LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
PRINCETON, N. J.
G-reen Fund
Dirision.^3.\2A5
Section.xA...\^. I O
A CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL
COMMENTARY ON EXODUS.
A CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL
COMMENTARY
THE BOOK OF EXODUS.
Mifli a jflcfa Kriinslutiou.
JAMES G. MURPHY, LL.D., T.C.T).,
PROFESSOR OF HEBREW, BELFAST.
Al THilR OF ••COMMK.START ON TIIK BOOK OF c;F.NFSI«."
EDINBURGH:
T. .t T. CLAEK, 38 GEORGE STREET:
LONDON : HAMILTON, ADAMS, & CO. ;
ITBLIN : J. KOBERTSON & CO. HKI.! AST : C AITCHISON.
MDCCCT.XVr.
PREFACE.
If the one God make a world and write a book, it is to be
expected that nature and Scripture will agree. But their in-
terpreters may differ. It is notorious that there has been a
philosophy that was only vain deceit — a science, falsely so-
called. This was simply a false interpretation of nature. It
could not be presumed that such would agi'ee with the Bible.
It is equally well-known that false principles of interpretji-
tion have been applied to the Scripture, the results of which
have also been at variance with nature. Admittinsr, however,
the word and the work to come both from God, men, with the
narrow and partially erroneo\is philosophy of their day, have
endeavoured to harmonize them. In doing so, they have in
some instances imposed a sense upon Scripture which has
eventually turned out to be incongioious with the conclusions
of a wider and more exact philosophy. But while the former
results of speculative and scientific inquiry have been modified
or reversed, it has been generally taken foi* granted that the
old meanings attached to those portions of Scripture that
touch upon physical or metaphysical phenomena remain true
and incontrovertible.
It is to be remembered, however, that these meanings
flowed from minds otherwise well cultivated, but at the same
time imbued with the errors of their day on physical and
other questions. Their mistaken preconceptions insensibly
guided their interpretation ; and hence they found in Scrip-
vi PEEFACE.
ture, and fixed upon it, the prejudices of a dogmatic science.
And there are actually men of critical and cultivated minds,
open to the advancing and astonishing disclosures of modern
science, who reject with impatience, and pronounce to be in-
genious trifling, any attempt at an interpretation of Scripture
free from the prejudices of the past, and in harmony with the
science of the present. They assume that the interpreter has
already done all justice to these parts of Scripture, and regard
it as a settled point that this venerable record of the past is
and must have been out of harmony with the present state of
science.
If the Scripture was a book of merely human origin, we
mio-ht acquiesce in this conclusion. In that case, being com-
posed, most of it, long before the Christian era, and all of it
lono- before the era of physical science, it must have partaken
of the errors of its age. And the wonder would be, not that
it contains the few errors on physical questions which some
interpreters find in it, but that it does not contain a multitude
of others common to the ages in which it was produced. The
Mosaic cosmogony, history, and philology, even according to
the common interpretation, solve questions, which without
their aid speculation and science have attempted in vain. It
need scarcely be added that the theology and ethics of the
Pentateuch, not to speak of the New Testament, far transcend
all the attainments of unassisted human reason. The appear-
ance of such a volume in such an age is simply unaccount-
able on the hypothesis of its human origin.
The Scripture, however, claiming and proving itself in so
many ways to be of divine origin and authority, is clearly as
liable to be misinterpreted as nature. It is positively more
so. Nature comes directly from the hand of God, and shows
no traces of a human hand, except what havoc sin has wrought
in man. Yet it has been long and grievously misapprehended
by the haste or pride of its interpreters. But Scripture comes
from God through the minds and utterances of men. Hence
it expresses the revelations of God in the phraseology of un-
prf:face. vii
tutored or misinformed man. It presents, therefore, an in-
cidental element of relative imperfection in the mode of
expression. How much more, then, is it liable to be misun-
derstood by an interpreter, who is himself led astray by the
errors of his own or past times?
A free and fair thinker will feel that a divine communica-
tion, if such may be, must achieve the difficult, and to man
impossible, task of conveying a system of truth in the imj)er-
fcct vehicle of human language, without coming into real
conflict with the facts of nature. Now it is j)lain that a com-
munication so expressed, though it be in fundamental harmony
with nature, may appear not to be so from casual phrases,
which convey a fact, indeed, plainly enough, but in terms
which involve an old or popular misconception regarding it.
Thus when we say, "the sun sets," the event intended is ade-
quately expressed, and perfectly understood, though the terms
fail to give a strictly accurate account of what actually takes
place. And only when we have succeeded in disentangling
the error unavoidably belonging to the medium of communi-
cation are we at liberty to regard the meaning remaining in
the words as the statement intended by the sacred record.
Hence, in receiving a divine revelation couched in human
words, it is only fair that we discount any error that may
incidentally lurk in the ordinary phraseology of the time.
This law for the exposition of a divine record, though
evident in itself, and demanded by equity, has yet had to
force its way in all ages to acceptance and authority. When
Galileo, in the seventeenth century, proclaimed that the earth
had a diurnal motion on its axis, and an annual motion round
the sun, he was condemned for teaching what was contradic-
tory to the assertions of the Bible. His judges were not
aware, or did not admit of the fair and obvious principle of
interpretation which has now received a partial recognition.
No one now maintains that the Scriptures assert that the
earth stands still, while the sun performs a diurnal revolution
in twenty-four hours. Yet there are men in this nineteenth
VIU PREFACE.
century who regard with hesitation, if they do not turn away
with undisguised distrust from any attempt to apply this or
any other equally fair rule of hermeneutics to those portions
of the Bible which are presumed to be repugnant to the con-
clusions of physical science. We could understand this, if its
divine authority were to be abandoned. But with its claim
to be given by inspiration of God before us, we submit that
it is as well entitled to an amended interpretation as nature
itself. Natural science receives a constant readjustment as
new facts disclose themselves to the enlightened observer.
Biblical science has a still more pressing claim to a similar
reconstruction, inasmuch as it has long suffered from a defect-
ive mode of elucidation, not based on a fair estimate of itself,
but biassed by a false view of nature. The interpreter of
nature amends his method under the force of accumulated
experience. Let the interpreter of Scripture enjoy the same
right. Especially let him be released from the bondage which
the vain philosophy of a bygone age has imposed upon him.
Liberated from the prejudices of the past, and standing in the
light of present science, let him at least make the attempt to
interpret Scripture as the word of God, that must be in real
harmony with the works of God. It will be time enough to
abandon the theory of divine inspiration when right principles
of hermeneutics, freely and fairly applied, fail to bring out a
meaning that will be in harmony with the indubitable facts
of nature.
The same line of reasoning applies to moral and meta-
physical questions as to physical. Let us fully apprehend
the foundations of our mental philosophy before we make it
the standard by which we are to test the morals of Scripture,
And let us be scrupulously faithful in ascertaining what is the
precise meaning of Scripture, before we pronounce it to be at
variance with any first principle of ethical or metaphysical
truth.
The interpretation of the Book of Genesis, offered by the
present writer to the public in 1868, was the issue of an
PREFACE. IX
attempt to ascertain the meaning of that venerable portion of
lioly writ according to cxegetical rules, which reviewers have
admitted to be just, and one has even ])ronounced it to be a
series of truisms. Some results of this interpretation were,
it" not new, yet sufficiently remarkable. The record of the
primeval creation was found to be contained in the first
verse of Genesis. The state of at least a portion of the
surface of the earth antecedent to the six days of creative
effort, is described in the second verse. The creation, narrated
in the remainder of the first chapter, is partial in regard both
to time and place, being accomplished in six literal days, and
confined in range to that portion of the earth's surface which
was declared in the second verse to be waste, void, and dark.
The deluge is limited to a still narrower area, extending only
to the region inhabited by man. The ark was designed and
constructed to preserve only such animals of a domestic and
harmless kind as might have become extinct, because they
were limited in range. It did not, therefore, receive animals
residinfj in more distant rejiions, or belon^in" to an earlier
creation. The six days' creation, moreover, furnishes an in-
stance of a local centre of creation, and consequently favours
the presumption of other local and previous centres of creation
for different orders of animal and vegetable life. These and
other similar results, are elicited from the text, it is submitted,
by a natural and unstrained interpretation.
It may be said that in both these cases the terms of the
descriptions are universal, and the interpretation has been uni-
formly so. But it is to be remembered that there was a
universality at first both in regard to man and the objcct.«»
known to him. And hence the terms of the text agree with
the original compass of human experience. But when the
terms land, animal, kc, come to have an extent of meaning
beyond what was known or contemplated in primeval times, it
is manifest that an error may be insensibly imported into the
sense ; because what ap])lied to these terms in their original
extension may not be true of the new parts of their extension-
X PREFACE.
And this error will progressively increase in amount until the
land becomes the terraqueous globe, and the animals comprise
all the species existing thereupon.
The present volume on Exodus is a second contribution to
the exposition of the Old Testament, and to the practical
demonstration, that a just interpretation of the volume of
inspiration will obviate supposed difficulties, which have arisen
mainly from misapprehension, and bring out more strikingly
and uniformly its essential harmony with science, reason, and
history. It removes, in the author's apprehension, any im-
possibilities that may have seemed to lie in the natural events
that are recorded in the narrative. This is a matter of the
first importance not only in regard to the credibility of the his-
tory, but in reference to the origin and structure of the whole
Pentateuch. For while the historical validity of the document
stands, the free handling, by which the text is parcelled out
and distributed among a succession of authors, the earliest of
whom lived centuries after the events occurred, loses the basis
on which alone it can be securely erected ; and the evidence
for its Mosaic authorship rests upon a foundation which can-
not be moved.
The resources for the vindication of the historical veracity
of the narrative in Exodus are far from being exhausted. The
elucidation of Egyptian history by the labours of Lepsius,
Rawlinson, Hincks, Talbot, and otherS' — the restoration of its
chronology, to which Dr. Hincks has contributed some most
interesting and valuable papers — the investigation of the his-
torical and anthropological traces which remain of the migra-
tions of ancient tribes — and the conclusions of a thoroughly
discussed theory of national and social economy, will yet
throw a flood of light on the exodus of Israel and the events
consequent upon it. The profounder investigations of ethical
and political questions, and the prosecution of the abstruse
but important and practical inquiry into the mode of training
families and nations in the conception, reception, and perpe-
tuation of true ideas, beliefs, and cognitions respecting God,
PREFACE. xi
and their practical relation to liim, will also open tlic way f'»r
a juster coinpiehension of the meaning of Exodus, as well an
the other books of the Pentateuch.
Such, indeed, is the apologetic view of the bearing of those
studies on the book. But the real character of the books of
Moses, as the primeval portion of the word of God, precisely
reverses this bearing. The Pentateuch is the light of revela-
tion shedding its salubrious beams on those questionin<o> of the
spirit of man, on those themes which have been darkened and
confused by the entrance of sin. And when men come to
acknowledge the divine authority, and penetrate into the true
meaning of this second book of it, this book of moral resolv-
ings, and teachings, and doings, they will find in it a safe
guide to new and sound views of ethical, political, and educa-
tional science. It would not be ea.sy to exaggerate the im-
portance of that book which recounts the separation of the
cliosen people of God from the world, the giving of the moral
law, and the setting up of the tabernacle, which symbolises
the way of reconciliation and communion with God.
The method of exposition pui-sued in this volume, as well
as in that in Genesis, is the following : — Fir.st, the general
arrangement and division of topics in the book are brought
under notice. Next, at the head of each section, a few pro-
minent words are quoted and briefly expounded for the sake
of readers acquainted with Hebrew, who are supposed to
peruse the section in. the original. Then follows a translation
of the section, which is designed to be a mere revisi(m of the
Authorised Version. This the reader will compare with the
■original, or with the corresponding portion of his English
Bible. The commentary then appended is designed to explain
the momentous import of the historical facts recor<led, to
mark their bearing on the highest interests of man, and to
unfold the great principles of ethical and theological tnitli
which are stated for his guidance and comfort. These arc
obviously the weightiest questions that can engage the atten-
tion of man. Certain and definite answers on these all-im-
XU PREFACE.
portant topics are to be found in the books of revelation, and
in no other quarter. We have, therefore, the strongest mo-
tives to examine the Scriptures, to make ourselves acquainted
with their profoundly interesting contents, and to avail our-
selves of the information they convey to escape the penal con-
sequences of sin and enter upon the path of everlasting life.
In pursuing such investigations as these, the writer has not
occupied much space with those questions of literary criticism
which are now ably discussed in introductions to the Bible
and in Biblical dictionaries. He has refrained in general from
bewildering the reader with the enumeration of a series of
incongruous opinions, and has been sparing in the quotation
of authorities for every particular statement made. In this
way he has endeavoured to economise space for a more full
discussion, though in as concise a form as possible, of all that
bears upon the ways of God with man. The difficulties that
are started in the publications of the day have received a
large share of attention ; and whatever seemed to be the best
mode of obviating their force has been uniformly indicated in
an incidental way. And at the risk of some appearance of
dogmatism, it has been made a point in all important cases
if possible to arrive at and to offer to the reader a decided
opinion.
The author has made some contributions towards a formal
and direct reply to recent objections to the Pentateuch, But
he is content for the present with offering to the reader a
second instalment of the positive argument for the authority
and historical validity of that venerable document in this
attempt at the exegetical elucidation of the book of Exodus.
The right understanding of the Book of God is all the vindi-
cation it needs with the earnest reader.
INTRODUCTION.
IX. EXODUS.
THE Book of Exodus is the record of a new development
in the ways of God with man. This is the departure of
the chosen people out of Egypt. They went into that land
a family j they came out a people. They entered as the
honoured and independent relatives of the Prime Minister of
State ; they departed as the fugitive serfs of a despotic and
oppressive government. They took up their abode in Goshen
at a time when the nations still retained some knowledge of
the true God, some remembrance of His covenant with man,
and some sense of His claim upon their reverence ; they
marched forth from the land of their sojourning at an epoch
when the iniquity of the Amorites was full, when, whatever
might be the case with a rare individual or tribe, the nations
had corrupted the knowledge of God, disregarded His cove-
nant, and wandered into the devious paths of will-worship.
Apostasy from the truth on the loftiest themes of history had
become the characteristic of the nations, when God brought
forth from the bondage of Egypt into the sphere of conspi-
cuous observation the nation whom he foreknew to be the
keepers of his sacred oracles and ordinances, the accepted
parties to His holy and gracious covenant, and the maintain-
ers and eventual disseminators of His pure and spiritual wor-
shi]) on earth. This great act is the topic of the Book of
Exodus.
From this glance at its contents, it is manifest that it is
A
2 INTRODUCTION.
not the full counterpart of Genesis. That venerable docu-
ment is matched in gi^andeur of scope not even by the rest of
the Pentateuch, but only by the remainder of the volume of
revelation. It opens with a creation, of which man forms the
prominent object ; the Old Testament closes with the antici-
pation of a new creation (Is. Ixv. 1 7), in which also man will
hold the conspicuous place ; and the New Testament records
the atoning obedience of Christ, and the quickening work of
the Holy Ghost, as the guarantee and earnest of that new
creation, the consummation of which it again announces to
the Church (2 Pet. iii. 13). Genesis also touches upon the
history of the whole race of man, and even after the call of
Abraham traces the peaceful intercourse subsisting between
the chosen family and the rest of mankind. Exodus marks
the full-o-rown antao*onism between the chosen nation and
the heathen world, records the violent separation between the
two, and then confines itself mainly to the history of the
party that remained in communion with God. Fits distin-
guishing event, the exodus, is accordingly the prototype of
that great event in the experience of the individual, in which
he comes out from the bondage of the flesh into the freedom
of the Spirit, as well as of those great occasions^ the history
of the Church in which it reasserts its spiritual life and liberty,
and passes w^ith all the determination of new-born principle
from the wilful service of sin into the conscientious obedience
of holiness. This coming out is a process continually going
on during the history of the Church until all have come out,
and the doomed world is given over to everlasting destruction.))
It is the manner of Scripture to signalise the primary event
in any given series as a lesson and example to all future
generations. In Genesis are recorded all kinds of origins or
births, and, among others, the birth of Isaac, the seed of pro-
mise. In Exodus is recounted the deliberate action of the
new-born, in coming out of the land of bondage. The wilder-
ness between this land and the land of promise, the troubles,
temptations, and failings of such a state of life, the giving of
the law to a new-born and emancipated people, the setting up
of the ordinances of a huly religion, are all typical events, pre-
fio-uring others of a like nature, but of still grander and
grander import. They do not stand alone on memory's
INTRODUCTION. 3
tablet, but embody a principle of consUmt value, which comes
out in a series of analogous events in the course of human
atiairs. They are standing monuments in the great field of
the past, written in legible charactere on the page of history
for the instruction of coming days. They lodge in the mind
of man the principles which they exemplify, never afterwards
to be dislodged from the hereditary wisdom of the race. His-
tory has been said to be philosophy teachijig b}'- examples,
and this is nowhere so true as in that history which describes
events from a heavenly point of view, selects them with a
divine intuition of their exemplary character, and places them
on record for the express purpose of instilling into men's
hearts the great principles of sacred truth.
The scope of the Book of Exodus, however, is not to be
limited to the mere fortunes of the chosen people. Even if
it stood alone, its communications could not be confined to
so narrow an area. But preceded by the Book of Genesis,
and forming a continuation of that work, it has an essential
and important bearing on the destinies of the whole race of
man. It details a certain stage of that momentous j)rocess, by
which the covenant of God with man is to be upheld, and its
benefits secured for a growing proportion of our fallen race,
until at length the main body at least of all kindreds and
tongues returns to God. This imparts a new dignity to the
recoi*4 now before us, and imposes a higher significance on
the characteristic events which it celebrates. The chosen
nation are interesting no longer merely on account of them-
selves as an end contemplated by the Great Designer, but on
account of their paramount importance as a means of incal-
culable blessing to the whole family of man. The oracles of
God flow forth in gradual stream from the mouths of their
prophets. /The system of symbolic ordinances shadowing forth
the way of salvation is set up and administered among them.
The Messiah, who was revealed in these oracles, and fore-
shadowed by these ordinances, is to be born of this people, to
make a propitiation not only for their sins, but for those of
the whole world, fulfil the recpiirements of the ancient cove-
nant on behalf of man, and so to receive the heathen for His
inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for His pos-
session. In the exodus of this peculiar people out of Egypt,
4 INTRODUCTION.
therefore, we are in the very pathway of that great transac-
tion, by which He with whom one day is as a thousand years,
and a thousand years as one day, will eventually bring all the
nations of man again into reconciliation with Himself This
is the sublimest enterprise in which the interests of man can
be concerned./
This book is a regular and orderly piece of composition. Hence
it admits of easy analysis into its component parts. The exodus
itself is the central event of the drama, and is embraced in
six chapters (xiii.-xviii.) That which precedes naturally falls
into two parts : the first of which recounts the bondage of
Israel in Egypt, with the rise of the leader in this great move-
ment, in six chapters (i.-vi.) ; the second narrates the ten
plagues or momentous strokes of judgment, by which the
opposition of the Egyptian monarch is overcome, and the way
opened for the exodus of the liberated people, in other six
chapters (vii.-xii.) The portion of the book which follows the
main act is also divided between two important topics, the
lawgiving and the tabernacle. The former occupies six
chapters more (xix.-xxiv.), and the latter extends over the
remaining sixteen ; of which seven (xxv.-xxxi.) contain the
specifications concerning the tabernacle, its furniture and
officials ; three (xxxii.-xxxiv.) relate a wild outbreak of will-
worship among the people who had just escaped from bondage ;
and the last six (xxxv.-xl.) record the construction of the
tabernacle and the commencement of the divinely instituted
national worship.
This book is composed in the customary style and method
of the sacred writer. It forms a complete whole and closes
with a crownino- event. The writer has this end in view
throughout the work, and advances to it with undeviating
tenacity of purpose. Hence he omits those collateral topics,
which are not essential to the main thread of his narrative,
and tend to disturb the unity and mar the effect of the whole.
These he will take up hereafter in their appropriate con-
nexion.
INTRODUCTION. 6
The following table exhibits the arrangement of the book
as indicated above : —
/f I. Israel opjiressal in Kgypt, i.
Sect. I. l^ond-l II. Moses bom and bivd, ii,
age iu Egypt. 1 III. Moses called and tuinniissioned, iii., iv.
L IV. Moses eutei"s ou his oflice, v.-vi.
f V. The first three plagues,
Sect. II. Ten j VI. The second tliree plagues,
Plagues. 1 VII. The third three plagues,
L\'11I. The teuth plague. Passover,
Sect. III. E.xo- ( IX. The escajx; of Israel,
dus. \ X. Joui-ney from Elim to SLuai,
Sect. IV. Law- ( XI. The Moral Law,
giving. \ XII. The Civil Law,
o y T- 1 ^ (XIII. Plan of the Tabernacle, xxv.-x,\.vi.
,\ • ■ t - K jy The first breach of the Covenant, xxxii.-xxxiv.
I '^ ^' (XV. The Tabernacle made aud set up, XXXV. -xJ.
02
Q
o
w
vii.
-viii. H».
viii
2U-ix. 1
2
ix.
i;;-x.
xi.,
xii.
xiii
-XV.
xvi
-xviii.
xix
,xx. ~~l
xxi
-xxiv.
COMMENTAEY.
SECTION I. THE BONDAGE IN EGYPT.
I. ISRAEL OPPRESSED IN EGYPT. Ex. i.
V. 11. DO tribute, levy, task, work done by a serf for liis
Lord. Keil understands by it the serf or socager liiniself.
But Esther x. 1 is against this.
dna Pith')m, Uiiduj in Sept., is identified with Udrou/io; in
Herod, ii. 158; or, omitting the Egyptian article, ©oD//, in the
hiter geographers. Brugsch derives it from 'pa, abode, ami
l\i7ii or Atum, the sun after setting.
DP'piO Raamses, ' ra/j^saari in Sept. It is rendered "son of
Ra," the sun, wlio was worshipped at On or Heliopolis.
V. 1 5. nnDt^ Shiphrah, hrhjldiiess, heautij. nyis Pu'ah
for njns^ splendour (Simonis).
V. IG. D^^^^ i^otters wheel, birth-stool. Tliis word occui-s
only twice in Scripture. In Jer. xviii. 3 it denotes the pot-
ter's wheel. In the present passage it seems to signify the
receptacle into which the new-born infant comes fiom the
womb. Both these utensils may have been originally of
stone (|3N). Gen. xxviii. 11.
V. 21. CJii^ Dn^ t']}]\ And iiuidc them hon,ses, gave them
not only husbands but childi'cn, who constitute faniiliea The
8 ISRAEL OPPRESSED IN EGYPT.
pronoun DH is masculine. But the plural masculine is occa-
sionally applied to the female. (See Gen. xxxi. 9).
V. 22. "ix^ a river, in Memphitic iaro, in Sahidic iero, a
term generally applied to the Nile.
And these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Miz-
raim ; every man and his household came with Jacob. 2 Reuben,
Simon, Levi and Judah, 3 Issakar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan
and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 And all the souls that came out of
the thigh of Jacob were seventy souls : and Joseph was already in
Mizraim. 6 And Joseph died, and all his brethren and all that gene-
ration. 7 And the sons of Israel were fruitful, and increased and
multiplied, and waxed exceedingly mighty ; and the land was filled
with them. *[[ 1.
8 Then arose a new king over Mizraim, who knew not Joseph.
9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the sons of
Israel are more and mightier than we. 10 Come, let us deal wisely
with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that a war falleth
out, and they also join with those that hate us, and fight against us,
and get up out of the land. 11 And they set over them task-
masters to afflict them with their burdens : and they built-treasure-
cities for Pharaoh, Pithom, and Eaamses. 12 And as they afflicted
them, so they multiplied, and spread : and they were vexed because
of the sons of Israel. 13 And Mizraim made the sons of Israel serve
with rigour. 14 And they embittered their life with hard service, in
clay, and in brick, and in all service in the field ; with aU their ser-
vice which they laid on them with rigour.
15 And the king of Mizraim said to the Hebrew mid wives, of
Avhom the name of the one was Shiphrah and the name of the other
Puah. 1 6. And he said. When ye deliver the Hebrew women and
look upon the stool, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him, and if it be
a daughter, tlien she shall live. 17 And the midwives feared God,
and did not as the king of Mizraim spake unto them, but saved the men-
children alive. 18 And the king of Mizraim called the midwives,
and said unto them. Why have ye done this thing, and saved the
men-children alive ? 19 And the midwives said unto Pharoh, Because
the Hebrew women are not like the Mizrite women ; for they are
lively ; and have brought forth ere the midwife comes in unto them.
20 And God dealt well with the midwives : and the people multiplied
and waxed very mighty. 21 And it came to pass, because the mid-
wives feared God, that he made them houses. 22. And Pharoli
charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast
into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. IT 2.
EXODUS I. 1 -7. 9
It is the custom of the Siicrcd writer to note the ^e.at
moments and turning points in the history of God's dealings
witli man, and to pass lightly over the current of events that
flow naturally from the tendency thus given. The entrance
into Egypt was one of those leading n)ovenients : the departure
from it is another. The intervening period of 210 years is
summed up in the chapter before us, if w'e except certfiin
events relative to Jacob and Joseph, which wind up the set-
tlement of the chosen family in Egy})t, and a few circum-
stances concerning Moses which are introductory to the na-
tional migration. The j)rcsent chapter recounts the extra-
ordinary increase of the family of Israel, and the ineflectual
measures taken by the king of Egypt to check their growth.
Ver. 1-7. The increase of the chosen seed. Here the
historian, after the manner of Hebrew comj)osition, goes back
to the descent of Israel into Egypt as the starting point of
the new train of events about to be related. And these are
the names. The recapitulation of the heads of houses in
Jacob's family prepares the way for the vast augmentation
about to be recorded. Of Israel. This word is here well
chosen. The significance of the name, and the occasion of
its application, still lived in the memory of the patriarch's
posterity. The outward privileges of the prince that had
power with God and with maii descended to them, and the
inward character that corresponded with such a parentage was
no doubt to be found in many of them. And now that the
estrangement of the nations from the true God was become
general and obvious, it was the more necessary that the
chosen family should be reminded by this sacred name of
the high destiny to which they were called. Every man and
his house. They were already distributed into twelve houses,
when they went down into Egypt. The sons of Leah are
placed first, Benjamin son of Rachel next, and afterwards the
four sons of the handmaids. Seventy souls. Jacob himself
is included among the seventy souls, the natural head being
essential to the unity and integrity of the family. The
Sept. here has seventy-five, (see on Gen. xlvi. 27). Joseph
is now mentioned apart from the others, because he had been
in the country before them. v. 6. And all that generation.
As some of those who descended with Jacob were mere
1 0 ISRAEL OPPRESSED IN EGYPT.
infants, more than half of the 210 years would have elapsed
before their decease. Tliis would bring us within twenty
years of the birth of Moses. v. 7. The rapid growth of
Israel into a nation is the fact of this paragraph. It is ex-
pressed as usual in Hebrew, by a climax of vei'bs ; were
fruitful is taken from the vegetable world, in which the
increase varies from a small multiple to several hundreds fold ;
increased (spawned, swarmed), is borrowed from the finny
tribes, in which the rate of increase rises to many myriads ;
onuUiijlied is a general word referring to number; and tvaxed
exceedingly mighty is a similar phrase, alluding to the strength
which numbers confer, composed of a verb and an adverb
repeated, and therefore well adapted to complete the climax.
Then follows the result, tlie land %vas filled with them. It is
quite evident that this statement implies a rate of increase
amazingly higher than that which was usual in those days,
and still higher than any that can be found in the present
crowded state of the world. The circumstances were favour-
able for such an increase. They had scope and verge in a
wide and thinly peopled countrj^ ; and they were placed in
the best of the land (Gen. xlvii. 11). These advantages
alone, however, could not account for their accelerated growth ;
for the Eg3^ptians were not much less favoured in these
respects. But the blessing of Jehovah the God of promise
was now realised to them. After a long delay the word
came to Israel the third patriarch, " I am God Almighty ; be
fruitful and multiply ; a nation and a congregation of nations
shall be of thee, and kings shall come ovit of thy loins,"
(Gen. XXXV. 11). We see also the effect of the migration
into Egypt. In Kenaan the inevitable tendency was to lose
all family distinction, and merge into the nations of that
country. Only in a border land, on a territory specially
ceded to them by a people who had a national antipathy to
their pursuits, could a select nation have grown up without
coalescing in blood, in language and in institutions with the
surrounding tribes. Hence in Goshen the chosen family
gi-ows in 210 years into the chosen nation, destined to wit-
ness among the nations for the unity, spirituality and
mercy of the Creator of all.
EXODUS I. 8. 11
V. S-22. Tlie unwarrantable measures taken l)y the kin«^
of Egypt to check the growth of tlie people. These were
three ; to impose slave-labour, to enjoin the mid-wives to
slay the male children as soon as born, and to command liis
people to throw the male infants into the river. A new king
over Mizraim. Joseph was 39 years old when his kindred
settled in Egypt, lived to the age of 110, and therefore
died 71 years after that settlement. We may suppose
that all the generation that came down into Egypt died
1 1 0 years after the same event. In the interval between
this and the birth of Moses, arose this " new king over
Mizraim." The chronology of the early period of Egyptian
history has not yet been definitely settled. Tt is probable,
however, that at the time in question there were two or
more contemporary sovereigns reigning in different parts of
what we now call Egypt ; one at Thebes, the capital of
Pathros, the land of the Pathrusim, (Gen. x. 14), perhaps of
the l7th dynasty of Manetho ; another at Memphis the
capital of Mizraim proper, possibly of the 0th dynasty of
the same author : and not impossibly a third at Xois in the
western part of the Delta. Other petty sovereignties, that
may have existed, need not be considered. The Hyksos or
shepherdkings not being designated by the seat of empire, may
have been identical with the sovereigns of Xois or Memphis,
or distinct, and even superior to both. In the last case the
seat of this sovereignty may have been at On or Bubastis.
The dynasty with which the Israelites now came into contact
was either this last supposed one, or that of Memphis which was
convenient to On, and to the land of Goshen. Who knew not
Joseph. Tliis new king may have been the founder of the
7th dynasty, or a contemporary sovereign of the 1 Gth.
At all events, he came into power at least 40 yeai-s after the
death of Joseph, and about 100 years after he cea.sed to take
an active part in state affairs. This allows a sufficient time
for Joseph and his services to be forgotten. "Not to know"
is in scripture phrase to disregard. This new sovereign was
not actuated by any sense of the benefits which that distin-
guished Israelite had conferred upon his country, v. 9. Tlie
people of the sons of Israel. They are now recognised as
no longer a family, but a community. More and mijhtkr
12 ISRAEL OPPRESSED IN EGYPT.
than we. This marks out the speaker as the sovereign of a
comparatively small principality, hampered, perhaps, on the
north-west by one power, and on the south by another.
Such a prince would feel himself embarrassed by the unpar-
alleled growth of this foreign people within his borders, and
might naturally express himself in the terms here employed,
though the Israelites were only approaching to his own sub-
jects in numbers and strength (v. 10). Join with those that
hate us. An intimation is here given that this king of Miz-
raim was by no means free from the dangers of rivalry and
ambition, and was therefore far from being the sole monarch
in the valley of the Nile. Those that hate him and his sub-
jects are the other sovereigns in Xois, Thebes, and perhaps
other parts of EgjqDt. He might be exposed also to attacks
from the east, even though he were himself an invader from
that quarter. And get up out of the land. Though he dis-
regarded the political services rendered by Joseph, yet he is
acquainted with the origin of the race, their claim to be free,
and their expectation at some time to depart from Egypt. He
found them valuable, whether as subjects or as serfs, and he does
not wish to part with them. This incidental notice proves
that the Israelites were still mindful of the God of their
fathers, and cherished the hope of one day entering into pos-
session of the promised land. We are elsewhere informed
that Ezer and Elead, sons of Ephraim, were slain in a raid by
the men of Gath, and that his grand-daughter Sherah built
Beth-horon, the nether and the upper, and Uzzen-sherah (1
Chron. vii. 21, 24). Whence it appears that in the days of
their freedom, before this new king arose, they not only
looked forward to a settlement in Palestine, but actually
asserted a position in the country, at least for a time. This
naturally connects itself with the share which Jacob had
given to Joseph above his brethren (Gen. xlviii. 22). It is
not unlikely that the district acquired by Jacob was actually
claimed and taken possession of by Ephraim for whom it was
designed, and perhaps enlarged by conquest in that early
period of the residence of Israel in Egypt. Whether the new
king of Mizraim came from the region of Ephraim's early con-
quests history has not enabled us to say.
Ver, 1 1 . — Taskmasters were superintendents of forced la-
EXODUS I. 15-21. 13
bour. This was customary among all ancient governments,
and especially among the P]gyptian.s, whose jiyramids and other
gTeat works were mostly the product of slave-labour. T/va-
sure cities were magazines for the storage of provisions and
other commodities of war and police. Plfhom and Rdamnes
were situated on the borders of Egypt and Arabia. The for-
mer is called by Herodotus an Arabian town, and said to be
near the eastern bank of the Nile, a little above Buba.stis, at
the commencement of the ancient canal in the valley of the
Natron Lakes. The latter was in the same valley fartlier to
the east, near the site of Heroopolis, with which many identify
it. Lepsius finds it in the ruins of Abu Kcshcb and Heroo-
polis in Mukfar. Osborne endeavours to show that Pithom is
Damietta, and Rameses Migdol, which he places at the head
of the gulf of Suez. These magazine cities on the border were
well situated for troops making inroads into the Eastern
world from Egypt. The Sept. here adds On ; but this was
in existence in the time of Joseph (Gen. xli. 45), and the
reading is not otherwise supported.
v. 12-14. So tlteyniultiplied. The policy of the Egyptian
king was ineffectual. The purpose of God was not set aside,
but only promoted by these measures. They were vexed.
These Egyptians were probably hard pressed on their .southern
frontier by a superior power. They had also a rooted aversion
to the Israelites. With rigour. By compulsion they exacted
hard service in clay, in brick, and in field labour. Agricul-
ture was attended with considerable labour in the higher
grounds of Egypt on account of the necessity of watering
them by artificial means. Bricks were the usual building
material in Egypt, The monuments shew that foreigners were
employed in these servile works under native overseers.
V. 15-21. Pharoh next applied to the Hebrew midNvives to
check the population by murdering the msUe infants. They
are called Hebrew, a generic term applying to all the de-
scendants of Heber (see on Gen. xiv. 13.) Two midwives
only are mentioned by name. About 90 years before the
Exodus, and therefore 1 0 before the birth of Moses, the Israelites
were about 30,000 and at the time of his birth about 50,000 ;
as they doubled in about 1 5 years, and the starting number
including wives was about 120. From this we learn to
14! ISRAEL OPPRESSED IN EGYPT.
moderate our estimate of the extent of that kingdom with
•which the IsraeUtes were in contact. All Egypt from the
Mediterranean to the first Cataract, if united under one govei-n-
ment, could not be afraid of 30 or 50 thousand men, women,
and children. A petty state, having its centre at Heliopolis
or Bubastis, and overshadowed by one or two southern powers,
might feel some apprehension of a small people that was
doubling itself in fifteen years. Of 30 or 50 thousand, much
less than a third would be married women, and it may be
that of these not more than a tenth would need or seek the
aid of a pirofessional midwife ; and if on an average one birth
in each family took place every two years, the two midwives
would not have to attend more than one or two births every
day, even if personal attendance were always given. But we
may presume that they had a large number of deputies or
assistants actino- under tlieir direction to meet all the de-
mands on their services, v. 1 6. The stool. Some have sup-
posed this to mean the mouth of the womb ; but it seems
more likely that it was the basin or vessel in which the new
born infant was received from the womb. v. 17. God, in the
original the God, the true everlasting almighty God, who w^as
infinitely higher than Pharoh. v. ] 9. For they are lively, o\
a vigorous frame. This was quite true in point of fact.
Among the Bedawin to this day and others, whose bodies are
well developed by pastoral occupations and loose clothing,
child-bearing is comparatively easy. The accompanying state-
ment was also correct in the majority of cases, if not in all ;
especially if the mothers hearing the order of Pharoh did not
admit the midwife, and she did not intrude, if possible, until
the child was born. Of the exceptions the midwives, evad-
ing Pharoh's question, say nothing, v. 21. A7id he made
them houses, gave them not only husbands but also children,
which were regarded as a boon and an honour by wives.
It is conceivable that these women were unmarried, or if
married, childless, and therefore at leisure to devote them-
selves to the aid of those who were bearing children. The
word iJiem is by some referred to the people in the previous
verse. But this construction is harsh, and the verse in this
sense adds nothing to what has been said before. Here as usual
God requites hke with like. The midwives save alive the
EXODUS II. 15
offspring of the nation : God deals well with them in giving
them offspring.
V. 22. Being baftled by the midwives, Pharoh, Jis a last
resort, commands all his people to cast the male infants into
the Nile. This bloody mandate appears to have been given
very shortly before the birth of Moses. These measures of
the king indeed may have followed one another in rapid
succession ; and the magazine cities, though commenced before,
may not have been completed till long after the issue of the
last of them. The period of serfdom and oppression will iu
this case last not nmch longer than eighty or ninety years,
namely from a few years before the birth of Moses to the
exodus.
ir. MOSES BORN AND BROUGHT UP. Ex. ii.
3. N03 the 'papyrus of the Nile, r. ahsorh, drink up.
Hence called hihula papyrus (Lucan iv. 1 3G).
5. X^l icash the body or any part of it, D33 ^ca^h clothes
by treading with the feet.
10. n::'D Mosheh. The word, if taken to be Hebrew, sig-
nifies drawing. By Josephus its Greek form Mu'dfrr,; is re-
solved into the Coptic /mSj water, and nsfig saved from. Mouu
water, and sa drag, may be the Coptic elements of the name.
The corresponding Hebrew roots are probably contained in D'O
water and NK'3 lift ; though the Hebrew language does not
deal freely in compounds. In explaining the origin of the
name, however, the author employs a verb which contains
the letters that are in the Hebrew form of the word. He
either translates the name given by the princess, as Melanc-
thon from Schwarzcrdt, or she spoke a dialect of Hebrew.
The latter might be the ca.se, if she was of the fiimily of the
Hyksos, who are supposed to have come from Pha^nicia or
Arabia.
1 8. ^^Jn Re'uel, fi-iend of God.
21. n"iE>* Zipporah, bird, span^ow.
22. Dbna Gereshom, stranger, exile, r. tna drive out, or
compounded of "•?. stranger and DC' = ^^ there. The latter is
] 6 MOSES BORN AND BROUGHT UP.
not necessary to warrant the expression of the text ; as the
native speakers of the language had a much freer and wider
sense of the relation among roots than many of our philo-
logers. Paronomasia plays a part in their etymology. They
felt a relation between f? and HJi^ Gen. iv. 1, ??3 and ''?3
Gen. xi. 9, i?. and ti'!'?. The rules of philology, instead of cor-
recting, should be gathered from these among other pheno-
mena.
Then went a man of the house of Levi, and took a daughter of
Levi. 2 And the woman conceived and bare a son ; and she saw
that he was goodly, and hid him three months, 3 And she could
not longer hide him, and she took for him an ark of rushes, and
daubed it with asphalt and with pitch : and she put therein the child,
and laid it in the flags by the river's brink. 4 And his sister stood
afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
5 And the daughter of Pharoh went down to bathe in the river,
and her maidens walked along by the river's side : and she saw the
ark among the flags, and sent her handmaid, and she fetched it.
6 And she opened it and saw the child, and lo the babe wept : and
she had pity on him and said. This is one of the Hebrew's children.
7 Then said his sister to Pharoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee
a nurse of the Hebrew women, and she shall nurse the child for theel
8 And Pharoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid, went
and called the child's mother. 9 And Pharoh's daughter said unto
her, Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give thee
thy wages. And the woman took the child and nursed him.
10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharoh's daughter,
and he became her son, and she called his name Moses, and said, Be-
cause I drew him out of the water.
II And it came to pass in those days, that Moses grew up and
came out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens ; and he saw
a Mizrite smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 1 2 And he turned
this way and that way, and saw that there was no man : and he smote
the Mizrite and hid him in the sand. 13 And he came out the
second day, and, lo, two Hebrews were striving : and he said unto
the wrong-doer, Why smitest thou thy neighbour? 14 And he said,
Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us 1 Intendest thou to slay
me, as thou slewest the Mizrite 1 And Moses feared and said. Surely
the thing is known. 15 And Pharoh heard this thing, and sought to
slay Moses : and Moses fled from the face of Pharoh, and dwelt in the
land of Midian ; and he sat by the well.
EXODUS II. 17
16 Now the priest of Midian had seven dau^diters : and they camo
and drew and fdled the troughs to water their lather's fl(jek. 1 7 Then
came the shepherds and drove tlieni away : and Moses stood up and
saved them, and watered their flock. 18 And they went to Reuel
their father : and he said, AVhy are ye come so soon to-day ? 19 Antl
they said, A Mizrite delivered us out of the hand of tlie sheplierds :
and he also drew enough for us and watered the flock. 20 And he
said unto his daughters, And where is he 1 Why is it that ye have
left the man ? Call him and let him eat bread. 21 And Moses was
content to dwell with the man : and he gave Zipporah his daughter
to Moses. 22 And she bare a son, and he called his name (Jershom ;
for lie said, I have been a stranger in a foreign land. H 3.
23 And it came to pass many days after, that the king of Mizraim
died : and the sons of Israel sighed by rea.son of the service ami cried :
and their cry went up to Clod by reason of the service. 24 And God
heard their groaning, and (Jod remembered His covenant witli Abra-
ham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God saw the sons of
Israi'l, and God had regard unto them. § 1.
In the preceding chapters is recorded the extremity of the
chosen seed. This hard pressure of affliction was not un-
needed. In the abundance and prosperity of Goshen they
had well-nigh forgotten the absohite and exclusive claim of
God on their homage and obedience. Nothing but the strong
hand of oppression could bring them to a sense of their de-
pendence and their duty. But they were a chosen race.
Much is implied in this. The Most High does not allow them,
as he might otherwise have done, to merge into tlie supersti-
tion and apostasy of the surrounding nations. He lias, more-
over, a purpose to serve by them, an end ulterior to their own
spiritual benefit. He intends, through them, to perpetuate
the knowledge of God, to bring in the Redeemer into the
world, to effect a redemption that will be sufficient for all the
nations of mankind, and finally to bring all the world into
reconciliation with himself and with themselves. He will not
be thwarted in this sublime and benign purpose. He hjis,
therefore, laid the heavy hand of chastisement on this people
to bring them to repentance. He will not, however, leave
them to perish by the murderous devices of Pharoh. He will
gradually prepare them to shake off the fetters of JKgypt, and
a
18 MOSES BORN.
take their departure for the land of promise. And his provi-
dence is at work in another direction. Immediately after the
issue of the bloody edict for the extermination of the people,
the deliverer is born, who is to head the movement of national
emancipation, and is preserved from destruction by the indirect
influence of the hostile monarch himself.
In this chapter, accordingly, we have the parentage, birth,
preservation, education, and exile of Moses, the coming deli-
verer of God's people. The historian reverts to a point of
time anterior perhaps to any of the despotic measures of the
sovereign, and enters upon another line of events.
v. 1— fc. — The parentage and birth of Moses. A man of the
house of Levi, Amram (Ex. vi, 20). A daughter of Levi,
Jokebed. Hence it appears that Moses was a Hebrew of the
Hebrews. Levi was 44 years old when he came down to
Egypt. We may suppose that Jokebed was born to him when
he was 100 j^ears of age, and therefore QQ years after the
immigration. Amram ma}' have been born about the same
time with his aunt, or even somewhat earlier. For his father
Kohatli (Ex. vi. 18) may have been 20 years old when he
came to Egypt, and consequently 86 when Jokebed was born.
About fifty years after, we may suppose, the nephew and aunt
were married. There was not yet any law prohibiting the
marriage of such relatives. A year after their marriage, the
daughter mentioned in the narrative may have been born, and
14) years after the same date Moses, who was 80 years old at
the exodus. These numbers (66 + 50-|-14-|-S0) make up
210, the number of years during which the Israelites so-
journed in Egypt.
V. 2. — Goodly, perfect, as if it had come directly from the
hands of God without contracting any outward stain from its
parents. Such is the force of Stephen's explanatory phrase,
a<STi7og Tip Qiw, beautiful before God. And hid hiim three
Tiionths. Maternal affection, the beauty of the child, and hope
in God, combined to produce this attempt at his preservation.
V. 3. An arh of rushes. This reminds us of the ark of
the flood (Gen. vi. 1 4). The rush was the papyrus, growing
to the height of ten feet, and formerly abounding on the banks
of the Nile. The root was used for fuel, the stem for making
boats, and the bark or rind for makiug sails, shoes, garments.
EXODUS ir. 1-4. 19
ami paper. The papyrus rolls are found in the nmnimy-cafics
to this day, and may be unrolled and rejid. Aspludt and
j)(fch — tlie former to fill up the interstiees and make all
smooth, the latter to make the little vessel vvater-ti«^ht. l^at
therein the child. This is a mother's last effort to save the
doomed babe. It may appear feeble and hopeless; but it was
done in faith, and it proved successful, v. -i. Ills slder is set
to watch the result.
V. 5-10. The rescue of Moses from a watery grave. The
king's daughter with her attendants comes forth to bathe in
the Nile, the waters of which were considered sacred and
salutary. In a primitive state of society the females of the
East enjoyed a greater degree of liberty than in after times,
when they began to be guarded with jealous cai-e in the
seclusion of the harem, and concealed on a journey from the
common gaze by the long and thick veil of the East, With
all a female's fond affection she has pity on the weeping babe.
Scripture is very choice in picking out the circumstances that
give effect to the scene. 2'his is one of the Hebreu'ii ckUdren.
She is aware of the royal edict, and comprehends the whole
affair at a glance. This tiny vessel is the last effort of a
mother's affection to cast on Providence the care of her babe.
V. 7. His sistef, certainly, whether prompted or not, is equal
to her task. She appears at the proper time, and puts the
fitting question, v. 8. Pharoh's daughter is too glad to be
relieved of her perplexity by saying, Go. The maid, the well-
grown and marriageable virgin, as the term implies. This
makes it probable that she was now about thirteen years of
age at least, as we have supposed, v. 1 0. And she called his
name Mowa. His jjarents, most probably, had given him a
name during the time he was with tliem before he became the
adopted son of Pharoh's daughter. But in ancient times the
same individual often received different names from successive
memorable incidents in his life (Gen. iii. 20, x. "25, xvii. 5,
XXV. 30.) The adopter had a right to give a name to the
ado])ted, and this name has prevailed over that which ur.\y
have been given by his parents. Josephus calls Pharoh's
daughter Thermuthis ; Eusebius calls her Merrhis : but these
detcrniinations are f)unded on chronological combinations
which have not yet been established.
20 MOSES PRESERVED. |
It is quite evident that Pharoh's court was contiguous to
the region occupied by the Israelites. This favours the notion
of a small kingdom in the eastern part of the Delta, to the
extent of which a tribe of thirty or fifty thousand would bear
some notable relation. It is plain, too, that the royal residence
was for the time beino- not far from the Nile. This will agree
very well with Bubastis being at least the occasional abode of
the royal family.
It is probable that the exterminating edict was withdrawn
at or soon after the rescue of Moses. The caprice and passion
of a despot might hastily issue such a decree. But after-
thoughts would soon suggest the folly of cutting oflf this use-
ful horde of serfs in a single generation. The debasement of
the feelings by forced labour — which would render them more
serviceable as slaves, and less formidable as rebels — is a much
more satisfactory measure to an arbitrary government. More-
over, the natural feelings of humanity revolt against the indis-
criminate and continued murder of male infants. The mea-
sure would be unpopular with his subjects, and with the
members of his own famil}^, as soon as Moses appeared there,
and would, therefore, soon be abandoned. Accordingly, we
hear no more of it.
V. 11-15. The flight of Moses. In those days. This phrase
here covers a space of forty years or more. Moses grew up,
arrived at maturity. He came out unto his hreihren. It is
evident that the tie between Moses and his parents had never
been broken. The charms of a court life for nearly forty
years had not closed his ears against the cries of his afliicted
people. His heart felt that the sufferers were his brethren.
He saiv a Mizrite smiting a Hebrew — one of the taskmasters
correcting a serf under his charge, or, more probably, a private
individual, in the mere arrogance of his political superiority,
maltreating one of the inferior race whom he has chanced to
meet. Moses, whose spirit had not been broken by the bond-
age common to the rest of his race, instantly taking the side
of the oppressed, slays the Egyptian, and buries him in the
sand. He may not have intended to deal a fatal blow, or he
may not have been able to avoid it in self-defence ; but no
such explanation is offered in the text. We may not wish to
stand over this deed in all its length and breadth. But we
EXODUS II. 1-k 21
must not denounce it, as we might if it were doiu' in our day.
In a time and place where the wild Avill and tlic high hand
have the rule, he that lifts the hand not for selfish ends, but
for the defence of the weak, is not to be hastily condemned.
He has much of the spirit of the magistrate, where the law
and its administrator are wanting, v. 1 3. The next day he
sees two Ilebreica striving. He expostulates with the wrong-
doer, who rudely repels his interference with the alarming
question, " Intendest thou to slay me, as thou slewest the
Mizrite ?" These were the noticeable acts which decided
Moses' future course. They tell much of what was working
within his breast. For the last thirty years we may imagine
him now and then stealing out of the loyal precincts to look
on the burdens of his people. Oft with a soi'e heart may the
young patriot have returned to the palace, contrasted the free-
dom, luxury, and mental culture around him with the de;;ra-
dation of that race which he knew was chosen of God to hold
the foremost rank and achieve the noblest ends for humanity.
The hope of their deliverance was cherished. The wish to
take part in it was gathering strength with his years. He
was at length precipitated into action by the scenes before
him. But the rude cpiestion, " Who made thee a ruler and a
judge over us ? " prompted, perhaps, by his courtly guise and
long isolation from his people, quenched his ardent aspirations.
Having broken with Egypt, and been rejected by his kindred,
he had no course for the present but exile. (See Acts vii.
21-29, Heb. xi. 24-26).
Moses was now forty years of age (Acts vii. 22, 23). This
period of physical and intellectual growth he had spent at the
court of Pharoh, and therefore had received the highest edu-
cation the country could afford. The annual overflow of the
Nile imparting a constant fertility to the soil rendered Egypt
pre-eminently an agricultural country. The necessity of mark-
ing the time of its rise led to the study of astronomy and
chronology. To determine the height to which it rose in
successive years, and the boundaries of landed property which
were liable to be obliterated by its watei-s, they were con-
strained to turn their attention to geometry. To the success-
ful prosecution of mathematical science, and for the recording
of the observations needful for its practical application, the art
22 MOSES MARRIED.
of writing was essential ; and the papyrus reed afforded the
ready material for such records. In these circumstances, the
heavenly bodies, the Nile, and the animals of their country,
became absorbing objects of attention, and eventually of wor-
ship. Music was also diligently cultivated in Egypt. Moses
must have been familiar with the language, literature, and
science of Egypt, as well as with the corruptions of its theo-
logy. This was the one side of his character. On the other
side he was closely allied by intercourse and feeling with his
kindred, and therefore intimately acquainted with the monu-
ments of sacred history which were handed down to them,
the elements of a pure theology, natural and revealed, which
had been preserved by them, their present sufferings, and their
future destiny. We cannot conceive a providential training
more admirably adapted for the part he was to perform as the
deliverer, legislator, and historian of the people of God.
V. 15. Midian was the son of Abraham, and half-brother
of Isaac. The Midianites were, therefore, the kinsfolk of
Moses. A great part of Arabia, indeed, was occupied with
descendants of Heber, the ancestor of Abraham and the Israel-
ites. Thither it was natural for Moses to flee. The land of
Midian lay partly south-west of Moab and partly on the coast
of the Aelanitic gulf, to the south-western extremity of which
the tribe seems to have penetrated. And he sat by the luell,
the well-known place of refreshment and rest for the traveller,
and of common resort for the natives of the country.
v. 16-22. The settlement and marriage of Moses in Midian.
The i^Hesi of Midian. The ancient order of elders held a
place in the polity of Midian (Num. xxii. 4). The supieme
government seems to have been a commonwealth or confede-
racy, as there were five kings of Midian in the time of the
entrance of Israel into the promised land (Num. xxxi. 8), and
two princes and two kings ai'e mentioned in the days of Gideon
(Judg. viii. 3, 5). As in primitive times the sacred and civil
functions were generally united in one person, the priest of
Midian was probably at least an elder in the state ; but there
is no reason to suppose that he was not a priest in the strict
sense of the term, as the civil functionaries of Midian, we find,
were designated by several other terms. We have already
met with the early custom of daughters tending flocks (Gen.
EXODUS II. 11-15. 23
xxix. G). They often needed defenders, as the weak are often
wronged by the strong. A Mizrlte. Moses is so regarded, as
lie probably wore the garb and spoke the langnage of Kgypt,
and may have stated that he was a fugitive fioni that country.
Why is it that ye Iiave left the man ? A feeling of innate
modesty, or a proper sense of their dependence as children, may
have prevented the invitation proceeding immediately from
themselves. He gave Zlpporah, his daughter, to Moses. She
was a descendant of Abraham, and so of the kindred of Moses.
The connection was therefore suitable.
V. 23-25. The sacred writer now resumes the general
thread of the narrative, and describes with a few touciies the
crying oppression under which the people of Israel had now
long laboured. Many days after. The whole of the events
following occurred during an interval of forty years, the
period of Moses' sojourn in Midian. The Icing of Mizraim
died. This may have taken place shortly after Moses left
the country ; but it did not abate the sufferings of tiic people.
His successor pursued the same cruel policy. Their hard
service commenced some time before the birth of Moses, and
had now therefore lasted more than eighty 3^ear8. Sighed and
cried. The haughty spirit which denounced the defender and
adviser as a self-constituted ruler and judge was now sub-
dued. The wail of deep affliction ascended from broken hearts
to heaven, io the living God. God heard their groaning. He
hears all groanings. But he also remembered his covenant
with their fethers (Gen. xvii. 2, 21, xlvi. 2-4). He not only
heard, but saw the sons of Israel under the oppressor. He
not only obsei-ved, as it were, with the outward senses, but
knew with the inward mind, and acknowledged them to be
the seed of the covenant. Such is the manner in which the
narrator lays emphasis on the earnest attention with which
the Lord regards the affliction of his people.
24 MOSES CALLED.
III. MOSES CALLED AND COMMISSIONED. EX. III., IV.
CHAP. Til. MOSES CALLED.
1, iin^ Jithro, profit, pre-eminence, r. be over and above.
3"in Choreb, dry place, r. drain.
14. n^ri^l "^^^ '^c.-^- Ehjeh, /o7' / am. We approach with
reverence to the discussion of this remarkable sentence. It
has been rendered in two different ways : 1 . I AM, because I
am ; and 2. / am that which I am. The latter, we presume,
is the meaning of the English version, I am that I AM.
There are three decisive objections to this rendering : 1. It
takes the whole sentence to be the name, like Shear-jashub
(a remnant shall return), Maher-shalal-hash-baz (haste to the
spoil, speed to the prey), the names of Isaiah's children. But
the first word, Ehjeh, is the whole name, as is evident from
the remainder of the verse ; " thus shalt thou say unto the
sons of Israel, Ehjeh hath sent me unto you." 2. It lays the
emphasis on that which is not expressed in the name. It
therefore conveys no information : for it states in words that
God is that which He is ; but does not tell what that is. It
is not distinctive of God ; for the saying, I am that I am,
may be applied to any being whatever ; and is, moreover, a
mere triviality. It is, if anything, a mere intimation of the
inscrutable mystery of the divine nature ; yet it does not
even affii-m that He is the Inconceivable, and therefore Inef-
fable. And even if it did, this bare thought is not fitted to
implant confidence or induce persuasion in the minds of the
Israelites. And 3, the sentence thus rendered does not ex-
press the idea conveyed in the word Ehjeh, which is substi-
tuted for it in the latter part of the verse. The former is at
best purely negative ; the latter is purely positive. Hence
the two forms of the name would be inconsistent in meaning.
The latter rendering being on these grounds untenable, the
former must be regarded as correct. It agrees with the
Vulg. J^go sum, qui sum, and the Sept. 'Eyw h/m 6 uv, in
making part of the sentence the name, though it difiers from
them in taking the first word, not the latter two, as the
EXODUS III. 2o
name. It affords a good sense. It finds in the answer of
God the new name and the reason of it, whether we translate
"•V.'^ who, as, for, because or since. I AM (is my name), for I
am. It gives the same name in the two parts of the verse,
and the same sense in each. It also agrees with the struc-
ture of the Hebrew and with the Masorctic pointing, in
which there is a pause after the first word, thus: >^^,>}^.
It only remains to ascertain what is the meaning of Ehjeh.
1. The verb ^\'^ refers not to the abstract existence of the
schoolmen, but to the concrete being of the unsophisticated
Hebrew mind, that is, being as active and obvious to the
senses. (See on Gen. i. 2). This, when applied to the Eter-
nal, means, therefore, not absolute beginning or e-ssential
change of being, but that eventual modification of being,
which is implied in engaging in a new course of action mani-
festinjr the atrent to have being. To be, in a word, is to
act in such a way as to manifest one's being to a competent
observer. 2. n;<nx is that form of the verb which denotes
the incipient stage of an action or event. It means, there-
fore, / go to he, I am on the ])oint of proving myself to be by
a noticeable action. In regard to the chosen seed I have
heretofore mainly promised ; I am now about to appear in
performance of my promise. 3. The verb is in the first per-
son, because the speaker is naming himself with all the
emphasis of personal identification. It is obvious that this
was a strikingly significant and appropriate name for Moses
to bear to the people, as it announced a present God, come
down to fulfil His covenant and perform His promise to the
atilicted descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
And Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, tho
priest of Midian : and he led the flock beliind the wilderness, and
came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. 2 And the angel of tho
Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of tho
hush : and he looked, and, lo, the bush burned with tire, and the bush
was not consumed. 3 And ISfoses said, Let me now turn asiile and
sec this great sight, why the bush does not burn. 4 And the I>ouD
saw that he turned aside to see ; and God called unto him out of tho
midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Closes. And he said, Hero am I.
5 xVnd ho said, Draw not nigh hither : put off thy shoes from tliy
feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
26 MOSES CALLED.
6 And he said. I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face,
for he Avas afraid to look upon God. 7 And the Lord said, I have
surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Mizraim, and have
heard their cry by reason of their exactors ; for I know their sorrows.
8 And I came down to deliver them out of the hand of Mizraim, and
to bring them up out of that land unto a good and large land, unto a
land flowing with milk and honey ; unto the place of the Kenaanite,
and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite,
and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel
is come unto me : and I have also seen the oppression wherewith Miz-
raim oppresseth them. 10 And now come and I will send thee unto
Pharoh : and bring forth my people the sons of Israel out of Miz-
raim.
1 1 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto
Pharoh ; and that I should bring fprth the sons of Israel out of Miz-
raim ? 12 And He said. For I will be with thee, and this shall be
unto thee the token that I have sent thee : when thou hast brought
forth the people out of Mizraim ye shall serve God upon this
mountain.
13 And Moses said unto God, Lo, I shall go to the sons of Israel
and say unto them. The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you ;
and they shall say to me. What is his name, what shall I say unto
them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I am, for I am. And he said.
Thus shalt thou say unto the sons of Israel, I am hath sent me unto
you.
1 5 And God said again unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the
sons of Israel, The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you : this
is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
16 Go and gather the elders of Israel and say unto them, The Lord,
the God of your fathers hath appeared to me, the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, saying, I have surely visited you and seen that which
is done to you in Mizraim. 17 And I said, I will bring you up out
of the affliction of Mizraim unto the land of the Kenaanite, and the
Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and Hivite, and the Jebu-
site ; unto a land flowing with milk and honey. 18 And they shall
hearken to thy voice ; and thou shalt go, thou and the elders of Israel,
unto the king of Mizraim, and ye shall say iinto him, The Lord, the
God of the Hebrews, hath met with us ; and now let us go, we pray,
three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our
God. 19 And I know that the king of Mizraim will not let you go,
EXODUS III.
27
but l>y a miglity hrtn<l. 20 And I will stretch out my hand and sinito
IMizraim with all my wonders, which I will do in the midst thi-rctif :
and after that ho will let you go. 21 And I will give this people hivour
in the eyes of Mizraim : and it shall come to pass, that, when yo go,
yo shall not go empty. 22 And every woman shall ask of her neigh-
hour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jcswols of silver, and
jewels of gold, and garments : and ye shall put them on your suns and
on your daughters, and ye shall spoil Mizraim.
Slowly and constantly for the last 80 years the oppression
of Israel has been tirowin^f to a head, and now the Lord him-
self appears on tlie scene. He has not indeed been all that
time an idle ohserver of their miseries. In the silence and
secrecy of his providence the deliverer has l)een {^'rowing up,
and is ripe for his task at the very hour <jf need. The Lord
DOW comes to call him to his work.
The chronology of the interesting events about to be recorded
is not minutely laid down. To give definiteness, however,
to our conceptions of the course of things, it is desirable to fix
approximately the shortest period in which they might have
occun-ed. The earliest day for the full moon on the loth of
Nisan, the first day of unleavened bread, was the '2'ld of
March. It is possible for the events between the vision at
Horeb and the first passover to have taken place with some
degree of probability in at the least SO days. This number
we obtain by allowing for the journey from Horeb to Midiau
and thence to Egypt 13 days, for the first interviews ^^ ith
the peo])le and with Pharoh 7 days, for eight plagues at seven
days each, 50 days, and for the plague of darkness 4 days.
The following table will make the arrangement plain : —
Horeb to Egy])t, till Jan. 1 3
First interview,
Plague of blood,
Frogs,
Lice,
The fly,
Feb.
20
27
3
10
17
Murrain,
till
Feb. 21
Boils,
March 3
Hail,
... 10
Locusts,
... 17
Darkness
... 21
The particulars of this presumptive arrangement will be
noticed as we proceed. Some have protracted the interval to
nearly ten mouths, in order to bring the first plague to the
28 MOSES CALLED.
end of June, when the Nile begins to rise and assume a red
and turbid appearance. But the first plague is of a nature
entirely different from the periodical change of colour at the
swelling of the Nile : and moreover it is highly improbable
that the ten plagues were spread over a period of nine months.
V. 1-5. The Lord appears to Moses. Jethro, the pre-emin-
ent. We have again and again to notice instances of the same
individual having several names. He who was the eminent
in one sense was in another the friend of God (ii. 1 8). The
names are quite consistent. Behind the wilderness. Jethro's
dwelling was doubtless east of Horeb, probably on the shore
of the gulf of Akabah ; but we cannot define it more closely.
A wilderness lay between it and the springs and green
valleys intersecting the range of Horeb, which was therefore
behind the wilderness, because it was both on the other side
from Jethro's home, and to the west of the intervening region.
The tnovuntain of God. This range of hills earned this name,
if not from some previous manifestation of God, yet from the
signal displays of his presence and power which are about to
be narrated, v. 2, 3. The angel of the Lord. See on Gen.
xvi. 7. In a flame of fire. The primary effect of the flame
of fire is to consume ; the secondary, to purify. When trans-
ferred to spiritual things, that which is fuel to the fire is
moral evil (xxix. 1 4), and that which remains after its work
is done is the pure, the holy (Num. xxxi. 23). Fire, however,
does not make pure but merely leaves the pure untouched.
The Lord has often appeared in fire (xix. 1 8, xxiv. 1 7 ; Lev.
ix. 2 4). The hush. This was a species of thorn. The haw-
thorn, according to Shaw and Pococke, abounds in the region
of Horeb. Was not consuvied. The fii'e was supernatural
and did not affect the vegetative life of the bush. This it was
that arrested the attention of Moses. It w^as truly a " great
sight," an unusual and notable phenomenon standing out from
the ordinary course of nature. The mode of the divine
appearance is noi, without design. It has a significance fitting
the occasion. The bush that lives unscathed by the lambent
flame that winds round all its leaves and branches, is an
emblem of that which is pure and holy, and, therefore, of the
true church of God in the furnace of afiliction. The lowliness
of the shrub comports well with the seeming feebleness and
EXODUS III. 1-10, 29
insignificance of the people of God. Tlic flame of fire corre-
sponds with the fiery trial through wliich they have had to
pass, that the lusts of the flesh, which had grown up in Egyjit,
}night be consumed, and faith and its kindred virtues be loft
behind in all their vigour and beauty.
