither in the Spring about the Vernal Aequinox in vast quantities partly by the Western and partly by the Southern Winds as the same Bochart shows out of good Authors L. IV. c. 3. And now it was about that time of the year when by a Wind blowing from those parts they were brought into Egypt See LXXVIII Psal 26. Ver. 14. And the Locusts went up over all the Land of Egypt Being lifted up by the Wind as Pliny speaks they sly in the Air in a great Cloud which now it seems spread it self over all the Land of Egypt solicitè spectantibus populis c. as the same Author speaks People looking on them in great fear lest they fall down and cover their Country as the words following tell us they did here in Egypt And rested in all the Coasts of Egypt After they had hovered
a while in the Air over the whole Country they came down and setled upon the Ground in every part of it Very grievous were they By their vast Numbers For so the word Caved I have often observed signifies and so the Vulgar Latin here translates innumerable Before them there were no such Locusts See v. 6. Neither after them shall be such i. e. Not in the Land of Egypt though in other Countries there might particularly in Judea when God brought this Plague upon it I Joel 2. Ver. 15. For they covered the Face of the whole Earth c. The word in the Hebrew which we translate Face signifying properly the Eye it induced Onkelos to translate this Passage they covered the Sun which is the Eye of the Earth That is there was such a thick Cloud of them before they fell that they darkned the Sun as when they were fall'n they darkned the Land as it here follows Or the meaning is there were such Numbers that they not only covered the Earth but the Sun also For many Authors mentions such prodigious Clouds of them as have so thickned the Sky that the Day hath been turned into Night See Bochart P. II. Hieroz L. IV. c. 5. And they did eat every Herb of the Land c. See v. 5. Ver. 16. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste This Dr. Jackson not improperly calls another raving sit or phrenetical symptom into which this new Calamity threw him I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you Whom he had lately caused to be driven out of his Presence v. 11. but now humbles himself before them more than he had done at any time before For this was such a Plague as all Men accounted a manifest Token of the Divine Displeasure According to that of Pliny L. XI c. 29. Deorum irae pestis ea intelligitur This is taken for a Plague of the Anger of the Gods or as some Copies have it Mira pestis a wonderful Plague sent from above Ver. 17. Now therefore forgive I pray you my sin only this once c. Nothing could be spoken more humbly and seemingly penitent than this Supplication which includes in it also a Promise never to offend again But there was no Sincerity in it being the effect only of a great fright which extorted this Confession and Submission from him without any serious meaning to continue in this Resolution Thus we all naturally think of Repenting as Pellicanus here piously reslects when we are in great straits nay and promise it too till we are out of danger when we perform little of what we promised as our whole Life testifies That he may take away from me this death only We cannot gather from hence that the Locusts killed Men and Women as the Hail did for the Fields and the Trees c. are said to die as well as Men XLVII Gen. 19. XIV Job 8 c. But the Locusts destroying the Supports of Life by eating up the Corn and the Grass c. might by consequence be said to kill the People In both which regards Pharaoh might call them deadly Locusts Ver. 18. And he went out from Pharaoh and intreated the LORD Both Moses and Aaron were called to Pharaoh and therefore now went both out But one only is mentioned viz. Moses because by his Prayers this Plague was removed Ver. 19. And the LORD turned This is supposed to be done the next day as I observed v. 12. according to what is said VIII 29. A mighty strong West-wind Strong Winds are the only Remedy to free a Country from this Plague as Pliny hath observed For if they die in those Fields on which they settle the Air is so corrupted by the stench that it breeds Pestilential Diseases Which took away the Locusts and cast them into the Red-sea That which we call the Red-sea the Hebrews call the Sea of Suph i. e. of Flags as we translate the word Suph in the second Chapter of this Book v. 3. because it was full of a certain Weed which the Latines call alga and the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some Travellers have affirmed to be of a red Colour and to make the Water appear as if it were red also from whence some fancy it was called the Red-sea Certain it is it had the Hebrew Name of Suph from hence there being such abundance of this Weed in that Sea that the Inhabitants of the Coast plucking it up out of the Water and laying it in heaps to be dried by the Sun it becomes so compact that they build Houses of it as Bochartus hath observed in his Phaleg L. IV. c. 29. But it is most likely to have had the Name of the Red-sea from this that what the Hebrews called the Sea of Suph the nearer Neighbours called the Sea of Edom from the Country which it washed viz. Idumaea 1 Kings IX 26. XXI Numb 4. From whence the Greeks who knew not the reason of the Name called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Red-sea because Edom in Hebrew signifies red as we find XXV Gen. 29. Now this Sea which late Writers call Sinus Arabicus lies East of Egypt and therefore a West wind was most proper to drive the Locusts thither There remained not one Locust in all the Land of Egypt The Power of God appeared no less in sweeping them all away than in bringing them upon the Country for both were done at the instance of Moses Ver. 20. But the LORD hardned Pharaoh 's heart c. See IX 12. He left him to himself and did not move him to persist in his late good Resolution Ver. 21. And the LORD said unto Moses He left off now to treat with Pharaoh and only proceeds in the Execution of the Sentence of utter Destruction which he had decreed against him Stretch out thine hand towards Heaven See IX 22. That there may be Darkness over the Land of Egypt So that they should not see any thing at Noon-day Even Darkness that may be felt In the next Verse he calls it thick Darkness which was made I suppose by such clammy Foggs that they sensibly affected the Egyptians Ver. 22. And there was thick Darkness in all the Land of Egypt three days Some think that during this three days Darkness the Israelites were Circumcised when the Egyptians by reason of the great Horrour they were in all that time could take no Advantage of them And so Dr. Lightfoot expounds CV Psal 28. They rebelled not against his word but submitted to be Circumcised For the words seem to signifie some special piece of Obedience which they then performed The Author of The Life and Death of Moses will have it that they punished and cut off several wicked People among the Israelites themselves which they did at this time that the Egyptians might not know it and rejoyce at it But that which is more certain is that if the former Plague ended on the ninth day this Judgment
he might do one Wonder after another till he had finished Pharaoh's Destruction See VII 3. Ver. 10. And Moses and Aaron did all these Wonders before Pharaoh This seems to be a Summary of what hath been said hitherto concerning the wonderful Plagues of Egypt which as God designed to inflict upon that Country so he did by Moses and Aaron as his Instruments And the LORD hardned Pharaoh 's heart so that he would not let the Children of Israel go c. The Obstinacy of Pharaoh under several severe Judgments is so notorious that it need be no wonder that the LORD himself hardned his heart so that he would not suffer the People to depart till what is here threatned was Executed upon him There is nothing more agreeable to the Rules of Justice than to inflict heavy Judgments upon contumacious Offenders and no Punishment heavier than to let them undo themselves by their own Wickedness and blindly run on without any stop in their evil Courses unto utter Ruin This was the Case of Pharaoh of which the Heathen had a broken Notion when they said Quos Jupiter vult perdere prius dementat Those whom God intends to destroy he first infatuates CHAP. XII Verse 1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron c. We are not told here when the LORD spake this to them but it is very likely it was on the Tenth day of this Month before he brought the Plague of Darkness on the Land wherein he gave the Israelites opportunity to prepare for their Departure And then he changed this Month from the Seventh as it was before to the First as it here follows Ver. 2. This Month. Which in process of time was called Abib XIII 4. XXIII 15. because then the Corn was eared and grew towards ripeness for Abib signifies an Ear of Corn and was in after Ages called Nisan II Nehem. 1. III Esth 7. which is a Chaldee word denoting this to be the Month wherein they went out to War from Nissin which signifies Ensigns or Banners as Bochart probably conjectures which at that Season were usually advanced viz. in the Spring time So the Hebrews understand that place 2 Sam. XI 1. Shall be unto you the beginning of Months i.e. The principal Month of the Year It shall be the first Month of the Year to you And therefore was hereafter to begin the Year Which is a plain intimation that the Year had another beginning before this time which was in the Month they called Tisri about Autumn but was now translated unto the Spring And so we find that all the ancient Nations began their Year after their Harvest and Vintage which were the conclusion of their Year But from hence forward the Jewish Computation was from this Month of Abib at least as to their Feasts and Things Sacred though their Civil Year still began where it did before For after this we sind the old account continued as appears from the XXIII 16. where the Harvest is said to be in the end of the Year And yet the Author of Meor E Najim as Guliel Vorstius shows in his Observation upon R. D. Ganz affirms that the ancient Hebrews followed this new Account from the time of their going out of Egypt till the building of the Temple in all their Contracts and Affairs using this Aera of Exodus in memory of that illustrious Deliverance as after that time till the Captivity of Babylon they dated all their Writings from the Building of the Temple Ver. 3. In the Tenth day of this Month. This is a Law which hath respect to all future Ages as well as to this present Time that they should begin to prepare for the Passover four days before For which the Jews give such Reasons as these viz. It was necessary when they went out of Egypt to make this preparation lest a multitude of Business when they were pressed to be gone in haste should have made them neglect it And it was necessary afterwards that they might more narrowly observe if there were any Blemish in the Lamb and that they might be put in mind to dispose themselves for so great a Solemnity And it is observable that our Blessed Saviour the true Paschal Lamb came to Jerusalem on this very day viz. the Tenth of Nisan four days before he was offered XII Joh. 1 12. Yet there are those who think that this Precept was peculiar to this Time of their Departure out of Egypt For they that came in after Ages out of all parts of the Country to worship God at this Feast could not so well observe it unless we suppose them to have come some days before to Jerusalem as its certain some did XI Joh. 55. or to have sent before hand thither to have a Lamb prepared for them which is not unlikely They also who think the Egyptians now worshipped such kind of Creatures imagine withal that this day was chosen in opposition to them who because the Sun entred then into Aries began on this day the Solemn Worship of this Creature and of that Celestial Sign Thus the Author of the Chronicon Orientale in express words This was the day in which the Sun entred the first Sign of Aries and was most Solemn among the Egyptians And therefore God commanded the Israelites to Sacrifice that Creature which they worshipped But there is no certainty of this nor of what the Author of Tzeror Hamor observes that the Feast of the Egyptians being at its heighth on the fourteenth day God ordered the killing of this Lamb at that time which was the greatest contempt of their Coniger Ammon whom they worshipped then with the greatest Honours showing he could be no God whom the Israelites eat They shall take to them every Man a Lamb. The word Seh signifies a Kid as well as a Lamb XV Numb 11. XIV Deut. 4. and it is evident from the fifth Verse of this Chapter that they might take either of them for this Sacrifice But commonly they made choice of a Lamb as the fittest of the two being of a more mild and innocent Nature They that are of opinion the Egyptians now worshipped such Creatures imagine also this was ordained to preserve the Israelites from their Idolatry by commanding them to kill such Beasts as they adored So R. Levi ben Gersom God intended by this to expel out of the Minds of the Israelites the evil opinion of the Egyptians c. A Lamb for an House Some translate it for a Family But that is not true For as Tribes were divided into Families so were Families into Houses and when many Lambs were few enow for a whole Family some Houses were so small that they could not eat one and therefore were to call in the assistance of their Neighbours as it follows in the next Verse Ver. 4. And if the houshold be too little for the Lamb let him and his Neighbour c. They were not to be fewer than Ten Persons nor more than
eat lest they should make the Beds dirty on which they lay leaning But Bochart hath demonstrated that this Custom was not so ancient but that in Moses his time and after they sat at their Tables as we do now of which there are many Instances in the Book of Genesis and elsewhere And therefore it is more likely the Jews were wont to go without Shoes when they were in Egypt for anciently Men did so and that being an hot Country there was no need of them And besides they were so oppressed that they may well be supposed to want many such Conveniencies of Life But now God commands them to put on Shoes being to travel a long Journey See his Hierozoicon P. I. L. 2. c. 50. p. 508. And your Staff in your hand Still the Posture of Travellers who never went without a Staff both to support them in slippery places and to defend them against Assaults XXXII Gen. 10. They seem now to have eaten the Lamb leaning on their Staves and therefore stood all the time as Men ready to depart But these were things peculiar only to that Pasover which they kept in Egypt afterwards they were not tied to them Ye shall eat it in haste As Men expecting every moment to begin their Journey This was the Foundation of many of the Laws about the Passover as Maimonides observes P. III. More Nev. c. 46. It is the LORD 's Passover To be kept in memory of his wonderful Mercy in sparing the Israelites when he destroyed the Egyptians and delivering them from their cruel Bondage Ver. 12. For I will pass through the Land of Egypt this Night See XI 4. And will smite all the First-born c. A most grievous Judgment all Children being very dear to their Parents especially their First-born and those more especially who are their only Children as it is likely they were to many in Egypt It was the forer Plague also because no Man's Children were spared that he might comfort his Neighbours but they were all at the same time bewailing their loss It is not certain by what sort of Death they were smitten but it was sudden and extinguisht them all in the same moment And against all the Gods of Egypt I will execute Judgment And so Moses tells us he did XXXIII Numb 4. From whence it appears that the Egyptians were Idolaters in Moses his days and the Jewish Doctors will have it that all their Idols were destroyed this Night So Jonathan in his Paraphrase Their molten Images were dissolved and melted down their Images of Stone were dasht in pieces their Images made of Earth were crumbled into bits and their Wooden ones reduced to Ashes Of the truth of which we cannot be assured though we meet with it not only in Pirke Elieser c. 48. but in the Author of Dibre hajamim c. or The Life and Death of Moses whose words are these All the First-born both of Man and Beast were smitten the Images also and Pictures destroyed whereupon the Jews borrowing Gold Silver and Garments of the Egyptians they went away laden with Riches according to what God said to Abraham XV Gen. 14. That Nation whom they shall serve will I judge and afterward shall they come out with great Substance This the Heathen seem to have understood for this Story reached them as if they had carried away the Gold and Silver and Garments of the Egyptian Idols For so Trogus reports it in Justin L. XXXVI c. 2. that when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt Sacra Aegyptiorum furto abstulit he stole away the Holy Things of the Egyptians which he makes the reason why Pharaoh pursued them Artapanus also in Eusebius saith that most of their Temples were overthrown by an Earthquake L. IX Praepar Evang. c. 27. There are those who by Elohim understand nothing but their Princes or Judges the great Men of the Kingdom upon whom the Judgment of God was now executed But another place in this Book XX. 23. plainly determines it to signifie Images I am the LORD There is no other God but me as he had said he would make both the Israelites and Pharaoh also to know X. 2. XI 7. Ver. 13. And the Blood shall be to you for a Token Or a Sign by which the Israelites were assured of Safety and Deliverance from the destroying Angel Of which Token if we may believe Epiphanius there was a Memorial preserved even among the Egyptians themselves though they were ignorant of the Original of their own Rites For at the Aequinox which was the time of the Passover they mark't their Cattle and their Trees and one another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with red Oker or some such thing which they fancied would be a Preservative to them And when I see the Blood Wheresoever my Angel finds this Blood upon the Door-posts I will pass over you c. Here is the reason of the Name of Pesach as the Hebrews call it or Pischa or Pascha as it is called by the Chaldees because God ordered his Angel to pass over or pass by the Children of Israel and not to smite any body in their Families when he smote every First-born of the Egyptians v. 23. Ver. 14. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial To preserve in mind God's wonderful Works which he made to be remembred CXI Psal 4. that is ordered and disposed things in such a manner that they should not be forgotten particularly by instituting a Festival Solemnity upon this day as it here follows And you shall keep it a Feast to the LORD c. Called the Feast of the Passover the Rites of which are all manifestly contrived to preserve a Memory of the Benefits they now received An Ordinance for ever To the end of that Oeconomy For it often signifies only a long Duration as XV Deut. 17. And here imports no more but that they should keep this Ordinance not only now but when they came into the Land of Canaan Ver. 15. Seven days shall ye eat unleavend Bread The seven days following the Feast of the Passover were observed as a distinct Festival and called The Feast of unleavened Bread v. 17. because no Bread that had any leaven in it might be eaten all that time Which the Jews expound thus Not that they were bound to eat unleavened Bread all those seven days which was necessary only on that Night when the Passover was killed but only not to eat leavened Bread That was utterly unlawful but they might eat Rice or parched Corn or any such thing See Petavius in Epiphan Haeres LXX N. XI At their march indeed out of Egypt they were forced to eat unleavened Bread having none else to eat not only for seven days but for a whole month that is from the fifteenth of the first Month to the fifteenth and sixteenth of the next when God gave them Manna and Quails XVI 1 12 13. But necessity as I said compelled them to this they having
