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
Caution lest by the splendour of these Metals they should be tempted being prone to Superstition and Idolatry to make such kind of Representations For by Gods are meant Images to represent him which at the first were made very glittering like the heavenly Bodies but afterward they proceed to worship Images of meer Wood or Stone The coherence of this with the foregoing Verses is something obscure unless we observe how this is reported in the Book of Deuteronomy where Moses puts them in mind that they saw no Similitude on the day that God spake with them in Horeb IV. 15. and therefore not to make them a graven Image the similitude of any Figure c. v. 16 17 18 19. Accordingly the meaning is here ye have seen that I talked with you from Heaven i. e. you heard only a Voice but saw no Similitude of Man or any other Creature therefore ye shall not represent me by any Image though never so rich and glorious And thus Greg. Nyssen seems to have understood it de Vita Mosis p. 180. God gave Moses many Divine Commandments the chief of which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Piety towards God and to have becoming Notions and Conceptions of the Divine Nature as transcending all visible things nay all our thoughts and like to nothing that we know And therefore he bids them in their conceptions of him not to look at any thing they saw nor liken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Nature which transcends the whole Vniverse to any thing that they were acquainted withal There was the greater need of this Precept if the Egyptian Worship in these days was the same with that in other times when Osiris was adored in the form of a golden Ox or an Ox of Wood all gilded over as Plutarch calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 24. An Altar of Earth shalt thou make unto me For the better observation of the foregoing Commandment he orders that his Altars should be made as plain and simple as might be Either of Sods and Turfs of Earth which were easily prepared in most places whilst they staid in the Wilderness or of rough and unpolished Stone if they came into rocky places where no Sods were to be got that so there might be no occasion to grave any Image upon them Such Altars Tertullian observes were among the ancient Romans in the days of Numa when as they had no sumptuous Temples nor Images so they had only temeraria de cespite altaria Altars hastily huddled up of Earth without any Art Apolog. cap. 25. which Jamblicus calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex tempore Altars as we would now speak thrown up on a sudden And so Scioppius pretends he found some MS. have it in that place of Tertullian not temeraria but temporaria Altars made only for a present use not to remain after the Sacrifice was done Nay Fortunatus Scacchus will have it that Moses here commands them to make the Earth their Altar as the words may be translated out of the Hebrew which he thus interprets Thou shalt mark out a place upon the bare Ground and there offer Sacrifice Myrothec II. Sacr. Elaeochrys c. 56. And shalt Sacrifice thereon thy Burnt-offerings c. This Form of Worship as Maimonides himself acknowledges was appointed by God because it was used in all the World Which moved him not to abolish it but to translate it from created and imaginary Beings to his own most Adorable Name Therefore he commanded us saith he to make him a Sanctuary XXV 8. and consecrate an Altar to his Name and offer him Sacrifices for which he alledges this very Text and on the contrary prohibits us to do such things to any other Being XXII 20. XXXIV 13 14. More Nevoch P. III. c. 32. In all places This shows that the foregoing Commandment hath a peculiar respect to the time they were in the Wilderness especially till the Tabernacle was erected when they were in their Travels removing from place to place and not fixed in any Then these Altars were very proper which might be prepared on a sudden and as suddenly thrown down again Where I record my Name Or cause it to be remembred and acknowledged by some Token or Symbol that is whereby he signified that he would be worshipped there Which sense the Chaldee seems to me to have expressed most exactly In every place where I shall make my Glory i. e. the SCHECHINAH to dwell from whence I will bless thee i. e. hear their Prayers This must be the meaning here because the Ark which was the Memorial of God's Presence with them was not yet made Or else he means the Sacrifices and Altars before mentioned which Mr. Mede thinks may be here pointed at because these were Rites of Remembrance whereby the Name of God was commemorated or recorded and his Covenant with Men testified and renewed See Book II. pag. 453 c. And indeed the word Zacar doth most certainly signifie not only to remember or record but to worship and to perform Sacred Offices so the meaning may be in every place where I exhibit my self to be worshipped and honoured I will come unto thee or meet with thee Upon which account the Tabernacle of the LORD was called Ohel Moed the Tabernacle of Meeting Not because of the Peoples meeting there to Worship as is commonly supposed when we translate those words the Tabernacle of the Congregation but of God's meeting there with his People as Mr. Mede observes p. 436. from many plain places of Scripture XXIX Exod 42. XXX 36. XVII Numb 4. And I will bless thee Give thee testimonies of my gracious Presence and Acceptance The Gentiles believed their Gods were present where their Images were worshipped But he promises to be present in all places whatsoever where he would have his Name celebrated i. e. where he would be worshipped though their Sacrifices were offered upon the most mean and simple Altar Ver. 25. If thou wilt make me an Altar of stone c. If it cannot be made without Stones saith Maimonides P. III. More Nevoch c. 45. take care that the Stones remain in their own natural form and that they be not polished c. This was to avoid Idolatry for fear they should make any figure with the Tools they imployed in shaping and fashioning the Stones after an artificial manner or should reserve the pieces of Stone that were paired off for Superstitious or Magical uses Just saith Maimonides as he forbids planting a Grove near his Altar for that was to imitate Idolaters XVI Deut. 22. See IV Deut. 15 16. which plainly shows this was the reason of this Command In short these Altars were built like those of Turf on a sudden without any Art only by piling Stones one upon another Such an Altar David built upon a special occasion 2 Sam. XXIV 25. and after him Elijah 1 Kings XVIII 31 32. and Fortunatus Scacchus makes it probable that it was such an one which Ezra
any but those who had been always bred up in a deep sense of his Divine Majesty Which gave them such Courage that as Chytraeus expresseth it in Herodotus his Phrase which is in a manner the same with St. Peter's V Acts 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they made account the things of God were to be preferred before those of Men and therefore would not obey the King's Command by doing contrary unto God's Ver. 18. And the King called for the Midwives Sent out a Summons to appear before him And said unto them Why have you done this thing c. Their being questioned for their Disobedience made their Constancy the more remarkable Ver. 19. For they are lively and are delivered ere the Midwives come in unto them It doth not appear that these Midwives told a lye but only concealed some of the Truth which is not unlawful but commendable when it is to preserve the Innocent For many of the Hebrew Women might be such as they here describe though not every one of them The Hebrew word chajoth signifies three things either vivaces i. e. lively or obstetrices Midwives as Kimchi tells us or animantia living Creatures The LXX follow the first notion and so do we which is very proper Aquila follows the second who translates this Passage thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they can do the Office of Midwives themselves and are brought to Bed before we can get to them Thus the Vulgar also take it They have skill in Midwifry And the Author of the Life of Moses as several other Jews do take it in the third sense expounding it thus They are like other living Creatures who do not need any Midwives to help their young ones into the World And so Rasi also and Theodotion who thus translates it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not signifie as Gaulmyn observes they bring forth living Children but ad instar animantium pariunt they bring forth like Animals Such lively Women undoubtedly there have been and are still in some Parts of the World For Varro reports L. II. de R. R. cap. 10. that the Women of Illyricum when they found their Pangs coming were wont to go a little aside from the Work they were about and presently were delivered of a Child quem non peperisse sed invenisse putes which one would think they had found not brought forth out of their Womb. Which place our Gataker mentioning in his Cinnus p. 213. saith it is credibly reported by those who had lived there a great while that the Irish Women sometime rise from Table and are delivered and return to the Company again before all be taken away Ver. 20. Therefore God dealt well with the Midwives c. He rewarded their Services whereby the Children of Israel still more multiplied and waxed very mighty Ver. 21. Because the Midwives feared God he made them Houses These words seem to declare wherein God rewarded them which was in making them Houses Some indeed particularly Mr. Calvin refer this to the Israelites because the word them is of the Masculine Gender and therefore cannot they think be meant of the Midwives but must be interpreted by this means the Children of Israel were exceedingly increased But besides that this was said just before it is not unusual in Scripture when the Speech is of Women to use the Masculine Gender Thus Ruth 1. 8. prays for her Daughters in Law in these words the LORD deal kindly with you where in the Hebrew the Masculine Gender is used and not the Feminine But we need go no further for an instance of this than the very next Chapter to this II Exod. 17. where Moses is said to water their Flock speaking of Jethro's Daughters and the word for their is of the Masculine Gender It agrees also best with the whole story to take it so here that God made the Midwives Houses so the Chaldee and the LXX understand it that is gave them a numerous Offspring out of which arose many Families which in Scripture Language are called Houses XXX Gen. 30. When shall I make my self an House the same Phrase with this i. e. take care of my own Family XXV Deut. 9. IV Ruth 5. Or else the meaning may be he increased their Estate and gave them great Riches which the Psalmist may be thought to mean when he saith Except the Lord build the House i. e. preserve and increase the Estate of a Family their labour is in vain that endeavour it See also 2 Sam. VII 11. CXIII Psal 9. Some that take these Midwives to have been Egyptian Women proselyted to the Jewish Religion think the sense may be that they married to Israelites and God made their Families eminent in Israel Ver. 22. And Pharaoh charged all his People saying every Son c. Not being able to effect his end by the Midwives he commanded every Body to inform his Officers when any Hebrew Woman fell in Labour and appointed Searchers it 's likely to examine whether they were delivered of Male or Female and to act according to what is here ordered Some that understand the foregoing words of the Israelites make this the sense of the two last Verses Because the Midwives feared God and thereby the Families of the Israelites were increased not diminished Pharaoh took a new Course and charged all his People to see that done which the Midwives refused The Jews in the Book called The Life of Moses say that many of their People upon this Decree of Pharaoh resolved not to marry or not to come near their Wives and those who did were forced to have them brought to Bed alone and throw their Children into the Fields where the Angels took care of them c. But this is confuted by what follows in the next Chapter And yet they are so fond of such Fables that in one of their Medraschim or Books of Homilies they say God made Milk to come out of one Stone and Honey out of another to Suckle them while they lay hid in the Earth See Buxtorf of the Education of their Children Synag Judaic Cap. VII CHAP. II. Ver. 1. AND there went a Man of the House of Levi c. We are told both the Man's name and the Womans whom he married VI Exod. 20. XXVI Numb 59. Where Amram Grandson of Levi is said to have been Moses his Father and Jochabed Daughter of Levi to have been his Mother So Amram married his Father's Sister as the Text expresly tells us Which Moses was so ingenuous as not to conceal though it might not be for his Credit in future Ages when such Marriages were forbidden by that Law which he gave them from God though practised before the giving of his Law See Selden L. V. de Jure N. G. c. 9. The Jews also fancying his Mother Jochabed to have been born as soon as the Israelites came into Egypt make the Birth of Moses a Miracle because she must be by that account an Hundred and
consult for his Safety rather than basely either deny or excuse what he had done or ask pardon for it unto which no fear of the wrath of the King could have moved him Ver. 15. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing Which was soon brought to his ears as Moses suspected and aggravated extreamly by the great Men of the Court as Philo represents it L. I. de Vita Mosis He thought to slay him Not so much because he had killed the Man as because he pretended to assert the Liberty of the Israelites and to be their Deliverer Demetrius bears witness to this Story just according to what is here related in Eusebius's Praepar Evang. L. IX c. 29. And Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh Wisely foreseeing the Danger he avoided it by flight into another Country where he was out of his reach For though the time of Israel's Deliverance was not yet come he was assured that God intended to work it by his hand and therefore thought it prudent to reserve himself till he received a further Commission from God But though this flight of Moses be here so plainly affirmed yet the Jews are so sond of their own Conceits and so bold in their Invention that they say he was not only condemned to have his Head cut off but brought to the Block and when the Executioner came to do his Office his Sword would not enter Moses his Neck being by a Miracle turned into a Pilaster of Marble and from thence called his Son Eliezer c. So the Tale is told by the Author of Moses his Life What Pharaoh this was is not certain but Eusebius calls him Orus who succeeded Amenophis in whose time Moses was born and he is said to have reigned Two and forty years And dwelt in the Land of Midian Where some of Abraham's Posterity were setled XXV Gen. 2. in a part of Arabia Petraea And therefore Philo only saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he withdrew into the neighbouring Arabia Into which Country he chose to flee both because his escape was easie thither and because they were descended from the same Stock with himself and continued still good People or at least had some good Governours and Families among them as appears by what follows And he sat down by a Well To refresh himself and expecting it 's likely to meet some Company there at the time when the Flocks came to water Ver. 16. Now the Priest of Midian Or Prince as it is in the Margin For the word Cohen indifferently signifies either Priest or Prince but most anciently it signifies the latter a Prince For so it is used in the Book of Job XII 19. He leadeth Cohenim Princes away spoiled And in after times it continued to have the same signification David's Sons being called by this Name of Cohenim 2 Sam. VIII 18. which in 1 Chron. XVIII 17. is expounded were chief at the hand of the King And so Ira is called 2 Sam. XX. 26. Cohen a chief Ruler about David And so I think it is to be taken here for a Ruler or Governour See XLI Gen. 50. not of the whole Country of Midian but of some Province of it And it may be most truly rendred a Prince i. e. one of the Princes or Rulers of Midian But in ancient time Princes executed the Priesthood also as Plato observes they did among the Egyptians and the Consuls and Emperours of Rome were ambitious of the same Dignity by which means the word Cohen came to signifie both Though where the Place or Territory of which any Person was Cohen is mentioned there it always signifies him to have been Prince or Civil Governour of that place So S. Jarchi observes The word COHEN always denotes some Divine Ministry or Function except where there is an addition of some particular Principality to it as COHEN of Midian and COHEN of On referring to this place and that I now mentioned in Genesis where it signifies a Prince though the Priesthood might be joyned with it And so Artapanus in Eusebius L. IX c. 27. relating Moses his Flight into Arabia saith he came to Raguel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ruler of those parts And the Jews in their German Translation of the Bible call him Heer Lord of Midian See our most Learned Selden L. I. de Synedr c. ult p. 648. I shall only add that it is most likely that this Prince or Priest was a Worshipper of the true God and not an Idolater for Moses we may be confident would not have married his Daughter if she had been bred in a false Religion Had seven Daughters and they came and drew Water c. He was but a small Prince it appears by this though it must be acknowledged it was a noble Employment in old time as I observed upon Genesis to look after Sheep and we must not imagine these young Women drew the Water themselves but had Servants to attend them and obey their Orders Ver. 17. And the Shepherds came and drove them away Some rude and idle Shepherds would have made use of the Water which they had drawn and had the benefit of their pains without any labour of their own This looks like an Argument that their Father was not a Prince for then one would think these Shepherds should not have dared to contest with them But it is as much an Argument that he was not a Priest for they were great Men also in those days And it seems probable to me that these were the Shepherds of some other greater Prince in those Countries who made thus bold with Jethro's Daughters and their Servants For one cannot think as I said that they alone looked after his Flock but were Overseers of those that did like Rebekkah and Rachel See Gen. XXIX 9. But Moses stood up and helped them c. This was an act as Maimonides suggests of the same Heroick Spirit mentioned before Ver. 12. which still rested on him and moved him here as it had done in Egypt And thus Philo also represents him as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transported by such an Enthusiasm when he spake to the Shepherds that it after frighted them from their attempt Though it is not certain that he overcame them by Perswasions but the whole Discourse seems rather to imply that he forced them to desist which he could not do alone but at the head of those Servants that belong'd to these young Women and it is not improbable he had some Servants of his own who attended him in his Flight Certain it is that the Arabian's great Imployment was feeding of Cattle as Philo there notes L. I. de Vita Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and that not only Men but Women young Men and Virgins looked after them and not those only of the meaner sort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they that were of Noble Families Ver. 18. And when they came to Reuel their Father He is thought to be the same with Jethro III.