V. 4, 5. The Lord saiv .... God called. It would I >e
the affectation of criticism to investigate in every case the
ground for the distinctive use of these names. Yet there is
no doubt that the writer used them with a clear consciousness
of their meaning. In mentioning that the " Lord saw "
Moses turning aside to see, he regarded him, we must suppose,
as the Great Being who has manifested liiinself and is ])re.sent
in the work of creation ; and in adding that " God called "
unto him, he had before his mind the supernatural invisible
sphere out of which the Eternal Omnipotent uttered his voice,
Moses, Moses, as in Gen. xxii. 11. This is the })ersonal call
with which the commission of Moses begins. Draw not nigh.
Do not intrude with daring heedlessness into the sacred pre-
sence of the divine majesty. Put of thy shoes. The custom
of putting off the shoes before entering an a})artment, lest they
should defile the floor, passed in the East into a mark of
respect and then of reverence. Hence it becomes a habitual
outward sign of an inward feeling of regard for the place and
presence of a superior, or of the Supreme.
V. G-10. This passage closes with the commission to Mo.ses.
After the premonitoiy sentence comes the introduction. lam
the God of thy father. " Thy father" is here used in a generic
sense to denote any ancestor from his immediate father u}).
The nations of the earth had now almost universally forsaken
the God of their first father, the knowledge of whom had been
clearly handed down to them by Noah, and betaken them-
selves to other gods, whom their fathers knew not, and who
were no gods. Moses is here reminded of his holy ancestry,
and apprised that he who now addresses him is the Gieat
Being who made heaven and earth, and created man after his
own image. But more particularly he is also the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Avho entered into a special cove-
nant of salvation with the fathers of Israel, by means of which
the primeval covenant with man may be upheld, and all the
Gentiles reconciled to God. Hid his face. The unexpected
30 MOSES CALLED.
utterance of his name, the caution against too near an approach,
the announcement of the divine presence awakened a solemn
awe in the mind of Moses, which discovered itself in hiding
his face, lest he should be guilty of any profane gazing upon
the apparition of the Holy One (Gen. xvi. 1 3).
V. 7-10. After the introduction we have the commission.
The preamble recounts the cause which moved the Lord to
the present interposition. / have surely seen. I have been
deeply concerned to observe the affliction of my people. For
I know their sorroiu. The for here is explanatory. I have
not been inattentive to them, I have been cognisant of all that
was taking place, and therefore I have seen and heard every-
thing. / came down (Gen. xi. 5). God is personally inte-
rested and active in his people's causeTl, A good and large
land, not inferior to Goshen in point of fertility, and affording
scope for a growing population. A land floiuing with milk
and honey, a proverbial description of a choice land abounding
in the grasses and flowering plants from which milk and
honey come. The place of the Kenaanite. The Kenaanite
and his derivative tribes originally amounted to twelve (Gen.
X. 15-18). In the time of Abraham ten tribes occupied the
land of promise, of which only five are known to be descend-
ants of Kenaan (Gen. xv^ 19-21). Of the six here enume-
rated, history traces five to Kenaan. Of the former list the
Girgashite has now retired into obscurity, and the Hivite has
recovered a prominent position. Of those not traceable to
Kenaan only the Perizzite is mentioned. The others were
probably beyond the boundary at present contemplated.
V. 9, 10. And noiu, behold, the cry of the so7is of Israel.
It is noticeable that their oppression had lasted for eighty years.
But now at length their cry indicated that affliction had done
its work. In the anguish of their hearts they turned from
man to God. They longed to be free from the bondage of
Egypt, and they now saw no hope of escape but in God.
Their cry goes up to heaven, and God appears on earth for
their deliverance. I will send thee unto. Fliaroh. The pur-
pose of the vision now unfolds itself to the mind of Moses.
V. 11, 12. Moses puts in many pleas to be excused from
this grave task. The Lord patiently and encouragingly hears
all these scruples of his cleature's mind, gives a satisfactory
EXODUS III. 11-12. 31
explanation and applies a coujplete remedy to every difficult}',
until there is nothing in the mind of Moso.s hut an \nn-ea.son-
ahle shrinking from an arduous and honourable task. Even
then he provides a full relief for the tiembling heart in the
eloquence and company of his brother Aaron. Thus gradually
and tenderly he prepares the mind of his servant for accpiies-
cing in, and then heartily devoting himself to, the high office
to Avhich he is called.
cThe first plea is his personal unworthiness. Who am I ?
He remembered the grandeur of the coint and the haucrhti-
ness of the monarch. He was aware that the ])re.sent .sove-
reign was a stranger to hiin. He called to mind the rude
reception he had met from one of his own kinsmen, when he
formerly interfered in their behalf. All the difficulties of the
enterprise crowded on his mind, and he felt himself inadequate
to its achievement. ^ For I will he with thee. The Lord is
not moved from his pm-posc by the objection of Moses. He
obviates it by an undeniable argument. I will be with thee.
The power of God with us certainly surmounts all difficulties]
This promise will hereafter be embodied in a name, Immanukl
— God with us. Here it is framed in a sentence inq)orting
the active presence of the Almighty with his chosen servant.
This has been the source of the Church's life, stirngth, and
hope in all ages. Tliis shall he the token. To find himself
and the rest of Israel serving God on this mountain will here-
after be to him a proof of his divine commission, and the
assurance of this ffict, which will undoubtedly follow the pro-
mise now given, is calculated to encourage him to undertake
the task with cheerfulness and hope.
V. 13, 14. Moses now^ starts a difficulty he might have
■with the people. They might ask him what is the name of
him from whom he came. It is important to determine the
real bearing of this question. 1. We have repeatedl}^ met
with the custom in early times of giving several names to the
same individual, as Jacob and Israel, Esau and Edoin, Reuel
and Jethro. This was not even peculiar to the cast. Paris
and Alexander, Lucumo and Tarquinius, Henry and Beauclerc,
are familiar to us in other lands. The rea.son of this custom
■was that names were then significant, and served to mark out
the individual by some peculiarity in bis person, some tmit
32 MOSES CALLED.
in his character, or some event connected with his history.
If several of these circumstances might occur in the case of a
finite man, how much more may we expect them to come
out in the contemplation of the infinite God. Accordingly,
among a primitive people, his names grow in number as the
manifold aspects of his all-perfect character break upon their
view. He is called Elohim, the Everlasting, when his ante-
cedent eternity and absolute independence are contemplated.
He is termed Jehovah, the Self-existent, the Author of all
existing things, when he is regarded as the free and personal
God, manifesting his being to the intelligent universe by the
works of his creative power. He is named El 'Elion, the Most
High God, when his unattainable pre-eminence above all
created things comes into view. He is designated El Shaddai,
the Almighty God, when he wishes to set before the mind his
unconquerable omnipotence. 2. In the next place, Moses did
not require to ask the name of God, if we mean by that the
term by which he was commonly known. He was already
familiar with his name. If the Book of Genesis was not yet
before him in a written form, the traditions of his fathers were
graven on his memory. Moreover, God had already an-
nounced himself to him as the God of his fathers. And,
farther, God does not present in his reply any one of all the
names by which he had been previously known. Hence it is
plain that the object of Moses in putting this question could
not have been to ascertain any of the former names of God.
3. The name, in the conception of Moses, was the title by
which the present aspect of God to his people was to be
designated. And the meaning of his question is, what is the
principle of thy being or movement of thy will which is now
to display itself to thy people ?
The Lord is prompt in meeting this new difiiculty of Moses.
The immediate answer to his question is a new name, in some
respect difierent in meaning from all his former designations.
Ehjeh (Ehyeh), I AM, in the sense, I now proceed to make myself
known to he, by giving being to my promise to Abraham of
more than 400 years' standing. Although the phrase I AM
do not immediately convey all this to English ears, yet it is
so brief and appropriate in its general sense, and so hallowed
in our associations, that we would not venture to alter it.
EXODUS III. 15-22. 33
And even in this simple form, when coupled with a promise
of deliverance such as Moses was comniissioned to announce, it
sug-gcsts the thought that his people will soon find that he is ]\y
the acts he performs. Still farther, it is probable that the
present tense of our English verb originally meant, and it is
certain that it still ri'tains among its mcanin<rs, the initial
stage of an action or event, as in the phrase, I go to town.
It is, therefore, the only form fit to express the Hebrew in-
cipient. The use of the first person is a plain indication that
the name is intended not merely to distinguish an individual,
but to express a sentiment that will animate the people with
hope and resolution. Such a form is strictly appropriate only
in the mouth of the speaker ; and, accordingly, it is not after-
wards em])loyed as a name of God. All this is in keeping,
not with a mere name, but with a word of moral power
fitted to stir the heart, and meet the present occasion.
]\Ioses was now, therefore, armed with a name of potent
significance by which to designate him by whose authority lie
was to approach the people. He could say, he in whose
name I come is about to realize the promise of the land of
Kcnaan made to the seed of Abraham ; and he has deigned
to embody this fact in a significant name, indicating his pre-
sent adherence to his covenant with your ftithers.
V. 15-22. Special directions are now given to Moses re-
garding his commission. Fir'd, the authority under which he
acts is formally stated. The Lord, that is, Jehovah. We
have already discussed the import of this name (Gen. ii. 4).
It stands in relation to Ehjeh, as a habit of the active powers
is to a particular volition. Jehovah is the author of reality in
general ; Ehjeh is he who is on tlie point of giving reality to
a certain thing or event. The two names then refer to the
same attribute of the divine nature, but in different points of
view ; the one presenting it as a potence in habitual exercise ;
the other as a potence passing into a new course of action.
Hence we can understand how the Lord, after announcing
himself to Moses by a new form of appellation, fitted to the
special occasion, immediately reverts to the well-known and
long established name which involves the same property of
his nature. In accordance with this identity of the quality
signified by the two names, it is fitly added, " This is my
c
34 MOSES CALLED.
name for ever, and this my memorial unto all generations."
The name refers to the objective and sensible sign ; the
memorial to the subjective and mental concept of the divine
being. He that gives effect to his uttered resolve is the
author of eternal life to his church.
V. 16, 17. Next, the course he is to pursue with regard to
the people of God is pointed out. Gather the elders of Israel.
Officers of this class were common to all mankind in primeval
times. We have already met with them in Egypt (Gen. 1.
7). We here find them established in Israel antecedent to
the legislation of Moses. Their name is derived from the
quality of age, which confers experience and claims authority.
They were perpetuated through all the variations of the com-
monwealth of Israel, and descended from them to the Chris-
tian Church, in which they still maintain their place. /
have surely visited you, personally come to see you, and all
that is done to you, in order to take the proper steps for
your deliverance.
V. 18. The manner in which he is to approach the king of
Egypt is next laid down. They shall hearken to thy voice.
They have been chastened by the oppression of Egypt, and
will now listen gladly to a duly accredited deliverer. Thus
far Moses will find his reception encouraging. Thou and the
elders of Israel. A venerable deputation of the heads of the
people are to accompany Moses to Pharoh. Jehovah, the
Ood of the Hebrews. To Israel this epithet of Jehovah
would be encouraging ; to Pharoh, it is merely explanatory.
We learn from it that the Shemites of the line of Heber
continued to acknowledge the tiTie God after the other nations
had forsaken him. In other words, the revelation of God
made to the common fathers of the human race, remained in
its purity among the Hebrews after it had been essentially
corrupted among the other nations of the earth. It is plainly
implied that the gods of Egypt were now essentially differ-
ent from the God of the Hebrews ; as will presently'' appear
in the most conspicuous manner. Hath onet with us, with
Moses in the bush at Horeb, and with us in the signs he has
wrought through him before us, (v. 30). Let us go three
days' journey into the vnlderness. This request seems at
first to be put in a politic form, as if to secure a favourable
EXODUS III. 1 8. 86
answer. This, however, was quite unnecessary, since the
Almighty was about to bring his people out of Egypt by a
strong hand. It is merely expressed in a style of reserve and
moderation. It was not requisite to reveal to Pliaroh, who
was in a hostile mood, all the intentions of God conccrninf?
his people. Hence Pharoh is merely informed that the Gt)d
of the Hebrews has met with them; and their request is
limited to the first step to be taken in obedience to his will.
A three days' journey is mentioned, simply because this would
take them clear out of Egypt, one day being employed in
setting out, one in marching, and the third in coining to a
resting-place. And a sacrifice is added, because this is the
first act of obedience. The former involves their departure
out of Egypt ; the latter commences the perfect service of
God. This is exactly the mode in which God trains his
people. The immediate duty and the immediate blessing are
set before them, and these are pregnant with all farther and
higher duties and blessings. So he deals with Pharoh.
But there is not only reserve, but moderation in the request.
It makes the smallest demand consistent with actually leav-
ing, and assigns the highest reason for taldng this step,
namely, the command of God. By sedulously avoiding
every thing harsh and extravagant in its terms, it affords the
least possible occasion for Pharoh to harden his heart, and
dismiss the petitioners with an obstinate refusal. At the
same time it is a bold and open assertion of liberty. If the
people had formed a secret plot to escape from the land of
their bondage, we should have been slow to condemn, if not
prompt to applaud. But this is not the Lord's way. If
Pharoh had condescended to ask at once, " Who shall go ?
Will your wives and children go? Will your cattle and your
other moveables be taken with you?" he would have
received, as he eventually did, a ready and candid reply. But
such questions were in reality superfluous. Pharoh was well
aware that bondsmen who had marched three days out of
the land of the oppressor, with their families and goods,
would not return without compulsion.
v. 10, 20. Moses is farther forewarned of the unwilling-
ness of Pharoh to grant the request of the people, and of the
means by which this unwillingness is to be overcome. And
36 MOSES CALLED.
/ know. Fore -knowledge is as certain to God as after-know-
ledge. But hy a viighty hand, the hand of God doing his
wonders in the land of Ham. The servant of the Lord is
therefore not to be discouraged by the unavailing opposition
of Pharoh.
V. 21, 22. The Israelites are not to go out empty-handed.
The sojourn of Joseph in Egypt as a bond-slave had been
the means of preserving the inhabitants of that country from
extermination by a seven years' famine. The residence of
his kindred in Goshen had always been a benefit and not a
burden to Egypt. And for the last two or three generations
the Israelites had been bond-slaves, toiling for the prosperity
and aggrandisement of the nation. They had, therefore, an
undoubted right to ask, and the Egyptians were eventually
glad to give them some aid for their journey. Shall ask, as
a gift, if not a compensation for long unrequited services.
The word cannot mean to borrow here, when the Egyptians
were perfectly aware that the Israelites would not return.
Of her that sojourneth in her house, either a visitor or a
mistress whom she served, in any case her superior, and
perhaps owner. Spoil Mizraim. The Egyptians would be
so overcome by abject distress as to be ready to part with
a considerable portion of their wealth, in order to get rid of
a people whose presence menaced them with utter exter-
mination.
CHAP. IV. MOSES OBEYS THE CALL.
14. I^HN Aharon, perhaps bright or tall. r. perhaps akin
to lix light, or "in hill.
18. in) = inn: The latter is the reading of one MS. of
the Sam., Syr., Vulg. and Arabic. The former, of the other
MSS. and of the Sept. ; of the latter in both parts of the verse.
It seems an instance of diversity of language.
And Moses answered and said, But behold they will not believe
me, nor hearken unto my voice : for they will say, The Lord hath not
appeared unto thee. 2 And the Lord said unto him, What is this
in thy hand 1 And he said, A rod. 3 And he said, Cast it on tha
EXODUS IV. 37
ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it hocamc a serpent ; and
]\Ios(;s fled from before it 4 And tlie Lokd said unto Closes, Put
forth thy hand, and catch it by tlie tail. And he put forth his hand
and seized it, and it became a rod in liis hand. 5 Thot tliey may be-
lieve that the Lord, tjie God of their fathers, the God of Aljraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. 6 And
the Lord said unto him again, Put now thy hand into thy l)osom.
And he put his hand into his bosom ; and he took it out, and lo, his
liaud was leprous as snow. 7 And he said. Put thy hand again into
thy bosom. And he put his hand again into his bosom ; and he took
it out of his bosom, and behold it was restored as his other flesli.
8 And it shall be, if they will not believe thee, nor hearken to the
voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
9 And it shall be, if they will not believe even these two signs, nor
hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river,
and pour on the dry land : and the water which thou takest out of the
river shall become blood upon the dry land.
10 And Moses said unto the Lord, 0 Lord, I am not eloc^uent, nei-
ther heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant ; for I am
slow of mouth and slow of tongue. 1 1 And the Lord said unto him,
AVho hath made man's mouth, or who maketh dumb or deaf, or seeing
or blind ? Do not I the Lord? 12 And now go, and I will be ■with
thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak. 13 And he said,
t) Lord, send now by whomsoever thou wilt send, li And the anger
of the Lord was kindled against Moses ; and he said, Is there not
Aaron thy brother the Levite 1 I know that he can speak well : and
also behold he cometh forth to meet thee, and he shall see thee, and
be glad in his heart. 15 And thou .shalt speak to him, and put words
in his mouth ; and I will ha with thy mouth and with his mouth, and
will teach you what ye shall do. 1 6 And he shall speak for thee to
the people, and it shall be, that he shall be to thee for a mouth, and
thou shalt be to him for God. 17 And this rod shalt thou take in
thy hand, wherewith thou shalt do the signs. ^ 4
18 And Moses went and returned to Jether his father-in-law, and
said to him. Let me go now and return to my brethren who are in
Mizraim, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said unto
Moses, Go in peace.
19 And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go return to Mizraim,
for all the men who sought thy life are dead. 20 And Closes took
his wife and his sons, and set them upon the ass, and returned to the
land of Mizraim : and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
21 And the Lord said unto Moses, AVhcn thou goest to return into
Mizraim, behold all the "wonders that I have put in thy band and do
38 MOSES OBEYS THE CALL.
them before Pharoh ; and I will harden his heart, and he shall not
let the people go. 22 Then thou shalt say unto Pharoh, Tims saith
the Lord, Israel is my son, my first-born. 23 And I said unto thee,
Let my son go, and serve me, and thou didst refuse to let him go ;
behold, T will slay thy son, thy first-born.
24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met
him and sought to kill him. 25 And Zipporah took a sharp stone,
and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet : and she
said. For a spouse of blood art thou to me. 26 And he left him ;
tlien she said, A spouse of blood, because of the circumcision. ^ 5,
27 And the Lord said to Aaron, Go to meet !Moses in the wilder-
ness. And he went and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.
28 And Moses told Aaron all the w^ords of the Lord who had sent
him, and all the signs which he had commanded him. 29 And Moses
and Aaron Avent, and gathered all the elders of the sons of Israel.
30 And Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto
Moses; and did the signs in the eyes of the people. 31 And the
people believed : and they heard that the Lord had visited the sons
of Israel, and that he had looked on their affliction, and they bent
their heads and bowed themselves down.
The Lord here obviates all the remaining difficulties of
Moses, who then obtains leave of Jethro to return to Egypt
(v, 1-18). Setting out on his journey he is met by Aaron,
and on his arrival is well received by the people (v. 19-31).
V. 1-9. The third plea of Moses is the incredulity of the
people. There is no manifestation of God to Israel on record
since he appeared to Jacob on the way to Egypt (Gen. xlvi. 2) ;
and this was 210 years ago. And Moses had now been in
exile forty years, and would be a comparative stranger to most
of his nation. The Lord meets this plea by supplying him
with credentials that could not be gainsaid. These are in the
form of certain supernatural wonders, of which the Lord now
exhibits two in the sight of Moses for the confirmation of his
own faith, and directs that along with these a third should be
performed in Egypt to demonstrate to the people and to
Pharoh that he was an ambassador from the God of the
Hebrews. It has been generally felt that these wonders must
have been selected with a due regard to the occasion, and are,
therefore, not only miracles attesting a divine message, but
signs shadowing forth pertinent truths to all the parties con-
cerned. The early mind was peculiarly open to the figurative
EXODUS IV. 1-9. 39
method of instruction. The hieroglypliic mode of writing was
a most ingenious and elaborate application of symbols to the
use of recording events.
V 2-5. The first sign given to Moses contains a plain allu-
sion to his change of office. A rod. This is the instrument
and symbol of his present condition, the shepherd's crook.
Cast it on the ground, an act symbolic of his abandonment of
that condition. It became a serpent, a dangerous and for-
midable creature from which Moses fled. There is no distant
allusion here.to the repugnance of Moses to the new office
which was proposed to him. The serpent, moreover, was the
ostensible tempter and traitor in the garden of Eden, and
therefore the representjitive of the author and abettor of evil.
And in particular the asp, a kind of serpent, played a conspi-
cuous part in Egyptian mythology. It was the emblem of the
goddess Rtmno, the snake of Neph, the hieroglyphic of " god-
dess," and the sign of royalty. From this last use it was
called Uraeus, from ouro, king, and ^aaiX'iey.og, royal (Raw-
linson's Herod, ii. 105). Egypt was, therefore, not obscurely
pointed out, as the adversary of God and His people at this
time. Moses shrunk from grappling with this hostile power.
Put forth thy hand and catch it. This indicates Moses'
reluctant acceptance of his new office. It became a rod in
his hand. What was formidable to weak faith and hesitat-
ing obedience, became a rod of power as soon as the decisive
act was performed. The shephei'd's rod is now the rod of
God, with which He is to conduct the people of God from
Egypt to the promised land. That they may believe. Moses
is empowered to perform this miracle before the people, that
they may believe his divine mission. Hence it appears that
one end of a miracle is to authenticate a divine communica-
tion and bo a w^arrant to faith.
V. G-8. The second sign points to a renewal of nature in
Moses and the people. Put noiv thy hand into thy bosom,.
Tlie hand is the emblem of power. The putting of it into
the bosom is merely the withdrawing of it from action into
rest and security. Taking it out is preparing to resume
activity. Leirrous as snoiu. Leprosy is a loathsome disease
of the skin prevailing in Egypt and the southern parts of
40 MOSES OBEYS THE CALL.
Asia. It appears in spots on different parts of the body,
which sometimes become confluent and cover the whole body.
It is called white from the colour assumed by the part
affected, and the hair that grows on it. Hence the phrase,
"leprous as snow." It is distinguished as Lepra Mosaica,
from the notice taken of it by Moses in his legislation (Lev.
xiii. 14). The leprosy is not employed in Scripture as a
figure for sin as an act or habit. But the leper is declared
unclean ; and moral uncleanness is the consequence of such
sin. The hand of Moses, when brought out for action, is
found to be leprous — not impotent, as in paralysis, but
defiled, and defiling whatever it touches. This is a striking
figure of the unclean or unhallowed power of fallen man,
which works evil and not good. It is typical of the old
man in Moses and in Israel, especially now when they are
contaminated with the manners and customs of idolatrous
Egypt. Fut thy hand again into thy bosom. On drawing
it forth from the bosom it is now found to be restored as the
healthy flesh. The degenerate power of Moses was unfit for
the work of God. Its sanctification is represented by the
restoration of the leprous hand. And as Moses is consecrated
to the task of leading the people out of Egypt, so are they to
be consecrated to the Lord as a chosen generation to show
forth His praise and accomplish His purpose. The voice of
the first sign. By a beautiful figure these signs are described
as having a voice, because they speak to the people of the
presence and power of God with His messenger.
V. 9. This sign evidently refers to Egypt. The Nile was
venerated as a divinity under the name of Hapi — cognate, if
not identical, with Apis. Its waters were therefore regarded
as sacred, and highly esteemed as salubrious to the drinker
and fertilisino- to the soil. To change these waters into blood
shed on the ground is to turn the stream of life into a pool
of death. It speaks of disaster and death to Egypt and its
gods. He that has power over the deified Nile may defy all
the mio'ht of Pharoh. He is accredited as the minister of
God, called to His office, qualified for His holy task, and
armed with miraculous powers for the discomfiture of Egypt,
by the Lord, the most high God, founder of heaven and
earth.
EXODUS IV. 1017. 41
V. 10-17. Moses coniprehentls all that is implied in this
last sign, stands agiiast at the deadly encounter with the
l)oNvor.s of Egyi>t, and urges a fourth plea. I am not eloquent,
a man of words, competent to lay before the mind of Pharoh
the awful* alternative of concession or compulsion. His
powers of persuasion had not prevailed with Iiis own country-
men. His present interview with the Almighty had not
increased them, and he could not expect to maintain the argu-
ment worthily in this great cause before the haughty
monarch of Egypt, v. 11. Who hath made man's motith?
The liOrd is still patient with Moses, and meets his objection
with an unanswerable rejoinder. In a series of interrogatories
it is intimated that the Lord is an infallible judge of what
amount of natural eloquence is requisite for the occasion, and
is able and sure to supply the deficiency, if any such exist.
V. 12. I ivill be ivith thy mouth. Here the requisite aid is
expressly promised. v. 13. Notwithstanding this assuiing
rej)ly, Moses prays the Lord to confer this honour on any
other than himself, v. 14-17. This rather hasty and impa-
tient expression of unwillingness provokes the Lord to anger.
Yet, as this backwardness arose not from any unworthy
motive, but from an absence of ambition, a love of retirement,
or a deep feeling of humility, the Lord does not turn away
from his pui^iose, but with a gentle firmness acquaints him
with another relief he has provided for his slowness of speech.
Aaron, thy brother the Levite. This is put first as tlie pro-
minent object of thought. The words in apposition with
Aaron are merely intended to designate him fully, according
to the Hebrew manner. He is of the same parents and tribe
witli Moses, and therefore suitable as an associate in this
arduous undertaking. And though he was the elder brother,
yet the Lord assures Moses that he will be glad to see him,
and of course act under him. Tliou shalf sjwalc to him.
Moses is to' perform the higher part still even in speaking,
namely, to dictate the words which Aaron is to utter. The
promise of Divine aid is accordingly reiterated and extended
to both. He shall speak for thee to the people. We learn
from this that God does not needlessly alter the natural
qualities of his highest servants. The characteristics of mind
and will in the individual, though dedicated and adapted to a
42 MOSES OBEYS THE CALL.
holy use, are still allowed to remain, and to peep out in all
his sayings and doings. And thou shall be to him for God.
The figure here is as bold as it is expressive. What God is
to Moses, that Moses is to Aaron in regard to the matter and
the authority of his message. What Moses is to God, that
Aaron is to be to Moses in regard to the delivery of it. And
this rod. This wand of authority he recalls to the mind of
Moses as another source of encouragement. Wherewith thou
shalt do the signs. This staff was to be always with him as
the badge of his ofiice, if not the instrument of operation.
V. 18-26. All his fears and scruples being at length over-
come, Moses prepares for entering on his ofiice. Jether here
is Jethro in a subsequent part of this verse. We may learn
from this that a mere variation in the orthography of a proper
name may indicate a variety in pronunciation, and not a
deviation from the autograph of the author. Let me go noiv.
Moses asks leave of his father-in-law to depart. Not only
common courtesy, but the benefits he had received from
Jethro demand this. See whether they he yet alive. The
private ends he had in view he is at liberty to disclose to
Jethro. Other reasons it was not necessary to state, to
warrant his departure. Jethro is just as well as generous,
and bids him go in peace.
V. 19, 20. In Midian. This implies that the mount of
God, west of the wilderness, where Moses saw the burning
bush, was not in Midian. For all the men who sought thy life
are dead. The present communication has reference, not to
the heavenly mission of Moses, but to his personal relations
with Egypt. The cause of flight from his kindred was the
vengeance of the king and the kinsmen of hira whom he had
slain. They were now dead, and he was at liberty to return.
The higher reasons for his return did not at present concern
the Midianites. His sons. Though the birth of only one
son has been recorded, yet we know from the subsequent
narrative (Ex. xviii. 4), that a second son was born to him.
The ass. This may mean either the single ass, or the species
of animal on which they rode. In the former case the two
children must have been young. The ass is a much nobler
animal in the east than with us. The rod of the Ood, the
true and living God, in contrast with the gods of the heathcj^
EXODUS IV. 21-23. 43
The rod after having been transformed by the divine power
into a serpent, and from a ser[)ent into a staif of ollice, may
justly be termed the rod of God.
V. 21-23. Tlie result of the ajoplication of Moses to Pharoh,
and of the ])erformancc of all his wonders, -will only be an
obstinate refusal to let the people go. This is here again
intimated, to prepare the way for the dread ultimatum whieh
is to be finally announced to Pharoh. Behold, with the eye
of remembrance and attention. TIte luondcrs. Works that are
supernatural, or contravene the laws of nature. They are called
signs, in reference to their use, as attesting the presence, the
message or the messenger of God, or as symbolising any fact or
doctrine. "All " the wonders seem to refer not merely to the
three signs, but to the first nine plagues with which Egyi)t was
visited. In thy hand, in thy power by the rod in thy hand.
And I ivill harden his heart. The hardening of Pharoh's
heart is in this narrative ten times ascribed to the Lord. But
it is also at least twice ascribed to Pharoh himself (viii. 28,
ix. 34). In seven other passages it is stated simply as a fact,
without assigning any cause. It is evident of itself that this
fact is ascribed to God and to Pharoh in different respects ;
so that the two assertions are perfectly consistent with each
other. It is equally plain that the act in question belongs to
Piiaroh, as the moral agent by whose intention it was per-
formed. It belongs to God as the Designer, Creator, and
Supreme Governor of the existing universe, of wdiich free
agents and their voluntary actings form a part. His absolute
and universal dominion follows from the act of creation, and
was constantly present to the minds of the children of God
in ancient days. Its effect upon the mind was solemn and
impressive, and never suggested the faintest presumi)tic)n of
injustice in God, even when the acts that were sinful in his
creatures were traced in another sense to his holy and awful
will. The Scripture, accordingly, never hesitates for a moment
to ascribe ab.solute holiness to God, and all the guilt of a sin-
ful act to the free ajjents. Farther than this it becomes us
not to define an administration which we are incompetent
fully to conceive, or exactly to express. Then thou shall say
unto Pharoh. This is the ultimate message, when all feebler
strokes had proved ineffectual. Israel is my son, adopted in
44 MOSES OBEYS THE CALL.
sovereign mercy to the inheritance of privileges which to those
who appreciate and accept them will be perpetuated and
enhanced. My first-horn, and therefore most dear, but not
exclusively dear. The first born son suggests other sons born
afterwards, and points in the distance to the calling of the
Gentiles. And I said unto thee. This refers to the message
again and again urged upon Pharoh, and hitherto obstinately
rejected. / tvill slay thy son. This is the final stroke on him
who persisted to the last in leaving all to the arbitrament of
war, even with the Almighty. His first-born, the heir to his
throne, and the first-born of all his people, must be slain be-
fore he can be induced to let Israel go.
V. 24-26. The sacred narrative is not wont to notice inci-
dents on the way unless they come within the sphere of the
spiritual. Thus Jacob travels from Beersheba to Haran, a
distance of nearly 500 miles, and only the occurrence at Bethel
is mentioned. So here a single incident is taken up from the
ordinary routine of the journey to Egypt on account of its
moral import. It contains an element of truth that is of
present moment in elucidating the ways of God. The Lord
met him and sought to kill him. The Lord had been charging
Moses with a menace of the gravest kind to Pharoh. It was
well that Moses himself should feel acutely the pang of death,
that he may comprehend the terrible meaning of this threat.
It appears that his youngest son had not been circumcised
through some unexplained fault of Moses. The neglect of the
divinely appointed sign of the covenant of peace with God
was a serious delinquency, especially in him who was to be
the leader and lawgiver of the holy people. It was meet that the
austere perfection of the divine holiness should be made known
to Moses. It was necessary at this stage of his experience
that he should learn that God is in earnest when he speaks
and will assuredly perform all that he has threatened. Hence
the Lord sought to kill him, probably by some disease or
sudden stroke, which threatened immediate death. And
Zipporah took. It is probable from her spontaneous prompti-
tude that Zipporah was in some way the cause of the delay in
circumcising the child. A sharp stone. This was a stone or
flint knife, such as was used afterwards by Joshua in circum-
cising the children of Israel on their entrance into the land of
EXODUS IV. 2G-31. 45
Kenaan (Jos. v. 2). We read that Tubal-caiii tlic eiylith in
descent from Adam was a worker in brass and iron, llenee
it appears that implements of stone were contemporaneous with
those of the common metals. The use of them seems to have
prevailed in rural or remote regions into which the arts of
smelting and forging metals had not penetrated. The theory,
therefore, of the successive ages of stone, bra-ss, and iron, may
apply to particular localities, but not to the whole habitable
earth. The arts of metalluigy flourished in certain races
while the ruder ware, fashioned out of stone, bone, and wood,
was prevalent among others. And cad it at his feet. This
indicates that Moses had signified his wish that the child
should be circumcised. For a sjxmse of blood art thou to me.
The word for refers to the significant act of casting the fore-
skin at Moses' feet, which implied that her connexion with
him had necessitated this bloody rite. Her womanly tender-
ness shrunk from the painful operation. And he left him.
The Lord who sought to put him to death remitted the penalty
now that the neglected duty was performed. Because of the
circmncision. This explains her accosting Moses as a spouse
of blood, as it was to save him from death that she was con-
strained to do herself the masculine part of circumcising her
child. This was a salutary and seasonable lesson to Zip})orah
as well as to Moses. The occurrence probably took place on
the first night of their journey, as they had not reached the
mount of God (v. 27). The child was now unfit for travel,
and it was easy for the mother to return with the two child-
ren to her father. It is most likely, therefore, that this was
the point from which she was sent home by her husband (xviii.
2), in order to avoid the dangers and inconveniences which
she was w^illing to brave on his account, had nut this provi-
dential interposition ordered it otherwise.
Moses must have occupied at least a day in returning to
Midian with the flock of Jethro, two or three days in making
preparations, and a day in setting out with his wife and family.
The distance from Midian to Egypt was probably not less than
200 miles, for which we may allow seven days. Starting
about the beginning of the year, according to our reckoning
he would arrive in Egypt about the 13th of Januar}-.
V. 27-31. We have here a summary of the reception which-
46 MOSES APPEARS BEFORE PHAROH.
Moses met with from the people. And the Lord said unto
Aaron. The nari-ative, as usual, goes back a little to take up
another line of things. In the wilderness, the region between
the gulfs of Suez and Akabah. In the mount of the God of
heaven they met. And kissed him, the eastern mode of
salutation. After receiving instructions from Moses, Aaron
accompanied him to Egypt. They gathered the elders of the
people (iii. 16). And Aaron spake (v. 16). Aaron being
eighty three years of age, and having lived constantly among the
people, now served to introduce Moses who had been an exile
for forty years, and was therefore unknown to the rising
generation. And did the signs. As Aaron did the signs
before Pharoh, it is probable and accordant with the text
that he should also be the performer before the people. This
is in keeping with the relation between Moses and himself (v.
16). It is also an example of the rule that a man is said to
do what another does in his stead and by his authority (v. 1 7).
Bowed themselves down. Bent their bodies as well as their
heads in reverence before God. So far all went well with
Moses. His brother entered heartily into his mission, and
the people acknowledged him as the messenger of God.
IV. MOSES ENCOURAGED IN HIS OFFICE, EX. V., VI.
CHAP. V. MOSES APPEARS BEFORE PHAROH,
3. ^"^i??. This form here signifies to meet with, as the verb
does in several places (Gen. xlii. 4. ; xlix. 1, and always in
the form J^^li?"?), and as the context proves (iii. 18). nnj?
is the more usual form of the verb with this meaning.
6. "it?b' y^afj./Marsug a scribe, prefect, officer, employed in
duties involving the keeping of accounts, lists, and other
records.
And afterward Moses and Aaron went in and said unto Pharoh,
Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Let my people go and hold a
feast unto me in the wilderness. 2. And Pharoh said, Who is the
Lord, that I should hearken to his voice to let Israel go ? I know
not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. 3 And they said. The God
of the Hebrews hath met with us : let us go now three da'/s' journey
EXODUS V. 47
into the Avildomess, and sacrifice unto the Lord our Cod ; lest he fall
ujwn us with pestilence, or with the sword. 4 And the king of
IMizraim said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, loose
the people from their works 1 Get you to your hurdens. 5 And
Pharoh said, Lo, the people of the land are now many, and ye make
them rest from their burdens.
6 And Pharoh conimandod that day the taskmasters over tho
people and their officers, saying, 7 Ye shall not continue to give straw
to the people to make biick, as heretofore ; let them go and gather
straw for themselves. 8 And the tale of the bricks, which they made
heretofore, ye shall lay upon them, ye shall not take from it : for they
are idle ; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go sacrifice to our God.
9 Let the service be heavy on tho men, and let them work therein ;
and let them not regard vain words. 10 Then went out the task-
masters of the people and their officers, and spake unto the people,
saying, Thus saith Pharoh, I will not give you straw. 11 Go yo
yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it ; for not ought of your
service shall be taken off.
12 And the people were scattered throughout all the land of
Mizraim, to gather stubble for straw, 13 And the taskmasters
hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, the daily task, as when there
was straw. 14. And the officers of the sons of Israel, whom Pharoh's
taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, while it was said. Why
have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick, as heretofore, both
yesterday and to-day 1 15 And the officers of the sons of Israel went
in and cried unto Pharoh, saying, Why dealest thou thus with thy
servants 1 1 6 No straw is given unto thy servants, and they say to
us, !Make brick : and behold thy servants are beaten, and it is the
fault of thy people. 1 7. And he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle ; there-
fore ye say, Let us go sacrifice to the Lord. 18 And now go, work :
and no straw shall be given you, and the tale of bricks ye shall
deliver.
19 And the officers of the sons of Israel saw that they were in evil
case, when it was said, Ye shall not take off from the daily task of your
bricks. 20 And they met !Moses and Aaron standing in the way as
they came out from Pharoh. 21 And they said unto them. The
Lord look upon you and judge ; because ye have made our savour to
stink in the eyes of Pharoh and in the eyes of his servants, to put a
sword in their hand to slay us. 22 And Closes returned unto the
Lord and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou done evil to this people ?
AVhy is this, that thou hast sent me 1 23 And since I went in to Pharoh
to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people ; neither bust
thou delivered thy people at all.
48 MOSES APPEARS BEFORE PHAROH.
In further prosecution of their mission, Moses and Aaron
now present themselves before Pharoh. But they are dis-
missed with contempt, and new hardships are imposed on the
people and their officers. Moses returns to God disappointed
and complaining.
Y. 1-5. The request made by Moses is contemptuously re-
fused by Pharoh. And afteriuard. After the people had
accepted his authority, Moses was prepared to go before
Pharoh, Moses and Aaron, accompanied, no doubt, by the
representatives of the people (iii. 18). Thus saith Jehovah,
the God of Israel. Jehovah was the God of Adam (Gen. ii.
7, 16), the God of Noah (Gen. vi. 8, viii. 20, 21), and conse-
quently of the whole race descended from him. He is here
called the God of Israel, not as if he were one among the
national gods, but because the other nations have corrupted
the notion and worship of God, and because he has entered
into a covenant of grace with Israel. Let ony i^eople go. The
request is peremptory, because it comes directly from God
himself And hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. To
hold a feast is the immediate object of the journey. This is
according to the divine manner of teaching. God promises a
present seed ; but there is a future seed : a good land ; but
there is a better country : an earthly rest, beyond which there
is a heavenly rest. He speaks to men of the near and the
obvious, and those who hear he leads on to higher powers of
understanding and nobler scenes of enjoyment. Besides
Pharoh was not entitled to know, and he does not condescend
to ask, what were the ulterior purposes of God. In the wil-
derness simply means out of Egypt, beyond the jurisdiction
of its sovereign, and the interference of its people. A seques-
tered scene was often selected by ancient taste for a solemn
festival, v. 2. 7 hnoiv not the Lord. Jehovah, the God of
Israel, was not unknown to the predecessors of Pharoh (Gen.
xii. 17, 41, xliii. 23). He could scarcely be ignorant that the
Israelites had a God. But the import of the name here em-
ployed may have been unknown to him, and at all events he
refuses to acknowledge the authority of Jehovah. Their reply
is explanatory. Tlte God of the Hehi'ews, of which well-known
nation (Gen. x. 21, xiv. 13, xli. 15, xli. 1 2) the Israelites were
a branch (i. 15-19), is he whose name is Jehovah. Hath met
EXODUS V. 1-5. 49
with us, has revealed himself to us in the miracles wrouffht in
our presence, and the message communicated to us by Aloscs.
Three days journey. See on iii. 18. Lest he fall on us ivllk
pestilence or with the sivord. The sword is under the control
of Providence as well as the pestilence. This is added to
bring out clearly the necessity of their departure. Pharoli
will gain nothing by withholding his permission, as these Ijond
slaves, whom he values so much, may be destroyed by a stroke
from heaven, from which even his own subjects might not
escape. There is a clear and unavoidable obligation, there-
fore, on the Israelites to make this demand. It dawns upon
the mind of Pharoh that this departure involves the emanci-
pation and independence of the Israelites. But he will not
ask the question, or entertain the thought. He treats their
demands with a haughty impatience. Get you to your bur-
dens. This is meant for the representatives of the people, as
the former part of his reply was addressed to Moses and Aaron.
V. 5. The iKople of the land. They^are called the people of the
land with reference to Goshen, where they were settled, in con-
trast with Pharoh himself, who belonged to the dominant race,
which may have been of foreign extraction, or because they
were engaged in rural occupations (i. 14). Are now many.
They are already so numerous as to endanger the state. And
ye make them rest, when they require to be kept down in
numbers and in spirit by hard and constant labour. It is
evident that Pharoh spurns the thought of letting the people
go.
V. G-11. He determined to cinish the nascent thoucfht of
freedom in the very bud. That day. The case is urgent,
and no time is to be lost. The taskmasters. The Egyptian
drivers, who had the management of the servile labour. Their
officers. The Shoterim were orderlies or managers who kept
an account of all matters that came under their charge. They
appear to have been pennanent officials in the state of Israel,
as Moses makes express provision for their continuance (Deut.
xvi. 18), and they are mentioned on various occasions in the
subsequent history of the people (Num. xi. 16, Deut. i. 15,
Judg. v. 1 4, 2 Chr. xxvi. 1 1). They occupied the highest
rank among the people, for we find Moses selecting from
among them members of the original Council or Sanhedrin of
Israel (Num. xi. IG), and they are included nmonfr the ronre-
D
60 MOSES APPEAES BEFORE PHAROH.
sentatives of the people in the public assembly (Dent. xxix. 1 0).
The very name of this official indicates a literary people. It
is judicious in a despotic sovereign, governing a conquered or
enslaved tribe, to avail himself of certain parts of the political
organization which they have adopted, v. 7. Straw. Straw
cut into small pieces was mixed with the clay, apparently to
give consistency to the brick until it was baked in the sun.
The sun-dried bricks of Egypt are so durable, that many still
remain that were made many centuries before the Christian
era. On being analysed they are found to contain a portion
of straw. The tale of the bricks. The same quantity of bricks
was to be produced, though the straw had to be gathered, in
addition to their former labours. They are idle. They have
not enough to do, and so they have time to think about free-
dom. Let thevi work therein, be busy, fully employed. Vai^i
words. Pharoh affects to regard the statement that their God
had interposed as a falsehood invented by Moses and Aaron.
V. 1 ] . Go ye, for no other will any more supply you. For
not ought of your service shcdl he taken off. Therefore bestir
yourselves to find the straw.
V. 12-18. After two days the Shoterim are beaten, because
the appointed number of bricks is not supplied ; and on com-
plaining to Pharoh, obtain no redress, v, ] 3. The daily task,
the rate of a day in its day. v. 1 6. And it is the fault of thy
people, who do not supply us with straw as formerly, v. 17.
Ye are idle, Pharoh has no new answer for the officers. The
intolerable burden he will not remove.
V, 19-23, The officers reproach Moses and Aaron for in-
volving them and the people in this distress. Moses, deeply
dejected, makes his appeal to God. v. 20. They came upon,
encountered Moses and Aaron, who were standing in the way,
probably awaiting the issue of their application to Pharoh.
V. 21. To put a sword in their hand to slay us, to give a
gi'ound of offence, provoking Pharoh to such measures as will
end in the destruction of the people, v. 22. Moses returned
unto the Lord. His mission to Pharoh has entirely failed.
It has only added to the misery of the people. He lays this
before the Lord in very plain terms. The chapter is abruptly
closed -with the earnest expostulation of Moses. The sombre
picture of wretchedness is thus left to make its full impression
on the mind.
EXODUS VI. 61
VI; MOSES ENCOURAGED HIS GENEALOGY.
17. "'J.?:' Libni, luhite. r. he white. *VP^ Sliiraei, hearing.
r. hear.
18. Dpoy 'Amraiii, binding, r. hind. '^\}'^] Jitshar, oil. r.
shine. ^^""^V Uzziel, Ood my strength.
1 9. ''^'no Machli, sickness, r. be sioh. ''^^ Mushi, yielding.
r. yield.
20. *i3?i^ Jokebed, glory to Jehovah.
21. nnp Qorach, /iai?. r. congeal, i^l Nepheg, sprig, r. u.
sprout. ^?3t Zikri, remembixi7ice.
22. ^N'f'P Misbael, 'it7<ois tt'/ia^ GocZ is ? |S>fx Eltsaphan,
GocZ a hiding-place. ''"?np Sithri, Itiding-place.
23. y?*f^« Elisheba*, GocZ is my oath, ^nrtsj? 'Amminadab,
bounteous to my people, p^na Nacbshon, serpentine, ^^r
Nadab, bounteous. ^^liT'^K Abihu, Ae a father. *iTy?K El'azar,
Gof? 0. /ic?29. "'^ri^^ Itbamar, where the palm.
24. 1''i?S Assir, captive. '^}P/^. Elqanah, gotten from God.
tlps-ax Abiasapb, father of gathering.
25. ^^?'pl^ Puticl, abided of God. onrs Pinccbas, brazen
mouth.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt tliou see wliat I will
do to Pharoh : for by a strong hand shall he let them go, and by a
strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. 14 § § § 2.
2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord.
3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob as God
Almighty ; but by my name Jehovah Avas I not kno^vn to them.
4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them
the land of Kenaan ; the land of their sojournings wherein they so-
journed. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the sons of Israel,
whom Mizraim keeps in bondage, and I remembered my covenant.
G "Wherefore say unto the sons of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will
bring you out from under the burdens of Mizraim, and ileUver you out
of their service ; and I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm and
with great judgments. 7 And I will take you to me for a people, and
I will be to you a God ; aud yc shall know that I am the Lord your
God, who bringeth you out from under the burdens of Mizraim. 8 And I
52 MOSES ENCOUEAGED — HIS GENEALOGY.
"will bring you into the land, which I lifted up my hand to give to Abra-
ham, to Isaac, and to Jacob ; and I will give it to you for a possession :
I am the Lord. 9 And Moses spake so unto the sons of Israel, and
they hearkened not unto Moses from anguish of spirit and from hard
service. ^ 6.
10 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 11 Go in, speak unto
Pharoh king of Mizraim, that he let the sons of Israel go out of his
land. 1 2 And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, Behold, the sons
of Israel have not hearkened unto me ; and how shall Pharoh hearken
unto me, who am uncircumcised of lips 1 ^7.
13 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them
a charge unto the sons of Israel, and unto Pharoh king of Mizraim, to
bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Mizraim. § 3.
14 These are the heads of their fathers' houses: the sons of Eeuben,
the first-born of Israel ; Henok, and Pallu, Ilezron and Karmi ; these
are the families of Eeuben. 15 And the sons of Simon ; Jemuel, and
Jamin, and Ohad, and Jakin, and Zohar, and Saul, the son of a
Kenaanitess ; these are the families of Simon. 16 And these are tlie
names of the sons of Levi, according to their generations ; Gershon,
and Kohath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were seven
and thirty and a hundred years. 17 The sons of Gershon ; Libni and
Shimi, according to their families. 18 And the sons of Kohath; Am-
ram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. And the years of the hfe of
Kohath were three and thirty and a hundred years. 1 9 And the sons
of Merari ; Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Levi accord-
ing to their generations. 20 And Amram took him Jokebed his aunt
to wife, and she bare him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life
of Amram were seven and thirty and a hundred years. 21 And the
sons of Izhar ; Korah, and IS'epheg, and Zikri. 22 And the sons of
Uzziel ; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23 And Aaron took
Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon, to wife ; and she
bare him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 24 And the sons of
Korah ; Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph, These are the families of
the Korhites. 25 And Eleazar, Aaron's son, took him a wife of the
daughters of Putiel ; and she bare him Phinehas. These are the heads
of the fathers of the Levites, according to their families. 26 These are
the Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord had said. Bring out the sons
of Israel from the land of Mizraim according to their hosts. 27 These
are they who spake to Pharoh king of Mizraim, to bring out the sons
of Israel from Mizraim. These are the Moses and Aaron. 28 And it
was in the day when the Lord s^^ake unto Moses in. the land of
Mizraim. § 4.
29 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I am the Lord: speak
EXODUS VI. 1-9. 53
unto Pharoli king of !Mizraim, all that I spoak unto thoc. 30 And
Moses sauI before the Lord, IJehold, I am unciicuniciseJ of lips, and
how shall Pharoli hearken unto me 1 ^8.
The dejected Moses is reassured by a new assertion and
exposition of the actual presence of God to perform His pro-
mise to Plis people (v. 1-13). The pedigree of Moses, and
Aaron, and others wlio are to figure in the future scene is now
given, preparatory to the commencement of Israel's deliver-
ance (v. 14-30).
V. 1. The Lord's reply is directed not to the complaint of
IMoscs, of which He takes no notice, but to the contemptuous
refusal with which Pharoli had met his rightful demand.
To receive a message from his Maker was au unspeakable
honour. Even if he suspected the message to be a pretence,
yet reverence for Him in whose name the bearers of it pro-
fessed to come should have led to the most cautious inquiry
before he replied. He was not to act upon a surmise in any
case, much less in a case of such moment. Noiv. In the
very height of Pharoh's arrogance and oppression, and in the
depth of the people's anguisli and despair, will the Lord
a])pear. By a strong hand (iii. ] 9). By the hand of the
Almighty inflicting stroke upon stroke until the spirit of
Pharoh is broken. Thus will he be constrained not only to
give them leave, but even to drive them out of his land.
The second, " by a strong hand," for which the Sept. has " by
a high arm " {sv Zpayjmi {j-\>r,\Cj), is emphatic. The Sabbath
lesson of the synagogue terminates here, after having given
relief to the anxiety of the hearer by a new promise of God.
V. 2-9. The reassurance of the preceding communication is
now sustained by a recun'ence to the cheering import of the
name Jehovah, and a recapitulation of all the old promises
to the patriarchs. And God spake. The Everla.sting and
Unchangeable One sj)ake. / am the Lord, Jehovah. The
Real, the Self-existent, the Author of all other existence,
manifesting my being by my presence in and power over
nature for the performance of my long-revealed purpose.
This is a name of power and hope to cheer the darkest heart.
v. 3. As God, Almifjlity. Tlie-name Jehovah waa made
known to Adam by the stupendous works of the six days
54 MOSES ENCOURAGED —HIS GENEALOGY.
creation, which were unfolded in all their finished beauty and
grandeur before his outward eyes and inmost soul (Gen. ii. 4,
] 6, 22, iv. 1). It was also revealed to Noah in the preser-
vation of his own family, and the destruction of the old world
by a flood, which were to the Most High but the waving of
His hand, though to man they were the majestic doings of
Jehovah. But in the matter of the promise made to Abra-
ham and his seed of a land of habitation, He was known to
them yet only as a promiser, not yet as a performer. Hence
He appeared to them as El Shaddai (Gen. xvii. 1), God
Almighty, a name expressly fitted to awaken and warrant
faith in a promise, inasmuch as it points to the attributes of
unchangeableness and omnipotence, which are the guarantees
of its ultimate fulfilment. But by my name Jeltovali was I
not known to them. As the performer of promise, the giver
of existence to that purpose which He had expressed. He was
not known, personally and practically known to them. By
the voice of history, by the records of the wondrous past, they
were aware that He was the Lord, and this name was often
actually, on their lips (Gen. xii. 1, 7, 8, xiv. 22, xv. 2, 6,
xvii. 1, xviii. 27, xxi. 33, xxii. 14, xxv. 21, xxviii. 13, 16,
21). But in their own experience, and in the matter of the
special revelation made to them, and only now to be realised.
He was not known to them as JehovaTi the agent, but only
as El Shaddai the potent. To know by personal observation,
is the primitive meaning of the verb V^l " know." This is
evinced by the use of the perfect " I have perceived," to
denote what we express by " I know," like novi, o7ha, by the
contrast of knowing with hearing, in such sentences as NPn
^mn i6 m irtn (is. xl. 21), and by the frequent occurrence
of the verb in this particular meaning (Gen. iii. 5, 7, 22,
xviii. 21, xxii. 12, Ex. v. 2). That "name" denotes the
nature, the import of the name, the being to whom belongs
the attribute signalised in the name, cannot be unknown to
the attentive reader of the Bible. (See on Gen. i. 5, ii. 23,
iii. 20, xxvii. 36, Ex. iii. 13). The meaning thus assigned
to the important verse before us is, therefore, agreeable to the
usage of Scripture. It vindicates the veracity and consis-
tency of the sacred historian. And it is singularly pertinent
EXODUS VI. 10-12.
to the context in which it occurs. It affords .also a remark-
able illustration of the custom exemplified in the names Bethel
(Gen. xii. 8), Dan (Gen, xiv. 14), Jacob and Esau (Gen. xxv.
80), according to which a former name is renewed and perpet-
uated by a new occasion occurring for its application.
V. 4, 5. These verses are a recapitulation of the past.
V. 6-8. The promise now to be realised. Say unto the sons
of Israel, I am the Lord. This is henceforth to be the word
of encouragement, of authority, and of fellowship to Israel.
It reminds them that God is now active on their behalf; that
it is God who is thus active, and that He is present to dwell
in the midst of them as a father among His adopted children.
It guarantees the following promise. A strefchcd-out arm^Ahold
figure for the strenuous interposition of Jehovah. Take you
to me for a p^oiAe. This is a winning and persuasive argu-
ment to a down-trodden people. Ye shall hnow that I am
the Lord. They shall know by actual experience that He is
all that is implied in the name Jehovah, an actual and there-
fore tried deliverer. / lifted up my hand (Gen. xiv. 22), I
sware, by lifting up in solemn appeal to God as a witness, the
liand, the emblem of power to perform what is sworn; The
phrase is transferred with a singular emphasis from the
human gestui'e to the divine asseveration. I am the Lord.
This sentence is here repeated for the third time in this mes-
sage, enhanced by all the emphasis which the distinction made
between the divine names (v. 3) has added to its meaning.
It is the seal of God thrice stamped upon His promise, v. 9.
Notwithstanding the cheering eflfect of this new communica-
tion on Moses, the people were so heart-broken that they
hearkened not to the comfortable words with which he
addressed them.
v. 10-12. With a heafvy heart and sorely wounded spirit
Moses must have turned from the people. Yet the Lord
directs him to go again to Pharoh. Moses pleads his want of
persuasive power. If his own people have not hearkened
unto him, how will Pharoh hearken ? Uncircumcised of lips.
Circumcision is the sign of a renewal of nature. The uncir-
cumcised is, therefore, by a natural figure, one who is still in
the bondage of a con-upt heart, and incapable of holy doings.
By a further turn of the metaphor, he is uncii'cumcised of
THE GENEALOGY OF MOSES.
lips who is incompetent to speak in a manner fitted to pro-
duce conviction and compliance.
V. 1 3. It is here stated in summary terms that the Lord
now gave a joint command or peremptory charge to Moses
and Aaron, unto, that is, to go unto the sons of Israel and
unto Pharoh, and to bring Israel out of Egypt. Aaron is
joined in the commission as before, to obviate the difficulty of
Moses about his failure to ])ersuade the people. The last
symptom of reluctance on the part of Moses has now been
overruled, and at this point the historian is conscious that
it is due to the leaders of this great movement, and to the
ends of history, to give an account of the relation in which
Moses and Aaron, and some of their kindred, who take a
part in the following transactions, stand to the other and
especially the elder branches of the now great family of Israel.
This is the very moment for introducing this statement, as
these ministers of the Lord are on the eve of entering, with-
out any more faltering, on the momentous conflict between
the powers of light and darkness, which is to end in the
deliverance of the children of Israel. Hence, after the sum-
mary notice of the positive command now laid upon Moses
and Aaron, the genealogical notice is inserted.
v. 14-28. The narrative here reverts to a point of time
long passed in the general course of events related. These are
the heads of their fathers' houses. The twelve tribes (Ci''tp^t^
or nitSD) of Israel were now divided, each into families
/n'lns^'p), and the families into fathers' houses (p^ i^% in the
plural n'l3X n-n). It is evident that in a nation that had a
set of officers whose business it was to keep written accounts
of all matters coming under their charge, we may expect to
find genealogical lists kept with care and accuracy. Moses,
therefore, had no difficulty in finding the register of his
family. In quoting from the public records, it was both re-
spectful to the two elder tribes and essential to a clear state-
ment of the relative position of Moses and Aaron in the
nation to give at least the families contained in these tribes.
Then follow what are, strictly speaking, their, that is, Moses
and Aaron's fathers' houses. The ages of Levi, Kohath, and
Amram, the lineal ancestors of the leadersof the people, are given.
The second son of Levi is the father of Amram. And Amram,
EXODUS VI. 29, 30. 57
tool- hhn Jokchcd his aunt to wife (see on ii. l). "\Vc are
here brought to the parents of Moses and Aaron, v. 21.
Tlie sons of Izhar are introduced on account of Korah, who
afterwards comes to a bad pre-eminence (Num. xvi.). v. 22.
The sons of Uzziel are mentioned, because they also recur in the
narrative (Lev. x. 4). v. 23. Elisheba, sister of Nahshou,
was the fifth (inclusive) in descent from Ju(hil» ; while Aaron
was only the fourth from Levi by his father's side, and the
third by his mother's. This prepares us to expect great dis-
parity in the number of generations in different lines. Aaron's
sons will meet us in the narrative hereafter, v. 24. The
sons of Korah were the survivors of their father, and became
heads of fomilies (Num. xxvi. 11). v. 25. Of Putiel we know
nothing farther. Phinehas is the sixth (inclusive) in descent
from Levi, and the seventh from Judah. v. 20-28. These
are the Aaron and Moses. The design of the preced-
ing paragraph was to explain who Aaron and !Moses were.
They stand here in the order of seniority. At the end of the
next verse they are placed in the order of rank. To ivhom
the Lord had said. This refers to the commission he had
given to them before their first interview with Pharoli. These
are they who spake to Pharoh in the first interview, which is
recorded in the fifth chapter. And it was in the day. This
was the state of things at the time. This verse seems
designed to date the time when the conjunction of circum-
stances described in the preceding passage regai'ding the
fjimily of Moses had taken place. In accordance with this,
the closed section of the Masoretic text terminates with this
verse. The connection of such a sentence wdth the preceding
context is unusual ; but it occurs in other instances (Deut. ii.
IG; Zek. vi. 15). The phrase W? it came to pass, simply
indicates a point of time at which a preceding period termin-
ates, and the following one begins. The prominent reference
is usually to the latter ; but it may be to the former (Gen. i.
7, D, 11, 15, 24, 30). Sometimes the reference maybe equal
to both (Gen. iv. 8).
V. 29, 30. These verses contain a recapitulation of verses
1 0-1 2, and therefore bring us up, in point of time, to the be-
ginning of verse 13, which is itself a summary of what is
given in detail in the beginning of the next chapter. The
58 THE GENEALOGY OF MOSES.
first seven verses of the seventh chapter might accordingly be
regarded as the continuation of the sixth. But in' the exist-
ing arrangement they form an appropriate introduction to the
record of those ten strokes of judgments by which the resist-
ance of Egypt was broken, and the way at length opened for
the departure of Israel.
We have now perused the record of Israel's servitude in
Egypt. It runs parallel with the early part of the life of
the deliverer, or more precisely of Aaron, his senior by three
years. It commences probably with a new dynasty in Egypt,
at a time when the increase of the people was so marked, as
to become alarming to a sovereign not very firmly seated on
the throne, and exposed to the hostility of neighbouring
powers. His policy, though it does not keep down the
population, makes him aware of their value as servile
labourers. He therefore persists in his arbitrary course
until the cry of the oppressed people reaches heaven. The
deliverer now appears, but his approach to the monarch is
only the signal for a new outburst of violence and oppres-
sion. This casts the last shade of gloom and despondency
over the scene.
SECTION II.— THE TEN PLAGUES.
v. the first three plagues. exod. vii ; viii. 0.
Chap. vii. water changed into blood.
9. T^^. long creature, sea-monster, serpent, dragon. It
sometimes denotes the crocodile, Isaiah xxvii. 1 ; li. 9. The
Sept. give dpuy.uv, which we have retained to distinguisli it
from ti*n3 seiyent, which is a species of the more general
terra T^- Tlie crocodile might be included under either.
But the asp or basilisk is more probable, though the term
employed is perhaps designedly general.
11. flU'^p sorcerer, magician, enchanter, one who practises
hidden or black arts, r. hide. These arts are called D"'pn^= Q^u?
enchantments, from L3n!? = t:p to hide. Whether these arts
were due to the light of experience or the powers of daikness,
we have not the means of determining.
And the Lord said unto Mqscs. See, I have made thee a god
unto Pharoh ; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy proi^het. 2 Tliou
shalt speak all that I conuuand thee : and Aaron tliy brother shall
speak unto Pharoh, tliat he send the sons of Israel out of his land.
3 And I will harden Pharoh 's heart ; and multiply my signs and my
wonders in tlie land of !Mizraim. 4. And Pharoh will not licarken
unto you, and I will lay my hand upon Mizraim : and I will hrijig
forth my hosts, my people, the sons of Israel, out of the land of
Mizraim by great judgments. 5 And ^Mizraim shall know that I am
the Lord, when I stretch forth my hand upon ^lizraim, and bring out
the sons of Israel from among them. G Aiid thus did !Moses and
Aaron ; as the Lord commanded them so did they. 7 And Closes was
eighty years old, and Aaron three and eighty yeai-s old, when they
spake unto Pharoh.
8 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying. 9
60 THE FIRST PLAGUE.
Wlien Pharoli shall speak unto you, saying, show for you a miracle ;
then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod and cast it before
Pharoh ; let it become a dragon. 10 And Moses and Aaron went in
unto Pharoh, and did so as the Lord had commanded ; and Aaron cast
clown his rod before Pharoh and before his servants, and it became a
dragon. 1 1 And Pharoh also called the sages and the sorcerers ; and
the scribes of Mizraim, they also did so with their enchantments.
12 And they cast down every man his rod, and they became dragons :
and Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. 13 And Pharoh's heart
was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them ; as the Lord had
spoken. § 5
14 And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharoh's heart is hard ; he
refuseth to let the people go. 15 Go unto Pharoh in the morning ;
lo, he goeth out unto the water, and thou shalt stand to meet him at
the river's brink : and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt
thou take in thy hand. 16 And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord,
the God of the Hebrews, hath sent me unto thee to say, Let my people
go and serve me in the wilderness ; and behold thou hast not hearkened
hitherto. 17 Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I
am the Lord ; behold I smite with the rod that is in my hand upon
the water which is in the river, and it shall be turned into blood.
18 And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink ;
and Mizraim shall loathe to drink the water of the river. § 6.
19 And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod
and stretch out thy hand upon the waters of Mizraim, upon their rivers?
upon their streams, and upon their ponds, and upon every pool of their
waters, and they shall become blood : and there shall be blood in all
the land of Mizraim, both in wood and in stone. 20 And Moses and
Aaron did so as the Lord commanded. ; and he lifted wp the rod and
emote the water that was in the river in the eyes of Pharoh and in the
eyes of his servants : and all the water that was in the river was turned
into blood. 21 And the fish that was in the river died, and the river
stank, and Mizraim could not drink water from the river : and the blood
was in all the land of Mizraim. 22 And the scribes of Mizraim did
so with their enchantments : and Pharoh's heart was hardened, neither
did he hearken unto them, as the Lord had spoken. 23 And Pharoh
turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart even to
this. 24 And all Mizraim digged round about the river for water to
drink : for they could not drink of the water of the river. 25 And
seven days were fulfilled, after the Lord had smitten the river. Tj 10.