Here he gives the reason for this Order that Pharaoh might be enticed to pursue them imagining they were in such Difficulties that they could not avoid falling into his hands They are entangled in the Land Perplexed or dubious not knowing which way to go The Wilderness hath shut them in They were cooped up he thought by the Sea and by craggy Mountains which it was impossible for them to pass especially being incumbred with a multitude of Women Children and Cattle Ver. 4. And I will harden Pharaoh 's heart He had hardned it before IX 12. X. 1. But now ordered things so that he was more sensless than ever he had been For having lately felt such an heavy stroke upon all the First-born as mollified his heart for the present and moved him to let Israel go it was the highest degree of Infatuation not to fear as formerly they had done XII 33. that the next blow if he pursued them would be at himself and his followers And I will be honoured upon Pharaoh and upon all his Host. Show my Power and Justice in their Destruction Which would not have been so visible had they died of the Pestilence when the Cattle died of the Murrain and Pharaoh's heart was first hardned as it was by hardning him so far as to follow the Israelites into the Red-sea where he and his whole Host was overthrown which made the terrour of the LORD's Wrath manifest to all the World That the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD Have the greatest demonstration of my irresistible Power VII 5. For the more strange the Infatuation was which led Pharaoh and his Host to such an ignominious Death the more apt the hearts of the People that remain'd would be to acknowledge the Hand of God therein And they did so They marched to this place on the XVIIth day of Nisan which was their third days Journey Jacobus Capellus thinks they rested this day being the Sabbath and came not hither till the XVIIIth Ver. 5. And it was told the King of Egypt that the People fled Some of the mixt Multitude that went along with them XII 38. seeing this strange turn it is likely forsook the Israelites and returned to Pharaoh to inform him that they had lost their way and were shifting for themselves by slight into dangerous places Or as it is commonly interpreted some Spies which Pharaoh had upon them seeing them leave the way to Horeb whither they desired to go three days Journey to offer Sacrifice concluded they never intended to return to Egypt but would run quite away from them This news we may suppose was brought to Pharaoh on the XVIIIth day And the heart of Pharaoh and of his Servants was turned against the People They had quite forgot their late Fears XII 33. which made such a change in them they would not suffer the Israelites to stay any longer in their Country but those Fears being vanished their Minds altered again and they repented they had dismissed them And said what have we done that we have let Israel go from serving us What a gross Errour have we committed in losing the Labour of so many Slaves Covetousness as I have observed often had a principal hand in hardning Pharaoh's heart Ver. 6. And he made ready his Chariot Caused it immediately to be made ready which we may suppose was done on the XIXth day when he began to pursue them And took his People with him All that were wont to attend him on such accasions 7. And he took six hundred chosen Chariots The best Chariots in Egypt which were always ready prepared for such Expeditions And all the Chariots of Egypt That could be got ready on a sudden for he had not time to muster all his force but made all the haste possible lest the Israelites should get out of the straits wherein they were and go so far away that he could not overtake them For which reason he pursued them with Chariots and Horsmen who could make larger marches than the Israelites on foot The strength also of this Kingdom consisted in Chariots which carried Men in them who sought out of them And every one knows that Egypt abounded with Horses as well as Chariots and that they were accounted very strong in these XXXI Isa 1. yet Bochartus thinks all besides the six hundred Chariots Royal were only Carriages for their Baggage Hierozoic P. I. L. II. c. 9. And Captains over every one of them This shows there were Men in them and that to every Chariot there Belonged a Troop of Horsmen we know not of what number who were commanded by a Captain The Hebrews say there were Fifty thousand Horsmen the Arabians make them as many more Ver. 8. And the LORD hardned the heart of Pharaoh King of Egypt As he said he would v. 4. And he pursued after the Children of Israel Of all the infatuated Resolutions to use the words of a famous Divine of our own Dr. Jackson Book X. chap. 11. that either King or People adventured on the pursuing of the Israelites with such a mighty Army after they had most earnestly intreated and urged them to leave their Country may well seem to every indifferent Reader the most stupid And so the Author of the Book of Wisdom justly censures it XIX 3. For whilst they were yet mourning and making Lamentations at the Graves of the Dead they added another foolish device and pursued them as Fugitives whom they had intreated to be gone Yet Josephus gives good hints that even this effect of Divine Infatuation was but such as hath seized upon worldly wise Princes and States-men in former Ages and may hereafter be inflicted upon more And the Children of Israel went out with an high hand Boldly and with assured confidence not sneakingly like Slaves or Fugitives So Onkelos understood it when he translated it bare-headed i. e. confidently fearing nothing having been delivered and conducted by the powerful hand of God as it is often repeated XIII 9 14 16. unto which some refer this Phrase and not to the Israelites See Drusius L. XVI Observat c. 2. Ver. 9. But the Egyptians pursued after them This did not discourage Pharaoh and his Servants who perhaps were of the same mind with the Syrians who fancied the God of Israel might not be alike powerful in all places but though he was stronger than their Gods in the Hills yet they might be too hard for him in the Plain 1 Kings XX. 23. So the Egyptians who had seen how much superiour Moses was to their Magicians might possibly thus reason with themselves as the same Learned Dr. expresses it Who knows whether all this Power was given unto Moses to be exercised only within the Meridian or Climes of Egypt or whether his Commission extend over Palestine and Midian They presumed at least that the LORD God of the Hebrews had not granted Moses such a Command over the Armies or Host of Men though he had done Wonders among
that their cruel usage by Pharaoh especially his Decree that all the Male Children should be slain was the occasion of this name for it made their life bitter to them as the Text saith I. 14. Thus the Author of Dibre Hajamim or of the Life of Moses and our Dr. Lightfoot and others But L'Moine guesses not unhappily that it signifies as much as Mar-jam which is in English a drop of the Sea from which the Story of Venus was framed among the Greeks who feigned her to have been born of the froth of the Sea which gave her the Name of Aphrodite The Fable of Diana also as well as Venus had no other original but from that which is here said of Miriam as Huetius hath probably conjectured in his Demonstratio Evang. Prop. IV. c. 12. sect 4. The Prophetess She was called by this Name I suppose because she had a Gift of composing Hymns in praise of the Divine Majesty which it is certain is meant sometimes by prophecying in Scripture See 1 Sam. X. 5 6. And thus among the Greeks a Prophet and a Poet were the same thing and the Latine word Vates signifies both For as Quintilian saith L. I. c. 10. Musick was had in such veneration in ancient times that iidem Musici Vates Sapientes judicarentur But there are other places of Holy Scripture which would incline one to think that she also received Revelations from God for the direction of the People Particularly VI Mich. 4. where she is mentioned as one that conducted Israel out of Egypt and her own words with Aaron's XII Numb 2. hath not the LORD spoken by us also Which the LORD heard and doth not contradict but rather allow to be true though they had not such near Communication with him as Moses had v. 6. Perhaps she instructed the Women as Moses and Aaron did the Men. The Sister of Aaron And why not of Moses The common Answer is that Aaron and she lived longest together Moses having been absent from them XL. years Or perhaps Moses was not by the same Mother which Aaron and Miriam had She was married to Hur if we may believe Josephus Took a Timbrel in her hand So the manner was in after-times when they prophesied 1 Sam. X. 5 6. 2 Kings III. 15. and when they sang Hymns XXXIII Psalm 2. LVII 7 8. and upon any occasion of great rejoycing XI Judg. 34. 1 Sam. XVIII 6. From which we may learn how ancient Musick was in the Service of God there being nothing in which it can be better imployed than in his Praises Therefore it was no part of the Gentile Idolatry that they used such Instruments as these in their Divine Worship but they honoured false Gods in that manner that Moses and the Israelites had done the true And it ought to have a remark set upon it that this way of praising God was no part of the Mosaical Institution but derived from more ancient times before the Law was given And all the Women went out after her To joyn with her in the Praises of God as the Men did with Moses and Aaron with Timbrels and Dances As they played with these Instruments in their hands so their whole Bodies made a decent motion with their feet Which afterwards tended to lasciviousness but anciently was very grave and so becoming that such Dances were as devout Expressions of Joy as their solemn Musick This appears by the Example of David dancing before the Ark when it was brought up from the House of Obed-Edom in a joyful Procession both of Men and Women with Vocal and Instrumental Musick 1 Chron. XV. 27 28 29. LXVIII Psalm 26. From which Patterns all Nations from the most ancient Times made Dancing a part of the Worship of their Gods as Huetius observes in his Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. c. 6. n. 2. who ingeniously conjectures in another place of that Work c. 12. n. 4. that from this Dancing of Miriam and her Companions on the Sea-shore Callimachus in his Hymn to Diana ascribes to her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 threescore Dancers the Daughters of the Ocean Ver. 21. And Miriam answered them c. i. e. She and the Women answered Moses and the People Verse by Verse or after every Verse sung by Moses and the Men Miriam and the Women interposed and repeated this Verse which is the first of the Song saying Sing to the LORD for he hath triumphed gloriously c. And this was a way of singing in after Times as appears from the CXXXV Psalm and III Ezra 11. of which I have given some account in my Preface to the Paraphrase of the Book of Psalms Which justisies or rather commends our way of Reading or Chanting the Psalms interchangeably by Responses as we call them or Answering one to another which certainly it appears by this place is the most ancient way of all other And is represented in VI Isa 3. as practised by the Angels themselves in their Worship of the Divine Majesty Ver. 22. So Moses brought Israel from the Red-sea Not without some importunity they being eagerly bent upon gathering the Spoil of the Egyptians Some such thing the Hebrew word seems to import which is jassa he made them to go up Which signifies some unwillingness or backwardness arising either from that Cause or from a desire to return to Egypt as some fancy which now perhaps they thought to be so empty that they might get it for themselves And they went out From the Station where they were at the Red-sea Into the Wilderness of Shur Mentioned XVI Gen. 7. and was a part of the Wilderness of Etham which was the general Name for this Desert XXXIII Numb 8. And they went three days in the Wilderness Viz. the XXII XXIII and XXIVth of Nisan And found no Water Which was a very great Trial of them For their Cattle as well as they suffered much by it and could not afford them Milk sufficient to quench their thirst Ver. 23. And when they came to Marah This was the fourth Station of the Israelites after they came out of Egypt and in the same Wilderness which had this Name given it after they came there from the bitterness or brackishness of the Water They could not drink of the Water c. This was the more grievous because they had wanted this refreshment three days Ver. 24. And the People murmured against Moses saying What shall we drink It is the conceit of Abarbinel that Moses brought them from the Red-sea without the direction of the Cloud which conducted them thither but then left them to his Guidance Which made the People think it was Moses his Fault that they were in this destress who did not know how to lead them to the most commodious and likely places for the finding good Water And therefore from Marah they stirred not till the Cloud again led them because it is said XVII 1. they journied from Sin by the Commandment of the LORD
to grind and bake it c. v. 23. and make ready all things that were necessary against the next day which was to be a Festival viz. the Sabbath on which they were to do nothing For the Sabbath was not to be disturbed with such kind of Work but though on other Festivals they might prepare their Meat and only abstain from labour yet on this they might not so much as dress their Meat but it was to de done the Evening before on which they were to prepare every thing for the next day From which preparation this day was called the Parascue XXIII Luke 54. the preparation for the Sabbath And it shall be twice as much as they gather daily Enough that is for two days viz. that sixth day and the next which was to be the Sabbath v. 23. Where what is here briefly said in general is more particularly and largely explained The Talmudists are generally of an opinion that the XVth day of the second Month when they came hither v. 1. was the seventh day of the week See Mr. Selden L. III. de Jure N. G. c. 11. Which if it be true they knew nothing of the rest of the Sabbath for they travelled upon this day But Mr. Mede hath observed that it is altogether uncertain whether or no it was the seventh day from the Creation It might possibly fall out so by the Providence of God that the seventh day designed by him for their Sabbath might be both the seventh in order from the Creation and also from the day of their deliverance out of Egypt But that which now determined this seventh day after six days labour to be their rest was their Redemption out of Egypt and the Overwhelming of Pharaoh and his Host in the Red Sea which was upon this very day The Example of the Creation was a reason for sanctifying one day in seven but the designation of this seventh day was as I said from their wonderful deliverance See Discourse XV. Book 1. Ver. 6. And Moses and Aaron said unto all the Children of Israel What God spake to Moses alone v. 4. is delivered to the People by Aaron also who was assistant to his Brother in the Government of them At Even On the Evening of this fifteenth day God sent them Quails as we translate v. 13. Then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the Land of Egypt Be convinced that it was by the LORD's Direction and Command that you were brought out of Egypt into this place And therefore you have no reason to quarrel with us who did nothing of our selves without his order but rather to trust in him who can make as good provision for you here in the Wilderness as ever you saw in Egypt Ver. 7. And in the Morning When the Manna fell down v. 13. Then ye shall see the Glory of the LORD His great power some interpret it in sending them Bread from Heaven and Flesh also with it But I take it rather to refer unto the visible appearance of the Divine Majesty which they saw presently after this v. 10. and were convinced of his real Presence in that Cloud by the descent of the Manna from thence next Morning which no Power but the Divine could produce And so I find Abarbinel himself interprets it Their seeing the Glory of the LORD is not to be understood of the Bread or the Flesh he sent them but of the Fire which appeared to all the People to reprove them for their Murmurings For that he heareth your Murmurings against the LORD He is present among you and takes notice of your ungrateful behaviour towards him For what are we that ye murmur against us Alas we are but poor Instruments of his who hath done all the Wonders you have seen and by that means brought you hither And therefore why do you complain of us as if we acted any thing by our own Authority Ver. 8. And Moses said this shall be when the LORD shall give you c. I say again therefore mark it when the LORD shall give you Flesh to eat in the Evening and in the Morning Bread to the full then you shall be convinced that he hath taken notice of your Murmurings which are really against him who imploys us only as his Ministers and will be so gracious as not to punish your Discontents but provide for your Necessities Ver. 9. And Moses spake unto Aaron Who was his Minister as Moses was more immediately God's Speak unto the whole Congregation of the Children of Israel Who were all ingaged in this undutiful Murmuring v. 2. Come near before the LORD Before the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty which was in the Cloud as I observed XIII 21. and now was about to break forth upon them in a glorious manner But because of their Murmurings the Cloud was removed it is probable to a greater distance from them than it used to be Bonfrerius will have it that they were to come near to the Tabernacle of Moses where the Glory of the LORD appeared XXXIII 7 9. But there is no proof that it was wont to be there till that occasion See upon that place For he hath heard your murmurings He will show that he is among you and observes how ungratefully you requite him It is not unlikely that Moses bad Aaron go and speak to the People because he himself retired to speak to God That is to pray for them and to acknowledge his great Goodness in passing by their Murmurings Ver. 10. And it came to pass as Aaron spake unto the whole Congregation of the Children of Israel According to the Command of Moses v. 9. That they looked They were suddenly surprised I conceive with an unwonted brightness which made them look about to see whence it came Or Aaron perhaps bad them look that way Towards the Wilderness Whether the Cloud had conducted them and stood at some distance from them And behold the Glory of the LORD appeared in the Cloud The Divine Majesty appeared in flaming Light such as they had never seen before See XIII 21. Thus N. Lyra truly expounds Fulgor quidam insolitus c. an unusual Splendor representing the Divine Power to reprove the Murmurings of the People Ver. 11. And the LORD spake unto Moses Who was gone as I said to pray unto God whilst Aaron was speaking unto the People Ver. 12. I have heard the murmurings of the Children of Israel c. He repeats to Moses what he had bidden him tell them v. 4 5 6. and perhaps spake it from the Cloud of Glory in the Audience of all the People In the Evening ye shall eat Flesh v. 8. And in the Morning ye shall be silled with Bread v. 4. And ye shall know that I am the LORD your God Who brought you out of Egypt and will provide for you here in the Wilderness Ver. 13. And it came to pass that at Even According to God's Promise v. 6 8. The Quails
Sabbath therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days You have no reason to seek it on the Sabbath being provided before-hand with as much as is sufficient for that day Let no man go out of his place The Jews say that a Man went out of his place if he went above Two thousand paces from his dwelling That is if he went beyond the Suburbs of his City XXXV Numb 5. Ver. 30. So the people rested on the seventh day The Reprehension which God gave them by Moses v. 28. and the solemn renewal of the Precept v. 29. wrought so much upon them that for the present they rested upon this day And they not having been used to this rest God did not immediately punish their Disobedience in going abroad to gather Manna though afterward he ordered a Man to be stoned for gathering Sticks on this day for he had often repeated this Law to them before that time Ver. 31. And the House of Israel called the name thereof Manna This is repeated again to show that the name which they gave it at first v. 15. continued to it afterward being so apt and proper to signifie God's Providence over them that they could find no better And it was like Coriander Seed Of a round sigure like that Seed v. 14. White Being like Bedolach as Moses saith XI Numb 7. which signifies Pearl as Bochartus shows in his Hierozoic P. II. p. 678. where he observes the Talmudick Doctors in the Title Joma expresly say it was like Margalith or Margarith i.e. Pearl The taste of it was like Wafers made with honey All things of a pleasant relish are compared in Scripture to Honey Whence those words of David XIX Psalm 11. CXIX 103. Onkelos saith Manna tasted like Escaritae which was a delicious Food at Rhodes as Bochart observes out of Julius Pollux between Bread and Cake like our Bisket I suppose which was so grateful that they who did eat it were never satiated but still desired more In the XI Numb 7 8. Manna is said to taste like fresh Oyl Which doth not contradict this for as Abarbinel and others observe the meaning is that when it first fell before it was prepared it tasted like Honey-wafers but when it was baked then it tasted like fresh Oyl And so the words XI Numb 8. plainly import they took it and beat it in a Mortar and baked it c. and the taste of it i. e. thus prepared was like the taste of fresh Oyl Nay the Jewish Doctors commonly say it had all manner of pleasant savours according to Mens different Palates and thence they fancy it is called v. 29. the Bread Mischne which we translate of two days because it was changed according to the diversity of those that did eat it Children young men and old Which conceit the Author of the Book of Wisdom follows XVI 20 21. Ver. 32. And Moses said This is the thing which the LORD commandeth I have this further Command to deliver from God concerning the Manna Take an Omer of it Just so much as was assigned to every one for his daily Bread v. 16. To be kept for your Generations For your Posterity in future Ages That they may see the Bread wherewith I have fed you c. For seeing with ones eyes saith Isaac Aramah mightily confirms a thing and leaves one in no doubt of it And he took care they should see both the Manna it self and the measure which he bountifully allowed to every one of them Ver. 33. And Moses said unto Aaron What God commanded Moses he now commands Aaron to do Take a Pot. He saith nothing of the matter of this Pot or Vrn which some say was an Earthen Pot others say of Lead Brass or Iron and Abarbinel thinks it was of Glass that one might see what was within But the Apostle hath setled this Controversie by calling it a Golden Pot IX Hebr. 4. and so do the LXX in this place And indeed all the Vessels of the Sanctuary being of Gold it was but reason that this which contained such a precious Monument of God's Mercy should be of the same Metal Lay it up before the LORD i.e. Before the Ark of the Testimony as it is explained in the next Verse Which shows that this Command was given after the building of the Tabernacle and is here mentioned because it belongs to the same matter which Moses relates in this Chapter Others suppose it was spoken by way of Prolepsis which seems not to me so probable Ver. 34. So Aaron laid it up When the Tabernacle was built Before the Testimony This is the same with before the LORD in the foregoing Verse For the Divine Glory dwelt between the Cherubims which were over the Ark which is commonly called the Ark of the Testimony XXX 6. XL. 3 5. But here and XXV 36. is simply called the Testimony by an Ellipsis or leaving out the first word which is very usual in other Instances For thus it is called the Ark of God's strength 2 Chron. VI. 41. but elsewhere the first word being omitted it is called only his strength LXXVIII Psalm 61. CV 4. And therefore the Ark is called the Testimony partly because there God gave them a special Token of his Dwelling among them and partly because the two Tables of Stone were in the Ark which are called the Testimony XL. 20. Where it is said Moses put the Testimony into the Ark and then immediately v. 21. he calls it the Ark of the Testimony Ver. 35. And the Children of Israel did eat Manna forty years Within a Month which wanted to make compleat forty years For it begun to fall just XXX days after they came out of Egypt on the XVth of April and ceased to fall on the XVth or XVIth of March the day after the Passover which they kept in the Fortieth year V Josh 11 12. Now in all Writers some days under or over are not wont to be considered when there is a round Number But there are those who fancy these words were put into this Book after Moses his death for which I can see no ground For it is certain he lived the greatest part of the Fortieth year after they came out of Egypt and brought them to the Borders of Canaan within sight of it I Dent. 3. XXXIV 1 2 c. And therefore may well be supposed to have added these words himself to this History as he did the foregoing v. 32. that all belonging to this matter might be put together in one place Vntil they came to a Land inhabited i. e. To Canaan or the Borders of it as it here follows For these words saith Aben-Ezra have respect to the Wilderness in which they now were which was not inhabited Vntil they came unto the Borders of the Land of Canaan That is saith he to Gilgal which was the Borders when they had passed over Jordan when they did eat of the Corn of the Land and had no