Jethro had two Names Nay they fancy he had three being called Hobab they think IV Judg. 11. where Hobab is said to be the Father in Law of Moses But the word Son is there to be supplied which in other places is sometime to be understood he seeming to be Jethro's Son Brother to Zipporah And accordingly is said X Numb 29. to be Son of Raguel the Midianite i. e. of Jethro as many understand it See there And he led the Flock to the backside of the Desert Or as St. Hierom understands it ad interiora deserti to the inner parts of the Desert where there was better Pasture than in the place where he was before to which he was conducted by the Providence of God who intended here to reveal himself more fully to him And came to the Mountain of God even to Horeb. Sheep delight to feed on Mountains as Bochart observes out of Theocritus and Virgil. Whence such mountainous Places are often called in Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sheep-walks they being wont to feed there as Eustathius and Hesychius interpret it See Hierozoic p. 1. L. II. c. 46. And this is called the Mountain of God because when Moses wrote this Book there had been a Divine appearance upon Horeb which St. Stephen calls Sinai VII Acts 30. For Horeb and Sinai seem to have been two tops of one and the same Mountain which it is plain by this was not far from the Country of Midian We understand also by St. Stephen's words when this fell out viz. after he had dwelt Forty years in Midian for so long it is certain he continued there VII Exod 7. But how he imployed all that time we are not told No doubt in something else than meer feeding Sheep For being learned in all the Egyptian Wisdom we may well think he both taught others and made also great improvements himself in studying the Records of that and all other Neighbouring Countries and besides received it is likely Divine Revelations There are those likewise who think he now wrote the Book of Job to comfort the Israelites by the example of his admirable Patience under their heavy Oppressions in Egypt and the Book of Genesis also that they might the better understand what Promises had been made to their Noble Ancestors Abraham Isaac and Jacob and that the Time drew near when they would be fulfilled It is noted by Ludovicus Capellus in his Chronolog Sacra that the Number Forty was much observed in the Administrations of Divine Providence Moses being XL years old when he fled into Midian and staying there another XL years and then leaving the World in the end of the next XL years of his Age. It was so many years before the Israelites got to Canaan after they were delivered out of Egypt Forty days Moses continued with God in the Mount both the first and second time of his going up thither So many days the Spyes were in searching out the Land and the Israelites had just so many Mansions in the Wilderness Their first Judge governed just XL. years and the next twice as many Deborah Barak Gideon Eli all judged XL years and so long David reigned Ver. 2. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him So St. Stephen also VII Acts 30. By which some understand the Eternal WORD the Second Person in the Blessed Trinity But I think he is not called simply an Angel any where but with some addition as the Angel of the Covenant for it would be a dangerous insinuation that he was but a meer Creature Yet I believe he is not here to be excluded for I take this to have been the Appearance of the SCHECHINAH which comprehended both the LORD himself and the Angels that attended him as his Ministers One of which now appeared so gloriously that he showed God to be present and accordingly we find in the following words that he himself spake to Moses And thus the LORD is said to have sent his Angel when they cried to him and brought them out of Egypt XX Numb 16. Which Angel is called Michael by Menachem and the same which they also call Goel who redeemed Jacob from all evil XLVIII Gen. 16. In a flame of sire The Glory of the LORD as the SCHECHINAH is frequently called appeared in a flaming manner like fire exceeding bright and with an amazed splendor So it appeared though not so bright when the first Promise was made of their Deliverance XV Gen. 17 18. Out of the midst of a Bush To show say the Jews in Pirke Eliezer Cap. XL. that God was present with them in their great Affliction and Tribulation which was represented by this Bush of Thorns or Briers for so the Hebrew word signifies such a Bush as pricks those that touch it or as the Prophet Isaiah speaks LXIII 9. in all their affliction he was afflicted And by his Providence ordered things so that their Affliction did not consume them but rather multiplied and increased them for as it there follows the Angel of his presence saved them And thus Eusebius tells us in the latter end of L. V. Demonstr Evang. c. 13. some Christians understood it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This Fire also in the Bush might be intended to show that God would there meet with the Israelites and give them his Law in Fire and Lightning and yet not consume them For this is the place where God after they came out of Egypt delivered the Law to them which thence was called Sinai saith the fore-named Author in Pirke Elieser from this Bush which in Hebrew is Sene and signifies in Arabick a Thorn-bush whereas before this it was called Horeb from its driness and barrenness as that word imports And behold the Bush burnt with sire and the Bush was not consumed The Heathens had either read or heard of this wonder as appears by Artapanus who mentions it in Eusebius L. IX Praepar Evang. c. 27. but he disguises it and misreports it saying it was a Fire which suddenly broke forth out of the Earth and flamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when there was no Matter nor any kind of Wood in the place to feed it But in the next Chapter but one an ancient Tragaedian reports it exactly saying just as Moses doth here That the Bush burnt in a great fire and yet remained intire and green in the slame which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest Miracle The meaning of which I have already explained in the foregoing Observation There is a Story something like this in Dion Prusaeus Orat. XXXVI where he saith the Persians relate concerning Zoroaster that the Love of Wisdom and Vertue leading him to a Solitary Life separate from Company upon a Mountain he found it one day all in a flame shining with Celestial Fire out of the midst of which he came without any harm and instituted certain Sacrifices to God who then he made account appeared to him Which Joh. Henricus Vrsinus a
with Milk and Honey By which Phrase the Poets express the greatest Plenty as Bochart shows out of Euripides Horace Ovid c. Hierozoick P. II. L. IV. c. 12. For abundance of Milk and Honey argue a Country to be well watered fruitful full of fair Pastures and Flowers from whence the Flocks may fill their Duggs with Milk and the Bees their Cells with Honey Aelian L. III. de Hist Animal c. 35. saith the Goats of Syria which includes this Country afford such plenty of Milk as is in no other Country Vnto the place of the Canaanites c. See concerning all these People here mentioned XV Gen. 19 c. Ver. 9. Now therefore behold the Cry of the Children of Israel is come up to me c. This was said before Ver. 7. but here repeated as a reason of the Commission he intended immediately to give to Moses to go and Deliver them Ver. 10. Come now therefore and I will send thee unto Pharaoh c. Leave thy Flock for I have another more weighty Business wherein I will imploy thee For thou shalt go with my Authority to Pharaoh and command him not only to Release my People out of their Servitude but to let them go also out of Egypt He had called them by the Name of his People Ver. 7. and now mentions it again to incourage their hope that he would take care of his own What Pharaoh this was it being a common Name to all the Egyptian Kings is very much disputed The common opinion is that after Orus in whose time Moses sled into Midian Acenceres or Acherres reigned Twelve years and after him Achoris reigned Seven years more and then succeeded Cenchres the worst of them all to whom Moses was now sent But Clemens Alexandrinus tells us that Apion a great Enemy of the Jews and who wrote against them mentioning their going out of Egypt in his fourth Book of his History of Egypt saith it was in the the reign of Amosis For which he quotes Ptolomaeus Mendesius an Egyptian Priest who wrote three Books about their Affairs in which he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. I. Stromat p. 320. But Tacitus calls him Bocchoris or as some read it Occoris L. V. Hist c. 3. That thou mayest bring forth my People c. From this time we are to consider God as the King of this People Not in general only as he is Lord of the whole World but in a proper and peculiar manner For whatsoever Authority or Power of Jurisdiction the Kings of other Nations did exercise over their Subjects as Power of Life and Death of making Laws and Leagues c. the same Prerogative did the Lord of Heaven and Earth reserve to himself alone over the Children of Israel Upon which ground as Dr. Jackson well observes Moses was delegated to be his Ambassadour to the King of Egypt and constituted it appears by the whole Story his Deputy or Viceroy over Israel Ver. 11. And Moses said unto God who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh c. He modestly declines the Service considering how mean a Person he was in comparison with Pharaoh and how unable to do any thing for the Israelites He had felt some extraordinary motion in himself Forty years ago which he took to be an Indication that God would use him as an Instrument of their Deliverance See Chap. II. v. 11 12. but at that time he was a far greater Man than now and had more interest at Court the Princess who adopted him for her Son being then perhaps alive or having lest him what made him very considerable In short he was then the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter but now a poor Shepherd Ver. 12. And he said Certainly I will be with thee In answer to his Objection God bids him depend on this that he would preserve him by a special Providence from being hurt by Pharaoh So Maimonides shows this Phrase I will be with thee signifies in Scripture More Nev. P. III. c. 18. And the considence which God wrought in him of this gave him Courage and Resolution which is also denoted by this Phrase as he shows P. II. c. 38. For all the Prophets were endued with an extraordinary Fortitude and Magnanimity which was in Moses above all the rest he encountering a great King and all his Court and People barely with a Staff in his hand And this shall be a Token to thee that I have sent thee when thou hast brought forth the People out of Egypt ye shall serve God upon this Mountain This could not be a Token to him now but was afterward when God by his Power brought them to this very place to worship him according to this Promise upon this Mountain In the mean time there were many other Tokens God gave him as we find in this History which were all confirmed by this at last Ver. 13. And they shall say unto me What is his Name What shall I say unto them This doth not argue that they knew not what the Name of their God was for they and their Fathers had been long acquainted with him and they cried unto him and he heard them II. 23 24. But Moses being the first that ever spake to Men in the Name of God none of the Patriarchs either before the Flood or after it having said any such words as these God hath sent me to you the Lord commands me to bid you do so or so as Maimon observes in several places of his More Nevoch P. I. c. 63. P. II. c. 39. is was natural for the Israelites to ask him by what Name or peculiar Attribute God had made himself known unto him so as to authorize him to speak to them as never any Man before did He had spoken unto Noah and unto Abraham c. but it was only for their own Instruction He never bid them deliver any Message unto others and yet it is observable that upon particular occasions he still made himself known to them by different Names or Titles As he saith to Abraham XV Gen. 7. I am Jehovah who brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees But XVII 1. he saith I am Elshaddai And to Isaac he saith I am the God of thy Father Abraham XXVI 24. To Jacob he adds I am the LORD God of thy Father Abraham and the God of Isaac XXVIII 13. And after this I am the God of Bethel XXXI 13. No wonder then that Moses should think the People would expect upon so great an occasion when he came to them as an Ambassadour from Heaven that the God of their Fathers should speak to them in a New Stile beyond all that had been known in former days Ver. 14. And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM. That is saith Maimonides in the place above-named He that necessarily Exists He who so is that he must needs be Or as some translate it I will be what I will be i. e. the Eternal Immutable Being so Elmacinus
interprets it the Eternal that never dies who am faithful to my Promises and will be to you what I told your Fathers I would be Whatsoever I said in the days of Abraham concerning the giving the Land of Canaan I will certainly perform for I change not Thus shalt thou say to the Children of Israel I AM hath sent me unto you The former words were a Declaration of God's Nature to Moses and in these he bids him in brief only say to the Israelites that he was sent by him Who is That is as was said before necessarily Exists always was and ever will be Who alters not but by whatsoever Name he makes himself known is still the very same God Which was a Name not unknown to the Gentiles as one would think by the word EI which was inscribed in the front of the Delphick Temple as Plutarch tells us and was nothing else but the contraction of EIMI which signifies I AM. Or if we take EI to be an intire word as it is commonly thought signifying thou art Ammonius rightly understood it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plutarch reports his word in a Treatise on this Subject the most absolutely perfect Name and Compellation of God For God saith he in the other Inscription on the Temple speaks to us who approach him saying to every one KNOW THY SELF and we are taught to answer to him again in the words of this Inscription THOV ART ascribing to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that true undoubted and only Appellation which belongs to him alone For he only is we are not c. Thus he declares this word to express most perfectly the Divine Essence which is distinguished hereby from all false Gods See Eusebius L. XI Praep. Evang. c. 11. and in the two foregoing Chapters where he takes a deal of pains to show that Plato borrowed this Notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Being that is always but had no beginning from these words of Moses And Numenius a Pythagoraean speaks it more plainly when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is is eternal and stedfast always the very same without variation And no wonder these Men if they met with this Passage in Moses were highly pleased with it for St. Hilary himself tells us that he lighting upon these words as he was musing about God and Religion before he was a Christian was struck with admiration there being Nothing so proper to God as to be And therefore he thought it worthy of God to say of himself I AM THAT I AM and HE THAT IS so he translates the last words hath sent me unto you L. I. de Trinitate Ver. 15. And said moreover unto Moses Thus shall thou say c. For a further Explication of what he had now said and a further Satisfaction of their Minds The LORD God of your Fathers the God of Abraham c. The Name JEHOVAH as we pronounce it seems to be in sense the same with Ehjeh before mentioned Which as it declares his Nature so the word God added to it expresses his Favour Care and Providence And consequently he bids Moses tell the Children of Israel that He who is the Eternal was the God of their Fathers of Abraham Isaac and Jacob To whom he had made many Promises that he would be gracious to their Posterity This was sufficient for them to know of him This is my Name for ever and this is my Memorial c. Some refer the first words this is my Name unto the foregoing Verse I AM and the next this is my Memorial to those which immediately preceed the LORD God of your Fathers which in truth include the whole Jehovah being the same with I am And the meaning is I will be for ever remembred celebrated praised and invoked by the Name of the LORD God of your Fathers c. Ver. 16. Go and gather the Elders of Israel together The word Elders in these Books sometime signifie the Men of the great Sanhedrin as they spake in after times or the Judges in the Highest Court XXI Deut. 2 c. Sometimes the Judges in the Lower Courts XIX Deut. 12. XXII 15. Sometimes it only signifies the Heads of the Tribes as here in this place For now there were no such Courts of Judicature constituted See Selden Vxor Hebr. L. I. Cap. XV. Some indeed particularly Corn. Bertram think it reasonable to suppose that the Israelites had Judges among them all the time they dwelt in Egypt though not mentioned in Scripture as they had no doubt a Form of Religion though we read nothing of it And Moses he thinks is here ordered to send for these who were their Rulers and administred Publick Affairs among them But there is this Argument against it that after this time when Moses had brought them out of Egypt there were no such Judges among them but Moses as we find XVIII Exod. judged all himself to his exceeding great trouble And therefore by Elders we are here to understand only the Wisest and gravest Men of the Nation who were in greatest esteem among them as Mr. Selden afterwards speaks L. I. de Synedr Cap. XV. p. 523 c. or as was said before the Heads of their Tribes The famous H. Grotius confirms this by a nice Observation that both here and Ver. 18. they are barely called Zikne not Hazikne because there was not as yet certum Collegium sed sola qualitas denotatur as he speaks L. de Imp. Sum. Potest circa Sacra Cap. XI n. 15. a certain Colledge or Society of them but their quality only is denoted And no doubt the word always signified Men of Dignity or chief Rank among others both among the Israelites and among the Egyptians as I have observed on XXIV Gen. 2. L. 6. And say unto them The Lord God of your Fathers c. See this explained Ver. 6. Hath appeared unto me Ver. 2 4. Saying surely I have visited you So Joseph when he died assured them God would do L Gen. 24. where I observed to visit them was to bring them out of Egypt And so it signifies here as is evident from what God said to Moses when he appeared to him v. 8. I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians Which was not yet actually done but so absolutely decreed in the Mind of God that he might say he had already done it Or the word Pakad may be translated here as it is elsewhere I have remembred you 1 Sam. XV. 2. that is so as to resolve to deliver them And then the next words may depend on this And that which is done to you in Egypt For the word Seen is not in the Original But either way it relates to what God saith to Moses Ver. 7 9. Ver. 17. And I have said Determined or resolved I will bring you out of the affliction of Egypt into the Land of the Canaanites c. See v. 9. Ver. 18 And
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
not so in those Countries for the noblest Persons anciently rode on them as appears by a great many places of Holy Scripture XXII Gen. 1. XXII Numb 21. 2 Sam. XIX 6. and several others which are reckoned up by Bochart P. I. L. II. Cap. XIII Hierozoic And he returned to the Land of Egypt Set out and began his Journey to that Country And Moses took the Rod of God So called because God ordered him to carry it with him v. 17. and had appointed it to be the Instrument wherewith he should work wonders In his hand As a sign of his Authority So Conr. Pellicanus hath not unfitly explained it he returned with the Rod of God signo Apostolatus ducatus a sign or token of his Embassy and Government Ver. 21. And the LORD said unto Moses when thou goest to return into Egypt When thou art come thither See that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh The Signs mentioned in the beginning of this Chapter with which he was to begin Which I have put in thy hand Given thee power to do But I will harden his heart c. The meaning is not that God would harden his heart at the first as soon as Moses began to work his Signs no more than that he would at the first slay his First-born as he threatens v. 23. But as at last he intended to slay his First-born if he would not be humbled by other Plagues so in conclusion he resolved to harden his heart after Pharaoh had often hardened it himself There are three distinct words used in this Story about this matter The first is Chazak the next is Rashah and the third is Cavad Which seem to signifie a gradual increase of his Obstinacy till at last it grew very grievous For the last word Cavad intends and increases the Sense whether it be in good or evil qualities Ver. 22. And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh In this God begins to fulfil his Promise to Moses that he would teach him what he should say v. 12. and 15 16. Thus saith the LORD This shows he came to Pharaoh in the Name and by the Authority of God Israel is my Son even my First-born Most dear to me and beloved above all People as the First-born Son commonly is above the rest of the Children God having chosen and adopted them to be his peculiar People on whom he bestowed singular Priviledges and Blessings Thus God speaks of David LXXXIX Psal 28. And Eben-Ezra's interpretation of this Phrase is not improper That Their Ancestors from the beginning had been Worshippers of him the true God Ver. 23. And I say unto thee I command and require thee so the word say here signifies Let my Son go that he may serve me Not to keep my People in thy Servitude any longer but to dismiss them that they may worship me as my Servants ought to do And if thou refuse to let him go behold I will slay thy Son even thy First-born Not upon his first refusal See v. 21. but after a long course of other Judgments which would end if he were not reformed by them in this at last With which he therefore terrifies him that he might prevent it Ver. 24. And it came to pass by the way To Egypt in the Inn where they took up their Lodging at Night That the LORD met him The SCHECHINAH I suppose appeared to him from whence an Angel was dispatched to do as follows And so both the LXX and the Chaldee interpret it The Angel of the LORD because the LORD sent an Angel to Execute what is here related And sought to kill him Appeared in such a manner as if he intended to fall upon him with a drawn Sword perhaps as he did to Balaam and David which threatning Posture could not but very much affright him and put him into disorder Others imagine he inflicted a sudden Disease upon him or made as if he would strangle him They that interpret this of killing his Child as many do See Mr. Selden L. I. de Synedr Cap. VI. p. 88. seem to me to have no reason on their side there being no mention of a Child in the foregoing Story but only of his Sons Therefore Chaskuni hath rightly observed that this Verse is connected with the last words of the 20th the three following coming by a Parenthesis and can refer to none but Moses All the difficulty is to find why the Angel of the Lord should put him in fear of present death when he was going upon God's Message The Resolution of which seems to be contained in the following words Ver. 25. Then Zipporah His Wife presently apprehended what was the Cause of Moses his danger viz. because her Child of which she is supposed to have been not long ago delivered was not Circumcised And therefore she immediately dispatcht that work her Husband being in such a Consternation that he could not do it himself but as Kimchi will have it called to her to do it or she of her self went about it having been the Cause that it was not done before Took a sharp Stone Or a sharp Knife made of a Flint for such they used which Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so the LXX and the Jews say that Knives were commonly used in this work And cut the foreskin of her Son But how come Moses to neglect this Duty Most say his Wife was unwilling to it not because she abhorred this Rite as cruel and unnatural for she was of a Race which came from Abraham who first received this Command of Circumcising all his Children and she understood it appears how to do it readily without indangering the Child which had scarce been possible if she had been a Stranger to it but because the Midianites perhaps did not Circumcise so soon as the Israelites but imitated their Neighbours the Ishmaelites who deferred it till their Children were Thirteen years old at which Age Ishmael was Circumcised XVII Gen. 25. or rather because they were about to take a Journey when she thought it might be omitted till they came to be setled among the Israelites And truly this seems to have been a good reason to defer Circumcision beyond the Eighth day motion being dangerous when the Child was sore But such a Man as Moses should have trusted God to take care of his Child and not have been afraid of the Consequence if he had performed his Duty And because he followed the tender Inclination of his Wife rather than a plain Precept XVII Gen. 12 13 c. he fell into this great danger Many other accounts are given of this for the truth is the whole matter is very obscure but I see none more probable than what I have mentioned And cast it at his feet It is uncertain at whose seet she cast it whether at he Husband 's or the Child's or the Angel's The first seems most probable if the next words be spoken to
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
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
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
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
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
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