The problem to be solved in this section is the deliverance
of a family now grown into a nation, who have been unjustly
EXODUS VII. G 1
reduced to a state of servitude, from a liaughty despot who
finds his advantage in retaining them by force in his service.
Every man, we have no doubt, thinks he can easily solve it ;
and the solution proposed by each will depend very much on
the character of the individual. All men will also, we con-
ceive, acknowledge that the omniscient and omnipotent God
could accomplish the end in question in a variety of ways
conceivable or inconceivable by man. It is certain, however,
that the all-wise God can and will work this problem in one
way. This will be the best way. He only knows what is
the best way for all ])arties. He has respect in all his doings
to the best interests of his rational creatures. This consists
in the perfection and culture of their intellectual and moral
nature, as the only solid foundation of comi)lete and perpetual
happiness. His method of procedure, therefore, will be ex-
actly fitted not only to the nature of man, tlie chief rational
party concerned, in general, but to the stage of develoi)ment
to which at the time he has attained. It is true and impor-
tant in one sense that God giveth not account of any of his
matters ; but it is equally true and important that he takes
account of all matters whatsoever in all his proceedings.
Hence he has regard to Israel, to Egypt, to Kenjvm, and to
the whole human race in the manner in which he meets this
great emergency. He has in view the present state of these
parties, and adapts his measures to their instruction in spiri-
tual things according to their several attainments in mental
and moral truth. The result of the divine wisdom is the best
plan of delivering Israel from Egypt, which is accordingly
carried into effect, and is here delineated for our learninof.
Let us enter upon the study of it, hoping to be illuminated
ourselves with many rays of that light which then broke upon
the minds of Israel and his contemporaries.
We have already read the instructive account of the ap-
pointment of Moses to be the prime minister of heaven in this
great movement, and the deferential respect with which his
credentials have been received by the people. Accompanied
with the elders of Israel, he has approached Pharoh and jire-
sented the authoritative message of the God of heaven and
earth, requiring him to let Israel go and keep a feast to the
Lord. In these facts we have strikinir instances of God's
62 THE FIRST PLAGUE.
manner of proceeding. He does not appoint a servant with-
out removing all bis difficulties, and affording him the fullest
instructions. He does not take a step in the emancipation of
the people without obtaining their acceptance of the leader he
has chosen and their concurrence in the measures he has
devised. And, notwithstanding the absence of all equity as
well as gratitude in the manner in which the Pharohs had
degraded into serfs the free kinsmen of Joseph, he opens the
negociations with the reigning sovereign by a simple and
moderately worded, yet firm and frank demand of the release
of his people for the immediate purpose of a religious festival.
It is obvious that so mild a request, so limited in its terms,
in circumstances of so grave injustice, coming from the most
high God, could not have been rejected by a right-minded
man. Enquiries might have been made, difficulties started
and claims advanced, if there had been any ; and these would
have been all reasonably and satisfactorily met. And thus a
negociation opened with forbearance and carried on with equity
would have terminated in a peaceful and amicable settlement.
Such is the beginning of God's method for the deliverance of
his people from Egypt.
But upon the proud and arrogant mind of Pharoh this
temperate dealing has an opposite effect. He breaks out into
instant defiance of God, contempt of his ministers, and revenge
upon his people. His heart, practised in the arts of tyranny,
gains a new degree of obstinacy from its violent recoil against
this modest and seemingly feeble whisper of the bond-slave's
God. With unaffected simplicity, the sacred historian records
the disastrous consequences of Pharoh's indignation on the
people and their officers, and the sad shock it gave to their
infant faith. This was, no doubt, very painful to endure and
pitiful to contemplate. But it had its pregnant and salutary
lessons, and he who has looked into the after history of this
people will be persuaded that this and many subsequent cor-
rectives were absolutely necessary to bring them to that depth
of piety, strength of principle, and decision of character which
conferred a moral dignity on the nation, the traces of which
are still to be found in the remnant of Israel.
Even Moses himself is disappointed by the failure of his
first attempt, and distressed by the anguish and despondency
EXODUS VII. 1-7. 63
of the people. Accordingly the Lord, in the beginning of this
chiipter, opens up to him a new and cheering view of liis rela-
tion to Pharoh, and sends him again to him with a mira-
culous authentication of his missicm. This second effort of
the divine forbearance is also disregarded by the infatuated
king. Only on the third appearance of Closes before Pharoh
is he authorized to announce and inflict the first j)lague or
stroke of judgment upon the recusant monarch.
V. 1-7. This passage is the expansion of v. 13 of the pre-
vious chapter. A new and encouraging view of his relation
to Pharoh is here presented to Moses, inducing him to enter
with a willing; and intellijxent interest into the divine mission
with which he has been entrusted. A God unto Pharoh.
What God was to Moses in point of instruction, that Moses
w\'us to be to Aaron (iv. 1 G) ; and what God was to liim in
respect of power, that he was now to be to Pharoh. He was
to be the revealer of the divine will to Aaron ; the executor
of the divine will on Pharoh. God puts his servant in a satis-
ftictory position toward the adversary he has to encounter ;
and henceforth he proceeds without faltering to carry out the
divine intentions. And Aaron shall he thy 'prophet. A
prophet is God's spokesman, uttering a message or a prayer
by his authority (Gen. xx. 7). Such is Aaron to be to Moses,
as explained in the following verse. The plenipotentiary of
heaven is now amply furnished for his great undertaking.
V. 3. And I will harden Pharoh's heart. We have seen the
process already begun. The very patience and moderation
which were calculated to subdue a will amenable to reason,
only aroused the resistance and vengeance of Pharoh. Every
succeeding step in the procedure of God is dictated by a like
consideration and forbearance. Though it be true, therefore,
that God did harden Pharoh's heart, yet it was by measures
that would have disarmed the opposition, and commanded the
acquiescence of an upright mind. v. 4. / mill lay my hand
vpon Mizraini, because Pharoh is the representative of the
Egyptians — because they concur in his sentiments — and
because, even when they do not concur, they do not actively
dissent from his intentions. Thus nations share the guilt,
and therefore the punishment of their erring sovereigns.
Moreover, God will touch the consciences of the nation in this
64 THE FIRST PLA.GUE.
bigli controversy, and awaken within them that fear of God
which ought to regulate and set bounds to the fear of their
earthly king (v. 5). / will bring forth my hosts. The hosts
of the Lord they were in a literal sense, and a stern work they
had to perform in the beginning of their career. Yet they
gradually rose to a higher form of warfare, in which they were
destined yet with many auxiliaries to endure hardness as
good soldiers of the Messiah. The term hosts, however, is sig-
nificant even here. It points to the fact that the sons of Israel
are to march out of Egypt in battle array, apart from the
women, children, cattle, and baggage (xiii. 18). v. 5. Aoid
Mizraim shall know. They shall find by experience, whether
they take the lesson to heart or not. That I am the Lord.
That great master- truth of all theology, that the God of the
Hebrews is the one true and living God, the founder and
mover of heaven and earth. The nations have inherited the
vague notion of God indeed from their common father ; but
they have essentially corrupted it, so that their gods are no
longer the true God at all, but only a baseless phantom of
their imagination. They have lost the historical connection
with the God of their remote ancestry. In the one line of
Israel, through the providence of God, has the historical reve-
lation of God been preserved pure and entire. This would
have been Egypt's day of grace, if the nation had only fuUy
accepted this one lesson, " I am the Lord ; " but it became a
day of judgment on account of its rejection, and this day con-
tinued, until salvation began to go forth from Jerusalem, v.
6. And thus did Moses and Aaron. There is henceforward
a prompt and constant obedience to the divine command,
with the exception of certain grave inadvertencies into which
they are betrayed by the remaining infirmities of the old man.
V. 7. And Moses was eighty years old. We are now arrived
at the point we had reached in the summary of vi. 1 3. It is
in place to state the ages of the two brothers. As no men-
tion is made of any difficulty in saving Aaron when an infant,
it is not improbable that the edict about the execution of
the male infants, by casting them into the Nile, was published
after his birth, and in fact very shortly before the birth of
Moses. Eighty years may seem a ripe age for entering upon
an arduous enterprise ; but all the ancestors of Moses lived
EXODUS VI I. 8-13. 65
beyond tlie age of 130 yeai-s, so that ('ii^dity was not more in
proportion than forty wouhl be now. 'i'his is the proper close
of the paragraph beginning with the genealogy (vi. 14), and,
therefore, after having expanded vi. 1 3 in the previous ])as-
sage, the wiiter is prepared to go on with the main line of the
narrative.
V. .S-13. Moses now understands the position of advantage
in wliich the Lord has put him, and is emboldened to appear
the second time before Pharoh. Having armed liis servant
witii miraculous powei-s, so that he is a god to Pharoh, the
Lord makes a second overture to the haughty monarch. Let
it become a dragon. The more general word P?*^ is here
employed instead of serpent, (iv. 3), simply because this is
not precisely the same sign that was shown to Moses in the
mount of God. The latter was to be exhibited before the
people for tlieir conviction (iv. 1-5). The wonders to be done
before Pharoh (iv. 21-23) were not the same, though two of
them were similar, and seem to have included all the plagues
M hich were afterwards wrought by the hand of Moses. The
dragon is here, therefore, a different species of the scrjient
kind from that which appeared before the Israelites. The
kind of animal on each occasion is that which would be most
significant to the party concerned. The serjjent would recall
to Israel the serpent in Eden. The tannin here rendered
dragon after the Scptuagint may have been the asp or
basilisk, which was the emblem oT royalty, or some other species
of serpent equally significant to Pharoli and to Egypt. The
sages and the sorcerers; and the scribes. The sages and
scribes were summoned to Pharoli in the time of Josej)h,
(Gen. xli. 8). It is probable that the .scribes or hieroglyph.s,
included all the classes of sages, and that the sages included
the sorcerers. They also did so icith tlieir enchantments.
It is certain that the charming of serpents has been long
practised in Egypt and adjacent countries. The serpent
called hage by the Arabs, api)arently the asp, can be made
to aj)pear as dead or rigid as a stick, and of coinse restored
to its natural state again. Now the Scripture does not care
to determine whether a given work be done by natural or
jtreteniatural means. It grants merely that the thing in
question has been done, when it is pi-ofessed and appears to
£
66 THE FIRST PLAGUE.
have been done. It does not concern the sacred writer or
his readers how the impression was made on the senses, but
only that in fact it was made. And Aaivn's rod swalloived
up their rods. This was a plain and palpable proof that
the presence and power of God were with Moses. It may-
occur to the mind that it would have been as effectual a mode
of convincing Pharoh to have restrained his magicians from
playing their part before him. And undoubtedly the
Almighty could have done so. But it is not his way to in-
terfere by physical force with the free agency of his
responsible creatures, (see Gen. iii. 1-7). If it had, he would
have restrained Satan from entertaining the intention of
resisting his Maker, or at least from afterwards intruding into
the garden of Eden ; and he would have withheld the woman's
hand and desire from the fruit of the forbidden tree, and so
actual sin might never have entered into heaven or earth.
But where would have been free agency, or by what means
would the existence of creature morality have been known?
Let us not imagine, therefore, that even in this small matter
we can amend God's mode of procedure. And Pharoh' s heart
was hardened. It is plain that Pharoh had deluded himself
by means of his magicians into the fancy that Moses is onlj?"
a more skilful magician than his own. He attaches no proper
weight to the disappearance of their rods, which was the
testing miracle. As the Lord had spoken. It is the pre-
rogative of the Omniscient to predict the conduct of men.
Though we cannot explain this mystery, yet from the known
character of a man we can sometimes make a shrewd guess at
the way in which he will act in given circumstances.
The interview with the people, the first appearance before
Pharoh, the two days after which the officers were beaten,
the second interview with the people, and the second with
Pharoh, cannot have occupied less than seven days, and
therefore bring us to the 20th January or thereabout.
V. 14-24. This second appeal having failed to make any
impression on the heart of Pharoh, the Lord, as a third and
last resort, directs Moses to the infliction of the first of a
series of judicial strokes, increasing in intensity of effect, by
which the refractory monarch is at length compelled to let
the people go. The Jewish Rabbis have not been slow to
EXODUS VII. 14-24. 07
observe the regulai* order in wliicli these successive strokes
are arranged, .and the gradual advance which they make fntni
the external to the internal, and from the mediate to the
innuediate hand of God. They are in number ten ; which
is one of the numbers denoting perfection. They are divided
first into nine, and one, the hist one, standing clearly apart
from all the others, in the awful shriek of woe which it draws
forth from every Egyptian home. The nine are arranged in
threes. In the first of each three the warning is given to
Pharoh in the morning (vii. 1.5 ; viii. 20; ix. 13). In the
first and second of each three, the plague is announced
beforehand (viii. 1 ; ix. 1 ; x. 1), in the third not (viii, 10 ;
ix. 8; X. 21). At the third the magicians of Pharoh acknow-
ledged the finger of God (viii. 19), at the sixth they cannot
stand before Moses (ix. 11), and at the ninth Phai-oh refuses
to see the face of Moses any more (x. 28). In the first three
Aaron uses the rod ; in the second three it is not mentioned ;
in the third three Moses uses it, though in the last of them
only his hand is mentioned. All these marks of order lie on
the face of the narrative, and point to a deeper order of
nature and reason out of which tliey spring.
The gradation in the severity of these strokes is no less
obvious. In the first three no distinction is made among the
inhabitants of the land ; in the remaining seven a distinction
is made betw^een the Israelites, who are shielded from, and the
Egyptian;?, who are exposed to, the stroke. In these seven
which are peculiar to the Egyptians, the order is the reverse
of that in the work of creation. Three refer to the animal
creation, and three to the vegetable world, the support of
animal life. The last of these six is darkness, the opposite of
light, the product of tlie first day ; and the seventh is death.
The first three afiect the health and comfort of man ; the next
three take away the staff of life ; then comes death itself, and
the work of destruction is complete.
To understand the deep import of the conflict before us,
let us bear in mind that now for the first time since the dis-
})ersion of mankind the opjjosition between the children of
God and the children of disobedience is coming out into
broad daylight. Egypt, that was the kind fosterer of the
chosen family, has now become the persecutor of Israel and
68 THE FIRST PLAGUE.
the avowed antagonist of God. The present struggle is there-
fore no raid for the gathering of booty, nor encounter between
two rival nations, nor expedition for the selfish ends of an
earthly ambition. It is the controversy between light and
darkness, in which the God of heaven and earth manifests his
presence and power on behalf of his people and against the
defiant nation. This nation is for the time being the repre-
sentative of all heathendom, which is the kingdom of the
prince of darkness ; and the battle now fought is the model
and type of all future warfare between the seed of the woman
and the seed of the serpent. Hence it rise8-to-^-t}--anBcendent
importance in the ways of God with man, and fitly holds a
place even in the preface to the ten commandments (xx. 2).
V. 14-18. The announcement of the first plague. Pharoh's
heart is hard, heavy 0?^), stupid and insensible to right reason
and the real state of things. In the jireceding verse it was
described as hard, firm (Pirj.'!), obstinate, and infiexible in its
own selfish purpose. In the third verse of this chapter we
find another word (p''^\^), rendered hard, applied to the heart,
having the sense of obdurate, steeled against every tender or
unselfish feeling. We have only the one equivalent for all
these terms. Go unto Fharoh in the morning. It appears
that Pharoh was wont to be out on the banks of the Nile in
the morning, either for an airing, or to bathe in its waters.
He could scarcely be supposed to visit the magnificent river
without presenting to it some form of adoration. To the Nile
Egypt owed its soil and its fertility. The inhabitants esteemed
its waters the most delicious beverao'e, regarded itself as the
source of life and prosperity to the nation, and soon began to
venerate it as the deity of their land, identical with Osiris and
Apis. Royalty would feel itself specially attracted by such a
divinity, and bound to take a leading part in its worship. At
this river's brink, therefore, was the fit place to meet Pharoh.
Tlie rod which was turned into a serpent, was the wand of
power by which Moses was distinguished as the minister of
heaven. The Lord. This is the name of present and active
power, by which the God of the Hebrews is now to be prac-
tically signalised. Pharoh is reminded of the divine message,
and of its rejection by him. v. 1 7. In this thou shalt know
that I am the Lord. Pharoh is to know, at least experimen-
EXODUS VII. 19-2k GO
tally, if not submissively and penitently, that grand sontonce
" 1 am the Lord." Behold I sinife. This was to take place
immediately in the very presence of Pharoh. The vxifrr v:h'ich
'iH in the river, that very river which was the object of all
Egypt's praise and veneration ! A nd it shall he turned into
blood, blood poured out, and therefore dead, and spreading
death instead of diffusing life. Hence the fish shall die, and
the river become putrid and loathsome to the smell and the
taste. This was sufficient to show, if it was necessary, that
the Nile was not a god, but a mere inanimate creature.
V. 19-24'. The fulfilment now follows. Say unto Aaron.
Pharoh is to learn the dignity of Closes, who commands Aaron
his prophet to execute this miracle, and thus Moses is a god
to Pharoh. Take thy rod. This is the rod of Moses (v. 1 5)
which Aaron bears. Upon their rivers. These appear to be
the arms or mouths into which the Nile separates itself in the
Delta, of which there were anciently seven. They are called
" their rivers," that is, those of Egypt, which is here a collec-
tive noun denoting the nation. Their streams {diupvyag Sept.)
are the canals by which the land was irrigated. Their ponds
are the marshy lakes, such as Mocris and Mareotis. And every
pool, every small collection or reservoir for private or special
use. In all the land of Mizravni, not only in the river and
all its connected waters, but in the land, that is, as explained,
in all cisterns, whether of wood or stone, for the filtration or
preservation of the water, v, 20. In the eyes of Pharoh, and
of his senrtnts. A retinue of his courtiers was present on the
occasion, including priests and magicians. And all the water
UX18 turned into blood. The Nile begins to rise about the end
of June, and attains its highest point at the end of September.
About the commencement of the rise it assumes a greenish
hue, is disagreeable to the taste, unwholesome, and often totally
unfit for drinking. It soon, however, becomes red and turbid,
and continues in this state for three or more weeks. In this
condition it is again healthy and fit for use. The miracle
now performed was totally dificrent from this annual change.
For 1 , it occurred after the winter, not the summer, solstice ;
2, the water was turned into blood, and not merely reddened
by an admixture of red clay or animalcula ; 8, the fish died,
a result which did not follow from the periodical change of
70 THE FIRST PLAGUE.
colour ; 4, the river stank, and became offensive, which it
ceased to be when the ordinary redness made its appearance ;
5, the stroke was arrested at the end of seven days, whereas
the natural redness continued for at least three weeks ; and 6,
the change was brought on instantly at the word of command
before the eyes of Pharoh. The calamity was appalling. The
sweet waters of the Nile were the common beverage of Egypt.
It abounded in all kinds of fish, which formed a principal
article of diet for the inhabitants. It was revered as a god
by Egypt. But now it was a putrid flood, from which they
turned away with loathing. And the scribes of Mizraim did
so with their enchantments. It has been asked Mdiere they
got the water. We read in the 24th verse that "all Mizraim
digged round about the river for water to drink." We have
no doubt the hieroglyphs of Pharoh had wit enough to make
the same experiment. The natives of a country in which the
only river becomes periodically unfit for drinking would not
be unfamiliar with the expedient of digging for water when
the ordinary supply failed. These miracle-mongers confine
themselves to the safe experiment of imitating on a small
scale the work of God's servants. It would have been a clear
demonstration of their superiority if they had countermanded
the order of Moses, and converted the morbid mass into a
limpid stream. This was what Egypt needed. Their trick
was but a wretched mockery of help. v. 23. NeitJter did he
set his heart even to this. When the will is strongly bent
upon a foregone conclusion, a very small show of proof will
beget conviction. The hieroglyphs managed to exhibit the
appearance at least of changing a little water into blood. The
headstrong monarch is confirmed in his resolve, and retuins
unmoved by Egypt's misery to his home. v. 25. And seven
days were fulfilled. The "smiting" of the river was not a
momentary act, but a process that lasted for seven days, and
then was remitted. This carries us on to about the 27th
January. We are not informed what length of time was
occupied with the other plagues ; but it will serve the pur-
pose of order and clearness to suppose that seven days elapsed
during the course of each of the seven following.
This miracle was not merely a judicial, but a significant
act. It marks the retribution of heaven. Pharoh orders the
EXODUS VIII, 71
male infants of the Hebrews to be cast into the river, that
they might perish there and become food for its fish. That
very river is changed into a stream of death. It disphvys
also the folly of creature-worship. Pharuh adores the life-
sustaining power of nature, as embodied in the majestic river,
before him. The God of nature transforms the running water
into a river of death before his eyes. It demonstrates, in the
way that was most striking to the Hebrew and the Egyptian,
that the God of Israel was the true and only God of lieaven
and earth, and that all other objects of worship were but the
creatures of God or the works of men's hands.
The next four verses of the Hebrew text, appended in Van
der Hooght's edition to this chapter, are here, fur the sake of
convenience, transferred to the beginning of the next chapter,
in accordance with a considerable number of MSS. and some
early versions, including the Vulgate. This arrangement of the
text is adopted in Walton's Polyglott and the English Version.
VI. SECOND THREE PLAGUES. EXOD. VIII. 20 IX. 12.
CHAP. VIII. 2. FROGS, 3. LICE, AND 4. FLIES.
9. "i^snn. This foi-m elsewhere denotes to glory or vaunt
oneself. Hei-e, however, the Sept. gives "rd^ai, the Vulg. con-
stitiie, and the Targum of Onkelos, " set thou a time." The
former meaning must, in the present passage, be taken in a
pregnant sense, and include the latter. The radical significa-
tion of the verb, namely, to be hrifjht, clear, however, will
naturally 3'ield the latter as a secondary meaning.
IG. D33, D'33 lice.. In the Talmud n33 a louse. The
Jewish interpreters (including Onkelos and Jo.sei)hu.s), the
Syriac, the Arabic, and the Talmud, give this meaning, which
is supported by Bochart. The Sept. gives cy.ufi;, which
Gescnius and others take to mean gnats. But y.'Jj'^ui-^ or t.aWs
is the gnat, llie cxmi-^ is said to be an ant that preys on
figs, or an insect that lives under the bark of trees. Either
of these bears more analogy to the louse than to the gnat or
most|uito. The louse is also found " on men and beasts,"
72 THE PLAGUE OF FROGS.
while the gnat flies in the air. The former is also more
clearly distinguished from the y^V than the latter.
21. ^'^^ fly. The Sept. gives 7(.vi/6f/,via, dog-fly; Aquila
'TTcc/jb/nuia, all hinds of flies. It seems probable that as the ^33
is a parasitical animal without wings, so the 3nj; is a fly that
has a long proboscis, piercing the skin, sucking the blood,
and leaving a painful and highly inflamed wound. It may
derive its name from 3"iy ilie evening, when it becomes most
troublesome, or from 31^ to mix, because the whole class of
flies is included. Kalisch is strongly in favour of the beetle
(Blatfa Orientalis) ; but this does not attack men. In the
absence of any very distinct aid from usage, the word being
found only in this passage and in Ps. Ixxviii. 45, cv. 31, it
seems better to adhere to the generic term, fly, which accords
best with all the circumstances noted. It fastens on man,
enters houses, and infests fields.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in to Pharoh, and say unto
him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go and serve me. 2 And
if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I Avill smite all tliy border with
frogs. 3 And the river shall swarm Avith frogs, and they shall come
up and go in to thy house, and to thy sleeping room and upon thy bed,
and into the house of thy servants, and on thy people, and into thine
ovens and into thy kneading troughs. 4 And on thee and on thy people
and on all thy servants shall the frogs come up. 5 And the Lord
said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thy hand with thy rod
over the rivers, and over the streams, and over the ponds, and bring
up the frogs upon the land of Mizraim. 6 And Aaron stretched forth
his hand over the waters of Mizraim, and the frogs came up and
covered tlie land of Mizraim. 7 And the scribes did so with their
enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Mizraim.
8 And Pharoh called for Moses and Aaron, Intreat the Lord and
let Him take away the frogs from me and from my people ; and I will
let the people go and sacrifice unto the Lord. 9 And Moses said
unto Pharoh, Prescribe unto me, when I shall entreat for thee and for
thy servants and for thy people, to cut off the frogs from thee and thy
houses : only in the river shall they remain. 10 And he said, To-
morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word ; that thou mayest
know that there is none like unto the Lord our God. 11 And the
frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy ser-
vants, and from thy people j only in the river shall they remain. 12
EXODUS VIII. 73
And ^Toscs and Aaron Avont out from Pliaroli : and ^fosos criod unto
llic Lord on account of the frogs which ho had brought on Pliaroh.
13 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses : and the frogs
died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields. 14
And tlicy gathered them together in heaps ; and the land stank. 15
And Pliaroh siw that there was respite, and he hardened his heart
and hearkened not unto them, as the Lord had spoken. § 6.
IG And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth
thy rod, anil smite the dust of the hind, and it shall become lice in all
the land of Mizraim. 17 And they did so : and Aaron stretched out
his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the land, and it became lico
on man and on beast : all the dust of the land became lice in all the land
of ^lizraim. 18 And the scribes did so with their enchantments to
bring forth the lice, and could not : and the lice were on man and on
beast. 19 And the scribes said unto Pharoh, This is the finger of
Clod. And Pharoh's heart was hardened and he hearkened not unto
them ; as the Lord had spoken. § 7.
20 And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning,
and stand bef(jre Pharoh, lo, he conieth forth to the water : and say
unto him. Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go and serve me.
21 For if thou wilt not let my people go, behold I send upon thee
and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses, tho
lly ; and the houses of Mizraim shall be full of the fly, and even the
ground whereon they are. 22 And I will sever in that day the land
of Goshen, on which my people stand, that the fly may not be there ;
tliat thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land.
23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people : to-
morrow shall this sign be. 24 And the Lord did so, and there came
a grievous fly into Pharoh's house and the house of his servants; and
in all the land of ^lizraim the land Avas destroyed by reason of the fly.
25 And Pharoh called Moses and Aaron, and said. Go ye, sacri-
fice to your God in the land. 2G And Moses said, It is not meet so
to do ; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of Mizraim to the Lord
our God : lo, we shall sacrifice the abomination of Mizraim before
their eyes, and will they not stone us ? 27 Wo will go three days'
journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as Ho
shall say unto us. 28 And Pharoh said, I will let you go and sacri-
fice to the Lord your God in the wilderness ; only ye shall not go
very far away : entreat for me. 20 And Moses said, Behold, I go out
from thee and entreat the Lord, and the fly shall depart from Pharoh,
from his servants, and from his people to-morrow : only let not
Pharoh deal falsely any more, not to let the people go to sacrifice
to the Lord. 30 And Moses went out from Pharoh, and entreated
74 THE PLAGUE OF FROGS.
tlie Lord, 31 Aud the Lord did according to the word of Moses,
and removed the fly from Pharoh, from his servants, and from his
people : not one remained. 32 And Pharoh hardened his heart at
this time also ; neither did he let the people go. IF l^l-
In this chapter we have the plagues of the frogs, the lice,
and the fly grouped together, probably because tlieyall belong
to the smaller tribes of animals. In the conception of the
author, however, it is evident that the two former, with the
change of water into blood, constitute the first triad of judicial
visitations, as two of them are announced beforehand and the
third not, according to a law which is observed in each triad.
v. 1-15. The plague of frogs. Go in to Pharoh. This in-
fliction is to be announced to Pharoh in his palace, as the
former was by the river side (vii. 1 5). The request for leave
to depart is repeated, and in case of refusal the plague of
frogs is threatened, v, 3, 4. The river shall swarm tvith
frogs. Frogs abound in Egypt. They appear, when the river
overflows the country, in all the pools of water. The common
frog, the green or edible frog (rana esculenfa), and the speckled
frog (r. punctata), are found in Egypt. The number of eggs
in the spawn of a single frog varies from 1000 to 1500.
The appearance of these animals in considerable numbers on
land is generally preceded and accompanied by heavy storms
of rain (Kitto's Cyclop.). Such an accompaniment would
render the visitation more appalling to the Egyptians.
The phraseology here is similar to that employed in the
six days' creation (Gen. i. 20). Miracles are not the less
supernatural, because their products are natural objects pre-
viously well-known, as frogs, or are placed in ordinary
circumstances, as frogs in the standing water of a river, or
are even arranged in natural succession, as frogs in the Nile
after its change of colour. The author of nature does not
put himself out of all relation with the laws he lias imposed
on nature, when he introduces a new effect of his power into
the sphere of nature. His wondrous deeds come under the
law of reason, and therefore fall in with the law of nature.
The miracle consists in the event described, 1. happen-
ing accordingly ; 2. in the circumstances pi'edicted or at
the word of command ; 3. without any ordinary causes
either existing or having had time to operate ; and 4.
EXODT'S VIII. 1-15. 75
farther, it may 1)C at an nnu.sual season, and in an un-
usually magnified fi)rm. The hist condition, however, i.s
not absohitely necessary. The event is described witli con-
sidoraLlc minuteness in tlie.se two verses. It is evidently
aggravated beyond the usual form. The frogs venture into
the houses, the sleejjing apartments, the very beds. They
j)cnetrate into the ovens and kneading troughs. The baking
oven was often a round hole, three feet <leep, and plastered
M'ith mud. This was heated liy burning brushwood in it.
The dough was then spread witli the hand on its sides, and
speedily baked (Layard's Nineveh). A i)ot of earthenware, of
nearly tlie same shape, was also enndoyed for the same pvn-
pose, the fire being placed within, and the dough aj)j)lied
without. Into such a vessel or pit, when unemployed, the
fi'ogs might easily enter. They even leap upon the person
("on thee "), probably when reclining for repose. The an-
noyance of such a visitation can hardly be conceived.
V. 5-7. Aaron stretching forth his hand, with the wand of
power, is here the sign, equivalent to the word of connnand.
Tlce rivers, see vii. 19. Upon the land. Their usual place
was the river. Covered the land. This extraordinary abund-
ance on the land accounts for their intrusion into the apart-
ments and utensils of the people. Here the event takes place,
according to the description, at the sign of command, without
any ordinary cause. Frogs are not usually spawned, trans-
formed into tadpoles, and then into frogs, and spread over a
country in the course of a few minutes. The magicians
imitated this miracle, no doubt at the summons of Pharoh, it
is needless to enquire how. It would have been more to the
purpose if by their enchantments they had cleared the land
of them.
V. 8-15. The removal of the frogs. And Pharoh called
for Moses and Aaiv)i. He is at length moved. Having at
his command all the resoiirces of sovereignty, he may have
been tolerably supplied with well-water, even when the river
flowed with blood. He did not feel much personal incon-
venience from the former plague. But he cannot escape the
})resence and contact of these loathsome creatures. He suffers
more from their offensive intrusion than his meanest subjects.
He must take all means to escape from this unutterable pest.
His hieroglyphs fail him in the hour of need. Else, he would
76 THE PLAGUE OF FROGS.
never have had recourse to Moses and Aaron. Entreat the
Lord. Here is an explicit acknowledgment of the Loixl
forced from him who said, " Who is the Lord that I should
obey his voice ? I know not the Lord " (v. 2). Let him take
away the frogs. He only who sent them can take them
away. This is Pharoh's present experience. And I will let
the people go. He now humbly promises, who once and again
had said, " I will not let Israel go." His former language is
now completely revoked. It remains to be seen whether the
will corresponds with the word.
V. 9-11. Prescribe unto me when I shall entreat for thee.
The original means either, "glory over me, defy me, by set-
ting the time when I am to do this," or determine for me.
The former is a challenge to Pharoli to defy him (Moses) zo
work the miracle at a prescribed time. The latter is simply
leaving the time of performance to be determined by Pharoh.
This is the easier sense, and is involved in the former. Only
in the river, the element in which they are usually seen, when
they appea.r at all When they retire for hibernation, they
are not open to common observation.
V. 1 'l-\ 5. And the Lord did according to the word of Moses.
This is the second and decisive part of the miracle. The
frogs suddenly die out of the land, are gathered in heaps or
measures, and emit a grievous stench. Thus at the word of
Moses they come, and at his word they go. There is a
power here above nature. The God of nature is with Moses.
He accomplishes what the magicians did not attempt, Pharoh,
however, thinks not of this demonstration of the divine power
and mercy, but only of the " respite." On obtaining relief, his
obduracy of heart returns. His promise, it now appears, was
from the lip, not the heart.
The plague of frogs was fraught with its own lessons to all
parties concerned. One of the feeblest and most harmless of
living creatures was Ity its miraculous multiplication made a
source of greater distress to Pharoh than even the turning of
the Nile into blood, compelling him to confess the impotence
of his own gods and their attendants, to acknowledge the
omnipotence of Jehovah, to implore the intercession of his
ministers, and to promise all that was demanded of him.
God has at hand in the weakest thino-s the most abundant
EXODUS VIII. IG-I 0. 77
means ami the must unexpected ways of eliastisiiig tlic traiis-
fjressor. The JVog, moreover, liad a cfrtaiu Kignificaiicc to
Kuyj)t. It was the symbol of human lite in embryo. In the
hiei\)glyphics it sat on a ring, one of the emblems of life,
and from its back rose a palm branch, the symbol of the
month or of time. The fiog-headed god is a form of Pthah,
the crcjitive or formative principle. Whatever mysteriinis
connection the frog had with life in the mind of an Egyptian,
it is evident that the reptile lives and dies at the will of the
Ciod of Moses. Whatever divinity or divine attribute wa.s
ascribed to it or denoted by it, the frog itself is but an in-
ferior creature of the true God, moving in a sphere immeasur-
ably beneath that of man, and unconsciously fullilling its
humble function in the economy of nature. This base creature
is now made to bend the refractory will of proud Pharoh.
v, lG-19. The plague of lice. W^e are now come to the
third plague. No warning is here given to Pharoh. His
treacherous dealinrj had forfeited even this measure of for-
bearance. Say unto Aaron. As in the former two of this
triad the performance is assigned to Aaron. Smite the. dust
of the land. The frogs had their source in the rivers and
]ionds ; the lice in the dust of the land. The latter plague is
thus the complement of the former. And it shall become
lire. The reasons for retaining this version have been already
assigned ; to which it is only necessary to add that vermin of
the kind is one of the common annoyances of Egypt. Hero-
dotus tells us (ii. 37) that the priests shave their whole body
every other day, that no lice or other impure thing may
adhere to them when they are engaged in the service of the
gods. It is manifest that this species of vermin was paiticu-
larly disgusting to the Egyptians ; and it is said that in the
space of a year one of these creatures will produce 5000 eggs
or nits. On man and on heaat. This is one of the aggrava-
tions of this plague. The stream of blood was a distant
object, which could be alleviated by digging for water. The
frotrs were a loathsome and disrjustinf; nuisance in the houses
and on the furniture of the people ; but still they did not
ordinarily come into contact with their persons, or inflict
])ain. The lice, on the other hand, inhabited the skin, sueki'd
the blood, caused a disagreeable itching, created a feeling of
78 THE PLAGUE OF LICE.
■uncleanness, and threatened to become a disease of the most
frightful description. And could iiot. The magicians of
Pharoh attempt to imitate this miracle, but fail. This is a
second point in which this miracle surpasses the others. Even
so mimite an animal as this they are unable to produce. This
is the finger of God. They are obliged to confess that this
was the effect of divine power. It is obvious, however, that
this was said to cover their defeat ; and therefore their mean-
ing is that this visitation was brought on by the ordinary
providence and power of God, and not by any magic art or
miraculous power either of Moses and Aaron or of themselves.
This accounts for the persistence of Pharoh in his obstinacy.
Adopting the solution of his counsellors, he regards this event
no longer as a sign or wonder wrought by the ministers of
Jehovah, but as a mere effect of the general providence of God,
and therefore to be borne with patience so long as it should
last.
This plague was not without its weighty lessons. A still
more minute and contemptible animal was now made a source
of extreme annoyance to the Egyptians. It infested all men,
priests as well as others, and therefore unfitted them for
entering the temples of their gods. It appeared on all beasts,
sacred as well as profane, and therefore on all the animals
that were regarded as divinities ; and it defiled everything it
touched. Thus contempt was brought on everything that
was vainly imagined to be sacred among the Egyptians, Next,
the miracle-mongers of Egypt are confessedly unable to pro-
duce as well as to remove this grievous and loathsome inflic-
tion; and hence, we may infer they were equally unable to
call into or bid out of existence any other conceivable thing.
Lastly, their ready insinuation that this was an event coming
from the hand of providence, and not a judgment from Jeho-
vah, inflicted through his ministers, is accepted by Pharoh,
not because it is well founded, but because it accords with his
wish.
v. 20. — ch. ix. 12. This passage contains the second triad
of plagues, in which God acts without the intervention of any
sign on the part of his servants. In the third, indeed, Moses
sprinkles the ashes towards heaven, but still makes no sign
EXODUS VITI. 20-32. 7D
Avith tlie rod. Tluis it is made plain tliat tlio tnic wonder-
Avorker is not tied to any mode of introducing hi.s wondei-s.
From this time forward, also, a distinction is put between the
Israelites and the Egyptians. The former seem to have been
]»artial sufferers in the first three plagues. Tliey needed the
chastisement, and their habitual attachment to the land of
their birth was gradually abated by the afflictions thus asso-
ciated with it.
V. 20-32. The plague of flies inflicted. Rim up earhj
in the morning. This plague, like the first, is announced
to Pharoh in the morning, and by the river's side. Leave
to depart is requested for the people of God as on other
occasions. Thejii/. This term serves to denote a kind of
insect that alights on the skin or the leaves of plants, by its
bite inflicting pain in the one case, and causing destruction in
the other. The swarms of flies in Egypt are usually numer-
ous and excessively annoying. They alight on the moist
parts of the eyelids and nostrils, and inflict wounds that
produce great pain, swelling and inflammation. They are also
ruinous to the plants in which they lay their eggs. Philo,
(vit. Mos, ii. p. 110) describes the dog-fly or gad-fly as a
grievous pest of Egypt. Gnats and mosquitoes are also
abundant and virulent. A plague of such creatures would
cause immense suffering and desolation. Even the ground
idcereon they are. The whole land in which the Egyptians
dwell will be infested with this fly, v. 22. And I will sever ^
make distinct, and even wonderful, both of which thoughts
are implied in the verb. The land of Goshen in which the
Israelites dwell (stand), shall be free from this and tlie follow-
ing inflictions. Tluit thou mayest hnoiv. Everything God
does has a lesson for the intelligent observer. / am the Lord
in the midst of the land. As the stroke falls upon the
Egyptians and not on the Israelites, it is manifest, that it h:is
come from the God of the Hebrews ; 2, that this great Being
has equal power in Egypt as elsewhere ; and 3, that therefore
he is Jehovah, the Creator and Upholder of all things, the
one only true and living God. A division (nilE), a release, an
untying of the connexion between them. To-morrow. At a
fixed point of time shall this plague make its appearance.
Time for reflection is thus rriven to Pharoh. The miraculous
80 THE PLAGUE OF FLIES.
nature of the event is also demonstrated. The sign. It is
appropriately called a" sign, as it bears evidence to all the
important truths which have been already noticed. A
grievous fly, grievous on account of its numbers and noxious
effects. The land was destroyed. The verdure with which
the earth was now covered was seriously damaged by its
attacks.
V. 25-32. The removal of the fly on the intercession of
Moses and Aaron. And Pharoh called Moses and Aaron.
His conjurors are now no longer mentioned. He is compelled
to appeal again to the servants of Jehovah. Go ye, sacrifl.ce
to your God in the land. The time for sacrifice is here con-
ceded, but not the place. It is not meet so to do. It is not
right in a moral point of view. The reason is assigned in
the following verse. The ahmiination of Mizraini is either
that which Egypt abominates, or that which the Lord abo-
minates in Egypt. In this case, as the Egyptians were
idolaters, the two meanings in a great measure coincide. The
matter and manner of the Hebrew sacrifice would be an
abomination to the Egyptian. The matter, for the cow was
sacred to Isis, the goat was worshipped by the Mendesians,
the ram by the Thebans, and the bull by the Memphians and
others ; the manner, because the minute and punctilious
ritual of the Egyptians in regard to the cleanness of the
victims would not be observed. The sacrificing of animals
whom they worshipped, and without the regulations of a
superstitious purity, would prompt them to stone the worship-
pers. On the other hand, the bulls of Memphis, of Heliopolis
and of Hermonthis, the ram of Thebes, the goat of Mendes,
and the other animals worshipped by the Egyptians, could
not but be an abomination to the holy and living and true
God. V. 27. As he shall say unto us. The Lord had not
yet prescribed the manner of sacrifice, but only the place.
V. 28-80. Pharoh now gives a reluctant permission, on which
Moses promises the removal of the fly by his intercession, and
admonishes Pharoh not to be false a second time to his word.
V. 31, 32. The Lord removes the fly at the appointed time,
(to-morrow) with as much ease as he had brought it. This is
the second and most decisive part of the miracle. Pharoh
EXODUS IX. 81
having no moral principle, returns to liis obduracy of heart as
soon i\s the pressure is removed.
Even creatures that came under the designation of the lly
were connected with the animal woi-ship of the Egyptians.
The beetle (scarabeuti) was one of the most common sacred
emblems of Egypt, and represented the sun. 'J'he large class
of diminutive creatures, to which it belongs, is here raised up
for the chastisement of the nation, and removed again at the
intercession of Moses. The relief of the Israelites from the
plague was calculated to detach them still more from the
nation and territory of Egypt, and attach them with a more
enlightened confidence and veneration to the God of their
fathere.
VII. TIIIIID THREE PLAGUES. EXOD. IX. 13 — X.
CHAP IX. 5, PESTILENCE ; G, BOILS ; 7, HAIL.
8. "•?!■ ])esiilence. r. folloiv, i)ersecute, destroy. It apjilies
to men as well as cattle.
8. n^B ashes, dust, aiddXri (Sep.) r. bloiv aivay. IvJ'^a furnace.
Smelting furnace, or limekiln (Kimchi). ll^n haldng oven.
y. \>'y^ fine dust, ov 2^oiuder. r. turn, ivldrl.
1 0, T^^ boil, enflavied siuelling. nys^nN blains, 'pustules ;
fiXuxTidi; (Sep.) r. burst or gush forth.
Tlien tlie Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharoh, and tell him,
Thus saith the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, Let my people go and
serve me. 2 For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them
still, 3 Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in
the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the
oxen, and upon the sheep, as a very grievous pestilence. 4 And the
Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and tlie cattle of Miz-
raim, and nothing shall die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.
5 And the Lord appointed a set time, saying. To-morrow the Lord
shall do this thing in the land. G And the Lord did this thing on
the morrow, and all the cattle of Mizraini died : hut of the cattle of
the sons of Israel died not one. 7 And Pharoh^sent, aud, behold, not
F
82 PESTILENCE, BOILS, AND HAIL.
even one of the cattle of Israel was dead. And Pliaroli's heart was
hardened, and he did not let the people go. H ^^•
8 And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you the
hands full of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the
sky in the sight of Pharoh. 9 And it shall becoroe dust in all the
land of Mizraim ; and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon
man and upon beast in all the land of Mizraim. 10 And they took
ashes of the furnace and stood before Pharoh, and Moses sprinkled it
toward the sky ; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon
man and upon beast. 11 And the scribes could not stand before
Moses because of the boil : for the boil was upon the scribes and
upon all Mizraim. 12 And the Lord hardened Pharoh's heart, and
he hearkened not unto them ; as the Lord had spoken unto Moses.
§8. _
1 3 And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning
and stand before Pharoh, and say unto him. Thus saith the Lord, the
God of the Hebrews, Let my people go and serve me. 14 For at this
time I will send aU my plagues into thy heart, and on thy servants,
and on thy people ; that thou mayest know that there is none like me
in all the earth. 15 For now I had stretched out my hand and smit-
ten thee and thy people with the pestilence ; and thou wouldst have
been cut off from the earth. 16 But for this have I raised thee up,
to show thee my power, and to declare my name in all the earth. 17
As yet thou exaltest thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let
them go. 18 Behold at this time to-morrow I will rain a very griev-
ous hail, such as hath not been in Mizraim from the day of its founda-
tion even until now. 1 9 Send now, therefore, and bring in thy cattle
and all that thou hast in the field : for upon every man or beast
which is found in the field, and is not gathered into the house, the
hail shall come down, and they shall die. 20 He that feared the
word of the Lord among the servants of Pharoh made his servants
and his cattle flee into the houses. 21 And he that set not his heart
to the word of the Lord, left his servants and his cattle in the field.
IF 13.
22 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thy hand toward
heaven, and let there be hail in all the land of Mizraim, upon man and
upon beast, and upon every herb of the field in the land of Mizraim.
23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven ; and the Lord
sent thunder and hail, and fire fell upon the earth ; and the Lord
rained hail upon the land of Mizraim. 24 And there was hail,
and fire flashing amidst the hail, very grievous, such as was not in
all the land of Mizraim since it became a nation. 25 And the hail
smote in all the land of Mizraim all that was in the field from man to
EXODUS IX. 1-7. 83
beast, and the hail smoto every herb of the field, and brake every
tree of the field. 20 Only in the land of Goshen where the sons of
Israel were, was there no hail.
27 And Pharoh sent and called Moses and Aaron, and said unto
them, I have sinned this time : the Lord is rif^hteous, and I and my
people are wicked. 28 Entreat the Lord, and let there be no more
thunderings of God and hail : and I will let you go, and ye shall stay
no longer. 20 And Moses said unto him, When I come out of the
city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the Loud : the thumlerings
shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail, that thou mayest
know that the earth is the Lord's. 30 And as for thee and thy
servants, I know that ye do not fear the Lord God. 31 And the flax
and the barley were smitten : for the barley was in the ear, and the
fla.K was boiled. 32. And the wheat and the spelt were not smitten,
for they are late. 33 And Moses came out of the city from Pharoh,
and spread abroad his hands to the Lord ; and the thunders and hail
ceased, and raiu was not poured on the earth. 34 And Pharoh saw
that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, and he
ginned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35
And Pharoh's heart was hardened, neither did he let the sons of
Israel go ; as the Lord had spoken by the hand of Moses.
15 m 14.
In this chapter we have the plagues of pestilence, boils,
and liail. The first two complete the second triad and close
the section in which they are contained.
V. 1-7. The plague of pestilence. Go in unto PJuiroh.
As in the second plague of the former triad (viii. 1). And
wilt hold them still. This is added to mark the pertinacity of
Pharoh, notwithstanding the severe chastisements he had
already suffered for his obstinacy, v. 3. The hand of the Lord.
This will be the more manifest, as no waving of the rod or
hand precedes the appearance of the miracle. Ujwn thy
cattle (^}\>P), a general name for all domestic animals, that
constitute a great part of the projjerty of a pastoral or agri-
cultural people. Which is in the field. This limits the extent
of the pestilence to the animals that were in the open-air.
Horses. The first notice of these is in Gen. xlvii. 1 7. Kgypt
was celebrated for its horses, which appear on its sculptur&s.
They were employed in t])e chariot of war or state. The ob-
ject of worship at Memphis, Heliopolis, and Hermonthis was
84 PESTILENCE, BOILS, AND HAIL.
the hull ; at Thebes the 7mn, at Mendes the goat. The
sheep here (JSX) are the small cattle, including the goats. Asses
are mentioned on the monuments of Egypt. They were used
for riding or draught. The Bactrian camel has two humps, the
Arabian one. The latter was known and employed on the
border land between Egypt and Arabia ; but has not been
found on the ancient monuments of the former country. Its
presence here favours the supposition that the north-east part
of Egypt was at the time under a dynasty of the Shepherd
kings, who came from Arabia. A very grievous pestilence.
We follow the original here in using the more general term,
pestilence 0^'ij), as we find it also employed in reference to
the human species (v. 1 5). The miracle consists in its being
very grievous, in being sent, at an appointed time (v. 5) and
in being limited to the cattle of the Egyptians. A severance
takes place here as in the preceding plague (viii. 22.)
To-morrow. A set time of inflicting the stroke is as significant
of the Divine intervention, as a set time of withdrawing it
(viii. 29). V. 6. All the cattle of Mizraim. This is to be
limited to the kinds already mentioned, and also to those of
them that were in the field (v. 3). Wilkinson (Anc. Eg. 2nd
series, v. I. p. 96) informs us that some animals were stall-fed
among the Egyptians. This explains the limitation, " in the
field," and the existence of some cattle among the Egyptians,
after the pestilence had done its work (v. 19). v. 7. And
Pharolis heart ivas hardened. We may suppose that the
pestilence among the cattle did not much affect him personally,
and that he was irritated to find that the cattle of the
Israelites had escaped.
Hitherto the plagues had given great personal annoyance,
but had not involved much loss of property. But now the
hand of the corrector comes down upon the main branch of
the country's wealth. Cattle, besides being a chief means of
food and clothing, were employed by the Egyptians in tread-
ing the seed into the ground, in treading out the corn, and in
conveying the produce of the country to the place of storage.
The destruction of cattle was therefore a serious loss to the
Egyptian farmer. The hand of the Lord was manifest here
in distinguishing the cattle of Israel from that of Mizraim.
v. 8-12. The plague of boils. This third plague of the
EXODUS IX. 8-12. 85
second triad is not announced to Pharoh. Ashes of the fur-
nace. This is taken to be the fine ash or soot of some of the
furnaces for tlie purposes of art, that stood in the open-air,
Dasf, a fine powder floating in the air, and pregnant with
disease. A boil (ri^')- This is afterwards mentioned as
the boil of Mizm'im, and seems therefore to be an endemic
disease. Vai-ious conjectures have 1)een offered as to its nature,
but none of them is satisfactory. The description of it bears
some resemblance to elephantiasis, a dreadful form of leprosy,
prevalent in Egypt, so called because it makes the feet swollen
and stiff like the elephant's feet. But this disease does not
attack the bi-ute creation. The scribes could ijot stand before
Moses. At the third plague the magicians of Pliaroh failed
in their enchantments, and acknowledged the finger of God.
At this the second third, they hasten away from Closes covered
with shame and humiliation. The punctilious attention of
the Egyptians to personal cleanliness is noted by Herodotus.
In particular, the priests shave their whole body every other
day. Their dress is entirely of linen. They bathe twice
every day in cold water, and twice each night (Herod. II. 37).
Their confusion and distress therefore must have been great
to find themselves now covered with an eruptive disease,
that mocked all their precautions, and rendered them unfit
for their sacerdotal duties. And the Lord hardened Pharoh' s
heart. Here it is to be observed that the very means that
would have brought an unbiassed and unclouded mind to
conviction and submission, only begat a stolid and infatuated
obstinacy in the monarch of Egypt. The course of the divine
interposition has been one of uniform mildness and forbear-
ance, only proceeding to judicial chastisements when ncgocia-
tion would not avail, and advancing gradually to severer
mea.sures only wlien the more gentle were disregarded. His
obiluracy is now come to such a pitch of stupidity, that we
cannot catch a shadow of reason for his conduct.
Hitlierto the Lord has tried to move the heart of the king
by a sei'ies of external privations and penalties. The want of
water, the presence of a loathsome reptile, the creeping and
biting of a nauseous insect, the fierce stinging of the fiy swarm,
and the I0.SS occasioned by the pestilence among the cattle,
have been all in vain. Now the life is menaced. A boil
86 THE HAIL THREATENED.
breaking out in blains or open sores, has fallen upon man and
beast. We may be sure that the sacred animals that were
objects of worship would not escape this plague ; and we may
imagine what consternation this would create throughout all
Egypt.
This closes the second section relating to the plagues.
Allowing a week for each of the six plagues already recorded,
and twenty days for the previous transactions, we are brought
to the 3rd of March at the end of the sixth plague.
ch. ix. 13 — X. This section contains the record of the
next three plagues, the hail, the locusts, and the darkness.
These rise in terrific severity above all that precede
them.
V. 13-21. The hail threatened. As usual in the first of
each triad, Moses is to meet Pharoh at the usual time, and
probably in the usual place, to demand the release of the
people, and announce the immediate consequence of refusal.
All my plagues. This expression occurring in the announce-
ment of the first of another three, is an indication of the
ternary arrangement. It refers to all the following manifesta-
tions of the divine power, at least to those which form the
third series of plagues. Into thy heart. By the following
judgments Pharoh will be at length brought to feel in his
heart the folly and guilt of resisting the Almighty. None
like me in all the earth. The Egyptians, like the other
Gentiles, had now wandered away from the true notion con-
cerning God which had come down from their forefathers.
The false gods, fashioned after the vain fancies of a disorderly
imagination, bore no moral resemblance to the true God.
Pharoh is now to learn this great fact in his experience, if not
in his understanding and his heart. / had stretched out 'my
hand. I might have smitten thee and thy people with the
pestilence, as easily as I smote thy cattle ; and thou wouldest
have been annihilated, thyself and all thy opposition to my
reasonable demands. The Lord here gives us some insight
into the theory of his admiuisti'ation. It is instructive, cor-
rective, and in the last resort punitive ; but in no case merely
destructive of moral agents. He that would sweep into in-
stant annihilation all the opponents of his will has no idea of
EXODUS IX. 22-2G. 87
God's principle of action or mode of dealing witli his rational
creatures. Not even a particle of irrational matter is bidden
out of existence by the great God who called it into being.
Still less will his moral and responsible creatures be sent out
of existence, or at once forced into submission by the high
hand of an irresistible despotism. He will approach them
with love, with reason, with justice. Only when such methods
fail, will he have recourse to a patient and duly tempered
correction. And Pharoh will be an example to all contem-
porary nations, and through the books of Moses to all succeed-
ing generations, of the mercy, patience, forbearance, justice,
and holiness of God. But for this have I raised thee up,
not stricken thee down with the pestilence, but preserved
thee from it in ray long-suffering patience. To show thee my
iwiccr. To convince thee while thou livest, and there is yet
time to repent, if thou wilt be convinced, of my power, my
etenial power and godhead, in contrast with all impotent and
imaginary gods in whom thou hast heretofore trusted. And
to declare iny name in all the earth, to make thy history a
perpetual lesson for the instruction of all mankind in the
knowledge of my name, my real nature, which has come to
be so grievously and fatally misai)p]ehended. As yet thou
exaltest thyself. Thou still persistest in thy haughty re-
fusal. There is a sublime dignity in the continued modera-
tion which this expostulation displays.
V. 17-21. At this time to-morrotu. Pharoh might have
learned by this time that the Lord is punctual to his time.
A very grievous hail. Showers of hail in the winter season
were not unknown in Egypt, as even the present passage in-
forms us. But this is to be such as had not been since Egypt
was founded, that is, since it became a nation (v. 24'). Send
noiu, therefore, and bring in thy cattle. The Lord here re-
members mercy, and leaves an opening for faith to assert
itself. He looks for believers even among the Egyptians.
And he did not look in vain. This warning divided them
intx) two classes, the one fearing the Lord, and the other still
disregarding him.
V. 22-26. On the moiTow the performance comes. Stretch
forth thy hand, with the wand of power (v. 23). Moses is
described as the agent in these three plagues (x. 12, 21).
88 PHAROH CONFESSES HIS SIN.
Thunder, voices (^^?), voices of God, as Pharoh expresses it
(v. 28). The primitive mind regarded the thunder p6al as
the subliraest utterance of the God of nature. Philosophy
and theology alike bow to the solemn sentiment that the.
heavens declare the glory of God. The thunder is but one
note in the great accord of universal nature in which he
speaks to us of himself Fire fell upon the earth, the light-
ning flash, of which the thunder clap was the accompaniment.
Flashing, darting suddenly and seizing upon its object. S^note
every herb, and brake every tree. The lightning and hail that
killed every man and beast were suflicient to destroy the green
leaves and stalks of the herbs, and the branches as well as
foliage of the trees. Only in the land of Goshen. Here
again Israel is exempted from the effects of this judgment, as
we have no doubt they were from the preceding one, though
it be not mentioned.
V. 27-30. Pharoh is again overwhelmed by this judgment
and for the third time promises submission. I have sinned
this time. Now at length I acknowledge that I have sinned.
The loss of his servants and cattle with the awful lightnings
and thunderings, brings a dawning conviction into his mind
that God is right and he is wrong. The expression of this in
words is needed after having twice asked and obtained re-
mission and as often falsified his word. Let there be no more
thunderings of God. Let it be enough (3"}) and no more of
these awful voices. And ye shall stay no longer. A pro-
mise of immediate dismissal. True to his character of giving
heed to the latest and feeblest appeal to his mercy, the Lord
is ready to withdraw his heavy hand. When I come out of
the city. We learn here incidentally that Pharoh dwelt in a
city. The probability is in favour of On or Bubastis from
their proximity to the Nile and the situation of the Israelites.
That thou mayest know that the earth is the Lord's. Another
proof of this great fact is to be afforded to Pharoh, if he have
only the heart to understand the lesson, v. 30. J knoiv
that ye do not fear the Lord God. Moses has learned much
since he entered upon the task of delivering the Lord's people.
He can now speak with fluency and precision. The Lord
hns enabled him to judge of the character of Pharoh and his
courl. Here for the first time since Gen. ii. 3 have we Jehovah
EXODUS IX. 31-35. 89
fallowed by Elohim in the absolute fonii. Tliis is not with-
out its significance. The grand primeval tioith that the God
of tlio Hebrews is the absolute and eternal God (°^'?''^.) antece-
dent to all creation and theretbre the only Creator and
Upholder of heaven and earth (p]'^]) has been presented in the
most conspicuous manner to the mind of Pharoh. Moses
therefore seasonably intimates by the juxtajjosition of the two
names that Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, is no local or
national God, but the sole and absolute God. He at the same
time intimates that the mere acknowledgment of this vital
truth in words is not suflicient. It is tlie acknowledgment
of the heart only that will influence the conduct and issue in
spontaneous obedience to the will of God.
V. 31-35. The remission effected. The ffax and the barley.
Egyjjt was celebrated for its linen. Its mummies we find
swathed in this fabric. Barley was extensively sown in this
country, and was used for feeding cattle, and making bread
and a kind of ale. The sowing time was in October and
November. The flax and barley were ripe about the end of
March, and therefore the one was in the ear and the other
boiled about the beginningr of that month. The luheat and
the spelt. Egypt was most prolific in wheat, which was often
seven-headed, and yielded a hundred fold. It was in some
measure the granaiy of the ancient world, as well as the great
mart for flax or linen. Rye was not a grain cultivated in
Egypt, as it belongs to colder countries. The grain here
rendered spelt may have been that which is now known as
doora. These grains ripened a month later than the barley
and flax. This crop was therefore only injured not destroyed
by the hail. He sinned yet more. Pharoh had confessed his
sin, but it appears that this confession was extorted from hini
not by a penitent heart, but by an overpowering terror, v. 30.
A s the Lord Jmd spoken by the hand of Moses. This announce-
ment of Moses (v. 30) was calculated to convince Pharoh, if
he had been disposed to give heed to it, that he with whom
he had to do was the searcher of heai'ts and could not be de-
ceived by a hypocritical pi-etenca
By this act of judgment a moiety of the crop of Egypt was
destroyed, while the minds of Pharoh and his courtiera were
evidently awe-struck by the thunder storm. It is manifest
90 LOCUSTS AND DARKNESS.
that the Lord is step by step advancing to the universal
desolation of Egypt. The supernatural character of this storm
is demonstrated by its coming at the time predicted, ceasing
at the intercession of Moses, and confining itself to the land
of the Egyptians.
CHAP. X. 8, LOCUSTS ; AND 9, DARKNESS.
4. 1^?"]^ locust. This is so called from its numbers, r.
be Tnany. It is supposed to be the gryllus gregarius, or
passage-locust.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharoh : for I have
hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may put these
my signs upon him. 2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy
son, and of thy son's sou, that which I wrought in Mizraim, and
my signs which I put upon them ; and ye shall know that I am
the Lord. 3 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharoh, and said
unto him, Thus saith the Lord, the G-od of the Hebrews, How long
dost thou refuse to humble thyself before me 1 let my people go and
serve me. 4 For if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to-morrow
Avill I bring the locust into thy border. 5 And they shall cover the
face of the land, so that one cannot see the land, and they shall eat
the residue of that which is escaped, which remained unto you from
the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field :
6 And they shall fill thy houses and the houses of all thy servants,
and the houses of all Mizraim ; which neither thy fathers nor thy
father's fathers have seen since the day that they were upon tJie ground
unto this day. And he turned and went out from Pharoh.
7 And Pharoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man
be a snare unto us 1 Let the men go and serve the Lord their
God : knowest thou not yet tliat Mizraim is destroyed 1 8 And Moses
and Aaron were brought back unto Pharoh, and he said unto them,
Go, serve the Lord your God : who are they that go 1 9 And Moses
said. With our young and with our old will we go ; with our sons and
with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go :
for we hold a feast unto the Lord. 10 And he said unto them. The
Lord be so with you, as I will let you and your little ones go : look ye
that evil is before you. 1 1 Not so : go now ye men and serve the
Lord ; for that ye did deshe. And they were driven out from Pharoh's
presence. § 9
CHAPTER X. 91
12 Aiul the Lord said unto !Moscs, Stretch out tliy liand over tho
land of ^lizraini for the locust, and they shall come up on the land of
Mirzaim ; and eat every herb of the land, all that the hail hath left.
13 And Closes stretched out his hand over the land of Mizraim ; and
the Lord sent an east wind upon tho land all that day and all tho
night : tho morning came and the east wind brought the locusts. 14
And the locusts came up over all the land of Mizraim, and rested in
all the border of Mizraim : veiy grievous were they, before them were
no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such, 15 And
they covered the face of tho whole land, and the land was darkened ;
and they ate every herb of tho land, and all the fruit of the trees which
the hail had left : and there remained not any green thing in the trees
or in the herbs of the field in all the land of Mizraim.
IG Then Pharoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron : and he said, I
have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. 17 And
now forgive, I pray, my sin only this once, and entreat the Lord your
God ; and let him take away from me this death only. 18 And he
came out from Pharoh and entreated the Lord. 19 And the Lord
turned a very strong west Avind, and took away tho locusts and cast
them into the Eed Sea : there remained not one locust in all the border
of Mizraim. 20 And the Lord hardened Pharoh's heart, and he did
not let the sons of Israel go. IF ^^
21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand toward
the sky, and let there be darkness over the land of Mizraim ; and let the
darkness be felt. 22 And ISIoses stretched out his hand toward the
sky : and there was a thick darkness in all the land of ^Mizraim
three days. 23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from
his place for three days : and all the sons of Israel had light in their
dwellings. 24 And Pharoh called Moses and said, Go ye, serve the
Lord ; only your flocks and your herds shall be stayed : even your
little ones may go with you. 25 And Closes said. Thou must also give
into our hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings, and we shall sacrifice unto
the Lord our God. 26 Our cattle then also shall go with us, not a
hoof shall be left behind ; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord
our God : and we know not with what wo shall serve the Lord until
wo go thither. 27 And the Lord hanlened Pharoh's heart, and he
would not let them go. 28 And Pharoh said unto him, Get thee
from me : take heed to thyself, see my face no more, for in the day
thou seest my face, thou shalt die. 29 And Moses said, Well hast
thou spoken ; I will see thy lace no more. H 1 G
This chapter completes the record of the third group of
plagues.
92 LOCUSTS AND DARKNESS. '
V, 1-20. The plague of locusts. Go in unto Pharoh, into
Lis palace in the city, as in the second of each series (viii. 1,
ix. 1). For I have hardened his heart. A mode of treat-
ment calculated to have a salutary effect on a reasonable
mind has produced an opposite effect on a proud and un-
reasonable temper. That I may init these my signs upon
him. To put here (IT'C') is to set before the view of all for
their instruction. In him (13"iip3) means in his inmost expe-
rience, so as to touch his feelings to the quick (ix. 14). A7id
that thou mayest tell. These marvels of Egypt are to be a
lesson not only for the present, but for all future generations,
who may hearken to the recollections of their fathers, or read
the books of Moses. And ye shall know that I am the Lord.
The grand scope of all these signs was to reveal the Creator
in His true character to man. This is the lesson of nature,
of providence, and of grace, to those who read and understand.