these were the Contents to give him notice of his coming Which was but necessary that he might without any impediment pass the Guards which we may well think Moses had set very carefully after the Fight with Amalek who had suddenly surprized the hindmost of the People XXV Deut. 18. I thy Father-in-law Jethro am come unto thee c. Am upon the way and come near to thee Here it may be sit to take notice that there is a great dispute among Interpreters about the time when Jethro came from Midian with Moses his Wife and Children whether immediately after the Fight with Amalek as it is here set down or some time after when the Israelites were better settled One would think that he could not but take the first opportunity to visit Moses and to bring him and his nearest Relations together after he heard the News of their coming out of Egypt and their passing the Red Sea c. The news of which could not but reach him who was a Borderer upon this Wilderness Yet the Hebrews are generally of an opinion that this fell out after the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai and many Christians have been of the same mind particularly such great Men as our most Learned Primate Vsher ad A. M. 2514. and Mr. Selden L. II. de Synedris c. 2. where he saith no other account of it is to be received nec aliam sanè sententiam omninò amplexandam sentio but they are not agreed in what year he came Some say it was in this first year after their coming out of Egypt And the Hebrews have an opinion that it was in the Month of Tisri and on the eleventh day of that Month when Jethro gave the following Counsel to Moses v. 19 c. i. e. above three Months after God gave the Law from Mount Sinai or after Moses received the second Tables But others are as consident that it was in the second year and place this Story according to order of time after X Numb 28. or as Dr. Lightfoot thinks it should come in between the 10th and 11th Verses of that Tenth of Numbers And Primate Vsher in like manner judges his coming to have been about that time But though all this be uncertain yet Mr. Selden thinks he hath a strong ground to affirm it was after the giving of the Law from what we read I Deut. 6 9 10 11 c. And I confess it seems plain from thence that the Regulation which Moses made by the advice of Jethro was after God spake to them in Horeb which is the same with Mount Sinai For though he did appear at Horeb before this as I observed XVII 6. yet he said nothing then of that which Moses mentions I Deut. which was after the giving of the Law At which time he saith there v. 9. it was that he told them he was not able to bear them himself alone c. But notwithstanding this I cannot think that the coming of Jethro to Moses was deferred so long for no reason can be given why Moses here places the Story of it if it did not follow their Fight with Amalek though he did not give him the advice for the better Administration of Justice till after God had delivered the Law from Mount Sinai as I shall observe in its proper place Ver. 7. And Moses went out to meet his Father-in-law Before he came into the Camp or at least before he came to his Tent that he might show the great respect he bare to him and his joy to see him And did obeysance and kissed him Welcomed him according to the Custom of those Countries And they asked each other of their welfare Had such discourse together as Friends commonly have at their meeting till they came into the Tent. And they came into the Tent. Into the Tent of Moses or rather the Tent prepared to entertain Jethro But the Talmudists are so possessed with the opinion that this hapned some Months if not a whole Year after the Law was given that they take this Tent to have been Beth-midrash the House of Exposition or the School where Moses made the People understand the Law For so Jonathan in his Paraphrase upon this and the foregoing Verse I thy Father-in-law am come unto thee that I may be made a Proselyte And if thou wilt not receive me for my own sake yet admit me for the sake of thy Wife and Children which I bring with me And Moses went out from under the Cloud of Glory to meet him c. and when they had mutually saluted they came into the Tabernacle of the House of Learning But nothing can be more absurd than this fancy that he carried him immediately to hear a Lecture upon the Law Ver. 8. And Moses told his Father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh c. It seems to me from these words and those that follow that all we read hitherto about this matter fell out in order of time as it is here set down For if it had hapned after the giving of the Law it is most probable he would have said something of the most remarkable passage of all other Gods glorious appearance to them on Mount Sinai and the Law he had delivered to them c. Whereas at this meeting he only relates what God had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians and how the LORD delivered them and all the Travel that came upon them by the way which comprehends their passing through the Red Sea and their want of Water and Bread and their Fight with Amalek That is all that we read in the foregoing Chapters And accordingly Jethro rejoyced for their deliverance from the Egyptians v. 9. and gives thanks to God for it v. 10. taking notice of nothing else Ver. 9. And Jethro rejoyced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel c. The Gentiles as Conradus Pellicanus here observes more devoutly acknowledged God's Mercies when they understood them than the Jews themselves did With which our Saviour when he came upbraids that People sinding such Faith among the Gentiles as he could not meet withal in Israel Ver. 10. Blessed be the LORD who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians c. This may relate to the Preservation of Moses and Aaron who had brought the sorest Plagues upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians and yet God suffered them not to hurt them Who hath delivered the People from under the hand of the Egyptians And then this relates to the Deliverance of the whole Body of the People from the Egyptian Bondage and to the overthrow of Pharaoh and his Host in the Red Sea whereby the Israelites were sinally delivered from under the hand i. e. the tyranny and oppression of the Egyptians Ver. 11. Now I know that the LORD He knew the true God before but was now fully convinced that he alone was the most High Is greater then all Gods Than all that the
dressed up the High Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the liberty and freedom also wherein they were instated I doubt not is signified by these words Kings and Priests as Onkelos translates them and as it is expressed in the New Testament I Revel 6. V. 10. and the Syriac also Kingdom and Priesthood for Kings and Priests were of all other Men freed from Oppression And thus I sind our Mr. Thorndike a most Learned man glosses upon thess words Review of the Rights of the Church p. 132. God calls them Kings because redeemed from the Servitude of Strangers to be a People Lords of themselves and Priests because redeemed to spend their time in Sacrificing and feasting upon their Sacrifices under which Figure he afterwards represents the happy estate of his Church LXI Isa 6. though they Sacrificed not in Person but by their Priests appointed in their stead by imposition of the Elders hands VIII Numb 10. An holy Nation A People separated to God from all other Nations and from their Idolatry to serve God in an acceptable manner These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the Children of Israel The sum of what he was to say to them comprehending both their Duty and their high Priviledge Ver. 7. And Moses came Down from the Mount where he had been with God v. 3. And called for the Elders of the People The principal Persons in the several Tribes See III. 16. which he seems to have done in the Evening of the second day of the Month. And laid before their faces all these words c. Plainly declared to them what God had given him in charge which they went and propounded to the People of the several Tribes whom they represented Ver. 8. And all the People answered together and said All with one consent declared as here follows All that the LORD hath spoken we will do They consented to have the LORD for their King and promised to be obedient to his Will And Moses returned the words of the People unto the LORD This seems to have been done the next day which was the third day of the third Month. Upon which Report made to God of the Peoples Consent he proceeds after a few days preparation to declare the Laws by which they should be governed Chap. XX XXI XXII XXIII and then in the XXIVth Chapter these Laws pass into a Covenant between God and them Here Moses plainly acted as a Mediator between God and the People Ver. 9. And the LORD said unto Moses lo I will come unto thee Appear upon the Mount In a thick Cloud In a darker Cloud than that which had hitherto gone before them to conduct them so that they should see nothing but Flashes of Lightning which came out of it in a very frightful manner v. 16 18. For that there was sire in it appears from IV Dent. 11. V. 22 23. though at first perhaps only a thick Cloud appeared as a token of his approach That the People may hear when I speak with thee Though they saw no Similitude yet they plainly heard a voice speaking unto Moses and declaring their Duty Maimonides indeed thinks that the words were directed only unto Moses and that the Israelites heard meerly the sound of the words but did not distinctly understand them More Nevoch P. II. c. 33. Which is directly against what Moses says IV Deut. 12. The LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the sire c. and V. 4 5. The LORD talked with you face to face in the Mount c. saying I am the LORD thy God c. which words are plainly directed to all the People And believe thee for ever They had been staggered in their Belief after they had professed it at the Red Sea XV. ult but after this it might be expected they would never question his Authority any more And Moses told the words of the People unto the LORD Or rather for Moses had told c. Upon which account God was pleased to make the foregoing Declaration Till they had owned him for the LORD their God i.e. their King and Governour he did not speak unto them at all but only unto Moses But now that they had consented to be his he resolves to speak audibly to them and henceforth to dwell among them and in order to it six his Tabernacle with them For which he gives order Chap. XXV c. immediately after they had entred into Covenant to do as they had promised Or these words which seem to be a needless repetition may relate to that which follows and be translated thus Moses having told the words of the People unto the LORD the LORD said unto Moses Go unto the People and sanctifie them c. Ver. 10. Go unto the People and sanctifie them to day and to morrow This shows that Moses was sent down early on the fourth day to prepare them for the Appearance of the Divine Majesty among them by sanctifying them that is separating them from all Uncleanness or rather from all common and ordinary Imployments that they might give themselves to Fasting and Prayer and Abstinence from otherwise lawful Pleasures For Pirke Elieser takes Abstinence from their Wives mentioned v. 15. as a part of this Sanctification cap. 41. And so doth Gregory Nyssen in his Book de Vita Mosis p. 178. And Maimonides observes that Separation from Wine and strong Drink is called Holiness in the Law of the Nazarites VI Numb 5. and therefore may be thought part of the Sanctification here required More Nevoch P. I. c. 33. And let them wash their Clothes The Hebrews understand it of washing their whole Bodies For thus Aaron and his Sons were to be consecrated to their Office XXIX 4. XL. 12. and therefore thus the People were now to be made a holy People unto the LORD and made sit for the Presence of the Divine Majesty Under whose Wings as they speak none were received in future times i.e. made Proselytes but by Baptism or washing of their whole Body which was taken from this pattern And accordingly where we read in the Law of particular Purifications by washing their Clothes in case of any Uncleanness as XI Lev. 25 28 40. XIV 8 47. where Moses speaks of cleansing a Leprous Person XXXI Numb 24. where he speaks of cleansing Soldiers and many other Cases they understand it in the very same manner In some cases indeed it is expresly prescribed XV Lev. 5 6 7. XVI 26 c. and they expound all other where Clothes only are mentioned by the same Rule as Mr. Selden shows I. I. de Synedr c. 3. where he observes that in the Pagan Language pure Garments signifie the washing of the whole Body See p. 29. Ver. 11. And be ready against the third day He doth not mean the third day of the Month but the third day after this command to Sanctifie themselves In which they were bound to spend two intire days and then the LORD promised to
And the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai It is said before that the LORD descended upon it v. 18. therefore the meaning here is that the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty setled there to speak unto the People On the top of the Mount On the highest part of it that there might be the greatest distance between him and the People who stood at the foot of it And the LORD called up Moses c. He stood lower before though not so low as the People but now is called up higher even to the very place where God was And consequently entred into the midst of the fire and smoke wherein the Mountain was wrapped v. 18. upon God's Appearance there From which in all probability the Persians who had heard or read what is here related framed the story of their Zoroaster Who wandring in Desert places was carried up to Heaven and saw God incompassed with Flames which he could not behold with his own eyes the splendour of them was so great but with eyes which the Angels lent him and there he received from him a Book of the Law c. See Huetius Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. c. 5. n. 2. Ver. 21. And the LORD said unto Moses go down and charge the People c. It seems that upon Moses's going up some of the People thought of approaching nearer out of Curiosity to see if they could discover more of the Divine Majesty And therefore God sends him down again immediately to bid them remember the Charge he had given them and not dare to come nearer than they were And many of them perish As many as were so presumptuous Many sometimes signifies all and here all that should adventure to go beyond their bounds Ver. 22. And let the Priests also Who these were is much disputed for Aaron and his Sons were not yet Consecrated The Jews it is commonly known readily answer they were the First-born whose Prerogative it was to Minister to God as his Priests till the Law of Moses ordered things otherwise But I have often observed this not to be true being confuted by several Examples of others who sacrificed and were not the First-born And lately there is a Learned Man who in a just Discourse hath overthrown this Opinion See Campeg Vitringa Observ Sacrae L. II. c. 23. which was called in question and briefly censured some time before by a very Learned Friend of mine Dr. Outram de Sacrificiis L. I. c. 4. Conradus Pellicanus in the beginning of the Reformation seems to have given a better account of the Priests here mentioned which were the prime and most honourable Persons in the several Tribes the Elders and such as administred the Government under Moses among which there might be some of the First-born nay it is possible many of them but not by any special right which they had to this Office Which came near unto the LORD To perform Divine Services By which one would think he speaks of those who had been already imployed in this Office for having before this built an Altar XVII 15. some think it probable Sacrifice was offered upon it But if it were only a Monument and no Sacrifices were to be offered till they came to the Mount of God who was to appoint them then Moses pickt out the most excellent Persons as I said before to perform this Service when they came there XXIV 5. Sanctifie themselves Nothing was said before of their Sanctification which is here injoyned by it self because their high Office required a peculiar Separation to prepare them for it Lest the LORD break forth upon them Lest when they come near to Sacrifice God should be offended with their Uncleanness and destroy them This supposes they might go nearer than the People Ver. 23. And Moses said unto the LORD the People cannot come up to Mount Sinai c. He thought it was needless to go down to restrain the People having given them the Charge which God commanded him v. 11 12. and set bounds about the Mount as it here follows by drawing a Line perhaps beyond which they should not pass and thereby separating the Mount from them which he calls sanctifying it Ver. 24. And the LORD Or but the LORD Said unto him away get thee down He knew the Peoples inclinations better than Moses did and therefore commanded him to make no delay for fear they should grow more bold than he imagined And thou shalt come up and Aaron with thee After he had delivered this new Charge to them Which was the more necessary because Aaron being also called up they might think likewise of sharing in this Priviledge And Aaron with thee Unto whom God did this great honour because he was to be called shortly to the dignity of the High Priest and would be the more respected by the People when they saw him admitted far nearer unto God than they were But let not the Priests and the People break through c. But let not any body else as they love their lives presume to press beyond their Line no not the Priests on whom I have bestowed the honour of coming nearer to me than other Men v. 22. Ver. 25. So Moses went down unto the People and spake unto them Delivered the Message to them and to the Priests as he was directed And then as he was also ordered returned unto the Mount and his Brother with him but not to the top of the Mount where he was before v. 20. as appears from the nineteenth Verse of the next Chapter which shows that Moses was there where the People might speak to him and therefore if he went up now to the top of the Mount he came down again when the LORD spake audibly to them and stood in a place where he might be a Mediator between them So he himself saith V Dent. 4 5. that when the LORD talked with them face to face in the Mount he stood between the LORD and them And accordingly it follows v. 23. of that Chapter that when they heard the voice out of the midst of the Darkness they came near to Moses and said c. which shows he was not far off from them though nearer to God than they But perhaps Moses and Aaron did not come up into the Mount till after the Ten words or Commandments were spoken when Moses we read XX. 21. drew near unto the thick darkness where God was though we read nothing of Aaron there Which inclines me to think the foregoing account of this matter to be the truer CHAP. XX. Verse 1. AND God spake all these words saying After the Trumpet had summoned them all to attend and sounded a long time louder and louder there came a Voice from the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty out of the midst of the Fire as we read IV Deut. 12. V. 4 22. that is of the Angelical Host which incircled him and appeared like Flames of Fire Which made the Apostle say the Law was ordained by Angels III Gal.
