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
the River stank c. And there was Blood throughout all the Land of Egypt The Waters were in all places turned into Blood except perhaps the Land of Goshen which is not comprehended under the Land of Egypt Ver. 22. And the Magicians of Egypt did so with their Inchantments See v. 11. In some of the Pools or Lakes of Water they made an appearance of the like Change which made Pharaoh think his God was as powerful as the God of the Hebrews The Land of Goshen as I said might possibly be free from this Plague as it was certainly from several of the rest VIII 23. IX 4 c. and some fancy the Magicians had Water from thence to show their power upon But I cannot think it probable that they made Pharaoh stay so long and one may as well say they had it out of the Sea or out of the Pits that the People digged v. 24. as Aben Ezra conjectures and Justin Martyr Quaest. Resp XXVI ad Orthodox But there is no need of any of these Conjectures if it be granted as the History leads us to conclude that Moses did not in a moment change all the Waters of the Country but only those of the River as I said on v. 20. and afterwards by degrees all the rest when the Magicians had tried their Art upon some of them Which Moses also turned into real Blood so that neither they nor any body else was able to drink of them And Pharaoh 's heart was hardned The very same words in the Hebrew which we had before v. 13. where they should have been translated I there observed as they are here and also in VIII 19. Neither did he hearken unto them as the LORD had said III. 19. This was more apt to move his heart than the former Miracle because it continued longer v. 25. and the Magicians could not by all their Spells or Skill in Sorcery remove this Plague in all that time See next Verse Ver. 23. And Pharaoh turned and went unto his House It seems that upon his refusal to hearken unto Moses his Monition v. 15 16 c. God sent this Plague that very Morning before he got home to Dinner So that there was not time to fetch Water from distant places but the Magicians exercised their Inchantments upon some Ponds which were not as yet turned by Moses into Blood Neither set he his heart to this also Here is the reason why his heart was not moved by this Miracle He did not seriously consider what Moses had done and examine the Difference between the Effect of his Power and that of the Magicians Which was the cause that his heart was hardned as we read before as all Mens are who will think of nothing but only to have their own Humour satissied Ver. 24. And all the Egyptians digged round about the River for Water to drink c. The whole Country was forced to try to get Water to quench their thirst by this great labour How it succeeded we are not told but it is likely they found clear Water by percolation through the Earth For Moses smote only the Pits that were then in being when Aaron stretcht out his Rod which had no effect upon those which were digged afterwards Why they did not setch it from Goshen if there was any clear Water there as we cannot but think there was for the use of the Israelites is not easie to determine Their Pride perhaps would not suffer them till they had tried other ways to supply their wants Ver. 25. And seven days were fulfilled after that the LORD had smitten the River The Rod of Moses could effect nothing without the LORD by whose Power this Change was made in the Waters Which lasted seven days before this Plague was removed By which means they were convinced that all the Waters were really corrupted and they felt the heavy Effects of it in a grievous stench and perpetual Labour in digging Pits all about the River Whether Pharaoh at last begged to have this Plague removed or no we are not told It is likely he was so obstinate that he would not stoop to ask this favour of them which might be the reason it lasted so long to see whether he would be moved to humble himself so far To which when he would not yield God took it away to make room for another stroke or as some think it continued together with the Plague of Frogs and were both removed upon his Petition It is a weak Conjecture of the Hebrew Doctors from these Words that all the Ten Plagues lasted seven days apiece which is plainly contrary to the Story CHAP. VIII Verse 1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses Who attended upon the Divine Majesty we may reasonably suppose every day to know his Pleasure And after the seven days mentioned v. last of the foregoing Chapter were fulfilled the LORD commanded him to Address himself again to Pharaoh and to threaten him with a new Punishment which was inflicted upon the XXVth day of the sixth Month and taken away the day after v. 10. Go unto Pharaoh and say unto him Thus saith the LORD c. The very same Message in effect which he had delivered to him before V.I. VII 16 17. Ver. 2. And if thou refuse to let them go behold c. He again threatens the Plague before he inflicts it both that Pharaoh might know it came not by chance but by the determinate Counsel of God and that he might prevent it by Repentance and Submission to God's Command I will smite This word commonly signifies in the Scripture Language to kill but here only to afflect grievously See