his contemptuous disregard of it was very provoking So that God would forbear no longer than till the next Morning before he scourged him with this new Judgment Which was very grievous and noisom as appears by the following words especially by his willingness to grant more than he had done before that he might be rid of it Ver. 24. And the LORD did so Here is no mention of Aaron's stretching out his Rod as at other times but this was done immediately by God himself That the Egpytians might not imagine there was any secret Vertue in the Rod but ascribe all to the Divine Power This Plague was threatned about the XXVIIIth day of the sixth Month and inflicted on the XXIXth and removed on the XXXth And there came a grievous swarm of Flies c. Or a vast number of Flies for so the word Caved which we here translate grievous or heavy is used in L Gen. 9. See there And the Land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of Flies We are to understand here by the Land the Inhabitants of the Land whose Blood these Flies suckt and left such a poison in it that their Bodies swell'd and many of them died So the Psalmist understood it LXXVIII 45. There is something like this recorded in Heathen Stories particularly they say that when Trajan made War upon the Agarens he was so assaulted with Flies when he sat down to eat that he lookt upon them as sent by God and desisted from his Enterprise And that whole Countries have been infested with them appears from a number of Gods that were worshipped because they were supposed to have drove them away at Acaron and several other places mentioned by the Learned Aretius in the place above quoted from whence came the Names of Jupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of Hercules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ver. 25. And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron c. Sent a Messenger to call them to him Go ye Sacrifice to your God in the Land He had consented to let them Sacrifice when he last sent for them v. 8. But he named no place and also quickly repented of the Concession But now he determines it to the Land of Goshen where he grants them Licence to offer Publick Sacrifice But this Moses tells him in the next Verse was not fit for them to accept nor was it what God demanded Ver. 26. And Moses said it is not meet so to do Besides that this is not the thing that God requires it is not prudent because it is not safe for us to do it For we shall Sacrifice the Abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God There is no Indication that I can find of any such Sottish Idolatry now among the Egyptians as was it is certain in after Ages but what seems to be suggested in this place which Learned Men have generally interpreted as if the Sense was this We must Sacrifice to our God Oxen Sheep and Goats which the Egyptians Worship and Adore and that would be such an abominable thing in their Account to kill their Gods that it would give them the highest Provocation Thus both the Chaldee Interpreters the Syriack St. Hierom and others which Bochartus himself approves of in his Hierozoic P. 1. L. II. Cap. XXXIV LIII and more largely P. 2. L. IV. Cap. XVII But there is an Objection lies against this Interpretation that long after Moses his time the Egyptians themselves did offer all the fore-mentioned Creatures to their Gods For Herodotus relates in his Euterpe Cap. XLI after what manner they Sacrificed an Ox in his time and though some parts of the Country abstained from Sheep yet they sacrificed Goats as on the contrary others abstained from Goats and sacrificed Sheep See upon XLIII Gen. 23. Therefore it may be a Question Whether these words do not refer only to the Rites and Ceremonies of Sacrificing and to the qualities and condition of the Beasts which were offered about which the Egyptians in after Ages were very curious For the same Herodotus tells us in the same Book Cap. XXXVIII how the Sacrifices were examined by the Priest and none allowed to be offered but those which had his mark upon them And so Plutarch in his Book de Isid Osir that the Egyptians thinking Typho to have been red sacrificed only such Oxen as were of a red colour making such an accurate Scrutiny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that if a Beast were found to have one hair Black or white it was judged unsit for Sacrifice The forenamed Herodotus indeed saith they would not Sacrifice Cows because they were sacred to Isis which shows that in his time there was great Superstition about such Creatures so that none durst offer the least Violence to them But as we have no Evidence that in the days of Moses they were infected with such Opinions so their Sacrificing such Creatures as the Jews did long after his days and all Mankind had done from the beginning seems to be a prejudice against that sense of the words which is generally put upon them But there were so many various ways of Sacrificing in the World that it is very probable the Egyptians differed very much from the Israelites who might offer also it's likely such Creatures as the Egyptians thought unclean whereby they might be inraged at their Profaneness Maimonides fancies the Egyptians worshipped the Sign or Constellation called Aries and that this was the occasion of this Speech for which I can see no reason More Nevochim P. III. Cap. XLVI And will they not stone us We cannot gather from hence that there was such a Punishment among the Egyptians as stoning Men to death For he doth not speak here of Punishment by their Laws but of what might happen from a Popular Fury Ver. 27. We will go three days journey into the Wilderness c. So God had directed them and it was not lawful for them to Sacrifice in any place but where he appointed Philo gives this reason why they were to go into a Solitary place there to receive Commands from God about Sacrifice and all other parts of his Worship because God intended to give them a Law different from those of other Nations or rather quite opposite unto them In which there were so many singular Rites that they would have offended other People and seemed to them Prophane if they had exercised them among them De Vita Mosis p. 615. And thus Corn. Tacitus understood the design of Moses not to bring the Israelites to as near a Conformity as he could with the Gentiles which some now in these days fancy but to keep them at the greatest distance from other Nations by opposite Rites of Worship His words are remarkable L. V. Histor Cap. IV. Moses quo sibi in posterum Gentem sirmaret novos ritus contrariosque caeteris mortalibus indidit Profana illis omnia quae apud nos sacra rursum concessa
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
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
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
formerly promised to direct III. 21 22. And let every Man borrow of his Neighbour c. See III. 21 22. Unto which this may be added that some of the ancient Fathers lookt upon this as a piece of Justice that they should be paid their Wages for the Labour they had undergone in the Service of the Egyptians which God orders in this manner So Epiphanius in his Ancoratus Num. CXII CXIII where he gives this account of the Israelites spoiling the Egyptians that they had served them a long time for Nothing he makes account CCXV years and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. was it not just both before God and Man that their Wages should be paid them before they left the Country See Petavius on that place And Haeres LXVI LXXI LXXXIII and Irinaeus L. IV. c. 49. Tertull. adv Marcion L. II. c. 20. And so the Author of the Book of Wisdom took it X. 17. where he saith the Lord gave the Israelites the Goods of the Egyptians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Reward of their Labours See more XII 35. Ver. 3. And the LORD gave the People favour in the sight of the Egyptians According to his Promise III. 21. Moreover the man Moses was very great c. This seems to be given as a reason both why the Court durst not meddle with Moses though he had brought so many Plagues upon them and why the People were forward to grant the Israelites what they desired because they all highly esteemed him and had him in great reverence as a Person that had extraordinary power with God From whence some think it credible that their Posterity might give him Divine Honours as is reported by some ancient Writers Ver. 4. And Moses said Thus saith the LORD It is manifest from v. 8. that these words were spoken from the LORD to Pharaoh but it is a great question when they were spoken It is commonly thought that Moses said this when he last parted with Pharaoh and told him he would see his face no more X. 29. And then the first words of this Chapter must be translated in the time past the LORD had said unto Moses that he would bring one Plague more upon the Egyptians which he now denounced to Pharaoh because he said he should not have the liberty of being admitted to him again Or else Pharaoh contrary to his peremptory Resolution sent once more to speak with Moses as it is plain he did after the First-born were slain XII 31. About midnight About the midst of the following Night For they having kept the Passover in the Evening of this fourteenth day of Abib the First-born were slain in the middle of that Night Not precisely the Hebrew indicates but it might be a little before or after Midnight See Theodorick Haespan of such kind of Speeches Disput de locut Sacris N. IV. Will I go out By an Angel who was sent from the SCHECHINAH which resided in some part of the Land of Goshen and ordered to go and do this Execution Into the midst of Egypt Perhaps he means the Royal City where he began this Execution and then smote the whole Country round about Ver. 5. And all the First-born in the Land of Egypt shall die This was the sorest Plague that had been hitherto inflicted Nothing being so dear to Parents as their Children especially their First-born From the First-born of Pharaoh c. i. e. From the highest to the meanest Person in the Kingdom That sitteth upon his Throne It is uncertain whether this relate to Pharaoh or to his First-born The LXX seem to incline to the former having left out the Pronoun his and simply translated it that sitteth upon the Throne But the Chaldee determines it to the latter by translating it who is to sit upon the Throne of his Kingdom i. e. to be Pharaoh's Successor the Heir of the Kingdom of Egypt The Maid-servant that is behind the Mill. None were more miserable than those Slaves whose Work it was to turn a Mill with their Hands and grind Corn perpetually especially when they were condemned to this in a Prison nay in a Dungeon that so we are to understand this appears from XII 29. The ancient Comaedians often mention this and we find an instance of such Drudgery in the Story of Sampson XVI Judg. 21. Ver. 6. And there shall be a great Cry throughout the Land of Egypt c. The Calamity being general in every House it made a general and very loud Lamentation Men Women Children and Servants bewailing the loss of the prime Person in the Family Ver. 7. But against any of the Children of Israel shall not a Dog move his tongue c. A great wonder that when so many Thousand People were upon their March with abundance of Cattle c. not a Dog should stir who though never so gentle yet commonly Bark when they hear the least noise especially in the Night All Travellers know this That ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel This was indeed a plain Testimony of God's special Care and Providence over the Israelites that when there was such a great Cry throughout all the Land of Egypt v. 6. all was quiet still and silent among them Ver. 8. And all these thy Servants shall come down to me c. You that now forbid me to come to you for Pharaoh himself is included it appears from XII 31 c. shall be forced to come to me and submissively intreat nay press me to be gone c. Come down It was a descent from that part of Egypt where the Court was unto Goshen though it may simply signifie come to me Get thee out and all the People that follow thee In the Hebrew the words are that is at thy feet that is to the very last man For they that bring up the Rear as we speak or march last after their Commander are said in Scripture to be at their feet As Wagenseil hath observed in his Confutation of R. Lipman's Carmen Memoriale See XLIX Gen. 10. And after that I will go out When you shall think I oblige you to leave your Country And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger It moved the meekest Man on Earth to a just Indignation which it 's likely he expressed in his Countenance and Behaviour to see Pharaoh remain so stupidly insensible as not to regard this Threatning which he might well think would be as certainly Executed as all the rest had been Ver. 9. And the LORD said unto Moses Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you That is I told thee at the first how it would be and the reason of it III. 19 20. Of which it was very proper to put Moses in mind at this time when he was going to fulfil the last part of those words after that after this last Plague he will let you go That my Wonders may be multiplied in the Land of Egypt That
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
do because Asses being so plentiful in that Country they might not be worth so much as a Lamb. It is no improbable Conjecture of Mr. Selden that from this Law of redeeming Asses the Gentiles took up a fancy which was common among them that the Jews worshipped an Asses Head See L. II. de Jure Nat. Gent. c. 1. Which was one of their Calumnies also of Christians whom they took to be the same with the Jews as we read in Minutius Faelix Tertullian and others All the First-born of Man among thy Children shalt thou redeem See v. 11. Humane Sacrifices were not acceptable to God For though he once commanded Abraham to offer his Son yet it was not actually done and here he declares he did not approve of such Sacrifices by commanding them not to offer their First-born to him as they did the Firstlings of clean Beasts but to redeem them For the way of the Gentile World even in those days was to offer their Children to Moloch as appears from XX Lev. 2. where he orders him to be put to death who gives any of his Seed to Moloch The very same Phrase which is used as I observed v. 12. concerning Sacrificing the Firstlings of their Oxen c. And in the XVIII Lev. 21. he uses both Phrases saying Thou shalt not give any of thy Seed to pass through to Moloch or to pass over to Moloch The very same word which we here translate v. 13. set apart And it was but necessary to give such Precepts for notwithstanding these Prohibitions the Israelites fell into this barbarous way of Worship as we read CVI Psalm 37 38. Now this Redemption of their First-born was not long after ordered by God himself who took the Levites instead of them as we read Numb III. where a certain Sum of Money was paid for all the rest of the First-born that were above the number of the Levites Which Sum they who were born after that time paid to the Priest Nor was this a thing unknown to the Gentiles For Paulus Venetus saith L. I. c. 45. that the Inhabitants of that Region in India called Tanguth redeemed their Sons with a Ram which they offered after the manner of the Hebrews which makes it probable that this Law of Moses had reached them there being several Remainders of the Hebrew Language upon those Coasts as Huetius observes in his Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. c. 6. Ver. 14. When thy Son asketh thee in time to come What is this Desires to know the meaning of this or whence this Custom of Offering or Redeeming the First-born Males is derived That thou shalt say unto him Great care was taken for the Instruction of Children in the Rites of their Religion it appears by this and by v. 8. where they are commanded to teach them the reason of eating unleavened Bread as here of their Consecrating the First-born That by strength of hand c. See III. 19. Ver. 15. And it came to pass when Pharaoh would hardly let us go Obstinately persisted in his Resolutions to keep us in slavery or hardned his heart as it may be translated by adding the word libbo against all the Monitions had been given him and the Plagues inflicted on him That the LORD slew all the First-born in the Land of Egypt c. Which struck such a terrour into him that immediately he dismissed us XII 30 31 c. Therefore I sacrifice unto the LORD all that openeth the Womb c. Because when he slew all their First-born he spared ours XII 13 23 27. Ver. 16. And it shall be for a token upon thine hand By this means there was a perpetual remembrance preserved of God's gracious Deliverance of them when the First-born of Egypt were slain For nothing else can be meant by these words but that they should indeavour by Consecrating their First-born to keep that Divine Benefit in mind as carefully as if they had put a Sign upon their Hand or bound it upon their Forehead before their Eyes to help their Memory For it is a plain allusion to those who having frail Memories are wont to tie a Thrid or some such thing upon their Finger that they may not forget what they desire to remember That which is upon their Hand being continually in view and so not easily forgotten And for frontlets between thine eyes Whatsoever be the Original of the Hebrew word Totaphot which we translate Frontlets it is certain it signifies no more than Zicaron in the ninth Verse a Memorial or Monument as the Vulgar translates it And so Aben Ezna expounds it kenu Zicaron as it were a Memorial and that immoveable as the LXX take it Yet from hence the Talmudists have extracted their Phylacteries or pieces of Parchment wherein this and other Texts were written which they fancied were a kind of Amulets to defend them from dangers For so they are said to be in the Gemara Schabath and therefore used in their Prayers to drive away Evil Spirits as J. Braunius and many others have observed I shall only note further that this word is found but three times in the Law and yet the Vulgar translates it three several ways which shows how little the Original of it is understood though the Sense of it is plain and certain See Petitus his Var. Lectiones c. 20. For by strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt This hath been often mentioned in this very Chapter v. 3 9 14. and now here repeated again to make them very sensible both that they owed their Deliverance intirely to God and that nothing was too hard for him to accomplish Ver. 17. God led them not through the way of the Land of the Philistines c. That was the nearest way from Egypt to Canaan by the Mediterranean to the River of Egypt as the Scripture calls it and so to Azotus and Gaza which was a Journey of not above three days as Philo says others say of ten But certainly it was no great way for the Sons of Jacob went it often to and fro XLII XLIII c. Gen. Lest peradventure the People repent when they see war c. The Philistines being a very warlike People would in all likelyhood have opposed their Passage and God knew the temper of the Israelites to be so timorous that they would run away and rather return to Egypt than sight their way to Canaan For all People grow cowardly by being kept long in slavery which breaks their Spirits and sinks them as low as their Condition They fought indeed about forty days after this with Amalek but it was only one Battle and then they were provided with Arms which they had not now from the Egyptians whom they found dead on the Sea-shore But their base temper appeared too plainly the next year when they heard the Report of the Spies concerning the Inhabitants of Canaan which put the whole Congregation into a fit of Despair and made them think of
where because God is said to have divided the Red-sea into parts they sancy there were twelve Divisions every one defended with a Wall of Water But there is no foundation for this in these words nor in LXXVII Psal 19. where paths being in the Plural Number they thence also deduce the same Conceit of a several path to every Tribe See Simeon de Muis on that place Ver. 22. And the Israelites went in to the midst of the Sea About the second Watch of the Night which was at Midnight and about break of Day they were got quite through Vpon the dry ground This was not lookt upon by the ancient Heathen as incredible For Homer makes Neptune driving his Chariot upon the Waves and the Sea withdrawing its Waters And the Waters of Scamander being swell'd to destroy Achilles he makes to be dried up by Vulcan As Nonnus also makes Bacchus drying up Hydaspes and smiting Orontes with his Thyrsus to have gone over it See the Learned Huetius in his Quaestiones Alnetanae p. 206 c. And the Waters were a Wall unto them on the right hand and on the left The strong East-wind contributed no doubt to the cutting of the Waters in two though not without the help of Angelical Powers But I do not see how it could do any thing to the compacting of the Waters to such a degree that they were no longer fluid but firm as a Wall or Bank on each side of them See XV. 8. which was effected wholly by the Angelical Ministry who upheld the Waters in that solid posture till the Israelites were got quite out of the Sea It hath been an old Question Whether they went quite cross the Red-sea or only fetcht a compass and came out upon the same Shore from which they went in The Hebrew Doctors are of opinion that they did not go over to the opposite Shore but making a kind of Semi-circle found themselves when they came out in the same Country where they were before Their reasons are because they could not in so small a time have marcht so far for in the narrowest place that Gulf is XII or XV. German Miles over so that they could not all have passed through in less than three or four days as David Chytraeus makes the computation But especially because Moses expresly makes their next Station to be in the Wilderness of Etham XXXIII Numb 8. in which place they were the day before they came to the Sea XIII Exod. 20. Therefore they were still in the same Wilderness Ver. 23. And the Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the Sea c. Imagining perhaps they were still upon the Land or on the Shore where the Sea was retired the darkness of the Night not suffering them to see the Mountains of Water on each side or rather their Minds being so intent to overtake the Israelites that they regarded nothing else For when Men are ingaged in a fierce chase of any thing with eager desires and confident hopes of it it takes up all their thoughts and makes them overlook what lies before their eyes Thus by their own violent Passions and proud Imaginations God blinded their Minds and hardned their hearts as he said he would v. 17. to rush into their own destruction Ver. 24. And it came to pass that in the morning watch The Romans and the Hebrews also divided the Night into four parts containing three hours apiece At the beginning of which the Guard of Soldiers who kept watch by Night was changed and thence they were called Watches Two of them we find mentioned by St. Luke XII 38. and St. Mark mentions them all XIII 35. and particularly the fourth Watch VI Mark 48. called here the Morning Watch which was the last of them between Day-break and the Morning The LORD looked unto the Host of the Egyptians He frowned upon them as we speak now in our Language For in Scripture God is said sometimes to look upon those whom he is about to punish CIV Psalm 32. IX Amos 4. III Habakkuk 6. Through the pillar of fire and the Cloud By this it is manifest there was but one Pillar which had different Appearances and that the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty was in it It seems to me also very probable that whereas the cloudy part of the Pillar had been towards the Egyptians hitherto now it turned the other side toward them and the siery part appearing let them see the danger wherein they were and by its amazing brightness perfectly confounded them So Philo seems to have understood it when he saith L. III. de Vita Mosis that from the Cloud that was in the Rear of the Israelites there shone a fiery Appearance of the Deity Which may well be the meaning of the LORD 's looking through the Pillar of Fire And troubled the Host of the Egyptians This glorious Light I suppose flashing in their Faces put them into a Consternation But Josephus adds in the conclusion of his Second Book of Antiquities that there was a dreadful Storm or Tempest with Thunder Lightning and Hailstones from the Cloud which put them into the greatest disorder as it follows in the next Verse Hither Dr. Hammond refers those words of the Psalmist LXXVII 17 18. The Clouds poured out Water the Skies sent out a sound thine Arrows also went abroad The Voice of thy Thunder was in the Heaven the Lightnings lightned the World the Earth trembled and shook c. Ver. 25. And took off their Chariot wheels Some of their Wheels were broken by the Hail-stones or burnt with Lightning with which its likely their Horses were so affrighted that they fell into disorder and one Chariot running against another some of their Wheels were taken off That they drave heavily They could scarce move or but very slowly when their Wheels were broken or taken off And those Wheels that remained sunk deep into the Sand when the Waters returned upon it So that the Egyptians said c. They cried one to another Let us give over the pursuit For the LORD fighteth for them c. Now Moses his words were made good v. 14. and the Egyptians themselves acknowledged it v. 18. Ver. 26. And the LORD said unto Moses He spake to him out of the Cloud where the SCHECHINAH was as I have often said Stretch out thy hand over the Sea that the Waters may return again upon the Egyptians c. God was pleased to use the Ministry of Moses in the drowning of the Egyptians as he had done in the Preservation of the Israelites in the Sea v. 16 21. that all the People might honour and reverence him and be obedient to his direction Ver. 27. And the Sea returned to its strength The sense is truly expressed by the Vulgar the Sea returned to its former place The great Walls or heaps of Water which were on either side of them falling down and rushing upon them with a mighty force overwhelmed them and filled
the whole Channel as before When the Morning appeared When it was light And the Egyptians fled against it They were so frighted by the Light which shone in their Faces and by the Thunder and Hail c. that they turned back and like Men distracted run and met the Waters which came tumbling down upon them And the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the Sea The Hebrew word imports throwing down with violence and precipitation and may be translated threw them headlong Artapanus in Eusebius L. IX Praepar Evang. c. 27. tell this Story from the Heliopolitans after the same manner that Moses doth only he makes some of them to have been killed with Lightning and the rest drowned Ver. 28. And the Waters returned and covered the Chariots c. The Sea returned to its former depth so that they were swallowed up And all the Host of Pharaoh that came into the Sea after them Some have fancied that all the Host of Pharaoh did not perish but only so many of them as pursued the Israelites into the Sea which they fancy this place intimates some did not But the plain meaning is that they all came into the Sea after the Israelites and were all drowned in it It is a wilder fancy that Pharaoh alone was saved by the Angels Michael and Gabriel because he cried out as he had done heretofore IX 27. The LORD is righteous and I and my People are wicked Thus the Author of Dibre Hajamim or The Life and Death of Moses who says they transported him to Nineveh where he reigned as long as the Israelites wandred in the Wilderness The same is related by other such fabulous Writers who are soberly confuted by Aben Ezra from the following words There remained not so much as one of them and from XV. 4 19. where Moses in his Song plainly makes Pharaoh to have perished among the rest And with him an old Midrash saith that Jannes and Jambres were drown'd who had been the great Instruments of hardning Pharaoh's heart See our Learned J. Gregory Observ c. 15. Ver. 29. But the Children of Israel walked on dry Land c. Or Had walked for it seems to be a meer fancy that they were still in the Sea and had not passed quite through it when Pharaoh and his Host were drowned For which there is no ground but this word walked which may as well be translated in the time perfectly past as in the present And so I doubt not Moses meant that the Israelites were safe on Shore when the Sea returned upon the Egyptians And the Waters were a Wall unto them c. See v. 22. Ver. 30. Thus the LORD saved Israel As he had promised v. 13. That day Which was the XXI st of Nisan and the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread which by God's command was to be kept holy XII 16. And now there was a very great reason for it and for that triumphant Hymn which they sung upon this Solemnity Chap. XV. Mr. Mede will have this Day to have been that which they afterward kept for their Sabbath in memory of their Redemption out of the Land of Egypt and the House of Bondage This he gathers from the Repetition of the Decalogue in the Fifth of Deuteronomy where leaving out the reason for this Commandment from the Creation of the World Moses inserts this other of their Redemption out of Egypt as the ground of observing that Seventh day rather than any other v. 15. Therefore the LORD commanded thee to keep the Sabbath namely not for the quotum of one day in seven of that there was another reason from the Example of God in the Creation but for the designation of that day after the preceding six days rather than any other Discourse XV. p. 74. And Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the Sea-shore It may be interpreted that as they stood upon the Sea-shore they saw their dead Bodies floating upon the Waters But it is likely also that by the working of the Sea and by the Divine Providence many of their Bodies were cast on shore that the Israelites might have the benefit of the Spoil and especially of their Arms which they wanted and were now by this overthrow furnished withal This Shore was inhabited by the Icthyophagi among whom the memory of this Recess and Return of the Sea was preserved as I observed upon v. 21. and unto whom the dead Bodies were given for food as the Psalmist saith LXXIV 14. that is to the Beasts and Birds of Prey which peopled the neighbouring Wilderness This was done by the righteous Judgment of the LORD God of the Hebrews who made this proud Prince his States-men and Army a Prey not only to the Fishes and Sea-monsters but a visible booty as Dr. Jackson speaks to the promiscuous sorts of ravenous Creatures which inhabit the Deserts Ver. 31. And Israel saw that great work c. Of making a path for them to walk on dry Ground in the middle of the Sea and then drowning the Egyptians when they followed them in the same path And the People feared the LORD They beholding and considering the powerful hand of God which appeared in this great work it begat in them for the present high and awful Thoughts of him and devout Affections to him For the fear of the LORD includes all Religion Or if we take the word fear in a restrained sense for a dread of the Divine Majesty the meaning is they were sensible how dangerous as well as vain it is to oppose his Authority to set themselves against his Will or slight his Warnings as Pharaoh and the Egyptians did And believed the LORD and his Servant Moses Believed the Promises which God had made them by Moses of bringing them into the Land of Canaan III. 17. looking upon Moses as a Servant of his who faithfully declared the Mind and Will of God unto them CHAP. XV. Verse 1. THen sang Moses and the Children of Israel c. Upon the XXIth of Nisan as I said before which was the last day of Unleavened Bread when they came safe through the Sea and saw the Egyptians drown'd they sang this Song of Praise to God for their wonderful Deliverance So the constant Tradition of the Hebrews is and there is great ground for it This Song Called the Song of Moses the servant of the LORD XV Rev. 3. because he composed it by a Divine Inspiration to be sung by all the People And it is the most ancient Song of which there is any memory Vnto the LORD In praise of the Divine Power and Goodness which remarkably appeared in this Deliverance Josephus L. II. c. ult of his Antiquities saith that this Song is composed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Hexameter Verse which Eusebius represents as the Opinion of many others L. XI de Praepar Evang. c. 3. But I do not see how this can be made out nor what St. Hierom saith concerning such Songs in many