it appears by the Book of Joshua and those that follow that many of the old Inhabitaints remained long after his death From the Red-sea to the sea of the Philistines These were the Bounds from East to West For though the Red-sea was towards the South yet the farthermost part of it lay East And the Sea of the Philistines is that now called the Mediterranean which was full West And from the Desert Of Arabia called Shur XV. 22. Vnto the River i. e. To Euphrates Which made the Southern and Northern Bounds of the Country God promised to them For I will deliver the inhabitants of the Land into thy hand This seems to relate to that Land which the VII Nations inhabited for as far as Euphrates they never drove out all the Inhabitants but only made them Tributaries And thou shalt drive them out before thee In such manner as is mentioned in the foregoing Verses Ver. 32. Thou shalt make no covenant with them i. e. With the People of the VII Nations But with other Gentiles they might make Covenants only not suffer them to live in their Land unless they renounced all Idolatry Nay Maimonides is of opinion that such of the VII Nations as renounced Idolatry were to be received into their Friendship For that Law in the XX Deut. which requires them to send a Summons to every City before they besieged it with an offer of Peace he extends even unto them and grounds his opinion upon XI Josh 19 20. As for that Objection which seems to lye against this about the Gibeonites who needed not by craft to have obtained a League with the Israelites if this were true Doctrine His Answer is That Joshua had sent a Summons with offers of Peace to them and all the rest which they rejected but would afterward have gladly accepted and then it was not to be admitted and therefore they contrived that cunning way to be received into Friendship with the Israelites See P. Cunaeus L. II. de Republ. Hebr. c. 20. And Selden L. VI. de Jure N. G. c. 13. where he quotes a Passage out of the Hierusalem Gemara which says That Joshua sent three Letters to the Gibeonites But he shows withal that other Jews contradict this and expresly declare the VII Nations were not to be invited to peace What the terms were on which others were invited See there cap. 14. All this considered I am inclined to think Maimonides his opinion too true which that place in Joshua very much favours and so doth the story of Rahab and the practice of Solomon who only put the Remainders of these Nations under Tribute 1 Kings IX 20 21. Nor with their gods This prohibits them to suffer any of the VII Nations to Exercise Idolatry among them as R. Levi of Barcelona interprets it Or rather he forbids them to make any Vows to their Gods or oblige themselves to perform any Act of Worship to them Ver. 32. They shall not dwell in thy land If a Gentile did renounce his Idolatry he might dwell among them and was called a Stranger Toshab dwelling or inhabiting But if he did not forsake it they might not sell him a Foot of Land nor let him Hire a House among them only he might come and sell Commodities to them as the same R. Levi expounds it But Maimonides says they might not so much as suffer them to pass through their Country when they had power to hinder it which others think too rigid an Opinion as Mr. Selden shows L. II. de Jure N. G. c. 3. p. 155 c. Lest they make thee sin against me All Society with Idolaters was forbidden lest they should infect the Israelites with their Infidelity as the same R. Levi speaks of which there was the greater danger because they were too prone to follow the Gentile Customs For if thou serve their gods This Caution being repeated three times in this Chapter ought to have been the more diligently observed by the Jews and made them more fearful of entring into Familiarity with Idolaters Who were of various sorts for not only every Nation had its proper and peculiar Gods but every City Town House n ay every Man made themselves Gods according to their fancy It will surely be a snare unto thee Bring great Calamities upon thee and at last be thy ruin as it is explained XXIII Josh 13. II Judg. 3. For instead of driving out the VII Nations they brought Israel under their yoke and grievously oppressed them as we read in the Story of the Judges particularly in the IVth Chapter CHAP. XXIV Verse 1. AND he said unto Moses When God had delivered the fore-going Laws unto Moses in the Mount where he was with him XX. 21. after he had spoken the X. Commandments he bad him go down as we read hear he did v. 3. and set them before the People XXI 1. And when he had engaged them in a Covenant to observe these Laws v. 7. of this Chapter then to come up to him again and bring Aaron and the rest that are here mentioned with him Come up To receive further Orders from the Divine Majesty together with the two Tables of Stone Vnto the LORD To the Mount where the Glory of the LORD appeared and from whence he had spoken the Ten words Thou and Aaron Nadab and Abihu c. But not all to the same nearness unto the Divine Majesty as appears by the following Verse And seventy of the Elders of Israel This seems to intimate that there were more than LXX called Elders But these were the Chief being perhaps the Heads of those Families which came into Egypt which were just Seventy See XVIII 12. For he doth not direct Moses how to chuse them as Corn. Bertram observes L. de Repub. Jud. c. 5. but speaks as if they were well known and distinguished from other Persons by the rank they held among them And therefore called v. 11. the Nobles or as the Latines speak Magnates seu Optimates the great Men of the best quality in Israel The reason of their being thus called up to God was to be Witnesses of Moses's ascending up to the place where the Divine Majesty appeared and that they also might have some sight of it v. 10. And worship ye afar off All of them before they came to the Mount were at a good distance from it to fall down prostrate before God that they might be possessed with such an holy Reverence to him as not to presume to approach nearer than they were ordered Ver. 2. And Moses alone shall come near the LORD Unto the very top of the Mount where the Glory of the LORD abode v. 16 17 18. unto which none was admitted but himself Who now came nearer than he had done before XX. 21. for he went into the midst of the Cloud v. 18. But they shall not come nigh Unto that part of the Mount whether he went but keep in a lower station Neither shall the
people go up with him But stay at the bottom of the Mount as they did before the giving the X. Commandments XIX 17. below the place where the Elders were So I think Maimonides rightly understands this place in his More Nevoch P. II. c. 32. where speaking of the several degrees of Prophecy or Familiarity with God he observes that Moses was here placed in the Supreme degree he alone being allowed to come near the LORD below him was Aaron placed and below him Nadab and Abihu and below them the LXX Elders and beneath them the rest of the People Which is the meaning of that saying of their Wise men Moses is a wall by himself and Aaron a wall by himself that is they were in separate Apartments at this glorious Appearance of God Ver. 3. And Moses came From the Mount where he had received the Precepts mentioned in the three foregoing Chapters And told the People all the words of the LORD and all the Judgments Some understand here by the words of the LORD the Ten Commandments called the Ten Words XXXVIII 18. But these words the People heard spoken by God himself and not by the report of Moses Therefore I take these words to signisie rather what he had spoken in the latter part of the foregoing Chapter from the 20th Verse to the end And then by all the Judgments he means those Laws which he had received for their good Government in the XXI XXII Chapters and the former part of the XXIII And all the people answered with one voice and said In all likelyhood Moses had told the Elders what God had said to him and they went and told it to the People who gave the following Answer to them For thus it was before XIX 6 7. All the words that the LORD hath said will we do They had consented before in general to do whatsoever God required of them having him for their King and Governour XIX 6 7 8. but now they consent in particular after God had declared what he would have them do in the XX Chapter and Moses had also reported the rest of the Judgments delivered in the XXI XXII XXIII Chapters Ver. 4. And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD Both the Ten Commandments and all the rest of the Judgments delivered in the foregoing Chapters God indeed wrote the Ten Commandments himself but for the present Moses made a Record of them that the People might not only hear but read what they had to do And rose up early in the morning The next morning it is likely after he had received those Judgments and delivered them to the People and wrote them in a Book which was upon the seventh day of Sivan as I observed XX. 21. That is on the sixth of our June as Jac. Capellus reckons Therefore on the eighth of Sivan he built the Altar c. as it here follows And builded an Altar under the hill At the foot of the Hill where the People were allowed to stand This Altar was to represent God to whom Sacrifices were offered upon it And twelve Pillars according to the twelve Tribes of Israel This was to represent all the People The Gentiles abusing such Pillars to Idolatrous uses the erecting of them is afterward forbidden in the Law But before the building of the Tabernacle Moses here erects them as Jacob had piously done in former times XXXV Gen. 14. See Selden L. II. de Jure N. G. c. 6. p. 185. Ver. 5. And he sent young men of the Children of Israel These are said by the Hebrews to be the First-born as Onkelos here expresly translates it He sent the First-born and the Paraphrase ascribed to Vzielides follows him adding this reason Because the Aaronical Priests were not yet consecrated The Arabick and Persian Versions say the same as Mr. Selden hath observed L. I. de Succession ad Pontif. c. 1. and most Interpreters have been of the same mind But I have often observed before particularly XIX 22. that I can see no proof of this that they only officiated as Priests every Man anciently in his own Family having a right to offer Sacrifice till the Law of Moses restrained it to the Family of Aaron Therefore I take these young men to have been the choicest Persons among them whether First-born or others who had been appointed to Minister unto God For Joshua who is called here v. 13. Moses his Minister is in XI Numb 28. called his young man Such were fittest for all Service especially for that of Sacrificing to God For which they anciently chose the strongest and properest Persons as we see in the Greek story of Jason which our Learned Dr. Spencer observes p. 140. whose Sacrifices were led to the Altar by the young men of his Company i. e. Men of greatest strength and beauty L. I. Argonaut And this so far remained after the Priesthood was consined to the Family of Aaron that no Man was permitted to officiate at the Altar after he was Fifty years of Age that is when he was past his best as we speak the flower and strength of his Age VIII Numb 25. Fortunatus Scacchus conjectures that there were XII of these young Men one of each Tribe who offered in the Name of their Brethren Myrothec Sacr. Elaeochrism p. 2. c. 59. Which offered Burnt-offerings and sacrificed Peace-offerings of Oxen unto the LORD Though Oxen are only mentioned yet there were other Creatures Sacrificed as appears from IX Hebr. 19 20. And in following times Peace-offerings might be either of Calves or Lambs or Goats as we sind in III Lev. and so might Burnt-offerings also see I Lev. 2 10. Our Learned Primate Vsher thinks also there were Expiatory Sacrifices offered together with these Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings and that in the first place ad A. M. 2513. mens 3. Ver. 6. And Moses took half the blood and put it in basons It may be a question whether he spake of the Blood of all the Sacrifices or only of the Expiatory if there were any or of the Burnt-offerings or Peace-offerings But which way soever that be determined this half of the Blood it is certain was reserved to be sprinkled on the People v. 8. Concerning the word Agganot which we translate Basons the Learned Reader may consult Bochartus in his Hierozoic P. I. p. 549. And half of the Blood he sprinkled on the Altar The Altar representing God as was said before v. 4. this Blood sprinkled upon it signified that he for his part engaged to be faithful in the Covenant he now made with them and they with him by performing all the Promises he had newly made them by Moses in the latter end of the foregoing Chapter especially those four great Promises of Plenty Health numerous Off-spring and Long-life v. 25 26. together with the driving out the People of Canaan from before them v. 27 c. Ver. 7. And he took the Book Some have made it a difficulty to find what Book
this was and have been pleased to fancy that some Book which Moses wrote is lost When this plainly refers to what is said v. 4. where we read that Moses wrote all the words of the LORD that is the Commandments and Judgments mentioned in the four foregoing Chapters Which though they made no great Volume yet might be called a Book in their Language for even the Bill of Divorcement which they gave their Wives and was very short is called by this Name of Sepher a Book XXIV Deut. 1. Of the Covenant That they might remember upon what terms he would bestow upon them the fore-named Blessings he engages them in a Solemn Covenant to observe the Commandments and Judgments contained in this Book Ver. 8. And Moses took the blood That half of it which was in the Basons v. 6. And sprinkled it on the people As he had sprinkled one half on the Altar in token God was a Party in the Covenant so he sprinkled the other half on the XII Pillars which represented the Children of Israel in token that they were the other Party engaged in the same Covenant Thus our fore-named Primate and several others understand it and it carries some show of probability in it Yet I cannot think it unlikely that it was sprinkled upon the LXX Elders by whom the People consented if not upon all the People who stood next to the Altar and are here expresly mentioned The Apostle to the Hebrews IX 19. saith he sprinkled the Book as well as the People which is not here mentioned but supposed For when he went to sprinkle the Blood we must conceive he laid down the Book that he might be at more liberty for this other action And perhaps he laid it on one of the Pillars where it was sprinkled as they were together with the People whom they represented And said Behold the Blood of the Covenant which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words Look upon your selves as obliged by this Blood to observe all the Commands which I have delivered to you in the words you have heard For there were two ways of making Covenants anciently both which were here used The first was after a Sacrifice had been offered to sprinkle the Blood of it upon both Parties who were to be Confederates which was done here v. 6 8. And secondly the Confederates thereupon proceeded to eat together some part of the Sacrifice which follows v. 11. where we find the Elders of Israel who represented the People did eat and drink in the Presence of God Ver. 9. Then went up Moses and Aaron Nadab and Abihu and LXX of the Elders of Israel These things being done they went up into the Mount as they were ordered v. 1. i. e. they went up to that part of the Mount where Aaron and his Sons and the Elders were appointed to come but no further Ver. 10. And they saw the God of Israel When Moses is commanded to come near unto the LORD v. 2. Maimonides acknowledges it may be understood of his local approach to the place where the Light or Glory of God then appeared More Nevoch P. I. c. 18. And therefore it is something strange that he expounds the Elders seeing God of their apprehension of him by their Understanding and not rather of their beholding some glimpse of that visible Majesty which was on the Top of the Mount For that I doubt not is the meaning as appears by what follows And so the Chaldee expounds it They saw the Glory of the God of Israel surrounded we may well suppose with an heavenly Host of Angels attending upon the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty as it was also called And there was under his feet This hath made some conceive that this visible Glory appeared in the form of a Man with his Back towards them standing upon a shining Pavement But this is contrary to IV Deut. 15. For though that be spoken of another time and place viz. the Giving of the Law which all the People heard but saw no Similitude yet if the Elders had afterward seen a Similitude it would have spoiled Moses his Argument they being the Representatives of the People This glorious Light therefore far surpassing all other had no form nor could be described by any Art and consequently by its feet is meant only the lower part of it which rested as it were upon a most glorious Pavement And thus the Divine Majesty is said to have had a Foot-stool which was the cover of the Ark though it had no Human shape As it were a paved work of Saphire stone The glorious Majesty of God was represented as having under it a Pavement sutable to it self very bright and shineing For there is a sort of Saphire called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spotted with little points or pricks of Gold which shine like Stars interspersed in the Body of it See Salmasius in Solinum p. 131 203. Such was this Pavement as we may gather from the following words And as it were the body of Heaven in its clearness As clear as the purest and serenest Sky when it is all spangled with Stars All which signifies as I take it that the Glory of the LORD appeared far above the Glory of the Sun in its greatest brightness upon a Pavement sparkling like the Stars in the Heaven when it is most clear The LXX instead of the words saw the God of Israel have saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the place of the God of Israel As if they saw a Throne upon which there was a visible Majesty beyond all description And if this be admitted then this Throne may well be said to have feet standing upon such a glorious Pavement And so they translate it in the next Verse where this is repeated Ver. 11. And upon the Nobles of the Children of Israel i. e. The Elders before-mentioned v. 1 9. called here Atzilim to signifie that they were the prime and choicest Persons among the Israelites For Atzal signisies to separate and consequently atzilim imports Men distinguished from others either by their Birth Office or some excellent qualities He laid not his hand Did not hurt them Whereas it was the common Opinion That they who saw God though it was by one of his Angels should presently die The splendour of that glorious Light was so dazling that it was a singular favour it did not put out their Eyes as the Light wherein St. Paul saw our Saviour did his We are told v. 17. The sight of the Glory of the LORD was like devouring fire Which might put them in fear perhaps they had been scorched by it when it flasht out upon them but they found not the least hurt by it Thus Jonathan saith in his Paraphrase upon the XXXII Chapter that when Moses delayed to come down from the Mount the People fancied him to be burnt up by the fire which shone from the Presence of God which there appeared This sight of God which he vouchsafed to