V. 3. Hotv long dost thou refuse to humble thyself before me ?
Eight signs, one of them instructive and seven corrective, had
already been given to him. His haughtiness of spirit is not
subdued ; to humble himself even before God he has not yet
learned, v. 4. The locust. The descriptions of Joel (Jo. i. ii.)
and many other eye-witnesses, have made us familiar with
the locust and its desolating progress. The class to which
they belong is described by Moses in Lev. xi. 21, 23, and
four species, including the one here mentioned (i^^"}^) are pro-
nounced clean and edible. The native place of the locust is
the south of Asia and the parts of Africa south and west of
Egypt. These insects are about three or four inches long,
have four wings and four feet, the hind legs being adapted
for springing. They resemble in form the common grass-
hopper. The locust, after leaving the egg, exists in three
states — the larva, the pupa, and the perfect insect. The larva
has no wings, the pupa has only the rudiments of them, and
they are fully developed only in the perfect insect. Of these
three the larva is the most voracious. They breed in October,
laying each about 300 eggs, which they bury in the ground.
They make their appearance in March or April, when the
verdure is on the gi'ound. Their numbers are immense, and
in their flight they are said to cover thousands of square
EXODUS X. 7-11. 93
miles, and consume every green thing where they alight.
They arc used as food, being either cooked whole or ground
into meal. Into thy border. They came into Egypt, generally
from the south, hut also from the east. v. 5. The face of the
land. The eye (pV) of the land is the surface which looks as
it were towards us. That ivhich remaineth unto you from
the hail, the wheat, and the spelt, the other moiety of the
crop, and whatsoever fruit was left on the trees, v. G. Th( y
shall fill thy houses (Joel ii. 9). They consume every thing
that comes before them in the house as well as in the field,
117iic7t neither thy fathers. The miracle consists in the extra-
ordinary number, size, and destructiveness of these insects, as
well as in their coming and going according to the word of
Moses.
V. 7-11. The suggestion of Pharoh's servants. How long
shall this man be a snare ? A pitfall of inevitable destruc-
tion to us. The magicians and other courtiers of Pharoh
understand the state of matters better than himself. Let the
inen go. Let this people depart. They feel that they cannot
contend with omnipotence. Knoiuest thou not yet ? The
sovereign, especially if he be despotic, is often the last to
learn the wretchedness of his country ; as it may be at the
risk of life that his servants venture to hint at so unwelcome
tidings. Pharoh seems to have been in a great measure
unconscious of the ruin of Egypt. He now condescends to
ask who shall go ? a question that should have been proposed
at the very first. Moses promptly replies that all must go,
as it was a feast, a solemn assembly of the whole nation
before the Lord. Look ye that evil is before you. Pharoh,
refusing to let go "the little ones" — a phrase including the
young of both sexes, and implying tlic full-grown women, Avarns
them that " evil is before them." This may mean either that
evil is in store for them, or that evil is in their minds. The former
is a menace of the effects of his displeasure, if they insisted on all
going ; the latter a charge of forming a design of leaving the
country. The former is more in keeping with the expression,
" Look ye." The men alone are allowed to go, and witli this
concession they are di'iven out or ignominiously dismissed.
Pharoh has become more irritable and violent in his manner.
V. 1 2-1 5. The locusts sent. The Lord raised an cast wind.
An east wind, in common phrase, means any wind from the
94 LOCUSTS AND DARKNESS.
sun-rising, though it may be a good many points north or
south. This indicates merely that the present swarm of
locusts came not from Ethiopia or Lybia, but from Arabia.
All that day and all the night. The locust appeared in the
morning, and therefore may have come from a considerable
distance. " Before them," or " after them," were no such
locusts. This statement applies to Egypt, and refers to the
extraordinary extent of the present visitation. The land vjas
darkened. It is said that the locust swarm, like an opaque
cloud, intercepts the light of the sun, and leaves the earth in
darkness (Plin. H. N. ii. 29). There remained not any green
thing. What the hail had left, the locusts devoured, and
the land was left desolate, a waste and a void (in^l ^in), desti-
tute alike of the vegetation which adorns and furnishes it,
and of the cattle which form a part of its inhabitants (Gen. i.
2, Jer. iv. 2y).
v. ] 6-20. The locusts removed. And Pharoh hastened to
call. The awful nature of this devastation strikes terror to
the heart of Pharoh. His will also has become more restless
and liable to sudden change. I have sinned. This is the
second confession of sin, and the fourth time he has been led
to entreaty. This death only. Death only seems now to
await the Egyptians, as their crop has been destroyed and
their cattle have been greatly diminished. A very strong
west wind. A moderately blowing east wind carried the
locusts in safety over the Red Sea into Egypt. A storm or
hurricane sweeps them out of the country and precipitates
them into the waters. This is the usual history of these
insects. A wind of the sea, that is the Mediterranean, taken
as a whole, though due west of Palestine, would be north-west
of the Delta, especially the eastern part of it, and, therefore,
exactly fitted to carry the locusts to the Red Sea. And the
Lord hardened PharoKs heart. The very long-suffering of
the Lord only adds to the infatuation of his ingrate heart.
v. 21-29. The plague of darkness. This is the third of
this series and as usual no announcement of it is made to
Pharoh. Let the darkness he felt ; a strong figure to describe
the intensity of this darkness. Similar is " a thick darkness,"
literally a darkness of gloom. Three days. The only natural
phenomenon resembling this darkness is the Simoom or
CHAPTER X. 21-29. 95
Clianisin, wliicli is a hot wind rising altout tlie vernal equinox
and blowing for about three days. It rises often to a storm,
imparts a yellow dimness to the air, and raises such a quantity
of dust as to have a stifling effect and produce a sondjre gloom.
During these days the inhabitants are wont to descend to the
lowest rooms of their houses or hide themselves in pits and
caverns in order to avoid the inconvenience and danger that
attend this tempest. This darkness differs, however, from
the Simoom in these essential points : that it is intense in its
degree, that it falls upon the land at the will of Moses, and
that it does not extend to the region where the Israelites
dwelt. After all the disasters that had just befallen the land
we may imagine the dismay and terror that total darkness
Avould produce in the minds of the Eg3'ptians. It was
equivalent to a universal blindness which would unfit the
nation for making any effort to attend to the business of life
or provide for its continuance. In case of its perpetuation
they could only await in despair the slow approach of death
by starvation. Pharoh quails before the appalling darkness.
He yields another point. The women and children may go
with the men, but not the flocks and the herds. Moses, how-
ever, cannot go to hold a national festival unto the Lord
without sacrifices. Not a hoof of their cattle must be left
behind. Pharoh is again exasperated. His proud heart be-
comes hard as the nether millstone. A reckless madness takes
possession of him. He forbids Moses to appear before him
again on pain of death. There is something ominous in the
reply of Moses. " Well hast thou spoken ; I will see thy ffice
no more." He means, as we shall see, more than is here
expressed.
There is an awful significance in this plague of darkness.
The sun was a leading object of adoration among the Egyptians
under the name of Osiris. The very name Pharoh means not
only the king but also the sun, and characterises the king
him.self as the representative of the sun and entitled in some
sort to divine honours. But now the very light of the sun
has disappeared and primeval chaos seems to have returned.
Thus all the forms of Egjqjtian wiU- worship have been covered
with shame and confusion in those nine plagues.
Allowing a week for each of the two previous plagues, and
96 DEATH OF THE FIRST-BORN CHILDREN".
four days for this one, we are brought to the 21st of March,
and perhaps to the eve of that night on which the paschal
lamb was eaten and the first born of Egypt were slain. The
narrative becomes now excited and abrupt as the great crisis
approaches.
VIII. THE TENTH PLAGUE. PASSOVER. EX. XL XIL
CHAP. XL 1 0, DEATH OF FIRST-BORN THREATENED.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Yet one plague will I bring upon
Pharoh and upon Mizraim ; afterwards he Avill let you go hence : when
he shall let you go altogether, he shall actually thrust you out hence.
2 Speak now in the ears of the people ; and let them ask every man
of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver
and jewels of gold. 3 And the Lord gave the people favour in the
eyes of Mizraim : moreover the man Moses was very great in tlie
land of Mizraim in the eyes of Pharoh's servants, and in the eyes of the
people.
4 And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I
come out into the midst of Mizraim. 5 And all the first-born in the
land of Mizraim shall die, from the first-born of Pharoh that sitteth
upon his throne unto the first-born of the maid-servant that is behind
the mill ; and all the first-born of beasts. 6 And there shall be a
great cry in all the land of Mizraim, the like of which has not been,
and the like shall not again be. 7 And against any of the sons of
Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, from man to beast : that ye may
know that the Lord doth sever between Mizraim and Israel. 8 And
all these thy servants shall come down unto me and bow down to me,
saying, Go out thou and all the people that follow thee ; and after that
I wOl go out. And he went out from Pharoh in great wrath. § 11
9 So the Lord said unto Moses, Pharoh shall not hearken unto
you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Mizraim. 1 0
And Moses and Aaron did aU these wonders before Pharoh : and the
Lord hardened Pharoh's heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go
out of his land. § 12
The section now before us recounts the tenth and last stroke
inflicted on Pharoh and his people, and in essential connec-
tion therewith the institution of the Passover. In the ele-
Exop. XI. V. l-H. 97
ventli chapter the aiuionncement of the slaying of the first-
born is made, as the hist words of Moses to Pharoli.
V. 1-3. There was in the words of Moses at the close
of the last chapter a foreboding of something not explicitly
stated. This is a plain indication that another line of events
w;\s going on concurrently with that which the historian was
encjajxed in narrating:. While the long train of interviews and
transactions with Pharoh has been passing, we are not to
suppose that the communication of Moses with his own kin-
dred and people, opened on his return fromMidian(iv. 29-3 l,vi.
1-0), wjis entirely suspended. On the other hand we are to
presume that the whole of the instructions given to Moses
(iii. G-22), together with the signs of his Divine authority
(iv. 1-9), were in due time, and with full explanations, laid before
the people ; that when the first barbarities of Pharoh were re-
laxed, these messages from heaven received a respectful hearing,
and that when the hand of the Lord was repeatedly displayed
in inllicting chastisements on the Egyptians from which they
themselves were exempted, they began gradually to take
coui'age, to trust in the Lord and make the necessary pre})a-
rations for their departure. Indications of this concurrent
])rocess and result nOw begin to appear in the narrative. We
have only to call to mind the law of Hebrew narrative, that
"when one line of events is brought to a suitable resting-place,
the author is at liberty to go back and take up another line
which is necessary to the full elucidation of his theme. The
words of final parting between Moses and Pharoh, though
not perhaps the absolute close of the conversation between
them, form a striking pause, whether we regard them from a
logical or a rhetorical point of view. Accordingly, in the pa-
ragraph now before us, we revert to a point of time before
the interview with Pharoh just recorded, and after the plague
of darkness. This we infer from the intimation in the last
words of Moses of something that was in his memory more
than what is expressed. This allusion could only be to tiie com-
munication recorded in the present paragraph ; which is there-
fore now introduced to explain what was hinted at in the
words of Moses already given, and in the remaining part of
his last address to Pharoh (v. -t-S).
V. 1. Yet one plague. This places the coming judgment in
G
98 DEATH OF THE FIRST-BORN CHILDREN.
the same class witli the nine that had preceded it, though it
differs from them in the mode of its infliction, and transcends
them all in the wound it gave to the heart of the nation.
Altogether, men, women, and children, with all their cattle and
moveable property so far as it was convenient or necessary for
them to remove it. Actually thrust you out, not merely per-
mit, but constrain you to depart, v. 2. In the ears of the
people. We are evidently got into a new line of narrative.
This is part of the intercourse of Moses with the people.
Aoid let them ask (iii. 21, 22). It is now plain that asking,
not borrowing, is here intended, seeing that this step is to be
taken when Pharoh was on the point of driving them out of
the country, never to return. There could be no pretence of
a return being made in such circumstances, Pharoh indeed
repented of this course, and returned, as he was wont, to his
old policy. But this does not alter the character of his pre-
sent procedure, v. 8. The Lord gave the people favour.
The people of Egypt saw the past scenes of tyranny,
obstinacy, and prevarication on the part of Pharoh, of suffer-
ing on the part of the Israelites and themselves, and of for-
bearance and yet decision in the judicial proceedings of God
in a very different light from that in which they were re-
garded by their sovereign. Many of them would sympathize
with the persecuted serfs ; many would stand in awe of the
reiterated strokes of the divine judgment ; and all would feel
the calamities that befel the nation far more acutely than
Pharoh. Accordingly, when the warning was given to bring
in the cattle and servants, lest they should be destroyed by
the hail, not a few were found with so much faith in the word
of the Lord as to attend to it and save their property. And
on a subsequent occasion the very courtiers ventured to tender
the advice to Pharoh that he should save his country from
utter destruction by dismissing the chosen people. Thus in
the unsearchable wisdom of God the same train of events that
was hardening the heart of Pharoh, and reviving the faith and
courage of his own people, was inclining the Egyptians to
commiserate the suffering people, and help them to make pro-
vision for their journey. Moreover the man Moses. The
modesty of the writer is plain in the unadorned simplicity of
the epithet, " the man," not the minister of God, or the leader
EXODUS XI. t-S. 09
and deliverer of the nation, but "the man Moses." Was very
<jirnt. After what had occurred, it could not be otherwise.
The man who had foiled the magicians of the court, again and
again received the submission of the sovereign, and proved
himself to be the messenger of heaven by a succession of the
most conspicuous miracles, could not but be very great in the
eyes of the Egyptians. And the statement of this fact
dt)es not derogate from his claim to modesty, but only
reudei"s a just tribute of praise to him whose servant he was.
We have no doubt also tliat the moderation, good temj)er, and
unaffected patriotism with which he discharged his duty com-
manded the res])ect and esteem of Pharoh's servants and
people. We shall find that the death of the first-born created
such alarm for their personal safety that they Avere ready to
sacrifice any amount of personal prf)p€rty to get rid of a
people whose detention had brought such unparalleled calami-
ties on their country.
V. 4-8. We are now come up again to the point at which
we had arrived at the close of the previous chapter, and the
speech of Moses is continued. About midnight. This note
of time points naturally, though it does not absolutely bind
us, to the night following the day on which this was spoken.
We conceive, theuefore, that in point of fact this was the 1 4th
Ni.san, or the day before the full moon, immediately after the
vernal equinox. At all events, there is nothing in the narra-
tive to oppose, and something to favour this view. Will I
come out. God is said to come out when he proceeds to
execute the purposes of his will in any part of his creation,
which cannot be regarded as his proper and special residence.
All the first -hmni. The first-born is the hope and strength of
the house, its representative, and the heir of its privileges. A
double portion falls to his lot, and the patriarchal and sacer-
dotal functions originally belonged to him. To slay the first-
born, then, is the deadliest blow the household can receive.
Of Pharoh that sitteth on the throne. The pride of the
haughty monarch will now be brought low. The anguish
will even be more acute, if the wailinj; be not more loud, in
the palace of the king than in the cottage of the seif. The
maid-serravf tJiat is behind the mill, the handinill, which was
invariably wrought by females, and generally by slaves (xii.
100 DEATH OF THE FIRST-BORN CHILDREN.
29). It consisted of two stones, the nether fixed, and the
upper moveable, with a hole in the centre to admit the grain,
and an upright wooden handle, by which it was turned. The
lower was convex, and the upper concave, so that the meal
came out at the edge, and was received on a cloth. The first-
horn of beasts. As the cattle of the Israelites were to have
been detained, the cattle also of the Egj^ptians are to suffer.
And if there be any first-born among the animals to which
the Egyptians pay divine honours, they also will perish. A
great cry. Such a wail could have no parallel, unless all the
first-born of a nation were to perish again in one night. A dog
move his tongue, put his tongue in such a form and motion as
to snarl, growl, or bark. This is a proverbial expression, to
denote security from even the threat of danger. That ye may
knoiv. This is a lesson to Pharoh and his court, which is now
to be repeated for the seventh time. Mizraim represents the
world for the time being, and Israel the Church. Come doiun
to me from the high places of the court and the royal city.
Bow doiun to me, humble themselves so far as to do obeisance
to me. And after that I will go out. When every proud
heart will be abased, and all opposition will be broken down,
then will I depart. Pharoh had threatened the Lord's servant
with death, and now the death of all the fij.-st-born of Egypt
is announced to its monarch. In great wrath. Words of
deadly feud had passed between them. Pharoh had threat-
ened Moses with death simply because he had demanded that
the cattle of the Israelites should go with them. With what
mingled alarm and indignation would he listen to this last
awful menace of heaven's minister. We may infer, therefore,
that there was high wrath on both sides at parting.
V. 9, 10. These two verses are a recapitulation of all that
has been related after the introductory paragraph in the
seventh chapter, especially ver. 3 . This verse is the prediction ;
the intervening narrative sets forth the details, and the two
verses now before us are the logical conclusion or summing up
of the whole. Hence we render the conjunctive particle at
the beginning, by the word so, as is occasionally done in the
English version. This inferential summary could not come
in before the speech of Moses, threatening the death of the
first-born, as this occurs at the closing interview between him
EXODUS XII. 101
and Pharcili, and presents the latter with the last occasion for
rejecting the demands of the Lord. And it could not come
in after the death of the first-born, Lecausc then Pliaroh at
length yielded, wliercas these verses record his long continned
resistance. They form therefore the methodical recapitulation
uf the opposition of Pharoh foretold by the Lord, Nvhen that
opposition has come to its last efforts. " Pharoh shall not
hearken unto you, that my wonders may be multiplied in
the land of I\Iizraini," for the perpetual instruction of maid-cind
in certain sublime and necessary principles of theological truth.
And so it has accordingly happened.
CHAP. XII. THE PASSOVER. DEATH OF THE FIRST-BORN.
2. ti'jn neiv moon, day of the new moon, mouth, r. he
new. T?"! Ttwnth from n^^ moon.
3. "Tjy assembly, r. constitute. A definitely constituted
body of men, vaiying in extent from ten heads of houses to
the whole of the men of Israel who are entitled to vote in a
]-egular convention of the people. These were most probably
all the males above twenty years of age. Between the full
assembly and that of the heads of houses, was probably the
representative convention, consisting of the princes of tribes,
chiefs of families, elders, and officers, each of which had its
well-known province and function. It appears, however,
that the term "eldei-s," was often employed to denote the
whole of these classes, (v. 12). ''•^i^ congregation r. gather
together. This denotes the whole community of Israel, in-
cluding young and old, male and female. It is also used to
express any body of people collected together, without refei'-
ence to definite organization or regular appointment. IJ/D
appointed time or place of meeting, appointed meeting. This
is the term constantly used in the phrase *iyJ3 SlK tent of
meeting, the tent at the door of which all sacred and civil
meetings were appointed to be held in the wilderness.
11. nos. Aram. KHOB rrdnyji, tlie passover. r. pass over.
1 . The lamb on account of whose blood, sprinkled on the
lintel and the posts, the Lord passed over the Israelites (v.
102 THE PASSOVER.
IS). 2. The solemnity of which this lamb was the sacrifice
(Lev. xxiii. 5). 3. The seven days' festival usually called
the feast of unleavened bread, including the proper passover,
or festival of the preceding evening (Deut. xvi. 1). 4. The
sacrifices belonging to the feast of unleavened bread (Deut.
xvi. 2 ; 2 Chr. xxxv. 1, 7).
24. 'pr\ statute, edict, ordinance, rate. (v. 14) npn r. engrave.
40. ^.''IVP^ ''^^^ "'^'^, i^vho sojourned in Mizraim. So the
Targum of Onkelos may also be rendered. But the Sept. has
'/jv ira^wxnGav sv yr\ Alyo-Trrw, which they sojourned in Egypt.
Against this rendering are the following considerations. 1.
"IS?'?? is usually followed by the personal pronoun after the
governing word when it stands for an oblique case, but here
it is not. 2. 25i>^ is generally intransitive, taking some pre-
position before the place of abiding, and here it has I^P.XP^
and therefore does not admit iCi'X. 3. When it has a direct
object, that object is the place of abode, which it could not
be here. 4. ^{i'i?^ after ^'^\ signifies a seat, (Ezek. xxviii 2),
which it cannot do here. 5. The cognate objective after ^K'^
would be nn'^ti^ or ri3^" rather than 2'd^'O. For these reasons
we adhere to the former rendering.
49, '"''^"'"^ doctrine, law, principle, r. cast, hiph. teach.
And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of
Mizraim, saying. 2 This month shall be unto you the chief of
months : it shall be first to you of the months of the year. 3 Speak
ye unto all the assembly of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this
month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to
fathers' houses, a lamb for the house. 4 And if the house be too
little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his
house take it, according to the number of souls ; every man accord-
ing to his eating ye shall count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be
without blemish, a male of the first year; from the sheep or from
the goats ye shall take it. 6 And ye shall keep it until the four-
teenth day of this month ; and the whole congregation of the assembly
of Israel shall kill it between the evenings. 7 And they shall take
of the blood, and put it on the two posts, and on the lintel, upon the
houses in which they shall eat it. 8 And they shall eat the flesh
on this night j roast with fire and with unleavened bread, on hitter
EXODUS Xli. 103
herbs shall ye eat it. 9 Ye shall not cat of it raw, or sodden at all
Avith -vvator ; but roiist with fin.', its head witli its Ic^'s and its inwanls.
] 0 And ye shall not leave of it until tlie morning, and that which is left
of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. 1 1 And thus shall ye eat
it, with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your stall" in
your liand ; and ye shall cat it in haste, it is tlTe Lord's passovor.
12 And I will pass through the land of Mizraira this night, and
will smite all the first-born in the land of Mizraim, from man to beast,
antl on all the gods of Mizraim I will execute judgments; I am the
Loud. 13 And the blood shall bo to you for a token upon the
houses where ye are, and I will look upon the blood and pass over
you : and there shall be no stroke of destruction on you, when I smite the
land of Mizraim. 14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial,
and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord ; in your generations ye shall
keep it as an ordinance for ever.
15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread ; even the first day ye
shall put away leaven out of your houses : for whosoever eateth
leavened bread, that soul shall be cut off from Israel from the first day
until the seventh day. IG And in the first day shall be a holy con-
vocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation to you : no work
shall be done in them : only that which every soul must eat, that
alone may be done of you. 17 And ye shall observe the feast of
unleavened, breiul; for in this self-same day I shall have brought your
hosts out of the land, of Mizraim : and ye shall observe this day in
your generations as an ordinance for ever. 18 In the first month, on
the fourteenth day of the month, at even, ye shall eat unleavened
bread, until the one-and-twentieth day of the month at even. 19
Seven days leaven shall not be found in your houses : for whosoever
eateth that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the
assembly of Israel, whether he be a stranger or born in the land. 20
Nothing leavened shall ye eat ; in all your dwellings ye shall eat
unleavened bread. IT IG.
21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said unto
thi'm, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and
kill the passover. 22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip in
the blood which is in. the bason, and strike the lintel and the two
jiosts with the blood that is in the bason: and none of you shall come
out from the door of his house until the morning. 23 And the Lord
will piuss through to smite ^Mizraim, and shall see the blood upon the
lintel, and on the two jjosts : and the Lord will pass over the door,
and will not suflfer the destroyer to go into your houses to smite yo'
24 And ye shall observe this thing, for an ordinance to thee and
thy sons for ever. 25 And it shall come to pa.ss, when you go into
the land which the Lord will give you as He hath spoken, that ye
he ^
104< EXODUS XII.
shall keep tliis service. 26 And it shall come to pass Avhen your sons
shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service ? 27 Then ye shall
say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who passed over the
houses of the sons of Israel in Mizraim, Avhen He smote Mizraim and
delivered our houses. And the people bent the head and worshipped.
28 And the sons of Is:^ael went and did so ; as the Lord commanded
Moses and Aaron so did they. § 1 3.
29 And it came to pass at midnight, that the Lord smote all the
first-borii in the land of Mizraim, from the first-born of Pharoh that
sat on the throne unto the first-born of the captive that was in the
dungeon, and all the first-born of cattle. 30 And Pharoh rose up in
the night, he and all his servants and all Mizraim ; and there was a
great cry in Mizraim : for there was not a house where there was not
one dead. 31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night and said,
Eise up, go forth from among my people, both ye and the sons of
Israel : and go, serve the Lord, as ye have spoken. 32 Take your
flocks also and your herds, as ye have spoken, and go ; and bless me
also. 33 And Mizraim urged the people to send them out of the land
in haste ; for they said, We shall be all dead. 34 And the people
took up their dough before it w\as leavened, their kneading troughs
being bound up in their garments upon their shoulders. 35 And the
sons of Israel did according to the word of Moses ; and they asked of
Mizraim jewels of silver and jewels of gold, and garments. 36 And
the Lord gave the people favour in the eyes of Mizraim and they gave
them; and^they spoiled Mizraim. 1[ l*^-
37 And the sons of Israel journeyed from Eameses to Sukkoth
about six hundred thousand foot, the men apart from the little ones.
38 And a mixed multitude also Avent up with them, and flocks and
herds, even very much cattle. 39 And they baked the dough which
they brought out of Mizraim into unleavened cakes, for it was not
leavened : because they were thrust out of Mizraim and could not
tarry, and they had not made for themselves any provision. 40 And
the sojourning of the sons of Israel, who sojourned in Mizraim, was
thirty and four hundred years. 41 And it was after the end of thirty
and four hundred years, and it was on the self-same day that all the
hosts of the Lord came out from the land of Mizraim. 42 It is a
night of observance unto the Lord for bringing them out from the
land of Mizraim : such is this night of the Lord to be observed by all
the sons of Israel in their generations. *I[ IS-
43 And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordi-
lumce of the passover, no alien shall eat thereof. 44 And every man's
servant that is bought with money, when thou hast circumcised him,
then shall he eat thereof. 45 A sojourner, and a hireling, shall not
eat thereof. 46 In one house shall it be eaten : thou shalt not bring
EXODUS xir. 1. 105
aiiglit of tlio fli'sli out of tlic liouse ahroad, and a bone thereof yc sliall
]iot break. 47 All the assembly of Israel shall keep it. 48 And
Avhon a stranger sojourneth with thee and will keep the passover to
the Lord, let all his males be circumcised and then let him come near
to keep it, and he shall he as one born in the land : and no uncirciim-
cised person shall eat thereof. 49 One law shall be to the hoine-lioru
and to the stranger that sojourneth among you. 50 Thus did all the
sons of Israel ; as the Loud commanded Moses and Aaron, so did
they. § 14.
51 And it came to pass in the self-same day, that the Lord brought
the sons of Israel out of the land of Mizraim by their liosts. II lU.
Tl)is chapter contains the divine order for the institution
of the passover, tlic directions given by Moses to the peo])le
and their compliance witli them, the death of the first-born in
Egypt, and the dismissal of the enslaved people, the date of
their departure, and the determination of the parties who are
admissible to the passover.
V. 1-20. The divine ordinance concerning the passover.
The parting interview between Moses and Pharoh may have
taken place on the 1 4tli Nisan. In the present chapter a now
line of events is taken up. It belongs to the intercourse, not
of Moses and Pharoh, but of Moses and the people. We,
therefore, go back to the beginning of Nisan, which we have
supposed to be about the 8th of March at the earliest. At
this time it may be presumed the plague of hail had been
removed, and those of the locusts and the darkness had yet
to come on.
v. 1. In the land of Mizvahn. This note of place would
liave been unnecessary if the writer had not passed from Egypt
into the wilderness since the preceding chapter was indited.
It is, therefore, an intimation that this portion of the narrative
was not conuuittcd to writing till after the exodus had taken
place. It thus affords an incidental presumption that tlie
narrative was composed by an eye witness. This ononfli.
Tlie term here employed denotes the new moon, and hence
the day of the new moon or first day of the month, and lastly
the month as defined in its commencement by the new moon.
It appears to denote here the beginning of the month. 2'lie
chief of moutJdi ; the most important among the months on
account of the great event which was about to take place in
106 THE PASSOVER INSTITUTED,
it. It shall he first. Israel was henceforth to have a sacred
year beginning with this month, which was the seventh of
the old civil or common year (see on Gen. ii. 6, vii. 11).
From this accordingly the months are henceforth counted,
so that the old first month becomes the seventh of the sacred
year, though its first day is still distinguished as a festival by
the blowing of trumpets and certain special sacrifices (Lev.
xxiii. 23-25 ; Num. xxix. 1-6).
V. 3. All the assembly. Three words are with more or less
constancy rendered congregation in our English version, niy,
-'^i^ and "^Vp. We shall by way of distinction translate them
respectively by the words assembly, congregation, and meeting,
which are already used without exact discrimination in our
present version. By assembly or convention we understand
a body of men organised for common counsel or action. By
congregation or community we understand a more general
body or gathering of men, women, and children, having common
privileges, civil and sacred, but not all called upon or entitled
to vote or act in public aflTairs. In the former term, regular
organization is the prominent characteristic ; in the latter the
custom of assembling together. The commonwealth of Israel
may be designated by either, according to the different way
in which it may be viewed. It is obviously regarded in our
text as a unity, having its natural centre in Jacob and its
spiritual centre in Israel, and in him of whom Israel was the
type. By meeting or appointment is to be understood a
stated meeting or gathering for a great solemn occasion (xxxix.
42, 43). In the tenth day of this month. From the third
to the tenth of Nisan the plague of locusts ran its course.
The days intervening between the tenth and the fourteenth
were probably the days of darkness. This was perhaps the
proximate reason for choosing the lamb on the tenth. At the
same time ten is the symbol of completeness ; and the tenth
day completes the third of the month, as the night of (that is,
before) the fifteenth completes the half of the month. The day
of atonement was in like manner on the tenth day of the
seventh month (Lev. xxiii. 27). Every man a lamb, a young
animal of the sheep or of the goats (v. 5, 2 Chr. xxxv. 7),
though in latter times it came to be invariably the young of
a sheep. According to fathers houses, or smaller families.
EXODUS XII. 5. 107
The family organization was very exact among tlie Israelites.
Under the twelve tribes were the clans or families (ninec'tp) ;
under these the father's houses (J^i^S rT'a) or smaller families,
and under these the several distinct households of which they
consisted. A lamb fm' the house. This is the single house-
hold, which forms the social unit in the subdivisions of Israel,
v. 4. And if the houae he too little for the lamh. The Jewish
tradition was that a man ate the size of an olive of the ])aschal
lamb, in which case a whole lamb would be sufficient for a
very large household. In the Targum Jonathan, ten is given
as the least number for a paschal company. Josei)hus assigns
ten as the least number and twenty as not uncommon. (Wars
of the Jews, vi. 9, 3). The Mi.shna says, " A paschal sacrifice
may not be slaughtered for a single individual only. It may
not be slaugh.tered even for a party of a hundred individuals,
if each of them cannot eat thereof the minimum quantity of
the size of an olive." This implies that a hundred might par-
take of the one lamb. At the last supper of our Lord and his
disciples, thirteen full-grown men were present. This would
give an average of about twenty person.s, if women and child-
ren were included.
V. 5. Without blemish. The lamb is the substitute, at
least in type, of the first-born, and is, therefore, to be perfect
of its kind. A male of the first year. The male ranks be-
fore the female, and is therefore employed to figure a sufficient
sacrifice. The jihrase " son of a year," means of any age from
a month to a full year (Gen. vii. 6, 11).
Until the fourteenth day. If, as we presume, the three
days of darkness came between the tenth and the fourteenth,
though the Israelites had light, as in ordinary days, it was
desirable that the lamb should be set apart on the tenth day,
that there might be nothing to do on the fourteenth day but
prepare it for sacrifice. During those awful days, when dark-
ness, the symbol of chaos, brooded over Egypt, the Israelites
had the lamb as the sign and pledge of the divine })n)nii.se,
that this darkness would spread no farther, but would at
length give way to a now period of light, and life, and hope.
And doubtless they would have occasion on contemplating this
devoted victim to converse with one another concerning the
great deliverance which was before them (see Fa[/ius in Crit.
108 THE PASSOVER INSTITUTED.
Sac.) But instruction and edification were not limited to
those three days. They pervade all time, but especially
those great occasions on which God manifests his power in the
works of justice and mercy. Hence every event in this great
deliverance has its definite lesson to all parties concerned, if
they will but learn it. The luhole congregation of the as-
seonhly of Israel. A congregation is any gathering or num-
ber of people that may be gathered. The congregation of an
assembly is the company of those who belong to an organ-
ised or orderly community, having a common head, a repre-
sentative assembly, and a law of action. The word Israel
defines the nation, and the word all embraces every member
of it. Not to partake of the passover on this occasion was
to be excommunicated, unless there was some in\'incible hind-
rance. The whole congregation are here priests unto God.
Shall kill it, as a typical substitute for the first-born, a symbol
of propitiation by the death of another. Between the even-
ings. The lamb seems to have been slain before sunset and
eaten after (see on Gen. i. 4.)
v. 7 Put it on the two i^sts and on the lintel. By the door
the destroyer enters to slay the first-born. Hence the blood
that indicates faith and represents atonement is sprinkled on
the fixed boimdaries of tlie doorway, except the threshold on
which the foot treads. It is not sprinkled on the door-leaf
itself, which may have been in many cases altogether want-
ing, and was always less permanent than the lintel and posts in
the booths and other slight habitations of a pastoral people
(v. 8, 9). And they shall eat. As the sacrificing of the paschal
lamb is a symbol of the redemption, by which the death-
penalty due by one is paid by another, so the eating of it is a
figure of the participation of pardon, acceptance, and full
blessedness consequent upon the atonement being made, and
the law being satisfied. Roast ivith fire : not raw, that is
unfit for use, and thei'efore for representing spiritual enjoy-
ment ; nor sodden with water, deprived of any portion of
its savour, and thus not so well adapted to express
complete happiness ; but roast with fire, submitted to
the direct influence of fire, retaining the integrity of its
strength and flavour, consequently shadowing forth not
only the completeness of the sacrifice, but also the perfection
of the salvation thereby obtained. Uideavened bread. Bread
EXODUS II. 10. 101)
is the staff of life (Lev. xxvi. 2G). Leaven is a mass of sour
cloiiirh ill Avliich decomposition lias set in, and is therefore the
symbol of corruption (1 Cor. v. 8). Hence unleavened
bread is the emblem of })urity and life. On hitter herbs.
These apj^ear to form the basis of the repast, on which the
other materials rest. In the Mishna five different kinds of
bitter herbs are mentioned, among which aie lettuce and en-
dive. Tlie bitter herbs convey no obscure allusion to the
bitterness of Egyptian bondage, and of the bondage of sin
in general. Its head, with its legs and its imuards. It is
plain that it was to be roasted whole without breaking
or severing any of the bones. This involved the necessity of
its being roasted on a spit before the fire, as the people could
not be generally provided with vessels large enough to contain
it whole. And it was strikingly expressive of the unity of
the sacrifice, — of the salvation which it prefigured, and of the
people who partook of it (Psal. xxxiv. 20; J Cor, v. 7 ; x. 17.)
V. 10. Ye shall not have of it until the morning. It
was, if possible, to be entirely consumed. But if any portion
was left, it was to be burnt with fire. This was the rule for
all sacrificial meals, except the vow or voluntary oflering
(Lev. vii. 15-17). This seems to indicate that they were
sacred to the one purpose, and therefore not to be applied to
any profane or farther use. The atonement and the salvation
following are to be all-sufficient, yet not more than suflicient.
And thus shall ye eat it, ivltlt your loins girded, as those
who are equipped for expeditious travelling, your shoes on
your feet, as those who are prepared for rough and untrodden
paths ; your staff in your hand, as a protection and a supjiort
on the journey ; in haste, as those who do not know the
moment when they must set out. Here we have a reality
which is a true type of the readiness with which the redeemed
should wait for other and higher journeys than that which
was now before the Israelites. It is the Lord's jxissovcr. The
festival now described is a feast of passing over in sparing
mercy, instituted by the Lord himself, and to be observed by
all his people in obedience to his word. As is usual with the
first observance of any institution there are many incidental
circumstances that do not occur in the subsequent oUservance
of it. The essential parts of this solemnity are the lamb, the
110 THE PASSOVER INSTITUTED.
<■«•
time of sacrificing: and eatincr jt, the unleavened bread and
bitter herbs, the seven days' feast of unleavened bread. The
keeping up from the tenth day was afterwards omitted ; the
domestic observance by the men, women, and children,
was succeeded by the celebration at the place which the Lord
had chosen (Deut. xvi. 6) by the men only or chiefly ; the
lamb was slain by the house father or the priest ; the blood
was sprinkled, not on the lintel and posts of the house, but
apparently on the altar (2 Chron, xxx. 16, xxxv. 11); and
the attire and attitude of haste and readiness for travelling
were afterwards omitted.
1 . Of the three things essential to the salvation of a fallen
creature, two are represented by circumcision and the passover,
regeneration and redemption. 2. Circumcision denotes the
new birth, without indicating any of its fruits. The passover,
like all sacrificial feasts, points out not only the act, but the
effect of redemption. The slaying of the lamb is the act,
being the giving up of the life of one for another : the eating
of the sacrifice is the effect, being the reception of the rights
and enjoyments recovered on its death. 3. Circumcision
signifying that which is inward, applies to each individual
apart, and is therefore a solitary ordinance : the passover,
standing for that which is outward, is equally adapted to all
who are circumcised, and is therefore a social ordinance,
exhibiting the communion of saints. Hence the former began
suitably with Abraham, when he was alone, before he became
the father of the faithful : the latter appropriately with Israel,
after he had become a nation. 4. In circumcision, whicli
shadows forth the new birth, the recipient is passive ; in the
passover, which implies the voluntary partaking of the sacrifice,
the recipient is active. 5. Circumcision, symbolizing the new
birth, is not to be repeated : the passover, as a sacrifice, repre-
sents that sacrifice which is to be offered once for all ; but as
a feast, it sets forth the constant fare by which the soul is
sustained, and is therefore repeated from year to year. 6.
Circumcision, the symbol of the new nature, was not preceded
by any other sign of like import. The passover, being a kind
of sacrifice, was preceded by the sacrifices of Habel, Noah,
Abraham, and other patriarchs, all prefiguring that great re-
deeming sacrifice which was to be offered in the fulness of time.
EXODUS xir. 1-20. J I 1
r
7. Circumcision was to continue as long as the visible Cliuich
was limited to the natural or adopted descendants of Israel :
the passover was to Le observed until the true Lamb of (Jcjd
should come, of which it was only the type. 8. Regeneration
and redemption are necessary to the salvation of man from the
date of the fall to that of the resurrection, and therefore be-
longed to the experience of the saints before these symbols
were instituted. We have seen that the S3Mnbol of redemp-
tion varied according to the varying aspects which its historical
]n-ogress presented. The passover answers to a new phase of
redemption not within the experience of tlie patriarchs. This
leads us toexpectthat other symbols maybe substituted forthose
of the law of Moses, when the realities for which they stand
reach a new stage of development. 9. The event which gave
occasion to the institution of the passover was a temporal re-
demption, and therefore itself but a type and foretaste of that
eternal redemption wliich transcends all its temporal forms as
far as the bondaixe of inward <ruilt transcends that of outward
force. This brings before us the vast import and grandeur of
the present turning point in the history of God's people, in
regard not only to what it is in itself, but to what it prefigures
in the history of salvation. 10. The passover is an advance
on all preceding sacrifices ; as it signalizes the eating of the
sacrifice, and therefore the enjoyment of the benefits of re-
demption, the rest, the land of rest, the better land ; it is
a periodical festival, and thereby represents the perpetuity of
the heavenly sustenance ; and it is commemorative of a great
ty[)ical deliverance.
V. 1 2-1 5. The immediate benefit realized by those who
keep this ordinance. / luill ^xtss through. The Lord him-
self, without the intervention of Moses and Aaron, is to
execute this awful judgment. This night. The night after
the fourteenth Nisan, the previous transactions of which have
just been described. All the Jirst-horn — from man to beast.
The first-born is the beginning and the hope of the family
(Gen. xlix. 3). To smite the first-born is to begin the an-
nihilation of the race. The cattle came also under this
judgment. All the gods of Mizraim. The bull, the goat,
the ram, and otlier animals were deified by the Egyptians.
The king was also regarded as an impersonation of the sun-
112 THE PASSOVER INSTITUTED.
god. The extinction of all these creature gods will be menaced
as well as in part executed by the death of their first-born.
I am the Lord, the maker, and therefore the absolute dis-
poser of all things ; who speaks and it is done. The Lord is
emphatically the performer, who gives effect to his word,
whether of threatening or of promise. The blood shall be to
you for a token, a token of redemption, of acceptance and
safety. Aiid 2^ctss over you. Here is the origin of the term
passover. I will pass over you, for whom another has by a
type shed his blood, and who are therefore freed from the
penalty of the law. For a memorial. At this time every
year you will commemorate with thankfulness your present
and perpetual deliverance. Keep it a feast, a day of rejoicing
and thanksgiving for freedom and prosperity, to be celebrated
according to the general rules laid down by the Lord. An
ordinance for ever, a perpetual ordinance, lasting in its form
as long as Israel is the peculiar people ; in its principle as long
as the state of redemption, which it celebrates, and therefore
absolutely for ever.
V. 15-20. The institution of the feast of unleavened bread.
Seven days; a sacred number of days, in token of entire and
perpetual consecration to God. Uat unleavened bread (v. 8).
Unleavened bread is the symbol of a holy fare. To eat un-
leavened bread is the symbol of a holy life, becoming those
who have exercised faith in God, the blessed fruit of a new
nature. After redemption accepted, comes obedience rendered.
Fven the first day of the seven. As this day commenced at
the sunset of the fourteenth of Nisan, the removal of the leaven
must have been effected on that day. Put away leaven out of
your houses. This denotes the avoidance of all contact with
sin, and of all temptation to it. That soid shall be cut off
from Israel. This is excommunication or exclusion from the
visible community of God's people. It involved the loss of all
the privileges of the chosen people. It was in certain cases
accompanied with the penalty of death, but not in others.
We cannot suppose that an uncircumcised infant was on that
account to be put to death, as the fault was in the parent
(Gen. xvii. 14). It is a type of eternal separation from the-
family of heaven. From the first day until the seventh day. Tins
is placed last to intimate that the excommunication is to take
EXODUS XII. 1 G. 113
place whenever the offence has been once committefl during
these seven days, and not to bo dehiyed till the expiration of
the festival.
V. IC. In the first diuj, the fifteenth day of Nisan. A
holy eoiivocation. The convocation of holiness (t^P'^7i?'?)
was an assembly for religious purposes, in which the people of
a neighbourhood worshipped God by praise and prayer, and it
may be even from an early period heard portions of the M'l'it-
ten word re^xd and expounded, and applied to the regulation
of life. This convocation was the origin of the synagogue, a
term which originally denoted the assembly, and not the place
of jissembly. They were doubtless at first held in the open
air, in the place where it was customary for the jieople of the
district to assemble. This was probably a natural green area
set apart for civil and sacred meetings, like the fair green or
square of a country town. The days on which holy convoca-
tions were held were Sabbaths ; no ivorh shall he done in them
except the works of necessity. Only tJuit which every soul
must eat. We learn from Lev. xxiii. and Num. xxviii., xxix.,
that the weekly Sabbaths, the first and seventli d;iys of the
feast of unleavened bread, the day of Pentecost, the first day
of the seventh month, the day of atonement, the first and the
eighth days of the feast of tabernacles, were days of holy con-
vocation. Accordingly, there were in the ordinary year of
Israel seven days in which no work was done, besides the
weekly Sabbaths. Yet the weekly Sabbath and the Sabbath
of the day of atonement, were distinguished by a cessation of
all business, from the other six Sabbaths, on which an absti-
nence from the business of labour only was required. (See
chapters quoted.)
V. 17-20. This is to be a perpetual feast. In this self-
same day. The first day of unleavened bread, for it is the
day of their deliverance. / shall have hrourjht your hosts. Tlie
men above twenty years of age will march in battle aiTay out
of the land (xiii. 18). An ordinance for ever. See v. 1 4.
V. 18-20. The time of eating unleavened bread is here more
jirucisely defined. The prohibition is expressed also with
more detail. A dranger. The strangers were afterwards dis-
tinguished into two classes : proselytes of righteousness Q"}}
H
114 THE PASSOVER INSTITUTED.
P1/?^f), who were circumcised, and so fully incorporated into the
theocratic state, and entitled to all its privileges ; and prose-
lytes of the gate (iV^n ''.'?2), who were not circumcised, but
acknowledged the one true and living God in common with
Israel, and confessed themselves bound to observe what were
called the seven laws of Noah, that were binding on all men.
These prohibited blasphemy, idolatry, murder, incest, plunder,
disobedience to the state, and the eating of flesh cut from a
living beast. All these, with the exception of the interdiction
of incest, and perhaps plunder, may be fairly deduced from
Gen. ix. 1 -7, in conjunction with the preceding portion of the
written word ; in other words, from the second bible of man-
kind, which terminates with the ninth chapter of Genesis, or
with Gen. xi. 9. This is no dark intimation that the Jews
even of a late period (Talmud, from 200 to 500 A. c.) remem-
bered and recognised the Noachic or general covenant with
mankind as still co-existing with the Abrahamic or special
covenant with Israel. On no other ground can we explain
the admission of proselytes of the gate to any standing in the
community of Israel, or the remarkable reference to the laws
of Noah. These strangers of the gate were so called because
they were admitted into the gate of the private or domestic
court, though they did not form a part of the proper family,
and in the temple were admitted into the court of Gentiles,
but not into those that were accessible to the peculiar people.
They also enjoyed the privileges of the cities of refuge (Num.
XXXV. 15) and certain other advantages incidental to their in-
termingling with the people of God (Lev. xxv. 35-55); but
they were excluded from the passover and the other sealing
ordinances of the Abrahamic covenant. Born in the land.
A descendant of Israel, or of one incorporated into Israel by
circumcision, and so a native and an heir of the promised
land. In your diuellings. The obligation to abstain from
leaven is to extend to those who remain at home as well as
to those who resort to the sanctuary for the observance of the
passover.
In this passage we have the institution of the feast of un-
leavened bread, which was the continuation of the passover
meal, and was to be celebrated after the departure from Egypt.
EXODUS XII. 21-28. 115
And we perceive that the sacred \vntor is more intent on tlie
rccoi-d of this institution than on the detail of the exodus
itself
V. 21-28. Moses connnunicates to the peo])le the message
he had received from the Lord. Tlie record of this communi-
cation is given in brief terms. Called for the elders of Israel
(Gen. iii. 1 G). These Avere the official organs of the people,
through whom it was easy for Moses to communicate with the
whole of Isiuel. This message was delivered to them in the
beginning of the month, and cortaiidy some days before the
tenth. Draw out. Separate from the Hock, not depart {amX-
66ire;), as the Sept. freely rendei-s. A lamb. The original is
" one of the flock," (1^^*), which, according to the previous de-
scription (v. 5), here means a lamb or a kid. And kill the
'passover. This is evidently a summary of the directions
given by Moses, v. 22. A hutich of hyssop. Here the direc-
tion supplies what is wanting in the previous record. The
hyssop is apparently a generic terra including several species.
The species here intended is generally supposed to be, not the
hyssojnis officinalis, but according to Maimonides and others,
a plant called Sahtar by the Arabs, a kind of organy, an
aromatic jjlant one foot high, growing on stony soil (1 Kings
v. 1 3). A bunch according to tradition consists of three stalks.
And none of you shall come out from the door, from the blood-
besprinkled door within which is safety. The destroyer.
The destructive power, agent or instrument is hereby denoted.
The intervention of angels is not necessarily implied. " The
destroyer," (o oXoOpiuuv) of the epistle to the Hebrews (xi. 28),
seems to be the Lord himself or the Angel of the Lord.
V. 2-i-27. The perpetual observance of this ordinance, which
was enjoined in v. 14, is here prescribed with great minute-
ness. This service. The ordinance is here designated a service,
inasmuch as it was an act of obedience to the Divine Master
whose servants they had become. What mean yc ? This
ordinance of God is a reasonable service, and, therefore, the
children have a right to ask, and the parents are bound to
give a reason for its observance. It is the sacrifice of the
Lord's passover. Here the sacrificial nature of the passover
is expressly asserted.
V. 28. The prompt obedience of the people, who were re-
116 DEATH OF THE FIRST BORN.
presented by their elders in the presence of Moses, and were
informed of their duty through these officials, is here emphati-
cally recorded. This brief statement brings up another thread
of the narrative to the point of time when the last plague is
to be executed. The selection of the lamb, the keeping of it
from the tenth till the fourteenth day, during which interval
we have supposed the three days of darkness to have occurred,
the slaying of the paschal lamb between the evenings, and the
partaking of it in the prescribed form, have now been all accom-
plished,
v. 29-36. We have now the narrative of the death of the
first-born and the urgent dismissal of Israel. At Tnidnight
This refers to the point when the half of the night is past,
and therefore to the darkest period in the whole twenty-four
hours. Tlte Lord smote. This awful stroke came from the
immediate hand of God. Its miraculous nature appears in
the prediction of the time and other circumstances of its in-
fliction, in the instantaneous mode of its occurrence, in the
selection of the Egyptians alone as its object, and in the further
selection of the first-born alone of man and beast. It appears
that among men the first-born only that remained unmarried
in the house of their parents are here to be understood. The
first-born of Pharoh is slain, while he himself is spared though
probably a first-born. It is said that " there was not a house
where there was not one dead ; " but there might have been
grand-parents and parents as well as a first-born child deceased
in one house, if other than the unmarried first-born had been
contemplated in the threatened judgment. And Pharoh rose
up in the night. The peril was too imminent to admit of
delay. The cry of intense anguish arose from every home.
The awful feeling that all might in another moment, at all
events by another judgment, be struck down, awoke in every
breast. A7id he called for Moses and Aaron by night. His
indignant resolve to see Moses no more is soon forgotten.
The meeting, moreover, could hardly be called an interview,
as it was a hurried cry in the dark, imploring them to arise
and go forth from among his people, with all the sons of Israel,
urging them to take their fiocks and herds, and go, and be-
seechmg them to bless him also before they depart. By
blessing him he meant releasing him from the menace of any
EXODUS XII. 37-4'2. 117
other awful jndgmcnt such as those that liad already befallen
him through their intervention. It is plain that he makes no
condition with them as to returning after a limited time to
his service. He is most anxious to pro])itiate Moses and the
(lod of Moses by gi-anting precisely and fully all that had been
demanded. And hence he says, " And serve the Lord, as ye
have spoken," " take your flocks and your herds, as ye have
spoken." It is now a ca.se of life and death with him. Wiiat
need of insisting on a return, if we are to be all dead men ?
And M'lzraini ur(jed the j^eoj^le. Their first-born were all dead.
The stroke had at length reached their persons, and had laid
low the very dearest of every household. No wonder they
expected to be all dead men.
V. 34-3G. Took their dough before it icas leavened. Here
Ave see the coincidence of historical fsict with the institution
of the festival of unleavened bread. This bread was com-
memorative as well as symbolical. We sue not to infer that
it was the design of the people on this occasion to leaven their
dough, but that this was the routine that was wont to be
pursued on ordinary occasions. Bound nj) in their garments.
The garment (i^^P^O was a square piece of cloth, that was
thrown over the rest of the dress as a shawl or mantle, and
was therefore suitable for wrapping up moveable articles in a
journey, v. 35, 36. And tliey sjw'drd Mizrahn, The trans-
action here recorded is an act of compliance with a direction
given as far back as the commission !Moses received at the
burning bush (iii. 21, 22), and reculled to mind the day be-
fore their departure (xL 2). The Israelites were now in the
ascendant. They held the position of conquerors, and the
Egyptians, who had long and grievously wronged them and
profited by their unrequited labours, felt themselves to be at
their mercy. The demands made and the gifts bestowed in
such circumstances were in substance a si)oiling of Egypt.
The Israelites were now in a position to extort a portion of
their just rights, and they used their advantage with great
moderation.
V. 37-4'2. The departure of Isinel from the land of
bondage. From Rameses, not the town, but the tract of
country so called Gen. xlvii. 11. It is unwarranted by the
text, and inconceivable in itself, that the men, wonien, and
118 THE DEPARTURE OF ISRAEL.
children, with their cattle and moveables, should have assem-
bled at the town in order immediately to depart from it. It
is not to be supposed that even the full-grown men started in
a formed body from any one town, place it where we will.
We have no concern, therefore, with the site of Rameses the
town, but only of Rameses the province, and it suffices to
know that it was the border land of Egypt towards Arabia.
There is much probability in the opinion that it included the
wady Tumilat, and so lay east of the Nile, and around the
Birket Temsah, or crocodile lake, extending, however, consi-
derably to the north and south of this valley. To Sukkoth.
This site was probably some point near the western edge of
the salt marshes or bitter lakes, that lay between the Birket
Temsah, and the gulf of Suez, and had a lower level than the
sea. It is plain that this station was over the border of Ra-
meses, and that it was the first rendezvous of the people.
Each family, or party, on receiving gifts which its Egyptian
neighbours pressed upon its acceptance, turned its steps, with
its fiocks, and herds, and beasts of burden, towards the bor-
der. The females, and the males under twenty, attended to
the flocks and herds, and moveable chattels which they were
able to take with them, and never contemplated a junction,
even at Sukkoth. They slowly and steadily moved to the
east and south along the north end of the bitter lakes,
some down the western side, without any fear of the
Egyptians, who were engaged in burying their first-
born, or at least in paying them the last sad rites. The
males over twenty years of age, by previous concert,
formed themselves into marching companies at their respec-
tive positions, faced toward Sukkoth, and gradually arranged
themselves into tribes, and these, it may be, into camps or
battalions, by the time they approached Sukkoth. It cannot
surprise us that the site of Sukkoth is not to be found. It
was possibly only a village, or a convenient place for the
halting of a large body of men; and such a temporary resting-
place, without entrenchments, left no trace behind.
About six hundred thousand foot. This is an avowed
round number. It is below rather than above the actual
number 003,550 (Num. ii. 32, iii. 39). From a calculation of
the percentage of deaths up to twenty years of age, it appears
that those above that age are to those below it as 12 to 5.
THE DEPARTURE OF ISRAEL. 119
Hence the ■whole number of ui.alcs would be about 850,000.
I'll is would give a sum total of males and females of about
1,700,000. The same result follows from the nmnber of
Levites, from a month old and ujjwards, being 22,000 (Num.
iii. 9), while those from 30 to 50 were 8580 (Num. iv. 48).
For the number from 20 to 30 may be taken at half of those
from 30 to 50, that is 4'290 ; and the number above 50 may Ije
two-thirds of this, or 2 8 (JO. Hence those above 20 would
be about '(8580 + 4.290 + 28G0) 15,730, and consequently
those below would be about (22,000 — 1 5,730) G270. These
numbers are nearly in the ratio of 5 to 2. Tliis gives
840,000 for the males, and 1,080,000 for the whole. This
sum has to receive a slight augmentation for the exact num-
ber and for the Levites, by which it reaches 1,734,540.
The period of sojourn in Egj^pt was, according to our cal-
culation 210 years. As the average of seven generations
from Arpakshad to Nahor was 31 years, when men lived from
438 to 148 years, we may safely assume 30 years as 'a gene-
ration, and, therefore, seven generations in 210 years (see on
Gen. 1. 22-2G) As Abraham had six sons by Keturah, and
Jacob six by Leah, we may also suppose each parent to have
four sons on an average, when the Divine blessing of fruitful-
ness was promised (Gen. xxxv. 11), and actually bestowed in
Egypt (i. 7). With G8 males for the first term, 8 for the
number of terms, and 4 for the common ratio, the last term,
or the number of males at the exodus, would be 1,1 1 4,1 1 2. This
is considerably above the actual number, and therefore allows
for a smaller number of generations in particular lines, as that
of Moses. With a special promise of fruitfulness, and an ex-
ceedingly fertile soil this cannot be regarded as either an im-
possible or improbable increase.
Ajxirt from the little ones. The little ones here denote
the young of both sexes. Tlie women being not otherwise
mentioned, are implied in this term.
v. 38, 39, A mixed multitude is literally rendered by the
Sept. sTi/j,ixTos 'TToXiig, a numerous mixture. It seems to de-
note a congeries or gathering without order, in contact with the
marshalled host of 000,000 men. It is generally supposed
to have been a rabble of non- Israelites, consisting of slaves
and disaffected Egyptians, who were glad to flee the countr\^,
and is usually identified with the gathering (^DEDN) of murmur-
120 THE DEPARTURE OF ISRAEL.
ers or mutineers, who are distinguished from the children of
Israel in Num. xi. 4. We do not pretend to deny that such
were included. If the shepherd kings were at this time
ruling the north of Egypt, we may readily grant that many of
the natives woul d be dissatisfied with their civil condition. But
it is possible that the multitude here described comprised the
whole of those who did not form a part of the marshalled host,
and therefore included the women and youth of the nation,
who with the slaves, if there were any such, were employed
in looking after the cattle in the various ranges of country
where they were feeding. Hence it is added, that flocks and
herds, even very much cattle, went up tuith them. At all
events, it is plain on the face of the narrative, that the young
people and the women were apart from the regular host, and
in charge of the cattle. And it is probable that a portion
of the full grown men, those most advanced in years, were also
associated with them in their wandering course. They baked
the dough (see on ver. 34). This was generally the work of
women ; but we know that the Bedawi in the desert, when
on an expedition apart from his household, can cook his own
food. We find Abraham directing a young man to dress a
calf (Gen. xviii. 7), and Jacob seething pottage for his own
use (Gen. xxv. 29.) Unleavened cakes, round cak.es haked on sh
kind of pan, or even among th e cinders in their presen t h aste. A n y
provision. The word niv denotes that which is procured by
the chace, wild animals of any kind, and here provisions in
general, especially for a journey.
V, 40-42. Who sojourned in Mizraim. The Sept. in the
cod. Vatic, has here rj\' Ta^wzriSav h yp Aiyo-ru xai sv yp
Xavadv, " whicli they sojourned in Egypt and in KenaanX'
In the cod. Alex, it runs thus; "which they and thpi^
fathers sojourned in Egypt and in Kenaan." The Sam^ has
the verse thus : " and the sojourning of the sons of Israel
and of their fathers, who (or which they) sojourned in the
land of Kenaan and in the land of Mizraim, &;c." These
variants serve to prove that the Hebrew text has the correct
reading. For h yp Xavaav proves itself to be an addition by
coming after sv yp Alyv-~TM when it ought in point of time to
be before it. Tliey also serve to show the meaning attached
to the passage by the Sam. copy and the Sept. version. They
EXODUS XII. 4 0-4 2. 121
both reckon the 430 years from the call of Abraham. But
from a narrow view of tlie pliancy of language, they con-
cluded that " the sons of Israel " could not be freely used to
denote the race from Abraham down, and that the phrase,
" who sojourned in Mizraim," did not admit of their having
sojourned a previous part of the time in Kenaan. Hence
their emendations, or rather ex])lications. But the author
evidently used the present name of the race to represent
that race, even when the name was not in existence. And
he emploj'-s the expression, " who (or which they) sojourned
in Mizraim," now that he w{is sojourninrj still, but in another
place, naturally enough to describe that sojourning previous
to the exodus, of which the residence in Mizraim had been
the latest and by far the most signilicant part. Besides,
Abraham had been in Egypt at the very beginning of their
sojourning (Gen. xii. 10), and Joseph had been 22 yeai-s in
that country before the arrival of Jacob's family. Other
reasons concur to prove that this is the meaning of the author.
Abraham is informed that "his seed (1) shall be strangers in
a land that is not theirs, and (2) shall serve them, and (3) they
shall afflict them four hundred years" (Gen. xv. 13). Now
Isaac was born when Abraham was a hundred years old, and
therefore thirty years after he was called. The exodus
therefore was 400 years after the birth of Isaac. But Isaac
was GO years old when Jacob was born, and Jacob was
180 years old when he came into Egypt (Gen. xxv. 2G ;
xlvii. 9). Hence the sojourn in Egypt lasted 210 [400 —
(GO + 130)] years. Again, from Ex. vi. lG-20, we learn
that Moses was the grandson of Levi by the mother's side,
and the great-grandson by the father's side. As Moses
was 80 at the exodus, if Jokcbcd was born when Levi was
100 years old, and therefore GG years after the immigra-
tion, she must have been G4 at the birth of Moses, (GG -f-
G4 + S0=210). It is manifest that we cannot add 220
years to this period without presuming with some expositors
that several generations are omitted. The writor, however,
plainly gives us all the links of the genealogical chain, and not
the slightest hint of any omission. He is precise not only
in names but in relation.ships and other circumstances. We
have no more right to insert new and unknown links here.
122 THE DEPARTURE OF ISRAEL.
than in the genealogies before and after Noah. And lastly,
the Apostle Paul (Gal. iii. 17), affirms that the law was 430
years after the covenant with Abraham. Any one of these
arguments is sufficient to confirm what we hold to be the
fair interpretation of the text. On the selfsame day, imme-
diately after the close of the 430 years. A night of obser-
vance, to be kept as a commemorative solemnity in honour
of the Lord their Deliverer. For hringing them out. The
occasion of its appointment is here stated. Such is this night.
The perpetuity of this observance is expressed with solemn
emphasis.
V. 43-50, This paragraph determines who are to partake
of the passover. This it was necessary to define so soon as
the nation became independent, and therefore at liberty to
admit and exclude. Ho alien, son of a foreign land, a general
term for all non-Israelites. Every inaiis servant that is bought
with his money. Such a man belongs to his master, and
therefore to his master's nation. It is to be observed here
that the legislator finds a kind of bondage in existence, and
legislates for it. He determines that the slave is entitled to
all the religious privileges of his master. A sojourner, an
inhabitant who is not incorporated into Israel by circumcision.
A hireling, a mere day-labourer, who is in the same relation.
V. 46, 47. In one house. Where two families are joined in
order to form a large enough company for the lamb, they are
to assemble in one house. It is not to be separated or part
of it carried to another house, and a bone of it shall not be
broken. This is to denote the spiritual unity of those who
partake of the one unbroken lamb. All the asse'^nbly. They
are to be all one body. As circumcision represents their new
birth, the eating of the paschal lamb is to shadow forth the
perpetuation of their spiritual life by faith in God. v. 48, 49.
A stranger, a foreigner who resides for a longer or shorter time
with the Israelites. Having been circumcised, his family is
incoi-porated into Israel, and entitled to all the privileges of
the chosen people. Thus the door is opened wide to all
Gentiles who wish to partake in the blessings of the
Abrahamic covenant, as circumcision would in those days be
considered no hardship, v. 50. This verse closes the account
EXODUS XII. ul. l-*^
of the celebration of the passovcr in conformity with all the
requirements of the divine command.
V 51 This verse is properly separated from the prece.ling
r,ara<aai.h, as it is the closing summary of the narrative ot the
deliN-erance of Israel from the land of bondage, winch here
runs parallel with the record of the institution of the pass-
over. „ , i 1 1
This chapter completes the account of the ten plagues, by
which the king of Egypt is at length constrained to let Israel
..0 out of the land of bondage. Ho who might have over-
whelmed all the might of Egypt by one awful stroke displays
His lonrr-suffering forbearance by sending two verbal messages
to Pliaroh and only after a second contemptuous refusal, pro-
coediiK- to inflict a moderate chastisement, to bring him to
repentance. The haughty obstinacy of the king requires a
tenfold infliction, gradually increasing in severity, before it
can be effectually overcome. And it is only finally and
for ever subdued by his perishing in the Red Sea.
SECTION III.— THE EXODUS.
IX. THE ESCAPE OF ISRAEL. EX. XIII.-XV.
CHAP. XIII. SANCTIFICATION OF THE FIRST-BORN.
10. ^0*0* to days. The attacliment of n paragogic to tins
plural transforms it into an adverb, referring to a stated or
natural circle of days. From the other passages in which it
is used (Jud. xi. 40, xxi. ] 9, 1 Sam. i. 3, ii. 19) we are led to
conclude that it denotes a year.
12 "ips that ivMch opens the womb. The first-born. r.
cleave, open, "lit^ the casting, or young of an animal.
1 6. n'lDDiD occurs only in this passage and Deut. vi. 8, xi,
18, where it denotes frontlets bound with a fillet round the
head. The root is supposed to mean to go round.