LXXVIII Psalm 45. where to destroy them signifies to annoy them All thy Borders Every part of his Country to the utmost extent of it i.e. in all places where the Egyptians dwelt For it is not likely the Israelites were infested with them See v. 4. With Frogs The Hebrew word Tsaphadéa signifies as Eben Ezra thinks an Egyptian Fish which some will have to be a Crocodile As Gaulmyn observes in his Annnotations on the Life and Death of Moses p. 256. But this is undoubtedly false for they could not infest them in that manner as is described in the next Verse Ver. 3. And the River shall bring forth Under the Name of the River is comprehended all the Streams Ponds Lakes and other Waters in Egypt as appears from v. 5. For most of them came one way or other out of the River they having little Rain in Egypt Frogs abundantly The Nile naturally produced Frogs but such great abundance of them as silled the Country was miraculous especially being produced on a sudden and their going out of the River and Fields into the Cities and Houses c. was still more miraculous Which shall go up Out of the River which lay lower than the Land And come into thine House c. This explains what he meant by smiting in the foregoing Verse viz. inflicting a
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
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
blemish There were several things to be done before this though this was the chief For they were to be washed and robed with their Priestly Garments and anointed and then they were compleated by peculiar Sacrifices which are directed and described v. 10 11 c. and put in execution VIII Lev. 1 2 c. Ver. 2. And unleavened bread c. Together with the foregoing Sacrifices which it will appear hereafter were of several sorts there was a Mincha to be offered Bread being necessary at a Table together with Flesh And this consisted of three parts unleavened Bread unleavened Cakes tempered with Oyl and unleavened Wafers or thin Cakes like to our Pan-cakes anointed with Oyl before they were put into the Pan to be fried All these were to be made of wheaten flour and the two last were accounted a delicious Bread among the Greeks as Athenaeus tells us L. III. Deipnosoph Ver. 3. And thou shalt put them into one basket c. All these making but one Meat-offering were to be put into one Basket and so brought to the door of the Tabernacle to be presented there to God together with the Bullock and Rams v. 23. Ver. 4. And Aaron and his Sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the Tabernacle To be presented unto God together with their Sacrifice And shalt wash them with water This was the first thing that was done for the hallowing them v. 1. as we read VIII Lev. 6. and was performed some think at the Laver which is directed to be made in the next Chapter XXX 18 19. where they were to repeat this washing every time they went in to minister unto God But now I take it to be more likely at their first Consecration Water was brought from thence to wash them at the Door of the Tabernacle before they were permitted to enter into it Whether their whole Bodies were now washed is not said but we may probably gather that they were for they were now looked on as wholly unclean being unhallowed and therefore were to be washed all over though being once cleansed they needed not do more when they went to minister but only wash their hands and their feet Which agrees with our Saviour's words XIII Joh. 10. Such washings every Body knows were in use among the Gentiles before they offered Sacrifice Ver. 5. And thou shalt take the Garments Their Bodies being washed they were next of all robed with those Garments prescribed in the foregoing Chapter And put upon Aaron the coat and the robe of the Ephod and the Ephod c. The order wherein these Garments were put on according to the Talmudists was this First the Breeches were put on by the Priest himself and that privately which is the reason perhaps they are not here mentioned They being tied about his Loins Moses put upon him the close Coat which came down to his Ankles Then this being bound to him by the Girdle which was round several times about him under the Arm-holes he put upon him his Bonnet This was the manner of habiting an ordinary Priest But when the High Priest was consecrated after the Girdle before named was put on the Robe with the Ephod and Breast-plate and then his Mitre to which was added the Golden-plate tied with a blue Riband upon his forehead See Selden de Succession ad Pontif. L. II. c. 8. Ver. 6. And put the holy Crown upon his head By this Crown is meant nothing else but the Golden-plate on which was written Holiness to the LORD XXVIII 36. Which is expresly called by the name of a Crown XXXIX 30. VIII Lev. 9. being bound upon the forehead with a blue Riband like a Diadem Josephus seems to call the Mitre by the name of a Crown L. VI. Halos c. 15. but then he immediately adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. about which there was another Golden Crown having holy Letters written in it c. Vide Selden L. II. de Succession c. 7. Ver. 7. And thou shalt take the anointing Oyl The next thing that was done for the Consecration of Aaron was anointing him with that Oyl which God ordered to be made XXX 31 32 c. And