the Elders was in all likelyhood to convince them that he was among them and had spoken to them and sent them the Precepts before-mentioned by the hand of Moses Also they saw God and did eat and drink After they had seen God they were so far from receiving any harm that they feasted with him upon the Reliques of the Peace-offerings with great Joy and Gladness Or we may suppose that the Glory of the LORD shone upon them as they sat down to eat and drink in token of their full consent to the Covenant now made for so the custom was of making Covenants XXIV Gen. 30. XXXI 54. and that notwithstanding they continued to finish their Feast not being dispirited as good Men were sometimes afterwards with glorious Visions X Dan. 8 16 17. but rather strengthen'd and made more vigorous The word for saw in this Verse is different from that in the former importing I suppose that this Appearance of God to them lasted some time Ver. 12. And the LORD said unto Moses He called to him perhaps with an audible voice from the place where they saw his Glory that they might know how familiar he was with God and might more readily receive whatsoever Commands he brought from him Come up to me into the Mount To the top of the Mount where the Glory of the LORD was v. 17. For hitherto Moses had gone no further than the rest but was with them when they did eat and drink before the LORD And be there Stay with me there v. 18. And I will give thee Tables of stone Not only the Jews but Epiphanius also fancies these Tables were made of Saphire from what was said v. 10. But the words signifie plainly enough that they were of Stone And a Law and Commandments which I have written From this place the Jews endeavour to establish their unwritten or oral Law i. e. their Traditions which they say were now delivered together with the Tables of Stone So Maimonides in his Preface to Jad Chazeka All the Precepts which were given to Moses on Mount Sinai were given with their Explications according to what is said I will give the Tables of Stone and a Law and Commandments where by the Law is meant the written Law and the Commandments denote the Explication of it which we call the Oral Law Thus he and others of them directly against the Text it self which saith expresly both of the Law and the Commandments here mentioned that they were written See Selden L. II. de Synedr c. 16. Therefore by Law and Commandments we are to understand nothing else but the Law contained in the X. Commandments That thou mayest teach them Instruct the People to observe them as the most sacred of all other Precepts being written as well as spoken by God himself who taught Men by this Example how to preserve their Laws For Aristotle saith in his Problems that in old time Men being ignorant how to write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were wont to sing their Laws that they might not be forgotten It being the invention of the Corybantes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Theopompus speaks to set up Pillars and ingrave their Laws upon them Which Solon at last wrote on wooden Tables called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were laid up in the Temple of the Mother of the Gods v. Sam. Petitum Praefat. in Leg. Atticas Ver. 13 And Moses rose up From among the Elders with whom he was before And his Minister Joshua Who attended him further than the Elders but not into the place where he went For God intending him to be Moses his Successor seems to admit him unto a nearer Familiarity than any one else besides Moses And Moses went up into the Mount of God The place where the Divine Glory appeared But Joshua staid for him in some lower part of the Mountain expecting his return For he did not go up to the top of the Mount as appears from the XXXII Chapter where Moses his descent from thence being mentioned Joshua is not named till it be said that Moses was come down from the Mount v. 15 17. He went with him therefore till he entred into the Cloud and then he staid as it were at the door waiting for his return Ver. 14. And he said unto the Elders Before he left them he gave them this order Tarry ye here for us Not in the place where they had seen God and did eat and drink with him whether the People might not come but rather in the Camp or some place near it whether the People might upon occasion resort to them Unto which place Moses seems to have walkt with them from the Mount before he returned to go up into it or at least pointed them unto it with his singer that they might there wait for him Vntil we come again to you He could not tell how long God would detain him and therefore commands them to govern the People till his return to them And behold Aaron and Hur are with you Who seem to have been of greatest Authority next to himself and were with him in the Mount when the Israelites fought with Amalek Chap. XVII If any man have any matters to do let him come unto them In all Causes which were too hard for the Elders to determine he directs them to go to Aaron and Hur as they were wont to do to him By this it appears that these LXX Elders were some of the Judges appointed by the advice of Jethro XVIII 22. which he continued to follow and orders them to observe in his absence Ver. 15. And Moses went up into the Mount Having said this he and Joshua left them and he went into the higher part of the Mount And a Cloud covered the Mount That part of it where he was so that the People and Joshua also lost the sight of him Ver. 16. And the Glory of the LORD abode upon Mount Sinai That visible Majesty which shone in extraordinary splendour was setled for the present upon the top of this Mount And the Cloud covered it i. e. Covered the Glory of the LORD not the Mount as Aben Ezra observes For the Cloud was not the Glory of the LORD but incompassed and covered it so that for six days nothing but the Cloud appeared to the Israelites till on the seventh day the Cloud was rent as I take it or opened and the Glory of the LORD appeared like flaming fire Six days Thus long it was hidden in a Cloud so that Moses himself could not see it but remained wrapt up in darkness which might have astonished him if he had not been supported by the Divine Power and a comfortable sense of God who had often appeared to him and conversed familiarly with him And the seventh day he called unto Moses The second time for he had called to him before to come up to him v. 12. commanding him to approach into his glorious Presence Out of the midst of
Cubits which was the breadth of this East-end of the Court as well as of the West v. 12 13. Of blue and purple and scarlet c. Concerning all this see XXV 5. and here only observe that the Hangings of the Gate were far richer than of the rest of the Court which were meerly of fine twined Linen v. 9. but these of several other beautiful Colours and adorned with that work which they called Rokem which we translate Needle-work What that was see XXXVIII 39. And their pillars shall be four and their sockets four Proportionable to those on each side of the Gate which were three for Hangings of fifteen Cubits v. 14 15. as these were four for Hangings of twenty Ver. 17. All the Pillars round about the Court shall be filletted with silver Those at the East and West-end as well as those on the South and North-sides Their hooks shall be of silver and their sockets of brass As was before directed v. 10 11. Ver. 18. The length of the Court c. Here all the Dimensions of the Court are put together the length and breadth of which might be inferred from the Hangings v. 9 12 c. but here are expresly determined together with the height which was not at all intimated before and now appointed to be five Cubits l. e. two yards and an half of larger measure than ours So that the Tabernacle might be plainly seen by the People for it was as high again as the Walls if I may so call them that incompassed it Of twined Linen and their sockets of brass This seems to be a brief repetition of what was said before concerning the Hangings and the Pillars which stood on Bases of Brass Ver. 19. All the Vessels of the Tabernacle in all the service thereof This is also a repetition in general of what was said before particularly v. 3. for all the Vessels belonging to the Tabernacle it self were of Gold as we read in the XXVth Chapter And all the pins thereof The Tabernacle had nothing of Brass in the Fabrick of it but the Bases of the Pillars at the Entrance XXVI 37. and therefore these Pins I suppose belong to them whereby the Pillars were fastned in their Sockets And all the pins of the Court shall be of brass These brazen Pins were struck into the ground as Dr. Lightfoot understands it that the Hangings which were tied to them by Cords might be kept from flying up at the bottom Ver. 20. And thou shalt command the Children of Israel that they bring thee pure Oyl-olive beaten Not squeezed out by a Press or by a Mill for such was full of Sediment and Dregs but which run freely from the Olives being bruised with a Pestel For the light In the golden Candlestick XXV 37. To cause the Lamp to burn always Sufficient to keep the Lamp always burning Some imagine that it did not burn day and night but being lighted every Evening went out in the Morning And there are some places which seem to favour this Opinion particularly 1 Sam. III. 3. where mention is made of the Lamp going out viz. in the Morning See also 2 Chron. XIII 11. where we read of setting the Lamps to burn every Evening which seems to signisie that they did not burn in the Day But Josephus who was a Priest and could not but know and had no reason to tell a lie saith they burnt Day and Night And indeed it was but necessary for otherwise the Priests must have ministred in the dark at the Altar of Incense before the Divine Majesty Who kept a Table in the Sanctuary which required light for no Body feasts in darkness And therefore R. Levi of Barcelona Praecept XCVIII saith God commanded a Lamp should always burn in the Sanctuary for the Honour and Majesty of it there being no Light conveyed to it otherways But it is highly probable there were not so many of the Lamps burning in the Day as in the Night when all the seven Lamps were lighted some of which were put out in the Morning and lighted again in the Evening So Josephus saith expresly L. III. Antiq. c. 9. Three burnt all Day before the LORD and the rest were lighted in the Evening Ver. 21. In the Tabernacle of the Congregation without the Vail That is the second Vail which was before the most Holy Place Which is before the Testimony That is the Ark of the Testimony See XXV 21 22. Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD As direction is more fully given XXX 7 8. It shall be a Statute for over c. See XXXVIII 43. CHAP. XXVIII Verse 1. AND take thou Aaron thy brother and his sons with him from among the Children of Israel Here Aaron and his Sons are designed to the Priests Office and afterward XXXII 19. the whole Tribe of Levi were Consecrated to the LORD by a noble Act of Zeal which they performed And at last I Numb 51. and many other places it was made Capital for any one else to officiate at the Tabernacle but they only That he may minister unto me Attend on me as my Servant in my Court. For Cohen signifies one that serves in ministerio honorabili in an honourable Office as appears from XII Job 19. Therefore David's Sons are called by this Name 2 Sam. VIII 18. and it was given to the Priests quatenus fuerunt primarij Dei Ministri as they were the principal Ministers of God as Junius observes upon XLI Gen. 45. In the Priests Office Wheresoever there hath been any Religion there have been Priests whose Office it peculiarly was to Minister unto God in the Service belonging to him But this is the first time we read of any Constituted in Israel by a Divine appointment at least the Priesthood was not confined to the particular Family of Aaron who was made High Priest and his Sons Priests of a lower Order Some Heathens imitated this by continuing the Priesthood in a certain Family For Plato says there were in some places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both of Men and Women which in the founding of a City he would not have a Law-giver alter but where there was no such Constitution he would have annual Priests and none but grave Men of 60 years of Age put into the Office L. VI. de Leg. p. 759. Even Aaron Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar Aarons sons These were all the Males in this Family at present whose Descendants in future Ages were all Priests Ver. 2. And thou shalt make holy Garments for Aarou thy brother If very good Authors did not affirm it we should scarce think it credible that the Priests among some of the ancient Heathens offered Sacrifices to their Gods naked Particularly the old Arabians as Hottinger observes in his Histor. Orientalis L. I. c. 7. But such filthiness was abhorred by most People whose Priests were not only Clothed but performed their Service at the Altar in a peculiar Habit.
as we may call it which tied his Coat to him and this Girdle which tied the fore-part and hinder-part of the Ephod together It is called the Girdle of the Ephod because it was annexed to those two Clothes and not to the Shoulder-pieces Shall be of the same Or Out of it to signifie that the Girdle was woven together with the Ephod and went out of it So Jarchi and Abarbinel According to the work thereof This signifies it was to be made of the same Matter and woven after the same manner with all the Ornaments of the Ephod it self having all those five Colours in it mentioned v. 4. and here repeated again Ver. 9. And thou shalt take two Onyx-stones Concerning the Onyx-stone see II Gen. 12. And grave on them the names of the Children of Israel The Princes as Abarbinel observes presented Moses with these Stones on which he himself did not engrave the names of the Children of Israel but some person skilful in that Art For it is expresly called v. 11. The work of an Engraver in Stone Ver. 10. Six of their names on one stone and the other six names of the rest on the other stone according to their birth The six eldest on that Stone which was upon the right Shoulder and the six younger on the other upon the left as several of the Hebrew Doctors expound it particularly Jarchi with whom Josephus agrees L. III. Antiq. c. 8. The Talmudists indeed dispose them otherwise but this is most sutable to the word toledoth according to their Generations or their Birth as we render the latter end of the Verse Ver. 11. With the work of an engraver in stone Done with such Art as such Workmen use Like the engravings of a signet The same words are used again v. 36. where he speaks of the Engravings upon the Plate of Gold On which Abarbinel saith the Letters were protuberant as they are upon Coins or upon Wax impressed with a Seal but here on the Ephod and the Breast-plate he thinks the names were cut deep in the Stones as Letters are in a Seal For which I can see no reason the words being the very same and therefore if the Letters were protuberant in the one they were so in the other Thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold The Hebrew word Mischbetzoth which we translate ouches signifies as much as the Latin word funda the socket as I may say wherein the Stones were set Both which made a Button not of a round figure but something like a Lozenge or as Maimonides expresses it like the figure of those holes that are in the Stomach of such Animals as chew the Cud called reticulum See Joh. Braunius de Vest Saer Heby L. I. c. 17. n. 8. By these Buttons the hinder-part of the Ephod was fastned to the fore-part upon the Shoulders and the Breast-plate also hung upon them by golden Chains Ver. 12. And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the Ephod for stones of memorial unto the Children of Israel This is explained in the following words that Aaron might bear their Names before the LORD upon his shoulders for a memorial That is might remember to recommend the XII Tribes of Israel unto God when he offered Incense and made his Prayers before him Or for a Token that he appeared before God in the Name of the whole People of Israel Others will have this Memorial refer to God before whom he presented himself that he might be gracious unto his People when the High Priest came thus attired according to his own order to pray for them with assurance that he would be mindful of them all And to this the 29th Verse seems to incline where the same is said to be the intention of engraving their Names upon the XII Stones on the Breast-plate See XXXIX 7. Ver. 13. And thou shalt make ouches of gold See v. 11. where the word Misohbetzoth is explained Ver. 14. And two chains of pure gold at the ends c. These Chains did not consist of many little rings but of many threds or wires of Gold twisted together like a Rope For which reason Moses adds of wreathen work shalt thou make them This Bartenora takes to be the meaning of the word migbaloth which we translate at the ends which he expounds Cords or Cables They were not saith he like to those Iron Chains wherewith Prisoners are bound consisting of several Joynts but twisted of Golden threds till they were as thick as Cords Others think migbaloth signifies equal because they were of an equal thickness or of an equal length But our Translation also may be defended for the ends of them were annexed to the Rings of the Breast-plate v. 24. But as these Chains were annexed at one end to the Rings of the Breast-plate so at the other end they were annexed to the Golden Buttons upon the Shoulders so that the Breast-plate hung upon the Golden Buttons by the Chains And fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches Moses only briefly mentions the two Chains in this place to signifie that the Ouches in the Ephod served for the support of the Breast-plate by these two Chains which properly belonged to that and not to the Ephod as Jarchi observes And therefore after directions for the Breast-plate which here follow they are again spoken of in their proper place v. 22. As v. 27. there are two golden Rings spoken of which belong to the Ephod but not mentioned till then because by these Rings the Breast-plate and Ephod were knit together Ver. 15. And thou shalt make the Breast-plate Next after the Ephod directions is given for the Choschen which we translate Breast-plate taking it I suppose to come from the Hebrew word Chazeh which signifies the Breast For by the change of a Letter which is not unusual Choschen may well be thought to come from thence because it lay upon the Breast and covered it Of Judgment For the Priest wore it when he went to consult the Divine Majesty about the great Concerns of their Religion or Government and received such Answers as directed them what to determine in dubious Cases either in War or Peace See v. 29. With cunning work See v. 6. After the work of the Ephod thou shalt make it c. It was to be made of the same Materials with the Ephod and with the same Artifice as it here follows Ver. 16. Four-square shall it be being doubled The words are in the Hebrew four-square shall it be doubled Which are to be thus understood that the whole Piece was not square till it was doubled So Maimonides It was a Cubit long i. e. two Spans and its breadth a Span but being doubled it was a square of a Span both in length and in breadth From whence it follows that it was hollow so that it may be compared to one of our Purses only it doth not appear whether it were sewed together at the sides or on one
thereof unto the rings of the Ephod with a lace of blue that it may be above the curious girdle of the Ephod A blue Lace or Ribbon being put through the two lower Rings of the Breast-plate and then through the Rings of the Ephod they by it were tied together a little above the girdle of the Ephod And that the Breast-plate be not loosed from the Ephod And thus being joyned they were not to be separated one from another no not out of the time of Ministration but always continued so fast together that the Ephod could not be put on without the Breast-plate Thus Maimonides and the Gemara c. 7. of Joma If any one remove the Breast-plate from the Ephod or the Staves from the Ark he shall receive forty stripes Ver. 29. And Aaron shall bear the names of the Children of Israel in the Breast-plate of Judgment upon his heart Appear in the Name of the whole People of Israel to beg direction of God in all difficult Cases When he goeth in unto the holy place Where with his Face toward the Ark where the Divine Glory sate he prayed to God for them For a memorial before the LORD continually That God might remember them when he remembred him daily of the Promises made to them and to their Forefathers Which in Scripture phrase denotes God's gracious hearing his Prayers when he addressed himself unto him in the manner he required For then he is said to remember his People when he granted their Desires and they remembred him when they did as he bad them Ver. 30. And thou shalt put in the Breast-plate of Judgment It is called both here and in the fore-going Verse the Breast-plate of Judgment not only for the reason there named but because the High Priest nay the whole Body of the Priests but he especially sate as a Judge to determine several Controversies as appears from many places X Lev. 11. XVII Deut. 8 9. XIX 7. XXXIII 8. 2 Chron. XV. 3. c. The Vrim and the Thummim There is not the least intimation any where what these were nor any direction given to Moses for the making of them as there is for the rest of the Priestly Attire Which may incline one to conclude one of these two things either that they were things delivered to Moses by God himself as the two Tables of Stone were or that they are not things different from the precious Stones before-mentioned But if the former of these were true I should think it would have been as plainly mentioned that God delivered these unknown things to him as that he did the two Tables of Stone The other hath something in the Scripture to countenance it For in the XXXIX Chapter of this Book where Moses sets down the making of all those things which are here ordered he mentions only the four rows of Stones in the same manner as he doth here but saith not a word of putting the Vrim and Thummim in the Breast-plate though he spake particularly of other things even of the Rings and the Chains and the Lace whereby it was tied to the Ephod And on the other side when he speaks of habiting Aaron with all these Vestments in order to his Consecration he only saith VIII Lev. 8. that he put the Breast-plate upon him also he put in the Breast-plate the Vrim and the Thummim but saith not a word of the four rows of Stones For which it is hard to give a reason unless it be because the Vrim and the Thummim were one and the same thing with the XII precious Stones So that it was indifferent whether he said Vrim and Thummim were put into the Breast-plate or the XII precious Stones which are the only things in all this description of the holy Vestments that can be thought to be Vrim and Thummim And indeed there being such a particular direction for every thing else and also a description of their form and fashion as that the Chains should be of wreathen work one cannot but think there would have been something said of these if they had been distinct from what was mentioned before Mr. Mede indeed thinks that nothing is said concerning them because they were things well known to the Patriarchs But this is well confuted lately by another great Man Dr. Pocock in his late learned Commentary upon the Prophet Hosea pag. 149. unto which I refer the Reader because I have other things to note and would not willingly enlarge too much on this Subject As for that which some have said concerning two little Images or Representations of Angels which were put in the hollow of the Breast-plate I see no foundation for such a Conceit One may better say that these two words Vrim and Thummim were written or wrought on the Breast-plate signifying that from hence they should receive the clearest and most perfect Resolution of all their Doubts And of this opinion was R. Asaria in his Meor Enajim c. 46. But if we take the former to be the truer Account that he only repeats what he said before as he doth what he had said of the Rings belonging to the Breast-plate v. 14 22. then the meaning is that the XII Stones should be the most sparkling and most perfect in their kind that could be got for Vrim all acknowledge signifies Fires or Illuminations and Thummim the greatest Perfection and that all belonging to the Breast-plate the Square stuff the Stones engraved the Rings the Chains and Lace should be prepared and made ready before they were set in the Breast-plate And of this opinion that the precious Stones were the Vrim and the Thummim were Josephus and the Talmudick Doctors who therein I take it were in the right though they do not give a likely account how the mind of God was declared by them And they shall be upon Aaron 's heart So it is said concerning the Names of the Children of Israel v. 29. which were engraven on the XII Stones and seems to confirm the fore-going Interpretation When he goeth in before the LORD To minister unto the Divine Majesty and to enquire of him which he did in the Holy Place standing with his Face towards the Ark in the Holy of Holies Into which he went only once a year upon a particular Business to expiate the Sins of the People and had not on these glorious Robes here mentioned but was only clothed in fine Linen as we read XVI Lev. And therefore it is strange that Buxtorf should say he went into the Sanctum Sanctorum with the Vrim and Thummim to enquire of God See his History of them cap. 1. where he alledges this Verse for it and cap. 3. And Aaron shall bear the Judgment of the Children of Israel By Judgment is here meant the Breast-plate of Judgment as it is called when he begins to speak of it v. 15. and in the fore-going Verse just as the Ark of the Testimony is sometimes called the Testimony Or else the meaning is that