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
But all this is a meer fancy to excuse his Foresathers who should rather have prayed to God than murmured against Moses For we read expresly God did not take away the Pillar of the Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night from before the People XIII 22. That is it constantly guided them in the way wherein they should go whether they travelled by day or by night And in that very place which he builds his Opinion upon where it is said they journied according to the commandment of the LORD it is also expresly recorded that there was no water for the People to drink XVII 1. Ver. 25. And he cried unto the LORD He did what they should have done made his earnest Prayer to God to relieve them in this distress which he instantly vouchsafed to do And the LORD showed him a Tree We are not told what Tree this was whose Wood being thrown into the Waters took off their bitterness but to increase the Miracle the Jews will have this to have been a Tree of bitter taste which Jonathan calls Ardophne which naturally would have made the Waters bitter if they had been sweet Demetrius mentions this wonderful cure of the Waters in Eusebius his Praepar Evang. L. IX c. 29. Which when he had cast into the water By the order of the LORD who showed him the Tree For the Wonder did not consist as Huetius thinks in his Quaestiones Alnetanae in curing the Water by throwing the Wood into it for that may be done naturally as Pliny shows but that he found this Wood in the Wilderness by the direction of God As Elisha found by the same Divine direction that the throwing in of Meal would make Water sweet which the same Pliny saith is a natural Remedy There he made for them Propounded to them or appointed them A Statute and an Ordinance This seems to signisie that for their better Government God now gave them a few Rules to be observed for the present till he should more fully declare his Will to them from Mount Sinai And it is a most ancient constant Tradition of the Jews That now he commanded them to observe the Sabbath which they understand by Statute and to do Justice particularly honour their Parents which they understand by Ordinance or Judgment as the Hebrew word imports And they instance especially in keeping the Sabbath and honouring of Parents because those two Commandments are pressed upon them in Deuteronomy with this particular inforcement As the LORD commanded thee V Deut. 12 16. which they will have to relate unto this command at Marah See Mr. Selden L. III. de Jure Nat. Gent. c. 9. p. 314 333 c. And perhaps these two might be in the number but it is probable there were more Commands besides these which were now given them as the following Verse seems to intimate And there he proved them He began there to make a trial of their Obedience Whether they would observe these Laws or no. Ver. 26. And said if thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God c. This was the main thing he required of them as Jeremiah observes VII 22 23. Where he saith God spake nothing to them in the day when he brought them out of Egypt i. e. at this time concerning Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices but only commanded them saying Obey my voice And this Maimonides himself confesses in his More Nevoch P. III. c. 32. It appears from the Scripture and the Cabala also that the first Precept which God gave us after we came out of Egypt was not concerning Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices but it was that given us at Marah If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God where he gave us a Statute and a Judgment And it is a certain Tradition that the Statute was the Sabbath and the Judgment was the taking away all iniquity i. e. doing Justice I will put none of those Diseases upon thee which I have brought upon the Egyptians He incourages their Obedience by a gracious Promise to preserve them from those terrible Plagues which he inflicted upon the Egyptians for their Disobedience Which is an Indication withal that if the Israelites proved like them they should be punished in the same manner as he threatens afterwards XXVIII Deut. 59 c. I am the LORD that healeth thee There are two parts of a Physicians Office to cure Men when they are sick and to preserve them in health when they are well The latter is here chiefly intended which the Psalmist takes notice of when he saith CV 37. There was not one feeble Person among their Tribes Ver. 27. And they came to Elim They seem to have stayed but a day at Marah and on the XXVth of Nisan to have come to this place called Elim which signifies Rams from the good Pasture which was here for the feeding Sheep as Jacobus Capellus will have it But Bochartus thinks that El signifies in general a Field as El-Paran XIV Gen. 6. he interprets the Field or Plain of Paran and consequently Elim signifies a part of the Wilderness where there were large and spacious Plains Thus I find Ezekiel the Tragaedian mentioned by Eusebius understood it in his Exagoge where he brings in one talking with Moses and pointing him to this place where a great Light shone on a sudden as a Pillar of Fire to show it to them Which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shady Meadow and saith it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exceeding fertil Ground L. IX Praepar Evang c. 29. Where were twelve Wells of Water and threescore and ten Palm-trees Twelve Wells of Water according to the number of the XII Tribes and LXX Palm Trees according to the number of the Elders of Israel says the Hiorusalem Targum and Jonathan's Paraphrase Which Nachmanides so much believed that he saith each Tribe pitched their Tents about one of these Fountains and the LXX Elders sat down under the shadow of the Palm Trees giving thanks to God for the Benefits they now received upon dry Land as lately they had done in the Sea But there is no reason to think that the high Court consisting of so many Elders was now constituted as I have observed before of which see Mr. Selden L. I. de Synedr c. 15. p. 626 c. There is nothing in the Story neither to warrant what Ezekiel says in the place before-named that these Twelve Springs all gushed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of one Rock which was in this beautiful Plain No more than there is for what follows in him concerning a marvellous strange Bird such as no Man ever saw before as big again as an Eagle of various Colours and a most sweet Voice which appeared to them upon this occasion Which he seems to have had out of some Talmudical Fable Palm-Trees This Tree delights in watery Places and therefore no wonder so many were planted here by these Fountains
came up The only Person among the Jews that adventures thus to translate the Hebrew word Selau which is used here and XI Numb 31. and CV Psal 40. is Josephus All others either keep the Hebrew Name or make it another thing than Quails For Jonathan translates it Pheasants and Abarbinel makes them a kind of Sea-fowl and the Talmudists comprehend four sorts of Birds under this Name viz. that which feeds upon Figgs which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Thrushes and Pheasants and Quails See Bocharlus P. II. Hierozoic L. I. c. 14. But all this is without good ground for the account which Moses gives of Selau in the Book of Numbers agrees to none of these nor any thing that we have knowledge of but a kind of Locusts which Job Ludolphus therefore pitches upon and gives very solid Reasons for it as I shall show when I come to that place XI Numb 31. Came up From the Country over against the Desert from the Sea saith Aben-Ezra and Josephus from the Arabian Gulf. Not that they were a Sea-fowl but were in great quantity upon that Coast And covered the Camp It seems they fell in the very Streets as we speak so that they needed not do more than step out of Doors and take up as many as they pleased This lasted no longer than that Evening for the Manna which fell next Morning was to be their constant food And in the Morning the dew Besides the Morning dew there was an Evening VI Hos 4. V Cant. 2. and Moses in the XI Numb 9. mentions the dew that fell in the Night From whence I suppose came the Opinion among some of the Jews that there was a double dew in which the Manna was inclosed a dew below it which fell in the Night and a dew above it which after the Manna was faln came upon it and covered it in the Morning by which means being thus inclosed it was kept very clean Lay round about the Host. Not in the Camp but round about it on the face of the Wilderness v. 14. For the Camp was not so clean a place nor so apt to congeal the Manna that fell with the dew Ver. 14. And when the dew that lay was gone up This shows the dew fell first and then the Manna fell upon it as we read expresly XI Numb 9. whereby it was kept pure and free from the dust that was upon the ground Behold upon the face of the Wilderness When the dew was exhaled by the Sun the Manna appeared which covered the Wilderness round about them There lay a small round thing This word is no where else to be found in the Holy Scripture which hath made it differently rendred But our Translation is authorized by what is said v. 31. that it was like Coriander Seed which hath respect not to its colour or taste but to its form and sigure And so the LXX here understood it when they translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As small as the hoar-frost on the ground This seems to relate to the colour which was white but expresses also that it was very small like a drop of dew frozen on the ground Ver. 15. And when the Children of Israel saw it Which was as soon as they rose in the Morning and went out of the Doors of their Tents They said one to another it is Manna The Hebrew words Man-hu are thought by some to signifie as much as Mah-hu i. e. What is it So Philo Josephus and a great number of the Ancient and Modern Expositors Who take Man to be an Egyptian word signifying as much as the Hebrew word Mah. But it doth not seem likely that they joyned an Egyptian word to an Hebrew as hu is acknowledged to be Therefore it may be better expounded it is a Gift or a Portion For Manah signifies to appoint or order ones Diet I Dan. 10. and as kav comes from kavah by casting away the last Letter so may Man in like manner from Manah And the meaning is This is the Gift of God or This is it which God hath appointed us not knowing as it here follows determinately what to call it Suidas seems to have thought of this when he defines it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. See Drusius in his Quaest. Hebraicae L. I. c. 62. For they wist not what it was Had not a distinct conception what kind of Food it was not having yet tasted it nor knowing certainly as Abarbinel fancies whether this was the Bread that Moses bad them expect who there tells them in the next words that it was that Bread This is the Bread which the LORD hath given you to eat You rightly called it a Divine Gift as Abarbinel goes on for this indeed is the Bread which the LORD bestows upon you for your Sustenance according to his Promise which he made you by me v. 4. Ver. 16. This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded Here now Moses shows how the use of this Food was to be regulated Gather of it every Man according to his eating As much as will suffice for his and his Families Sustenance for one day An Omer for every Man That they might be sure to have enough he allows every Person among them to have an Omer which was something less than half a Peck of our Measure Here Abarbinel hath a pertinent observation That this being a Divine Food was not to be used as common things are which Men gather into heaps lay up in Barns traffick withal or lay up for their Children but it was to be spent as a Gift of God both to Poor and Rich. Some can get more of worldly Goods and some less by which means some give and others receive But here all received from the Bounty of Heaven and God ordered it so that they who were Poor should not want and they who were Rich should have nothing beyond their wants to lay up or to sell as they did other things For every one was to have only as much as he could eat and no Man could eat above an Omer Which doth not signifie that they gathered it by measure but as much as they thought would amount to that quantity with an intention that if they had more than they needed others should have it who had gathered less than they needed Take ye every Man for them which are in his Tents For the old and the young who could not go out to gather for themselves Ver. 17. And the Children of Israel did so c. Gathered what they thought would be sufficient for themselves and their Families according as they were larger or less in number And when they came home they dealt to every one the proportion which God ordered And gathered some more some less They were not all alike able it is like to gather nor alike diligent and so did not gather an equal quantity But the true reason I have given already viz. that some Families did
not require so much as others Ver. 18. And when they did mete it with an Omer When it was brought unto their Tents v. 16. then the Father of the Family or some of the Rulers of the Congregation v. 22. measured what they had gathered with an Omer and gave to every one his proportion according as God directed He that gathered much had nothing over Had no more than his Omer And he that gathered little had no lack He that had not gathered enough to make an Omer for every man had it made up to him out of other Mens gatherings who had more than enough Abarbinel will have it that they were so directed by a miraculous Providence as to gather just so much for their several Families that every Person 's share would come to an Omer and neither more nor less And so Greg. Nyssen calls this the Second Miracle which was in the Manna having observed one before v. 14. But others think that if any part of it remained after every one in the Family had an Omer it was Food for their Cattle which in the Wilderness wanted Grass sufficient for them And this seems the more probable because otherwise we must make a new Miracle that every Man Woman and Child should be able to eat an Omer which all grant was sufficient for the Sustenance of any Man whatsoever but was too much sure for a Child They gathered every Man according to his eating As they were directed v. 16. Ver. 19. And Moses said Let no Man leave of it till the morning It was therefore to be all spent one way or other the same day it fell Which was the Law of all the Holy Feasts particularly of the Passover XII 10. and of the Sacrifice of Peace-Offerings XXI Lev. 30. Besides God would have them depend upon his Providence and trust him for fresh Supplies every day as Aben-Ezra well notes And R. Levi ben Gersom He that kept it till the morning betrayed his want of Faith and feared God would send no more for if he believed to what purpose should he be at the pains to keep it Here was a new Wonder that as it fell every day for Forty years together both in Winter and in Summer and likewise fell in such quantity that every one had an Omer and none wanted this Measure so it would not keep till the next Morning which it might have done in its own Nature and did once in a Week and in the Ark was preserved to many Generations Ver. 20. Notwithstanding they hearkned not unto Moses but some of them left of it till the morning Either through unbelief or meer negligence or a wanton inclination to make an Experiment some among them disobeyed his Command And it bred Worms and stank This was a Wonder also that such an heavenly Food so pure and simple should not only breed Worms but also stink Which was a Punishment for their Disobedience though a merciful one in that God did not inflict it upon themselves but upon their Food The Jews commonly take these words to be transposed things being wont first to putrifie and then to breed Worms and in that order Moses relates this matter when it was laid up for the Sabbath v. 24. That it neither stank neither was any Worm therein But Abarbinel thinks that Moses here speaks of it according to the order wherein they found it which was that first Worms appeared in it to their Eyes and then they smelt the stink But in speaking of what fell out on the seventh day he follows the natural order and saith it did not stink neither was any Worm in it And Moses was wroth with them Chid them severely for their Disobedience to him who had bestowed such a singular benefit upon them Ver. 21. And they gathered it every morning every man according to his eating This is not needlesly repeated but a further Explication of their Care and Diligence to furnish themselves early in the Morning with as much as was necessary before the Sun grew hot and melted it or as some of the Jews add raised the Wind which blew dust upon it When the Sun waxed hot it melted That it might not be trod upon nor putrified Which seems to be spoken of that which remained in the open Field ungathered though Abarbinel will have it that what they had brought into their Tents melted also when the Sun grew hot which obliged them not only to gather it early but to bake and prepare it presently while it was yet hard and not dissolved But I see no ground for this nor is it likely that they were constrained to prepare it all together but might any time that day at Supper as well as Dinner order it according to their liking Others of the Jews fancy that being melted it made little Brooks and Rivolets in the Fields c. but the plain sence is that the Sun which melted it exhaled it also into the Air from whence it came and returned again the next Morning Ver. 22. On the sixth day they gathered twice as much Bread c. According to the Command of God v. 5. It appears by this place where it is called Bread as it is v. 4 12. that it was of a hard Substance when it fell though it dissolved by the heat of the Sun being like the Corn of which Bread is made And the Rulers of the Congregation came and told Moses He had bidden them gather a double quantity on the sixth day but had not told them the reason of it v. 5. and therefore they come now to enquire what they should do with it By this one would think they were the Rulers who saw a distribution made to every one in a just proportion or that they appointed Overseers to take care of it Ver. 23. And he said unto them this is that which the LORD hath said This is the Command which I have received from God about this matter To morrow is the rest Or shall be the rest Of the holy Sabbath unto the LORD To be kept holy so as to do no work therein And therefore you must not so much as go into the field to gather your Food which is the reason why you are ordered to make two days Provision in one The words in the Hebrew which we translate the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the LORD may be rendred as they lye in order the Sabbath the holy Sabbath unto the LORD Which Abarbinel explains as if the word Sabbath being repeated signified that it was to be a Cessation from all manner of Work because it was the Sabbath of the LORD himself wherein he ceased from his Works At this time and not before the rest of the seventh day seems to have been appointed They performed Religious Offices upon one day in seven but did not cease from all Labour until now These very words seem to show there had been some observation of a Sabbath heretofore and was not wholly a new
further need of Manna Ver. 36. An Omer is the tenth part of an Ephah From hence also some would fain conclude that Moses did not write this because say they it is not usual when Measures are in common use to tell in other words how much they contained which then only is proper when they are grown out of use But such Observations seem to proceed from an humour of Cavilling For why may not an Author set down distinctly things very well known in his time that Posterity also may have as distinct a knowledge of them Besides the very same Men complain on other occasions that the Writers of History have omitted to give us an account of several things which in their time were most notorious whereby Posterity suffers much for want of such Information Nor do I see any proof that these Measures were not as common in after times as they were when Moses lived Several Learned Men have taken a great deal of pains to reduce these Measures to those of the Greeks and Romans particularly Salmasius in his Epistles N. LXVII and Herman Conringius in a Treatise on this Subject de Mensuris Hebraicis But none have done it so clearly and exactly as a very Learned Person of our own Country Bishop Cumberland in his Scripture Weights and Measures Cap. 3. who computes an Ephah to have contained seven Wine-Gallons a Pottle and half a Pint So that an Omer was near three Quarts which if any one imagine too great a proportion to be allowed to one Person every day he propounds these things to be considered That Manna being of a globular figure like Coriander-seed must needs have many empty spaces between every three or four Grains and those vacuities may reasonably be estimated a third part of the Vessels capacity And it being a light Aerial Food must needs be inwardly porous and of a spungy contexture of parts So that it wasted something in dressing by Fire as it melted by the Sun when it grew hot And consequently three Quarts might it is probable be reduced to three Pints of an Oily liquid Substance Which was not too much in an hungry Desert where they might well be thought to have refreshed themselves thrice a day See also what I have noted before v. 18. CHAP. XVII Verse 1. AND all the Congregation of the Children of Israel journied from the Wilderness of Sin Where they had been for some time XVI 1. and now pitched in Rephidim That is they rested here after some other station in their passage hither for Moses mentions two between the Wilderness of Sin and Rephidim XXXIII Numb 12 13 14. And that is the reason of the words here following After their Journeys They proceeded in their Journey to Dophekah and then to Alush and so to Rephidim where they stayed some time According to the Commandment of the LORD By the direction of the glorious Cloud which went before them and fixed their station for them where it rested And pitched in Rephidim This place was in the Wilderness of Sin also but called by a particular Name as the place from whence they came was called by the Name of the whole So St. Hierom. All the Wilderness as far as to Mount Sinai was called Sin which was the Name also of one of their Stations as Moab was both the Name of a Province and of a City and there were four others in this Wilderness those by the Red Sea Dophekah Alush and Rephidim And there was no Water for the People to drink This gave occasion to another remarkable Mercy of God to them whereas nothing considerable fell out at the two former Stations which is the reason they are here omitted So Abarbinel judiciously observes Moses would not set down in this History any of their Stations but those in which some new and notable thing happened the rest in which no such thing was done he describes in the Book of Numbers XXXIII Ver. 2. Wherefore the People did chide with Moses Expostulate with him in such an undutiful manner that it may be translated scolded with him Saying Give us Water c. The word for give is in the Plural Number and therefore this was spoken both to Moses and to Aaron though Moses be only mention'd as the Person they contended with For there was no need as Aben-Fzra and others observe to mention Aaron because Moses was not wont to speak to the People but by him Abarbinel carries it further and will have this Speech directed to Moses and to God because they came hither by God's Commandment which made them insolently say if by God's Providence we were brought to this place let him take care we be not killed with thirst And Moses said why chide you with me Who brought you hither by God's Order Wherefore do you tempt the LORD And why do you distrust his Power and Goodness and Faithfulness to his Promise Ver. 3. And the People thirsted there for Water This looks like a needless Repetition it being said before there was no Water in this place v. 1. which made the People chide with Moses for bringing them into such an inconvenient Station But if we consider it well we shall find it a necessary Explication of the grouth and progress of their Discontent For as Abarbinel hath well observed as soon as they came to Rephidim they saw it was no commodious place because it would not supply them with Water which made them begin to quarrel with Moses before they needed meerly out of fear that when the Water they had brought from Elim was spent there would be none for them And now when after a day or two it was all gone they were really very thirsty and so fell into the murmuring here spoken of from a sense of their Misery as before only out of a fear of it And the people murmured against Moses They proceeded from a lower to a higher degree of Discontent which made them at first only expostulate and argue with him but now they murmur against him and at length fell into such a rage that they seemed to be ready to stone him v. 4. It is necessary to stop such Motions in their beginning Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us out of Egypt This shows the necessity of preserving the Remembrance of God and of his Benefits in our Minds Which if this People had done they could not have faln a third time into such a discontented sit as made them speak reproachfully of their Deliverer and slight the wonderful Deliverance it self which God had lately given them out of cruel Servitude The Character which Plato in his Axiochus gives of the Vulgar sort of People belongs to the Israelites above all other viz. that this sort is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom. III. p. 369. To kill us and our Children and our Cattle with thirst Children as Abarbinel observes can less indure thirst than grown Men and Cattle need abundance of Water which is the reason they