pour it upon his head and anoint him The Jews seem to think these two distinct things pouring Oyl on his head and then anointing him The manner of which they say was thus The Oyl being poured upon his head which ran down to his face he that anointed him drew with his Finger the figure of the Greek Letter Chi or St. Andrew's Cross upon his forehead between his Eye-brows This was done Aben-Ezra thinks before his Mitre was put upon his head But that is contrary to the order here set down which prescribes the putting on all his Priestly Garments of which this was one before the anointing And he was therefore to be anointed in all his Habiliments because he was anointed to minister unto God which he could not do without all the holy Garments XXVIII 43. particularly this it being unlawful to appear before God with the Head uncovered as it was also among the Gentiles Other of the Jewish Doctors therefore think that when his Head was wrapt about with the Mitre a place was left bare upon his Crown for the pouring the Oyl upon it Certain it is that it was so poured on his Head as to run down upon his Beard CXXXIII Psal 2. And the Jew says the form of the Letter Chi was drawn upon his forehead to distinguish his anointing from that of their Kings who were anointed in the sorm of a Circle or Crown See Selden de Succession L. II. c. 9. Where he observes also that there being no holy Oyl all the time of the second Temple after the Captivity they made High Priests only by putting on their holy Garments Which that they might have compleat they made an imitation of Vrim and Thummim though they had not the Oracle it self that none of the eight Garments might be wanting So Maimonides The only remaining difficulty is Whether all Aaron's Sons were anointed as well as himself And Mr. Selden in the place before-named thinks they were at the first but not in future times though all Aaron's Successors in the High Priesthood were consecrated by anointing as long as the holy Oyl lasted that is to the Captivity of Babylon or as some say fifty years before when it was hid and no more found And there is a place in the next Chapter which seems to favour this Opinion XXX 30. But as we read of no Command for their anointing as there is here for Aaron's so when this Command came to be executed it is said expresly that Moses poured Oyl on Aaron's Head but that upon his Sons he only put the holy Garments VIII Lev. 12 13. And therefore he is peculiarly called The High Priest from among his Brethren upon whose Head the anointing Oyl was poured XXI Lev. 10. The anointing therefore of his Sons XXX 30. is only meant of that
and such like Uses Lib. II. de Jure N. G. c. 8. And he shows L. IV. c. 5. out of the Misna in the Title Siklim and other Authorities That on the first day of the Month Adar men were appointed to sit in every City of Judea to receive this Payment Which is the Tribute mentioned by Titus in his Oration to the Jews wherein he puts them in mind how kind he had been to them in permitting them to take Tribute and to gather Gifts for God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josephus L. VI. Halos c. 34. Ver. 14. Every one that passeth among them that are numbred from twenty years old and above shall give an offering unto the LORD Every Man was bound to offer whether Priest or Levite Israelite or Stranger except Women Servants and such as were under Age. Yet if any one of these did make a voluntary offering it was accepted only from a Gentile who was an Idolater they would not accept it as Maimonides tells us See Selden L. III. de Jure N. G. c. 4. p. 291. Ver. 15. The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel They were all equally concerned in this Tax being for the support of the daily weekly monthly and annual Sacrifices and for the providing Salt and Wood and the Shew-bread c. whereby all Israel came to have an interest in whatsoever was done at the House of God all the year long The Priestly Garments also were provided out of this Money and other things belonging to the Divine Service and to the Reparations of the House of God See Mr. Selden L. III. de Synedr c. 10. n. 2 3 4. Where he shows That if any thing remained in the end of the year after all these Charges defrayed it was spent in extraordinary Burnt-offerings which were called the second Sacrifices of the Altar When they give an offering unto the LORD to make an atonement for your souls Whence this Money is called in the next Verse Keseph Hakippurim the Money of Expiations Which made every Man though never so poor endeavour to raise it though he sold his Clothes to get it And he that failed to pay this Tribute was separated from the Congregation and not comprehended in the Expiation as R. Levi of Barcelona speaks Praecept CV that is was not partaker of the benefit of the Expiatory Sacrifices Ver. 16. And thou shalt take the atonement-money of the Children of Israel and shalt appoint it for the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation See the Verse foregoing and X Nehem. 