Unction which is here mentioned v. 21. of this Chapter where a mixture is ordered to be made of the Blood of the Sacrifice and of the anointing Oyl which was order'd to be sprinkled both upon Aaron and his Sons and upon their Garments and was a part of their Consecration For it was done accordingly at that time as we read VIII Lev. 30. So that Aaron himself had a double Unction one proper to him alone as High Priest upon whose Head the holy Oyl was poured another common to him with his Sons as he was a Priest whose Garments were sprinkled with the Oyl and Blood mingled together Ver. 8. And thou shalt bring his sons and put coats upon them The High Priest was first habited and then his Sons in the order I have described v. 5. Ver. 9. And thou shalt gird them with girdles c. See v. 5. And the Priests office shall be theirs c. That is as long as the holy Garments were upon them the Priesthood was upon them but if they were not upon them neither was the Priesthood upon them They are the words of Maimonides in Celi Hammikdash c. 10. Or the meaning may be they shall enjoy in perpetual Succession the Office of Priests as their Father and his Successors the Office of High Priests And thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons Thus doing they shall be compleatly consecrated For in the Hebrew the phrase is Shall fill the hand of Aaron c. which was done after the manner prescribed v. 22 23 24 c. Which shows that this was the principal part of their Consecration or at least the consummation of it And there was besides this a peculiar Offering which both Aaron and his Sons are commanded to offer in the day of their anointing VI Lâ—â— 20 21. Ver. 10. And thou shalt cause a bullock The young bullock he commanded him to take v. 1. To be brought before the Tabernacle of the Congregation In order to its being offered to God for in this and in the following Verses the Sacrifices are prescribed which were to be made at the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons which were three The first is this here mentioned which was an Offering for Sin as appears from v. 14. For till their Sins were expiated they were not fit to offer any thing to God much less to offer for the Sins of others The next was an Holocaust or whole Burnt-offering as a Gift or Present whereby they were recommended to God And the third was a Peace-offering on which they made a Feast and by that were initiated into God's Family And Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock This was the form in all Sacrifices both Burnt-offerings I Lev. 4. and Peace-Offerings III Lev. 2 8. by which they devoted the Sacrifice to be the LORD's But in Sin-offerings there being a Solemn Confession of Sins made XVI Lev. 21. he that laid his hands on the Beast seemed thereby to have transferred the Guilt from himself unto the Sacrifice desiring it might be accepted for him Ver. 11. And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD Though Moses was never Consecrated after the manner of Aaron yet he was made a Priest for this peculiar purpose by an extraordinary Commission from God By the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Where the Altar of Burnt-offering was placed at the crection of the Tabernacle XL. 6 29. Ver. 12. And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock and put it upon the horns of the Altar with thy finger Some have fancied that he means upon the horns of the Altar of Incense because when a Priest offered a Sin-offering for himself he was so to do IV Lev. 7. But it is to be considered that Aaron and his Sons for whom this Sacrifice was offered were not yet Priests but common Men who by this Sacrifice were to be made Priests Whose blood therefore was to be put upon the horns of the Altar of Burnt-offering as is expresly required in other Sin-offerings IV Lev. 25 30. And pour all the blood All the rest of the blood Beside the bottom of the Altar This shows he speaks of the Altar of Burnt-offering at the bottom of which there was a Trench into which they poured the Blood of the Sacrifice as I shall show hereafter Ver. 13. And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards He means that part of the Beast which is called the Omentum in which all the Bowels are wrapped which in IX Lev. 19. is simply called that which covereth This hath a great deal of fat upon it to keep the Bowels warm and was much used in ancient Sacrifices both among the Greeks and Romans who herein followed the Jews Nay the Persians also offered to the Gods nothing but the Omentum or a part of it as Bochartus observes out of Strabo See Hierozoic P. I. L. II. c. 45. And from the Condition and Situation of the Omentum the Heathen Diviners made their Conjectures insomuch that some think it had the name of Omentum because they made their good or bad Omens from thence And the Caul that is above the Liver Our Interpreters take this for the Diaphragm or the Midriff upon which the Liver hangs But Bochartus hath demonstrated I think that it signifies the greatest lobe of the Liver upon which the Bladder of Gall lies L. II. Hierozoic P. I. c. 45. The only Argument against it is that this Jothereth as the Hebrews call it is said here to be above the Liver and therefore must signifie the Diophragm upon which the Liver depends But the Particle Al signifies upon as well as above and is to be here so translated upon or by the Liver And the reason why this lobe of the Liver was peculiar to the Altar was because of the fat that is upon it And the two Kidneys c. For the same reason the Kidneys were appropriated to God which had one of their names from the fat that is upon them which Homer as the same Bochartus there observes calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 14. And the flesh of the bullock and his skin c. The Burnt-offering being flead the skin of it was given to the Priest VII Lev. 8. But in Sin-offerings the skin was burnt and the Flesh also in some cases and that also without the Camp not at the Altar IV Lev. 11 12. VIII 17. The Heathen sometimes burnt the skin even of their Holocausts as Bochart shews P. I. Hierozoic L. II. c. 34. Shalt thou burn with fire c. The Hebrew word here for burn is quite different from that in the foregoing Verse which is used concerning the burning of Incense which soon vanished into smoke as the fat there mentioned did But the flesh and the skin and the dung were burnt with a stronger fire and were longer before they were consumed and therefore burnt without the Camp where the Ashes were poured out
10. n. 76. And that covereth the inwards c. See v. 13. where these and the following words are explained And the right shouldor In Peace-offerings this belonged to the Priest VII Lev. 32. and so it is here ordained v. 27 28. But now it was to be burnt upon the Altar v. 25. because they were not yet Priests as the following words tell us which give the reason why this shoulder was burnt For it is a Ram of Consecration Whereby they were consecrated and made Priests but not yet compleated and therefore could not eat of that shoulder Ver. 23. And one loaf of bread and one cake of oyled bread c. Of that Bread and those Cakes mentioned v. 2. of this Chapter That is before the LORD Which had been presented unto God v. 3. for this by the Law was to accompany their other Sacrifices XV Numb 4. Ver. 24. And thou shalt put all Both Bread and Cakes and Fat and right Shoulder before-mentioned In the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his Sons Thence this Sacrifice was called Milluim that is filling of the hands which we translate Consecration And their hands were thus filled to show that Aaron and his Sons did not usurp this dignity or take it upon themselves as we speak but were called unto it by God who ordered these things to be put into their hands that they might present them to him R. Solomon will have this Ram called the Ram of sillings or impletions because by this Sacrifice they were compleated and absolutely made Priests nothing remaining to be done after this And shalt wave them When such holy things were put into the Heads of the Offerers by the Priest then the Priest put his hands under theirs and they were lifted up and then waved about on all sides For a Wave-offering The Hebrew word Tenuphah signifies agitation or shaking to and fro which Abarbinel saith was performed upward and downward and then round about to all quarters of the World to signifie that the Earth is the LORD's and the fulness thereof or rather that he is the possessor of Heaven and of Earth Others of them speak to the same purpose Before the LORD Standing with their Faces towards the Sanctuary Ver. 25. And thou shalt receive them from their hands c. After they had waved them they delivered them into the hands of Moses who as the Priest at this time laid them upon the Altar and burnt them For a Burnt-offering It is certain this was not an whole Burnt-offering but a Peace-offering as appears from v. 28 31 32. yet some of it being burnt on the Altar that part is called a Burnt-offering It is an Offering made by fire So the Burnt-offerings are called I Lev. 9 13 c. but this was so only in part as I said not in the whole and may be interpreted by III Lev. 5. where all that was to be burnt of the Peace-offerings is commanded to be burnt upon the Burnt-Sacrifice and in that regard might be called a Burnt-offering See v. 27. Ver. 26. And thou shalt take the Breast of the Ram of Aarons consecrations Of the Consecration of him and of his Sons And wave it for a Wave-offering before the LORD and it shall be thy part Being a Peace-offering the Priest who offered the Sacrifice was to have his share of it and therefore the Breast is here given to Moses after he had acknowledged it to be God's by waving it about and that he had it only as his Minister Ver. 27. And thou shalt sanctifie the breast of the Wave-offering and the shoulder of the Heave-offering Upon this occasion he makes a general Law to be always observed hereafter That though in this peculiar Case the right shoulder of this Sacrifice was burnt being for Aaron's Consecration and called a Burnt-offering v. 25. yet in all future times both the Breast and this Shoulder should belong unto the Priest Therefore the word sanctifie here signifies as much as declare them to be sanctified or set apart for the Priests use as they were again by an express Law VII Lev. 31 32 33 34. Which is waved and which is heaved up There is no difference that I can find between Terumah which we translate Heave-offering and Tenuphah which we translate Wave-offering but the former was only lifted up and so waved and the other was waved all manner of ways up and down East West North and South to signifie that he to whom it was offered was Lord of the whole World and all that therein is Ver. 28. And it shall be Aarons and his Sons by a statute for ever So it is called VII Lev. 34. and it is again repeated for greater confirmation XVIII Deut. 3. For it is an Heave-offering It is consecrated to God to whom it belongs and he bestows it upon his Ministers And it shall be an Heave-offering of the Sacrifice of their Peace-offerings c. And it shall always in future times be presented unto God as his part of the Peace-offerings who constitutes the Priests to eat it in his stead As the former Ram was a Burnt-offering so this it is plain was a Peace-offering in token that now they were in a state of perfect Friendship with God Which was procured by their Sin-offering v. 14. which was offered first whereby their Present to God v. 18. was made acceptable as now their Persons were declared by this Sacrifice of Peace-offering Ver. 29. And the holy Garments of Aaron shall be his Sons after him to be anointed therein c. Upon this occasion also God makes another general Law That all the Successors of Aaron in the High Priesthood should be set apart to that Office in such Garments and by such an Unction and such Sacrifices as he was consecrated withal And it appears by XX Numb 28. that Aaron's Son was invested with the very same Garments which Aaron wore for those which peculiarly belonged to the High Priest did not decay as the Tunick and Breeches did and therefore went from one to another Ver. 30. And that Son which is Priest in his stead shall put them on seven days This was to be done seven days one after another that a Sabbath might pass over him For no Man could be a compleat High Priest as the Jews imagine till a Sabbath had gone over his head But the principal intention of this was that he might be made a Priest with great Solemnity and Deliberation and put on his Habit so often that he may learn how to appear in them after a decent or rather magnificent manner before he undertook to Minister Yet the Jews say that if he did offer Sacrifice before the seven days end it was not accounted unlawful provided he had been anointed and had put them on once So Maimonides who adds that he was to put them on by day and not by Night See Selden de Successionibus L. II. c. 8. Where he shows cap. 9. this is to be
not read in the foregoing Chapters of any carved Work about the Tabernacle and therefore this word may better be rendred as it is in the beginning of the Verse cutting rather than carving Timber For it signifies in general doing all the Work of Carpenters and Joyners To work in all manner of Workmanship That was necessary for the making of every thing God had commanded Ver. 6. And I behold I have given with him Lest Moses should think one principal Contriver and Director not to be sufficient God joyns another with him Aholiab of the Tribe of Dan. It is observed by R. Bechai that God chose one out of the lowest Tribe for so they accounted that of Dan as well as one out of the chief which was Judah that Bezaleel saith he might not be lifted up with vain Conceit for great and small are equal before God And he truly observes that one of the same Tribe of Dan by the Mothers side was the most skilful Person that could be found for the Building of the Temple by Solomon 2 Chron. II. 14. And in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom That is God indued the Minds of all ingenious Persons among them with an extraordinary Skill which they never learnt either by their own study or any Master but had it by an inspiration from above There were several no doubt who had a natural Genius to such Arts as were necessary in this Work but they could not by their own Industry have attained such Skill as God bestowed on them at least not so soon as to go immediately about the building of the Tabernacle and all things belonging to it That they may make all that I have commanded thee Not to imitate the Egyptian Contrivances as some have fancied for which no such great Skill one would think was necessary but to make all exactly according to the Model which Moses had seen in the Mount and he described to them which could not have been done without God's extraordinary Assistance Ver. 7. The Tabernacle of the Congregation and the Ark of the Testimony c. These things are here mentioned according to the order of Nature which is first to build an House and then to provide its Furniture And it is observable that there was but one House or Tabernacle one Ark and one Altar either for Sacrifice or Incense to preserve in their Minds the belief of the Unity of God contrary to the Gentiles who had their Temples and Altars every where and each Family its domestick Gods and particular Superstitions Ver. 8. The pure Candlestick It is hard to tell why this is particularly called pure unless it be because it was intirely of pure Gold XXV 31. which the Table and Altar of Incense were not for they were only overlaid with pure Gold XXV 24. XXX 3. Some have thought that it is called pure because no Blood was ever sprinkled upon it as there was on the Altar of Incense but this is not a good reason for we do not find there was any sprinkled on the Table Ver. 9. The Altar of Burnt-offering c. Concerning this and the Laver he had received orders XXVII 1. XXX 17. Ver. 10. And the Clothes of Service Wherewith the Ark and the Table and the Candlestick and the golden Altar were covered IV Numb 6 7 9 11 c. when the Camp removed The holy Garments for Aaron c. Which are ordered Chap. XXVIII Ver. 11. And the anointing Oyl and sweet Incense c. These was ordered in the foregoing Chapter v. 23 34. Ver. 12. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying After he had delivered him all the foregoing Orders about the Tabernacle its Furniture and the Workmen to be imployed in making them he added what follows Ver. 13. Speak unto the Children of Israel saying Verily my Sabbaths shall ye keep This hath been mention'd thrice already see XVI 23. XX. 8. XXIII 12. but here seems to be repeated again upon this special occasion that they might not think this Sacred Work would warrant them to break the Sabbath On which he bids Moses tell them they must not do this Work no more than any other For the Tabernacle was built for the Service of God which was principally performed upon this day And he uses a word of the Plural Number not to signifie any other Sabbath but this which recurring so often as once in seven days he might well admonish them to keep his Sabbaths And so the Apostle plainly speaks II Coloss 16. For it is a sign between me and you This plainly shows he speaks of the weekly Sabbath the observation of which testified to all the World what God they worshipped as all Nations signified by their Rites and Ceremonies what their Gods were to whom their Services were paid Now the Israelites stood in a double relation to God as his Creatures and as those who were redeemed by him from the Egyptian Bondage In both which regards the Sabbath was a Sign or a Token between him and them For by observing one day in seven after six days labour they signified that they worshipped the Creator of the World who in six days made all things and then rested and by observing such a seventh day See XVI 5. after six days labour rather than any other they signified they owned him to be their Deliverer from Egyptian Slavery This is opened excellently by our Mr. Mede Discourse XV. p. 73 74. Throughout your Generations During this Polity which God now establishes among you That ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctifie you To be my peculiar People by observing this Solemnity For it was peculiarly enjoyned to them and to no other Nation and was looked upon as a singular Benefit conferred on them above all People as appears by the devout Acknowledgment Nehemiah makes of this among the rest of the Divine Favours to them That he made known unto them his holy Sabbath IX 14. and see XX Ezek. 11 12. Ver. 14. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore Since it is such a distinguishing Mark be the more careful to observe it For it is holy unto you This depends upon what was said in the Conclusion of the foregoing Verse that hereby they were sanctified or separated to God as a peculiar People and therefore in all reason should look upon this as an holy day Every one that desileth it shall surely be put to death If there were credible Witnesses of his Profanation For whosoever doth any work thereon This was to defile or profane it That Soul shall be cut off from amongst his People God seems to threaten that he himself would shorten his days if the Judges for want of Witnesses could not punish him So Eliah ben Moseh one of those whom the Jews call Karaites most excellently expounds this and all the rest of the Punishments threatned to the Violation of this Precept which Mr. Selden hath given us out of a MS. L. I. de