mention them Ver. 4. And Moses cried unto the LORD Which he did not upon their first complaint v. 2. because their necessity was not so urgent but now seeing their Distress and the heigth of their Discontent he prays God to take care of them hoping he would supply them with drink as lately he had done with Bread What shall I do unto this People He said enough no doubt to quiet them by remembring them what God had already done for them and what reason they had still to trust in his good Providence But this would not satisfie them unless their thirst was presently quenched which he could not do for them and therefore knew not how to appease them They be almost ready to stone me He represents to God not only their importunity but his own great danger For having promised to bring them to Canaan he was afraid as Abarbinel fancies that if they continued to think they should die with thirst they would take him for a false Prophet who had deceived them with Lies and consequently inflict the Punishment upon him which the Law enacts against a false Prophet which was stoning But the Law being not yet given this could not be in their thoughts Ver. 5. And the LORD said unto Moses Go on before the People Be not afraid of their stoning saith the same Aharbinel but though they murmur and are in a great passion and impatient go on before them confidently through the midst of their Camps and thou shalt see they shall not touch the hem of thy Garment And take with thee of the Elders of Israel Not valiant young Men to thy Life-guard but grave Persons to be Witnesses that thou dost really bring Water out of a Rock and the People may not say there was a Spring there before Concerning the Elders of Israel See III. 16. And thy Rod wherewith thou smotest the River take in thy hand Not a Sword or a Lance saith the same Writer but that Wand wherewith thou smotest the River of Egypt and turnedst it into Blood or didst divide the Red Sea as some understand it an Arm of the Sea being by good Authors called a River And go As I bid thee When he is commanded to march before the People it is supposed they were to follow but they could not all move so soon as he and the Elders who went before to the very place Which the whole Body of the People could not do the passage to the Rock it is likely being narrow so that they could not all see him smite the Rock and behold the Water gush out but expected till it flowed from thence unto their Camp Ver. 6. Behold I will stand before thee there upon the Rock That is the Glory of the LORD which in the Cloud appeared in this place as Abarbinel truly expounds it to strengthen his Faith and to perswade the Elders that this Water was Divinely given them even as the Manna was For before that fell from above the Glory of the LORD appeared XVI 10. as it did now before this Water flowed to them from the Rock So that they were fed continually by the Divine Providence from whence they received both their Meat and their Drink There is an Emphatical He as they call it before the word for Rock and therefore it should be translated upon that Rock Where Abarbinel fancies the LORD was wont to appear to Moses but this being a rocky place it may only denote that particular part of the Rock to which God directed him to go and was the same that Author probably thinks with that mentioned XXXIII 22. In Horeb. This was not a distinct Mountain from Sinai but only a different part of the same Mountain which was long and had many risings of which this was one And thou shalt smite the Rock With the Rod wherewith he smote the River VII 17 20. And there shall come water out of it that the People may drink According to their Petition v. 2. And Moses did so i. e. Smote the Rock and brought Water out of it in such plenty that the Psalmist saith it ran down like Rivers LXXVIII 15 16. to supply the want of the whole Camp unto which it flowed as far as Rephidim so that they needed not to go to Horeb for it Which is the difference as Abarbinel thinks between this Miracle and that mentioned XX Numb where the Waters were but like a Well to which they must go and did not come to them much less follow them in their Journeys as this did For this was a continued Fountain of Water which flowed out of the Rock CXIV Psal 8. and made this part of Arabia habitable in future Ages which no Man dwelt in before Moses doth not add and the People drank and their Cattle because as Aben-Ezra observes he studied brevity and this was easily understood In the sight of the Elders of Israel That they might be able to testifie to the People the truth of this Miracle whereby they were relieved in their Distress and preserved in their Travels through the Wilderness The fame of which no doubt reached other Nations the memory of it being remaining in several of their Fables For there is a manifest allusion to it in Euripides his Bacchae v. 703. where he makes one of them smiting the Rock at Cithaeron and Waters gushing out of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This I find observed by Bochartus in his Canaan L. I. c. 16. and Huetius hath observed many more such Instances out of Nonnus Pausanias and divers other Authors in his Alnetanae Quaestiones L. II. c. 12. n. 18. And he thinks it very probable that the Fable of Janus was forged from hence for which he alledges many Arguments in his Demonstratio Evang. and this among the rest that Albricus describes his Image holding a Rod in his left hand with which he smites a Stone and out of it Water flows Ver. 7. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah c. That place which before was called Rephidim was after this called Massah and Meribah with respect to their chiding there with Moses which is the import of Meribah and their tempting God which is the signification of Massah Some think this one place was not called by two Names but that upon the second striking of the Rock almost forty years after this it was called Meribah and till then only Massah But in that Story it is not said the place was called Meribah but the water XX Numb 13. Is the LORD among us or not Doth he take care of us or not regard what becomes of us For God is said to be among or as the Phrase in the Hebrew in the midst of those whom he protects and provides for by a special Providence as we find VII Deut. 21. XXIII 14. III Josh 20. and many other places Ver. 8. Then came Amalek and fought c. The ground of their Enmity is commonly thought to
Example to others so are Families and Nations And Amalek being the very first that drew a Sword against Israel unprovoked God passed this heavy Doom upon them whereas Ammon and Moab saith he who out of meer Covetousness committed what they did against Israel and wrought Mischief to them by Craft and Subtilty had only this Punishment inflicted upon them that Israel should not contract Affinity with them c. XXIII Deut. 3 4. XXV ult More Nevochim P. III. c. 41. Ver. 15. And Moses built an Altar Commonly Altars were built for Sacrifice which Moses perhaps here offered in thankfulness to God for his Benefits particulary this great Victory But they were also built sometimes only as Memorials XXII Josh 26 27. as this perhaps was He thinking it sit to preserve the memory of this Victory not only by writing but by this Monument also and the Inscription he lest upon it And he called the Name of it JEHOVAH-Nissi Or The LORD my Banner i. e. By him we overcame them Some will have it translated not he called it but he called him i. e. the LORD by the Name of the LORD who lifted up a Banner i. e. fought for them LX Psal 6. From which Inscription Bochartus thinks came the Name of Dionysus among the Greeks who from this word Nissi call'd him Nissaeus or Nysaeus and adding the Name of their own Jupiter to it called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. I. Canaan c. 18. For Bacchus is said to have been a great Warrior and to have made mighty Conquests And as Huetius observes is called Arsaphes which is the very Name given to Moses by the Egyptians who called him Osarsiph Nay in Orpheus his Hymns Bacchus is called Mises which seems to be the same with Moses Out of whose Story all that the Greeks and others say of Bacchus seems to have been framed as he shows with great probability Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. c. 4. n. 3. Ver. 16. For he said Because the LORD hath sworn c. In the Hebrew the words are The hand upon the Throne of the LORD Which is commonly interpreted The LORD hath sworn by his Throne So R. Solomon and Aben-Ezra and the Chaldee whose Paraphrase is This is spoken with an Oath from the face of the terrible One whose Majesty is upon the Throne of Glory that the LORD will have War with Amalek c. That is saith Maimonides he hath sworn by himself More Nevoch P. I. c. 9. for in this and all other places the word Kisse i.e. Throne signifies his Magnificence and Power which is not any thing without his Essence but is himself But here being no mention of lifting up the hand which is the Phrase for Swearing VI Exod. 8. XXXII Deut. 40. it may more simply be expounded because the hand of the LORD sitting upon the Throne of his Majesty is stretched out and holds up his Banner to fight with Amalek throughout all Generations For Moses seems to allude in this Phrase to what he had said v. 11 12. When Moses lifted up his hand then Israel prevailed c. and bids them take notice it was his hand i. e. the Omnipotent Power of God which gave them this Victory and would perpetually prosecute Amalek till they were destroyed Joseph Scaliger would have Kes-jah to be but one word and to signifie the same with Kese which according to him is the last day of the Month on which this Battle was fought And so this to be a part of the Inscription upon the Altar as if he had said This Pillar was set up on the last day of the second Month to declare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irreconcileable War with Amalek for ever L. III. de Emend Temp. p. 223. But this is too bold a conceit and is confuted by Hacspan and Glassius There is a more ingenious conjecture which I have some where met with if there were any thing in Scripture to warrant it that laying the hand on the Throne was a form of Swearing as touching the Altar was among some Nations which was as much as our laying the hand on the Bible a principal External Character of a Solemn Oath Whence Juvenal saith Atheists do intrepidos altaria tangere touch the Altars boldly without trembling i. e. make no Conscience of an Oath But the Marginal Translation after all is very literal and makes the sense exceeding plain and clear Because the hand of Amalek is against the Throne of the LORD i. e. against God himself therefore the LORD will have War with Amalek from Generation to Generation This is easie and natural and agrees with the whole History that because they came out and opposed the Design of God who in a visible and most glorious manner conducted the Israelites to the Land he had promised to give them he would never be reconciled to them For it was an high Affront to his Majesty who had lately done such astonishing Wonders as were famed no doubt in all the Neighbouring Nations XV. 14 15. CHAP. XVIII Verse 1. NOW Jethro the Priest of Midian c. Many ancient and later Versions have it Prince of Midian See Chap. II. v. 16. Heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel c. The Fame of which went into all the Countries thereabout XV. 14 c. Ver. 2. Took Zipporah Moses wise after he had sent her back It is uncertain when Moses sent her back to her Father but it is likely it was done at her own desire when she saw how difficult his Work was likely to prove in Egypt See IV. 26. The Hebrew word seems to some to intimate a Divorce as the Mauritanian Jews take it But all Christian Versions and that of the Jerman Jews and the Persian understand it as we do See Selden de Vxor Hebr. p. 629. Ver. 3. And her two Sons c. Whose Names carry in them a thankful Remembrance of God's great Mercy to him Gershom See II. 22. Ver. 4. Eliezer Who is thought to have been born a little before he left Midian and went out of Midian into Egypt by God's special derection See IV. 25. Ver. 5. And Jethro c. came unto Moses Took a Journey out of Midian to give him a visit Into the Wilderness Into the same Wilderness where Moses and the Israelites now were Where he incamped at the Mount of God viz. At Horeb which was not far from Midian it appears from III. 11. where we read that when Moses fed Jethro's Flock he led them hither to this Mount Which is called God's Mount because there he appeared sirst to Moses III. 2 c. and had lately appeared there again upon the Rock XVII 6. unto which place he bid Moses lead the Congregration XVII 5. who were now I suppose incamped thereabout after the sight with Amalek in Rephidim which was not far from it Ver. 6. And he said unto Moses By a Letter which he sent him from the place where he was incamped of which
when they found any too difficult they were to refer it to be heard by Moses himself So R. Leviben Gersom explains it Every great Cause in which they know not what to judge they shall bring to thee and thou shalt show what is right or how it is to be decided There are those indeed who think there were several sorts of Causes that might not be brought before these Inferiour Courts but were to be reserved for Moses's hearing and judging These they make to be Four First All Sacred Matters or Things belonging unto God which they gather from v. 19. Secondly All Matters of Equity where the rigour of the Law was sit to be mitigated Thirdly All Capital Causes And lastly Such as the Chiliarchs i. e. Rulers of Thousands and the other Judges referred to him But this is said without ground for it is plain all sorts of Causes might be determined by the inferiour Courts if they were able to make an end of them whether Civil or Sacred Only those which were too difficult for them that is when they did not find a Law to direct them or it was obscure or they could not agree about the Punishment then they were to be brought before Moses So he himself charges not that the People should bring such Causes to him as they thought difficult but that the Judges themselves should bring them i. e. order an Appeal to him I Deut. 17. bring it unto me speaking to the Judges and I will hear it Which shows the Cause had been at the Bar of other Courts before and that it was not unlawful for them to meddle with it if they had been able to determine it And accordingly we read here below v. 26. that the Judges did so In short these words do not intimate that there were some Causes the other Judges might not try if they were able but only that such things as they found themselves not skilful enough to determine they should bring to him See Mr. Selden in the fore-named Book p. 633 c. But every small matter they shall judge Hitherto Moses but heard all Causes promiscuously great and small but Jethro well advises him to delegate the labour of judging all Causes liquidi juris as the Lawyers speak where the Right was clear and to reserve no part of the Judicature to himself but where the Law it self was either defective or obscure So shall it be casier for thy self c. Thou wilt ease thy self of a great burden by appointing others to take their share of it Ver. 23. If thou wilt do this thing and God command thee so If thou wilt follow this advice by God's approbation who was to be consulted whether he allowed it Then thou shalt be able to endure Thy days will be prolonged which otherwise will be shortned with this intolerable labour And the People go to their place in peace Go home very much satisfied with such quick dispatch and happy composure of their Differences Ver. 24. So Moses hearkened to the voice of his Father-in-law c. Followed his Counsel by God's approbation with whom no doubt he advised v. 23. Here the Samaritan Copy inserts those words of Moses I Deut. 9 c. I am not able to bear you my self alone the LORD your God hath multiplied you c. Which he spake indeed when he made this Constitution but did not set it down in this Book where he intended only a short account of these Transactions Ver. 25. And Moses chose able men c. Out of those who were presented to him by the People See v. 20. Ver. 26. And they judged the People at all Seasons Whensoever they resorted to them For some Court or other sate every day that was not appointed by God for other Business i. e. for Religion The hard Causes they brought to Moses c. It is plain by this that the Judges not the People brought the hard Causes unto Moses For the People could not know whether they might not have a Remedy nearer hand than by going to him on all occasions till they had tried Ver. 27. And Moses let his Father-in-law depart After he had staid some time with him and could not prevail with him to stay longer which he earnestly desired and go with them to see the Accomplishment of God's Promises to them as those words X Numb 29 c. are thought to signifie But perhaps that Hobab there mentioned was not Jethro himself but his Son whom Moses also perswaded not to return to his own Country for he makes no reply much less denies to stay with Moses when he pressed him the second time though he refused at first v. 32. But this I shall consider in that place And he went his way into his own Land To make his Children or the People of the Land Proselytes saith the Chaldee Paraphrase Which it's probable he indeavoured i. e. to bring them to true Religion and affected in some measure so that Piety was propagated in some Families among them to future Generations For the Rechabites came out of this Country 1 Chron. II. 55. whose vertue Jeremiah Praises in the latter end of the Jewish Church Chap. XXXV CHAP. XIX Verse 1. IN the third Month. Or in the third new Moon For the Hebrew word Chodesh signifies a new Moon as well as a Month nay that is the prime signification from whence the other is derived And so we are to understand it here that on the New Moon i. e. the first day of the third Month called Sivan after their coming out of Egypt they came into the Wilderness of Sinai Which was just XLV days after they departed out of Egypt For if we add to the XV. days of the first Month XXIX which made the second these put together with this New Moon make XLV Unto which if we add that day when Moses went up to God v. 3. and reported when he came down the Message God sent by him to the Elders of Israel and the next day after when he returned their Answer unto God v. 7 8. with the three days more which God gave them to prepare themselves for his coming down among them v. 10 11. there were just Fifty days from their Passover to the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai which laid the Foundation of the great Feast of Pentecost The same day i. e. On the fore-mentioned New Moon of the third Month. Came they into the Wilderness of Sinai So called from that famous Mountain Sinai which gave the name to the Wilderness which lay before it This Mountain was also called Horeb IV Deut. 10. they being only different tops of one and the same Mountain but this higher than Horeb so that one may see the Red Sea from them as they that have travelled into those Parts affirm Who say it is now called by the Arabians Tur and by Christians the Mountain of St. Catherine Ver. 2. For they were departed from Rephidim c. They began to move from
Rephidim toward that part of the Mountain called Horeb upon their murmuring for want of Water XVII 5 6. But seem to have returned thither to fight with Amalek v. 8. And then they were led by God to this other side of the Mountain which is called the Wilderness of Sinai There Israel encamped before the Mount For the glorious Cloud having led them hither rested upon the Mount as appears from the words following Ver. 3. And Moses went up unto God Whose glorious Majesty appeared upon the Mount And the LORD called unto him out of the Mountain Or rather for the LORD called to him out of the Mountain where the Divine Glory rested unto which he would not have presumed to go if the LORD had not called to him to come up thither Which was upon the second day of the third Month. Thus shalt thou say to the House of Jacob and tell the Children of Israel There was some reason sure for calling them by these two names the House of Jacob and the Children of Israel which perhaps was to put them in mind that they who had lately been as low as Jacob when he went to Padan-Aram were now grown as great as God made him when he came from thence and was called Israel Ver. 4. You have seen There needs no proof for you your selves are witnesses What I did unto the Egyptians Smote them with divers sore Plagues and at last drowned them and their Chariots in the Red Sea And how I bare you on Eagles wings Kept you so safe and placed you so far out of the reach of your Enemies as if you had been borne up on high by an Eagle Which are observed to carry their young ones not in their feet as other Birds were wont to do but on their Wings and to soar so high and with so swift a motion that none can pursue them much less touch them Bochartus hath observed all the Properties ascribed to the Eagle with respect to which Interpreters have thought God's care of his People to be here compared with that Bird Hierozoic P. II. L. II. c. 5. But after all he judiciously concludes that Moses best explains his own meaning in his famous Song XXXII Deut. 11. where the Eagles fluttering about her Nest and making a noise to stir up her young ones to leave their dirty Nest and try their Wings represents the many means God had used to rouze up the drooping Spirits of the Israelites when they lay miserably oppressed under a cruel Servitude and incourage them to aspire after Liberty and to obey those whom he sent to deliver them And brought you unto my self And by that means brought you hither to live under my Government For this was the very Foundation of his peculiar Empire over them that he had ransom'd and redeemed them out of Slvery by a mighty Hand and stretched out Arm as he speaks XIII 3. IV Deut. 34. so as he had not delivered any other Nation and thereby by made them his own after an extraordinary manner peculiar to them alone This Joshua also recals to their mind when he was near his Death and renewed this Covenant of God with them XXIV 5 6 c. Ver. 5. Now therefore Having wonderfully delivered them and supported them in a miraculous manner by Bread from Heaven and Water out of a Rock he now proceeds to instruct them in their Duty as Greg. Nyssen observes L. de Vita Mosis p. 172. If you will obey my voice indeed c. If you will sincerely obey me as your King and Governour and keep the Covenant I intend to make with you then you shall be mine above all the People of the Earth whose LORD I am as well as yours but you shall be my peculiar Inheritance in which I will establish my Kingdom and Priesthood with such Laws as shall not only distinguish you from all other Nations but make you to excel them This is the sense of this verse and the following A peculiar treasure unto me i. e. Very dear to me and consequently I will take a singular care of you as Kings do of those things which they lay up in their Treasury So the Hebrew word Segullah signifies Which Origen proves they really were notwithstanding all the Calumnies of Celsus their Laws being so profitable and they being so early taught to know God to believe the Immortality of the Soul and the Rewards and Punishments in the Life to come and bred up to a contempt of Divination with which Mankind had been abused as proceeding rather from wicked Daemons than from any Excellent Nature and to seek for the knowledge of future things in Souls which by an extraordinary degree of Purity were rendred capable to receive the Spirit of God L. V. contra Celsum p. 260. And this the Author of Sepher Cosri happily expresses when he saith Our peculiar Blessings consist in the conjunction of Minds with God by Prophecy and that which is annexed to it that is as Muscatus explains it the Gift of the Spirit of God And therefore he doth not say in the Law if you will obey my voice I will bring you after Death into Gardens of Pleasure but ye shall be to me a People and I will be to you a God Pars I. Sect. 109. For all the Earth is mine Which made it the greater honour that he bare such a special love to them Ver. 6. And ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests An honourable or a Divine Kingdom not like worldly Kingdoms which are defended by Arms but supported by Piety Or a Princely People that should rule over their Enemies For the same word signifies both Priests and Princes and in the first times of the World none was thought fit to be a Priest but he who was a King or the Chief of the Family as we see in Melchizedek and Jethro That God was peculiarly the King of this People I observed above III. 10. and here he expresly owns this peculiar Dominion over them by saying Ye shall be to me a Kingdom And one reason perhaps why he saith they shall be a Kingdom of Priests is because they were governed while they continued a Theocracy by the High Priest as the prime Minister under God who in all weighty Causes consulted God what was to be done and accordingly they ordered their Affairs XXVIII 30. XXVIII Numb 21. Which is the reason why God commands Moses to make such Garments for Aaron as should be for glory and beauty or for honour and glory as we read v. 2. of that Chapter i.e. to make him appear great like a Prince for they were really Royal Garments And for his Sons also he was to make Bonnets of the like kind for honour and glory v. 40. they being in the form of the Tiarae which Kings wore and are joyned in Scripture with Crowns XXIX Job 14. III Isa 23 c. Whence Philo says in his Book de Sacerd. Honoribus that the Law manifestly
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