32 33. where we read of Ordinances made to charge themselves with the third part of a shekel for the fore-mentioned uses because the Expences were then so great that half a Shekel was not sufficient to maintain them That it may be a memorial for the Children of Israel before the LORD to make an atonement for their souls A Testimony of their Gratitude to God who graciously accepted this Acknowledgment of him and spared their Lives which by their Sins they had forfeited this being a Propitiation for them because it purchased Propitiatory Sacrifices to be offered on their behalf Ver. 17. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying See v. 11. Ver. 18. Thou shalt also make a laver of brass There is nothing said either here or XXXVIII 8. concerning the form or the bigness of it But we may probably think that though Solomon made a Sea of Brass much bigger than this Vessel which was to be carried about with them in their Travels in the Wilderness yet he made it of the same form and that was Circular as we read 2 Chron. IV. 2 3 c. And after their return from the Captivity of Babylon the Laver was restored as L'Empereur observes out of Maimonides in his Annotations on Codex Midoth c. 3. sect 6. but there is nothing to be found in the Talmudists concerning its Dimensions And his foot also of brass The Basis of it was so contrived as to receive the Water which run out of the Laver at certain Spouts To wash withal At those Spouts the Priests washed their hands and their feet before they entred upon their Ministration For if they had put their hands and feet into the Laver the Water in it would have been defiled by the first Man that washed therein And the Sea of Brass made by Solomon was so high that they could not put their feet into it And thou shalt put it between the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the Altar It stood according to the Talmudists between the Porch of the Temple and the Altar and consequently in the Tabernacle at the entrance of it but a little on the South-side and not just before the Altar That is it was placed like our Fonts which stand at the lower end of our Churches towards the Door So that the Priests coming into the Court immediately went to the Laver and there washed and then ascended to the Altar And thou shalt put water therein The Heathens were so Superstitious as to think there was a greater virtue in some Waters than in others for their lustration particularly the Greeks as Fort. Scacchus observes would admit of no other Water in some of their greatest Solemnities but that from the Fountain Calliroho But the Divine Institution was more simple requiring meerly Spring-water for all manner of Purifications only this Water here mentioned was put into a Vessel sanctified by a solemn Unction XL. 11. Ver. 19. For Aaron and his Sons shall wash their hands and their feet therein Which that it might be done more conveniently the Talmudists tell us there were twelve Spouts or Cocks in the form of a Womans Breast whence they call them Paps or Dugs to let the Water out of the Laver so that the twelve Priests who attended upon the daily Sacrifice might wash there all together See L'Empereur in the place above-named where he treats at large of this and of the Conveyance of Water into the Laver which in the Tabernacle at least while they were in the Wilderness was brought thither every day in other Vessels and put into it according to the Direction in the Conclusion of the foregoing Verse Every one knows that the Gentiles took great care of washing their hands before they sacrificed as appears by many places in Homer to name no other Authors who in the first Book of his Iliads speaking of the great Sacrifice that was preparing to be offered for the appeasing of Apollo saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon which words Eustathius observes it was the ancient custom before they sacrificed to wash their hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for none but those who were clean and pure might meddle with sacred things And again in the third Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They poured Water upon the hands of the Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Eustathius as being about to Sacrifice But I do not find in any Author that
this Book 11. Or the word Tabernacle may be thought to signifie the inward part of this House as Tent the outward part which covered the inward See v. 17 19 29. Why it is called Ohel moed the Tent of the Congregation see XXIX 44. Ver. 3. And thou shalt put therein the Ark of the Testimony This was the principal end of building this House that God as was said before might dwell among them and his Residence was over this Ark. Which therefore is ordered in the first place to be brought into the Holy of Holies prepared for it as soon as the House was erected Why called the Ark of the Testimony see XXVI 20 21. And cover the Ark with the vail Which hung before it that no Body not the Priests themselves might see it XXVI 33. Ver. 4. And thou shalt bring in the Table c. When the Ark was placed in the Holiest of all then the Table with all belonging unto it and the Candlestick whose Lamps were to be lighted are ordered to be set in the Sanctuary which was divided by the Vail from the other XXVI 35. Ver. 5. And thou shalt set the Altar of Gold for the Incense before the Ark of the Testimony See XXX 6. And put the hangings of the door to the Tabernacle XXVI 36 37. This is ordered to be hung up when the Table