presently when I have noted that this Translation fashioned it with a graving Tool is not so agreeable to what here follows as another which the Hebrew words will as well bear After he had made it a molten Calf The words in the Hebrew are and he made it c. we translate them after c. to make this agree with what goes before according to our Translation he fashioned it with a graving Tool which may as litterally be translated he bound them up in a bag For we find the word jatzar which we here translate fashioned to have the signification also of binding or tying up and cheret in the Plural Number to signifie a bag 2 Kings V. 23. And thus the Prophet Isaiah as Bochart observes describes the making of Images XLVI 6. they lavish Gold out of the Bag and they make it a God Which agrees with what is here said of Aaron He received the Ear-rings and put them in a Bag and then having made a Mold cast them into it and made a golden Calf See v. 24. A molten Calf So he calls it because it was no bigger than a Calf though the Head was like an Ox and therefore as I observed before so called by the Psalmist What moved Aaron to represent God in this sigure is hard to resolve Most think he imitated the Egyptians among whom he had long lived which seems not to me at all likely since he had seen the Judgment that God executed against all their Gods XII 12. yet so great a Man as J. Gerh. Vossius hath taken a great deal of pains to prove that Joseph was adored by them under the Name of Apis and Serapis and that his Symbol was an Ox. This he hath laboured to support by many ingenious Conjectures But it is not likely if he were thus publickly honoured as a God that a King should arise who knew not Joseph i. e. had no regard to him I Exod. 8. and another succeed him who endeavoured to ruin all his Kindred The Worship of Serapis also was not so ancient for Herodotus saith not a word of it nor any Body else till the time of Alexander the Great and many Authors say it was brought into Egypt out of Pontus by Ptolomy See Bochartus in his Hierozoic P. I. p. 338. And though Apis was more ancient yet not of such antiquity as Moses as a very learned Person of our own Dr. Tenison now Archbishop of Canterbury hath shown in his Book of Idolatry Chap. VI. Part 4 5 c. And as for Osiris both Plutarch and Strabo say he was the same with Apis which was not then known as I have said in Egypt no more than Typhus or Typhon whom Philo thinks to be here intended but was certainly a later Invention and as Bochartus imagines represented Moses himself though very much disguised Cuperus indeed hath made it probable in his Harpocrates p. 83 c. that there was a Serapis worshipped in Egypt before that brought out of Pontus But whether it be so or no I do not take it to be at all material because it is not likely that Aaron would make such a Representation of the Divinity as was in use among them from whose Slavery God had lately deliver'd them For how could he think the LORD to whom he proclaimed a Feast would be pleased to be represented by any of those Idols on whom as I said before he had executed Judgment at their departure out of Egypt Or what reason is there to think the Israelites themselves could be inclined to think their God to be like any thing which that People worshipped who abhorred the Sacrifices which the God of Israel required Their Conjecture seems to me far more likely who think that Aaron in making this Calf took his pattern from some part of the SCHECHINAH which appeared to him and the Elders of Israel when they eat before God XXIV 10. attended with the Angels Some of which called Cherubim they think appeared with the faces of Oxen. But as there is no mention in that place of Cherubims nor of the Angels appearing in any shape whatsoever and Moses expresly saith the Israelites saw no manner of Similitude on the day when the LORD spake to them in Horeb IV Deut. 15. and therefore Aaron and the Elders in all probability saw none afterward so I think there is no evidence that the heavenly Ministers at any time appeared in this shape till the SCHECHINAH departed from the Temple in the days of Ezekiel See XXV 18 20. After all this considered Aaron seems to me to have chosen an Ox to be the Symbol of the Divine Presence in hope the People would never be so sottish as to worship it but only be put in mind by it of the Divine Power which was hereby represented For an Oxes head was anciently an Emblem of Strength and Horns a common sign of Kingly Power So they were among the Phoenicians as Pignorius observes in his Mensa Isiaca p. 15. out of Eusebius his Praepar Evang. L. I. cap. ult and among the Egyptians as Diodorus Siculus relates L. I. and among the Romans as appears by that famous story of Genucius Cipus in Val. Maximus L. V. c. 6. who when he was Praetor had Horns come out of his Head on a sudden as he was going out of the City to the Wars whereupon he was told Regem eum fore si in Vrbem revertisset That he should be a King if he returned into the City And something like it is related by Julius Capitolinus concerning Clodius Albinus at whose Birth a Cow brought forth a Calf with purple Horns which they lookt upon as signum Imperij a Token of Empire Which made the ancient Fathers perhaps when they spake of this Calf or Ox of Aarons mention only its Head For so doth Tertullian L. ad versus Judaeos c. 1. cum processisset eis bubulum caput and St. Cyprian Lactantius St. Hierom St. Ambrose and others Not because they thought Aaron made only the Head but because this was the principal part whereby God was represented And they said The People cried out aloud These be thy Gods O Israel Or as Nehemiah expresses it IX 18. This is thy God c. the Image or Symbol of the Divine Majesty or as Abulensis interprets it His Divine Vertue resideth in this golden Body The Plural Number is commonly used for the Singular especially when God is spoken of as I observed before XX Gen. 13. XXXV 7. 2 Sam. VII 23. Which brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt This shows they lookt upon this Ox only as a Representation of the Almighty LORD their God for it being but newly made they could not imagine they were brought by it from the Egyptian Slavery but by his Power which perhaps they fancied now resided in it Ver. 5. And when Aaron saw it he built an Altar before it As at the Peoples request he made it so he seeing them receive it with
this Cloud stood just as it did here at the Door of it XII Numb 5. And stood at the door of the Tabernacle Openly to assert the Authority of Moses with whom God showed himself present though he had forsaken them And the LORD talked with Moses Which shows the Divine Glory was within the Tabernacle where Moses now was and so the People understood it as appears by the next Verse Ver. 10. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the Tabernacle door Which they knew was an evident Token that God was there And all the people rose up and worshipped every man in his Tent door Bowed themselves unto the Divine Majesty and humbly deprecated his Displeasure acknowledging we may reasonably think his great Goodness in condescending to appear again to them though at a distance from them Ver. 11. And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face In a familiar manner which did not affright or astonish him by a dreadful appearance of his Majesty which in the sight of the Children of Israel lookt like devouring fire XXIV 17. but appeared to Moses in a milder and more chearful brightness The like expression in XII Numb 8. seems to relate only to the Discourse he had with Moses which was clear and plain and by a Voice not in Visions and Dreams and obscure Resemblances and so it may be understood here as Maimonides takes it More Nevoch P. III. c. 45. But Abarbinel thinks that these Expressions signifie God treated with Moses in his own Person not by an Ambassadour just as one Friend converses with another And this is a common Notion among the Jews that God did not speak to Moses by an Angel but by himself which they take to be the meaning of this Phrase face to face Which seem to me rather to import the clearness and evidence of that Divine Light wherein God revealed himself to Moses whether it was by himself or an Angel it matters not Yet the New Testament determines this question when it tells us The Law it self was given by Angels in the hand of a Mediator And accordingly the old Tradition was That Moses saw things in a clear and bright Glass but the rest of the Prophets in a Glass that was dim and cloudy As a man speaks to his friend This is added to show how differently God treated Moses from all other Men. For he is said to have talked face to face with all the Israelites V. Deut. 4. but it was out of the midst of fire which struck a terrour into them whereas he spake to Moses out of the midst of a glorious but comfortable Light which gave him high satisfaction And he turned again into the Camp After some time spent in Conversation with the Divine Majesty he went to comfort the People it is likely with hopes of recovering his Favour of which they might have quite despaired if he had staid long from them But his servant Joshua a young man departed not out of the Tabernacle It is hard to tell for what end Joshua should stay behind his Master and it seems not decent that Moses should return alone without his Servant to attend him They that say he stayed to guard the Tabernacle have no foundation for it and they have not much who say he stayed to give Judgment in small Causes which needed not Moses his Resolution according to XVIII 26. For we never read that Joshua was a Judge but a constant Attendant upon Moses his Person And therefore the words may better be translated as they plainly run in the Hebrew He turned again to the Camp and his servant Joshua the son of Nun a young man At which there is a stop in the Hebrew over the word Naar young Man to distinguish these from the following words which are Departed not out of the Tabernacle That is the LORD departed not from thence but his Presence remained there and would not come into the Camp as Moses did And this Interpretation is the more likely because the last words in the Hebrew are out of the midst of the Tabernacle which cannot refer to Joshua because he did not go thither but only Moses who conversed alone with the Divine Majesty Why Joshua is called a young Man when he was near sixty years old is not easie to resolve Perhaps it signifies a valiant Man for so he was or he had waited on Moses from his youth or as Maimonides this is the Phrase of the Hebrew Nation who call all Men young till they begin to decay as Joseph is called when he was Thirty years old XLII Gen. 2. More Nevoch P. II. c. 32. Ver. 12. And Moses said unto the LORD When or where Moses spake what follows we are not here informed It is likely that after he was satisfied the People were very penitent he returned to the Tabernacle and there made this Address unto the Divine Majesty for a perfect Reconciliation with his People See A word imploring attention and regard to his Petition Thou sayest unto me Bring up this people Lead them to the Land of Promise XXXII 34. XXXIII 1. And thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me Thou hast only said thou wilt send an Angel before me but I hope to obtain greater favour from thee which thou hast not yet declared to me And I have no heart to proceed if thou thy self wilt not guide us in the Pillar of Cloud as thou hast done hitherto and dwell among us as thou hast promised in thy Sanctuary This seems to be the sense if this Verse be compared with the 15th and not barely that he did not know what Angel he would send with him Yet thou hast said I know thee by name The Chaldee takes it to be the same with what is said of Bezaleel whom God called by name XXXI 2. that is particularly designed to make the Tabernacle and all belonging to it But to know is more than to call signifying God's special Love and Kindness to Moses above all Men as the LXX interpret it And thou hast also found grace in my sight God had often heard his Prayers for this People as he hoped he would do now For that was the effect of his being an acceptable person unto him which is the proper signification of this Phrase Ver. 13. Now therefore I pray thee if I have found grace in thy sight If I still continue in thy favour Shew me now thy way The Interpretation of Maimonides More Nevoch P. I. c. 54. is too much strained who thinks he here desires the knowledge of God's Attributes as v. 18. he desires the sight of his Essence The plain meaning of this Prayer is That God himself would conduct him and show him the way wherein he should lead his People unto their rest in the Land of Canaan XXXII 34. That I may know thee that I may find grace in thy sight That I may be fully assured of thy gracious acceptance of me And
consider that this Nation is thy people I do not beg this meerly upon my own account but for those who have been redeemed by thee out of the Land of Egypt and have engaged themselves to be thine by a Solemn Covenant XXIV and now return unto thee by Repentance v. 6. Ver. 14. And he said My Presence shall go with thee In the Hebrew My face i. e. I my self as the LXX translate it My Majesty as the Chaldee He promises that is to continue with them as he had done hitherto and not meerly send an Angel to accompany them but to lead and guide them himself by the Pillar of the Cloud and his glorious Presence in the Tabernacle And I will give thee rest Some think these words are particularly spoken to Moses and signifie that God would give him ease in this Point and quiet his Spirit which was now very solicitous about his Departure from them by returning to them But as the foregoing words are a Promise that he would take the Conduct of the People again so is this that he would not leave them till he had brought them to their rest Ver. 15. And he said unto him If thy Presence go not with us Some translate the words for he i.e. Moses had said unto him i. e. to God if thy Presence c. So that these words and the following are the reason of God's Answer to him v. 14. And if they be not thus taken one would have expected Moses should rather have given God thanks for his gracious Promise than further pressed him to it But the 17th Verse doth not well agree with this and therefore these words are to be looked on only as part of what Moses said to God after his Promise that his Presence should go with him Which he acknowledged to be the greater favour because otherwise he had rather never stir from the place where they now were Carry us not up hence Let us go no further if thou thy self dost not lead and guide us in our way Ver. 16. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight How shall all the People round about us be convinced that we are not abandoned by thee in this Wilderness Is it not in that thou goest with us Is not this the great Demonstration of it that thou leadest us in a Pillar of Cloud and Fire Day and Night So shall we be separated I and thy people from all the people that are upon the face of the Earth This will distinguish us while it continues with us from all other People whatsoever none of which have such a Token of thy Presence with them The Manna indeed continued all this time to descend for their Sustenance which was a miraculous food but it might have been ascribed to other Causes if this glorious Token of God's Presence had not still appeared among them Ver. 17. And the LORD said unto Moses I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken Distinguish you from all other People not only by leading you in a Pillar of Cloud and Fire but dwelling among you as I designed XXV 8. For thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by name He owns Moses still to be most acceptable and dear to him as he had been v. 12. and therefore at his Intercession promises to be perfectly reconciled and return to his People Ver. 18. And he said I beseech thee Having obtained so much favour of God he presumes to ask something beyond all this but with all humility Shew me thy Glory In the Hebrew the word is hareni make me to see to signifie apprehend with the understanding not with the bodily eye More Nevoch P. I. c. 4. For by Glory he there understands cap. 54. the Divine Essence which he makes Moses to be desirous to apprehend which is not likely such a Man as he should think possible For thus he explains himself in his Book de Fundamentis Legis c. 1. n. 10. Moses desired to know the truth of the Divine Essence as one Man knows another whose Face he beholds and his Image is so engraven in his Mind that he Exists there distinguished from all other Men So he begs that the Divine Essence might be distinct in his Mind from all other Essences till he knew the truth of it as it is in it self But he confesses in another place of that Book cap. 64. That by the Glory of the LORD is many times understood a created Light or Splendor whereby God miraculously set forth his Majesty XXIV 26. and other places And I can see no reason why it should not so signifie here and the meaning be That he desired to see that glorious Presence or Face of God as it is called which he promised should go with them not vailed in a Cloud but in its full Splendor and Majesty For hearing him speak from the SCHECHINAH he supposed perhaps that God appeared therein in some visible shape which he desired to be acquainted withal To confirm this it is observable that God himself in his Answer to Moses calls this Glory his Face v. 20. as he had done v. 14 15. And thus R. Jehudah in the Book Cosri Pars IV. Sect. 3. towards the latter end of it seems to have understood it See upon v. 29. Ver. 19. And he said I will make all my goodness pass before thee Which Maimonides thinks signifies his making Moses to understand the Nature of all Creatures and how they are knit and united together and after what manner they are governed both in general and particular because when God had made all his Works he saw that they were very good I Gen. 31. But that Text is a very slender ground for such an Interpretation The LXX seem to come nearer to the matter who interpret this passage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will pass before thee with my Glory That is he promises to give him a Transient view of his Glory while it passed by him v. 22. though it could not be seen in its full Majesty And then the word tobhi which we translate my goodness must rather be rendred my beauty it being the same with glory only a softer word to express such a degree of its Splendor as would not hurt him but be delightful to him And thus the word tobh is used in the second Chapter of this Book v. 2. and 1 Sam. IX 2. Or if this be not the meaning all his goodness must signifie his gracious Intentions concerning the Children of Israel to whom he assures him he would fulfil all his Promises which was sufficient for him to know And I will proclaim the Name of the LORD before thee The LXX seem to have understood this right when they translated it I will call to thee by my Name saying the LORD is before thee That is lest when I pass by thee thou shouldst not observe it I will admonish thee by a Voice calling
stirred up to be the more liberal in their Offering when they saw how many things were to be done Ver. 20. And all the Congregation of the Children of Israel Whom he had summoned to meet together v. 1. Departed from the presence of Moses When he had reported to them what Orders he had received from the Divine Majesty in the Mount v. 4 5 c. Ver. 21. And they came Being dismissed to their own Tents they went thither only to fetch an Offering to the LORD which they came and brought immediately Every one whose heart stirred him up Whose Mind was raised to a free and cheerful readiness The Hebrew words are lifted him up that is had animum excelsum a noble Mind or was of a generous Spirit as the following words import Every one whom his Spirit made willing And they brought the LORDS Offering An Offering to the LORD as Moses exhorted v. 5. To the work of the Tabernacle For the building a Sanctuary wherein God might dwell among them XXV 8. And for all his Service For all that belonged to the Furniture of it both within and without which are mentioned in the Verses before-going And for the holy Garments That the Priests might Minister there in their Office v. 19. Ver. 22. And they came both Men and Women as many as were willing-hearted Who seem to have been the greatest part of the Congregation And brought Bracelets and Ear-rings and Rings They were no less forward to offer to the Service of God than they had been to the making the Golden Calf XXXII 2 3. for which offence they now make some sort of Satisfaction being more liberal in contributing to this Work than they were to that For we read there only of their Ear-rings which they break off from their Ears and brought to Aaron but here of their Bracelets also and Rings with other things For though they may be supposed to have parted with a great deal on that wicked account it did not make those who were touched with what Moses said less willing to give a fresh to an holy use Tablets The Hebrew word Comaz or Camaz is of very uncertain signification for some make it an Ornament of the Arms and others of some other part But the Chaldee takes it for something about the Breast a Fascia saith Elias wherewith Women tied up and compressed their Breasts to make them appear more beautiful by being round This Bochartus approves in his Canaan L. II. c. 5. All Jewels of Gold All the four forenamed sort of Ornaments were of Gold And every Man that offered offered an Offering of Gold unto the LORD The first Oblations that were brought either by the Women or the Men were all of Gold and then followed meaner things which the People of lower Condition brought to the LORD Ver. 23. And every Man with whom was found blue and purple and scarlet and sine linen c. The common sort of People also offered such as they had Yarn and sine Linen Goats-hair and Skins See XXV 4 5. Ver. 24. Every one that did offer an Offering of Silver and Brass c. Those of a middle Condition offered Silver and Brass and Shittim-wood All which were necessary for several uses For the Ark and the Table were to be overlaid with Gold of which the Candlesticks and several other things were to be made See Chap. XXV The inward Curtains were to be made of the Yarn and the outward of Goats-hair and the Covering of both of Skins The Foundations of the Tabernacle were of Silver and the Taches of the Curtains and Altar of Burnt-offering of Brass and Shittim-wood was used about the Boards of the Tabernacle the Ark Table c. See Chap. XXV XXVI XXVII Ver. 25. And all the Women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands and brought that which they had spun c. Not only the Men but the Women also brought Materials for the House and more then that such as were skilful among them spun both Yarn and Thred which was the proper work of Women not of Men. Unto which work alone they were bound to apply themselves if by the custom of the place no other work such as knitting and sewing with their Needle c. was usually performed by them as Mr. Selden observes L. III. de Vxor Hebr. c. 10. where he treats of all the Imployments of their Women Ver. 26. And all the Women whose heart stirred them up Whose Minds were elevated to excellent Contrivances In Wisdom spun Goats-hair With great Art spun Goats-hair which was not so easie as to spin Wool and Flax. For though their Goats were shorn in those Countries as Sheep are here their Hair being longer than ours yet there was a great deal of Skill required to work it into a Thred and to make Stuff of it See Bochart Hierozoic P. I. L. II. c. 51. In old time also Women were wont to weave as well as spin as appears not only out of the Sacred Books but out of Homer Plato Cicero and many other Authors mentioned by Braunius in his Book de Vestitu Sacerd. Hebr. L. I. c. 17. where he observes N. 33. out of Herodotus that he showing the Egyptian Customs to be different in many things from those of other Nations mentions this among the rest that their Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sat at home and weaved while their Women went abroad and bought and sold L. II. c. 35. Ver. 27. And the Rulers brought Onyx-stones and Stones to be set for the Ephod and for the Breast-plate The great Men also offered sutable to their quality such things as the People could not furnish viz. precious Stones for uses mentioned XXV 7. XXVIII 9 17 18 c. Ver. 28. And Spice and Oyl for the light and for the anointing Oyl c. Such principal Spices as we translate it mentioned XXX 23 34. together with Oyl for the Light XXVII 20. which was so pure that ordinary Persons had it not For there were several sorts of Olives as Fort. Scacchus shows Myrothec Sacr. Elaeochrism P. I. c. 4 5. some of which were not so common as the other and therefore of greater value Ver. 29. The Children of Israel brought a willing Offering c. To sum up all in a few words they brought whatsoever was necessary for all manner of work which the LORD had commanded to be made By the hand of Moses Whom he imployed to deliver these Commands to his People Ver. 30. And Moses said See the LORD hath called by name c. Hath principally made choice of Bezaleel to undertake and perform this work This he said that they might not be solicitous about Artists to make all that was propounded for they knew that there were none among them bred to such Employments Moses therefore informs them in the first place that God had provided himself of a Master-Workman as he told him XXXI 1 2 c. Ver. 31. And he hath filled him with the