18. D^c^pn This means 'marshalled, in inarching array, or
according to some, halving the loins girt. The root in the
former case is the numeral t^'^^ Jive, which is the basis of
arrangement ; in the latter the noun t^^on rendered the loin.
The word is here rendered Ts/j^Tryj yivio, in the Sept., girded in
the Targ., and armati in the Vulgate. It occurs only in four
passages, here and in Jos. i. 14, iv. 12, Judg. vii. 11. In
Jos. i. 14 it denotes separate from the women and children,
and in marching order (Sept. ixiXjjmi). In Jos. iv. 12, 13 it
acfain sio:nifies in marching order, and is distinguished from "'^vn
5<23!fn equipped for the war (Sept. hiev.ixjat^iihoi, and i'lj\moi slg
/jjd^Tjv). In Judg. vii. 11 it refers to soldiers in camp, and
therefore points rather to arrangement than armour (Sept.
'Tre'^T'^zovTo). It is evident that the Seventy only conjectured
what might be the meaning of the word. From all the con-
texts in which it occurs the meaning appears to be in march-
EXODUS XIII. 125
ing array, and therefore apart from tlic women and children,
the (question of arms being left open.
20. DriK Sept, 'OOutM, Etham {atiom the border of the sea,
Jablonsky). The derivation is uncertain.
And the Lord spake luito Moses, saying ; 2 Sanctify unto me
every first-born, that openetli every womb, among the sons of Israel,
of man and of beast : it is mine.
3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which
ye came out of ^lizraim, out of the house of bondage ; for by strength
of hand the Loud brouglit ycju out thence : and nothing leavened shall
bo eaten. 4 This day come ye out in the month Abib. 5 And it
shall be, when the Lord shall bring thee into the laud of the Kena-
anite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebu-
sito, which He sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with
milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month. 6
Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread ; and in the seventh day
shall be a feast to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten the
seven days ; and nothing leavened shall be seen with thee, neither
shall leaven be seen with thee in all thy border. 8 And thou shalt
show thy sons in that day, saying, It is on account of that which the
Lord did unto me when I came out of jMizraim. 9 And it sliall be
for a sign unto thee upon thy hand, and for a memorial between thine
eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in thy mouth : for with a
strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Mizraim. 10 And
thou shalt keep this ordinance in its season from year to year. ^ 20.
1 1 And it shall be, when the Lord bringeth thee into the land of
the Kenaanite, as he swarc unto thee and to thy fathers, and hath
given it thee, 12 That thou shalt set apart all [that openeth the
womb unto the Lord ; and every firstling, that cometh of a beast
which thou hast, the males shall be the Lord's. 13 And every first-
ling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb, and if thou wilt not re-
deem it, then thou shalt break its neck : and every first-born of man
among thy sons thou shalt redeem. 14 And it shall be, when thy
son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this 1 that thou shalt
say unto him. By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Miz-
raim, out of the house of bondage. 15 And it came to pass, when
I'haroh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all the first-born
in the land of ^lizraim, from the first-born of man to the first-born of
boast : therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the womb,
being males, and all the first-born of my sons I redeem. 16 And it
126 SANCTIFICATION OF THE FIRST-BORN.
shall he for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine
eyes : for by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Mizraim.
16 § § § 15.
17 And it came to pass, when Pharoh let the people go, that God
led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines, though that
was near : for God said, Lest the people repent, when they see war,
and return to Mizraim. 18 And God led the people round by the
way of the wilderness of the Red Sea : and the sons of Israel went up
marshalled out of the land of Mizraim. 19 And Moses took the bones
of Joseph with him : for he had straitly sworn the sons of Israel, say-
ing, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones hence
with you. 20 And they set out from Sukkoth, and encamped in
Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the Lord went before
them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them the way, and by night
in a pillar of fire to give them light ; to go by day and night. 22
The pillar of cloud did not cease by day, nor the pillar of fire by night '
before the people. IF 21.
The record of the first step in the departure out of Egypt
is necessarily involved in the narrative of the tenth plague.
But though the people have been dismissed, they are not clear
out of the country. The grand scene of the exodus yet re-
mains. This is the passage through the E-ed Sea. And as
soon as the people are come to the place wliere the Lord first
appeared to Moses, the exodus may be said to be complete.
These events occupy the third six chapters of this book.
They contain two subdivisions ; first, the crossing of the Red
Sea in three chapters, and next the journey to Horeb, occupy-
ing the remaining three.
The present chapter contains the directions concerning the
sanctification of the firstborn, and some details concerning
the manner of their journey.
V. 1-16. This paragraph relates to the sanctification of the
first-born. And the Lord spake unto Moses. As the words
" in Mizraim " are no longer added, we may presume that this
is the first communication given after they reached the
border. Sanctify unto me, set apart as mine, and therefore
holy. Every jirst-horn that is a male (v. 1 2). Of man and
beast. As the first-born of man and beast perished among
the Egyptians, so are they equally to be given over to the
Lord among the Israelites. That openeth every womb, the first-
EXODUS XIII. 3-10. 127
born of every mother. Tt is mine. All tilings belong to God
by right of creation. All Israel belonged to him by right of
redemption. The first-born belong to him by right of passing
over them when Egypt's first-born were destroyed. Hence
the consecration of the first-born is clearly connected with the
passover, and accordingly is prescribed immediately after the
first step of the exodus.
V. 3-10. Hence ^Moses now proceeds to enjoin upon the
people the observance of the feast of unleavened bread, which
commences with the passover. Remember this day. Festivals
are commemorative of some great event in the ways of God
with man. This day is the fii"st day of unleavened bread, the
first day of Israel's emancipation. Out of the house of bond-
cifje, literally of bondsmen. From a position of freedom and
honour they had been unjustly and ungratefully reduced to
the condition of serfs. By strength of hand, a variation of
the phrase " by a strong hand." Nothing leavened. The
distinguishing mark of this festival is that no leaven shall be
used in food. v. 4. Abib is the month of green ears, on the
fifteenth day of which was the first full moon after the vernal
equinox. v. 5-7. Shall bring thee into the land. This
festival is to be a perpetual ordinance in the land of promise.
The five tribes here enumerated are all descended from Kenaan.
The Perizzite of Gen. xv. 20, and Ex. iii. 8, is here omitted,
perhaps because only Kenaanitcs are here to be mentioned.
In the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord, as well as in
the first, which is to be understood from fuller communica-
tions. V. 8-10. And thou shalt sho^v thy son. The duty of
parental instruction in religious truth is here enjoined. The
history of the ways of God with man is a precious trust, to be
conveyed faithfully from father to son. A full knowledge of
our relation to God is only to be obtained by an acquaintance
with the main facts of his past dealing with us. Hence a
commemorative ordinance is valuable ; but it only rises to its
full inqiortance when its origin and significance are cleai-ly
explained and well understood. The redemption out of Egypt
is the present fulfilment of a great promise, and at the same
time an earnest of a still greater fulfilment in the futiu-e. The
present is always big with the future, and this is nowhere so
signally realized as in the promises of God, and the develop-
128 SANCTIFICATION OF THE FIRST-BORN.
merit of man. v. 9. A sign unto thee upon thy hand. The
celebration of the passover, being thus expounded and observed
from generation to generation, will be for a sign uj^on the
hand, and a frontlet between the eyes. There is a beautiful
consecration of personal ornament in this injunction. These
ornaments, being embellishments of the person, came often
before the eye and the mind as pleasing objects of contempla-
tion. Being gifts, and therefore keepsakes or memonals of
pure affection, they became bonds of love and gratitude,
attaching the heart to the giver. The armlet or bracelet,
moreover, clasped the hand, the seat of power, and
hinted at the lesson that the actions are to be bound by
the law of love. The fillet or frontlet encircles the head, the
seat of intelligence, and similarly intimates that the thoughts
are to be regulated by the law of truth. The jewel on the
forehead, between the eyes, from which this ornament is
called the frontlet, being placed on the most conspicuous part
of the j)erson, is an emblem of frank confession, or brave
glorying in a person or a principle. That the sign on the
hand, or between the eyes, was not a brand, such as was put
upon slaves and soldiers, nor a kind of tattooing, such as we
still find among' savage nations, is manifest from Deut. vi. 8,
xi. 18, where they are said to be put on by binding, and
from the phylacteries of the Jews, which were bound on the
forehead, and on the wrist of the left hand. These phylac-
teries or Tephillin (prayer-bands) were strips of parchment,
on which were written. Ex, xiii. 1-10, 11-lG, Deut. vi. 4-9,
xi. 13-21. These were enclosed in little boxes or cases of
leather attached to leather straps, by which they were
fastened to the places where they were worn. This custom
was not prescribed by the present passage, and can only be
regarded as an indication of a feeble and declining piety.
Here it is intimated that the observance of the passover, with
its accompanying ordinances, is to serve for a sign upon our
hands, and a memorial between our eyes, and, therefore, to
remind us of the beauty of holiness ; to awaken our attach-
ment to the heavenly Friend who gave us this ordinance as
the symbol of our redemption to freedom ; to bend our
actions and our thoughts by true love, the law of reason and
of heaven ; and to signalise our thankful and open glorifying
EXODUS XIII. 1-lG, 129
in the Lord, and in his covenant. Tl»e sacraments of the
Divine appointment, and not tlie phyhicteries of our own
invention, are to be the signs upon our hands, and the front-
lets between our eyes, telling of our faith in God ; our recon-
ciliation to hiui ; our entrance into the glorious liberty of the
sons of God. They are to be the ornaments of our spiritual
beauty, and the speaking instruments of God's everlasting
love to us, and of our new-born attachment to him. Tliat
the law of the Lord may be in iky nwuth, as a subject of
conversation, and, therefore, of habitual thought and obser-
vance. V. 10, III its season, its appointed time. From year
to year, literally from days to days. But the word days here
is used in a collective sense to denote a definite and well-
known circle of days, that is, a year.
v. 11-lC. Moses now communicates to the people the Law
concerning the consecration of the first-boni. I)iio the land
of the Kenaanite. This regulation is to come into force when
Israel shall reach the land in which he is to dwull. It is
here called the land of the Kenaanite, as all the tribes before-
mentioned were descended from Kenaan. The eventual
residence of Israel, for forty years, in the wilderness, was in
consequence of the unbelief and disobedience of the out-coming
generation, and is, therefore, not here contemplated ; but, on
the other hand, it is presumed that they are to pass immedi-
ately through the wilderness into the promised land. An
interval of a year, however, was to be expected in the
peninsula of Sinai, and for this period a special provision will
be found (Num. iii.) As he sware unto thee. He sware unto
them when he acknowledged the oath which he sware unto
their fathers, in which they were named (Ex. vi. 8, Gen. xxii.
1 G, xxiv. 7.) v. 12. Set apart, cause to pass over unto the
Lord as his own. v. 13. And every firstling of an as.i.
The ass is here specified as an example of w^hat was to be
done in the case of unclean animals. It seems probable that
the as.s was at this time the only, or at all events, the chief
beast of burden possessed by the Israelites. It is a much
finer animal in the East than in these countries. IV/vn shall
redeem vjith a lamb. To redeem is to give a quittance for
the ass, which is fixed by law to be a lamb to be offered in
sacrifice in its stead. A)Ld if thou ivUt not redeem it. It is
I
180 FROM SUCCOTH TO ETHAM.
the Lord's, from the time that he smote the first-bom of every
domestic animal among the Egyptians, and not among the
Israelites. As it cannot be offered in sacrifice, it is to be put
to "death. To put a brute animal to death without inflicting
unnecessary pain, when occasion requires, cannot be called
cruelty. The command of the Creator is at least one occasion
on which this may be done, as He who gave life can withdraw
it. The alternative of redeeming or destroying the firstling
of an unclean animal is a temporary arrangement, until a
sacerdotal order has been set up. From that time forward
the alternative comes to be to redeem according to the
estimate of the priests, and add a fifth part, or surrender it
to the priests, by whom it is sold at his estimation (Lev.
xxvii., 27). The redemption of the first-born of man admits
of no alternative. The ransom was five shekels (Num. iii. 47).
V. 14-16. The custom of redeeming the first-born, which
naturally flows from the passover, serves, in like manner, for
a sign on the hand and a frontlet between the eyes, as
explained on v. 9.
V. 17-22. A single stage, and some general features of the
future march of Israel are here stated. God led them. One
leading feature of their course henceforth is that they are
under the guidance of the most High. Antecedent to this
guidance, and irrespective of all covenant with the guided,
he is the everlasting Potentate from whom all creation and
all providence flow, the King eternal, immortal, invisible. In
this character he arranges the first direction given to their
course, as far as it depends on the natural relations of things.
Two ways were before the people, the one leading north-east,
directly towards the land of promise ; the other nearly south,
towards the Sinaitic peninsula. Before they started, it was
necessary to determine which they were to take, that no time
might be lost, and no misunderstanding might arise. By the
way of the land of the Philistines. This way was familiar
to the sons of Israel in former times, when Ephraim asserted
a claim, and maintained a position in the regions from Shekem
to Gath (1 Chron. vii. 21-24), and was well known at all times
by the caravans of traders from Damascus and Gilead (Gen.
xxxvii. 25). Lest the j^eople re loent ivhen they see war. This
is the determining motive springing from the things of the
EXODUS XIII. 10. 131
i
iintui-al world. It is sufficieut to shape their course for the
present, and on the score of economy no further influence is
brought into operation. But other and higher motives, aris-
ing in the sphere of the supernatural, lie hid in the counsels
of Jehovah, that is, of God as he is, the God of the actual
and the spiritual. The natural reason, then, not the super-
natural, is here given for directing their course south\\ard.
Boniul by tJte way of ilie wilderness of the Red Sea. This
\vay was round in reference to Kenaan, the place of their
destination. The wilderness of the Red Sea is so called, in
contradistinction to that which they would have crossed in
the straight road to the land of Kenaan. The former is here
called the wilderness of Etham. Both were included under
the wider term Shur (Gen. xvi. 7, xxv. 18 ; Ex. xv. 22).
MarsJiaUed. From tiie usage of this word, we infer that the
I'ldl-growu men formed a body, arranged in columns or bat-
talions, for orderly march, apart from the women and children.
The latter were not on this occasion assembled together ; but
assisted, it may be, by small detachments of men, moved along
in separate companies with the flocks and chattels of the
nation. Meanwhile, the full-grown men gradually mustered,
and now marched in order, arranged on the basis of five, and
having probably captains of tens, of hundreds, of thousands,
and of greater numbers. We know that ultimately they
formed five camps, or battalions, four under the standards of
Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan, and the fifth consisting of
the Levites (Num. i., ii.) This body of men was thus enabled
to move with precision, and afford an efficient protection to
the scattered families that were advancing slowly, encumbered
as they were with the cattle and the moveable property that
were under their charge.
V. 1 9. The hones of Joseph. What a light this casts upon
the living thoughts and cherished recollections of this people.
About 14-0 years ago, Joseph had bound their fathers by an
oath to carry his bones with them to the land of pronn'se
(Gen. I. 24, 25). This oath, and the hopes inseparably' con-
nected with it were often talked over in the fainily gatherings
of the evening, and the memory of it faithfully handed down
from father to son. This little incident warrants us to imagine
the frequent and earnest conferences which took place in the
132 FROM SUCCOTH TO ETHAM,
homes and social meetings of Israel concerning the promises
made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the land to which they
were to return when the iniquity of the Amorite was full, the
privileges and blessings that were in store for the seed of
Abraham, and in that seed for all the families of the earth ;
the ancient and universal covenant with Noah which was yet
to be fulfilled by the seed of Abraham, for the salvation of all
nations. If the dying request of Joseph was remembered, we
cannot suppose that the sublime prospects held out to their
own race by the word and oath of the Lord were altogether
forgotten. We must presume they were the topics of fre-
quent meditation and fervent prayer.
V. 20-22. They set out from SukJcoth. They arrived at this
place on the first day of unleavened bread, which was to be
kept as a Sabbath. They probably gave it the name Sukkoth,
booths, tabernacles, 'pavilions (Gen. xxxiii. 17), because they
set up a few booths and spent some portion of the day in holy
rest, a thankful rest after liberty achieved. This is the solemn
beo'innino; of that dwelling in booths, which was afterwards
celebrated in the feast of tabernacles in the seventh month
(Lev. xxiii. 39-43). And encamped in Utham. On the
second day they reached this place, which lay probably in the
space between the Bitter Lakes and the head of the gulf of
Suez. Niebuhr identifies it with Ajrud. But it was most
probably a little further east. v. 21, 22. And the Lord went
before them. Here we enter into the region of the supernatural.
God now appears as Jehovah, the Author and Upholder of
being, of covenant and promise. By day in a pillar of cloud.
A visible pillar of cloud or vapour, a conspicuous object that
could be seen not only by the marshalled host but by the
scattered companies of women and children, as they fed their
flocks and followed afar ofi" the marvellous signal of the
divine presence. A great host marching through a country
without roads or other marks of civilisation must be provided
with some conspicuous object to serve as a signal to the main
body and to all straggling parties connected with it. Hence
the round grate full of kindled fuel, elevated on a pole, which
was carried before caravans and armies in the east (Curtius v.
2, 7). The ancient Persians carried a sacred fire in silver
altars before their armies, and other ancient nations observed
EXODUS XIII. 20-22.
a similar custom (Curtius, iii. 3, 9, Diod. Sic, xvi. QG).
the Lord now underttikes the miraculous guidance of th«
chosen nation, he manifests his presence by a majestic pillar
of cloud reaching from earth to sky. This appears in the day
as a dark cloud contrasted by its .shade with the clearness of
the sunshine, and in the night as a bright fire to give them
light. As the heat of the day was unfavourable for active
exertion, it was customary to go by night as well by day ;
and hence the pillar was present by night and by day to the
journeying people. In it the Lord himself was present as the
leader and protector of his people (Exod. xiv. 19, 20 ; Num.
xiv. ] 4 ; Psa. cv. 39) ; and from it he speaks to Moses as the
representative and lawgiver of the people (Exod. xix., xxxiii.
9 ; Num. xii. 5), and on one grand occasion to the assembled
people themselves (xx). He who thus manifests his presence
to his people is also called the angel of the God (xiv. 19).
The same mode of manifestation is varied merely according to
the circumstances, in the lambent flame of the burnincf bush.
It appears afterwards also in the cloud over the mercy seat,
between the cherubim, which in the theolocfical lanfruacre of
Israel is called the shekinah (^'^U') or dwelling place of God.
The elementary forms of cloud and fire are extremely apposite
to the present pui-pose of guiding the host of the Lord by
day and night. They have at the same time a general fitness
to indicate the presence of the Lord without awakening any
material or carnal misconceptions in the mind of the beholder.
They do not belong to the kingdom of nature or art and
therefore do not suggest any debasing views of the Creator or
impute to him any properties of the creature. They are in
themselves preternatural, and at the same time do not assume
any definite form or resemblance of any creature, and therefore
are not in danger of being taken for anything but the sur-
roundings of the present deit3^ Fire in its various forms of
flame, light, heat, and electric fl;ish, is a striking emblem of
the gi'eat Spirit, and the smoke or vapour which accompanies
it is a manifest type of the phenomena which surround and
conceal the essence, while at the same time tiiey indicate the
presence of the Mighty Potent<ite. The pillar that balances
itself in mid air, unsupported by the earth and unsjiaken by
the winds of heaven, serves well to mark the presence of him
THE CROSSING OF THE RED SEA.
ho is independent of the laws of nature. And lastly the
pillar of fire and cloud (xiv. 24) is manifestly not the Lord,
nor a figure of the Lord, but the visible and real sign of his
actual presence among his people for their guidance, protection,
and comfort. The pillar of cloud did not cease. It did not
vanish from their view : but was a constant and unerring
signal before or in the sight of the people. We have not now
the pillar of fire and cloud. But we have the word of God,
which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. This
also is a supernatural revelation of the present Lord and his
Messiah by the eternal Spirit, conveyed through the minds
and words of holy men. This spiritual flame kindled from
heaven and enshrined in the cloud of human speech, has not
been lost or extinguished, but continued from generation to
generation, and is in the way of being diffused throughout the
whole world, to be the guide of the nations to the land of
promise till the days of darkness disappear. It remains a
speaking token of the continual presence of the God of all
grace, of the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost in his church.
CHAP, XIV. ESCAPE OF ISRAEL. OVERTHROW OF EGYPT.
2. riT'nn ^a Pi ha.chiroth, tTie mouth of the caves (pi-achi-rot,
place of reeds or sedge, Jablonski). Hachiroth bears some
resemblance to Ajrud.
pljp Migdol, tower. The site has not been ascertained,
but is supposed by some to be Muktala.
|av 7^3 Baal-tsephon, place of Typhon, the fiery and
mephitic blast, the drought that consumes all vegetable life.
But on the other hand it may mean the hiding of Baal, and
thus form a local name for the west or the point where the
sun sets.
7. ^'h^ third part; a musical instrument ; a third man, r^ts-
rarri;, or knight. The last term is here employed in a wide
sense to denote a class of adjutants who were near the king
for active and trusty service in peace or war.
EXODUS XIV. 135
And the Lord spako unto Moses sayinf;;. 2 Speak unto tlie sons
of Israel and let them turn and encamp before Pi-huhiroth hotween
]Migdol and the sea ; before Baal-zephon, over against it let them en-
camp by the sea. 3 And Pharoh will say of the sons of Israel, Tlioy
are entangled in the land ; the wilderness hath shut tliem in. 4 And
1 will hanlcn Pliaroh's heart, and he shall pursue after them ; and I
will be honoured upon Pharoh and upon all his army, and Mizraim
shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so. 5 And it was
told the king of ^Mizraim that the people fled : and the heart of Pharoh
and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said,
What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving
us. G And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him.
7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of
Mizraim, and knights over all of them. 8 And the Loud hardened
the heart of Pharoh king of ]\rizraim, and he pursued after the sons
of Israel : and the sons of Israel were coming out with a high hand.
9 And jMizraim pursued after thom, and all the chariot horses of
Pharoh and his horsemen, and his army overtook them encamping on
the sea by Pi-hahiroth before Baal-zephon. 10 And Pharoh drew
nigh : and the sons of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, Mizraim
marched after them ; and tiie sons of Israel were sore afraid, aiid cried
unto the Lord. 1 1 And they said unto jNIoscs, Ik'cause there were no
graves in Mizraim hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness 1
"Why hast thou dealt thus with us to bring us out of Mizraim ? 12
Is not this the word that we told thee in Jlizraim, saying, Let us alone
that we may serve iSlizraim 1 For it had been better for us to serve
Mizraim than to die in the wilderness. 13 And Moses said unto the
])eople. Fear ye not, sta,nd still, and see the salvation of the Loud,
which he will work for you to-day : for whereas ye have seen Mizraim
to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The Lord shall
light for you, ami ye shall hold your peace. ^ 22.
15 And the Lord said unto Moses, Why criest thou unto me 1 Speak
unto the sons of Israel that they set out. 16 And thou lift up thy
rod and stretch out thy hand over the sea and divide it : and the sons
of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground. 17 And I,
behold I will harden the heart of Mizraim, and they shall go in after
them : and I will be honoured upon Pharoh and upon all his army,
upon his chariots and upon his horsemen. 18. And Mizraim shall
know that I am the Lord when I am honoured upon Pharoh, upon
his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 19 And the angel of God, that
went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them :
and the pillar of cloud removed from before them and stood behind
them. 20 And it came between the camp of Mizraim and the camp
136 THE ENCAMPMENT AT PI-HAHIROTH.
of Israel, and the cloud and darkness were to tJwse, and it lightened
the night to these : and the one drew not near the other all the night.
21 And Moses stretched his hand over the sea ; and the Lord drove
the sea by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry
ground ; and the waters were divided. 22 And the sons of Israel
went in the midst of the sea on the dry ground : and the waters were
a wall unto tliem on their right hand and on their left. 23 And
Mizraim pursued, and all Pharoh's horses, his chariots and his horse-
men went after them into the midst of the sea. 24 And it came to
pass in the morning watch that the Lord looked into the host of
Mizraim in the pillar of fire and cloud, and troubled the host of
Mizraim. 25 And he took off their chariot wheels, and made them
drive heavily : and Mizraim said, Let me flee from the face of Israel ;
for the Lord fighteth for them against Mizraim. *! 23.
26 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand over the
sea, and the waters shall return upon Mizraim, upon his chariots, and
upon his horsemen. 27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the
sea, and the sea returned when the morning appeared to its force : and
Mizraim fled against it, and the Lord overthrew Mizraim in the midst
of the sea. 28 And the waters returned and covered the chariots, and
the horsemen, and all the army of Pharoh that went after them into
the sea : there remained of them not even one. 29 And the sons of
Israel had waUced on the dry ground in the midst of the sea : and the
waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left.
30 And the Lord on that day saved Israel out of the hand of Mizraim :
and Israel saw Mizraim dead upon the seashore. 31 And Israel saAv
the great hand which the Lord put forth on Mizraim, and the people
feared -the Lord : and they believed in the Lord, and in Moses his
servant. It ^^•
The ten plagues were preceded by the series of miraculous
signs by which the Lord attested the commission of his ser-
vant. The present chapter records the miraculous escape of
Israel through the E.ed Sea, and the ovei'throw of Mizraim in
attempting the same passage by the return of the waters to
their ordinary course. The number ten is expressive of com-
pleteness. The twelve interpositions of the Lord on behalf
of his people indicate a deliverance according to the covenant
of grace which stands between them. The number twelve
plays an important part in the series of symbolical numbers ;
for being composed of the factors three and four, it fits well
EXODUS XIV. 1-14. l.'^y
with the notion of a covenant between God and tlio world of
mankind (see on Gen. ii. 3).
V. 1-1 4-. The Lord's direction to Israel concerning the third
day's march. Let them turn. Tlie word here employed de-
notes to retnrn or turn back from the way hitherto pur-
sued. Etham, we have seen, was on the edge of the wilder-
Ticss to which it gave name (xiii. 20). To go forward, was
to pass immediately into the wilderness, whither Pharoh, on
changing his mind, might have pursued without hindrance
the embarrassed and imperfectly armed fugitives. If the
Lord would not lead them by the direct road into the land of
promise, lest they should be discouraged by the appearance of
war, much more must he not conduct them straight into the wil-
derness, where they might be readily overtaken and discom-
fited by a well disciplined host with all the accoutrements of
war. Hence the order to change the line of march. En-
cdinp before Pi-hahiroth. The place here mentioned has been
by many identified with Aji-ud, a fort, with a well of bitter
water, on the pilgrim route from Cairo to Mecca, four hour's
noi-thwest of Suez. The site is probable enough, and even
the name, has a distant I'esemblance to that in the text. Be-
tween Migdol and the sea. The place here mentioned is
named from its nature, being a tower situated on some emi-
n(Mice or vantage ground, between which and the sea lay a level
ai-ca of about ten miles extent. In this plain the marshalled
bands of Israel are to encamp, having apparently Ajrud, or
Hahiroth to the north-west, Migdol to the west, and the sea to
the east. Before Baalzephon. In the absence of definite infor-
mation, and after the local changes of thirty-three centuries,
it appears impossible to determine the site thus designated.
It seems connected with Baal, or the Sun ; and Avas perhaps
a temple erected on a peak, or spur, of Jebel Attaka. Henco
it lay, not improbably, on the south of the encamping ground,
which was then before Bsuilzephon that was over against
Pi-hahiroth. Thus the Israelites in their new station would
have the mountains on the west and south, and the sea
on the east. They were thus brought into the only |>laco
M-here an effectual barrier could be put between them and a
pursuing enemy, as the event will show, v, 3. And Pharoh
will nay. This very position of Israel, which is eventually to
138 THE PURSUIT OF PHAROH.
relieve tliem from a harassing and overwhelming foe, seems
of all others the most certain to leave them an easy prey to
the destroyer. Tltey are entangled in the land. They have
fallen into a snare from which it is impossible to escape. It
is still in my power to detain them in the land from which
their leader has not been able to extricate them. The wilder-
ness has shut them in. They have been afraid to face the wil-
derness, which does not naturally affoi'd the means of supporting
so vast a host of men, in addition to the concourse of flocks and
herds, for which it might yield a scanty subsistence. Pharoh will
conjecture that the fear of perishing by famine has been the
cause of their turning back. v. 4. And I will harden Pha-
roh's heart. See on iv. 21. A7id I will he honoured upon
Pharoh. The Lord has been already honoured in the eleven
manifestations of his power before Pharoh. His glory will
be still more signally displayed in the twelfth. Shall hnoiu
that I am. the Lord. See on vi. 2. And they did so. This
brief sentence sums up their compliance.
V. 5-9. The pursuit of Pharoh. The third day had now
ai-rived. The panic which had seized the Egyptians had now
given way to other feelings. Pride, ambition, and revenge
again took possession of the breast of Pharoh. But the nar-
rative reverts to the first or second day after the escape of
Israel. It was told the Icing of Mizraim that the -people
fled. This may have taken place on the second day after
their departure. On the first day they must have been too
busy with the mournful task of caring for the dead (Num.
xxxiii. 4). The heart of Pharoh and of his servants was turned
against the people. The sight of their own dead, and the
thought of those making their escape who had been the occa-
sion of this domestic, as well as national, calamity, aroused
the spirit of enmity in their hearts. What is this ive have
done ? The fierceness of their disappointment now exceeds
the bitterness of their grief v, 6, 7. 'Made ready his cha-
riot. Orders for instant preparation were not long in follow-
ing this exasperation on the part of Pharoh and his servants,
and the military part of the nation would be constrained to a
prompt acquiescence. On the second or third day, therefore,
Pharoh and his people set out in pursuit. Six hundred
EXODUS XIV. 5-9. 139
chosen chariots, ho\ongh\g to the king himself; (ill the rhu-
r'lots belonging to the state. Horses were imported into
Egypt from Asia. They are firet mentioned on the monuments
in the reign of Ames or Amosis, the first of the 1 <Sth dynasty,
and are supposed to have been introduced by the shejtherJ
kings. Herodotus relates (II. 108) tliat Sesostris so inter-
sected the country with canals, as to render it unfit for horses
or chariots. And hnhjlits over all of them. The knights
here are men-at-arms, who were ready for any service requir-
ing promptitude and fidelity. They cannot now be more
exactly defined. v. 8. And the sons of Israel ivere coming
out with a high hand. The people were animated with the
triumphant confidence which so great a deliverance by the
hand of the Lord had inspired, and theii- courage had not yet
been damped by the sight of the Egyptians pursuing, v. 9.
Overtook them. We ai-e now fairly arrived at the third day,
on which the Israelites encamped on the sea by Pi-hahiroth
before BaalZephon. The pursuers had probably started on
the second day, and the deflection of the Israelites was en-
joined in order to place an impassable barrier between them
and their implacable enemy.
V. 10. The expostulation of the j)eople with Moses when
there seems to be no possibility of escaping from Pharoh.
And Pharoh drew nigh, so as to come within view. The
sons of Israel descry the pursuing enemy, and are sore afraid.
They cried unto the Lord, doubtless in the extremity of
their despair. If they had bethought them of the wonder-
ful interposition that opened their way out of Egypt, or cast
their eyes on the pillar of cloud and fire that had begun to
accompany them, they might have retained their self-posses-
sion even on the approach of the enemy. But at the sight of
their former masters approaching in all the pomp of war,
their courage fails. In a human point of view their case was
bad enough. The mountains were on the west and south,
the sea on the east, and the war chariots of the well-appointed
foe advancing on the north. There was not the slightest
prospect of ultimate escape for a fugitive people scantily fur-
nished with the means of defence, v. 1 1, 1 2. In the agony of
distress they upbraid their leader with the apparent result of
his ill-advised rashness, v, 13, 14. Moses is still strong in
140 THE PURSUIT OF PHAROH.
faith. He has had abundant proofs of the power and truth of
God, and he has heard him announce that he will now be
honoured in Pharoh and all his army. He has therefore no
doubt of full and timely deliverance. He accordingly ex-
horts the people to stand still and see the salvation of the
Lord. Ye shall see them no more for ever. This implies
that he was not unaware of the catastrophe that was ap-
proaching. The Lord shall fight for you. He only could
have delivered a defenceless people from a fully equipped and
infuriated enemy ; and he has taken his own way of accom-
plishing the task. He might no doubt have allowed the
Israelites to march on into the wilderness, and in some other
way arrested the hot pursuit of the vindictive Pharoh. But
it is merely impossible for us to shew that any other way
would have equally well served all the purposes of salvation
to the fugitives, destruction to the pursuers, and admonition
to all the survivors of that memorable night that was draw-
in sr nigh.
V. 15-25. The passage of Israel on dry ground through
the Red Sea. Why criest thou unto me ? This is a reply it
may be to the mere circumstances of the case, that have a
voice that reaches the heart of God (Gen. iv, 1 0), but also
no doubt to the earnest supplications of the people, and even
of Moses. It seems to intimate that Moses was the repre-
sentative of the despairing people, or that he was himself
either unduly moved by the apparent danger, or in some
degree forgetful of what ought to be done at this momentous
crisis. That they set out, break up their present encampment.
It is probable that the marching was done for the most part
in the night, or at all events in the evenings and mornings,
and that tlie people had rested some time in their present
station. Lift up thy rod. It is not reco'rded that Moses
was directed before this to employ his rod for opening up
the way. But the question of the Lord seems to intimate
that he might have been prepai'ed for such a command.
v. 1 7, 1 8. In these words we have a reiteration of the state-
ment contained in v. 4, with considerable amplification in
the details. / will harden the heart of Mizraim, not of
Pharoh only. Upon his horsemen and upon his chariots.
This is a specification of the principal or characteristic parts
EXODUS XIV. 15-25, 141
of Pharoh's host. v. 19, 20. The issuing of tlie above com-
mand to Moses is the first of a series of steps or movements
in the narrative correspondent with the native grandeur of the
occasion. These two verses contain the second stej). The
ano-el of God, with the piUar of fire and cloud that luid
hitherto headed the march of Israel's manhood, now moved
to the rear, between the camps or hosts of Israel and Miz-
raira. This awe-inspiring column now assumed a two-fold
aspect, presenting a dark and cloudy side to Egypt, and a
bright and cheering one to Israel, and remaining as a
tower of fire between them all the night, v. 21. The third
step is the dividing of the waters. Drove the sea by a strong
east wind. A strong north-east wind is said to have con-
siderable influence in the present day on the ebb of the tide
in the Red Sea, as well as in other places. Such a natural
occurrence, however, only drives out the whole body of waters
fiirther from the shore. It does not " divide the waters," and
so make them " a wall " on each side of the dry ground, or
leave time or space for the passage of a large multitude, or
happen precisely at the moment when escape from an advanc-
ing foe makes it convenient for the leader of the retreating
sfpiadrons to wave over the waters his rod of power. We
cannot explain how the sea became dry ground. We only
know that the Lord commanded Moses to stretch out his
wand, and he did so, and that the resulting change was
accompanied with a strong east wind. Whether there was
an elevation of the bed of the sea we are not informed, and
the letter of the text seems not in favour of it. v. 22. The
next step is the passage of Israel with a wall of waters on
each side. v. 23-25. Then in hot haste the Egyptians rusli
^ in between the watery walls. All their host are soon in the
" midst of the sea. In the morning ivatch. Before the cap-
tivity the night was divided by the Israelites into three
watches, the first watch (nnoU'N t'Ni, Lam. ii. 1 9), the middle
I watch (n3"i3''n nio'j'S, Judg. vii. 19), and the morning watch.
It appears that the Israelites had the space of two watches at
least, or eight hours ibr effecting their passage. The Lord
looked. An unwonted darting of the lightning flash, and
rumbling of the awful thunder was the probable accompani-
142 ISRAEL ACROSS THE RED SEA.
after flash shot through the sky ; peal after peal broke over
their heads ; and the midnight darkness prevented them from
diiving their chariots with safety. A7id he took off their
chariot wheels. We are not told whether this was done with
or without special means. But we can readily perceive that
the boulders, hollows, and other inequalities of a sea-bed, with
the mental confusion arising from the thunder would render
the ground, which was passable for footmen with light, very
difficult and destructive to the wheels of the Egyptian cars in
the dark. The wonders of the few preceding weeks recur to
their minds, and the conviction again breaks upon them with
irresistible force, that the Lord fights for Israel.
It is of course impossible to determine such details of this
extraordinary event as are not expressly laid down in the
narrative. And it is but fair to the narrator to abstain from
any hypothesis that would not square with its consistency or
credibility. We have already seen (xii. 37) that the text does
not assert or warrant the assumption that the whole people,
with their flocks and herds, ever assembled at one point. The
women, children, and servants, accompanied, perhaps with a
portion of the full-grown men for help and protection, con-
tinued in charge of their cattle and moveable property, and
we have no doubt, moved with such speed as they might, in
small parties, grazing the flocks as they went along towards
the wilderness, with which their pastoral life made them per-
fectly familiar. Intelligence of the general movement would
be conveyed to these scattered parties in ways that are habitual
to all wandering tribes. The pillar of fire and cloud would
also be conspicuous from afar,' and would serve to make the
ramblers acquainted with the position and progress of the
main body of full-gi'own men. When, therefore, the order
was given at Etham to turn back and encamp at " the mouth
of the caves," it referred only to the five or six hundred
thousand men who were marshalled and encamped, and wei'e
the object of attack to Mizraim, and the ground of confidence
to their own wives and children. Allowing the manhood of
Israel to be all present, and assigning a square yard of stand-
ing-ground to each, we find they can be placed within the
square of half-amile ; and, consequently, they have scope
enough to deploy and encamp within the plain of ten miles
EXODUS XIV. 2G-31. 143
square, lying between the lulls and the sea. At Suez, which
is situated on or by the ruins of the ancient Kolzuui or K/.iitf/za,
about two miles from the most northern point of the shore ;
the gulf is not nioi-e than two-thirds of a mile wide. But the
position of Suez does not correspond with the de.scrij)tion of
the place of encampment given in the text. This seems to
have been at the base of Jebcl Attakah, where the chainiel is
G or 7 miles across. If the " dry ground " were a (juarter of
a mile wide, the Israelites would form a column a quarter of a
mile in rank, and a mile in file. Such a body miglit cross a
channel of six miles in six hours, and therefore, notwithstand-
ing the roughness of a sea-bottom, might easily decamp, set
out, and reach the opposite bank in eight. By the time they
had reached the shore, the pursuers, with their chariots of
war, would be in the middle of the channel, where the depres-
sion of the bottom, and the difficulty of progress were the
greatest.
v. 26-31. In three more verses, the destruction of the
Egyptian host is described. Stretch out thy hand with the
rod of power. The ivaters shall return ujKin Mizraim.
When the power that restrained, for the time, the laws of
nature, is withdrawn, the waters return to their wonted level.
Three or four fathoms would suffice to bury all the host of
Egypt in the overwhelming waves. At the ap})earing of the
morning the sea returned to its course. At one fell sweep of
the mighty waters, all the chivalry of Mizraim is laid for ever
low. A mild message, a manifest sign from heaven only exas-
perated the ])ridc of Pharoh. Ten awful plagues failed to
subdue the obstinacy of his heart. A final judgment, of ter-
rific sublimity, terminates his career of presumption, v. 29-31.
In a style of simple grandeur the Hebrew penman closes his
narrative with a brief summary of Israel's deliverance. And
the sons of Israel had ivalked. This verse marks the contrast
between the march of Mizraim and Israel. The Lord on that
day saved Israel. The overwhelming sea eflSectually, and for
ever, arrested the pursuit of the Egyptians. The Lord chose
this way. If the Israelites had been allowed to advance
without deviating from their route into the wildernes.s, he must
have adopted some otherway equally miraculous of stopping the
progress of their foes. Mizraim dead upon the sea shore. The
14 4 THE SONG OF MOSES.
east wind ceasing on the outstretching of Moses' hand, and per-
haps even a western breeze springing up, the reaction of the re-
turning sea cast up the greater part of the Egyptian army, with
all its chariots and accoutrements, on the eastern shore, at the
feet of the Israelites, There is the utmost probability, there-
fore, in the statement of Josephus (II., xvi. 6), made before
recent controversies were mooted, that " on the next day
Moses gathered together the weapons of the Egyptians, which
were brought to the camp of the Hebrews by the current of
the sea, and the force of the winds assisting it ; and he con-
jectured that this also happened by divine providence, that so
they might not be destitute of weapons." The great hand
which the Lord put forth. To make a hand is one of those
phrases on which old English and ancient Hebrew coincide.
Several salutary consequences of this gr^t wonder wliich the
people had seen, are here enumerated. /The fear of the Lord,
that reverential and submissive feeling which is the beginning
of wisdom, was called forth by the awful grandeur of that
scene of judgment and mercy which th«y witnessed. Trust
in the Lord \^as awakened in their breasts by the discriminat-
ing result, in which an awful doom fell upon their adversaries,
and a great salvation was accomplished for themselves. That
their confidence in Moses should now be established was a
necessary consequence of trust in the Lord. There was at the
same time a lesson here for all nations that were within hear-
ing, to I'eturn to the Lord, the God of their being, and submit
themselves to his rightful authoi'ity and proffered mercy.
The intelligent reader will acknowledge that these verses form
a meet finale to the preceding narrative.
CHAP. XV. THE SONG OF MOSES.
2. n^ Jah, he who has been, has manifested his being by
illustrious acts of divine power. It seems to stand for ^[^
the perfect of nin, as ^^ ^r ^^n and Dp from Dip. This
name occurs for the first time after the signs and wonders of
the divine presence in the land of Egypt ; as the name Ehjeh
occurs before these extraordinary events. As the latter
denotes him who is about to manifest his being ; so the former
EXODUS XV. 14)5
denotes him who is about to manifest his being, so the former
seems to indicate him who has mar.ifested his being. As
Jehovah is the self-existent, the self-manifesting Agent, the
constant Causer of all effects; so Ehjeh is the prophetic
Jehovah, and Jah the historical Jehovah. This liistorical
shade of meaning is obvious in Isaiah xii. 2, where the first
clause of v, 2 is quoted with Jah Jehovah, instead of the
simple Jah, and in Isaiah xxvi. 4, where the same combina-
tion occurs. This conjunction of the names also teaches us
that they are not synonymous, but liave a perceptible difference
of meaning, such as we have indicated . In the prayer of
Hezekiah (Is. xxxviii. 11) we cannot mistake the same refer-
ence to Him who has actually and signally manifested his
being in the former history of his chosen people, and will yet
still \rther vindicate his title to this emphatic designation.
This name also occurs 41 times in the Psalms, which are full
of historical allusions. In Ps. cxviii. 14, the present clause is
again repeated, and the name recurs six times in all. The
doxology np^^n is repeated twenty-four times. The name is
natural in such a combination, as praise often turns upon
benefits actually conferred.
nnoT old form of nnoT
m3K / will glorify or celebrate. Others, I will cause to
divell, make a habitation for.
20 D'lp Miriam, ^Ja^iu,'i,isia^ia,exalted, contumacious or bitter.
Pl!3 timbrel, the Spanish aduffa or difE r. strike.
23 ^'p^ "Marah, bitterness.
27 dS^ EHm, trees.
1 Tlien sang Moses and the sons of Israel this song unto the Lord
and they spake, saying :
I will sing unto the Lord, for he liath triumphed gloriou.sly ;
The horse and his rider hatli lie thrown into the sea.
2 My strength and song is Jah, and he became my salvation :
He is my God, and I will glorify him :
My fatlier's God, and I will exalt him.
3 The LoHD is a man of war, the Lord is his name.
4 Pharoh's chariots and his army hath ho cast into the sea :
And the choice of his knights are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The depths have covered them :
They sank into the pools as a stone.
K
146 THE SONG OF MOSES.
6 Thy right hand, 0 Lord, is glorious in power :
Thy right hand, 0 Lord, crusheth the enemy.
7 And in thy great triumph thou overthrowest thy foes :
Thou sendest forth thy wrath, it consumes them as stubble.
8 And with the blast of thy nostrils, the waters were heaved up :
The floods stood upright as a heap :
The depths were condensed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil : my lust shall be full of tliem ;
I will draw my sword, my hand shall seize them.
10 Thou blewest with thy blast, the sea covered them :
They sank as lead in the mighty waters.
11 Who is like thee among the gods, 0 LordI
Who is like thee, glorious in holiness,
Awful in praises, doing wonders 1
1 2 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them :
13 Thou leddest in thy mercy the people thou hast redeemed :
Thou guidedst them in thy strength to thy holy habitation.
14 The nations have heard, they tremble :
Terror hath seized the inhabitants of Pelasheth.
15 Then were the dukes of Edom confounded ;
The chiefs of Moab, trembling took hold of them :
All the inhabitants of Kenaan melted away.
16 Horror and trembling shall fall upon them ;
By thy great arm they shall be still as a stone :
Till thy people pass over, 0 Lord ;
Till the people thou hast purchased pass over.
17 Thou shalt bring them and plant them in the hill of thine
inheritance ;
The place of thy dwelling thou hast made, 0 Lord :
The sanctuary, 0 Lord, thy hands have established.
18 The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.
19 For the horse of Pharoh went with his chariot and his horsemen
into the sea ; and the Lord brought back upon them the waters of
the sea : and the sons of Israel went on the dry ground in the midst
of the sea. If 25.
20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the tim-
brel in her hand : and all the women came forth after her with tim-
brels and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them. Sing ye to
the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously ; the horse and his rider
hath He thrown into the sea. § 16.
22 And Moses led Israel from the Eed Sea; and they came out
into the wilderness of Shur : and they went three days in the wilder-
EXODUS XV, 147
neaa, and found no water. 23 And thoy came to Marah and could
not drink tlio water out of Marah, for it was bitter : therefore they
called the name of it Marah. 24 And the people murmured against
Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 2-') And ho cried unto the
Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, and he cast it into the water,
and the water was made sweet : there Ho set them a statute and an
ordinance, and there lie pmvcd them. 2G And He said, If thou wilt
diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and do that
which is right in His eyes, and give ear to His commandments, and
keep all His statutes, no disease, which I put upon Mizraim, will I
put upon thee, for I am the Lord that healeth thee. § 1".
27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve springs of water
and seventy palm trees : and they encamped there by tlie water.
A reverential fear and a grateful trust in the Lord, were
the sentiments that swelled in the breasts of Israel, as they
beheld the issue of that a^vful interposition by which they
themselves were saved and their enemies destroyed. These
emotions find expression in the following song of Moses, the
highest merit of which is its fitness for the occasion. It is a
triumphal ode in which the joyful people celebrate the
praises of their divine deliverer. They ask not wisely, who
demand a long training or a high culture as the needful ante-
cedent of a nation's songs. The nation that is capable of
achieving or estimating noble deeds is wont to contain within
itself some voice that gives meet utterance to its loftiest emo-
tions in harmonious numbers. The man, who was able to
describe in fitting symmetry of style the ancient ways of God
with man, was also competent to express, in the measured
flow of winged words, the devout thanksgiving of Israel to
the God of his salvation. This ode consists of eighteen verses,
an-anged in alternate stanzas of three and two vei-ses. It
consequently begins and ends with a stanza of three verses.
The long stanzas refer to the Lord and His ran.somed people,
and the short stanzas to their defeated or dismayed opponents.
If read according to this arrangement the import of the ode
will come out more finely and strikingly. The song, and
the circumstances which accompanied its singing, occui)y
twenty-one verses, and the remaining seven verses of the
chapter record the journey to and the encampment at Elim.
V. 1-18. The song of Moses. Tlien aaiuj. On the very
148 THE SONG OF MOSES.
occasion when the mind of Moses was strung up to the highest
pitch under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord was this
ode composed. Moses and the sons of Israel. The primitive
tribes of mankind seem to have had a singular aptitude for
taking up the strain of emotion, and chanting it in concert
to some simple measure. The harp and the pipe were among
the earliest discoveries of the race, and these presuppose the
modulated cadences of the human voice. The untutored ear
of the enthusiast arranges the coming words into the artless
warblings of immortal verse. The fine melody, laden with
the noble sentiment, finds an echo in other breasts, and the
sublime harmony of sound and feeling bursts from the assem-
bled multitude. Music is the handmaid of memory and the
shadow of reason. It cannot surprise us, then, to find Moses
and the sons of Israel on the scene and in the hour of so great a
deliverance giving utterance to their common emotions in the
triumphal ode. This song unto the Lord. There wanted
but this addition, " unto the Lord," to give its true character
to the solemn anthem which now rose from the many thou-
sands of Israel. Man never rises to the height of his dignity
until he realises his relation to his Creator. The following
hymn is a model and a storehouse of materials for all future
songs of praise.
V. 1-5. These verses contain the first period of song. Three
verses celebrate the praises of the Lord ; two dwell on the
downfall of his enemies. / will sing. Each patriot for him-
self lifts up the general song of praise. Unto the Lord, unto
God, whose character it is to give existence to his purpose
and promise. For he hath triumphed gloriously; he has
manifested the grandeur of his power to save the oppressed
and destroy the oppressor. The horse and his rider. This
is a general reference to the scene of the preceding night, in
which the promise- performing character of God was conspicu-
ously displayed, v. 2. Jah, He who has manifested his being
by signal acts of power. My strength and song. He has
proved himself able to deliver me, and, therefore, he is the
object of my praise. Became my salvation. By actually
saving me from the might of Egj'^pt, he has earned his title to
the name Yah. My God. I have, in my own person,
experienced his goodness, and with appropriating faith I
EXODUS XV. 1-19. 149
gratefully confe.ss him to be mine. / will glorify Him. I
\vill proclaim his excellency. My fathers God, the God of
history and of covenant, who chose the head of that peculiar
people to which I belonjjf. / loill exalt him, acknowledge his
transcendent majesty, v. 3. A nuin of war. A mighty
potentate, who encounters and vanquishes all the adversaries of
good. The Lord is his name. It is his essential characteristic
to be the Author and sole Fountain of all existence, and the
Performer of his j)romise. Never since the beginning of
things did this property of God receive a more practical proof,
than in the rescue of Israel from the bondage of Mizraim.
After this triad of praise follow two verses of song on the
downfall of Egypt, v. 4. FIiaroh''s chariots and his army.
This ver.se forms a fine synthetic parallel, in which the .second
member ascends above the first, and so the two constitute a
climax. The next vei-se is a briefer climax of a similar kind.
V. G-10. In this second wave of sonjj, three verses acfain
are dedicated to the Lord, and two to the adversary. In v. G
we have a pai-allel, in which the first member dwells on the
cause, and the second on the efitict. In v. 7 the parallel is in
the sense rather than the form of the words. In v. 8 three
parallel members lend their em})hasis to the deed of wonder
which they celebrate. The former trij)let referred more to the
character of God ; the present gives more prominence to his
procedure. The two verses relating to the adversary are full
of compressed energy. In v. 9 six intents of the enem}'- are
condensed into one short utterance, which may be divided into
two parts, of three sentences each, according to the punctua-
tion, or into three members, of two sentences ejich, according
to the printing. In the next verse of two members, the
breath of God's mouth is enough, not only to upset all
these arrogant puqjoses, but to sink the proud boasters into
the depths of the sea. In the former couplet the outward
array of Pharoh's lu^st was depicted, in the present the inward
vaunting of their soul is expressed ; in both the same
disastrous end is poetically recorded.
V. 11-15. This is the third swell of this sacred anthem, and
it is a step in advance of the other two. Amoiuj titc (jods,
among the mighty ones, the imaginary deities whom the
nations adore. Glorious in JiAjlliieas. The characteristics of
150 THE SONG OF MOSES.
God here set forth are those on which nu has been on this
occasion distinguislied from all conceivable objects of compari-
son. Holiness or absolute purity of nature is one of these
attributes of God, in which he transcends all fallen man's
imaginary gods. The gods of Greece, Rome, India, and all other
heathens, partook of the moral infirmity of their votaries.
On the contrary, holiness is the glory, the conspicuous excel-
lence of the Divine essence. Awful in praises. Praises are
here put for the praiseworthy deeds which come from him
whose glory is holiness. In regard to the holiness of these
deeds he is truly awful, because he taketh vengeance for
transgression with as much exactness as he giveth recompense
for obedience. His judgment on the oppressor is as signal as
his mercy to the oppressed. Doing wonders. His power is
equal to his holiness and equity. The proud doer is destined
to give way to his will, or perish in the attempt to resist it.
Holiness and omnipotence mark the administration of God,
and hence he is awful in praises. In these respects he is
incomparably above the so-called gods of the heathen. In
the two following verses we have the judicial and merciful
works proclaimed that entitle him to be described as awful
in praises, v. 13. Tliou hast guided them in thy strength to
thy holy hahitation. The habitation of his holiness is most
simply understood in a large sense of the land wherein his
people are to dwell. He is their God, and will dwell with
them and consecrate the land of their habitation. Into this
land they may be fairly said to have entered, when they
crossed the Red Sea, for its bounds were to be from the Red
Sea unto the sea of the Philistines (xxiii. 81). Hence the
statement, " thou hast guided them," in the perfect tense, is
literally true. But, according to the Hebrew idiom, even that
which is purposed and determined in the mind and words of
the speaker is indicated by the perfect form of the verb (Gen.
xxiii. 11), much more that which, in its main substance, has
been already effected. Now the chief part of their giiidance
into the holy land was accomplished when they were brought
out of the bondage and territory of Mizraim. The remainder
was as sure as if it were already completed in the promise and
power of God, This third triplet celebrates the triumph of
Jehovah, v. 14, 15. The Egyptian host is at rest for
EXODUS XV. 1-19. 151
ever in the silence of death. The ])oet's eye, therefore, turns
to the surviving nations who might throw obstacles in the
way of tlie redeemed ]K'0])le. The nations in general tremble.
In pjirticular, the Philistines, who bordered on the one
entrance into the land of holiness, and the Edomites
and Woabites who lay on the other route by which
it mi<rht be entered, were filled with alarm. The inhabitants
of Kena<an, who were doomed to extirpation because their
iniquity was now full, melted away at the reports of Mizraim's
overthrow. All this is expressed in the high-strung language
of poetic realism, because that is conceived to have a hold
on existence which is the inevitable and immediate conse-
quence of things that have already taken place.
v. lG-18. The bard of emancipated Israel how turns to the
future. The farther doings of the Lord for his people are
sketched in a few master touches. First, a sudden and over-
whelming trepidation unmans the adversary, and the people
of the Lord are unopposed in their progress. This was the
natural result of the Divine interposition, and would have
been the actual and uniform consequence, but for the unbelief
and disobedience of the chosen people, v. 17. Tliou shalt
hinng them and plant them. This is a figure taken from a
tree planted on a hill. The tree is the holy people (Psal. i. 3) ;
the hill is the land of promise, which was not a river valley,
like Egypt, but a high land lying between the Jordan
and the Mediterranean. To the hill of Zion there may
be a distant allusion. The jilace for thy dwelling, is the
fixed abode where he will constantly dwell. The sanctuary.
In these three parallels we liave the climax of country, home,
and altar, v. 1 8. The Lord shall reign for ever and ever. In
this closing verse the Lord is announced as perpetual king.
The introduction of three dispensations relating to man is
clearly marked out in Scripture, First, The creation begins
an economy, in which man forms a part of the kingdom of
God, until the fall bejjins the kinmlom of Satan on the earth.
Then the Exodus commences a dispensation in which the king-
dom of God begins to stand out in visible opposition to that of
Satan, in the narrow sphere of the seed of Abraham and the
land of Kenaan. The kingdom thus rising into visibility never
again disappears from the earth. Lastly, the birth, death, and
152 THE REFRAIN OF MIRIAM.
resurrection of Christ ushers in a dispensation, in which the
kingdom of God is destined to penetrate more and more into
the usurped kingdom of Satan, until the latter be utterly de-
stroyed, and the former be universally restored on the earth.
There is a hopeful emphasis in the closing sentence of this sub-
lime anthem.
V, 19. This verse is a recapitulation of the auspicious occa-
sion on which the above hymn was composed.
V. 20, 21. The refrain of Miriam and. the daughters of
Israel. It is most probable, as we have already seen, that the
women and children were principally with the flocks and herds,
and not with the marshalled host that crossed the Red Sea. But
a joyful reunion of as many of them as could leave domestic
cares would be sure to take place on this joyful occasion. Mi-
riam, and a few of the females of higher rank, may have even
accompanied the host. Miriam is here described as the pro-
phetess, as one who was well known to possess the gift of
speaking to God for men, or to men for God, in prose or in
song (Gen. xx. 7 ; Num. xii. 2). She is called the sister of
Aaron, as he and she were older than Moses, and yet at the
same time inferior to him in point of official rank. Took the
timbrel, the well-known instrument for the female and the
dancer. It was composed of a hoop, or rim covered with skin
like a drum-head. It was sometimes provided with little
brass rings or bells fastened round the rim, which added a
jingle to its drum-like sound. And with dances, Miriam
led the way with the timbrel in the dance, and all the women
followed. The females danced in a separate choir, and the
males also by themselves (2 Sam. vi. 1 4). The dance is here
used for the expression of a sacred joy. The song articulates,
the dance gesticulates the emotions of joy and congratulation.
And Miria'ni ansivered them. She led the refrain, as Moses
seems tu have led the sons; itself The song beeins thus, " I
will sing unto the Lord ;" the refrain thus, " Sing je to the
Lord." This may have been chanted after every period of five
verses, and at the end of the ode, as a completion of the last
period. This is much more probable than the introduction of
the refrain at the end of every verse, especially as the verses
are of very unequal length.
V. 22-26. The journey from the Red Sea to Elim. The
EXODUS XV. 22-2G. If) 3
wildernrss of Shur (Gen. xvi. 7). Part of tliis wilderness
takes its name from Etham which was on its border (xiii. 20,
Num. xxxiii. 8). They went three days. If tliey paused at
Sukkoth on tlie first day after the passover night, encamped
at Ethani on the second, an<l at Hahiroth on the third, crossed
the Red Sea on the night of that day, and then advanced
three days into the wihlerness, they would arrive at Marah
on the seventh day of the feast of unleavened bread. In
the interval of two miles between the shore and Ayun Musa,
(the wells of Moses), they celebrated their deliverance by
chanting the .song of Mo.ses. The Ayun Musa are seven in
number, according to Robinson, with many lesser springs
around. After having refreshed themselves here they may
have proceeded some way towards Marah, and so performed
their firet day's journey. The distance from Ayun Musa to
Ain Hawarah, which is usually identified with Marah, is
IGi hours, or about 40 miles. The route lies between the
Gulf of Suez, and the range of Jebel er Rahah. Ain Hawarah
is a fountain of bitter water about three feet deep, contained
in a basin of ten feet in diameter, and six feet in depth.
The palm and the thorny Ghurkud are found around it. It
still merits the title of Marah, as its waters are bitter.
V. 24. And the 'people murmured againd Moses. We now
hear the first murmur arising from the redeemed people.
The marshalled host advancing as a regular body felt the
want of water much more severely than if they htul been
scattered over the country like their wives and children.
They had been wont to enjoy ample supplies of water in
Egypt, and to search not in vain for it even in the wilder-
ness, when divided into families and small parties. For the
wilderness was not unfamiliar to them as nomads or rovinjj
shepherds, though the present route may not have been
trodden by many of them before. The wilderness, it is to
be remembered, is land affording a scanty pasture, but not
fit for tillage (Gen. xxi. 1 4). With the exception of the
Debbet er Ranileh (plain of sand) and a narrow strip along
the Mediterranean, the wilderness of the peninsula is not a
sandy but a gravelly soil, producing a sparse vegetivtion
wherever there is any moisture. But the assembled multi-
tude are grievously distressed by the want of water, and do
154 THE JOURNEY TO ELI.
not refrain from expressing their dissatisfaction. Moses how-
ever, having travelled this way before, must have been aware
that water was near. Accordingly, on the evening of the
sixth day, or early on the seventh, they arrived at Marah.
A new trial of their patience is presented by the bitterness
of the water, which was the more disagreeable to those who
had been accustomed to the sweet waters of the Nile. To
obviate this inconvenience the Lord pointed out a wood to
Moses which sweetened the waters. Burckhardt suggests
that the berries of the Ghurkud might have produced this
effect. But this fruit ripens in June, two months later than
the time when the people of Israel arrived at Marah ; and
this was a tree or species of wood, not a berry. The effect
was probably not natural but miraculous, and the kind of
wood is unknown. There he made them a statute and an
ordinance. If this was on the seventh day of the feast of
unleavened bread, and therefore a Sabbath of holy convoca-
tion, in which, however, extraordinary works of necessity and
mercy had to be done, we can see how opportune was
the time for making a statute and an ordinance. The slay-
ing of the passover was a solemn entering into covenant with
the Lord, and the last day of the feast was the completion of
this act. They had now also gone three days into the wilder-
ness, and therefore arrived at the place and time for per-
forming the proposed sacrifice unto the Lord their God, as
he should command them (viii. 27). A statute (pn) is a
form of words engraven on a hard substance, such as stone,
and therefore a fixed edict or decree, binding the people to
follow the Lord. An ordinance (p^^^l^) is a judicial sentence
or authoritative injunction, affirming the duty of the people,
and accompanied with an intimation of the good and evil
consequences of obedience and disobedience. The solemn
consent of the people to this ordinance was given on this
appropriate occasion. A similar ti'ansaction is recorded
when Joshua renewed the covenant with the people (Jos.
xxiv. 25). The substance of the statute and the ordinance
is evidently contained in the following verse. The general
obligation only to obey the Lord in all things is.here tendered
and accepted. The special terms of the Divine law are to be
communicated on a future occasion. And there he proved
EXODUS XV. 27. 1 ')5
ihcm. Tlic -want of water for three days, .and tlic bitterness
of the water when at lengtli fonnd, were the touchstone to
test their hearts, to discover what qualities or dispositions
were witliin, to try whether tliey had the bei;inning of faith
and patience, v. 2G. If tlioii, ivilt dUigeiiilij hcavlxn. Hero
the condition of perfect obedience to the occasional, as well as
to the stated connnands of God, is explicitly laid down. No
disease. The reward of obedience is expressly announced,
and the consequence of disobedience not obscurely intimated.
The very blessings of tlie Egyptians were turned into curses
on account of their disobedience. The sweet waters of the
Nile were changed into blood. On the other hand the dis-
advantages the Israelites might meet with on the way would
be converted into blessings if they were obedient to the
voice of the Lord. The bitter waters of Marah are made
sweet. This single instance indicated the rule of all God's
future dealings, and so furnished the test by which their
character was to be proved. / am the Lord that healeth thee.
He had preserved them from the diseases of Egypt, the death
of the first-born, and the destruction which overtook the
Egyptians. So would he be their deliverer in every trouble
which should befal them. Thus Marah with its bitter waters
sweetened even the commencement of that testing process
which this people had to undergo in the wilderness.
V. 27. Elim. This is identified with Wady Ghurundel,
which is two hours or a few miles from Marah. The twelve
springs and seventy palms made it a most delightful halting
place for the thirsting host. " Wady Ghurundel is fringed with
trees and shrubs, forming a charming oasis. Here are the
stunted palms with their hairy trunks and dishevelled branches.
Here too are the featheiy tamarisks, with gnarled boughs,
and here is the acacia with its gray foliage and bright blossoms,
tangled by its desert growth into a thicket," (Porter in
Murray's Hand-book of Syria and Palestine). This refreshing
valley is but a step from Marah, and may be regarded as the
first resting place of the sons of Israel after their departure
from Egypt. Here, accordingly, they remained for the space
of three weeks (xvi. 1), during wdiich they had leisure to
accommodate themselves in some measure to desert life, to the
habits of freedom and independence, and above all to the solem-
156 QUAILS AND MANNA.
nities of a people reconciled to God and resolved to walk in
newness of life. At this point, therefore, the chapter appro-
priately closes.
X. JOURNEY FROM ELIM TO SINAI. EXOD. XVI.-XVIII.
CHAP. XVI. QUAILS AND MANNA.
1. rp I. Sin, clay, Ges. Pelusium or Tine (mudtown ?).
II. Sin, hush, thorn. The wilderness described in the present
passage.
''T^, Sinai, thorny, scraggy, (Meyer), the mountain on which
the law was proclaimed. This name is apparently connected
with the preceding. It is probable that both belong to the
same root with n^p a species of thorn (iii. 2).
13. 1?^ quail, 6§Tuyofj.?ir^a (Sept.) mother of quails, rail or
quail king. Not locusts, as Patrick supposes, since they are
nowhere else called by this name : nor the Kata of the Ara-
bians, a kind of partridge which abounds in Arabia and
Syria.