Candlestick and Altar of Incense were put into the Holy Place because there were no more things but these three to be there Ver. 6. And thou shalt set the Altar of Burnt-offering c. In this and the two following Verses he is ordered to place the Altar of Burnt-offering and the Laver as he had been before directed XXX 18. and to set up the outward Court and the Hanging at the Gate of it in order to place the Altar and the Laver there XXVII 9 c. Ver. 9. And thou shalt take the anointing Oyl Mentioned in the XXX 23 c. Every thing being disposed in its proper place now follows their Consecration For they were not Consecrated separately before the House was erected and its Furniture brought in but after every thing was set in the order which God appointed And anoint the Tabernacle and all that is therein c. As was before directed and now ordered to be put in execution XXX 26 27 28 29. where this and the two following Verses are explained Ver. 12. And thou shalt bring Aaron and his Sons to the door of the Tabernacle The Laver being sanctified v. 11. many think that the Sanctification of Aaron and his Sons i. e. their Separation to their Office began in their being washed with Water But I look upon this as a Mistake there being a washing prescribed before the Laver was ordered XXIX 4. where they were to wash only when they went in to Minister XXX 19 20 21. Ver. 13. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy Garments Mentioned in the XXVIIIth Chapter And anoint and sanctifie him c. XXX 30 31. Ver. 14. And thou shalt bring his Sons and clothe them with Coats See XXVII 40 41. Ver. 15. And thou shalt anoint them as thou didst their Father See concerning this XXIX 7. where both their anointing and their Fathers is explained For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting Priesthood c. Not only consecrate them to the Priest's Office as long as they live but consecrate their Posterity also who shall need no other anointing in succeeding Generations but Minister to God by vertue of this anointing as long as that Priesthood lasted So the Hebrews interpret it None of them needed in after times saith R. Levi ben Gersom upon 1 Kings 1. to be anointed but only the High-Priest whose Successors were to be anointed as they gather from VI Levit 22. The Priest of his Sons who shall be anointed in his stead c. See Selden de Succession in Pontisicat L. II. c. 9. Ver. 16. Thus did Moses according to all that the LORD commanded him so did he He took the same care in erecting the Tabernacle and disposing every thing in its place that the Workmen had done in making all things according to God's mind XXXIX 43. Ver. 17 18 c. And it came to pass in the first month c. This and the following Verses to Verse 34. give an account of the Execution of what God commanded in the foregoing part of this Chapter But it is not easie to resolve whether every thing was executed at this very time or no. For full understanding of which it will be necessary to mark diligently the order wherein God requires all the foregoing Commands to be performed And first he bids him set up the Tabernacle and put every thing belonging to it in its place v. 2 3. and so forward to v. 9. And next to consecrate it and all the Vessels thereof with the Altar of Burnt-offerings and its Vessels c. v. 9 10 11. And then to proceed to consecrate Aaron and his Sons v. 12 13 14 15. Now it is expresly here affirmed that Moses did perform the first of these that is set up the Tabernacle and put every thing appertaining to it in its right place on the first day of the first month of the second year after their coming out of Egypt At which time we must suppose also he began to consecrate it and spent seven days in the Consecration of it and of the Altar of Burnt-offering as is appointed XXIX 37. But the difficulty is to determine when he consecrated Aaron and his Sons as he is here required in which seven days were also spent as we read VIII Lev. Some think there were but seven days in all set apart for this work and consequently they were consecrated together So Torniellus in his Annals and Abulensis before him who follow Seder Olam and other Jewish Writers who are of this Opinion The ground of which is that the Tabernacle being erected on the first day of the month before-mentioned and its Consecration finished on the eighth there was a Solemn Passover kept upon the fifteenth IX Numb 1 2 c. which could not be held they suppose unless there were Priests to offer the Passover who therefore were consecrated at the same time with the Tabernacle because on the eighth day another business began which was the offering made by the Princes of the Tribes every one in their day VII Numb 1. But the principal ground is that in VIII Lev. 10 11 c. Moses speaks of the anointing i. e. Consecrating the Altar and of Consecrating Aaron and his Sons as done both at the same time But there is a weighty Objection against all this which is that in the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons there were three Sacrifices offered upon the Altar one for a Sin-offering another for a Burnt-offering and the Ram of Consecration for a Peace-offering VIII Lev. 4.18 22. None of which could be acceptable for their Sanctification till the Altar it self was made