to Israel under the figure of a most loving Husband who denies his Wife nothing though never so costly saith he shod her with Thacas which I since sind translated by an Anonymous Authour with purple shoes CHAP. XXXVII IN this Chapter Moses gives an Account of the making of all the Furniture of the Tabernacle with such exactness as he describes the making of the Tabernacle it self in the foregoing Chapter To show that God's directions about the making every thing was punctually observed nothing being omitted or added but all made according to the Pattern in the Mount XXV 9 40. In which Chapter most of the things here mentioned are explained and there needs little to be added here Ver. 1. And Bezaleel made the Ark of Shittim-wood c. Abarbinel fancies that though other things were made by inferiour Artificers whom Bezaleel directed yet the Ark because of its dignity and preheminence above all other things was made by him without the help of any other And so Rambam also from whence the Jews commonly called it as Buxtorf observes the Ark of Bezaleel But this hath no good foundation for he is said to have made also every thing else in the Tabernacle the Table and all its Vessels in short every thing mentioned in this Chapter and in the next also and in the foregoing v. 10 11 c. He therefore is said to have made the Ark c. because he gave directions to the under Workmen and saw them make it Ver. 10. And he made the Table of Shittim-wood c. Next to the Ark the Mercy-seat and the Cherubims which belong to it the Table and the Vessels appertaining to it were the principal things within the Tabernacle See XXV 23 c. where all the things mentioned between this Verse and the Seventeenth are explained Ver. 17. And he made the Candlestick c. The orders which Moses received for the making this the Branches and the Lamps thereof and every thing appertaining to it are set down XXV 31 32 c. which Bezaleel exactly followed Ver. 25. He made the Incense Altar c. This and all that follows in the three next Verses see explained XXX 1 c. Ver. 29. And he made the holy anointing Oyl c. See XXX 31 c. And the pure Incense c. XXX 34 c. CHAP. XXXVIII Verse 1. AND he made the Altar of Burnt-offering c. Having given an Account of the making of all the Furniture of the House he proceeds to show how all things were made without doors with the same exactness according to the Divine Prescriptions All which Bezaleel could not make with his own hands but he was chief Director in these things as well as the rest of the Work Five Cubits was the length thereof c. See XXVII 1 2 c. where this and the six following Verses are explained Ver. 8. And he made the Laver of brass c. See XXX 18. where order is given for the making of this Laver and its situation directed but neither there nor here are we told the figure or dimensions of it but have a particular remark in this place concerning the Materials out of which it was made in the following words Of the Looking glasses So we interpret the Hebrew word Maroth because now such things are commonly made of Glass but anciently of polished Brass which they lookt upon as far better than Silver for that made a weaker reflection as Vitruvius informs us L. VII c. 3. And the best of these Specula were among the ancient Romans made at Brundusium of Brass and Tin mixed together as Pliny tells us L. XXXIII 9. XXXIV 17. This shows the Laver was made of the finest and most pure Brass Of the Women assembling which assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation The Hebrew word Hattzobeoth signifies that they came by Troops to make this Present to the LORD And the LXX and Chaldee understanding it of such Women as came together to serve God by Fasting and Prayer for there is the same word used in 1 Sam. II. 22. most Interpreters think they that made this Oblation were very devout Women who were wont to spend much time at the Tabernacle where the Presence of God was For Moses his Tent served instead of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and was so called till this Tabernacle was built XXXIII 7 c. Thus Aben-Ezra also observes upon these words That these Women making a Free-will Offering of the Looking-glasses wherein they were wont to behold the Beauty of their Faces and to dress and adorn their Heads it seems to argue their very Religious Mind despising the Vanity of the World and delighting far more in the Service of God Ver. 9. And he made the Court c. All that follows from this place to v. 21. is explained in the XXVII Chapter from v. 9. to v. 20. except two or three words which I shall here take notice of Ver. 17. The Chapiters of Silver There is no mention of Rashim Chapiters in the XXVII Chapter but only of Vauim or hooks which were of Silver v. 10. 17. But this Verse shows that those hooks were in the Chapiters or Heads of the Pillars out of which those arose as an Ornament to them Ver. 18. And the heighth in the breadth c. This is an Hebrew Phrase signifying the height of the Hanging it self whose breadth when it lay along was called its height when it was hung up And that was five Cubits proportionable to the Hangings of the Court which was five Cubits high XXVII 18. Ver. 21. This is the sum of the Tabernacle even of the Tabernacle of the Testimony c. Some will have this relate to the fore-named things mentioned in this and in the fore-going Chapters But I take it rather to be a Preface to the Account which Moses ordered to be taken of all the Gold Silver and Brass that was employed in building of the Tabernacle Which being summed up amounted to so many Talents as are mentioned v. 24 c. For the Service of the Levites Rather By the Ministry of the Levites whom Moses appointed to take the Account of all the Expences By the hand of Ithamar Son to Aaron the Priest Under the Conduct of Ithamar the youngest Son of Aaron whom he appointed to preside over the Levites in taking this account Ver. 22. And Bezaleel the Son of Uri made all that the LORD commanded Moses Which Gold Silver and Brass was committed into the hands of Bezaleel though in the Presence of all the rest of the Workmen XXXVI 2 3. as the principal Person who was to see it employed in making every thing which the LORD commanded Moses Ver. 23. And with him was Aholiab c. Unto whom God joyned Aholiab as his Associate in so great an Undertaking who made use of several others whom they taught in those Arts which God by an extraordinary Inspiration had made them to understand XXXV
reasonless Creatures as the King of Egypt had because the Israelites they knew had no skill in Feats of Arms no Captains of Infantry and no Cavalry at all no Weapons or Engines of War of all which the Egyptians had great abundance Upon these or some such like Presumptions and vain Collections they became fool-hardy and desperately resolute to be revenged upon the Children of Israel for all the losses they had sustained by their Leaders Moses and Aaron All the Horses and Chariots of Pharaoh and his Horsmen and his Army By this it appears that there were both Horse and Foot who pursued them though it is likely the Foot were mounted to make the greater speed And overtook them incamping by the Sea c. On the XXth day of Nisan towards Evening they had got within sight of the Israelites who were just setling their Camp where God directed them v. 2. having had no time to rest themselves after lo long a march Ver. 10. And when Pharaoh drew nigh c. So that the Israelites could discern with how great a force the Egyptians were about to attack them They were sore afraid They who had marched hither with a high hand v. 8. full of Alacrity and Courage now on a sudden were so dismaid that their Spirits sunk within them For they had not a setled Confidence and Resolution wrought in them by all the Wonders God had done for them But though whilst they thought Pharaoh disheartned to meddle any more with them they went on boldly now their hearts began to fail them when they saw him at their backs For they were unfit for War weary also and in a very bad place And the Children of Israel cried out unto the LORD This had been the proper Remedy against their Fear if in a thankful Remembrance of what God had often done for them they had humbly beseeched him to deliver them in this great strait which was as easie for him to do as to work all the Miracles they had seen in Egypt But these cries seem by what follows to have been rather the effect of Despair than of hope in God such Shrieks as naturally proceed from Men when they are ready to perish Pellicanus indeed thinks that by the Children of Israel is meant such as were good among them who fell to their Prayers when the rest fell to Railing as it follows in the Verse But such words comprehend the generality of the People and not only the better sort Ver. 11. Because there were no Graves in Egypt hast thou taken us away to die in the Wilderness This is very sarcastical and reproachful Language arguing the heighth of Discontent or rather of Rage against their Deliverer From whence we may learn the wicked temper of those who are ungrateful and unmindful of Benefits Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us out of Egypt They seem to have been of the very same temper with the Egyptians who had no remembrance what they had lately felt nor made any reflections on what God had done in a wonderful manner among them This neglect of God bred such a hardness of heart in them and their Posterity as was in Pharaoh and his People which provoked God to harden them in the same manner to their utter destruction For as the Apostle observes God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth IX Rom. 18. His Mercy that is was not so tied to them because they were Abraham's Seed but he could and would harden them as he had done Pharaoh if they proved as obstinate as he was Ver. 12. Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt saying let us alone c. Do not increase our Miseries by attempting in vain to deliver us This they seem to have said after the first Message Moses and Aaron delivered to Pharaoh which only moved him to lay greater Burdens on them V. 21. VI. 9. For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians then that we should die in the Wilderness This is the Language of base and servile Spirits who chose rather to live miserably than die gloriously in pursuit of their Liberty Ver. 13. And Moses said unto the People fear ye not These words argue a most admirable Spirit that was in Moses who was neither angry with them nor dismayed at the approach of Pharaoh But meekly and sedately Exhorts them to be of good Courage and to trust in God who he assured them would perfect what he had begun for them Stand still c. I do not desire you should do any thing else but only hope in God and wait to see what he will do for you before this day be done For the Egyptians whom you have seen to day ye shall see them again no more for ever Never see them more as they saw them now alive though they saw them lye dead v. 30. after their overthrow in the Sea For the Power of Egypt was so shattered by that loss and they were so confounded by it that we never read of the least inclination in them to attempt any thing upon the Israelites though they wandered forty years in the Wilderness Ver. 14. The LORD shall sight for you He would not have them discouraged for want of Arms because they should have no need of them God himself undertaking to defend them and to discomfit their Enemies And ye shall hold your peace Be still and do nothing not so much as strike one stroke Or as some understand it do you forbear your Cries Or he will silence all your Murmurings Ver. 15. And the LORD said unto Moses See v. 1. Wherefore criest thou unto me He doth not blame him for crying unto him for help but bids him continue his Prayer no longer for he would do as he desired Greg. Nyssen calls this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a cry without a voice a silent cry without speaking a word de Vita Mosis p. 175. Speak to the Children of Israel that they go forward Toward the Sea before which they lay encamped v. 2 9. Ver. 16. But lift thou up thy Rod and stretch out thine hand over the Sea By that Rod wherewith he had done such Wonders in Egypt he bids him believe he would work a Passage for them even through the Sea And divide it Command that it be divided and I will effect it For so it is explained v. 21. not could it be done by any Power but God's And the Children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the Sea See v. 21 22. Ver. 17. And I behold I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians and they shall follow them The LORD would have this noted as a special Judgment of his upon them For of all the hardnings or infatuations which had possessed the hearts of the Egyptians this was the greatest and strongest that they should adventure to follow the Israelites when they saw or might have perceived
world accounted Gods For he did not acknowledge any more Divine Powers than One but he speaks according to the common opinion Men had in those days of other Gods besides the most High This is a common acknowledgment of good Men in after times LXXXVI Psal 8 10. CXXXV 5. For in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them If we refer this to what immediately goes before viz. all Gods the meaning is that the LORD appeared superiour to all the Egyptian Gods who insolently attempted by the Magicians to equal him in his wonderful Works but were baffled and exposed to contempt and at last thrown down in their Images VIII 19. IX 11. XII 12. But it is commonly thought to relate to the Egyptians and Pharaoh mention'd in the foregoing Verse and then the meaning is That the LORD confounded them that proudly contemned his Authority saying Who is the LORD c. V. 2. whom he forced to beg his pardon IX 27. and at last drowned him and his Host in the Red Sea when they said in an haughty boasting manner I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the spoil my lust shall be satisfied upon them c. XV. 9. And to this purpose the Chaldee expounds it In that very thing wherein they thought to judge i. e. to punish or destroy the Israelites they were judged themselves i. e. drowned in the Sea as they intended to drown all their Male Children Ver. 12. And Jethro Moses Father-in-law He is constantly thus described v. 1 2 5 6 7 8. and every where else but v. 9 10. to distinguish him from any other Jethro to whom these things might possibly be thought to belong Took a Burnt-offering Which was to be wholly consumed upon the Altar and nothing of it eaten by any body I Lev. 9. This now may be thought to have been done after the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai which Moses here mentions because he would put together all that belongs to Jethro's story though not all done at the very same time just as I said he did what belonged to the History of the Manna XVI 33 35. See there And Sacrifices i. e. Peace-offerings of which the People as well as the Priests were to be partakers VII Lev. 34. XXVI Deut. 7. And regularly there never was any Burnt-offerings made which were wholly consumed upon the Altar but Peace-offerings attended upon them if they were not Offerings for the whole Congregation but for particular Persons that so they who brought them might Feast also with God upon the Sacrifices For feasting upon Sacrisices was an Appendix unto all Sacrifices whatsoever one way or other if not by themselves yet by the Priests who eat of the Sin-offerings as the Proxies of the People Of this there are numerous Instances not only among the Jews after the Law was given but among other People who had this Custom antecedent to it As appears from XXV Numb 2. where the Midianites invite the Israelites to the Sacrifices of their Gods and the People did eat c. Which they did not learn from Moses but derived from higher Antiquity it is probable even from Abraham himself For God To be offered unto God Who offered them we are not told but it should seem by the word took that Jethro himself who was a Priest was permitted to perform this Office in token that they owned him to be a faithful Servant and Minister of the most High God as Melchizedeck was And accordingly it follows that Aaron was invited with the Elders of Israel to come and Feast with him upon these Sacrifices And Aaron came This seems to signifie that Aaron was but a Guest and had not been the Priest who offered the Sacrifice For though we suppose the Law to have been now given yet it is likely Aaron and his Sons were not yet consecrated nor the Service of God as yet ordered according to the Law that had been delivered no more then Judicatures were erected as after this they were by the advice of Jethro But of these things we can have no absolute certainty but only make probable conjectures And all the Elders of Israel See III. 16. To eat Bread To partake of the Sacrifices that had been offered for this comprehends the whole Meal XLIII Gen. 25. Before God Before the Tabernacle where God dwelt Or if that was not yet set up in the place where God appeared in an extraordinary manner which it is likely was in the Tent of Moses XXXIII 7. Ver. 13. And it came to pass on the morrow The next day after this Solemn Sacrifice which the Jews I observed above say was on the XIth day of Tisri So Sepher Mechilta and others from thence as Mr. Selden hath noted L. II. de Synedr c. 2. p. 75. That Moses sate That was the posture of Judges To judge the People To hear Causes and determine them And the People stood by Moses c. That was the posture both of the Plaintiff and the Defendant And there were now so may Causes brought before him that they took up the whole day so that he had not time to eat and refresh himself Ver. 14. And when Moses Father-in-law saw all that he did to the People He either was present and observed himself or was informed by others what insupportable pains he took He said what is this thing that thou dost to the People What a burden is this to judge the Causes of a whole Nation Why sittest thou thy self alone Takest more upon thee than any one Person is able to bear And all the People stand by thee from morning to the even Till both thou and they are tired Ver. 15. Because the People come unto me to enquire of God I cannot refuse to do Justice and there is none but my self to declare what the Law of God is in such Cases as are brought before me To enquire of God Doth not signifie here to desire him to consult the Divine Majesty for them but to decide their Controversies according to the mind of God declared in the Laws he had given him So the LXX to seek for judgment from God and the Vulgar to seek God's Sentence For what was determined according to God's Law was the Judgment of God and so it is called by Moses See Mr. Selden L. I. de Synedr c. 15. p. 610. Ver. 16. When they have matter Of Controversie They come to me That I may decide it And I judge between one and another Determine where the right lyes And I do make them know the Statutes of God and his Laws This explains what is meant by enquiring of God i. e. what was the Law of God in the Case brought before him From which we may probable gather that the Law was already given from Mount Sinai and all the other Laws and Statutes which follow Chap. XXI XXII XXIII before this hapned Unless we will say as some do that Moses was directed upon the spot as we speak by