1 4. ^P^, peel, (ges.), run, cast, freeze, (Meyer).
15. tp manna, r. p divide, separate. Hence it means the
secretion, or sweet gum exuding in shining drops on the twigs
and branches of the turfa or tamarisk when punctured, it is
supposed, by the coccus manniparus. This is now called
inan assama, the gift of heaven, by the Arabs, according to
the common habit of ascribing a later and more fainiliar mean-
ing to the word than that which it originally possessed. It
falls on the leaves, twigs, or stones beneath, and has to be
gathered before it is melted by the sun. It is then cleansed,
boiled, strained, and put into leathern bottles, and keeps for
a long time. This manna is not peculiar to Arabia nor to
the tamarisk, is produced in small quantities in wet seasons
and nearly disappears in dry ones, is gathered in the month
of June, and is used only as a condiment with the unleavened
bread or pottage of the country.
2 3. pniiK^ 7'est, cessation from labour. The word is found
only in. Exod. and Lev., and shows no change of vowel.
EXODUS XVI. 157
Here only is it before rirj'. It is also without the article,
simjily because it is cither the predicate or in the construct
state. Hence tliere is no ground for the supposition tliat its
indefinite form marks the introduction of the Sabbath as a new-
thing hitherto unknown.
31. *!?, xisiov Sej)t. coriander. 'AiyuTrioi lyjw, Aip^ol yoib,
quotes Celsius from the annotator of Dioscorides when speak-
ing of this plant. Yoih is evidently the Heb. '^3. Corian-
drum Sativum is an umbelliferous plant, the leaves of which
are used in soups and salads. Its seeds are globular,
about the size of a pepper-corn, and of a greyish colour. Tliey
form an agreeable spice, employed by confectioners, druggists,
and distillers. This plant is common in Egypt and other
parts of Africa, Arabia, Persia, India, and the south of Europe,
and is cultivated in some parts of England.
3C. "i^i? Sheaf of corn. In the present chapter alone,
Omer, a dish or other vessel containing probably the grain
obtained from the sheaf, and, therefore, always nearly of the
same size and so fitted to be a rough measure. It is to be
distinguished from the homer i^n which contained 1 0 ephahs
and therefore 100 omers.
And all the assembly of the sons of Israel set out from Elira and
came unto the -wilderness of Sin, ■which is between Elim and Sinai, on
the fifteenth day of the second month of their departure out of the
land of Mizraim. 2 And all the assembly of the sons of Israel mur-
mured against Moses and Aaron in tlie wilderness. 3 And the sons
of Israol said unto them, Would that we had died Ijy the hand of the
Lord in the land of Mizraim, when we sat by the flesh pot, when
we ate bread to the full ! For ye have brought us forth into this
wilderness to slay all this congregation with liunger. § 18-
4 Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain for you
bread from heaven, and the people shall go out and gather a certain
rate every day, that I may prove them whether they will walk in my
law or not. 5 And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall pre-
pare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they
gather daily. And Moses and Aaron said unto all the sons of Israel,
At even, then shall ye know that the Loud hath brought you out of
the land of Mizraim. 7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the
glory of the Lord, since he heareth your murmurings against the
158 QUAILS AND MANNA.
Lord : and what are we that ye murmur against us? 8 And Moses
said, When the Lord giveth you in the evening flesh to eat, and hread
ill the morning to the full, since the Lord heareth your murniurings
which ye murmur against him, what then are we 1 Your murmurings
are not against us but against the Lord. 9 And Moses said unto Aaron,
Say unto all the assembly of the sons of Israel, Draw near before the
Lord, for he hath heard your murmurings. 10 And it came to pass,
when Aaron spake unto all the assembly of the sons of Israel, that
they turned toward the wilderness ; and behold the glory of the Lord
appeared in the cloud. If 26.
11 And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, 12 1 have heard the
murmurings of the sons of Israel : speak unto them, saying, Between
the evenings ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled
with bread : and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.
13 And it came to pass at even, that quails came up and covered the
camp : and in the morning the dew lay round about the camp. 14
And the dew that lay went up : and behold upon the face of the wil-
derness, something fine and crisp, fine as the rime on the ground. 15
And the sons of Israel saw it, and said one to another, It is manna.
For they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, It is
the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. 16 This the thing
which the Lord hath commanded ; Gather of it every man accord-
ing to his eating, an omer to the poll for the number of your
persons ; take ye every man for them that are in his tent. 1 7 And
the sons of Israel did so, and they gathered, some more, some less. 18
And they meted it with the omer, and he that gathered much had
nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack : they gathered
every man according to his eating. 19 And Moses said unto them,
Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20 And they hearkened not
unto Moses ; and some left of it till the morning, and it bred worms
and stank : and Moses was wroth with them. 21 And they gathered
it every morning, every man according to his eating : and when the
sun waxed hot it melted.
22 And it came to pass on the sixth day, that they gathered twice
as much bread, two omers for each one, and all the rulers of the
assembly came and told Moses. 23 And he said unto them. This is
that which the Lord hath spoken. To-morrow is the rest of the holy
Sabbath unto the Lord : bake that which ye will bake, and seethe
that which ye will seethe, and all that remaineth over lay up for you
to be kept until the morning. 24 And they laid it up till the morn-
ing, as Moses bade : and it did not stink, neither was there any worm
therein. 25 And Moses said. Eat it to-day, for to-day is the Sabbath
unto the Lord : to-day ye shall not find it in the field. 26 Six days
EXODUS XVT. 159
yo sliall gather it ; and on the seventh day, the Sahhath, on it tlmro
shall be none. 27. And it came to pass on the s(!ventli day, that
some of the people went out to gather, and they found none. § 19
28 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my
conmiandmcnts anil my laws ? 29 See ye that the Louu hath given
you the Sahhath ; therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread
of two days : abide ye every man in his place ; let no man come out
of his place on the seventh day. 30 And the people rested on the
seventh day. 31 And the liouse of Israel called the name thereof
manna : and it was like coriander seed, white ; and the taste of it was
like a cake made with honey.
32 And Moses said, This is the thing Avhich the Lord hath com-
manded, P'ill an omer of it to bo kept for your generations, tliat they
may see the bread wherewith I fed you in the wilderness, when I
brought you forth from the land of Mizraini. 33 And Moses said
unto Aaron, Take a pot and put therein an omer full of manna, and
lay it up before the Lord to bo kept for your generations. 34 As
the Lord commandiHl Moses, so Aaron laid it up beforo the testi-
mony to be kept. 35 And the sons of Israel ate manna forty years,
until they came to a land inhabited : they ate manna iintil they came
to the border of the land of Kenaan. 3G And the omer was the tenth
part of the ephah. ,
The subsection containing this chapter and the following
two records the important particulars of the journey from
Elim to Sinai. In Numbers xxxiii. 10-15 arc enumerated
five stations between these points, of which only the second,
the wilderness of Sin, and the last, Rephidim, are mentioned
here. The present object of the historian is to notice the pro-
vision, protection, and government of the people in their
wandeiings. They were provided with quails, manna and
water from the rock ; they were protected from the enemy in
the victory they gained over Amalek ; and they were governed
by Moses with the advice of Jethro, his father-in-law. The
mixture of evil with good which is displayed in tlie conduct
of the people, is what might be expected from a tribe of fidlen
men, long corrupted by the habits of bondage, under a nation
ignorant of the God, or the law of trutli, when they are but
recently brought under the influence of the Spirit of truth,
freedom and holiness.
V. 1-3. The second ground of complaint among the multi-
160 QUAILS AND MANNA.
tude is want of food. Any supplies they may have brought
from Egypt were now exhausted. All the assembly of the
sons of Israel. The difficulties of procuring water and food
were enormously increased to a collected host. The wives and
children who were scattered over the country as the Bedawin
or wanderers of the desert, were able to make some shift for
themselves, from the smallnessof their parties and their acquaint-
ance with a desert life. But the marshalled multitude in a
desei't, without a well-arranged commissariat, could only sub-
sist by supernatural means. And came into the tvilder-
ness of Sin. From Num. xxx. 1 0, it appears that when they
left Elim their first encampment was by the Red Sea. Pro-
ceeding at present from Wady Ghurundel, in two and a quar-
ter hours, we come upon Wady Useit, or Waseit, in which
are a few brackish springs, with groves of palms and tama-
risks. In four hours more we arrive at the point where W.
Shubeikeh and W. Humr unite to form W. Taiyibeh. Thence
to the plain on the shore of the Red Sea is a distance of two
hours. This is probably the place of encampment by the Red
Sea, where the people might have a supply of water, and ob-
tain a last view of the land of Egypt, and at the sametime
catch a glimpse of the mountain peaks towards which they
were journeying. Over the headland of Zelima, two hours
farther, lies the plain Murkhah, where there is also a fountain.
We may suppose the main body of the 600,000 sons of Israel-
ites spreading themselves over all the interval between Taiyi-
beh and Murkhah by the Red Sea. And went unto the wilder-
ness of Sin. The next station mentioned in Num. xxxiii. 11,
is in the wilderness of Sin. This region is said to be between
Elim and Sinai. It is more narrowly limited by the station
at the sea and Rephidim (xvii. 1). And though the station
at the entrance into this wildei-ness is the only one mentioned
here, yet we know from Num. xxxiii. 12-14, that two other
stations, Dophkah and Alush were occupied in it. Among the
three stations in this extensive range of desert at least a week
seems to have been spent. The tradition that they arrived here
on a Sabbath coincides well with the details of the narrative.
Yet the site of the present station is by no means determined.
From the Red Sea at Taiyibeh three routes to Sinai are pos-
sible: one southern, by the barren plain el-Kaa, lying along
EXODUS, XV. 1. IGl
the gulf of Suez, and up the W. Hibran ; another interme-
diate, by tlio wadys Shellal, Mukattcb, Feiran, and Sheikh ;
and a third north of botli, by the W. Hurar, the Debbet er
Ramleh, and the \V. Sheikh, The intervening stations are the
wiklerness of Sin, Dophkali, Ahish, and Rephidim, all of
which being unknown fail to give us any aid in deterniiuing
the route actually pursued. The first route, however, extend-
ing to nearly 1 00 miles, while the others are about eighty
miles, may be rejected as too long for five days' march. If
the wilderness of Sin be the plain of el Kaa, the route must
have been through the wadys Mukatteb and Feinin, ;is this
alone of the remaining two touched on that plain. If it be
the Debbet er-Ramleh, the route must have been the most
northern of the three. Wady esh-Sheikh forms the closing
part of both these routes. The northern one seems the mo.st
open for a large body of men. The intermediate one is that pre-
ferred by most scholars. It merely touches upon el- Kaa at
Ain el-Murkhah. Its main attractions lie in the W. Mukatteb
and W. Feiran. The former, the written valley, is remarkable
for the number of its rude sculptures, consisting of inscriptions
in the Nabathjean, Greek, and Latin characters, and figiii-es of
men, animals, and some other objects, on the flat surfaces of
the free-stone rocks of which the valley is composed. But
these, though noticed by Cosmas as early as 535 A.c, are not
yet proved to have any connection with the Israelites, and more-
over are not confined to the Wady Mukatteb. Wady Feiran
contains the ruins of Feiran, the Faran of early Christian times,
the resort of pilgrims, and the see of a bishop as early as the
fourth century. Hence many have been disposed to find here the
Paran of Scripture, and thus establish at least one identification
of names in this region. But, 1, the narrative contains no men-
tion of Paran ; 2, the people did not reach the wilderness of
Paran till they had travelled at least five day.s' journey in a
northerly direction from Sinai (Num. x. 12, 33, xi. 3, 35, xii.
16); and, 3, the two occurrences of Mount Paran (Deut. xxxiii.
2 ; Hab. iii. 3) connect it with Sinai not more clo.sely than
Seir and Teman, and therefore afford a very precarious ground
for identification. These two passages, however, may have
led to a patristic identification of Mount Paran with Serbal,
the lofty five-peaked mountain south of W. Feiran. But even
L
162 THE EOUTE TO SINAI. ""
if thisbeParan, the omission of so remarkable a name in the nar-
rative both here and in Num. xxx. is strongly against the hy-
pothesis that Israel travelled by this route. As there is nothing
in the text demanding this middle route, so there are some con-
siderations that seem not unfavourable to the one more to the
north. 1. There is but one station on the Red Sea. If the
line of march had lain in el-Kaa, there would have been more
than one on the shore. 2. The wilderness of Sin is said to be
between Elim and Sinai ; which agrees very well with Deb-
bet er-Ramleh, but can only be applied in a very loose sense
to el-Kaa. 8. The marching host would be kept as near the
wandering families and flocks as possible. This is favourable
to the line farthest north, and decidedly against that by el-
Kaa. For the wanderers would go as little toward the south
as possible, seeing they were eventually to turn to the
north. They would linger about the wadys, where water and
fodder were accessible. We can imagine some of them in the
wadys Mukatteb and Feiran, and still more in the wady Wutah,
and along the slopes of Jebel et-Tih, north of the Debbet er-
Ramleh. It would be very desirable that the collective body
that formed the centre of the horde, should be somewhere
between the wandering parties of women and young people,
and therefore in the south border of Debbet er-Ramleh. 4.
The wilderness of Sin would then be the Debbet er-Ramleh, or
" Sandy Plain," the first part of which, the Debbet en-Nusb,
would be reached in one day's march from Wady Taiyibeh,
and might be left in another march by penetrating into the
system of wadys that lie on its south side. 5. The stations
Dophkah and Alush, which possibly correspond with Wadj^s
Mureikhy and Akhdar, present no notable feature or incident,
and are therefore omitted in tliepresent narrative, a circumstance
not so likely in Wadys Mukatteb and Feiran. 6. The route
by Debbet er-Ramleh is the more open and easj- for a large
body of men. There are some very difficult passes in the
other route, which render it passable only for small companies
at a time, and, therefore, insuperable for 600,00.0 men in five
days' march. For all these reasons we must reject the route
by el-Kaa, unless we are prepared to take Jebel Um Shaumer,
the most southern peak of the mountain group, for Sinai.
And for some of them, chiefly 2 and 5, we are strongly
EXODUS xvr. 1-3. 163
inclined to prefer the northern route, .as the most proL.able.
We are the more contented to rest in this conclusion, when
we imaf^ine the Wadys Mukatteb and Feiran, and all others
lying either south or north of Debbet er-Ramleh, abundantly
peopled with the women and young people under twenty years
of arje, who are disannexed from the central host. It
is extremely desirable that these, who are nearly double the
number of the full-grown men, should have as much scope us
possible in the environs of the main body, for the sustenance
of themselves, and their flocks and herds. We do not feel at
liberty to confine them even to the south of Jebel et-Tih, the
great cretaceous range, running in an ea.'^t-south-eastern direc-
tion, and separating et-Tih, or the wilderness of Paran, from
the mountainous region of the south. For these roaminff
companies could only, in a very limited degree, partake of the
miraculous supplies, especially of water, afl^oi'dcd to the con-
gregated host, and must, therefore, have an ample range for
the water and herbage that ^vill meet the most pressing wants
of their numerous cattle.
Assuming, then, that Debbet er-Ramleh is the wilderness of
Sin, we ascend W. Humr, which, according to Robinson, is
broad, and opens out into a large plain, with another broad
w\ady coming into it from the east. The plain is contracted
by Sarbut el-Jemel into a wady, where the limestone gives
j)lace to the sandstone. A broad belt of sandstone runs
between the limestone of Jebel et-Tih, and the granite of the
Jebel et-Tur, to which Sinai belongs. After passing this
wady, which contains some specimens of the rock sculptures,
the road again emerges on a broad plain sprinkled with
herbage. Somewhere about the entrance of Wady en-Nu.sb,
in which is a fine spring not fiir from the route, we may sup-
pose the host to have encamped in the wilderness of Sin. On
the fifteenth day of the second month of tlteir departure, that
is, of the year of their departure. A full month, therefore,
after they left Riimeses, they reached the wilderness of Sin,
with resources completely exhausted.
v. 2, 3. All the assemhhj. This refers we conceive to the
600,000 men of the marshalled host. Muvmured atjainst
Moses and Aaron. The want of food now beLran to be
164 THE PROMISE OF BREAD.
sharply felt. They saw nothing but starvation before them, and
they regarded Moses and Aaron as the authors of their present
strait.
V. 4-10. He that destroyed the harvest of Egypt by the
hail and the locust now engages to rain bread for them from
heaven. Gather a certain rate every day. This was to be
daily bread. That 1 may prove them. As the abundance of
Egypt vanished away before the indignation of the Lord, so
the very barrenness of the wilderness gave way to the bounti-
ful hand of the Lord, supplying their daily wants. In all
this he was continuing the process of their probation. Their
patience, faith, dependence, and thankfulness of spirit, were
constantly put to the test in their present experience, v. 5.
On the sixth day double allowance shall be gathered. This
is one element in the miraculous nature of the present supply.
They shall prepare, measure, pound, or grind the whole
quantity gathered (Num. xi. 8), It may also extend to the
cooking (v. 23). v. 6, 7. Moses and Aaron now communicate
the benignant design of the Lord to the people. Then shall
ye knotu. By experience of his wonder-working power they
would have a new proof that he had brought them out of
Egypt. They seemed to forget his wonders in Egypt, when
they ascribed their present position to Moses and Aaron.
Then ye shall see the glory of the Lord. This is the parallel
of the preceding sentence. The glory of the Lord is seen,
when his hand is put forth for the protection of his people, by
the discomfiture of their enemies, and for their preservation
by the preternatural bestowment of the means of life. Since
he heareth your miirmurings. In his long-suffering mercy
he will give another proof of his presence and love, that his
people may at length lay aside their impatience and unbelief,
and feel that their murmming is really against the Lord, and
not against the mere executors of his will. v. 8. Moses alone
now explains to the people what the Lord is about to do.
V. 9. He then directs Aaron to summon the people before the
Lord, that is, to draw near to the place where the pillar of
cloud and fire was. v. 1 0. The people at the word of Aaron
turned toward the wilderness. The glory of the Lord
ai^peared in the cloud. Such a dazzling brightness burst
through the cloud as manifested the immediate presence of the
Lord.
EXODUS XVI. 11, 12. 165
V. 11, 12. The Lord, having now manifested his glorious
presence in the cloud to the beholding people, charges Moses
with a message to the people, promising relief to their hunger.
" Between the evenings," from the beginning of the evening
before sunset to the end of twilight (see on Gen. i. 4). Ye
shall knoiv that I am Jehovah your God. The instruction of
his people is a primary object with God. He has gifted them
with reason, and he expects to be served with the understand-
ing and the will. This can be done only so far Jis they know
liim to be God, the Eternal and Almighty, to be Jehovah, the
Creator and Upholder of all things, and to be their God, to
whom they are reconciled through his pardoning, redeeming,
and quickening mercy. It is manifest that every event in
his gracious dealings with thera is a step in the process of
their spiritual training. This alone will explain the various
preparatory steps in this miraculous interposition. He first
allows the people to feel their need (i. 3), then he intimates
his intention to Moses, then Moses and Aaron admonish the
people, then Moses announces the promise of food, then Moses
directs Aaron to call the people before the Lord, then the Lord
manifesting his presence recapitulates his message to Moses,
and lastly performs his promise.
V. 13-21. The performance of the promise is now recorded.
Quails, literally " the quail " in a collective sense, a well-known
species of migrating bird, that passes the winter in inner
Africa and the summer in the northern regions. These are
brought in great numbers to the camp of Israel, when being
wearied with their long flight, they are easily taken and
killed. The miracle consisted in bringing the quails at the
stated time to the required place, and in suflicient numbers
for the supply of a large host, and in announcing beforehand
their arrival.
Cavie up. Came up on the wing, and therefore made
their appearance from a lower gi-ound in the air. And filled
the camj-), alighted on the area occupied by the wide-spread
host. Tlie dew lay. Literally, there was a lying or layer of
dew, a deposit on the surface from the surrounding atmo-
sphere. We say a fall of dew. The former is the more exact
figure.
v. 14-, 15. Tlie dew that lay went up — a natural figure for
16' 6 THE PROMISE OF BREAD.
the evaporation of the dew that had fallen during the night.
Something fine and crisp,- fine as the rirae on the ground.
This indicates a small grain, scaled or hardened after the dry-
ing up of the moisture. The smallness or fineness of the
grain is compared with that of the rime or hoarfrost on the
ground. "VVe shall have other qualities of the jnanna as we
proceed (v. 31). It is manna. The original words, ^<^i"i t^
are generally rendered as in the margin of our authorised ver-
sion, '^ What is this ? " But the former rendering appears to
be demanded by the following reasons: — 1. "What is this"
is expressed by a different phrase, HiHTiD in the next sentence.
The Masoretes favour this distinction by pointing x^n |0 not
S<^n"}D as in Dan. jii. 1 5. 2. The explanatory sentence, " for
they wist not what it was " is superfluous, if the latter meaning
of fc^iK JO be taken. For the question, "What is this?" im-
plies that they knew not what it was. The presence of this
sentence, therefore, suggests another meaning for the previous
words. 3. The former meaning gives a significance to the
explanatory clause. The people say one to another in an in-
quiring way, " It is manna." By a common law of analogy
or conversational generalization they give it the name of a
comparatively scanty product of nature, to which it bears a
considerable resemblance in locality, colour, form, and perhaps
taste, though it differs in origin, season, quantity, and other
properties. They do this in the ignorance" of the moment.
This is what is expressed by the explanatory clause — "for
they wist not what it was." They had no name for a new
product, and they take the common method of calling it by
the name of that which most nearly resembled it. Moses does
not reject the name, but proceeds to explain the nature and
origin of that which they had so named provisionally. It is
the bread. Such is its nature. Which the Lord hath given you.
Such is its origin.
The natural manna is gathered early in June, a month later
than the present time, and in small quantity, not sufficient for
the chief support of life. The supernatural manna was gathered
every day. Sabbaths excepted, throughout the whole year, and
in quantities sufficient for the main sustenance of a nation of
at least 1,600,000 souls during a period of forty years.
EXODUS XVI. 22-27. ]G7
V. lG-21. The manner of gathering the manna is licre pre-
scribed. Every man acconl'uKj to his eating, according to
the number of his family. Tiiis is exphiined by the following
words. An omer (see v. 3G), to the jioll for the number of your
jx'rsons. This was the rate at which each gatherer was to
aim. For them that are in his tent. The tent (Geu iv. 20)
is an awning or outside covering of any kind over the wooden
poles or framework which formed the principal feature of the
booth. The tent was older than the deluge, and the phrase,
" them that are in his tent," indicates a man's family or com-
pany, Avhatever might be the covert under which they took
slielter in the desert. It does not therefore determine that
all or any were actually possessed of fully-cqui])ped tents of
hair-canvass, but that in general each had a family or com-
pany with which he tabernacled as best he could in this tem-
porary mode of life. v. 17, 18. And they gaiherad some
nnore, some less. Every man endeavoured to gather at least
as much as would serve his need, but some were more success-
ful than others in the unmeasured result. And he that ga-
thered much had nothing over. If the grasping hand of
covetousness or a more favourable ground occasioned a greater
gathering by some than by others, yet was the omer filled for
each, and neither more nor less. A potent argumiiit to teach
them, if they would learn, that all men are equal in the sight
of our heavenly Father. There was a miracle here, take it
how we will ; an'd it would be the height of absurdity to
meddle with the natural meaning of the words in order to
give a simpler form to the miiaculous act. He that distri-
buted his bounty here could equalise each single gathering as
easily as the collected whole with the ration allotted to each.
V. 1 0-21. Let no man leave of it till the morning. Another
mighty leveller for all the selfishness of pride. No store is
to be accumulated. It was in vain that any one disobeyed
this command. That which was reserved h'lU the second day
became })utrid. This in itself w^as miracul-a^s, as the natural
manna kept for a considerable time. jXnd when the sun
VKixed hot, it melted. The portion that was ungathered ia
this manner disappeared.
V. 22-27. Not only the supply, but the manner of it is
miraculous. On five days a quantity sufficient fur one day
168 THE PEOMISE OF BREAD.
on the sixth enough for two days, and on the seventh none
whatever is found. A II the rulers of the assembly. These are
the heads of tribes, and of father's houses (Num. iii. 24, 30, 35).
Came and told Moses. Moses had not communicated the
intimation that on the sixth day they would receive a double
supply. The arrangement was a deviation from the law of
nature, which knows nothing of a seventh day's rest. The
phenomenon, therefore, demanded an explanation. To-morrovj
is the rest of the holy Sabbath to the Lord. The word " rest "
is here put first, because the thing to be noted is the cessation
of labour on the morrow as a reason for the double supply on
the sixth day. It does not appear that the rulers were un-
acquainted with the Sabbath. But they had no experience
hitherto of a special provision on the Lord's part for its con-
venient observance. In the annual return of the ordinary
harvest a store was laid up for the year from which they coul4
supply themselves for the Sabbath. But now they were
nourished from day to day. Hence the necessity of a double
ration on the sixth day, if the Sabbath was to be duly kept.
It is possible that the Sabbath was imperfectly observed, or
altogether neglected during the bondage of Israel in Egypt,
though there is no positive indication of this in the text.
That it should have been forgotten, however, is contrary to
the traditionary customs of many other nations besides the
Jews. Traces of the septenary division of time have been
found among the Egyptians, Hindoos, Chinese, and Peruvians.
From the first of these it is said (Dion Cassius) to have passed
to the Greeks, Romans, and the Teutonic nations. If it has left
its mark on those scattered Gentiles, much more must it have
been remembered among the chosen people who were so near
the origin of mankind, and seem to have possessed a continued
thread of well-authenticated tradition. All that remaineth
over, after partaking for the day, of the two omers which had
been prepared fo;; ''ood in whatever manner they pleased. Lay
up for you >^^ 4^,11 fo^* eating on the following da}^ Hence
Moses says on tiiv>3abbath (v. 25) not, "bake or seethe," but
"eat it." V. 24. It did not stink. That it should have be-
come putrid the day after being cooked is no new difficulty,
when we are in the region of the miraculous, v. 25, 26.
Directions are now explicitly given regarding the days on
EXODUS XVI. 28-31. 169
which the manna was to bo gathered, v. 27. Some of the
j)cople, from inadvertence or ignorance of tlie directions given,
make the experiment, and find the prophet's word good.
V. 28-31. The tran.sgressors are now rebuked through
;Moses for their heedless disobedience. My covimandmenta
and my Imvs (see on Gen. xxvi. 5). The former probal^ly
refer to tlie special regulations concerning the manna ; tiie
latter to the standinf; institution of the Sabbath, v. 29. The
Lord hath given you the Sabbath. There is in the previous
passage no express giving of the Sabbath, but rather a tacit
assumption that it has been already given. This is in
accordance with its institution at the creation of man recorded
in Gen. ii. 1-3. It is here to be noted that the Sabbath is a
gift to man, who is doomed to labour in his fjillen state (Gen.
iii. 17-19). A periodical recurrence of relief from labour and
leisure for fellowship with God and with one another is a pre-
cious boon of heaven to the toil-worn in body or mind.
Abide ye every man in his place. Come not out for any
business, such as gathering manna. They were at liberty to
go abroad for any purpose accordant with the Sabbath, such
as attendance on the holy convocation (Lev. xxiii. 3, Acts xv.
21). Even works of necessity or mercy, that cannot be put
off till tlie next day, are not regarded as a real bieach of the
Sabbath (Matt. xii. 1-13, Mark ii. 23-28). There seems to
have been no limit to the distance to be walked on the Sab-
bath beyond that of convenience, leisure from business, and
release from toil. The Rabbinical rule of later times, how-
ever, was that a Sabbath day's journey should consist of
two thousnnd cubits, about five or six furlongs. This was
imagined to be the distance of the remotest part of the camp
from the tabernacle. It was the distance of the Mount of
Olives from Jerusalem (Acts i. 12). v. 30. Rested, ^na^h,
kept the Sabbath, or day of rest.
v. 3 J . We have already seen that the manna from heuven
(Ps. Ixxviii. 24, cv. 40) was like a fine grain, as small a>s the
hoar-frost. We are now informed that it was like coriander
seed in form, of a whitish colour, and of the taste of a
cake made with honey. It could be also baked or seethed ;
and this is in accordance with the statementin Num. xi. 7, 8.
" And the manna was like coriander seed, and the colour
170 THE PROMISE OF BREAD.
thereof as the colour of bdellium. And the people M^ent
about and gathered and ground it in the mill, or beat it in
the mortar, and baked it in the pan, and made cakes of it; and
the taste of it was as the taste of oil cates." From the de-
scription given above, it will be apparent that the miraculous
manna bore such a resemblance to the natural pi'oduct so
called, as to lead to the employment of a name common to
both. But the natural manna differed from the supernatural
in its chemical ingredients ; the former being of a gummy or
resinous nature, and the latter containing a farinaceous ele-
ment. Hence the latter could be ground and baked into
bread or boiled into pottage, for which the former was only a
condiment. The natural manna also could be kept for years ;
the supernatural became putrid in a night. Other differences
have been noted on verses 14, 15. The taste of the "cake
made with honey " was probably much the same as that of
the " oil cates." But the one may refer, as some think, to
the taste of the raw and the other to that of the baked
manna. The colour of bdellium when fresh and pure was
probably whitish.
v. 32-36. This great gift of bread from heaven to the
chosen people during forty years in the wilderness was worthy
to be had in perpetual remembrance. It was in itself a mar-
vellous boon ; it taught the grand lesson of entire dependence
upon the Almighty Father of all ; and it was a striking type
of the bread of God, which cometh down from heaven and
giveth life unto the world. Hence the command to lay up
an omer-full of the manna to be kept for the generations to
come. v. 33. A pot The word in the original occurs only
here, and probably denotes a more permanent vessel than a
mere basket. In the Sept. we find gtuimov j^jcoZv, a golden
jar, a rendering which is adopted in the epistle to the
Hebrews (ix. 4). Before the Lord. This is explained in the
next verse by the phrase, " before the testimony." This tes-
timony of God to the great principles of morality was the law
written on the tables of stone and deposited in the ark (xxv. 1 6),
thence called the ark of the testimony. "Before the testi-
mony," therefore, means in the ark of the testimony (Heb. ix. 4),
whence, however, it had disappeared in the time of Solomon
(1 Kings viii. 9). v. 34. So Aaron laid it up. .This act of
Aaron must have been performed after the ark was made and
EXODUS XVI. 31-3G. " 171
the tables of stone were deposited in it. Tlie record of it,
though not written till after these events, is appended here to
complete all that is necessary to ho told concerning tlie
manna. v. 35. Ate 7nanna forty years. We are told in
Jt)shua V. 1 2, that the manna ceased on the morrow after they
had eaten of the new corn of the land, which was on the mor-
row after the passover. As the 'manna commenced on or
after the fifteenth day of the second month, and therefore a
month after the passover in Egypt, the people ate of the
manna forty years wanting a month. Until they came to a
land inliahltcd. In contrast with the wilderness, in which
were only wanderers and not settled inhabitants. This verse
determines, in a general way, the place as well as the time of
the ceasing of the manna, more widely in the phrase quoted,
and more strictly in the words, " until they went to the bor-
der of the land of Kenaan." There can be no doubt that the
people had in most places, and especially when they had
made the conquest of Persia, some ordinary supplies of food.
But those who needed would still go out to gather, until the
supply of the new corn of the land satisfied the demands of
all. This verse was no doubt added when Moses was revis-
ing and completing his materials for Exodus, in the plains of
Moab, by Jordan, near Jericho (Num. xxxvi. 13), or in the
valley over against Beth-peor (Deut. iii. 29). The sentence
is evidently such as might be written by a prophet who was
aware that the forty years of wilderness life were drawing to
a close, and perceived the supply of manna waning to its
end, according as the natural products of the land were
approaching to a full satisfiiction of the people's wants.
V. 3G. The oracr. This name of a measure seems to have
gone out of use in the space of forty years. Moses, tlure-
fore, in the revising of the book of Exodus at the end of tiiat
period, takes occasion to add that the omer was the tenth [tart
of an ephah. Josephus (viii. 2. 1 1) assumes the bath or ephah,
to be equal to 72 xestai. Now, it was estimated by Bertheau
that a bath or
metretes =12 choes = 8.GG9G gal.
chous = G xestai = .7225 ,,
sextary or xestes=: 2cotyla;= .1204 „
cotyla = .0G02 „
172 WATER FROM THE ROCK,
Theomer would thus be .8669 gal, or about 7 pints. Ac-
cording to the Rabbins, however, a log was equal to the contents
of six eggs ;and, therefore, a bath, orephah, containing 72 logs,
held according to theestimateofThenius, 4.4286 gal., and conse-
quently the omer .4428 gal., or above 3| pints. Now, 3 pints
of meal is sufficient, on an average, for the daily support of
each member of a family. As the manna, then, would be
pure nutriment, without any considerable loss in the prepara-
tion, we must regard the Rabbinical estimate as a close approxi-
mation to the truth, and that of Josephus as an exaggeration.
This author is not precise in his identifications ; as he makes
the fourth part of a cab =xestes= .1204 gal,
cab = .4816
6 cabs =seah = 2.8896
8 seahs = bath =8.2688.
His value is thus only approximate. But in III. vi. 6, the
omer is made = 7 cotylae = .4214 gal., and therefore the bath
= 4.214. This, we perceive, deviates much from his other
estimates, and approaches very nearly to that of the Rabbins.
We subjoin a table of Hebrew measures of capacity: —
Gal.
Quart.
Pint.
Homer =10 ephahs
or baths
=
44
0
Ephah = 3 seahs =
= 10
omers
=
4
1.4
Seah = 6 cabs
=.
1
1.8
Omer =
:
0
1.54
Bath = 6 bins
4
1.4
Hin =12 logs
=
0
2
1.9
Log = 6 eggs
=^
0
0
0.5
XVII. ROCK STRICKEN. AMALEK SMITTEN.
1. D''TDi Rephidim, r. spread out, rest tipon. Piel. sup-
port.
6, ^jn Horeb. Drought, waste.
7. i^sp Massah, irnpaei/.hi, temptation. •"'^'''lO Meribah, Xoibi-
friSig, chiding, strife.
9. J?^cnn^ Jehoshua, Jehovah saves. See Num. xiii. 1 6.
EXODUS XVII. 173
15. *B3n^n^ Jehovah -nissi, the Lord my banner.
2. ^3ri Give ye, referring to Mcses and Aaron. Some SISS.,
the Sam., Sept., Targ. and Vulg. have njn^ agreeing with
Moses alone. It is an easier reading.
11. Iiv VT in both cases is the reading of tlie Sam., Sept.,
Targ., Syr. and Vulg. This also is an easier reading.
11. '^'^^ ChuT, noble. '^J'^^N either ^?'77i9ie«s, the substantive
for the adjective, or firm, the singular, not the plural, because
Moses held up only one hand at a time.
13. ^ns lurile. "^^'^ has occurred in Exod. v. C, denoting
a scribe or accountant.
IG. >^1 D3 throne of Jah. D3 is here supposed to be for
HD3^ which is indeed the reading of the Sam. for these four
letters. This meaning of the word is found in the Targ.,
Arab., Pers. and Vulg. The Sept. has ev '^u^] y.^v^paicf, evi-
dently reading ^'03. One M.S. is said to have D3, which is
a favourite reading with many expositors. It is, however,
without support, and besides affords no better sense than the
common readincj.
And all the assembly of the sons of Israel set out from the wil-
derness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the mouth of the
Lord ; and they pitched in Rephidim ; and there was no water for
the people to drink. 2 And the people chid with Moses, and .said,
Give us water to drink. And Moses said unto them, "Why chide ye
with me 1 Why tempt ye the Lord ? 3 And the people thirsted there
for water, and the people murmured against Moses ; and they said,
AVlierefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Mizraim to kill
mo and my sons, and my cattle with thirst 1 4 And Moses cried unto
the Lord, saying. What shall I do unto this people ? They are almost
ready to stone me. 5 And the Lord said unto Moses, Pass before
the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel ; and thy rod
wherewith thou sniotest the river, take in thy hand and go. 6 Be-
hold, I stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb ; and thou
shalt smite the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people
shall drink. And Moses did so in the eyes of the elders of Israel
7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, becau.se
of the chiding of the sons of Israel, and of their tempting the Lord,
saying, Is the Lord in the midst of us or not ? T -^
8 Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Pojiliidim. 0 And
Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men and go out, fight with
174 THE KOCK IN HOREB STRUCK.
Amalek : to-morrovv I will stand on the top of the hill and the rod
of God in my hand. 10 And Joshua did as Moses said to him, and
fought with Amalek : and Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top
of the hill. IT And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand,
that Israel prevailed ; and when he let down his hand, Amalek pre-
vailed. 12 And the hands of Moses were heavy, and they took a stone
and put it under him and he sat upon it : and Aaron and Hur
stayed up his hands, the one on this side and the other on that side ;
and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And
Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the
sword. IF 29
14 And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in the
book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua : for I will utterly blot out
the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. 15 And Moses built
an altar, and called its name JehoA'ah-nissi. 16 And he said. Because
a hand was upon the throne of Jah, the Lord will have war with
Amalek from generation to generation. 1 7 ^^^ 30
V. 1-7. The striking of the rock in Horeb. All the
assembly. The attention of the reader is still kept to the
marshalled host. Set out They had passed two Sabbaths,
and the intervening week at the stations in the wilderness of
Sin. After their journeys. There may be here a passing
allusion to the two stations, Dophkah and Alush, which, as
they were included in the wilderness of Sin, and were not
the scenes of any new event of importance, are therefore
omitted from the present narrative. According to the mouth
of the Lord, who by the pillar of cloud and fire undertook
their guidance (xiii. 21, 22). Pitched in Rephidim. This
is to be sought in the Wady Sheik, which runs in the form
of an arc around the north of that cluster of mountains to
which the general name of Horeb appears to have been given.
It was certainly arid and waste as its name implies. Rephidim
was a wide-spreading plain at the base of the mountain, fit
for encampment, but destitute of water. It is placed with
some probability on the north-east of the mountainous block.
V. 2. The ijeople chid with Moses. They had probably en-
dured the almost intolerable thirst for some time in silence,
expecting that Moses would find means to extricate them
out of this new difficulty. At length, impatient of delay,
they break out into unmerited reproaches, as if he were
EXODUS XVII. 8-13. 175
trifling with their sufferings. Give us wafer. They evi-
dently recognise the divine eonmiission of Moses, and ex-
pect hira to have interlercd on their behalf before now.
Why tempt ye the Lord ? He reminds them that he was but
an agent, and that the Lord alone was to determine the time
and way of their deliverance. Against him therefore they
were really nnninuring. v. 3. And the peojjle thirsted.
Their distress became every moment more insufferable. To kill
me. Each in his impatience begins to speak for himself, as he
pines after the refreshing draught for himself, his household
and his flocks, v. 4. And Moses cried unto the Lord. The
occasion for importunate supplication is come. Moses was
in perplexity and danger. " It is only to wait a little, and
they will stone me." v. 5. The Lord is not slow to answer.
Fass before the people. Go on in advance of them. TaJce
with thee of the elders of Israel, as concurrents and witnesses
of thy acts ; that no one may say that the Lord did not work
by him, but that fountains were there from of old, (Ra.shi).
And thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the liver, wherewith he
was now about to smite the rock for water, v. 6. Behold, I
stand before thee there. The Lord was to be there, probably
in the pillar of cloud to manifest his power. Upon the rock
ill Iloreb. The mountain was towering on the right of the
people. Toward this Moses was to approach till he reached
" the rock," the projecting cliff which he was to strike.
Re])hidim was a day's march from Mount Sinai (xix. 1).
This is sufHcient to prove that the rock in Horeb was no
the large boulder in the valley below Mount Sinai which tra-
dition points out to the traveller. And Moses did so in the
sijht of the elders. And the Lord was -.there to give forth
the reviving streams even from the hard rock. It was there
demonstrated that the Lord was indeed in the midst of them
to make their bread and their water sure, and to reaftirm the
heavenly mission of his servant. At this now blessed spot
they abode for the remaining days of the week.
V. S-1 3. Amalek smitten. Then came. The country of
these noraades lay south of the Philistines (Gen. xiv. 7).
They went therefore out of their own territory to assail the
Israelites. As their pasture-grounds penetrated far into the land
of Kenaan (Judg. v. 1 4- ; xii. 1 5), they would regard with a
176 AMALEK SMITTEN".
hostile feeling a people who were on the way to take posses-
sion of that country. With them, accordingly, first after the
political independence of Israel was established, began the
Gentile antagonism to the people of God (Num. xxiv. 20) to
make its appearance. And fought with Israel. It appears
from Deut. xxv. 17, 18, that this was an attack upon the rear
of Israel when they were faint and weary. In Rephidim, a
part of the great plain er Ramleh, where there was space for
a military encounter, v. 9. Joshua is here mentioned for
the first time. His original name was Hoshea (Num. xiii.
8, 1 G), but Moses changed it to Joshua, partly we may suppose,
in allusion to the event now about to be recorded. He is the
ninth in descent from Joseph, and of course the eighth from Eph-
raim(l Chr. vii. 20-27). He is thus the representative of one of
the most important tribes of Israel. Choose us out men.
Israel was now to gird on his sword and contend for his
national independence. This was evidently no flying raid of
the Arnalekites, but a war of conquest. To-morrow the enemy
awaits them in battle array. / will stand on the top of the
hill. Moses with the rod of wonder-working power takes his
station on the neighbouring eminence (not inn but nv^^n), there
to take his appropriate part in the approaching conflict.
V. 1 0. Hur was the fourth in descent from Judah, and the
grandfather of Bezaleel (xxxi. 2, 1 Chron. ii. 9-20). As he
was the grandfather of a full-grown man, and a member of
the distinguished tribe of Judah, he was the meet companion
of Aaron in attendance upon Moses, v. 11, 12. Israel or
Araalek prevails according as the hand of Moses is held up or
let down. Accordingly, Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands
alternately, so that they were steady till sunset. The rod is
not mentioned here. This is not a miraculous interposition,
but an ordinary exercise of faith in God accompanying the
use of means. The lifting up of the hand or hands is among
other things a gesture in prayer (Lev. ix. 22, Ps. xxviii. 2,
Ixiii. 4, 1 Tim. ii. 8). It is here, therefore, a figure for prayer.
The continual holding up of the hands denotes perseverance
in prayer. Aaron and Hur joining in the upholding of Moses'
hands present a striking emblem of common prayer, v. 1 3.
There is power in this prayer of Moses. Joshua conquers.
Amalek and his people. The one field suffices to vanquish
EXODUS XVII. It- 10. 177
Anialek's army and his nation; .is tlicy had put furtli their
whole might in this fir.st effort. The next effort was not
offensive, but defensive, and in alUance with the Kenaanites
(Num. xiv. 45).
V. 14-1 C. The importance of the victory over Amalek is
set fortl). Write. Here for the first time tliis singularly in-
teresting word occurs. It is implied, indeed, in the noun
"book " ps?), which appears in Gen. v. 1 as well as here. It
indicates that writing was now become so common that the
word for it wius used in no other sense. This refers to the
assault of Amalek, the victory over him, the manner in which
it was obtained, and the purpose expressed in the close of the
verse. This was the first encounter with the heathen ; and
every particular liere enumerated was only a type and an
earnest of what should take place in every future conflict
between the children of repentance and the children of dis-
obedience. For a inemorial. Writing is a necessary help to
recollection when life is short and memory feeble. In the
hook. The article before this word indicates either that the
book in question was well known, or that a book was then a
well-known object. In the ears of Joshua, who was to be
the leader of the people, and the conqueror of their enemies.
There was special adn)onition and encouragement for him in
the mode and issue of this battle. Blot out the remembrance
of Amalek. The fate of Amalek may be read in Deut. xxv.
1 9, 1 Sam, XV. 30, 2 Sam. i. 1, viii. 12, from which we learn
that they were subdued partly by Saul and wholly by David,
after which they are no more mentioned. Such will be the
end of all God's adversaries, v. 15. An altar. This is the
first altar the erection of which is on record, since the time of
Jacob. It marks a new aspect in the affairs of the people of
God. They have now asserted their independence, and
through the grace of God gained the first victory over ^their
enemies. This is an omen for all time to come. The erec-
tion of an altar is always in scripture a confession of the
pei-sonal unw^orthiness of fallen man, of the assured hope of
an atonement, and of humble and grateful reliance on the
grace of God. Hence the grace of God in giving the victory,
and the gratitude of the people in receiving it here appro-
priately meet. Jehovah-nissi. The name of the altar is ex-
M
178 AMALEK SMITTEN.
pressive of thanks for the past and trust for the future (Ps.
XX. 5-7). V. 16. We have given a literal version of this
obscure verse. The meaning turns upon the person to whom
the word hand is referred. If it refer to God, the sentence is
an oath, as in the Targ. Onk. and the A. V. But the form of
oath is unusual, and the connexioa with the context is far from
being obvious. If it refer to Moses (Bush) or to Israel (Keil)
the meaning is, " because the hand of faith and prayer is
toward the throne of God," &c. This has the advantage of
reference to the context ; but the meaning here given to the
preposition ^V is unusual, and the first clause does not afford
a good reason for the second. If the hand refer to Araalek
(Kalisch), the sentence runs thus, " because his (Amalek's)
hand was against the throne of Yah (the kingdom of God,
which includes his people), &c." The meaning is here sim-
ple and easy ; the connexion with what goes before is sufii-
ciently plain ; and the reason assigned for pei-petual war until
Amalek be extirpated is intelligible and suitable.
CHAP. XVIII. JETHRO.
2. cn'ipti' dismissal.
4. ^rr^x Eliezer, God-help.
6. ''?^5. The Sam. Sept. and Syr. have nan. The sentence
then runs, " And one said unto Moses, Behold," &c.
1 8, ^nb'V an old form equal to inc'^.
26. 'i^^^^\ an unusual form and pointing for itiStp^. It
seems to arise from the proximity of a pause falling on a
very short word.
And Jetliro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard all
that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people ; for the
Lord had brought Israel out of Mizraim. 2 And Jethro, Moses'
father-in-laAv, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back :
3 And her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom ;
for he said, I have become a stranger in a foreign land ; 4 And the
name of the other Eliezer ; for the God of my father Avas my help,
and delivered me from the sword of Pharoh. 5 And Jethro, Moses'
EXODUS XVIIT. 17 9
father-in-law, and his sons and his wife came unto Moses into the
wilderness where ho encamped at tlic Mount of God. 6 And ho said
iinto Mosps, I thy father-in-law Jethro come unto thee, and tliy wife,
and her two sons with her. 7 And Afoses cam(! out to meet liis
father-in-law, and bowed himself, and kissed him, and they asked each,
other of their welfare : and they went into the tent. 8 And Moses
told his father-in-law all that the Lord had donts unto Pliaroh and
to Mizraim for the sake of Israel, all the travail that had come upon
them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them. 9 And Jethro
rejoiced over all the good which the Lord had done to Israel, whom
he had delivered out of the hand of Mizraim. 10 And Jethro said,
Blessed be the Lord who hath delivered you out of the hand of Miz-
raim, and out of the hand of Pharoh ; who liuth delivered the people
from under the hand of Mizraim. 11 Now I know that the Lord is
greater then all the gods, for he has prevailed in the thing wherein
they dealt proudly with them. 12 And Jethro, !Moses' fither-in-law
took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God : and Aaron went, and all
the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moscvs' iather-in-law before God.
13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the
people : and the people stood by JMoses from the morning unto the
evening. 14 And Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did to the
people, and he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people?
"Why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from
morning unto evening 1 And Moses said unto his father-in-law,
liecause the people come unto me to inquire of God. IG When they
have a matter they come unto me, and I judge between one and
another, and I make known the statutes of God and his laws. 17
And Moses' father-in-law said unto him. The thing that thou doest is
nut good. 18 Thou wilt surely wear away, thou and this people
that is with thee : for this thing is too heavy for thee ; thou canst
not do it thyself alone. 19 Now hearken to my voice, I will advise
thee, and God shall be with thee ; be thou for the people before God,
and bring thou the causes unto God, 20 And thou shalt teach them
the statutes and the laws, and show them the way wherein they must
walk, and the work that they must do. 21 And thou shalt provide
out of all the people, able men, fearing God, men of truth, hating
cuveteousuess, and place over them rulers of thousands, rulers of
hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 22 And they shall
judge the people at all times ; and it shall be that every great matter
they shall bring to thee, and every small matter they shall judge them-
selves : and thou shalt relieve thyself, and they shall bear with thee.
23 If thou do this thing and God command thee, then thou shalt be
able to endure, and also all this people shall go to their place in
180 JETHRO'S VISIT TO MOSES.
peace. 24 And Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law,
and did all that he had said. 25 And Moses chose able men out of
all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands,
rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26 And they
were to judge the people at all times; the hard cause they were
to bring to Moses, and every small matter to judge themselves. 27
And Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way unto
his own place. 1[ 31.
Moses had formerly led the flock of Jethro as far as "the
mount of God in Horeb." As soon as he arrives at this point,
therefore, he is in the neighbourhood of Jethro, who accord-
ingly pays him a visit, accompanied by Zipporah and her
two sons. The chapter contains the reception of Jethro, and
the advice he tenders to his son-in-law concerning' tlie frovern-
ment of the people. It is probable, as we shall see (v. 5),
that this visit took place after the assembly had encamped
before the mount. The record of this collateral occuiTence is
placed here at a convenient pause, that it may not interfere
with the main current of the narrative, (see on "'p^^'5 Gen. i. 3).
V. I -1 2. The arrival of Jethro. Heard all. The spread
of intelligence is much more rapid among nomadic tribes
than in a settled population. v. 2. Took Zrpporah. He
received her when she returned from Moses ; but now he
takes her to bring her back to him. After he had sent her
hack, ^^^p^. '^This word occurs twice elsewhere (1 Kings ix. 1 G ;
Micah i. 14). In the former passage it denotes a present to
a daughter sent away in marriage. In the latter it denotes a
figurative dismissal. It is here applied to the dismissal of
his wife and children, most probably when the youngest
child was circumcised on the way to Egypt, and was there-
fore unable to proceed (see on iv. 2G). v. 3, 4. Gershom,
(see on ii. 22). Eliezer. This is the second son indicated in
iv. 20, 24. "'"}ty3 in or for my help. Moses had a grateful
remembrance of his deliverance from the sword of Pharoh.
V. 5, G. Encamped at the mount of God. " The mount of
God " is that mount in Horeb on which the law was delivered.
This we take to be an indication that Moses had left Rephi-
dim, and was now encamping C^Jn) within sight of Sinai.
Hence the visit of Jethro takes place after the arrival of the
EXODUS XVIII. 7-12. 181
people at tlie wilderness of Sinai, (see on xix. 1). And he
said unto Moses, by a messenger in advance. This is a
frequent expansion of the meaning attached to this phrase
(xii. 3, 21).
V. 7-12. The reception of Jcthro. Moses came outtooneet.
He pays all honour to Jethro as his father-in-law, and as the
priest of Midian. He natuially rehearses to him the wonders
of the short period during which they had been separated.
V. 9-11. Jethro gives expression to the joy he felt in the
deliverance of Israel. Blessed he the Lord. Jethro here ex-
plicitly acknowledges Jehovah as God. He was no doubt
acquaijited by the tradition of his Hebrew ftithers with the
being and the mercy of God, and he might have learned the
significant name Jehovah from Moses, if not before. Tlie Lord
is greater than all the gods. A man in Jethro's position could
not be ignorant of the polytheism that had now resulted from
the division of human interests and opinion.s. Yet his spon-
taneous confession may convey simply the conviction of the
infinite pre-eminence of Jehovah. For he has prevailed, or
showed himself greater, in the very thing in which the Egyp-
tians dealt proudly with the Israelites. The authorised ver-
sion gives precisely the same sense, though with a different
application, of the word ^!}yV. v. 1 2. Jethro gives a prac-
tical exhibition of his acknowledgment of the Lord by offer-
ing sacrifice. The burnt-offering is the com])letest symbol of
the atonement for sin (Gen. viii. 20). The sacrifice being
eaten partly by the woi-shipper expresses communion with
God as the result of atonement. The common participation
before God of the sacrifice is the emblem of the communion
of the worshippers in the blessings of the divine ftvvour.
V. 1.3-27. The counsel of Jethro concerning the adminis-
tration of justice. On the morrow. The day after the sacri-
fice, which was offered on the day of or the day after Jethro's
arrival. Moses sat. Sitting is the posture of the judge,
standing that of those who come to receive judgment. From
the moriiiiKj unto the cvenhuj. During the whole of that
part of the day assigned to public business, v. 14-16. Mo.ses
explains to Jethro the necessity of this ccmstiint sitting. To
enquire of God, is to come to his minister or rcprosontative
to obtain an answer to any enquiry which is beyond human
182 JETHRO'S VISIT TO MOSES.
solution. In the present ease the object of the enquiry is a
judicial decision in a dispute between man and man. In a
theocracy this proceeds fi-om God through his ministers.
Hence to appeal to them is virtually to appeal to God (xxi. 6).
And I onake knoivn. This was a process of instruction espe-
cially necessary for a new nation for which a code of juris-
prudence had not yet been provided. At the same time it
was not possible for one person to instil the principles of law
into the hearts of all the people, much less to administer jus-
tice iso a community of at least 1,600,000 individuals. The
statutes of God and his laius (xii. 24, 49), his occasional
decisions and edicts, and his general laws and principles of
rectitude.
V. 17-28. The plan suggested by Jethro. He disapproves
of the present practice of Moses as too laborious and tedious.
Thou wilt surely wear aivay. The causes that will arise
among the people will occupy all thy time to the exclusion of
needful leisure for recreation and for other duties. And the
people that is with thee. They will be wearied in waiting for
the decision of their litigations which will be delayed in con-
sequence of thy inability to determine them as fast as they
arise. And this delay may tempt them to take the law into
their own hands, and so anarchy and outrage may pave the
way for their gradual annihilation, 27iou canst not do it thy-
self alone. Hence a division of the labour is necessary, that
it may be done promptly and efficiently, v. 19, 20. And God
shall be ivith thee, approving of thy course, and aiding thee in
its execution. Jethro means that he should not proceed with-
out the divine concurrence. Be thou for the people before
God, between God and the people, to represent him to them,
and their causes to him. Thou shalt teach them,, expound the
regulations and principles of civil and religious law. The ivay,
the moral principle of their conduct. TJie ivork, the conduct
which they are to pursue in the way which the law directs.
Moses is thus to be, under God, the great teacher of the people,
the promulgator of law, and the director of its administration,
V. 21, 22. Provide out of, look out among you. This was
done by the people themselves proposing men to be approved
and appointed by Moses, as he himself explains (Deut, i, 1 3,
1 5), " Give ye wise men, and understanding, and known among
EXODUS XVIII. 13-27. 183
your tribes, and I icill make them rulern over you!' " And
1 took," accepted at the hand of the people. Able men, hav-
ing the requisite abilities for the olhce. This is the first
qualification. Fearuu) God, men of piety. Men of truth,
whose word may be trusted. Hating covdoasness, that will
not therefore be bribed to pronounce unjust decisions. An
admirable clioice and order of ([ualifications. Rulers of thou-
sands. It has been calculated by the Tahnudists and even
by Grotius that according to this arrangement 78,C00 judges
would be required for 000,000 men. But we cannot suppose
that the patriarchal rule, which is a law of nature, was to be
superseded by this regulation. A father was still to be
acknowlede;ed as the fjoverninj' head of his descendants durinfj
liis life, especially when they dwelt with him in the same
house or tent. And he is the unit intended in the thousands,
hundreds, fifties, and tens here mentioned. Thus in Joshua
vii. lU-24; we find Israel divided into tribes, the tribe of
Judah into clans (nins'J'O), the clan of Zarhi into m,en (°^?93),
individuals or units, of whom Achan was one. But Achan
has sons and daughters and a tent, and is therefore the father
of a house. Such a house, including children, might contain
from five to fifty individuals. We may take twenty as a
reasonable average of a grandfather's family. Ten such fami-
lies would in that case amount to 200 individuals, and ten
such heads are the smallest number allowed by the Talmud ists
to constitute a synagogue. In a people of at least 1,000,000
there would thus be 8000 rulers of tens, 1000 rulers of fifties,
800 rulers of hundreds, and 80 rulers of thousands, and
therefore 10,480 rulers in all. The number of appeals from
rulers of tens would be ])roportionately greater than from the
higher judges, because they were not much in rank above the
fathers of houses ; and hence the rulers of fifties seem to be
introduced to distribute the burden which would otherwise
fall on the rulers of hundreds. Every great matter would
come up to Moses either by appeal, where the parties were
dissatisfied with the judgment of the inferior courts, or by
reference, when these courts were deterred from judging by the
difiiculty of the cause. The latter is the mode expressly recog-
nised in the text, and was probably, in the custom of the people,
inclusive of the former. A nd God command thee. Jethro
184 JETHRO'S VISIT TO MOSES.
submits his proposal to the decision of God. Oo to their place
in peace. Prompt and impartial administration of justice will
allay quarrels and beget that mutual confidence and good feel-
ing which tends to peace. Jethro presents his modest pro-
posal as a temporary expedient, until the people sliould arrive
in a country where they might have settled institutions.
V. 24-26. And Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-
in-laiv. This sentence throws light on the ways of Provi-
dence and on the character of Moses. The practical mind of
Jethro, on the first glance at a great evil, is prompted to sug-
gest an immediate remedy. Moses, on the other hand, being
a man of a more educated mind and more deferential spirit,
and aware that this evil has only lasted for a month or two,
and will very soon be removed by the promulgation of a com-
plete code of laws, waits in reverential pa.tience, as is his
wont, for the intimation of heaven to initiate the needed
change. But the suggestion of Jethro he receives with that
respectful attention which was then paid to age, acknowledges
to be agreeable to the dictates of his own reason, and accepts
as the mode presented in the dispensation of Providence for
tlie removal of the present difficulty. The method of the pro-
vidence of God, is evidentl}^ out of the given emergency to
elicit the required measure, either by an immediate communi-
cation from heaven, or by a suggestion of human reason
adequate to the occasion, and approved by God. Neither the
disposition nor the past training of Moses inclined him to
step before the Almighty in devising a remedy for ordinary
difficulties ; and even this meekness was no small qualifica-
tion for his high office, v. 25. And Moses chose. By a
common figure he is said to do that which he caused to be
done. The people chose at Moses' direction.
V. 27. And Moses let his father-in-law depart The
sacred writer, as usual, brings one line of events to a close
before passing to another. We are not bound, therefore, to
conclude that Moses completed the introduction of his new
measures for the administration of justice, and parted with his
father-in-law before the series of events recorded in the follow-
ing chapters had commenced. So far as the form of the nar-
rative goes, we are at liberty to suppose that the interview
with Jethro took place any time during the encampment at
EXODUS XVIII. 27. 185
the "mount of God." The parallel passage (Deut. i. 9-18)
referring to tlie institution of civil magistrates, dates this
measure with precisely the same latitude. On the other
hand, we are not constrained to suppose these proceedings
untinished, if the time suffice for their accomplishment. Now
the assembled host arrived at the wilderness of Sin on the
1 5th of the second month. If this was the first day of the
week, and the whole of this week was spent at the three sta-
tions in this wilderness, eight days would remain for the
journey to llephidim, the smiting of the rock in Horeb, and the
battle with Anialek. It appears from the following chapter
that the journey to the wilderness of Sinai took i)lace on the
first of the third month. It is possible that the interview
with Jethro, and the tendering of his counsel, may have taken
place on the second and third, and the carrying of this })ro-
posal into effect on the fourth and fifth. And it seems reason-
able that Moses should be at once relieved of the burden of
personally hearing and deciding upon every case of litigation
that might arise among the people. Jethro, however, may
have taken leave for a time on the third day. It is most
probable that, during the eleven months and twenty days of
the sojourn of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai, there were
frequent interviews between Moses and his relatives by mar-
riage, as they were in the immediate neighbourhood. The
passage in Numbers x. 29-32, however, refers to the farewell
and final parting between them, when the marshalled host set
out for the wilderness of Paran on their wa}' to the promised
laud.
SECTION IV.— THE LAWGIVING.
XI. THE MORAL LAW. EXODUS XIX., XX.
CHAP. XIX. PREPARATION FOR LAWGIVING.
1 3. P^'' The hloivev, horn, cornet, r. flow, blow, go. It
is equal to ^?'n HP. the horn of blowing or sounding, and
"iS'ib' cornet. It differs from '^'J^'^'^ ^^^ straight trumpet. It
is probable that it was originally a ram's horn. The Rabbins
and others affirm that ''?*' signifies a ram. In Phoenician in-
scriptions it is said to have this meaning.
In the third month of the departure of the sons of Israel from the
land of Mizraim, on this day were they come to the wilderness of
Sinai. 2 And they set out from Eepliidim and went to the wilder-
ness of Sinai, and pitched in the wilderness : and there Israel pitched
before the mountain.
3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him
out of the mountain, saying. Thus shalt thou say to the house of
Jacob, and tell the sons of Israel. 4 Ye have seen what I did
unto Mizraim, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought
you unto me. 5 And now if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep
my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all
the peoples : for all the earth is mine. 6 And ye shall be unto me a
kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which
thou shalt speak unto the sons of Israel. 7 And Moses went and
called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words
which the Lord commanded him. 8 And all the people answered
together and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And
Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord. 9 And the
Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in the thick cloud, that
the people may hear when I speak with thee, and so believe thee for
ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord. 10
And the Lord said unto Moses, Go imto the people, and sanctify tliem
EXODUS XIX.
187
to-day an<l to-morrow, ami lot tliom wash their clothes. 11 And ho
ready for the third day ; for on the, third day the, Lor.l will conio
down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai. 12 And tlmu
shalt set bound.s to tlio people round about, saying, IJeware ye of going
up to the mount, or touching the honler of it : whosoever toucheth
the mount shall be surely put to death. 13 There shall not a hand
touch him, but he shall be surely stoned or shot through ; whether
beast or man it shall not live : when the trumpet soundeth long, they
shall go up to the mount. U And Moses went down from the mount
unto the people : and he sauctilied the people, and they washed their
clothes. 15 And he said unto the people, Be ye ready for the third
day : come not at your wives.
IG And it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there
were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and
the sound of the trumpet very loud ; and all the people that were iu
the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought forth the people froni tho
camp to meet with God ; and they stood at the nether part of the
mount. 18 And Mount Sinai was all asmoke, because the Lord came
down upon it in fire : and the smoke thereof went up as the smoke of
a furnace, and the whole mount trembled greatly. ID And when the
sound of the trumpet waxed louder and louder, Moses spake and God
answered him by a voice. 20 And the Loud came down upon :Mount
Sinai, on the top of the mount : and the Lord called Moses to the top
of the mount, and Moses went up. 21 And the Lord said unto
Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto tho
Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. 22 And let the priests also,
who come Hear to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break
forth upon them. 23 And Moses said unto tho Lord, The people
cannot come up to Mount Sinai : for thou hast charged us, saying, Set
bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. 24 And the Lord said
unto him. Go, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou and Aaron
with thee : but let not the priests or the people break through to come
up unto the Lord, lest He break forth upon them. 25 And Moses
went down unto the people, and spake unto them. § 20.
The exodus from Egypt is now past. That great event
includes two concurring elements in the moral history of tlio
people — redemption and renovation. Tliey are redeemed
from the bondage of Egypt ; they are renovated in their feel-
ing of allegiance to Jehovah, the God of heaven and earth.
Their redemption appears in their deliverance from the
plagues of Egypt, from the power of Egypt iu the passage
188 ISRAEL ARRIVES AT SINAI.
of the Red Sea, and from drought and famine in the miracu-
lous supplies of manna, quails, and water, with which they
have been favoured in the wilderness. Their renovation of
conscience and will is discovered in their faith in Moses as
the attested minister of heaven, their unanimous observance
of the significant solemnity of the passover, and in their ready
and thankful departure from Egypt at the instance of the
Lord, who had guaranteed their deliverance. After the new
birth comes new obedience to heaven's eternal law. The
co-existence, however, of the old nature with the new princi-
ple of spiritual life in the heart of the nation, renders the pro-
mulgation of law necessary as well as seasonable. It is sea-
sonable precisely when power to comply with it has been
engendered in the soul. And it is necessary because the in-
fant will and the awakened conscience need to be enlightened
and guided by a code of laws in checking and rooting out the
old habits of sin which have blinded the eyes, warped the
original bent, and marred the moral beauty of the soul.