19. who were then in attendance upon the Divine Majesty as his Retinue when he spake all these words that follow to the end of the seventeenth Verse which are called the Ten words or Commandments in XXXIV 28. And he spake them with so great a Voice V Deut. 22. that all the People who were very numerous plainly heard them which was very wonderful This was upon the sixth day of the third Month called Sivan See Selden L. III. de Jure N. G. c. 11. Ver. 2. I am the LORD thy God which have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt c. In this Preface to the Ten Commandments he asserts his Right to give them Laws not only in general as he is the LORD of all but by a peculiar Title he had to their Obedience whom he had taken to himself after a special manner to be his People by bringing them out of the Land of Egypt and the Servitude under which they groaned there This was a Benefit fresh in their Minds and most apt to affect their Hearts and therefore he doth not say as the Author of Sepher Cosri observes P. I. Sect. 27. I am the LORD of Heaven and Earth or I am thy Creator but I am the LORD thy God who have shown a particular favour and kindness to thee by bringing thee out of the Land of Egypt c. When he became their King by a special Title as I observed III. 10. and upon that account gave them these Laws whereby they were to be governed and gave them peculiarly to them as the fore-named Author notes who were tied to the Observance of them by virtue of their Deliverance out of Egypt and God's placing his Glory among them Whereas if they had been tied to them by virtue of their Creation they would have belonged to all Nations as much as unto them Thus He. Maimonides will have these words I am the LORD thy God to signifie the Existence of God and the next v. 3. his Vnity which two are the great Foundations of Religion More Nevoch P. II. c. 33. And indeed the word JEHOVAH or LORD is generally thought to signifie he who is of himself And the next word ELOHIM which is the most ancient Name of God in Scripture Learned men of late derive from the Arabick word Alaha there being no root in Hebrew remaining from whence it can so regularly come which signifies to worship serve and adore Hottinger hath taken a great deal of pains in his Hexaemeron and elsewhere to confirm this out of that and out of the Ethiopick Language also The Jews say indeed that Elohim is the name of Judgment as Jehovah is of Mercy but Abarbinel confutes this to establish a Notion of his own viz. the Omnipotent Cause of all things which others oppose as much as he doth the former And therefore most I think now rest in the fore-named Notion that it properly signifies him who only is to be religiously worshipped and adored as it follows in the next words Ver. 3. Thou shalt have no other Gods That is believe in one God or believe there is no other God but me as Nachman interprets it and consequently worship no other God This is the great Foundation as the Hebrews speak of the Law for whosoever confesses any other God he denies the whole Law And they truly observe also that this negative Precept includes the affirmative viz. a Command to worship Him the only God As when Naaman saith he would neither offer Burnt-offering nor Sacrifice to any other God but the LORD it is plain he meant that he would Sacrifice to him 1 Kings V. 17. See Selden L. III. de Jure N. G. c. 1. Before me As they were not to forsake Him and worship some other God so not to worship any other God together with Him as many did 2 Kings XVII 33. For in his Presence he could not indure any Competitor Ver. 4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image c. The difference between Pesel which we translate graven Image and Temunah which we translate Likeness seems to be that the former was a protuberant Image or a Statue made of Wood Stone c. and the other only a Picture drawn in colours upon a Wall or Board c. Both which some have thought they were prohibited here so much as to make whether it were the Image or Picture of the Stars or Birds or Men or Beasts or Fishes for fear they should be drawn to worship them Thus it is certain Origen understood this Commandment when he said there was not permitted to be so much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. a Picture-drawer or a maker of Statues in their Commonwealth to take away all occasion of drawing Mens minds from the worship of God L. IV. contra Cels p. 181. Clemens Alexandrinus was of the same Opinion L. V. Stromat and Tertullian L. de Spectaculis c. 23. Which they derived in all probability from the Jews who from the time of the Maccabees to the Destruction of Jerusalem thought they were forbidden by this Law to make an Image or Figure of any Living Creature especially of a Man This Harmannus Conringius hath plainly demonstrated in his Paradoxa de Nummis Ebraeorum c. 5. out of many places in Philo and in Josephus The latter of which tells us L. XVIII Archaeolog c. 5. That all their Governours before Pilate were wont to use Ensigns in Jerusalem without the Image of Caesar in them because their Law forbad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the making of Images And when Vitellius was to lead the Roman Army through Judaea against the Arabians with Images in their Ensigns the People ran to meet him beseeching him to forbear it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it was not consonant to the Laws of their Country to see Images brought into it But whether this was the ancient Exposition of the Law before those times may be doubted The Talmudists think it was unlawful to make any Figures of Celestial Bodies either prominent or plain though it were for Ornaments sake but as for Animals they might make prominent Statues of them except only of Men the Images of whom they might draw on a plain See Selden L. I. de Jure Nat. Gent. c. 6 7 8. Which distinctions most look upon as ungrounded and the common Opinion is That Moses did not forbid the very making of an Image but that they should not make them to set up in the place of Divine Worship Ver. 5. Thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them If they saw an Image as they must needs do in other Countries though we suppose they had none among themselves he requires them not to use any gesture or to do any thing that might signifie Reverence or Honour given to them Such were prostrating themselves before them bowing their bodies kissing their hands much less to offer Sacrifice or burn Incense c. to them Here seems
to be a plain gradation in this Commandment three things being here forbidden if we take the first part of it to signifie that they might not so much as make a graven Image or any likeness of any thing for fear they should be tempted to Idolatry But though this may be supposed to have been a sin yet not so great as the next to bow down to them which was a degree of Honour too high to be paid unto any Image But was not the highest of all which was to serve them by offering Sacrifice burning Incense making Vows to them or swearing by them or consecrating Temples to them or lighting Candles before them For I the LORD thy God am a jealous God This reason shows that this Commandment is different from the first and not a part of it For worshipping of Images is forbidden not meerly because he was their God and there is but one God but because He is a jealous God who could not endure any Corrival or Consort in that which was proper to himself And so the ancient Jews and Christians also before St. Austin took this for the second Commandment The Arabian Christians in later times particularly Elmacinus distinctly name the Ten Commandments in that order which we now do as Hottinger observes in his Smegma Orientale p. 436. Visiting i.e. Punishing with heavy Judgments XXVI Lev. 39. The iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children This was threatned to terrifie them from this sin which would ruin their Families being a kind of High Treason against the LORD of Heaven and Earth Yet Aben-Ezra understands it only of such Children as trod in the steps of their Forefathers for if they repented the Punishment was mitigated XXVI Lev. 40 c. Vnto the third and fourth Generation That is as long as they could be supposed to live which might be to see the third and perhaps the fourth Generation he threatens to pursue them with his Vengeance in their Posterity whose Punishment they themselves should behold to their great grief So great was his hatred to this Sin and so odious were such People to him Thus Maimonides expounds it in his More Nevoch P. I. c. 54. Visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children is threatned only against the Sin of Idolatry as appears from what follows that such Sinners are called haters of him And he mentions only to the fourth Generation because the most a Man can live to see of his Seed is the fourth Generation Accordingly God orders saith he that if any City prove Idolaters the Inhabitants should be destroyed utterly and all that was therein XIII Deut. 13 14 15. Fathers Children Grand-children Great-grand-children and the new-born Children were all killed for the Sin of their Parents Hence he saith VII Deut. 10. he repayeth them that hate him to their face which is there twice mentioned Of them that hate me For he looked on them not only as Enemies but as haters of him It is an Observation of the same Maimonides that in the whole Law of Moses and in the Books of the Prophets we shall never find these words Fury Anger Indignation Jealousie attributed to God but when they speak of Idolatry nor any Man called an Enemy to God an Adversary an Hater of him but only Idolaters VI Deut. 14 15. XI 16 17. XXXI 29 c. I Nehem. 2. VII Deut. 10. XXXII Numb 21. XII Deut. 31. XVI 22. See More Nevoch P. 1. c. 36. which he repeats c. 54. No man is called an hater of God but an Idolater according to that XII Deut. 31. every abomination to the LORD which he hateth By which it appears that they counted the Worshippers of Images Idolaters though they did not think these Images to be Gods for no Man in the World ever thought an Image made of Wood and Stone Silver or Gold to be the Creator of Heaven and Earth or the Governour of the World but took them only for things intermediate between God and them as he there speaks This was a Law so well known to the ancient Heathens that the best Menamong them would suffer no Images to be set up in their Temples In particular Numa forbad this to the Romans which he learnt as Clemens Alexandrinus thinks from Moses Insomuch that for the space of an Hundred and seventy years though they built Temples yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they made no Image neither Statue nor so much as a Picture L. I. Stromat p. 304. Plutarch relates the same in the Life of Numa Pompilius and adds this reason that he thought it a great Crime to represent the most excellent Being by such mean things and that God was to be apprehended only by the Mind The ancient Persians pretend to have received the same Law from their Zoroaster who in a number of things is so like to Moses that Huetius thinks not without reason his story was framed out of these Books Ver. 6. And showing mercy unto thousands To invite their Obedience he promises to be kind unto them and their Posterity for many Generations so thousands signifies who were loyal and faithful to him Such is the infinite goodness of God that he delights in showing Mercy more than in Acts of Severity there being such a disproportion between the one and the other as there is between three or four and a thousand Which made the heavy Punishment of Idolaters the more reasonable because they might have enjoyed such great and long continued Blessings if they would have kept close to their Religion Of them that love me Adhered to him alone as the only Object of Worship and Adoration with such an Affection as a chaste Wife bears to her Husband For God now espoused this Nation to himfelf as the Prophets taught them to understand it and therefore all the Idolatry which is forbidden in these Commandments is called going a whoring from him And keep my Commandments Not only professed to be his intirely but proved it by observing his Precepts Which keeping or observing of his Commandments is mentioned here perhaps and not any of the following Commandments because this and the first were the principal upon which the rest depended There being no reason to mind what he said if they acknowledged any other God but him Ver. 7. Thou shalt not take the Nante of the LORD thy God in vain By the Name of the LORD in Scripture is meant the LORD himself and to take or lift up his Name is to Swear by him So this word Nasa sometimes signifies without the addition of God's Name III Isa 7. Jissa he shall lift up in that day which we truly render in that day he shall swear which they did then with the Hand lifted up to Heaven And to take his Name or swear in vain is to swear falsly That 's the principal meaning undoubtedly that they should not call God to witness unto a Lie promising in his Name that which they meant not to perform or affirming or denying
the Judge is whom we go about to deceive Large Commentaries on these Commandments are not to be expected which may be found in many Authors commonly known Ver. 17. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours house c. Here is forbidden so much as the designing any Mischief to others in any of the things forementioned For as all Injuries in word or deed are prohibited in the IV. preceding Commandments So in this he prohibits those which are only in the heart or counsels of Men but never come to light And in the enumeration of the things they were not to covet he begins first with that which was last mentioned and so backard to the other For he saith Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House by designing to bear false witness or to commit theft And then follows thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife by intending to abuse her if opportunity served nor his Man-servant nor his Maid-servant c. which are his principal Goods He saith nothing of thirsting after his Life which is supposed to be unlawful because less than that is forbidden Menander hath something like this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do not so much as covet the thred of a Needle for God sees thee being intimately present with thee See more in Grotius his Prolegomena in Excerpta ex Stobaeo Ver. 18. And all the People saw the Thundrings c. Seing being the principal Sense it is frequently put for the rest and this passage may be translated they sensibly perceived c. See XLII Gen. 1. and Drusius's Quaestiones Hebr. L. I. c. 10. The Thundrings and the Lightnings XIX 16. And the noise of the Trumpet Which ceased while God spake the X. Words to them but now began again together with Thunders and Lightnings when they were ended For as they were introduced in a most Majestick manner to raise their attention and strike an awe into them so they were closed that they might be the more sensible of the dreadfulness of that Majesty who spake to them and that they might have a greater reverence to his Law They removed and stood afar off They were at the bottom of the Mount while God spake to them but now started back for fear those Flames they saw upon the Mountain V Deut. 25. and perhaps flashed from thence in a terrible manner should devour them How far they removed we know not some think to the place where they were incamped before this glorious Appearance out of which Moses brought them to meet with God XIX 2 17. Ver. 19. And they said unto Moses By the Heads of their Tribes and their Elders V Deut. 23. who came from the People to Moses while he remained still in his place For he saith there they came near unto him when they spake these words which signifies they were at some distance before Speak thou with us and we will hear c. They desire that what God had farther to command them He would be pleased to acquaint Moses with it and they would receive it as his own words but should die with fear if they heard him speak any more with his own Voice This is more largely related V Deut. 24 25 c. and accordingly God afterward communicated to Moses alone the rest of his Laws both concerning Religion and Civil Government Ver. 20. And Moses said unto the People He bad the Elders return this Answer to the People that sent them Fear not Be not afraid of your lives No hurt shall come to you For God is come to prove you God intends by this dreadful Appearance to discover unto your selves and others whether you will be such as you pretend XIX 8. And that his fear may be before your face And that you may have an awful sense of him in your Mind by having before your eyes continually the Glory of his Majesty of which you were lately sensible v. 18. That you sin not Let this be your only fear not to offend God by disobeying his Commands Ver. 21. And the People stood afar off In their Tents within their Camp For God commanded him to bid the Elders after this Discourse to go to their Tents from whence they came where I suppose the rest of the People were V Deut. 30. But he bad Moses stay with him and he would as they desired tell him all the rest of the things which he intended to enjoyn them v. 31. And Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was Who called him to him again as he had done before XIX 20. There is a curious Observation in Pirke Elieser that the Hebrew word here is not Nogesh he approached or drew near as we trunslate it but Niggesh he was drawn near The Angel Gabriel or Michael as he fancies coming and taking him by the hand and leading him up to God cap. 41. But this signifies rather that he did not go up of his own accord but was called by God to draw near to his Divine Majesty Which he did the next day upon the seventh day of Sivan and received LVII Laws besides the X. which God himself delivered partly Civil and partly Religious which were Explications of the Decalogue Ver. 22. And the LORD said unto Moses When they were together in the thick Cloud before mentioned Thus thou shalt say unto the Children of Israel When thou goest down again to them Ye have seen that I have talked with you from Heaven The apprehension of one sense as Maimonides phrases it More Nevoch P. I. c. 46. is usually in Scripture put for the apprehension of another As See the word of the LORD II Jer. 31. that is hear it or mark it diligently Or the meaning here may be You saw i. e. perceived by the Thundrings and Lightnings and all the rest of the Tokens of a Majestatick Presence that it was I who spake from above Ver. 23. Ye shall not make with me The Hebrew Writers here make a pause or full stop as if it were a compleat Sentence And the meaning is explained in the Talmud to be Ye shall not make the Similitude of the Ministers that minister before me above as the Sun the Moon the Stars or the Angels Ger. Bab. upon Avoda Zura And so Maimonides upon the same Subject It is unlawful to form the Images of the Sun the Moon the Stars the Celestial Signs or Angels according to that which is written Ye shall not make with me i. e. nothing like the Ministers that minister to me above See Selden L. II. de Jure N. G. c. 6. p. 198. But if we joyn these with the following words the sense is the same that as they acknowledged no other Gods but him so they should not make any Image to represent him To inforce which the word make is repeated in the end of the Verse whereby greater efficacy is added to the Command Gods of silver or gods of gold shall ye not make unto you He gives this
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
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
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
Fumes of all sort of Seeds to be offered to Apollo that she might be delivered from her Terrours Ver. 35. And thou shalt beat of it very small Reduce it to powder And put it before the Testimony Burn it upon the Altar of Incense which was placed before the Ark as we read v. 6. This seems to be the meaning and not that he should put it in a Dish upon the Table ready to be burnt for the Table did not stand before the Ark of the Testimony Where I will meet with thee See XXIX 42. It shall be unto you most holy Imployed only in the worship of God before the most Holy Place Ver. 36. And as for the persume which thou shalt make c. Or rather And the persume which thou shalt make you shall not make to your selves according to the composition thereof For any private use which is imported in these words to your selves It shall be unto thee holy for the LORD Intirely separated to the Divine Worship and therefore not to be touched by any but the Priests and that when they ministred in the Sanctuary before the Mercy-seat Ver. 38. Whosoever shall make like unto that to smell thereto For his own pleasure See v. 33. R. Levi of Barcelona hath well explained this No Man was to make this Composition with the same Spices and the same weight and with an intention to burn it So he interprets those words to smell thereto that is to make a Persume with it by burning it Praecept CXI yet if any Man as Maimonides observes did smell this Perfume but did not make it he was not guilty of being cut off Shall even be cut off from his People See v. 33. Their opinion is not improbable who think by this is meant not only the Excision of the Transgressor but of his whole Race none of which should remain to keep up his Name in Israel By which severe threatning the People were deterred from prophaning these holy Things CHAP. XXXI Verse 1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying After all the foregoing Directions from the XXVth Chapter unto this in which as I said before XXX 11 one may well think there was some intermission the LORD proceeded to give Moses this following Information to incourage him to go about this work Ver. 2. See I have called Be not solicitous where thou shalt find Workmen who have skill enough to make all the things which I have commanded for I have taken care of that and pitcht upon one who shall be the chief Director of the whole business By name Made a particular choice of one Man above all others whom I have designed for this Work It appears by other places that this Phrase to call him by name gives Bazaleel the pre-eminence above all other Artisicers See XXXIII 12 17. where he saith the same of Moses and XLV Isa 3. where he saith it of Cyrus Bazaleel the son of Uri See 1 Chron. II. 18 19 20. Though he was particularly chosen and sitted for this Work yet there was another joyned with him to be his Assistant v. 6. Which two did not do all the Work with their own Hands as appears from XXVIII 3. where he speaks of many Persons endowed with extraordinary Skill but they were the principal Artists and the chief Directors and Overseers of the Work And therefore after the mention of Aholiab v. 6. he speaks also of others into whose hearts he had put Wisdom to do all that he commanded The son of Hur of the Tribe of Judah This Hur is thought by some to have been the Husband of Miriam the Sister of Moses See XVII 10. And then the observation of Abarbinel is not impertinent that God did the more particularly declare his choice of Bezaleel and Moses the more punctually remember it to take away all Exceptions from the Israelites who might have been apt to think that Moses had too much regard to his own Kindred if he had appointed him to be the chief Governour of this Work without the special Call of God unto it For thus they might have cavilled as some of them did afterward in part he makes himself King and Aaron his Brother High-Priest and now delivers into the Hands of his Nephew all the Oblations and Collections that have been made for the Tabernacle For which there could be no colour after God had solemnly declared it was done by his special Order He adds also which is not so justifiable that there was a strife among the Israelites who should undertake this Work for which though Moses knew the fitness of Bezaleel yet he durst not mention him for fear they should think him partial till God commanded him saying Do not regard what the People say for thou and they all shall see that he is chosen by me and not by thee unto this Work for I will give him extraordinary Wisdom c. Ver. 3. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God i. e. With an excellent Spirit or with Divine Inspiration Which was but necessary because the Hebrews being long kept in slavery under the Egyptians cannot be supposed to have been bred up to the Learning of those ingenious Arts mentioned in the next Verses For they were acquainted only with the making of Bricks during that heavy Servitude and therefore God instructed several Men particularly Bezaleel in those Arts which they had no Master to teach them and which their natural Genius though never so great could not attain especially on a sudden without Inspiration In wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge Here Wisdom Understanding and Knowledge do not signifie as they do in other places particularly in the Proverbs and in XI Isaiah 2. where the Messiah is said to be filled with the Spirit of Wisdom and Vnderstanding and the Spirit of Knowledge but skill in the Arts of Ingraving and Setting Jewels and Weaving and Needle-work c. How Wisdom differs from Vnderstanding and from Knowledge is not much material they may be many words used only to express their Skill in all sorts of Arts that might make them accomplished Workmen as it follows in the later end of the Verse to work in all manner of Workmanship They that would see how the Hebrews distinguish them may look into Paulus Fagius upon the place or Buxtorf's Historia Arcae c. 2. n. 3. Ver. 4. To devise cunning works c. There are two things required in an excellent Artist good Invention and Ability to do what he hath contrived The first of these seem to be intended in this Verse and the other in the next together with a dexterity to teach other Artificers who were to be employed under Bezaleel and Aholiab Ver. 5. And in cutting of stone c. There were no Stones imployed about the Tabernacle and therefore this must be meant of cutting and setting the precious Stones mentioned Chap. XXVIII and in graving on them what God commanded v. 11 21. And in carving of Timber We do
Synedris c. 6. The sense is this in short He that violates a Negative Precept as they call it either doth it secretly which is most frequent or openly which happens seldom unless a Man be one of those profligate Wretches whom we call Apostates Now him that secretly brake the Sabbath the Scripture threatens with cutting off viz. by the hand of God according to what is written here in this place In like manner incestuous and unlawful Conjunctions are threatned XVIII Lev. 29. because they were wont to be committed secretly But if any Man did any Work openly on the Sabbath so that there were Witnesses of it he was to be stoned according to what is said XV Numb 35. Though if he did it out of mistake either secretly or openly he was only to bring a Sacrifice for his Errour And if he offended against any of the Decrees of the Wise-men about the Sabbath he was to be beaten Or if there was no Court of Judgment in the place as now in their present Condition then all such Transgressors were left to God to punish them of whatsoever sort they were Ver. 15. Six days may work be done but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest holy to the LORD So it is called also XXXV 2. and XXIII Lev. 3. And so the Sabbath wherein the Land rested is likewise called XXV Lev. 4. But the Hebrew words Schabbat Schabbaton Sabbath of Rest properly signifies Sabbath above all Sabbaths i. e. the greatest Sabbath on which a rest was to be most punctually observed from all manner of Work which the Jews as de Dieu notes call the weighty Sabbath as if other days of rest were but light in comparison with this According to that saying of R. Josee Great is Circumcision because the weighty Sabbath gives place to it that is admits of this Work though the Rest on this Sabbath be so very great Shall surely be put to death As an Idolater who did not acknowledge the Creator of the World See before v. 14. Ver. 16. Wherefore the Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their Generation for a perpetual Covenant The most litteral Interpretation of this Verse seems to me to be that of Lud. de Dieu The Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath by making the Sabbath a perpetual Covenant throughout their Generations That is by never suffering it to be interrupted they made it a perpetual Covenant between God and them throughout all Ages Ver. 17. It is a sign between me and the Children of Israel for ever A Badge and Livery that they were the Servants of the most High who made the Heavens and Earth A Mark of their being devoted to him and continuing in Covenant with him no less than Circumcision For in six days the LORD made Heaven and Earth In memory of which the Sabbath was first instituted to preserve perpetually and establish that most precious History and Doctrine of the Creation of the World as Maimonides speaks More Nevoch P. III. c. 43. And on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Delighted in the Contemplation of all his Works which he saw were very good I Gen. 31. The same Maimonides observes that the word jinnaphash which we translate was refreshed comes from nephesh which among other things signifies the intention of the Mind and the Will and therefore the sense of this Phrase is All the Will of God was perfected and brought to a Conclusion his whole good Pleasure was absolutely finished on the seventh day More Nevoch P. I. c. 67. Ver. 18. And he gave unto Moses when he made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai When he dismissed him having said all that is before related during his forty days stay with him in the Mount he delivered unto him two Tables of Testimony to carry down with him to the People Two Tables of Testimony Wherein God testified to them his Mind and Will in the principal things which concerned their Duty See XVI 34. Tables of stone That what was written upon them might be more durable There is no ground to think that these Tables were made of some precious Stone as the Author of the Book Cosri and other Jews fancy for the word Eben in the Hebrew simply signifies any sort of Stone and is wont to have some other joyned to it when precious Stones are meant as in 2 Sam. XII 30. 1 Kings X. 2. 2 Chron. III. 6. Written with the finger of God i. e. By God himself Just as the Heavens saith Maimonides are said to be the work of his fingers VIII Psal 4. which he interprets in another place XXXIII 6. By the word of the LORD were the Heavens made Therefore written by the singer of God is as much saith he as by the word that is the Will and good Pleasure of God More Nevoch P. I. c. 66. In short this Phrase signifies that God employed neither Moses nor any other Instrument in this Writing but it was done by his own powerful Operation For all things that we do being wrought by our hands and our fingers these words are used to express God's power See XXXII 16. This was a thing so notorious in ancient times and so much believed by those who were not Jews that many other Nations pretended to the like Divine Writings that they might gain the greater Authority to their Laws Thus the Brachmans report in their Histories That the Book of their Law which they call Caster was delivered by God to Bremavius upon a Mount in a Cloud and that God gave also another Book of Laws to Brammon in the first Age of the World The Persians say the same of those of Zoroaster and the Getes of Xamolxis Nay the Brachmans have a Decalogue like this of Moses and accurate Interpretations of it in which they say there is this Prophecy That one day there shall be one Law alone throughout the World This evidently shows how well the World was anciently acquainted with these Books of Moses and what a high esteem they had of them See Huetius L. II. Alnetan Quaest c. 12. n. 19. CHAP. XXXII Verse 1. AND when the People Not the whole Body of the Congregation but so many of them that the rest durst not appear to oppose their desires Saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the Mount The Jews fancy that he stayed beyond the time that he had appointed for his return to them But that is not likely for he himself was not told how long God would detain him there See XXIV 14. The meaning therefore is that he stayed longer than they expected so that they did not know what to think of it And having as yet received no Directions about the Service of God for which they were called out of Egypt VII 16. and other places they thought it was time to desire Aaron to set about it in such a way as other People served their Gods The people gathered themselves