Hence the legislation comes in the train of the redemption
and spiritual renewal of the nation. Hence the law is a doc-
trine (^'^y^) for the information of the conscience and the
training of the will. Hence it consists mainly of prohibitions
for the repression of those habitual tendencies which linger in
the renovated soul from the evil bias of the past.
The lawgiving is accordingly a step in advance of the
exodus. It is an end to which the exodus is the means. It
stands forth, therefore, as the second prominent theme in the
book before us. Like the exodus, it occupies six chapters, of
which the first is a preface and the last a conclusion. In the
preparatory chapter we have the arrival of the people at
Mount Sinai, the directions for the purifying of the people,
and the description of Mount Sinai when the Lord descended
upon it.
V. 1, 2. The arrival at the place where the law was to be
given. In the third month. As the term here employed de-
notes the new month, and a precise day, " on this day," is
indicated, we may safely conclude that the first day of the
month is intended. It is therefore now a month and a half
since they left Egypt. Were they come to. This expression
indicates that the events of the preceding chapter reached to
EXODUS XIX. 1,2. 189
a point of time beyond tliat which is now taken up as the
main narrative. (See on Gen. p. 23, S-t, 39). It is intended
at the same time to date empliatically the day of their arrival.
In the next verse the consecutive order of the narrative pio-
ceeds.
Sinai. From tlie usage of Scripture, and especially of
these chapters, it is plain that Sinai denotes a particular moun-
tain, while Horeb denotes a block or range of mountains, with
their intervening wadys, coinciding in a great measure with
Jebel et Tur. This granite mass includes the wadys es Sheik,
er Rahah, and es Sebayeh, with all their lesser outlets. The
wilderness of Sinai seems to be the plains and wadys in its
immediate neighbourhood, where cattle might browse or men
encamp. We take Sinai to be that detached mass of which
Jebel Musa is the highest point, and Ras Suf^afeh is the peak
that rises almost perpendicularly over the Wady er Rahah, for
the following among other reasons : 1. Josephus (Ant. iii. 5, 1)
says it is the highest of all the mountains in that country.
Now Serbal, which Lepsius takes to be the scene of the law-
giving, is only C7G0 feet high (Stanley, Map of Elevations in
Sinai and Palestine), while the cluster to which Sinai belongs
is about 9000 feet high. Jebel Musa, in particular, rises to
75 CO feet. 2. There are the wadys er Rahah, es Sheik,
and according to Laborde (Comment, p. 1 08) and F. A Strauss
(Sinai, p. 134) es Sebayeh, in the vicinity of Jebel Musa,
which are am])ly sufficient for the encampment of a large host.
Robinson (Biljl. Res,, i., p. 140) measured across the water-
shed of er Rahah and found it to be 900 yards, while the
distance from the foot of the mountain was 2333 yards. The
northern slope of the plain he judged to be somewhat less
than a mile in length, by one-third of a mile in Breadth. Tlie
whole plain he estimates at two miles long, and from a third
to two-thirds of a mile broad. " This space is nearly doubled
by the recess to the west and the wady es Sheik." Here,
then, is an o])en space of about two square miles. Of the
plain es Sebayeh Strauss reports that the side, on which the
Wady es Sebayeh enters the plain, is 1400 feet in breadth,
and at the south-western foot of the mountain 1800 feet;
that the latter is the breadth at its central part, and its length
from east to west is 12,000 feet ; and that towards the south
190 ISRAEL ARRIVES AT SINAI.
it rises very gradually, and even the mountains which bound
it on the south have a gentle slope. This plain is therefore
about a square mile in area. It is acknowledged that there
are no such open spaces in the vicinity of Serbal. 8. The
way to Jebel Musa is much more open for a large host than
that to or from Serbal. 4. The stations before and after the
former can be more readily accounted for than before and after
the latter. On this point we can only refer to Eobinson.
5. The tradition is in favour of Jebel Musa. This is unques-
tioned up to the time of Justinian, who founded a church on
one of the wadys of Sinai in 527 B.C. according to Procopius.
Before this period, however, it is contended by Lepsius and
others that the tradition was in favour of Mount Serbal, on
the supposed authority of Eusebius, Jerome, and Cosmas
Indicopleustes. But Eusebius, according to the rendering of
Jerome (De situ et nom. Hebr.) thus describes Horeb — Choreb
mons Dei in regione Madian juxta montem Sina super
Arabiam in deserto (cui jungitur mons et desertum Saracen-
orum, quod vocatur Paran. Mihi autem videtur, quod duplici
nomine idem mons nunc Sinai nunc Choreb vocetur). From
this passage it is evident that Eusebius places Horeb in
Midian, while Serbal belonged to Amalek, or at least not to
Midian. And Jerome regards Paran the mountain of the
Saracens, or, as he explains, the Ishmaelites, as adjoining the
desert in which Horeb was situated. Now mount Paran is in
Jerome's estimation either Serbal, or it is not. If it be, then Sinai
and Horeb are different from it. If it be not, then Eusebius
and Jerome say nothing whatever of Serbal. These authors
(on Faran) also report that the children of Israel marched
through Paran when they left Sinai, and that Pharan is three
days' journey from Ailah or Elath. Serbal, therefore, if it
were Paran, could not be identical with Sinai. But it cannot
be the same with Paran, as it is about 75 miles from Ailah,
which would be at least four days' journey. They also record
(Raphidim) that Kephidira is beside Horeb, and near Paran ;
a statement which, after the preceding notices, implies only
that it lay between the two, and by no means that the two
are identical. Cosmas (Topogr. Christ, lib. v.) writes, 'E/>a
TuXiv 'xaqivsZaXov ug Fa^pidh, ug tyiv vZv "KiyoiMsviriv ^apdv. This
merely intimates that Rephidim was in the region then called
EXODUS XIX. 2. 101
Pharan. Hcnco, he says, Moses proceeds to mount Horeb,
whicli is in the Sinaic (range) about six miles from Pharan
(ili Xupr,Z t6 o'ffo$, Touridriv, cv r^ 2ivai(fj iyyxji; ovri T^g <t>aoav ui arrh
(LtVitJiv i'l). The present ruins of the town Feiran are about
sixteen miles from Jebel Musa, and about six miles from the
nearest point of the granitic block to which it belongs, while
it cannot proj'ierly be said to be any distance from Serbal, at
the foot of which it lies. Cosmas regards Horeb as a part of
the Sinaic cluster of hills, and hence he speaks loosely of the
inscriptions, which he says are found in all the stations of the
IsraAites, as existing in the desert of the Sinaic range {h ixti-
vr, T/j igrjfitjj Tov livaiox) opovc h rruaaig xara'xavaicfi). We may here
observe, indeed, that these inscriptions are found to be due,
not to the Israelites or the Christians, but to the inhabitants,
or the pilgrims of a heathen superstition, and therefore afford
no ground for determining the mount of the law. (See Beer,
Inscr. Vet. ; Credner, Heidelb. Jahrb. 1841, p. 980 ; Fr. Tuch,
Versucheiner Erklarung von 21 Sin. Inschr. ; Kurtz on the
Covenant, v. iii., p. 6 J ). The fact then seems to be that these
three authors have been misunderstood, and are really in har-
mony with the general tradition, indicated, even in the name
Jebel Musa, the mount of Moses.
v. 2. And they set out from Rephidim. As the previous
verse looks back to the events of the foregoing chapter, so
this veree looks forward to the continuance of the narrative
from chap. xvii. Then we were at Rephidim, and now we
depart from it. The luilderness of Sinai is a phrase com-
prehensive of the mount of the law-giving, and the surround-
ing desert. It seems to be co-extensive with Horeb, the
central granitic block of mountain and glen now called Jebel
et Tur. Before the mountain. This expression signifies
over against, or within sight of it, but not necessarily close
by or contiguous to the mountain. We may imagine the
main body of the encampment to be in the Wady es Sheik,
and its wings or straggling outskirts in the adjacent glens,
partly it may be in the plain es Sebayeh, and generally with-
in view of some part of Sinai.
V. 3-15. The directions for the preparation of the peoj)la
And Moses ivent up unto God. The pillar of cloud now
rested on Mount Sinai, and was conspicuous before the eyes
192 ISRAEL ARRIVES AT SINAI.
of all the people. The going up of Moses unto God means,
not that he ascended the mountain, which is not here asserted,
but that he drew nigh to God in the customary way. And
as the Lord now manifested himself on a mountain top,
the approach of Moses was an ascent, even though he only
reached the base. This interpretation of the words is mani-
fest from the following sentence : " And the Lord called unto
him out of the mountain." This implies that Moses was not
on the mountain, but at such a distance from the Divine
presence as to warrant the word "called" instead of "spake."
V. 3-(). The words of the Lord here contain a tendering
again of his covenant to the people, for formal and final
acceptance. They indicate, first, the party who are to enter
into covenant with God. The " house of Jacob " is the
parallel of the "sons of Israel," the former, however, pointing
to their natural, the latter to their spiritual relations, (see
Gen. xxxii. 23-33), Secondly, the keeping of the covenant
on God's part is put forward in a short and striking appeal to
the people. Ye have seen. This was a matter of personal
experience with them. What I did iyi Mizraim. The
eleven manifestations of his power on their behalf in that
country. And hoiv I bare you on eagles wings. In the
twelfth miracle at the Red Sea, he delivered them from the
perils of the surrounding waters and the pursuing Egyptians
with as much care as the eagle takes in teaching its nestlings
to make the first essay in flight among the beetling heights
where it has its abode (Deut. xxxii. 11). The parent bird it
is said sweeps gently past the young ones perched on a ledge
of rock, and when one venturing to follow begins to sink
with drooping wing, glides underneath, and bears it aloft
again (Duns, Bibl. Nat. Sci. II. 46). This beautiful figure
strikingly illustrates the patient tenderness with which the
Lord laboured to train his people for the escape from Egypt,
and guarded them from the hazards of the way. And
brought you unto one. brought you home to adoption and
inheritance with your God and Father, Thirdly, the accept-
ance of the covenant is lovingly proposed to the people. If
ye tvill obey, obey my voice. The repetition is emphatic, " if
ye obey me promptly and heartily," And keep my covenant,
the parallel of the previous clause ; " be faithful to me as I
EXODUS XIX. 3-G. 103
have been to you" a toudiing appeal tliat wins a ready assent
from a true heart. Ld^llij, comes the promise in new and
expressive terms. It contains the three elements of salvation,
appropriation, propitiation, and sanctification. Here for tiie
first time occur three remarkal)Ie phrases, wliich become
household words in the cliurch. Tbey throw a new light on
the privilege and responsibility of the believer. 1. A
2>e('iill((r treasure unto rue. To belong to God is an inesti-
mable blessing. How much more to be his in a special
sense above all others, Xah^ ■-rivio-jgio;, a peculiar people ! For
all the earth is mine. This is to exphiin the phrase, " above
all peoples." All the inhabitants of the earth belong to God
by right of creation and general benefaction. But ye
belong to iiim, over and above all this, by special grace and
covenant. And out of his free grace flows to you all that is
comprised in remission, redemption, and regeneration. This
part of the promise is therefore a com})rehensive summary
of all the blessings of salvation. 2. A kingdom of priests.
This is a pregnant sentence. It presupposes the people to be
themselves the objects of priestly intercession and royal pro-
tection. It expressly elevates them into the dignity and
authority of performing priestly functions, and dispensing
royal favoui^s to others. " A kingdom of priests," the Sep-
tuagint renders by ^aalKnov ,'iipdTeu/j.a a priesthood of kings.
This is sufficient to shew that a kingdom was here understood
to be a community of persons invested with the powers of
sovereignty, such as commanding, judging, defending, punish-
ing and rewarding, and bound to exercise them, under God,
for the good of mankind. The benignity of their sway is
indicated by the facts that they are to be priests as well as
kings. They find mankind under the ban of disobedience,
the doom of death. Their office calls them to make atone-
ment for the sins of the world, intercede for the returning
penitent, and reconcile him to God. This fmiction of sublime
beneficence involves questions of the deepest import in the
salvation of mankind, which do not meet their full solution
until we apj)roach the end of the volume of ins})iration. Who
can independently mediate between God and man ? What
can be an all-sufficient propitiation for sin ? We abstain
from anticipating the answer to these questions, which does
N
194 PlIEPAllATION FOR THE LAW GIVING,
not belong to tlie interpreter, and is familiar to every reader
of the New Testament. Meanwhile we contemplate with pro-
found admiration the nation that has a mission to discharge
these benign functions, and a history pregnant with a great
kino-, priest, and sacrifice that will be able to accomplish the
salvation of the soul. 8. A lioly nation. Along with a free
pardon and an all-prevalent intercession, the third requisite
for salvation is a sanctified nature. But this is introduced
here not merely as an element of their own salvation, but as
a qualification for that high function of reigning and reconcil-
incr which they are to exercise for tlie salvation of the world.
There is a beautiful unity given to this ideal when we regard
Israel as the son, the first-born of God (Ex. iv. 22). This son
is the king and priest, the holy one of the present passage.
This collective or national Israel contains within its bosom
the individual and actual Son of God, of which it is the type
in its regal and sacerdotal dignity, as it is the emblem of the
Church in its peace and purity. Thus God sets before his
chosen people a new ideal, which is to be represented for
their instruction in the typical institutions of the ceremonial
law. It is to have a twofold realization, on the one hand in
the grateful reception of salvation from age to age by a grow-
ing numlier, until at length the whole of mankind are gathered
into this kingdom ; and on the other hand in the gracious
dispensing of this salvation until the Messiah have come once
to make atonement for sin, and again to bring in the new
heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the sons of
Israel. These pregnant words ai'e to take root in the hearts
of the people, and bear fruit in all future ages,
V, 7, 8. The consent of the people to the covenant is warm
and prompt; Moses ivent and called for the elders of the
people. Here we have the usual order of communication with
the people. The elders are the representatives of the people,
who convey to them the message of the Lord by Moses, and
act as their spokesmen in replying to it (xii, 21). Aiid all
the people answered together. They gave a unanimous re-
sponse. All that the Lord hath spoken we ivill do. They
freely close with the gracious terms of the covenant, Moses
reports their favourable answer to the Lord.
EXODUS XIX. ,']-15. ]95
V. 0-1 3. The directions to the i)eoi)le to sanctify themselves,
and keo|) at a distance from the mountain. Lo 1 coma unto
Uu-e. This is the usual phrase for an intended action. In iJie
thick cloud, in which my presence is usually manifested. That
the people viay hear ichen I speak with thee. The Lord does
not demand confidence in his messenger and minister without
irivinj:! abundant evidence of his commission. He had before
given the signs of the rod turned into a serpent, and the hand
changed from soundness to leprosy, and again to soundness ;
but these were exhibited before the elders as the representa-
tives of the peoj)le (Ex. iv. 29-31). He had also wrought the
miracles of the deliverance from Egypt by the hand or the
word of Moses ; but many of these were not under the eye
of the people. But now he will answer Moses in the audience
of all the pebple, that they may believe him for ever. The
Lord knew the inconstancy of the people, and therefore con-
descends to give them a universal and personal attestation to
the authority of his prophet and delegate. For ever, without
interruption. The luords of the people. This was the proper
j)lan for introducing the formal and unanimous assent of the
people to the covenant of the Lord. v. 10. Sanctify them
to-day and to-morroiu. These days were supposed to be,
according to tradition, the fourth and fifth of the third month.
It is probable that the fifth w^as the sabbath or closing day of
the seven weeks after the passover. This rests on the two-
fold assumption that the 1 5th of Nisan coincided with the
weekly Sabbath, and that the first month contained twenty-
nine, and the second thirty days. The "sanctifying" con-
sisted in washing their clothes and abstaining from conjugal
intercourse (v. 15, Lev. xv. IS). These serve for the outward
form of sanctification in the absence of any ceremonial enact-
ment. V. 11. And he ready for the third day. According
to the supposition already mentioned, the 0th of the third
month would be the fiftieth day after the Sabbath in the
seven days of the feast of unleavened bread. We know that
this fiftieth day was afterward one of the three great annual
festivals of Israel ; and as the other two had special reference
to momentous events in the history of the people, tlie fca^t of
weeks may have had reference to the giving of the law. This
aftbrds an additional argument in favour of the fiftieth day
196 PREPARATION FOR THE LAW-GIVING.
being that of the lawgiving, v. 1 2. Set hounds to the people.
These bounds were at some distance from the base of the
mountain, Beivare ye of going up to the mount. This for-
bids not merely ascending the side, but going up to the foot
of the mount. Or touching the border. The}^ were not to
pass the bounds marked out by Moses, or approach the border
or skirt of the mount. There shall not a hand touch hirn,
who transgresses the bounds and touclies the mount. No one
shall cross the bounds prescribed in order to drag him back
or punish his presumption. He shall only from a distance be
stoned or shot through. Whether man or heast. The owner is
punished for his carelessness by the loss of his beast. But,
even apart from this consideration, the awful sanctity of the
divine presence is not to be violated by any unseemly intru-
sion. When the trumpet soundeth long. When the cornet
gives a long and swelling note, they shall go itp to the mount.
As we are said to go up to the capital of a country, so here
they go up to the mount, when they draw nigh to it without
either ascending it or touching its skirts. "They" ('^'^n^
is emphatic in the original, and refers to the people in con-
trast with Moses, who was authorised to come into contact
with the mountain. At the sounding of the trumpet they
are to approach to the boundaries that have been marked out ;
but they are on no account and at no time to proceed farther.
V. 14, 15. And Moses went doiun from the mount. He had
drawn nigh, but not necessarily ascended, to the summit, to
hold converse with God. Sanctified the p)eople, gave the iie-
cessar}'- orders for their sanctification. Come not at your
ivives. See v. J 0, and Lev. xv. 1 8.
v. 16-25. The descent of the Lord on Mount Sinai. A
thick cloud. A heavy dark mass of clouds. In the camp, in
view of, but at a considerable distance from, the mountain.
We do not deem it necessary to determine forther than the
text warrants, even with all the light tliat modern ti'avellers
have cast upon the locality, the precise spot in which the
people w^ere encamped, v. 17. And Moses brought forth the
people. On the given signal (v. 1 3), namely, the long and
swelling blast of the trumpet, Moses leads forward the tremb-
ling people to hear the giving of the law. We must here
bear in mind that Moses issued his commands, as the general
EXODUS XIX. 3-15. 1D7
of a groat army, by means of the elders or acknowledged
leaders of the people (v. 17). Tliey stood at tlte ndker 'part,
or foot of the mountain, outside of the barrier which Mo.ses
had erected to prevent intrusion. A scene of ineffable gran-
deur now presented itself before them. v. 18. All asmoke.
The disengaged and partly unconsuraed matter arises, and.
envelopes as usual the fire in which tlie Lord descends. The
ivhole mou)itaui treruhled greallj with the reverberations of
the thunder, v. 19. The trumpet sound waxed louder and
louder, as the people were gathering into their appointed sta-
tion before the mount. The origin of this sound we leave, as
the text does, undetermined. On the sudden silence which
followed this awful trumpet blast, Moses spake, a)id God an-
swered lilm by a voiee, by an audible and articulate form of
words. This is the fulfilment of the promise made in v. D.
What were the words uttered on this sublime occasion we
cannot venture to determine. The statement may refer to,
or at least include, the whole of the following communications
so far as they were audible to the people. This is favoured
by the discernible pause which the narrative here makes. Tiie
recognition of this pause gives point and emphasis to the
present statement, and imparts a solemn stateliness to the
progress of the narrative.
V. 20-25. And tlte Lord came down. This sublime event
has been as yet only incidentally indiciited to account for
P'^'^ V.?P V. 1 8) the smoking of Mount Sinai. It now comes
forward in a direct statement with the precise intimation that
the Lord descended on the top of the mount. He now called
to Closes ('^P*'3p) to go up to the top of the mount. Here for
the first time we conceive Moses proceeded farther than the foot
of the mountain, and advanced some distance on its slopes with-
out however reaching or even approaching the actual summit.
It is only asserted that Moses vjent up, without adding how far.
V. 21. Go down, charge the people. We may conceive that
the ]^eoj)le from the camp were pressing forward under the
direction of tiieir leaders, and that there was some danger
that the front ranks of this multitudinous host should be
urged over the barriers that had been set to the ))eople.
Without for a moment imat^ininr; that the women and chil-
dren were all within the valleys immediately around the
198 PREPARATION FOR THE LAW-GIVING.
mount, we can easily understand that the vast mass of deeply-
agitated men would need the reiterated directions of their
supreme commander to prevent any involuntary intrusion
from the pressure in the rear. In these circumstances the
Lord mercifully sends down Moses to charge the people, lest
they break through the boundaries, gaze upon that which no
eye is to behold, and many of them perish, v. 22. The pHests
also. We know that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob erected
altars and offered sacrifices to the Lord, and that Moses in-
formed Pharoh that Israel was commanded to go three days'
journey into the wilderness to sacrifice unto the Lord. The
presumption is, that there were some among them who were
appointed to act as priests. Every head of a family killed
the first paschal lamb for his own household, thereby practi-
cally evincing that the people were all kings and priests unto
God. And we read (xxiv. 5) before the appointment of Aaron
and his sons, that " Moses sent young men of the sons of Israel
who offered burnt-offerings." Here we perceive that the
nation was not without sacred ofiicers who discharged the
functions and were entitled to the name of priests. Who they
Avere we do not learn from the narrative, probably because
their service at the altar was merely temporary, until Aaron
should be called to the priesthood. Who come near to the
Lord to intercede for the people. Sanctify themselves, keep
themselves apart outside of the boundary, observing the same
rules as the people. These occasional priests have no privi-
leges beyond the rest of Israel, who are all priests unto God.
V. 23. Moses here intimates that the people cannot touch the
mountain on account of the bounds by which it is separated
and sanctified, v. 24. But the Lord directs him to go down
and prevent the people and the priests, who had not yet got
any special charge, from breaking through tlie barrier. It is
intimated that Moses and Aaron are to come up to the mount.
But this seems not to have taken place until a second intima-
tion of the proper time is given (xxiv. 1). v. 25. Moses
accordingly goes down and reiterates the charge to the people
and the priests.
EXODUS XX, 199
CHAP. XX. THE MORAL LAW ; AND THE ALTAR.
V. 2-17. The reader of the orij^'inal will ol)serve that these
vei-ses are provided with a rlouhle aeeeiituatioii, the one re-
ferring to the vei-ses, the other to the comuiandments, and
called the lower and upper accent. Where only one accent
stands the two coincide. Where a principal pause of the one
concui-s with a minor pause of the other, a double vocalization
may occur, the short vowel being lengthened by the one
accent and not by the other. For the same cause a letter of
double power at the beginning of a word is read as a semi-
vowel with the one accentuation, and as a mute with the
other. In some copies, v. 13, 14, 15, are included in one.
S is found at the end of the seventh verse, indicating the pri-
mary division of the Decalogue. D is found at the end of
vv. G, 1 1, 1 2, 1 3, 1 4, 15, 1 G, and after the tirst clause of v. 17,
marking the subdivisions. This is plainly the primary form of
the Decalogue. The deviations of the copy in Dent. v. will
be best considered there. In some copies of the Sept. vv. 1 3,
11, 15, stand in the order 14, 15, 13.
V. 9. i^^^^^P ^v&)'k, business, mliLtstry. r. un. employ. It is
more comprehensive than ni2J? labour, service, bondservice,
r. to labour, till the ground, serve.
V. 1 2. After /MrjTega aov, the Sept, has ha il eoi yiir,Tui, xaJ,
corresponding v/ith a similar clause in Deut. v. I G.
v. 1 7. At the end of this verse the Sam. Pent, has a long
passage agreeing mostl}'^ with Deut. xxvii. 2-7. It is not
found in Onk. or the Sept.
v. 1 9. The Sam. Pent, here omits nj;DC'3^ ^3BV nm la^i and
inserts a passage contained in Deut. v. 21-24. It is not fol-
lowed however by Onk. or the Sept.
1 And God spake all these words, saying, §21.
2 1 am the Lord thy God, who have brought thee out of the land
of Mizraitn, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto tliee any graven image, or any likeness
of anytliing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath,
or that is in the water under the eartli. 5 Thou shalt not bow down
200 THE MORAL LAW ; AND THE ALTAR.
to them, nor serve tliem : for I the Lord thy God am a- jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sous, upon the third and
upon the fourth generation of them that hate mc ; 6 And showing
mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my command-
ments. § 22.
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain : for
the Lord will not acquit him that taketh his name in vain. ^ 32.
8 Eemeniber the Sabbatli day to hallow it. 9 Six days shalt thou
labour, and do all thy work. 10 But the seventh day is a Sabbath to
the Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy
son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy
cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates : 1 1 For in six days
the Lord made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that in them
is, and rested the seventh day : wherefore the Lord blessed the Sab-
bath day, and hallowed it. § 23.
12 Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long
upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. § 24.
13 Thou shalt not kill. § 25.
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. § 26.
15 Thou shalt not steal. § 27.
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. § 28.
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house ; § 29. Thou shalt
not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-ser-
vant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's. § 30.
18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and
the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking : and when the
people saw it, they drew back and stood afar oif. 19 And they said
unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear ; but let not God
speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people,
Fear not ; for God is come to prove you ; and that his fear may be
before you, that ye sin not. 21 And the people stood afar off: and
Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. § 31.
22 And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the
sons of Israel, Ye have seen that I have spoken with you from heaA'en.
23 Ye shall not make with me any idol ; gods of silver or gods of
gold shall ye not make unto you. 24 An altar of earth thou shalt
make unto me, and thou shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings,
and thy peace-offerings, thy sheep and thine oxen : in every place
Avhere I record my name I will come iinto thee and bless thee. 25
And if thou make me an altar of stones, thou shalt not build them
with hewing : for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou dost pollute it.
26 And thou shalt not go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy
nakedness be not discovered thereon. 18 T] T[ T[ 33.
EXDFUS XX. 1-17. 201
The clmpters xx.-xxiii. contain that code of laws which is
called the book of the covenant (xxiv. 7). It is clearly distin-
guishable into two pai'ts — thegeneralprinciplesof raoralityconi-
mon to all mankind, and the special en.ietinents pertaining to
the pe()j)le of God. The forn)er are called " the words of the
Lord," which He spake with an audible voice, and wrote upon
the two tables of stone (xxiv. .'3, xx. 1, xxiv. 12). In refer-
ence to their nnnd)er, they are called the ten words or com-
mandments (xxxiv. 28). The latter are described as the
"judgments," or determinations of right between man and
man. These are conmiunicated to Moses, by whom they are
delivered to the people by word of mouth, and also in wiiting
for their permanent guidance. The ten commandments, with
certain arrangements preliminary to the special legislation, are
contained in the present chapter.
V. 1-17. The Decalogue. The Masoretic mark for an open
section at the end of the seventh verse, indicates the primary
division of this grand compend of law in the estimation of
these venerable annotators. If the j)rinciple of division be
the essence of the Deity, this distribution is undoubtedly cor-
rect. The previous paragraph, referring to the unity, spi-
rituality, and deity of God, which belong to the essence of
His nature, is of univeisal and eternal moment, and is thus
fundamentally distinguished from the following one regarding
the Sabbath and the relative duties of men, which are inci-
dental to that efiect of his creative action to which man
belongs. The former of these paragraphs the authors of the
Massorah sub-divide into two close sections, and the latter
into eight. The first commandment thus apparently includes
verses 2-6, on the principle that polytheism and idolatry are
identical, or two modes of apostasy from the one true God.
But in fact, these two are not less distinct from one another
than each of them is from that mode of degrading God, which
is noted in the 7th verse. The true principle is, that there are
three ways of dishonouring God, or robbing Him of His glory
— the first referring to His unity, the second to His spirit-
uality, and the third to His deity. Hence v. 2, 3 must be
regarded as the first commandment ; v. 4-G as the second ;
and V. 7 as the third. The Talmud, the Targum of Jonathan,
several Jewish rabbis, Peter Martyr, and others, hold v. 2 to
202 THE MORAL LAW.
l»e the first commandment. But the second and third verses
are plainly distinguished as the positive and negative sides of
the one commandment. The propriety of this threefold sub-
division is farther demonstrated, by its obviating the necessity
of sub-dividing the l7th verse into two commandments, in
order to make up the number ten. If these two errors of
sub-division be corrected, " the ten words " are divided into
three and seven on a tenable and intelligible principle— the
three referring to the immutable essence of God, the seven
originally to man, the intelligent part of the six days' creation,
and ultimately to the people whom God has taken for His
peculiar treasure. It is well known that three has also a
typical or mystical reference to God, and seven to the Church.
If the two tables of stone were to contain, as nearly as possi-
ble, the same quantity of matter without breaking up a com-
mandment, the Masoretic division makes the nearest approach
to this arrangement, the numbers of letters in each portion
being respectively (ei-rors excepted) 277 and 348 ; whereas,
if the commandment concerning the Sabbath, containing 203
letters, were transferred to the former side, the numbers
would be 480 and 140.
The Masoretic division, however, though it have a basis in
the structure of the text, is founded on the idea of God, and
not on the nature of law. It has a deep metaphysical import :
but it regards the document before us rather as a chapter of
philosophy than a corapend of law. Considered as a summary
of law, this document bears on it only one obvious piinciple of
primary division, namely that of the party to wliom the duty
is owed. In this, its natural aspect, it contains two great
divisions — the duty of man to God, in four commandments,
and the duty of man to man, in the remaining six. It is
strange tliat Augustine, having adopted this primary division,
yet retained the two glaring fiults of sub-division to which
we have already adverted. In this way, though making his
primary division at the end of the lltb verse, he still con-
ceives that there are three in the first table and seven in the
second. In this he has been followed by the Latin and the
Lutheran Churches. He generally makes the prohibition to
ccn^et another man's wife the ninth commandment, according
to the arrangement of Deut. v. 21 ; in which he is not followed
EXODUS XX. 1-17. 203
by those Churches. Other Jewish and Christian interpreters,
inchifling Philo, Josephus, Ji-ena3us, Orij^'on, Jerome, the
Eastern and Reformed Churches, agree in correcting the errors
of sub-division which arc exhibited in the Masoretic text.
The primary division here under consideration was adopted
not only by Augustine, but by Origen, and subsequently by Cal-
vin and liis foHowcrs, and lience ajipears not only in tlie
Latin and Lutlicran, but also in tlie British Churches and
the documents of the Westminster Assembly of Divines.
A third ground of primary division is the relati(»n of equa-
lity or inequality between the parties to whom the duties
rofer. In this respect the Decalogue is divided into duties to
superiors and duties to e(pials. Here the father and mother
are associated with God as superiors, and all men including
parents are classed together as equals. The point of division
is carried forward to the end of the 12th verse, and each taljle
contains five of the " ten words." This is the primary divi-
sion of Philo, Josephus, and the modern Jews, of the Eastern
and .some Reformed Chuiches. It has the advantage of giving
a numerically equal partition of the ten commandments, and
of bringing out into prominence the dignity of jiarents as the
natural representatives of God to their children. Nevertlie-
less it appears to be a more superficial groinul of distribution
than either of the others. Between God and man the line of
demarcation is much more tr(Michant than between superiors
and inferiors when men are found on both sides.
The mere numerical equality of the two tables is a consi-
deration of no moment ; and the dignity of parents is suffi-
ciently indicated by the position of the 5th commandment in
the Decalogue. For these reasons we adhere to the second of
the fundamental divisions described, as the most logical and
suitable for common use. Which of them was exhibited on
the two tables of stone we need not speculate. But it is
obvious that the "second corresponds with that grand classifica-
tion of all law which our Lord brings out into conspicuous
prominence from the Old Testament, " the first and great com-
mandment," to "love the Lord thy God" with all thy powers,
and the second like unto it, to " love thy neighbour iis thy-
self" (Matt. xxii. 35-40).
V. 1. And God. The use of this name of God here (the
204 THE MORAL LAW.
Everlasting, Eternal, Almighty) intimates that the fundamen-
tal principles of law have their standing in the abstract I'ela-
tions of theoretic truth antecedent to the actual creation of a
universe of things. Spake. Whatever media, whether ele-
mentary or angelic, God was pleased to employ on this occa-
sion, it is manifest that the speech was his own, not merely as
to the words spoken, but as to the articulate sounds actually
perceived by the ear. We are aware that vibrations of the
air are the usual medium for affectinsj the sense of hearing
and we have no reason to doubt that these were employed on
the present occasion. We are informed that Moses stood be-
tween the Lord and the people "to show them the word of
the Lord ; " yet it is expressly said that it was the Lord that
talked with them face to face in the mount (Deut. v. 4, 5).
It appears from the Old and New Testament (Deut. xxxiii. 2, 3 ;
Ps. Ixviii. 18 ; Acts vii. 53 ; Gal. iii. 19, and Heb. ii. 2) that
angels were present and active at the promulgation of the law.
The passages in the Old Testament merely intimate their pre-
sence. Those in the New point to some kind of agency.
The phrase of Stephen QxdQsrs rov vo/utyov Big diarayug ayyl'Koi"/)
"received the law by the arrangements" or ministry "of
angels," may be regarded as equivalent to that of Paul (hiarayiig
di dyyiXuv) " arranged" or ministered " through angels." Atten-
tion is to be paid to the preposition did " through," which is
used in the New Testament to denote the medium or inter-
mediate agent, while the ultimate or proper agent is intro-
duced by i/To "by" (Matt. i. 22 ; ii. 15 ; xxii. 31 ; Acts ii.
xvi., xxviii. 25, Pom. i. 2). This serves to elucidate the his-
torical description of the law in Heb. ii. 2 (6 di' dyyeXuv XaXrj-
hig Xcyog) "the word spoken through angels." It is plain
from the narrative now before us, that God was the actual
speaker, in accordance with which the angels are here
described as intermediate agents in the accomplishment of the
act. We recognise the instrumentality of the atmospheric
vibrations in the formation of ai'ticulate sounds. And as we
notice the agency of the lightning flash in exciting those re-
verberations which produce the inarticulate sound of thunder,
we may be prepared to hear of the agency of angels who ai-e
spirits and ministers wdio are a flaming Are (Ps. civ. 4), in
awakening or regulating those discrete pulsations which con-
EXODUS XX. 2. 205
stitiito the articulate utterance of speech. How this was
eti'ecteJ, wliat was the arranging or dispensing part of the
angels in this great drama, as it is not revealed, we do not
pretend to sa}'. But as tlie performer is the source of the
music, notwithstanding the concurrence of tlie bellows-blower,
the organ pipes, and the ambient air, so we can understand
that God was the real speaker of the ten words, notwith-
standing the intervention of the dispensing angels and the
vocal atmosphere. All these words. This oral communica-
tion consists of ten words or axioms of moral truth, that form
a complete and orderly whole, and afford a: broad basis fur a
system of ethical science. It is composed in the scriptural
method of stating not a bare abstract princijtle, but a circum-
stantial concrete example, embodying the principle, ruling all
like cases, and making a deeper and stronger impression on
the mind. It presents the law, also, in the aspect of right-
eousness rather than goodness (Rora. v. 7), because it is
designed to restrain those who have already fallen into dis-
obedience. And hence it generally takes a negative form,
and deals in prohibitions rather than requirements. It must
be understood, however, that the prohibition involves the re-
quirement, and we find that the requirement itself is given,
when it admits of equal or greater brevity of expression than
the prohibition.
THE FIRST COM>LA.NDMENT.
V. 3, 4. The more closely we examine these two verses, the
more surely will we come to the conclusion of the Jewish
Rabbis that the former is an essential part of the first com-
mandment. It states a positive fact in the conviction and for
the acknowledgment of the people, to which the latter verse
merely adds the negative precept that gives strict precision
and exclusiveness to the previous statement. The latter verse
presupposes the former, and is incomplete without it. The
coiiS('(pient " thou shalt have no other gods " needs the ante-
cedent " thou hast me." Yet in the admirable econoni}- of
this address, the former of these verses serves at the same
time for the preface to the whole. It has therefore a twofold
bearing on what follows — it is an integral part of the first
206 THE MORAL LAW.
commandment, and it is an introduction to the whole deca-
logue.
V. 2. As an introduction to the whole law this verse iden-
tifies the parties to the covenant in the present instance.
These are Jehovah and his people. It also lays down the only
solid foundation of all obligation to keep this law. This is
threefold. 1. He who commands is the Lord, Jehovah, the
Self-existent, the Creator, the absolute Author, and therefore
Governor of all persons and things. This is the primaiy rock
on which all authority on his part and all obligation on ours
rest. It is, moreover, not limited in its range, but co-exten-
sive with the universe of responsible being. It is therefore
the fitting term to stand at the head of a code of law. 2. He
is thy God. Here " thy " is the characteristic word. " God "
(D^ri^i^) the Everlasting, Almighty, antecedent to all creation,
is presupposed as common to the whole definition of the great
Being. The possessive word " thy " points to the covenant
between God and his people. When taken in the utmost
depth of its meaning it involves two things — 1. That God
has chosen them to be his people ; and 2. That he has sent
his Spirit into their hearts, in consequence of which they
have taken him to be their God. He that is born of the Spirit
is become capable of spiritual acts. This is the sole ground
of human ability to keep the commandments. To have God
in this full sense for our God is, therefore, the meet prepara-
tion for doing his will. He is the Regenerator. He gives
ability. Ability begets obligation. Will tenders obedience.
III. He is the Redeemer. He has brought his people out of
the Imd of Mizraim, out of the house of bondage. This in the
manner of Scripture and of Providence is the earnest and the
guarantee of their deliverance from all other and greater kinds
of bondage. The present is the type of a grander future.
We must descend the stream of revelation to the New Testa-
ment before we fathom the depths of this great deliverance.
But the redemption from Egypt is the immediate benefit be-
fore the minds of this people. It obviously binds them to
gratitude and devotedness. Thus the appeal of God touches
the inmost springs of their moral nature, and draws them by
the threefold tie of creation, sanctification, and redemption, to
reverence, obedience, and afifection.
EXODUS XX. 2. 207
The attentive observer will note tlie unity of the i»<'iity
addressed indicated by tlie singular pronoun " thy, thee."
God's people are one in a very profound sense, as they have
one Creator, Regenerator, and Redeemer (Gen. xvii. 7, Ex. iv.
22, Gal. iii. 1 G, Eph. iv. 2-1 G). But tliis pointed form of
address at the same time brings home the obligation of the
law of heaven to the individ\ial as well as the connnunit3\
It is another instance of the happy choice of words in this
piece.
As the affirmative part of the first commandment this verse
admonishes the people that Jehovah, the Creator, who has
singled them out as his own, and has redeemed them from
bondage, is their God. This is itself the root of all oblio-a-
tion, and this obligation is expret^sed in the word " thy,"
which asserts the connection between creature and Creator.
This brings out the relation of right. God had the ri<Tht of
creation to man, and he has the right of regeneration and
redemption to his people. Man has, inherently, no rifdit to
anything. These two propositions are the basis of all eternal
law. God made a grant to man on his creation with a neces-
sary reserve (see on Gen. ii. 15-17). Man infringed on this
reserve under temptation, and so forfeited the divine grant.
Yet God bears with man, proclaims his mercy, and accepts
the returning penitent who trusts in his word. It is obvious
that such come under new obligations to the Almighty, rein-
forcing the great principles of moral truth.
V. 3. The first commandment in its negative foi-m refers to
the unity of God. It enjoins the owning of this unity. It
is therefore against pt)lytheism. This precept is of uni-
versal obligation. The idea of God, the Everlastinf^ and
Almighty Jehovah, the Creator and Upholder, involves
in its very nature the idea of unity ; and so this net'-a-
tive verse is implied in the affirmative one that precedes.
But the nations had lost the consciousness of their own unity
as a race, and with this the consciousness of the unity of their
common Creator. Each jirincipality, each town, and at length
each family began to regard the god of its emng fancy as
different in individuality from that of others. The step wjis
easy to the recognition of gods many and lords many. Hence
it became necessary to add the definite exclusion of all other
imaginable objects of worship to the express acknowledgment
208 THE MORAL LAW.
of the Lord God. The original form of the expression is here
worthy of attention. " There shall not be to thee other gods
upon my face." Here it is demanded that the non-existence
of other gods be reco^'nised. This presupposes the affirmative
of such non-existence. Such gods are Qyy.^ nonentities,
'"ll"?! ^^ " there shall not be," is directly opposed to n|'nx " I- Am,"
and to nin^ the Author of existence (iii. 14, vi. 3), the exclu-
sive names of the God of creation and of covenant. Before me
is literally " upon my face." It supposes those other gods to
be set up before the true God as antagonists in the eye of
God, and as casting a shade over his eternal being and in-
communicable glory in the eye of the worshipper.
THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.
V. 4-6. The second commandment refers to the worship of
God. It guards the immateriality or spirituality of His
nature. It opposes idolatry — that is, the worship of an idol
or image of God, or of God through an idol. We are not to
make, worship, or serve an idol. Any graven image. This
is a carved image of stone or wood. Any likeness. The word
njirori denotes any form presented to the eye (Num. xii. 8, Job
iv. 1 G), and therefore includes all sorts of pictures as well as
images. It is probable that the Israelites were acquainted
with the pictorial representations of idols in Egypt. At all
events, the specific instance involves the general rule, that
every kind of visible similitude is to be avoided in the wor-
ship of the invisible God. In heaven above. The Egyptians
had images of celestial, terrestrial, and aquatic objects of wor-
ship (Wilkinson). The water under the earth. It is import-
ant to notice that " under " here means " lower in level," lest
the Sci'iptures be accused of propounding the theory, that the
interior of our sphere is filled with water, v. 5. For. The
reason here assigned applies equally to the first and second
commandments, and warrants the Masoretes in placing the vv.
2-G containing them in close contiguity. A jealous God.
The passions of a moral being have their right as well as their
wrong use. Hence anger, jealousy, hatred, and revenge, are
ascribed to God, not as passions, but as the feelings of a holy
EXODUS XX. 4-G. 209
being in regard to that which is evil (Dent, xxxii. 21, 22, 35).
As the Judge of the universe, God lias the supreme riglit not
only to entertain these feelings, but also to carry out their
holy behests in the administration of His everlasting dominion.
Tiiis is the first distant allusion to the semblance of the cove-
nant between God and His people to a marriage contract.
Visiting the iniquifi/, pursuing and overtaking the offender
with condign punishment. Thei"e is significance in the
phrase " visiting the iniquity," as it shows that the sons are
not involved in the penalty if they are not found in the ini-
quity of their fathers. The iniquity here spoken of is that of
polytheism or idolatry, of having or making any other God.
For the idol, or the being it represents, is not the true God,
but another god after the fashion of a vain imagination (Rom.
i. 21-25). He that makes and worships an idol has lost the
knowledge of the true God. This iniquity is called the
iniquity of the fathers, inasmuch as it originates with them,
and is only perpetuated in the sons who adhere to it. The
history of the world shows that the ungodliness of the fathers
is, jis a rule of fallen nature, followed by the sons. Only
grace interrupts the succession of sin. Upon the sons, upon
the third and upon the fourth generation. This is a timely
guard against a common error to which men have been prone
in all ages, namely, that the opinions and customs of their fore-
fjithers, even though they be wrong, are an excu.se or justifica-
tion for the sons walking in the same errors of judgment and con-
duct. The fathers will have to account for their own iniquity,
not only as men, but as fathers setting a bad example to their
household. But the sons who, on arriving at the exercise of
a natural judgment, walk in the same iniquity, will be treated
as responsible beings, and visited for the iniquity which they
have made their own. Many evil consequences, indeed, such
as poverty, disease, and infamy, befall the children of ungodly
and vicious parents. But a profounder truth is taught in this
passage, and the example of it was patent before the eyes of
the audience assembled in Horeb. The forefathei-s of the
Egyptians had departed from the living God, and devised for
themselves the eight gods of the first order, the twelve of the
second, and the seven of the third, besides their countless
modifications and sub-divisions of the divine essence. Their
o
210 THE MORAL LAW.
sons of the existing generation not only followed but outstript
their fathers in the abominations of superstition and deifica-
tion; they contemptuously ignored the true God, whom their
fathers acknowledged (Gen. xli.), and trampled upon His peo-
ple. In this instance the Lord had signally visited the ini-
quity of the fathers upon the sons in the ten plagues, and in
the overwhelming of their hosts in the Red Sea, Upon all
the gods of Egypt he had executed judgment, aud caused the
Egyptians to know and acknowledge that He was the Lord
(vii. 5, viii. 8, ix. 27, xii. 12).
With these tremendous judgments of the past few months
still fresh upon their memories, the awe-struck hearers would
have a vivid conception of what was meant by the jealous
God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto
the third and fourth generation. The despotic and barbarous
measures of the new king that knew not Joseph had been
commenced in the time of Moses' father, and thei'efore about
four generations from the time then present. Each genera-
tion had only been advancing in the severity with which they
oppressed the chosen people of the Lord, until their cry
ascended to heaven and the Lord interposed for their vindica-
tion. Overwhelming was the visitation for their aggravated
and infatuated hostility to God and his people. God admo-
nishes the world by terrible examples of his righteous indig-
nation; and then pauses to leave men the full exercise of their
free-agency. Of them that hate me. To have or to make
another god is to hate the true God. Here let it be observed
that in the estimate of God there is no difference between
forsakino- him for another and hatino- him. The neo-ative state
of indifference to him or inclination to another, necessarily
involves the positive state of hatred to the true God. No-
thing can be more base or blameable than to forsake the very
Author of our being and all our blessings for the mere phantom
of a delusive imagination. It is the special temptation of
descendants whether in the nation or the family to follow
their ancestors in apostasy from God or the truth which he
has revealed concerning himself and his ways. Hence at the
birth of this nation whom he has choseii for himself he lifts
up a monitory voice, reminding them of the judgment of Egypt,
and warninor them to beware of incurring a like visitation.
EXODUS XX. G. 211
To allow free scope for that voluntary return to confession
and obedience which can alone he pleasing to God, he may
in lonc-sufferinjx withhold the full force of his correcting hand
even to the fourth generation. But a nation or a family that
neglects opportunities of knowing God and his mercy need
not expect to be long without the dread experience of his
power and justice.
V. 6. And showing mercy. Mercy is that form of the
divine goodness which reason dare not affirm and revelation
alone can proclaim. And to show mercy or do kindness, not
to requite merit or reward righteousness, is the most favourable
language that can be employed concerning any portion of a
ftillen race. It forms the contrast here to "visiting iniquity."
Unto thousands. Here is a cheering prospect and a sweet
assurance to godly parents. " Thousands " may be fairly
understood to mean the thousandth generation, and therefore
to intimate the possibility, if not the probability, of piety
becoming hereditary or being perpetuated in the given line to
the end of time. And the comforting promise is that God
will never fail to show mei'cy to all successive generations
that humbly and thankfully own him for their God. We
observe how mercy rejoices over judgment ; God visits iniquity
unto the fourth generation ; he shows mercy unto the thou-
sandth. Of tlteni that love me and keep my commandmenis.
The objects of the divine mercy are those who have the Lord
for their God and worship him in spirit and in truth. They
meet his mercy with an earnest confiding gratitude ; and this
feeling displays itself in "loving him and keeping his com-
mandments." There is an intense interest connected with
the expression " them that love me." It plainly intimates
that those who have no other God before the true God, and
make no other God beside liim, are those who at the same
time love him. It ])roves that the negative quality of not
forsaking the true God is understood to imply the positive
quality of being faithful to him and loving him. This gives
a new character to the whole decaloirue. It now becomes
not a mere negative law of righteousness, but a positive law
of love. This principle applying to the first two precepts will
extend to the whole. Besides if we love him that begat, we
shall love those who are begotten ; and, therefore, love to God
212 THE MORAL LAW.
will naturally result in love to all his creatures. This closing
sentence would sink deep into the hearts of those reverential
auditors in Horeb's glens. It forms the bright counterpart
to the dark menace conveyed in the preceding one. As the
former has its dread exemplification in the judgments executed
on Egypt, so the latter finds its hopeful illustration in the
chosen race. Those who then stood before the mount of God
were about the tenth generation from Abraham the father of
the faithful. The faith of their great forefather was still the
profession of all and the inward experience of a goodly number
in that vast multitude. And God had been unchangeably
faithful in " showing mercy " to them during all that interval,
and especially to the tenth generation who had been brought
out of the land of bondage and were on their way to a land
of blessing. Here then was the warning against apostasy on
the one hand and the encouragement to fidelity on the other
presented in the most striking examples to this new-born
nation.
It is interesting to find the glad tidings of the mercy of
God presupposed and incidentally proclaimed in this address
from the mount of God. It is important also to note the
place where the two alternatives of judgment and mercy are
inserted in this legislative address. They come after the two
precepts enjoining the exclusive and direct owning and wor-
shipping of the true God. This indicates that to have the
Lord for our God and to have and to make no other god, is
the basis of all religion and the substance of the covenant
between God and his people. All that follows after is the
mere carrying out of this fundamental and fully expressed
principle. This deep and important thought fully bears out
the Masorah in throwing v. 2-6 into one paragraph.
THE THIRD COMMANDMENT.
V. 7. After the acknowledgment of the One Great Spirit
as our God comes the manner in which we ought to treat
him. The name of God is that " by which he makes himself
known." In the realistic style of scripture, where names are
significant, the name indicates the nature of God. It is ex-
pressive, therefore, of his godhead or deity. It especially
EXODUS XX. 7. 213
intimates that great attribute wliiel) is the sum and su1).stance
of the divine nature. Pinver belongeth unto God (Ps. Ixii. 1 1 ;
Rom. L 20) as the essence of his being : for power implies
fieedom, and freedom ^vilI, and will intelligence ; power, will,
and intellect are the three essentials of a Spirit. To take the
name of God in vain is to violate his essence, power, truth.
This commandment is therefore directed against blasphemy,
perjury, and all other modes of dishonouring the name of God.
In its form it serves to illustrate that feature in the style of
scripture according to which a plain and familiar case is set
forth to embody a general principle. And hence in a pro-
founder sense it is opposed to pantheism, naturalism, creaturism,
or the applying of the name of God to the creation or any
part of it, or dealing with it as if it belonged to a creature.
The sin here forbidden has been as prevalent as polytheism
or idolatry. It has assumed all forms, from the deification of
a fetish to that of the sun, moon, and stars, or of the universe.
It has appeared not only as a superstition, but as a philosophy,
falsely so called. It consists in the ascription either of divine
attributes to a creature, or of creature attributes to God. The
latter is the form chiefly contemplated in the command, as it
is addressed to those whose God is the Lord. It tends to
atheism.
Will not acquit him. There is here an allusion to the
"visiting of iniquity" mentioned in the previous passage.
The iniquity of taking the name of God in vain, is akin to that
of having another god, or making an idol before the living
and true God. It is a form of apostasy and ungodliness, and
therefore involves the same guilt, doom, and penalty. This
raises the third commandment to the same gravity of char-
acter with the former two. The investifration of the nature
of that crime which it prohibits has led us to the same con-
clusion regarding its primary importance.
Tlie first commandment, then, guards the unity of God ;
the second, his spirituality ; the third, his deity, or essence.
In the first we are forbidden to make God one of many, when
he is the only One ; in the second, to liken him to a corrupt-
ible image, when he is the incorruptible Spirit ; in the third,
to identify liim in any way with the creature, when he is the
Creator. The three combine to form the fundamental law
214 THE MOKAL LAW.
of monotheism ; but at the same time they present an adum-
bration of the Father, the Son, and tlie Spirit. The Father is
God, the invisible one ; the Son is the express image of the
Father (Heb. i. 2) ; and the Spirit is the inward power or
essence of God.
It is manifest that the ontological division of this solemn
proclamation from Sinai takes place at this point. All that
goes before refers to the essence of God ; all that follows
relates, not to his essence, but to his work. This division
rests on the theological aspect of the " ten words."
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
V. 8-11. This grand compend of law now descends from
the personal rights of God to the day of his rest. The former
precepts are purely moral ; the fourth is partly moral and
partly positive. The principle that man's time should be
divided between labour under the eye of God and leisure for
the solemnities of his worship is moral. The apportionment
according to the example of God is positive. The first three
precepts are of universal obligation whenever and wherever
there is a rational creature. The fourth is specially binding
on man, being founded on the six days' work and the seventh
day's rest in that creation of which he formed the crowning
part. It is therefore to him of perpetual significance and
obligation. Referring to a day of rest for appearing before
God, it inculcates religion and prohibits secularity. It has a
twofold form — affirmative, " Eemember the Sabbath day to
hallow it ; " negative, " In it thou shalt not do any work."
V. 8, Reniemher. Pointing to an event of the past it is
the precept of memory. It deals with the commemorative
principle. This is in keeping with the constitution of man.
Memory is the faculty of history ; and the remembrance of
events that have a momentous influence on the interests of
man is congenial wnth all the tendencies of his nature. Tlie
day. It is not without significance that the law contains a
commandment concerning time, and none concerning space.
Human action occupies a certain time, while it has no definite
relation to space. It also implies forethought, deliberation,
purpose, volition. It involves an agent and a patient, a cause
EXODUS XX. 8-1 1. 215
and an effect. As a course of conduct runs tlirougli a certain
length of time, action and duration come to be measures of
each other. Hence liistory and chronology are inseparably
associated. Spirit may be said to be to time as matter is to
space. The one fills time with the successive acts of its free
powers ; as the other occupies space with tlie widc-sj)rcad
field of its constant forces. The day is the natural unit of
time, and affords the measure for the division of time in the
fourth commandment. It extends from sunset to sunset
(Lev. xxiii. 32). tSabhath, a rest, not that of sleep or death,
but vacation from business, leisure for converse with God. To
hallow it, set it apart from the rest of time for sacred rest.
V. 9. Six days slialt t/ioa labour. There is here an in-
junction to labour in so far as it is necessary for the support
of life. There is at the same time a permission to employ six
successive days in labour. Experience proves that this is more
than sufficient for raising from the ground the sustenance
needful for man. And do all thy luorh. Work or business
is a more extensive term than labour. The latter refers to
out-door work or manual labour, requiring effort and entailing
toil : the former includes, moreover, the routine of domestic
opcratirms, the management of affairs, the transactions of buy-
ing and selling, and all that is usually meant by the t^rra
" business."
v. 10. But the seventh day. \Miile six days are allowed
for business, the seventh is assigned to leisure. The number
seven has acquired a typical sacredness from its application
to the Sabbath. The rest of God after six days of creative
activity, in which a habitation was prepared, and man, the
intended inhabitant, created, is the historical foundation for the
Sabbath. But tlie proportion of time for labour and for rest
is not only derived from the history but adapted to the
nature of man. The operations of the corporeal fiume consist
of thrce parts : fii-st, that which is invohintary and without
intermission, as the action of the heart and other internal
functionaries of the vital organism ; second, that which is
instinctive, as the travail of the animal powers in search of
food, shelter, and other natural requirements ; and third, th.at
which is i-ational, as the effort to attain a certain end beyond
the merely animal wants. The first part of the movement is
216 THE MORAL LAW.
kept in constant vigour by the regular supply of food. The
second has its recompense in the natural repose of sleep. The
third remains over to be relieved by a recuning period of rest
to be determined by reason. As on the whole about a third
part of the exertion of our powers may be due to this last
source, and that for the half of the natural day, it follows
that a sixth part of each natural day needs its compensating
repose. After six days, therefore, a seventh day of rest seems
needful to repair the waste and weariness accruing from
voluntary rational effort. At all events the special activity
of the rational powers evidently stands in need of being
recruited by a third provision, not of the animal, but of the
rational nature, and that is plainly the Sabbath.
A Sabbath to the Lord thy God. Rest and dedication to
God are the properties here assigned to the Sabbath. The
observance of the Sabbath connects man with the origin of
his race, with the six days' creation and with the Creator
himself The connexion is manifestly a historical one. He
that observes the Sabbath aright holds the history of that
which it celebrates to be authentic, and therefore believes in
the creation of the first man, in the creation of a fair abode
for man in the space of six days, in the primeval and absolute
creation of the heavens and the earth, and, as a necessary
antecedent to all this, in the Creator who at the close of his
latest creative effort rested on the seventh day. The Sabbath
thus becomes a sign by which the believers in a historical
revelation are distinguished from those who have allowed
these great facts to fade from their remembrance (xxxi. 13).
The leisure of the Sabbath-day, moreover, affords the oppor-
tunity for the holy convocation and for the public and private
exercises of praise, prayer, reading,, expounding and applying
the word of God. The observance of the Sabbath, then, be-
comes the characteristic of those who cherish the recollections
of the origin of their race, and who worship God not merely
as Elohim, the Everlasting Almighty, but as Jehovah, the
historical God, the Creator, who has revealed himself to man
from the dawn of his existence as the God of love and after-
wards of mercy and grace, of promise and performance.
Thou shalt not do any work. Both labour and business (^"^pK
EXODITS XX. 1 1. 217
and '^3'^f'^, the latter including the former) are excluded on
the weekly sabbath. Thou, nor tlty so)i, nor Ihy daufjhter.
These are the free. The remainder, commencing without tlie
copulative conjunction, are the bond. It i.s remarkable that
tlii.s enumeration intimates the duties of superiors to their
inferiors. It points to the right and duty of parents, masters
and hosts to i-estrain those under them from sin and train
them to holiness. It makes the mother, the wife, tlie mistress,
not subject in this respect, but equal to the husband. It
marks the accountability of owners also. In like manner it
affirms the right of children, servants, and strangers, to the
observance of the Sabbath, and by parity of reason to tlie free
exercise of all other religious duties. It inculcates the kind
treatment of the lower animals. Especially it claims the
seventh day rest for the domestic animals that labour for and
with man in the pursuit of his rational ends. Thy stranger
that is luithin thy gates, (see on xii. 1 9). They were sojour-
ners, not yet incorporated by circumcision into the community
of Israel.
V. 1 1. For. A reason is assigned for the observance of this
precept, as there was for all that preceded it. God requires a
rational service. The reason is historical. It refers to the
original division of time into six days of work and a seventh
day of rest on the occasion of the- creation of man. Then
God not only rested after the six days of creation, but blessed
the Sabbath day and hallowed it. He thus instituted a
seventh day Sabbath of perpetual obligation, and therefore
now enforces its constant remembrance and observance (see on
Gen. ii. 1-3). Reminding him of his exalted origin and bring-
ing him into contact with his maker it awakens in his breast
all those feelings of joy and thankfulness which the possession
of conscious being naturally evokes.
From the essence of God we naturally pass to his action.
As the former three precepts indicate his intrinsic essence, so
the fourth reveals the foundation of his authoi'ity over the
creature. The act of creation is the origin of all title to the
creature and to the obedience of the intelligent creation. The
creation of man is commemorated in the fourth commandment
Hence it contains the fountain head of all authority in God
and all duty in man. The former three are negative. This is
218 THE MORAL LAW.
affirmative. The former regard eternity. This refers to time,
and deals with man's conduct towards God, dividing it into
innocent business and recreation on six days, and holy leisure
for converse with God on the seventh. The absolute authority
of God is no less important to us than his necessary being.
The former three commands relate exclusively to God. The
fourth introduces man on the stage of existence. It forms
therefore, the natural transition from the rights of God to
those of man.
Reo-ardino; the ten words as a law, we are now come to the
point of main division. A law determines what is due to
each class of persons ; and therefore may be divided according
to the various rights due, or the various parties to whom they
are due. In a piimary division these two principles come
ultimately to the same thing, inasmuch as the nature of the
right depends entirely on the nature of the person to whom
it is due. The present summary of law is divided on the
latter principle into the duties of man to God, and of man to
man. The subdivisions that flow from such a primary classi-
fication are merely the analysis of the sum of right due to
each class of individuals.
THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.
v. 12-17. We are now come to that series of command-
ments which contain our duty to man. This is divided into
our duty to superiors, contained in one, and our duty to equals,
contained in the remaining five.
v. ] 2. This commandment prescribing our duty to superiors
is properly arranged after the four that determine our duty to
the great Supreme. It is also the meet companion of the
fourth, inasmuch as they are both founded on the history and
nature of man : the former pointing to the origin of the race,
the latter to that of the individual. Honour thy father and
thy mother. We have here a beautiful instance of the scrip-
tui-al method of laying down a principle by enunciating its
most striking and important example. The parents are the
only natural superiors, for they are under God the authors of
the existence of those children for whose maintenance and
training they labour with all the assiduity of natural affec-
EXODUS XX. 12. 219
tion. Tins sublime Kclicmc of general jurisprudence does not
condescend to notice the ei)lienieral ansmgements of artificial
society, but selects the primeval distinction of parent and
child as the theme of legislation concerning superiors and
inferiors. The parent stands to the child in the relations of
progenitor, benefactor, teacher, and ruler. As progenitor he
is, under God, the author of the child's existence ; and this
gives him a rightful authority over the child second only to
that supreme authority which creation gives to God over both
parent and child. Parental affection moves the father, and
especially the mother, to those unwearied efforts of tender,
loving, fosteritig care that are demanded by the lielplessness
of infancy and childhood, and forms the type and shadow of
that di.sinterestcd beneficence which comes out in other cir-
cumstances in the priestly office. The wisdom and experience
of ao-e qualify him to cultivate the intellectual, active, and
moral powei-s of his child ; in the discharge of which duties
he foreshadows the functions of the prophet, the teacher, and
the preacher. His authority as parent entitles him, and his
affection and experience befit him, to exercise a benignant
sway over his child, and therein to adumbrate the affairs of the
elder or ruler in the political and ecclesiastical worlds.
The "father" and "mother" are distinctly specified to
indicate that they are equal in authority, and therefore equally
entitled to that "honour" which the mother will attract by
her love and the father will enforce by his power. This honour
naturally resolves itself into reverence for the authors of our
beinnr, rrratitude for the nameless blessings of a home, docility
to the patient and persevering educators of our infant minds,
and obedience to the commands of our natural superiors. The
patriarch was father, priest, prophet, and king in his house-
liold or clan. In the more complex arrangements of nations
and empires the magistrate and the priest came out into
prominence and influence as distinct orders, and even the
teacher sometimes asserted a standing and a rank for himself
in the social scale. But all these subdivisions of authority
find their origin and standard in the parental relation and the
fifth commandment. This commandment enforces all law-
ful authority, and is opposed to all the levelling and derang-
iug fancies of anarchy and democracy.
220 THE MORAL LAW.
That thy days may he long in the land. This is the first
commandment with promise. To comprehend all the mean-
ing of this we must remember that the personal pronoun
" thou, thy " is to be taken both in a collective and individual
sense. In the collective sense it refers to the whole people,
and conveys the assurance that compliance with this command
will prolong or perpetuate their possession of the promised
land. In the previous commandment parents were required
to impress upon their children the observance of the Sabbath
and the maintenance of that reverence for God, remembrance
of his creative power and authority, and devotion to his wor-
ship, which are inseparably associated with the day. The
dutiful attention of children to these instructions will serve to
perpetuate fidelity to God among the people from generation
to generation, and therewith to perpetuate the inheritance of
the land of their forefathers. On the other hand, the neijlect
of the parents to enforce, or of the children to maintain, the
observance of the Sabbath and all its associations with the
origin of their race, and with the Creator and Preserver of
their being, will inevitably tend to apostasy from the true
God, and consequent expulsion from the land of all their
natural and religious affections. The subsequent history of
this people to the present day forms a stiiking comment on
the sentence now before us. The great economic law, how-
ever, that filial obedience is the main foundation of national
stability and prosperity, is not peculiar to the Jews. The
domestic virtues have in all nations been the prolific source of
social greatness and progress.
The personal application, however, of this promise is no less
just and important. Length of days or of inheritance is a law
running through the moral government of God, counteracted
no doubt and modified by the interference of other laws that
contribute no less to the ultimate, if not immediate, good of
the individual. For if life be shortened to a child of God, he
only entei-s the sooner upon a better and higher life. And if
the inheritance be shorter than the life, yet he cannot be de-
prived of that precious and present inheritance that all things,
even affliction, work together for his ffood.