fell into such foul practices which were not at first committed among the Heathen Nor is there any signification of it in this story but only of their singing and dancing v. 18 19. accompanied it is likely with Musick which Philo indeed calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unseemly Dances but that was only I suppose because they were in honour of a Calf Nor did the Gentiles themselves as I said run at first into such excess of Riot as Athenaeus observes L. VIII Deipnosoph where in the Conclusion of it he describes all the City full of the noise of Pipes and Cymbals and Drums and the voice of those that sung in a great Festival and thence takes occasion to remember that the Ancients observing what a great inclination People had to Pleasure took care they might enjoy it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orderly and decently by setting apart certain Times to entertain them with it When in the first place they Sacrificed to their Gods and then were left to take their Ease that every one believing the Gods came to their Sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might behave themselves at such Meetings with Modesty and Reverence For we are ashamed saith he to speak or do any thing unseemly before a grave Person and therefore supposing the Gods to be nigh them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they passed their Festival days in ancient times decently and soberly And so he proceeds to show how much the World was altered in his time when nothing but mad revelling was to be seen on such occasions He observes it also as a sign of the ancient modesty at these Feasts that they did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lye along 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they sat down to eat and drink as the Israelites here did Ver. 7. And the LORD said unto Moses go get thee down He had dismissed him before having done communing with him XXXI 18. and now sends him away from the Mount in some haste at the end of the XL days mentioned XXIV ult For thy People which thou broughtest out of Egypt These words are generally lookt upon as God's abandoning the Israelites and disowning them to be his People But then they would not have been Moses his People neither but utterly destroyed v. 10. Therefore the true meaning is explained by St. Stephen who calls Moses their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deliverer VII Acts 35. because by his hand God redeemed them and in that regard they became his People Have corrupted themselves He doth not mention Aaron though he was very angry with him also IX Deut. 20. because the People were the beginners of the Revolt and he complyed with them out of fear Ver. 8. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them It was not much above six Weeks since they heard God charge them in a terrible manner not to worship any Image XX. 4. and they solemnly promised to do whatsoever Moses commanded them from God v. 19. immediately after which this Command is in a peculiar manner repeated v. 23. Ye shall not make with me Gods of Silver neither shall ye make unto you Gods of Gold Which with all the rest of his Judgments they covenanted also to observe XXIV 3 8. And therefore such a speedy Revolt from such Obligations made their Crime exceeding heinous They have made them a golden Calf For what Aaron did was at their instigation And have worshipped it By kissing it saith R. Elieser in his Pirke cap. 45. and bowing down to it and then offering Sacrifice to it as it here follows and acknowledging it to be their Conductor out of the Land of Egypt Ver. 9. And the LORD said unto Moses He added this further before he went down from the Mount I have seen this People Long observed their disposition And behold it is a stiff-necked People This Character of them is repeated XXXIII 3 5. XXXIV 9. being a Metaphor from untamed Heifers who draw their Necks and Shoulders back when they are put under the Yoke The Prophet Isaiah alludes to this when he saith of this People XLVIII 4. Thy Neck is an iron sinew which would not bend And Jeremiah V. 5. where he saith the great Men had broken the Yoke and burst the Bonds Ver. 10. Now therefore let me alone Do not interpose in their behalf with thy Prayers and Deprecations for them That my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them That the just indignation I have conceived against them may proceed to punish them with utter destruction And I will make of thee a great Nation Or I will set thee over a great Nation make the Prince of a mightier Nation than they as the words are XIV Numb 12. for so the word Asah to make signifies 1 Sam. XII 6. where we translate it advanced Moses and Aaron Which seems to be the meaning here because Moses urges v. 13. the Promise made to Abraham Isaac and Jacob as if that would not be made good if the People were all destroyed Whereas there would have been no danger of that if God had made a great Nation to spring from Moses who was of their Seed Ver. 11. And Moses besought the LORD The Hebrew word Challah from whence comes Vaichall which we translate besought importing something of Sickness and Infirmity denotes that Moses besought the LORD with much earnestness and great agony of Mind His God He hoped he had not lost his Interest in God which the People had justly forfeited And said why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people There was great reason for this high displeasure against them which God threatned v. 10. and Moses himself was not only angry but his Anger waxed hot v. 19. yet he hoped other Reasons would move the Divine Mercy to moderate his Anger that is not to punish them so severely as they deserved Which thou hast brought out of the Land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand This is one ground of hope That God would not on a sudden destroy what he had employed so much Power to preserve Ver. 12. Wherefore should the Egyptians say for mischief did he bring them out This is another reason that the Egyptians might not be led into a misbelief or confirmed in their infidelity To slay them in the Mountains There were many Mountains besides Sinai where they now were in that Desert into which God led them and they were the most dangerous part of it Turn from thy fierce wrath c. Let these Considerations prevail for a Pardon Ver. 13. Remember Abraham Isaac and Israel to whom thou swarest by thine own self c. This is the great Argument of all the Promise made to their Forefathers fathers who were his faithful Servants and this Promise confirmed by an Oath often repeated which he hoped God would faithfully fulfil I will multiply your seed as the Stars of Heaven XV Gen. 5. XXII 17. This part of the Promise he
the performance of both How thee two Tables of stone like unto the first and I will write upon these Tables the words that were in the first Tables which thou brakest Every attentive Reader must needs observe the difference between the first Tables which Moses brake and those which he is now ordered to prepare For God did not only write his Laws with his own finger upon the first Tables but the Tables themselves also were the work of God XXXII 16. Whereas in these as Greg. Nyssen well expresses it de Vita Mosis p. 183. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The writing indeed was by the Divine Power but the matter of them framed by the hand of Moses So that at the same time God shewed he was reconciled he put them in mind that he had been offended and restored them to his favour with some abatement Ver. 2. And be ready in the morning On the XVIII day of July See XXXII 30. And come up in the morning unto Mount Sinai From whence God spake to the Israelites V Deut. 4 c. those very words which he intended to write upon the Tables He orders him to come up in the morning that all the People might see him ascend and carry the Tables with him And present thy self there to me in the top of the Mount Where the Divine Majesty appeared before in its Glory and where Moses stayed with him forty days and forty nights XIX 26. XXIV 17 18. Ver. 3. And no man shall come up with thee The same Precept is renewed which was given at his first ascent XXIV 1 2. Neither let any man be seen throughout the Mount XIX 12 21 c. Neither let the Flocks nor Herds feed before the Mount He seems to require their removal to such a distance that they should not be within view of the Divine Majesty By which means the People were naturally led to stand in greater awe of God and there was the less danger of any Beasts touching the Mount XIX 13. Ver. 4. And Moses hewed two Tables of stone c. These and the following words only declare that he did as God bad him v. 1 2. And took in his hand the two Tables of stone These he carried with him but the first Tables were given him when he came there XXIV 12. They seem to have been thin being no heavier than that he could carry them in one hand Ver. 5. And the LORD The SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty called also the Glory of the LORD Descended in the Cloud Wherein it had been wont to appear from the beginning of their deliverance out of Egypt and had lately appeared to Moses in the Tabernacle XXXIII 9. when the Cloudy Pillar descended and stood at the door of it while the LORD talked with Moses there And it seems when that was done the Glory of the LORD in the Cloud went up again towards Heaven and now came down upon this occasion And stood with him there The Cloudy Pillar wherein the Glory of the LORD was rested upon the top of the Mount where Moses now was v. 2. And proclaimed the Name of the LORD Gave him notice of his Presence as he had promised XXXIII 19. and is more fully expressed in the next Verse Ver. 6. And the LORD passed by before him Which Onkelos translates the LORD made his Majesty to pass before him Which Exposition Maimonides acknowledges to be right and confirmed by the Scripture it self when it saith XXXIII 22. While my Glory passeth by c. which he confesses signifies not the Divine Essence it self but some created Splendour which no Eye was able to behold More Nevoch P. I. c. 21. And proclaimed As the Glory of the LORD passed by he heard a Voice proclaiming this Description of the Divine Nature The LORD Some joyn the next word to this as if the Voice said the LORD the LORD the more to awaken his Attention to mind what he heard See XXXIII 19. And this Name of his signifies his Self-Existence and his absolute Dominion over all Creatures which received their being from him See VI. 3. God The Hebrew word El signifies Strong and Mighty in one word his Irresistible Power Job IX 4. Merciful The word Rachum signifies that which we call tender Mercies such as Parents have to their Children when their Bowels yern towards them And gracious We call that Chaninah Grace or Favour saith Maimonides which we bestow upon any Man to whom we owe nothing XXXIII Gen. 5 11. And therefore God is here called Chanum Gracious with respect to those whom he created preserves and governs but is not obliged by any right to these things as his words are More Nevoch P. I. cap. 54. Long-suffering So slow to Anger that he doth not presently punish those that offend him but bears long with them Abundant in goodness The Hebrew word Chesed which we translate Goodness signifies as Maimonides saith More Nevoch P. III. cap. the excess and highest degree of any thing whatsoever it be but especially the greatest Benignity And therefore with the addition of rabh abundant denotes long continued Kindness as is more fully declared in the next Verse And truth Most faithful and constant to his Promises which he stedfastly keeps throughout all Generations The word abundant refers both to this and to his Benignity CXLVI Psal 6. Ver. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands The same word Chesed which before we translated Goodness we here translate Mercy and the Hebrews observing the â—etter Nun to be greater in the word Notzer keeping than is usual fancy that it denotes the immense Treasures of the Divine Bounty But the word thousands fully explains how abundant his Mercy is Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin Here are three words to signifie all sorts of Offences which he passes by tell Men grow intollerably wicked But some distinguish them by making Iniquity signifie Offences against Men and Transgressions Offences against God himself and Sin all the Errours Childishnesses and Follies which Men are guilty of in the Conduct of themselves But they may as well signifie the Offences which were committed against the Moral Ceremonial and Political Laws And that will by no means clear the guilty These words according to Maimonides belong still to the loving kindness of God as all the foregoing do signifying that when he doth punish he will not utterly destroy and make desolate For so the Hebrew words Nakkeh lo Jenakkeh he thinks are to be litterally rendered in extirpating he will not extirpate as the word Nakah he observes is used III Isaiah 26. She shall sit desolate on the Earth And to the same sense these words are expounded by many Modern Interpreters particularly Lud. de Dieu When he empties he will not empty or make quite desolate For the Maxim of the Hebrew is as Maimonides there observes More Nevoch P. I. c. 54. that the property of Goodness far excels that of Severity For here being thirteen Properties of God mentioned I can
find but ten besides the Name of LORD there is but one of them that belongs to the latter viz. that which follows all the rest belong to the former And indeed we find that Moses urges these very words among other why God should not destroy the Israelites as one Man XIV Numb 18. which had been very improper if God would by no means clear the guilty Visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children This is meant saith the same Maimonides only of the Sin of Idolatry unto which God threatens in the second Commandment this Punishment to the third and fourth Generation upon those that hate him For no Man is called a hater of God but only an Idolater according to what we read XII Deut. 31. Every abomination which the LORD hateth c. Vnto the third and fourth Generation He mentions saith the same Author none Beyond these because the utmost that any Man can live to see of his Seed is the fourth Generation And therefore when an Idolatrous City was destroyed the old Idolater with Children Grand-children and Great-grand-children were all cut off according to the Precept XIII Deut. 15. Destroy it utterly and all that is therein The sense of the whole seems to be That this is the Glory of the Divine Majesty that he hath a Soveraign Dominion over all because he is the Fountain of Being the Original of all things most powerful to do what he pleases and so merciful that he delights to bestow his Benefits unasked and so gracious as to continue them to the unthankful bearing long with them when they provoke him multiplying Favours on those who have no Deserts and faithfully performing his Promises though never so great doing good unto a thousand Generations of those who adhere faithfully to him and do not apostatize from him for he pardons innumerable Offences of all sorts that are committed against his Laws and when the Provocations are so great that they are fit to be punished he proceeds not to the utmost Extremity till there be no Remedy then he punishes Idolaters terribly to the third and fourth Generation Ver. 8. And Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the Earth and worshipped Being transported with Joy at so glorious a sight and such gracious words he immediately worshipped God with the humblest Reverence acknowledging his great Condescention to him Ver. 9. And he said Which encouraged him to renew his Request to God If now I have found grace in thy sight O Lord. He doth not doubt of it but the meaning rather is Since I have found grace c. as appears from what he granted him XXXIII 17 18 c. Let my Lord I pray thee go among us Upon the mention of the last Property of the Divine Majesty visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children c. Moses seems to have been afraid he might be provoked to proceed to such Severity with the Israelites who had lately apostatized from him And again beseeches him he would be so gracious though they should again offend him as to continue his Presence among them which he had threatned to withdraw XXXIII 3. For it is a stiff-necked people If we adhere to this Translation the meaning is they needed such a Governour by whose Authority and Presence they might be kept in awe and cured of their perversness But the Particle ki which we here translate for often signifies though and may be very fitly so rendred here and then the meaning is Though they be very Refractory XXXII 9. yet do not forsake them and leave them to themselves but still conduct them as thou hast done And pardon our iniquity and our sin and take us for their inheritance Since thou art so ready to forgive v. 7. do not cut us off for our late Offences but still continue to own us for thy peculiar People This Moses had begg'd of God before and obtained a Promise of it XXXIII 16 17. and see XIX 5. and now he beseeches him out of his Goodness which he had proclaimed to confirm that Promise and not to revoke it upon every new Provocation Ver. 10. And he said behold I make a Covenant Herein God verified the truth of what he had proclaimed being so merciful and gracious as not only to confirm his Promise but to turn it into a Covenant like that at the giving of his Laws from Mount Sinai XXIV 3 7 c. which he renews with them in the next Verse Where he engages to drive out the Inhabitants of Canaan before them and then requires them to take care not to imitate their Idolatry Before all thy people will I do marvels such as have not been done in all the Earth c. This seems to relate to all the wonderful Works he intended to do in their Introduction into the Land of Canaan by making the Waters of Jordan retire and the Walls of Jericho fall down with the rest that followed till they got possession of their Inheritance For it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee Such as shall declare the Almighty Power of the Divine Majesty and strike a Terrour into all those that oppose him but demonstrate in an astonishing manner his Fidelity to his People For all this is said to confirm their belief of the Covenant he said he would make with them in the beginning of the Verse Ver. 11. Observe thou that which I command thee this day Doubt not of what I say but only mark and take care to do all that I now enjoyn thee Behold I drive out before thee the Amorite and the Canaanite c. To encourage them so to do he premises what he intended to do for them which he put at the Conclusion of his Covenant when he first declared it XXIII 23 28. but here puts it in the front of it that they might be the more sensible of the reasonableness of those Commands to which he expected Obedience Ver. 12. Take heed to thy self He now renewing that Covenant with them which they had broken by the worshipping the golden Calf repeats the principal Precepts which concerned his Worship and Service which had been delivered to them before and excites them to the observance of them by the addition of a very gracious Promise v. 24. Lest thou make a Covenant with the Inhabitants of the Land whether thou goest Nothing could be more reasonable than this that they should not enter into Friendship with those Nations whom he commanded them to expel for their abominable Wickedness unless they would renounce their Idolatry and come under their Government See XXIII 32. and Mr. Selden L. VI. de Jure N. G. in the latter end of the 13th Chapter and beginning of the next Lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee Lest they inveigle thee to imitate their manners Ver. 13. But ye shall destroy their Altars break their Images and cut down their Groves This more largely explains what was briefly and
at the Passover when they offered the first-fruits of barley harvest XVI Deut. 9. Ver. 23. Three times in the year shall all your Males appear before the LORD the God of Israel This likewise was explained XXIII 14 17. And nothing need be added but that these peculiar Laws are here repeated together with those that follow v. 25 26. upon this occasion because they were ordained to preserve the People in the Worship and Service of the true God from whom they had lately departed Who therefore puts them in mind in the last words of this Verse which was not said before that he was the God of Israel to whom they were devoted by especial Obligations Ver. 24. For I will cast out the Nations before thee Till this was done they were not bound to observe the Precept of appearing three times in the year before the LORD And will enlarge thy borders Beyond the Land of Canaan as he had promised before XXIII 31. Neither shall any man desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD c. To remove all fear of their Mind that their Neighbours might Invade them when all the Men were gone and none but Women and Children and Old men left at home he adds this Promise to all he had made before or rather makes it a part of his Covenant which he now renews that he would lay such Restraints upon their Enemies that they should not so much as think of Invading them at those three Feasts much less make any actual Incursions into their Country Ver. 25. Thou shalt not offer the blood of my Sacrifice c. At the Passover See this fully explained XXIII 18. Ver. 26. The first of the first-fruits of thy Land thou shalt bring unto the House of the LORD thy God At Pentecost which was the Feast of First-fruits See XXIII 19. Thou shalt not seethe a Kid in its mothers milk This concerns the other great Feast that of Tabernacles See in the same place Ver. 27. And the LORD said unto Moses Having recited the principal part of his Covenant mentioned v. 10. he gives the following order Write thou these words From v. 11. to this place just as he did those words contained in the XXI XXII XXIII Chapters of this Book See XXIV 4. out of which these words are extracted as the chief things respecting the Worship of God which he requires him to write in a Book by it self For after the tenor of these words have I made a Covenant with thee and with Israel See XXIV 7. Where the Covenant containing these words and many other was Sealed with the Blood of a Sacrifice The Jews are so blind as to found their Oral Tradition upon this place and upon one small word Pi which signifies indeed mouth but withal is an expletive Particle denoting the manner and value of any thing as appears from XLIII Gen. 7. XXVII Lev. 18. and therefore here rightly translated the tenor of these words Yet R. Johannes in the very beginning of Halicoth Olam gathers from hence That God made a Covenant now with their Fathers concerning all the unwritten Laws delivered by word of Mouth Unto which which while they adhere they can never understand their Divine Writings For what can be more plain that the Covenant here mentioned was ordered to be written Ver. 28. And he was there with the LORD This saith Maimonides was the highest degree of Prophecy which none attained but Moses whose Thoughts were wholly taken off from all other things and fixed upon God while he was with him in the holy Mount that is asked and received Answers from the LORD More Nevochim P. III. c. 51. Forty days and forty nights As he had been at the first XXIV 18. Which was partly to make a new trial how they would behave themselves in his Absence and partly to give the greater Authority to the Laws he brought them from God which he renewed as we read in the end of this Verse And did neither eat bread nor drink water But was supported by Influences from the Almighty who kept up his Spirits in their just height without the common Recruits of Meat and Drink Which when they give us Refreshment likewise make us drowsie See XXIV 18. To which add what Maimonides saith in the place now named That the Joy wherewith he was transported made him not think of eating and drinking for his intellectual Faculties were so strong that all Corporal Desires ceased It seems to me very probable That during this time he saw again the Model of the Tabernacle and all its Furniture with every thing else he was ordered to make when he went first into the Mount from the beginning of the XXVth to the end of the XXXth Chapter which are briefly summed up XXXI 7 8 9 10 11. He seems also to have spent much of this time in Prayer to God for the People That he would restore them intirely to his Favour and bring them to their Inheritance IX Deut. 18 19 25 26. X. 10. And he wrote upon the Tables the words of the Covenant c. That is the LORD wrote as he said he would v. 1. not Moses who wrote the foregoing words in a Book but not these which were written by the Finger of God in the Tables of Stone So Moses tells us expresly X Deut. 4. Jacobus Capellus and others following the Hebrew Doctors imagine that Moses was three times with God in the Mount for the space of XL. days and that this was the last time Between which and the first they place another which they fancy is mentioned XXXII 30 31. compared with IX Deut. 18 c. But I see no solid ground for this for God called him up into the Mount but twice and he durst not have adventured to go so near him as he was both these times without his invitation Ver. 29. And it came to pass when Moses came down from Mount Sinai Which was upon the XXV of our August according to the former Computation v. 2. With the two Tables of Testimony in Moses hand when he came down from the Mount So he came down at the first XXXII 15. That Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone There was a radient Splendour in his Countenance which is the import of the Hebrew Karan which the Vulgar translates horned Not imagining that Moses had Horns but Rays of Light which imitated Horns And therefore the Hebrew word Karnaim signifies both and R. Solomon Jarchi upon this place calls these Rays on Moses's Face Horns of Magnificence as Mr. Selden observes L. II. de Jure N. G. c. 6. p. 292. It is not improbable that the Hair of his Head was inter-spersed with Light as well as that Rays came from his Face which perstringed the Eyes of Beholders And Painters had done more reasonably if instead of Horns upon Moses his Forehead they had represented him with a Glory crowning his Head as the Saints are usually
the People and sometimes the whole Body of the People as Corn. Bon. Bertram observes de Repub. Jud. cap. 6. It seems here to be used in the first Sense for he could not speak these words to the whole Body of the People but to the principal Persons of the several Tribes by whom what he said was communicated to all Israel These are the words which the LORD hath commanded â—hat ye should do them Before they entred upon the work he admonishes them that none of it must be done upon the Sabbath Ver. 2. Six days shall work be done but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy Sabbath c. This Commandment was particularly repeated to Moses at the end of all the directions about the building of the Tabernacle See XXXI 13 14 15. and now repeated to them as it was at his late renewing his Covenant with them XXXIV 21. that they might not imagine any of the work here commanded to be done about the Tabernacle c. would licence them to break the Sabbath The observation of which being the great Preservative of Religion that 's the reason it is so often enjoyned and particular care taken to secure it And it is not to be omitted that to show of what great concern it is he calls it here as he did XXXI 15. where the end and use of it is set down the Sabbath of Sabbaths that is the great Sabbath or Rest Ver. 3. Ye shall kindle no fire in your Habitations upon the Sabbath-day To dress their Meat or for any other work otherwise they might kindle a Fire to warm themselves in cold Weather This is sufficiently comprehended under the general Command Thou shalt not do any work XX. 10. Therefore the meaning is Thou shalt not so much as kindle a fire for any such purpose For that 's the Rule they give in Halicoth Olam cap. 2. that such particular Prohibitions forbid the whole kind i. e. all manner of work whatsoever which is here mentioned to show they might not kindle a fire for this work of the Tabernacle Ver. 4. And spake unto all the Congregation c. See v. 1. This is the Thing which the LORD commanded Having secured the observation of the Sabbath according to the Direction given just before he came down from the Mount the first time XXXI 13 14 15. he now relates to them what Commands he received from God concerning all that follows Ver. 5. Take ye from amongst you an offering unto the LORD And first he makes a motion to them from the LORD that they would make a free Oblation of Materials for the Building of the Tabernacle and all other things which the LORD commanded to be made v. 10 c. Take ye is as much as bring ye and so we translate it XXV 2. See there Where it appears that this was the very first thing God said to him concerning a voluntary Offering which was the Foundation of all the rest and therefore is first propounded to the People by him Whosoever is of a willing heart c. See there XXV 2. Ver. 6 7 8 9. All these have been explained in the XXV Chapter v. 3 4 5 c. Ver. 10. Every wise-hearted among you shall come and make all that the LORD hath commanded Every skilful Person in the Art of making the things following The same is said of the Women v. 25. The Hebrew word Cochmah which we translate Wisdom is used variously as Maimonides observes sometimes for the understanding of Divine things sometimes for Moral Vertue and sometimes for skill in aâ—â— Art of which he alledges this place as an instance and sometimes for Craft and Subtilty See More Nevochim P. III. c. 54. The word leb or heart is used here according to the Vulgar opinion of those days that the Heart is the Seat of the Understanding And thus I observed before upon Chap. XXV that excellent Artists are by the Heathen called Wise-men Since which I have observed that this is the Language of Homer himself whose Verses concerning Margites are quoted by Aristotle in more places than one L. VI. Moral ad Nicomach c. 7. L. V. Moral ad Endemum c. 7. where he saith he was so foolish that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gods neither made him a Ditcher nor a Plough-man nor any other sort of Wise-man Upon which Aristotle notes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We ascribe Wisdom in Arts to those who excel in them and then he instances in Phidias a Stone-Cutter and Pobycletus a Statuary Ver. 11. The Tabernacle This signifies sometimes the whole Structure of the House of God but here only the fine inward Curtains mentioned XXVI 1 2 c. His Tent. This signifies the Curtains of Goats-hair which were laid over the other XXVI 7 c. His Covering Of Rams-skins and Badger-skins which were thrown over the other two XXVI 14. His Taches and his Boards his Bars his Pillars and his Sockets All these are explained in that Chapter Ver. 12. The Ark and his Staves with the Mercy-seat See XXV 10 13 17. And the Vail of the Covering Whereby the Holy was separated from the most Holy Place Which is here fitly mentioned between the Mercy-seat which was within and the Table c. which were without this Vail Ver. 13. The Table and his Staves and all his Vessels See all these explained XXV 23 24 c. And the Shew-bread This is a short Expression one word as is usual being cut off viz. the Dishes in which the Shew-bread was set For Moses had not order to make the Bread it self but the Dishes as I said on which the Loaves were laid XXV 29. Ver. 14. The Candlestick also for the light and his Furniture and his Lamps See XXVI 31 32 c. With the Oyl for the Light See XXVII 20 21. Ver. 15. And the Incense Altar and the Staves See XXXI 1 2 c. And the anointing Oyl XXXI 23 24 c. And the sweet Incense XXXI 34 c. He mentioned before the Materials for them v. 8. and now the things themselves And the hanging for the door at the entring in of the Tabernacle Of this see XXVI 36. Ver. 16. And the Altar of Burnt-offering with his brazen Grate his Staves These are explained XXVII 1 2 4 5 6 7. And all his Vessels See there v. 3. The Laver and his foot See XXIX 17 18. Ver. 17. The hangings of the Court his Pillars and their Sockets See XXVII 9 10 c. And the hangings for the door of the Court See there v. 16. Ver. 18. The Pins of the Tabernacle c. XXVII 19. Ver. 19. The Clothes of the Service to do Service in the holy place the holy Garments for Aaron the Priest and his Sons c. Of which there is an account in the whole XXVIIIth Chapter And Moses here makes this large enumeration of all the things which God had commanded v. 10. that they might be
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
17 25. and sometimes at the door of the Tabernacle XXXI Deut. 14 15. Because the Cloud abode thereon and the Glory of the LORD filled the House The Cloud and the Glory of the LORD were not two different things but one and the same as the Pillar of Cloud and of Fire were For outwardly it was a Cloud and inwardly a Fire and accordingly here the External part of it covered the Tabernacle without while the Internal part shone in full Glory within the House Thus it was upon Mount Sinai where Moses is said to draw near to the thick Darkness where God was XX. 21. That is the Glory of the LORD was in that thick Darkness And so we read before that the Glory of the LORD appeared in the Cloud XVI 10. And so those words are to be interpreted XXIV 16. The Glory of the LORD abode upon Mount Sinai and the Cloud covered it that is covered the Glory of the LORD not the Mount six days After which on the seventh day the Glory of the LORD broke through it and appeared like devouring fire in the sight of all the People v. 17. Ver. 36. And when the Cloud was taken up from over the Tabernacle the Children of Israel went onward in their journeys That is the LORD whose glorious Presence was in this Cloud led and conducted them in all their Removals And therefore they are said to have journeyed at the commandment of the LORD because when the Cloud wherein the LORD was was taken up then they journeyed IX Numb 17 18 20 23. Ver. 37. But if the Cloud were not taken up then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up They were wholly governed by its motions and followed its directions Ver. 38. For the Cloud of the LORD So it is called also in X Numb 34. because the Glory of the LORD was in it Was upon the Tabernacle by day And so it was by Night but then had another appearance as it here follows And fire was on it by night The Fire and the Cloud as I said v. 35. were not different things but the same Pillar which was dark by day when there was no need of light shone like fire by night when the dark part of it could not be seen to lead and conduct them It appeared therefore like a Cloud by day and turned the light side to them which was bright as fire by night that they might march if there were occasion by its direction both day and night And thus it is described XIII 21 22. IX Numb 15 16 c. And so this Verse may be translated The Cloud of the LORD was upon the Tabernacle by day and the Fire was bo in it i.e. in the Cloud by night For so they are elsewhere described as one within the other V Deut. 22. The LORD spake unto all your Assembly out of the midst of the fire of the Cloud and of the thick Darkness In the sight of all the Children of Israel throughout all their journeys The whole Congregation had constantly this comfortable Token of God's Presence among them by the Cloud in the day time and Fire in the night which never left them all the time they were in the Wilderness but brought them to Canaan The End of the Book of EXODUS ERRATA PAge 3. line 1. read See Gen. L. 26. l. 27. dele now before more p. 5. l. 24. r. Aben-Ezra p. 12. l. 6. r. the Hebrews p. 27. l. 12. r. Schalschalah p. 31. l. 5. r. he called his Son p. 41. l. 31. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 51. ult r. his words p. 56. l. 1. for exciting r. exerting p. 62. l. 19. r. because he came with an unusual p. 68. l. 20. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 70. l. 10. r. all this converse l. 19. r. Temara p. 71. l. 9. r. though not very far p. 73. l. 11. r. kashah p. 75. l. 17. r. such knives p. 80. l. 22. r. should not go alone p. 81. l. 13. r. Schalshalah Hakkabalah p. 86. l. 17. r. Taskmasters p. 114. l. 14. r. Gaulmyn p. 136. l. 12. r. Quastiones Alnetanae p. 138. l. 23. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 139. l. 4. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 141. l. 23. for Aretius r. Huetius l. 25. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 143. l. 17. r. as the Jews did long p. 153. l. 20 31. r. Schechin p. 163. l. 22. r. as the Wheat and the Rye 23. r. Trees were not broken p. 193. l. 1. r. expresly p. 197. l. 4. r. Elaeochrisin p. 220. l. 22. r. without the profession p. 242. l. 14. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 249. l. penult r. so long p. 250. l. 28. r. the next verse p. 251. l. 12. r. to protect them p. 256. l. 29. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 262. l. 4. r. tells this story p. 268. l. 13. r. compact p. 278. l. 25. r. distress p. 285. l. 12. r. when we sat p. 294. l. 10. r. who therefore tells them p. 309. l. 24. r. some other Stations p. 324. l. 17. r. German Jews p. 345. l. 6. r. of our minds p. 351 l. 21. r. phrase imports p. 366. l. ult r. and not in any p. 370. l. 18. r. they are the words p. 376. l. 16. r. backward p. 377. l. antepenult r. Gem. Bab. p. 380. l. 25. r. therefore ought not p. 427. l. 15. r. opprobrious p. 443. l. 31. r. where he pleases p. 449. l. 14. r. eat and drink p. 460. l. 3. r. to be true p. 462. l. 9. r. here p. 464. l. 26. r. having owned him p. 466. l. 31. r. he speaks p. 487. l. 3. r. when they were p. 488. l. 13. r. the ten words p. 501. l. 24. r. so in the six p. 511. l. 15. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 513. l. 33. r. set it up p. 520 l. 19. r. make for it p. 545. l. 31. r. Jaspis p. 559. l. 2. r. letters deep p. 567. l. 1. r. and his sons his sons garments p. 572. l. 24. r. which went round p. 573. l. ult r. the Jews say p. 580. l. 18. r. in the first p. 585. l. 30. r. that he might p. 586. l. 11. r. at his entrance p. 608. l. 19. r. Periegetes p. 609. l. 15. r. unto thee p. 614. l. 9. r. take to the Rosamim l. 11. r. take to thee p. 617. l. 6. r. contented themselves p. 623. l. 13. r. were ordered p. 631. l. 8. r. rebuking them p. 640. l. 11. r. the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 642. l. 30. r. make thee Prince p. 666. l. 18. r. v. 20. p. 674. l. 25. r. till men p. 677. l. 16. r. thine inheritance p. 679. l. 17. r. ad praelium ferunt p. 683. l. 20. r. fear oct of their p. 714. l. 9. r. Author of Sepher l. 26. r. in the latter end it is probable p. 721. l. 7. r. as the Priess Books Written by SYMON PATRICK D. D. now Lord Bishop of ELY and Printed for Richard Chiswell THE Parable of the Pilgrim written to a Friend The 6 Edition 4to 1681. Mensa Mystica Or a Discourse concerning the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper In which the Ends of its Institution are so manifested our Addresses to it so directed our Behaviour there and afterward so composed that we may not lose the Profits which are to be received by it With Prayers and Thanksgivings inserted To which is annexed Aqua Genitalis A Discourse concerning Baptism In which is inserted a Discourse to persuade to a confirmation of the Baptismal Vow 8vo Jewish Hypocrisie A Caveat to the present Generation Wherein is shewn both the false and the true way to a Nations or Persons compleat Happiness from the sickness and recovery of the Jewish State To which is added a discourse upon Micah 6. 8. belonging to the same matter 8vo Divine Arithmatick A Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Samuel Jacomb Minister of St. Mary-Woolnoth-Church in Lombard-street London With an Account of his Life 8vo A Sermon preached at the Funeral of Mr. Tho. Grigg Rector of St. Andrew-Vndershaft London 4to An Exposition of the Ten Commandments 8vo Heart's Ease Or a Remedy against all Troubles With a Consolatory Discourse particularly directed to those who have lost their Friends and Rekitions To which is added Two Papers printed in the time of the late Plague The sixth Edition corrected 12mo 1695. The Pillar and Ground of Truth A Treatise shewing that the Roman Church falsly claims to be That Church and the Pillar of That Truth mentioned by St. Paul in 1 Tim. 3. 15. 4to An Examination of Bellarmin's Second Note of the Church viz. A NTIQVITY 4to An Examination of the Texts which Papists cite out of the Bible to prove the Supremacy of St. Peter and of the Pope over the whole Church In Two Parts 4to A private Prayer to be used in difficult times A Thanksgiving for our late wonderful Deliverance A Prayer for Charity Peace and Unity chiefly to be used in Lent A Sermon preached upon St. Peter's Day printed with Enlargements 4to A Sermon preached in St. James's Chappel before the Prince of Orange Jan. 20. 1688. on Isaiah 11. 6. A Second Part of the Sermon before the Prince of Orange on the same Text. Preached in Covent-Garden A Sermon preached before the Queen in March 1688 9. on Colos 3. 15. A Sermon against Murmuring preached at Covent-Garden in Lent 1688 9. on 1 Cor. 10. 10. A Sermon against Censuring preached at Covent-Garden in Advent 1688. on 1 Cor. 4. 10. Fast-Sermon before the King and Queen Apr. 16. 1690. on Prov. 14. 34. A Thanksgiving-Sermon before the Lords Nov. 26. 1691. for reducing of Ireland and the King 's safe Return On Deut. 4. 9. A Fast-Sermon before the Queen Apr. 8. 1692. On Numb 10. 9. Sermon before the Lord Mayor at St. Brides Church on Easter-Munday 1696 on 2 Tim. 2. 8. A Commentary on the First Book of Moses called Geneses 4to 1695. A Commentary on the Second Book of Moses called Exodus 4to 1697. A Sermon before the Lords Nov. 5. 1696. on Dan. 4. 35.
gate throughout the Camp They were not to go into their Tents where they who were sensible of God's Displeasure it may be presumed were bemoaning their sin but to kill every one they met in the Street And slay every man his Brother and every man his Companion c. All the Israelites were Brethren and they are commanded to spare none they met withal because they were near Relations or Friends or next Neighbours Some may imagine this too hazerdous an Undertaking the Levites being but a very small number in comparison with the People of Israel But having God's warrant they were consident none would have the Courage to oppose them for Guilt makes Men timorous and the Levites also found them as Men used to be at the conclusion of a Festival weary with their Dancing and Sports Besides there are those who by their being naked v. 25. understand they were unarmed for Aaron had disarmed them to their shame by setting up the Calf for them to dance about which made them lay aside all thoughts of their Arms and so were more easily slain by the Levites Ver. 28. And the Children of Levi did according to the word of Moses Who being under God their chief Ruler passed this extraordinary Sentence upon the Offenders without the common Process in Courts of Judgment as Mr. Selden observes L. II. de Jure N. G. c. 2. in the end of it And there fell of the people that day about three thousand men The Vulgar hath twenty three thousand contrary to the LXX as well as the Hebrew Text and all the Eastern Versions except the Arabick printed at Rome in this Age and manifestly out of the Vulgar Latin as Mr. Selden hath observed in the same place and Bochart shows largely to be against all the ancient Translations and Writers Hieroz P. I. L. II. c. 34. p. 353. Where he notes also out of Philo these three thousand to have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the principal Ring-leaders of this Impiety In memory of these Disasters the Breaking of the Tables and this Slaughter the Jews keep a Fast every year on the XVIIth of Tamuz which by Jac. Capellus computation answers to the XVIth of our July Ver. 29. For Moses had said consecrate your selves to day to the LORD Or Moses said ye have consecrated your selves c. Which way soever we take it either as spoken before the Execution to encourage them to it or afterward to commend them for it the meaning is That this Act was as acceptable to God as a Sacrifice and had procured them the honour to wait upon him as his Ministers Every man upon his Son and upon his Brother This seems to signifie that some of the Tribe of Levi had also prevaricated to whom these pious Levites had no regard but killed them indifferently with the rest though they met with one of their own Children For which they are highly commended by Moses in his Blessing XXXIII Deut. 9. But it may signifie no more but that they went out with this sincere Resolution to spare none though never so dear to them That he may bestow upon you a blessing this day This Blessing was the Preferment of the Tribe of Levi to be God's Ministers in his House and to enjoy all the Tenth of the Land for an Inheritance XVIII Numb 21 24. Ver. 30. And it came to pass on the morrow Which was the XVIIIth day of Tamuz or our XVIIth of July That Moses said unto the people Whom he assembled together that he might make them sensible of their sin Ye have sinned a great sin He set their sin before them it is likely in all its aggravating Circumstances And now I will go up unto the LORD But he would not have them despair of recovering God's Favour though he could not absolutely assure them of it Peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin That God might not inflict any further Punishment upon them Ver. 31. And Moses returned unto the LORD Not as yet to the place where he was before with the LORD for forty days but to some part of the Mount where he might put up his most fervent Prayers to God by which his Anger was turned away as well as by Sacrifices And said O this people have sinned a great sin He begins his Prayers with a Confession of their Guilt in a most pathetical manner And have made them gods of gold Contrary to the express repeated Command of God XX. 4 23. Ver. 32. Yet now Here follows his earnest and most affectionate Deprecation for them If thou wilt forgive their sin Be thou pleased or O that thou wouldest forgive them See Dr. Hammond upon XCV Psal not 6. Or if not blot me I pray thee out of thy Book which thou hast written Let me die rather than live to see the Evils that are coming on them if thou punish them as they deserve God hath no need of a Book wherein to Register and Record any of his purposes but the Scripture uses the Language of Men as the Jews speak who to this day retain this form of Speech in their Prayer wherewith they begin the New-year O our Father and our King write us in the Book of the best Life in the Book of Righteousness in the Book of Redemption They desire that is to be preserved that year in a happy condition free from sin from want and from danger See Theodorick Hackspan in his Annotations on this place Ver. 33. And the LORD said unto Moses Whosoever hath sinned against me him will I blot out of my Book This was all the Answer Moses could obtain That they only should perish who had offended the Divine Majesty Which doth not deny them a Pardon if they ceased to offend him Ver. 34. Therefore now go Speak no more of this matter but return to the Camp Lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee Take the Conduct of the People upon thee to the Land which I promised to bestow on them This supposes God would not punish them as they deserved though by the words following it appears he abated something of his wonted kindness to them Behold mine Angel shall go before thee Not the Angel spoken of XXIII 20. but some lesser Minister in the Heavenly Court as appears from the next Chapter v. 2. where he saith only I will send an Angel before thee viz. in the Pillar of Cloud and Fire XIII 22. Nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them Upon the next occasion to punish other Offences I will further punish this Whence the saying of R. Isaac in the Gemara Sanhedrim c. 11. There hath no vengeance come upon the world in which there hath not been half an ounce of the first Calf To which R. Vschajah there hath respect in these words Till the days of Jeroboam the Israelites suckt but of one Calf but afterward of three That is their Punishment was
twice as great for they made two Calves though they had seen the terrible Punishment which came upon their Forefathers from making one Ver. 35. And the LORD plagued the people With the Pestilence as some imagine though it be not mentioned in Scripture Or he means all the Evils that afterward consumed them in the Wilderness But there are those who understand this of the slaughter made by the Levites which he briefly repeats as the manner sometimes is in these Writings as a Conclusion to this History of the Golden Calf Because they made the Calf which Aaron made Provoked him to make CHAP. XXXIII Verse 1. AND the LORD said unto Moses depart and go up hence thou and thy people c. This is a renewal of the Order he had already given XXXII 34. which he further explains by expresly assuring him he would make good his Promise to their Fore-fathers of which Moses had remembred him XXXII 13. But they were not by this ordered presently to remove till Moses had been again in the Mount and the Tabernacle was set up and all the Service of it prescribed And I will send an Angel before thee and I will drive out the Canaanite the Amorite c. I will not wholly withdraw my Protection from you as he had for the present XXXII 25. but send one of my Ministers to discomsit your Enemies till you get possession of their Land Ver. 3. For I will not go up in the midst of thee For though I intended to have dwelt among you my self by my special Presence which was in the SCHECHINAH XXV 8. XXIX 43 45 46. you have justly forfeited that favour The Chaldee gives the true sense of this Speech I will not make my Majesty so the SCHECHINAH or Divine Glory was called to go up in the midst of thee And accordingly it follows v. 7 8 9. that he did remove to a distance from them Concerning that Phrase in the midst of thee See XVII 7. For thou art a stiff-necked people See XXXII 9. Lest I consume thee in the way It is not fit for me to see my self affronted to my face by stiff-necked Offenders and not punish them with utter destruction This is an Argument that the Angel he saith he would send before them was not God himself as the Eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is for then he would have had the same reason to consume them for their Disobedience Ver. 4. And when the people heard these evil tidings This threatning of such a grievous Punishment They mourned Fasted perhaps and wept and hung down their Heads with shame and sorrow And no man did put on him his ornaments But every one laid aside his usual Attire and appeared in the Habit of Penitents which in after times was Sackcloth Ver. 5. For the LORD had said unto Moses say unto the Children of Israel ye are a stiff-necked people I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee This Verse gives a reason of their Mourning because Moses had by God's order said to them what God said to him That they were such a perverse People it was not safe for them that he should stay among them and be provoked by their Transgressions suddenly to destroy them Therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee These words show that he had not peremptorily resolved to forsake them as he threatned v. 3. but might be moved by their Repentance to continue with them And therefore he orders them to put themselves in a mourning Habit in token of their hearty sorrow for their sin That I may know what to do unto thee Deal with you according as I find you disposed See XXII Gen. 12. Ver. 6. And the Children of Israel stript themselves of their ornaments Not only of those wherewith they had decked themselves at their late Festival but of all other that they ordinarily wore which they who were not dressed forbore to put on v. 4. By the Mount Horeb. Or rather as the Hebrew word mehar imports from the Mount that is a great way off from the place where God appeared as unworthy to come into his Presence Ver. 7. And Moses took the Tabernacle His own Tent as the LXX interpret it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning I suppose not his own private Tent where he and his Family lived but a publick Tent where he gave Audience and heard Causes and enquired of God which Bonaventura C. Bertramus calls Castrorum Praetorium in his Book de Repub. Jud. c. 4. For such a place we cannot but think there was before that Tabernacle was erected whose pattern he saw in the Mount where all great Affairs were transacted and where Religious Offices in all probability were performed And pitched it without the Camp afar off from the Camp At the distance of Two thousand Cubits as R. Solomon interprets it Which was done to humble them when they saw the Displeasure of God and of his Servant against them declared by this Departure far from them For they might justly fear he would remove quite out of their sight And called it the Tabernacle of the Congregation Gave it the same name which was afterward appropriated to the Tabernacle built for Divine Service alone Because here God met with Moses and communicated his Mind to him and hither they were all to resort who had any business with Moses or would receive an Answer to their Enquiries from God And it came to pass that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the Tabernacle of the Congregation which was without the Camp This is commonly understood of those who came to desire Resolution in any Case of Dissiculty which they could not have as formerly within the Camp but were forced to go and seek it without Which as it showed God's Displeasure so withal gave them some hope of Mercy because it plainly appeared God was not quite alienated and estranged from them Ver. 8. When Moses went into the Tabernacle all the people rose up and stood every man at his Tent door In reverence to him as their Leader whom they had lately despised Or it may be thought also a posture wherein they implored his Intercession for them that God would be pleased graciously to return to them Which is expressed by what follows And looked after Moses Expecting what would be the end of this Business both God and his Minister being removed from them Vntil he was gone into the Tabernacle As long as they could see him Ver. 9. And it came to pass as Moses went into the Tabernacle the cloudy pillar descended In which the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty was XL. 35. which was gone up before because of their Idolatry whereby the Camp was become unclean but now came down again upon the removal of the Tabernacle Where it is very probable it used to be setled as the Token of the Divine Presence among them and afterward was translated to the Tabernacle made after God's appointment where