Which the Lord thy God giveth thee, is going to give thee,
is in the purpose and process of giving thee, as the imperfect
EXODUS XX. 1 3. 221
or current participle denotes. The mention of this circum-
stance concerning the land favours tiie wider interprettition of
this promise, as it was to the whole ])eople the Lord was ahout
to give the land. It does not however preclude its reference
to individuals. It is to be noted that if we rei^ard the second
vei-se as an integral part of the first commandment, the phrase
"the Lord thy God" occurs in each of the first five com-
mandments.
This is the third and last point at which the main division
of the Decalogue may be placed ; the ground of distinction
being the rank of the ])arties to whom the rights are assigned.
The first five refer to the rights of superiors, and the second
five to those of equals. But the second point of division is
much more marked than this. The contradistinction between
God and man is incomparably more important than that be-
tween superiors and equals, when among the superiors God
and man are classed together and opposed to men as equals.
It is obvious that the fourth and fifth commandments form the
easy and gi-adual transition from the higher to the lower sphere
of legislation. They stand together in many respects. Thev
have a positive form. The one introduces us to the family ox
heaven ; the other to the family of earth. The former touches
incidentally on the duties of parents and masters ; the latter
relates to the duties of children and servants. The one respects
the " honour" due to the Great Father of all ; the other that
wliich is due to His natural representative and type among
men.
V. 13-17. These verses contain the five precepts regarding
equals. Three of these refer to deeds, one to words, and one
to thoughts. They guard the life, the chastity, the property,
and the character of our neighbour, not only from the outward
act, but from the inward thought of violence. It is indeed in
all cases the intent that gives moral character to the act.
THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT.
v. 13. This commandment protcct.s life, and is against all
endeavours that endanger the life of our neighbour. As there
is no object expressed, it prohibits suicide as well as homicide.
It also forbids violence, passion, lust, intemperance in eating
222 THE MORAL LAW.
or drinking, or anything that tends to shorten life. The
peculiar sacredness of human life lies in this, that man is a
responsible being, liable to be rewarded or punished accfjrding
to his deeds. Life is the reward of obedience, and death is
the penalty of disobedience. The circumstance that this life
is to the sinner the season of invitation to return to God, who
will have mercy on him, deepens immeasurably the crime of
cutting short his life in the midst of his impenitence. All these
considerations are wrapped up in the paramount reflection that
man was created in the image of God. Life is also used in a
pregnant sense in Scripture. It rises from the mere natural
life to the spiritual life, which is rekindled in the dead soul
by the Spirit of life through the word of life. This widens
immensely the scope of this commandment. And if we now
advance from the mere negation of refraininor from evil to the
position of abounding in good, we behold opening before us a
boundless prospect of well doing for the children of God.
THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.
V. ] 4. This commandment sanctions marriage and prohibits
fornication, adultery, and all unchaste acts. Among mankind,
who ai'e naturally gifted with reason and conscience, the coha-
biting of the sexes ought to be after the solemn compact of
lawful wedlock by mutual consent. Marriage ought to be
between one man and one woman, who are not within the
forbidden degrees of consanguinity. Nothing dissolves its
bonds but adultery. Married life is not sinful or defiling.
On the other hand it calls forth some of the tenderest, fairest,
finest feelings of humanity ; and gives scope for as high and
holy duties as any isolation in life., This commandment guards
the home from the external intruder on its chastity, as the
fifth does from the internal disturber of its peace.
The formation of the woman out of the man indicates in a
striking and beautiful manner the unity of the married pair.
The fourth and fifth commandments concur with this in pre-
supposing a parity of right between the husband and wife.
The law of Moses and the law of Christ agree in vindicating
the natural right of woman against the arbitrar}'- miglit of man.
And Judaism and Christianity have been honourably distin-
EXODUS XX. It. 223
gui&hed among the nations for respecting the ngl)ts of the
wea ccr sex. This is the more remaikable, as they both origi-
nated in the East, where the harem prevails.
^[arriagc has hoea peculiarly ennobled by being employed
to ty|)ify the union between God and His people ; while apos-
tiisy has been odiously branded as fornication and adultery.
THE EinilTII COMMANDMENT.
V. 15. This precept guards property, and is directed against
taking that which does not belong to us, whether by violence or
fraud. The most heinous breach of this commandment is the
stealing of man. If ])ro})erty be taken in a large sense, this
precept includes the two ])receding, as the life and the body
are strictly property. If it embrace what belongs to another
as a debt or a right, then this connnandment covers the whole
field of relative duty. The Maker is the only ultimate pro-
prietor. Not a tree of the garden belongs to Adam, till the
Creator makes the definite grant. All men are equal in point
of natural right. The only natural superioi'ity is that of the
])arent. All other authority of man over man, is by covenant
or tacit consent. This, then, is the most comprehensive of all
the commandments. And it occu})ies the central place among
the laws between equals.
The three preceding commandments refer to action, and in
this we see a warrant for grouping them in one verse, as is
done in some manuscripts. They also bear a certain analogy
to the first two or three connnandments. To have another
god is a practical annihilation of the true God. Idolatry is a
spiritual adultery. Stealing, in a large sense, will include
taking the name of God in vain. It is in one sense the only
thinij of whj'^h we can rob God.
THE NINTH COMMANDMENT.
V. 1 G. This commandment refers to speech, enjoins truth,
and is directed against falsehood. It covers the same ground
as the preceding three ; as falsehood may imperil life, chastity,
or property. It assumes its darkest form when the falsehood
is uttered avow*^dly in the presence of God, who seai'cbes the
224 THE MORAL LAW.
heart, and will bring every word into judgment. In this
aspect it bears the same relation to the third command nient
which the three preceding do to the first two or chree.
Besides the common applications of this law, its importance is
enhanced by the circumstances, that most of our information
concerning the present or the past, comes to us in the form
of lancrua^e, and that our knowledge of God, of His work,
and of His grace, is conveyed to us in His word. The eter-
nal, then, as well as the temporal interests of man, are linked
with spoken and written words. How awful, then, the re-
sponsibility of those who are endowed with the faculty of
speech.
THE TENTH COMMANDMENT.
V. 1 7. This commandment refers to the thoughts, inculcates
disinterestedness, and prohibits indulging a desire after that
which belongs to another. The first clause is followed by a
closed space indicating a subordinate separation from the fol-
lowing clauses. The verb is also repeated at the beginning
of the second clause, intimating a marked distinction, and
warranting a certain pause, though not a sub-division of the
decalogue. The transposal of the first two clauses in Deut.
(v. 21) is sufiicient to show that in the estimate of the tran-
scriber tbe two were included in one of the ten words. This
precept, also, is co-extensive with the three precepts referring
to the outward acts. A man cannot covet his neighbour's
life ; but he may desire his death, if it would make way for
his acquiring possession of any coveted thing that belonged
to him. In the arrangement of the present book, " the
house " is placed first. This is generally understood of the
material building in which a man dwells. We prefer regard-
ing the prominent thought implied in it here to be the family,
including the parents, and especially the sons and daughters
of all living generations: inasmuch as, 1, the other objects
specified are living creatures, and "anything that is thy
neighbour's " includes the goods and lands ; 2, the children
are not otherwise mentioned, though of more importance than
servants or cattle ; 3, a due subordination is thus introduced
into the details, the house coming first as including the
EXODUS XX. 17. 225
parents and children, the wife next, as the separaltlc ])art of
the neighbour, and then the servants, cattle, and inanimate
objects. In Deuteronomy the prominent thought in " liou.se"
seems to be the material building ; and hence the wife, who
is also the mother, and includes the children, is placed first,
the house and the field are associated together in the next
place, the service by which these are rendered comfortable
and profitable has the third rank, and the products of their
labour hold the last. The arrangement in Exodus corresponds
closely with the three precepts concerning the outward
acts ; as the sixth commandment bears upon the family in its
■widest sense, the seventh especially on the wife, and the
eighth in some sense upon the servants, the cattle, and the
goods.
The improper desire is the root of all evil. It can seldom
be reached by human legislation. But it is open to the
Searcher of hearts. The intent is that which, in the last re-
sort, determines the moral character of the act. This last
" word " is, therefore, the interpreting clause of the whole
decalogue (Rom. vii. 7). It raises the code immeasurably
above every code of man who looketh on the outward appear-
ance of conduct, and at once renders it worthy of the Lord
who looketh on the heart. Covetousness here includes envy,
malice, and every other selfish or unholy state of the feelings.
Its prohibition involves the inculcation not merely of disin-
terestedness, but of all the forms of unselfish benevolence.
This commandment is, therefore, virtually the law of love, and
in this positive sense gives that loftier aspect to the decalogue,
the traces of which have been already noticed.
As the ninth commandment is related to the third, so the
tenth has several points of relation with the fourth. 1. It
enjoins disinterestedness, and the observance of a seventh day's
rest is a most powerful and practical demand for the same
state of the affections. 2. It contains an enumeration of the
inmates and surroundings of the home ; and the fourth com-
mandment does the same, and with much of the same intent.
3. It strikes at the root of all inhumanity in the words and
acts of men ; and the law of the Sabbath strikes at the root
of all ungodliness in a world that is prone to secularity. There
is no command of the decalogue by which the public sense of
P
226 THE MORAL LAW.
religious obligation has been so deeply tried and found want-
ing as the fourth ; and the obvious and almost avowed spring
of all worldly opposition and natural antipathy to it is the
selfish, grasping, avaricious spirit which is condemned in the
tenth.
This brings out a curious proof of the internal coherence of
these ten words. If we connect together the first and second
commandment and likewise form the sixth, seventh, and eighth
that relate to the outward conduct into one gTOup, we bring
to view a remarkable analogy between the former and the
latter ; and the same analogy appears between the third and
ninth, and between the fourth and tenth. Thus the law is
found to fall naturally into a sevenfold division, three mem-
bers of which relating to God are before the fifth command-
ment, and three relating to man after this central precept relat-
ing to parents. The number ten points to the perfection of this
code, and this internal septenary arrangement to its holiness.
There is, therefore, a wonderful display of unity and compre-
hensiveness in this moral discourse. While adopting the
concrete form that comes home to the common mind, it em-
bodies at the same time in its familiar examples all the great
abstract principles of moral truth. The mild voice of a pater-
nal authority is heard in it, inasmuch as while it warns the
decided or defiant apostate of certain retribution, it whispers
mercy to every returning penitent. It is addressed, no doubt,
to the sons of Israel, and alludes to their recent deliverance
from bondage ; but it purports to be the utterance of the
Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth. It does not suf-
fer any limitation by being proclaimed to that portion of the
human race which remained in professed communion with
God, since it forewarns the apostate nations of approaching
visitation, and clothes its precepts in the garb of denunciations
against their most glaring sins. Many of its precepts are of
universal and eternal obligation, and none of them is narrower
than the whole compass and duration of the human race on
earth. To the heirs of immortality, when they have become
the spirits of just men made perfect, when .they neither marry
nor are given in marriage, and have more thinos common than
air and water, the principles contained in the sixth, seventh,
and eighth commandments, if they require to be republished.
EXODUS XX. 18-21. 227
will assume a new form adapted to their new condition. But
the principles themselves, and even the form in which they
arc now presented, can never cease to be self-evident and self-
binding.
V. 18-21. The effect of the spectacle which Mount Sinai
presented upon the people is here described. We may sup-
pose that the awful silence which prevailed during the delivery
of the law was followed bv a return of the thunderincfs and
the lightnings, and the clang of the trumpet. All Ike, jieople
saw. The verb is here used in a pregnant sense. They saw
the scene which was accom{)anied by the drojid crashing of the
elements and the thrilling notes of that unearthly cornet.
They drew back and stood afar of. The solemnities of the
divine presence beget the feeling of reverential awe, under the
influence of which they retire to a respectfnl distance. They
have no more any doubt of the divine commission of Moses ;
and they entreat by their elders that God would speak to them
through Moses, and not directly and personally, lest they die.
Human consciousness in its fallen state shrinks from imme-
diate contact with God (v. 20). Moses pronounces the
encouraging word, Fear not, a word long remembered after-
ward (Hag. ii. 5). To prove you. The test of their fidelity
to the Lord their God was the law which was now promul-
gated from Sinai with all the advantages of the immediate
presence and audible voice of God. Faith in God is a dead
form, if it do not bring forth the fruit of penitence and obe-
dience. Hence he sets before them in the most conspicuous
light the standard of a perfect morality that he may prove
thorn, that his fear vi ay he before thevithat they sin not. The
signal demonstrations of his presence and power will leave them
without the excuse of any obscurity in the oracles they have
received, and awaken a salutary sense of the infinite majesty
and sanctity of the Supreme (v. 21). And Moses dreiu near
to tJie thick darkness where God was. We learn from the sup-
plementary narrative of Deuteronomy that Moses communi-
cated the petition of the people to the Lord, who was pleased
therewith, and gave them leave to retire to their tents (Deut.
V. 28).
V. 22-2G. The altar. The paragraph now before us is tiie
close after the ten words and the preface to the legislation of
228 THE ALTAR.
the three following chapters. It is in the form of a message
to Israel. It reminds them of the palpable fact that he had
spoken to them from heaven, v. 23. Ye shall not make with
me any idol. The construction here is remarkable. The first
" make " has no object expressed. It is designed to make
emphatic the accompanying " with me," by which the exclusive
unity of the godhead is intimated. The object is then supplied
and the verb repeated.
V. 24. An altar. This prohibition to make any image of
God is designed to introduce the permission or injunction to
make an altar to him. The only outward thing in the salva-
tion of the soul is the atonement. The necessity of propitia-
tion is accordingly symbolised in the altar. The mercy of
God needs no type, and has its place in the proclamation on
Sinai. The propitiation, which makes way for his mercy to
the penitent sinner by satisfying his justice, has its type in
the altar and the sacrifice thereon. This special provision for
the salvation of sinners, though it would be out of place in
the ten words, yet forms the main substance of all that is
shadowed forth in the whole ceremonial law. It, therefore,
comes in here as the necessary antecedent of all acceptable
approaching to God and walking with him. The word altar
connects Moses and the people of Israel with Noah and his
rescued family (Gen. viii. 20). Of earth. Earth was the
.scene of man's sin ; it is also to be the scene of the sacrifice
for sin. The altar of earth is merely the definite spot of this
earth set apart for sacrifice and elevated to raise the offering
towards God who is in heaven. Thy burnt offenngs. The
two great classes of offerings are the expiatory and the eu-
charistic. The former is here represented by the n^V or burnt-
offering (Gen. viii. 20), which implies on the part of the offerer
the confession of guilt and of the need of an atonement. And
thy ijeace-offering. This is that species of offering which was
designed to express the thanksgiving of the offerer for peace
with God or any of its attendant benefits. It was also ex-
pressive of devotedness to him. Thy sheep and thine oxen.
The ordinary kinds of animals employed in sacrifice. Goats
were included along with the sheep. In every place ^vhere I
record 7ny name, where I cause my name to be remembered
and invoked. This intimates some change of the place where
EXODUS XXI. 229
the altar was to be erected. The patriarchs were wont to
build an altar wherever God appeared to them. / will come
unto thee and bless thee. The presence and the buuiity of God
are here promised.
V. 25, 2G. llie altar may be of stones, if unhewn. It is
thus entirely a work of God and so in keeping with that pro-
pitiation whicli comes entirely from God. // thou lift up
thy tool upon it, thou dost pollute it. This teaches by a figure
that the .sinner only defiles, and therefore cannot liave any
part in atoning. The altar of rude stone was common amono-
the ancient nations. Motives of decency dictated that the
altar Wiis not to be approached by steps.
The prescri{)tion here concerning the altar appears in the
most general form. The details of legislation on this subject
will appear in their proper place.
XII. THE CIVIL LAW. EXOD. XXI.-XXIV.
CHAP. XXL LAWS OF SERVITUDE AND PERSONAL SAFETY.
And these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
2 When thou gettest a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve;
and in the seventh lie shall go out free for nothing. 3 If he come in
by himself, he shall go out by himself : if he be married, then his
wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master give him a wife, and she
have borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her chiMrcn shall be
her masters, and he shall go out by himself. 5 And if the servant
shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife and my children ; I will
not go out free : 6 Then his master shall bring him unto God : and
shall bring him to the door or to the door post ; and his master shall
bore his ear through with an awl ; and he shall serve for ever. § 32.
7 And when a man sells his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall
not go out as the men-servants do. 8 If she please not her master,
who hath not betrothed her, then he shall let her be redeemed : to
sell her to a strange pe(jple he shall have no power, when he hath
deceived her. 9 And if he betroth her to his sou, he shall deal with
her after the manner of daughters. 10 If he take him another wife,
her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
1 1 And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free
without money. § 33
230 THE CIVIL LAW.
12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to
death. 13 And if a man lie not in wait, hut God deliver him into
his hand, then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. § 34.
14 But if a man come presumptuously on his neighbour to slay him
with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar to put hira to death.
§ 85. 15 And he that smiteth his father or his mother shall
surely be put to death. § 36. 16 And he that stealeth a
man and selleth him, or in whose hand he is found, shall surely be
put to death. §37. 17 He that curseth his father or his
mother shall surely be put to death. § 38.
18 And if men quarrel, and one smite another with a stone or with
his fist, and he die not, but is laid on his bed : 19 If he rise and
walk abroad on his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit ; only
he shall pay for his loss of time, and cause him to be thoroughly
healed. § 39.
20 And if a man smite his servant or his maid with a rod, and he
die under his hand, he shall surely be punished. 21 But if he con-
tinue a day or two, he shall not be punished : for he is his money.
§ 40.
22 And if men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her
fruit depart from her and no mischief follow, he shall be surely fined,
according as the woman's husband will lay upon him, and he shall
give as the judges determine. 23 And if mischief follow, then thou
shalt give life for life. 24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for
hand, foot for foot. 25 Burning for burning, wound for wound,
stripe for stripe. § 41.
26 And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his
maid that it perish, he shall let him go free for his eye's sake. 27
And if he knock out the tooth of his servant, or the tooth of his
maid, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake. ^ 34.
28 And if an ox gore a man or a woman and he die, the ox shall
be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten ; but the owner of
the ox shall be quit : 29 But if the ox were wont to gore in time
past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept
him in, and he hath killed a man or a Avoman, the ox shall be stoned,
and his owner also shall be put to death, 30 If a price be laid ou
him, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid
upon him. 31 Whether he gore a son or gore a daughter, according
to this judgment shall it be done unto him. 32 If the ox gore a ser-
vant or a maid, he shall give unto his master thirty shekels of silver,
and the ox shall be stoned. § 42. 33 And if a man shall
open a pit, or if a man dig a pit and cover it not, and an ox or an ass
EXODUS XXI. 1. 231
fall therein ; 3i The owner of tho pit shall make it good : llio money
he shall return to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his. § 43,
35 And if one man's ox gore another's, and it die, then they shall
sell the live ox and divide the money of it ; and the dead ox also they
shall divide. 3G Or if it be known that the ox was wont to gore in
time past, and his owner did not keep him in, he shall surely pay ox
for ox, and tho dead shall bo his. § 44.
V. 1. And these are the judgments which thou shalt set
before them.. This is the heading of the four chapters which
contain the civil ])olity of the Jewish theocracy. It will aid
very much the intelligent perusal of these chapters if we mark
the orderly arrangement of the topics of which they treat.
Tiie main features of this arrangement have been grasped by
the Hebrew and Christian expositors. With some variance
from the usual division, and some endeavour after a more
extensive elucidation, it is exhibited in the following scheme : —
I. Of servitude, . .
II. Of personal safety,
III. Of property, . .
IV. Of conjugal fidelity,
V. Of veracity, . .
VI. Of set .times, . .
VTL Of piety, . . .
The first of these sections refere to the duties of masters and
servants, and is, therefore, a natural expansion of the fifth com-
mandment, which relates to parents and children. The second
treats of injuries destroying or endangering life, and hence
comes under the sixth commandment. The third, relating to
property, is an expansion of the eighth. The fourth is of a
somewhat diversified character. But its various precejits
bear upon the mai-riage vow either between husband and
wife, or between God and His people. The injunctions con-
cerning the stranger, the widow and orphan, and the poor,
will naturally come imder the latter head, if we remember
that God avouches Himself the guardian of all such. This
section is thus analogous to the seventh commandment. The
fifth section, on truthfulness and integiity in witness-bearing
and judging, developes the ninth commandment. The sixth.
XXL 111, . .
5th Commandment.
xxi. 12-32, . .
0th
j>
xxi. 33 — xxiL 14,
, 8th
)>
xxii. 15-30, .
7 th
,,
xxiii. 1-9, . .
9 th
V
xxiii. 10-19, .
4th
»»
xxiii. 20-33, .
10th
»
232 THE CIVIL LAW.
on the observance of set times, finds its germ in the fourth
word of the decalogue. The seventh, on the acknowledging,
worshipping, and serving of Jehovah alone, who searches the
hearts and estimates the motives, is closely allied with the
tenth commandment.
It follows that the civil code is capable of being divided
into seven sections con-esponding with the last seven precepts
of the decalogue, though exhibiting a different order. The
order depends in each case on the material to be arranged
and the end to be attained. There the matter was the moral
relation between the Creator and a race of intellio-ent creatures,
and the end a compend of universal law. Here the matter is
the moral relation between the Sovereign and his subjects,
and the end a code of civil jurisprudence. Here the subject
of law is regarded — 1, as a master ; 2, as a neighbour ; 3, as
an owner ; 4, as a consort ; 5, as a speaker ; 6, as a disposer
of time ; and 7, as a child of God. The basis of this arrange-
ment appears to be a gradation in the rights and responsibili-
ties of man. It is manifest that the first section touches upon
his lowest stage, and tlie last upon his highest. The serf is
one who is denuded of some part of his natural rights. The
neighbour is in possession of that great original right of one
creature against every other, namely, the inviolability of his
person. The owner is invested with certain additional rights,
acquired originally by the grant of the Creator, which is the
onljT- just title to property. The consort indicates a still
higher degree of responsibility, as the social compact which it
involves brings into view reason and will, and fidelity and
trust. The speaker as endowed with the organ of that so-
ciality which is implied in the consort. The occupant of time
has within his power the set time of meeting, private or pub-
lic, which affords the possibility of social conference. The
child of God rises to the highest privileges of social happiness
in the great family of heaven and earth. A piece of composi-
tion that admits of such analysis must have an internal har-
mony and unity.
Bertheau, and after him Baumgarten, maintain that as the
" ten words " constitute the m-eat decaloo-ue, so each of these
sections forms a minor decalogue. There is, we conceive, some
tenable OTound for this subdivision. This briuirs out in a
EXODUS XXI. 12-32. 233
striking liglifc tlic wonderful system lying in the structure of
tliis seemingly unconnected collection of injunctions. Seven
groups of ten precepts each form the fundamental polity of
the commonwealth of Israel.
The judgrtieyits. These arc decisions on points of law that
may arise between man and man. They are therefore autho-
ritative sentences or precepts for the regulation of civil society.
I. LAWS OF SERVITUDE.
V. 2-1 1. Here are ten verses containing the first decade of
laws. They relate to serfdom, or the degraded state of man
in which he is stripped of some of his natural rights. The
only natural rights are rights of person, such as liberty, life,
and inviolability of person. Offenders against the law are in
all states deprived of some or most of these rights as the
penalty of their offence. Even insolvency in some states has
involved the loss of liberty and life. Captives in war have
been often treated as offenders against the state, and consigned
to bondage for life. It must be admitted that the withdrawal
of freedijm, or the imposition of labour for a term of years, or
for life, according to the degree of the offence, is a legitimate
mode of state punishment. Hence serfdom and forced labour
are warrantable in the case of crime. Even the apprenticeship
of six years for the acquisition of handicraft, or any other
craft, such as domestic service, with proper restrictions, might
be an improvement on our social sj'^stem. And in ancient
times, when servitude merely meant the performance of service
with the understood condition of receiving food and raiment
in return, many were glad to accept the terms without stipu-
lating for a personal freedom which was to them of no prac-
tical value. The present decade of laws does not institute
servitude, or commit itself to the approbation of eveiy kind
of bondage. It merely implies that some form of it, such as
that of criminals under correction, or the dependent who volun-
tarily enters into it, is admissible. It recognises the fact of
its existence, without entering into the origin of this degraded
condition. The decade of precepts is divided into two fives,
each beginning with when (^3, v. 2, 7), followed by four ifs
234 LAWS OF SERVITUDE.
(DS), The former five relate to the man servant, the latter to
the maid-servant.
V. 2. If thou get, acquire in any way, it may be by the
voluntary offer of the individual, who sometimes sold himself
into servitude, such as is here contemplated, as a means of
improving his temporal condition (Lev. xxv. 39, Deut. xv. 12).
A Hebrew servant A servant is merely a labourer. The
term does not of itself indicate the loss of freedom. We see
no reason why the term Hebrew should not be taken here in
its full extent of meaning as a descendant of Heber, at least
as far as this relationship still lived in the memories of men,
and no disturbing event interfered with its application. We
have no doubt that in process of time the term was gradually
narrowed in application until it came to be of the same extent,
though not precisely of the same meaning, with Israelite or
Jew, This first decision limits the period of servitude for a
Hebrew to six years. As, however, all the Hebrew servants
became free in the jubilee, or fiftieth year (Lev. xxv. 10, 40),
this period would be shortened if it commenced within the six
years immediately before the jubilee. It is plain frora this sta-
tute that the involuntary servitude of a Hebrew could not be
prolonged beyond six years. He then goes out free/o* nothing,
or without any redemption. Nay, it is further enjoined in
Deut. XV. 12, 18, that he shall be furnished with a stock to
enable him to enter upon a life of self-dependence.
V. 8. This verse contains two enactments, that are the com-
plements of one whole. He that comes in hy himself with
his body only, shall go out by himself But if he come in
married, his wife also shall go out with him at the end of the
six years. This includes no doubt the family, if any, as they
go with the mother.
V. 4. The fourth decides that in case his master give him a
wife, she and her children shall remain with the master, when
the husband goes free. The wife belonged to the master.
The children go with her who can tend them in their infant
years, and sustain them out of her master's abundance. The
difference in condition between the husband and his wife does
not however necessarily dissolve the tie of wedlock between
them. The husband's " going out by himself," simply means
that his wife does not share his freedom with him. It does
Exoijus XXI. 7-1 1. 235
not of itself dissolve the marriage bond. Tlicy may continue
to live as husband and wife, tliough it is possible that in the
loose mannci"s of the times, the connection would be sometimes
entirely broken off. The liberation of the husband may have
made it inconvenient, difficult, or sometimes impossible for
them to live together. Such a case is provided for in the fol-
lowing enactment.
V. 5, 6. The fifth clause of this section presents a very
agreeable aspect of servitude as existing in Israel. Shall
plainly say, declare in all the earnestness cind warmth of his
heart. / love, I have learned to love my master. / loill not
go Old free. Here is a case of voluntary servitude and that
not for a limited term of years, v. G. Shall bring him unto
God. Here is the first mention of the magistrate in the com-
monwealth of Israel. The supreme ruler in this singular
community is God himself. His rainisteis, governors, and
juilges, therefore, speak with an authority paramount to all
other. The Sept. aptly renders rrphg ri y.piTr;piQv roij ©toD, to the
court of God. The freed man is to make his solemn declara-
tion " I will not go free" before the authorities of the land, who
will see to it that the act is of his own free will. To the door
or to the post, whichever is the more suitable. The latter is
always available, but the door-leaf may sometimes be wanting.
His master shall do the act as the chief party concerned.
Bore his ear through ivith an aui. The awl through the ear
is to be driven into the door or the post (Deut. xv. 17), to
signify the permanent attachment of the bondsman to the
fomily of his master. And he ahall serve for ever. Josephus
and the Rabbins explain this to be a service till the next
jubilee. This seems natural, as the i)hrase "for ever" is to be
explained according to the nature of that to which it is applied.
It could not in this case extend longer than the natural life of
the servant.
v. 7-11. These five verses contain the law of the maid-
servant. To sell his daughter to he a maidservant was partly
the resource of poverty and partly the custom of the country.
It is plain that the maid-servant so bought was to have the
place of a wife or a concubine either to her purchaser or his
son. In either case she is not to go oid us the men-scit^ants
do. If she please her master, she has an acknowledged posi-
236 LAWS OF PERSONAL SAFETY.
tion of right in his house, which the marriage bond secures
to her.
V. 8. If she please him not, and accordingly he do not be-
troth her or give her this rightful place, he shall let her he
redeemed by some of her kindred. He is not at liberty to sell
her to a foreigner, when he has deceived her by refusing her
the rights of marriage. This last clause is only a circumstance
necessitating her release. The illegality of selling her to a
foreigner rests on the fact of her Israelitish descent.
V. 9. If he hetroth her to his son, she shall be treated as a
daughter and not as a bondsmaid. She is to have all the
privileges of a wife.
V. 1 0. If he take him another tvife. This may refer either
to the father or the son. The latter seems preferable. A second
wife is not to exclude tl:»e former from the rights of food,
raiment, and conjugal intercourse. Here again we find the
law not instituting either polygamy or concubinage, but guard-
inof the rights of the wife.
V. 11. If these three rights be withheld, the bondsmaid is
to go free without any redemption. A servitude in which
the bondsmaid raio-ht become the honoured wife of the master
or of his son, or in case of neglect, be released from her bond-
age was thus secured for the poor daughter of Israel.
II. LAWS OF PERSONAL SAFETY.
V. 12-32. From man divested of the natural right of free-
dom we advance to man invested with the natural right of
personal inviolability. This is the most fundamental right
that belongs to intelligent creatures. As they come from the
hand of the Creator, one individual has no right to harm
another, and each has a right to be left unharmed by every
other. The Cieator has the authority and the obligation to
enforce this law upon the intelligent portion of His creatures ;
and in a fallen state civil government is instituted on the ulti-
mate basis of the patriarchal authority to check its infringe-
ment and guard personal safety. The special form of personal
violence prohibited in this set of judgments is injury to life or
limb. It is therefore an expansion of the sixth command-
ment. The injury may come directly from our neighbour
(v. 12-27), or indirectly from his ox (v. 28-32).
EXODUS XXI. 12-32. 2 37
V. 12-14. Intentional killing, or murder, is placed first.
The general rule is first laid down. The murderer shall surely
be put to death. No satisfaction or ])ecuniary fine was to bo
taken for the life of a murderer. The rich and the poor were
to stand here on a footing of perfect equality (Num. xxxv. 31).
Then the two cases of ])renieditated and unpremeditated man-
slaying are distinguished. // a man lie not in wait. If the
intention be not harboured in his mind, if a plot be not laid.
But God deliver him into his hand. Here the particular
providence of God is recognised in the most emphatic manner.
This clause is merely the complement of that which precedes.
If the slayer had no hand in bringing about the meeting, then
it falls under the general head of the divine administration.
It is only the meeting of the parties that is here referred to
this head. The broader question of the occurrence of all
events moral and physical in subordination to divine provi-
dence is not here mooted. A place luhither he shall fiee. This
contains a reference to the avenger of blood (''^'3, ^^i ^^^ Num.
xxxv. 9-32), the nearest of kin, who was by primeval custom
antecedent to all statute law entitled and bound to maintain
the cause of the deceased in general, and in the case of death
by violence to pursue the slayer, and, if he overtook him, to
put him to death. The life of man is infinitely precious, both
because he has been created in the image of God, and because
he is responsible hereafter for what is done here. Hence even
unintentional homicide is regarded as an awful deed, which is
not to be passed over without check or censure. But though
the avenger of blood is recognised as the minister of a prompt
and natural justice, yet a w\ay of escape is opened for the un-
intentional man-slayer by the institution of six cities of refuge
(Josh. XX. 7, 8), so situated that the fugitive had not more than
twenty-five or thirty English miles at most to flee. And as
in most cases he would have a start of from one to twenty-
four hours, he would generally be beyond the reach of his pur-
suer in the course of a day. The cities of refuge were all
Levitical, and therefore in a peculiar sense belonging to God,
■who shields the unintentional man slayer. The elders or
council (^7^) of the city of refuge shall receive him, and not
surrender him to the avenger of blood (Josh. xx. 4, 5). They
shall hand him over to the council (nny) or elders of his own
238 LAWS OF PERSONAL SAFETY.
city (Num. xxxv. 24, 25, Deut. x. 1 2), who shall decide whether
he be guilty of manslaughter or murder, and in the former
case " restore him to the city of his refuge," and in the latter
" deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood that he
may die." v. 14. The murderer, as he acts from malice pre-
pense, with presumptuous daring, or unmanly guile, is here,
by way of contrast with the milder sentence of the unpreme-
ditating man-slayer, emphatically condemned to death, from
which not even the altar of God, much less the city of refuge,
shall shelter him. This indicates both the fact that the altar
was already regarded as a sacred and almost inviolable asylum
for the defenceless on account of its intimate connection with
Supreme Being, and the reason why Levitical cities, which
belonged specially to God, were selected as cities of refuge.
V. 15, In this second enactment we pass from the murder-
ous stroke to the blow of violence inflicted on a father or a
mother. To strike a parent, even though the blow be not
fatal, is to lift the hand of violence against the author of our
being. It is akin to rebellion against God himself, the great
Father of all. It is here regarded with such abhorrence as to
be visited with the penalty of death. We learn from this and
other passages (v. 17, Deut. xxi. 18-21) that wilful and ob-
stinate disrespect to parents was a crime that came under the
cognisance of the civil judge.
V. 16. The third judgment condemns the man-stealer to
death. From the violent blow we proceed to the violent
seizure. To steal a man and make merchandise of him is by
its present connection regarded as aiming a blow at his life.
It is, at all events, doing violence to his person, and therefore
comes naturally under the sixth commandment. It differs
entirely from the treatment of one who has come into legiti-
mate bondage, to which the previous section is devoted. This
enactment leads to the remarkable conclusion that the stealing
or selling of a free man without his fault, or against his will,
was in the polity of Israel a crime of the deepest dye ; and
accordincrly that lawful servitude could only arise from the
consent or the crime of the serf (see on v. 2-11). This form
of the, law differs from the corresponding one in Deut. xxiv. 7
in the universality of its application.
V. 17. The preceding enactments refer to the hand of me-
EXODUS XXI. 12-32. 239
ditatcd violence ; the fourtli to tlie tongue. Some copies of
the Sept., regarding the parents as the point of connection,
transpose the 10th and 17th verses. But the Hebrew ai*-
rangement rests on the more fundamental gradation from the
hand to the tongue. Cursing father or motlier is a crime
cojrnate with the breach of the third commandment. Tlie
legislator evidently takes a comprehensive view of the prin-
ciple involved in the sixth commandment similar to that of
our Lord in the sermon on the Mount (Matt. v. 21-20). Hence
" cursing," wishing evil to a parent, is treated ns a most flag-
rant breach of this commandment. It violates the majesty of
God, of whom the parent is the natural representative.
V. 18, 19. In this fifth "judgment" from malice prepense,
we proceed to sudden outbursts of violence arising from strife
or passion. The present case refers to strife or angry debate
between equals. From words they come to blows. A bruise
is inflicted with a stone or the fist, which does not cause death,
and yet confines the sufferer to his couch. Here both parties
may be culpable ; and if the disabled man so far recover as to
walk about on his staff, the striker is only to pay for the loss
of time and the costs of the remedy. If, however, death ensue,
either in the strife or before he leave his bed, the case is pro-
vided for by the first enactment of this section (v. 1 2-14). It
will come under the head of manslaughter, unless malice pre-
pense can be proved.
V. 20, 21, The sixth law refers to sudden violence on
the part of a master. The chastisement of a servant or even
a child with a rod was in perfect harmony with the allowed
custom of the times. If, therefore, death under his hand should
follow, it was to be presumed that the master did not intend
to kill his servant. He filudl surch/ he imnislted. If he had
without intention slain a free man, he would have fled to the
city of refuge and remained there till the death of the high
priest. In the case of a bondsman, then, we cannot suppose
with the Talmud, that the penalty was death by the sword.
In the absence of an avenger of blood we presume the elders
of his city would examine whether the act was murder or
manslaughter, and deal with him according to the spirit of the
first enactment (v. 1 2-1 4j. This would involve at least banish-
ment to the nearest city of refuge for the usual time. But it
240 LAWS OF PERSONAL SAFETY.
is possible that death resulting ffom the excess of a legitimate
mode of chastisement was punished by a fine of thirty shekels
or upwards, the average value of a slave, along with the cost
of burial and the maintenance of the surviving family. This
is favoured by the decision that, if the slave survive a few-
days, it is to be presumed that he did not intend to compass
his death, and the loss of the slave is to be counted as a fine
for the abuse of power.
V, 22-25. This seventh decision passes to bodily injuries
that fall short of the loss of life. In the case of strife or bodily
conflict, it is not unnatural for the softer sex to interfere by
their intreaties or personal efforts to restore peace or protect
the party in whom they are interested. A woman with child
may thus be injured and abortion take place without any
farther mischief resulting. The offender is in this case to be
fined according to the damages laid on by the husband and
regulated and enforced by the judges. The rendering of the
Sept. /x£-a a^i(LiMaTog is free but according to the sense. Some
understand " her fruit departing from her " of premature birth
and refer the "mischief" to the loss of either the mother's or
the child's life. v. 23. If mischief follow, the decision is,
" thou shalt give life for life." The lex talionis or law of re-
taliation is here laid down as the great principle by which the
magistrate is to be guided in the administration of justice.
A great deal of unreasonable obloquy has been heaped upon
this law, as if it inculcated or implied the right of private
revenge. A little reflection will show that it is the simple
and only principle of all retributive justice. If two men were
the only intelligent beings in existence, neither would have
any right to hurt or apply any force to the other. On the
other hand the law of self-love would suggest the obligation to
love the other as himself. If the one did injure the other, the
latter would not thereb}^ acquire any right to injure the former
to the same or to any amount, or to quench or abate the feel-
ing of benevolence already entertained towards him. But
he would have the right of laying his cause before the ultimate
fountain of all authority. And it is clear as day that the Crea-
tor is the supreme judge of all his creatures, and is bound by
the simple law of equity to indemnify the sufferer and to im-
pose an adequate penalty on the offender. This, and this
EXODUS XXI. 12-32. 241
alone, is the true import of the lex talionis. It is merely
the law of equity expressed thus : as is the offence, such is to
he the penalty. But its administrator is not the private in-
dividual, hut the duly authorised magistrate. Tlie error of
many Jews in our Lord's time (Mat. v. 38-48), and of the
carnal mind in all times, is to assume the rif^^ht and induh^e
the spirit of private revenge to the extinction of that spirit
of love which ouirht to actuate the breast of one intelli'cent
being towards another. But this does not touch the abstract
principle of equity, or the authority and obligation of the
civil magistrate to maintain it between man and man. v. 24.
^rhe arrangement of the members here is obvious, v. 25.
The fire, the sword or other sharp instrument, and the fist or
some blunt instrument inflict these injuries. It is expressly
stated (Numb. xxxv. 31, 32) that no satisfaction (iSS, expiation,
redemption), is to be taken for the penalties of murder and
manslaughter. This implies that satisfaction or commutation
of punishment was known and practised, and that it was
admissible in other cases.
V. 2G, 27. The eighth enactment provides for the case of
a slave being mutilated by his master. The loss of an eye
or a tooth by violence is to be compensated by the emancii)a-
tion of the shive. This is a clear case of commutation. These
verses in the Hebi'ew close an open parasha or greater section,
obviously because the legislator now passes from injuries done
hi/ men to injuries inflicted by cattle. But we conceive that
injuries done to men and injuries to property f(jrm the funda-
mental basis of division.
V. 28-31. The ninth judgment refers to the goring of a
free man by an ox. If death ensue, the ox is to be stoned,
and his flesh is not to be eaten. The loss of the ox is to
stand for the penalty of the owner, if he be otherwise blame-
less. The law is remarkably earnest in the protection of
human life. v. 29. If the ox be danrjerous, and the owner
have been advised of it and have not kept him in, then tiie
ox is to be stoned and the owner also put to death, v. 30.
But a commutation of punishment is expressly allowed in
this case. v. 31. The child is to be equally protected with
the full-grown man.
v. 32. The tenth, and last of this group of laws, applies to
Q
2 42 LAWS OF PROPERTY.
the case of a slave being gored by an ox. The redemption
price is in this case fixed at thirty shekels of silver. Esti-
mating the shekel at 220 grains of silver, or about 2s, 3d.,
we find thirty shekels equal to £3, 7s. 6d, If the relative
value of silver was formerly greater than now, the estimated
value of a slave must be proportionately increased. Some
suppose it was, in the time of Moses, ten or twenty times its pre-
sent value. A freeman above twenty and under sixty years of
age was estimated at fifty shekels of silver, a woman at thirty.
For other ages, the estimates varied according to a fixed rule
(Lev. xxvii. 1-8). A close section, or minor paragraph of the
Hebrew text, here terminates, because the laws relative to the
ox are not yet completed. The laws referring to the defence
of life, however, are at this point separated from those treat-
ing of the protection of property. This is, therefore, the
second break in this civil code.
It is here to be noted, that the distinction of intentional or
unintentional, which is signalised in the first of these enact-
ments, runs through the whole, and modifies the degree of
guilt and the amount of the penalty.
III. LAWS OF PROPERTY.
V, 83 — chap, xsii. v. ] 4 (15). From man invested with the
bare rights of nature, we now rise to man endowed with the
acquired rights of property. Adam, as soon as he came from
his Maker's hand, had the right of personal inviolability. As
soon as his Maker made him a formal grant of all the trees of
the garden that were suitable for him, he had received the
right of property, which assumed an endless variety of forms
in the progressive development of the race.
V. 33, 34. The first "judgment" refers to the case of a
man opening a pit already made and covered, or digging a
pit, and in either case leaving it uncovered. If an ox or an
ass fall therein and be killed, the owner of the pit shall make
it good. The money value he shall give to the owner of the
animal, and himself retain the dead. This is a good instance
of the lex tallonis, varied by commutation, and exhibited as
in principle the return of an equivalent.
V. 35, 30. In the second enactment it is provided, that
EXODUS XXII. 18. 2i3
wlierc an ox gores another to Joatli, tlic owners sliall divide
etiually tlie value of" the living and the dead animals. But if
the live ox was addicted to goring, his owner shall ])ay ox
for ox, and the dead shall be his. It is obvious that to \y,iy
ox for ox, is to give either an ox of equal value, or the fair
price of the ox killed.
In the English veision this chapter ends here. This divi-
sion corresponds with a minor section of the Masoretic text,
and with the sense. But a more ajjpropriate ending for the
chapter would have been at v. St, where the legislator passes
from the subject of personal safety to that of property.
CHAP. XXII. LAWS OF PROPERTY AND CONJUGAL FIDELITY.
1 8. It^^o enchanter or sorcerer (vii. 1 1 ). ''pjri^ ivizard, one
wise in black arts. 3lk the ghost of the departed conjured up
to give answers concerning the future. These two terms
generally occur together, and refer to the necromancer.
20 Q")n to prohibit from common use, to devote to God
without possibility of redemption (Lev. xxvii. 28, 29), and hence
utterly to destroy and exterminate.
29 ^^?J^ ^Ae /u^jiess of the corn harvest ; the first-fruits of
this fulness offered to God in grateful acknowledgment. Vt^l
the tear, the trickling juice of the fruit-tree harvest, of which
the first fruits were also to be presented to the Lord.
1 If a man steal an ox or a sheep, and kill it or sell it, lie shall re-
store five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.
2 If the thief be found breaking in, and be smitten that he dio,
there shall be no blood for him. 3 If the sun be risen upon hiui,
there shall be blood for him ; he shall make full restitution ; if he
have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4. If the theft be
certainly found in his hand alive, be it ox, or ass, or sheep, lie shall
restore double. § 4o.
5 If a man graze on a iield or vineyard, and put in his beast and
graze on another's field, of the best of his field and of the best of his
vineyard shall ho restore. § 40.
6 If a tiro break out and catch on thorns, and a stack of com, or
244) LAWS OF PROPERTY AND CONJUGAL FIDELITY.
the standing corn, or the field be consumed, he that kindleth the fire
shall surely make restitution. § 47.
7 If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep,
and it be stolen out of the man's house ; if the thief be found, he
shall restore double. 8 If the thief be not found, then the master of
the house shall be brought unto God, to swear that he hath not put
his hand unto his neiglibour's goods.
9 For all manner of trespass, for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment,
for anything lost, if one say that that is it, the cause of both parties
shall come uuto God ; and whom God shall condemn, he shall restore
double to his neighbour. § 48.
10 If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep,
or any beast to keep, and it die or be hurt or taken away no man see-
ing; 11 An oath of the Lord shall be between them both, that he
hath not put his hand to his neighbour's goods ; and the owner of it
shall accept this ; and he shall not make it good. 1 2 And if it be
stolen from him, he shall make it good to the owner thereof 13 If
it be torn in pieces, he shall bring it for witness : he shall not make
good that which was torn. T '^^•
14 And if a man borrow aught of his neighbour, and it be hurt or
die ; if the owner thereof be not with it, he shall surely make it good.
15 If the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good; if it
be hired, it went for its hire. § 49.
16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed and lie with
her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. 17 If her father utterly
refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry
of virgins. § 50.
18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
19 Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. § 51.
20 He that sacrificeth to any God, save unto the Lord onlj^, shall
be devoted to death.
21 And thou shalt not vex a stranger or oppress him ; for ye Avere
strangers in the land of Mizraim. 22 Ye shall not afflict any widow
or fatherless child. 23 If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry
at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry. 24 And my wrath shall
wax hot and I will slay you with the sword : and your wives shall be
widows and your children fatherless. ^ 36.
25 If thou lend money to any of my people, that is poor by thee ;
thou shalt not be to him as a usurer : thou shalt not lay upon him
usury.
26 If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt
restore it to him at the going down of the sun. 27 For that is his
only covering ; that is his raiment for his skin : wherein shall he
EXODUS XXII. 5. 2 is
sleep? and it Avill como to pass that he sliall cry unto me and T will
liear ; for I am merciful. § 52.
28 Thou shalt not revile God nor curse a prince among thy people.
29 Thou shalt not delay the first i'ruits of thy corn and of thy wine :
the first-horn of thy sons shalt thou <;ive unto me. 30 So shalt thou
do with thine ox, and thy sheep: seven days shall it he with its dam;
on the eighth day shalt tiiou give it me.
31 And yo shall be holy men unto me ; neither shall ye eat flesh
that is torn of beasts in the fields ; ye shall cast it to the dog. § 53.
V. 1. Ill this third law we proceed from injuries to property
ari.sing from inadvertence or negligence to those which are in-
tentional. The case of the thief having got off with his booty
and killed or sold it is placed first. The fivefold and fourfold
restitution is intended to cover the time, trouble, and cost
which the theft may in this case have occasioned over and
above the mere loss of the animal stolen. The theft of an ox
involves in this respect a somewhat greater accompanying loss
than that of a sheep, and this is allowed for in the fivefold
restitution.
This verse is attached to the preceding chapter in the ori-
ginal, seemingly because, like the previous verses, it treats of
oxen. But as it treats of theft it is preferable with the Eng-
lish version to connect it with the following verses which refer
to the same subject.
V. 2-4. The fourth enactment treats of a thief caufjbt in the
act. This gives rise to three cases. 1. He loses his life by
night. In this case no blood is to be shed for him. By his
nightly intrusion he endangers life directly or indirectly. His
life is the forfeit of his intended crime. 2. If he be smitten
by day, the slayer shall suffer ; because there is no necessity
for his death. He has been seen, and if he fjet off, he can be
overtaken by justice and compelled to make restitution as
alread}' prescribed. If he have nothing, and therefore cannot
make the required restitution, he is to he sold for his theft.
This is a clear case of servitude being the judicial penalty of
crime. 3. If the thing stolen be found alive in his hand, and
therefore without the trouble and cost of a tedious search, lie
shall restore double.
V. 5. The fifth decision regards the introduction by fraud
246 LAWS or property.
or negligence of cattle into the field, especially the grain-field
or vineyard of a neighbour. It is presumed that the damage
occurs by carelessness. At all events compensation to the
full amount is to be made from the best of the trespasser's
field or vineyard.
V. G. The sixth refers to the breaking out of fire in a stack,
or standing corn, or a field. It is customary in pastoral dis-
tricts to kindle fires in the fields at all seasons ; and it is not
unusual to set fire to the herbage for the purpose of promot-
ing the fertility of the soil. If the wind and the lie of the
field are not attentively considered, there is much danger of
the fire spreading either to the standing or to the garnered
grain. The careless kindler of the fire is to make restitution
for the damage done. This is analogous to the preceding case.
The other cases also in this section go together to a certain
extent in pairs.
v. 7, 8. The following determinations refer to the entrust-
ing of property, either as a deposit or a loan. In the present
case, money or articles of any kind are entrusted to another.
If the thing entrusted be stolen, and the thief be caught, he
shall restore double. If not, the trustee is called upon to
make oath before God that he has not put his hand to his
neighbour's goods. If he can do so, he is acquitted.
V. 9. But if he do not clear himself in this way, he comes
•under the present regulation. This applies to an}'- kind of
thing missing, or said to be missing, that is found with a man
who denies it, while it is challenged by another as that very
thing which he has lost. This is evidently a case of some
complication and difficulty. It is to come before the delegates
of the Most High for adjudication, and he with whom the
article missing is adjudged to be found, though denied, is to
restore double.
V. 10-18. This regulation refers to animals committed to
the keeping of another. The Rabbins make a distinction be-
tween paid and unpaid trustees ; the latter being entrusted
merely with money or articles that require only house-room,
the former with cattle that require sustenance. It is obvious
that in this case the caretaker must be remunerated at least
for the cost of the animal's keep. If the animal die, or be
maimed, or carried off secretly, and the guardian make oath
EXODUS XXII. 9, 13. 247
tliat he is innocent of the loss, he shall not make it good,
V. 1 3. If it be torn })y a wild beast, and he bring the remains
of it as a proof, he is to be acquitted.
This verse terminates a major .section of the Masoretic text,
because the next refers not to trusteeship, but to lending.
But the two following verses relate to property as well as the
preceding; while the subsequent verses relate to conjugal
fidelity. The major division should in this view bo placed
after the 1 oth verse of the English version, or the 1 tth of the
Hebrew text.
V. 1 4, 1 5. The tenth regulation of this law section refers
to borrowing any article or animal from a neighbour. If it
be injured or killed in the absence of the owner, it is to bo
made good. But if the owner be present, the thing borrowed
is not to be made good ; and if hired, it is to go for its hire.
IV. LAWS ON CONJUGAL FIDELITY.
V. lG-31. The regulations under this head are somewhat
miscellaneous. To give a unity to them we must suppose the
relation between God and his people to be S3'^mboli.sed by that
between husband and wife ; and we must reijard God as the
avowed guardian and representative of the stranger, the
widow, and the orphan. The covenant between God and his
people (Gen. ix. 9-17, xv. 18, xvii. 1-24, Ex. vi. 4, 5, xix.
5, G) in which he engages to be their God, and takes them to
be his people, warrants the f jrmer symbol, which becomes fre-
quent in the later scriptures. The stranger (Gen. xv. 1 3, Ex.
XX. 10), the widow, and the fatherless, arc special classes of
the unprotected, whom God wuU hear if they be oppressed and
cry unto him (Ex. ii. 23, 24, iii. 9).
V. lG-17. The first precept affords protection to the unbe-
trothed female who is enticed or beguiled into uncluistity.
The enticer shall einloiv her to he Jcis wife. The dowry was
a portion given by the bridegroom for his bride to her jjarents
(Gen. xxix. 18-20, xxxiv. 1 2, 1 Sam. xviii. 25). The present
passage favours the suppo.sition that it was originally intended
for the use of the bride. If the father refuse to give her, he
sJuill pay money according to the doivry of virgUis. To pay
money is here to weigh silver, which was not yet c»jiued.
248 LAWS ON CONJUGAL FIDELITY.
The sum afterwards fixed by law was fifty shekels of silver
(Deut. xxii. 29).
V. 18. The second judgment. A wizard {'')Vy) is one who
endeavours to accomplish a selfish end b}^ the powers of dark-
ness. The masculine form of the term here employed ('""SL'bpN
denotes a sorcerer or enchanter, who employs the charm or
muttered chant to bring a preternatural power to his aid (Ex.
V. 11). The practiser of such arts, or the pretender to them,
is by the very fact an apostate from God, a breaker of that
solemn and gracious covenant which he has made with his
people, and a traitor to the theocraty under which he lives.
And his example at least would tempt the people to all these
crimes. Such a one is, accordingly, not to be suffered to live.
The penalty for witchcraft is stoning (Lev. xx. 27), and this,
no doubt, extended to all its forms. The phrase n>nri N? is
employed to denote the immediate and extreme necessity of
exterminating this lurking form of enmity against God and
man. The male and female are no doubt included in this
judgment ; but the wizard seems to have been less common
than the witch.
V. 19. The third rule condemns an unnatural crime of the
kind that rendered Sodom infamous. Such a crime implies a
being dead to all fear of God as much as to the very instincts
of nature.
v. 20. Tlie fourth law declares the man who sacrifices to
any being but the true God to be accursed, and therefore given
over to extermination.
V. 21-24. This fifth provision, as well as the two follow-
ing, has reference to the unprotected classes, the stranger, the
widow, the fatherless, and the poor. TJiou shalt not vex.
This word signifies to harass by unworthy treatment, and is
followed by another implying a greater degree of violence and
injustice. A stranger. While the Lord is constrained by the
ungodliness of the world to select for himself a people whom
he may teach and bless, the stranger is to be peculiarly wel-
come among this people, and every facility afforded for their
admission into all the rights and privileges of the theocraty.
"Whatever, therefore, may have been the conduct of Israel in
different periods of her history, it is clear that the God of
EXODUS xxir. 19-24. 249
Israel and his niinistcrs are to be completely exonerated from
the charge of exclusiveness. The stranger is not to be dis-
couraged or oppressed, but welcomed to sojourn and even to
be incorporated in the coniinonwealth of Israel. Foi' ye vjcre
tttrdiigers. An afi'ecting appeal is here made to the bondage
which seven weeks could not have effaced from their me-
mories. A ]>rovision was made, as we have already seen, for
the stranjrer beinir admitted to tlie ordinance of the Passover
(xii, 48), and allowed and required to observe the Sabbath
(xx. 1 0). We shall meet with other tokens of consideration
for the stranger as we proceed (Lev. xix. 9, xxiii. 22, Deut. xiv.
28, 29, xvi. 11-14, xxiv. 17-22, xxvi. 11-13). v. 22.
Ye shall not afflict, tread down or oppress. Any vj'idow or
fatherless child. Tliere is a touching nicety and correctness
in the use of fatherless child for orphan in the English ver-
sion ; inasmuch as the decease of the father leaves both the
widow and tlie child without their natural protector and sus-
tainer, whereas the motherless child has still the father as its
stay. V. 23, 24. God threatens to be the avenger of the
widow and the fatherless by bringing the sword of war on
the ruthless oppressors.
V. 25. The sixth ordinance requires that no usury or
interest be taken upon money lent to the poor. The poor
may be regarded as a fourth class of the dependent who were
exposed to base and cruel wrong in ancient times. The Lord
declares himself the affectionate and resolute guardian of the
poor, and inculcates upon his people a regard for the feelings
of humanity which had been almost extinguished in the
heathen world. The lending of money for a percentage to
the wealthy for coramei'cial operations is not contemplated in
this precept.
V. 26, 27. Tlie seventh is the law of pledges which was
much restricted in consideration of the poor. The receiver
was not at liberty to enter the house but must wait at the
door for the pledge (Deut. xxiv. 10-13). He must also re-
store it at sunset. The garment referred to was a large shawl
or plaid, now called haik, which was worn by day, and was
the covering of the poor man, who threw himself on his couch
with his clothes on by night. The " merciful," God will hear
the cry of the wretched poor.
250 LAWS OF VERACITY, SET TIMES AND PIETY.
V. 28. The eighth precept condemns the blasphemer. God
is here contemplated as the author of that providence which
dispenses the affairs of men. He is virtually a breaker of
covenant with God who rails at his providential dealings.
The selfish heart is prone to murmur against the Almighty,
whether he be regarded as the withholder of prosperity or the
restrainer of crime. But the afflicted poor and the disappointed
oppressor, are alike warned against the temptation to blas-
pheme the name of God. The prince is conjoined with God
as the minister of his law and the magistrate of his people in
a theocratic state. The responsibility to rule for God belongs
to all sovereigns, and the obligation to honour the ruler rests
upon all subjects.
V. 29, 30. The ninth is the general law of first-fruits and
firstlings. Tliou shalt not delay, keep back or withhold.
The first-fruits of thy corn and of thy vjine, the fulness of
the harvest and the trickling juice of the vintage were to come
in the first fruits to God who gave them. This is more fully
ordered afterwards (Lev. xxiii. 10-21 ; Deut. xviii. 4). Tke
first horn of thy sons. This has been already ananged (xiii.
2). V. On the eighth day. After seven days the oflfspring
has a hold of life and individuality (Gen. xvii. ] 2). It is then
fit to be presented to God.
The offering of the first of everything is the acknowledg-
ment that all is due to God and the token of a soul in cove-
nant with him. This precept, therefore, comports with the
general principle of faithfulness to covenant engagements.
V. 3J. The tenth ordinance inculcates sanctity. Sanctity
of the outward person is symbolic of that purity of heart that
ought to characterise those who are in communion with God.
That which was torn was imperfectly separated from the blood
which is the life and was otherwise unclean. The dog was
the emblem of the unbeliever.
CHAP. XXIII. LAWS OF VERACITY, OF SET TIMES AND OF PIETY,
G. lV25< the needy, who feels the pinchings of want. r. de-
sire, want. >*!! the dependent, r. hang, swing.
EXODUS XXIII. 251
11. COC* to remit or release from oultivation. Hence
n^Q'j' release, cessation from agricultural labuur.
1 Tliou shall not l)oar a false report: put not thy hand willi tlio
-wickeil to he a wron^'fiil witness. 2 Thou shalt not follow a inulti-
tuilt! to evil. Neither slialt thou answer in a cau.se to lean after a
nuiltitutle to wrong. 3 Neitlier shalt thou countenance a poor man in
his cause. § 54.
4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt
surely hring it back to him again. § 55.
5 If thou see the ass of him tliat hateth thee lying under his burden,
then thuu shalt forbear to leave him, thou shalt surely leave with
him. § oG.
0 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy needy in his cause.
7 Tliou shalt be far from a f dse matter : and the innocent and righte-
ous slay thou not; for I will not justify the wicked. 8 And thou
slialt not take a gift ; for the gift blindcth tlie open eyed, and ])er-
verteth the words of the righteous. 9 And thou slialt not opfiress a
stranger : and ye know the heart of a stranger ; for ye were strangers
in the land of Mizraim.
10 And six years shalt thou sow thy land and gather in the fruit
thereof 11 J5ut the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie ; and
the needy of thy people sliall eat, and what they leave the beast of the
field sliall eat. So slialt thou do to ihy vineyard and thy olive.
12 ISix days shalt thou do thy work, and on the seventh day thou
shalt rest ; that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy
handmaid and tiie stranger may be refreshed. 13 And in all that I
have said to you, be ciicuraspect : and mention not the name of other
gods, nor let it be lieard out of thy mouth.
14 'J'hree times shalt thou keep a feast unto me in the year. 15
Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread : seven days shalt thou
cat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee in the set time of the
month Abib ; for in it thou earnest out from Mizraim : and none shall
ajipear before me empty : 16 And the feast of harvest, the first-fruits
of thy labours, which thou sowest in the field : and the feast of in-
gathering in the end of the year, when thou gatherest in thy labours
out of the field. 17 Three times in tlie year all thy nudes shall a])pear
before the Lord Jehovaii.
18 Thou shalt not olfer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened
bread : neither shall the fat of my feast remain until the morning.
lU The hrst of the lirst- fruits of thy ground thou bhalt bring into the
252 LAWS OF VERACITY.
house of the. Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its
mother's milk. H 36.
20 Behold I send an angel before thee : to keep thee in the way ;
and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware
of him, and hear his voice, provoke him not : for he will not pardon
your transgressions ; for my name is in him. 22 For if thou indeed
hear his voice and do all that I speak ; then will I be an enemy unto
thine enemies and an adversary to thine adversaries. 23 For mine
angel shall go before thee and bring thee to the Amorits and. the Hit-
tite, and the Perizzite and the Kenaanite, the Hivite and the Jebusite ;
and I M'ill cut them off. 24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods
nor serve them, nor do after their works ; but thou shalt utterly over-
throw them and quite break down their pillars. 25 And ye shall
serve the Lord your God : and he shall bless thy bread and thy water ;
and take away sickness from the midst of thee. § 57. 26 None shall
miscarry or be barren in thy land : the number of thy days I will ful-
fil. 27 I will send my fear before thee, and confound all the people
to whom thou comest ; and make all thine enemies turn their back
unto thee. 28 And I will send the hornet before thee ; and it shall
drive out the Hivite, the Kenaanite, and the Hittite from before thee.
29 1 will not drive him out from before thee in one year ; lest the
land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
30 By little and little I will drive him out from before thee, until
thou be fruitful and inherit the land. 31 And I will set thy border
from the Red Sea even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wil-
derness unto the river : for I will deliver into your hand the inhabi-
tants of the land ; and thou shalt drive them out before thee. 32
Thou shalt make no covenant with them nor with their gods. 33 They
shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me : for
thou wilt serve their gods ; for it will be a snare to thee. ^ 38.
V. LAWS OF VEKACITY.
V. 1-9. This group of precepts relates chiefly to sincerity
in speech, and integrity in judgment. By a natural expan-
sion, however, it includes two precepts, which refer to honesty
and kindliness of purpose, and are therefore quite in harraony
with truthfulness of language.
V. L The first precept refers to witness-bearing, with an
intent either to deceive or to wrong. To bear a false report
is either to raise or to carry it, but especially the latter. A
EXODUS XXIII. 8. 253
wrongful ivitness is one who testifies falsely so as to inflict a
wrong upon another.
V. 2. This verse contains two precepts which are connected
by the common reference to a multitude. The former is
general, prohibiting the following of a multitude in anything
that is evil. The latter is special, prohibiting a similar com-
pliance in bearing witness so as to wrong the righteous in his
cause.
V. 3. To countenance or honour the poor man in his cause
is to connive at his criminality from a mistaken compassion
for his poverty. This rule is extended to the rich as well as
the poor in Lev. xix. 15.
V. 4. The fifth injunction transcends the obligation to .speak
the truth. He that meets his enemy's beast going astiay is
not only not to be silent on the subject, but not to refrain
from interfering. He Is to beat down the exasperated feeling
of his heart, and bring back the straying animal to his enemy
as if he were a friendly brother. This would be a happy
means of softening many asperities.
V. 5, The sixth precept comes in here on the principle of
association. Then thou shall forbear to leave him. This
seems to be the ."simplest mode of rendering this somewhat
obscure phrase. It enables us to give the usual meaning of
^[V (leave) consistently throughout. Thou shall surely leave
iviih him. Leave the place with the owner and his ass re-
lieved. The.se two precepts breathe the spirit of forgiveness
and brotherly kindness. In this, as in every other revSpect,
the Old Testament is in harmony with the New (Matt. v. 4 4).
V. G. In the seventh precept of this series we again return
to truthfulness of speech. The needy and dependent are ex-
posed to oppression and injustice in a .selfish world. But the
man of God is not to wrest the judgment of the needy. Tlij
ncfdy, thy brother who is needy. This touches the feelings
of a common humanity.
V. 7. The eighth inculcates the avoidance of all connection
\\\i\\ a false matter, particularly in lawsuits, where it may
involve the judicial slaying of the innocent and the righteous.
/ icilt not just if u, 1 will most assuredly condemn, (he ivickcd.
V. 8. The ninth refers to bribery. The acceptance of a
254 LAWS REGARDING SET TIMES.
gift is forbidden on the ground that it blinds the eyes and
perverts the tongue.
V. 9. In regard to judicial truth, the stranger is entitled to
the same equitable treatment as the home-born. On this sub-
ject the appeal is made to their own past experience. It is
evident that this series of precepts finely enforces truth of pur-
pose and honesty of heart, and forms a noble commentary on
the ninth commandment.
VI. LAWS REGARDING SET TIMES.
V. 10-19. The set times of the Lord are here treated in
their bearing: on civil affairs. This series of ordinances forms
a brief but comprehensive development of the commandment
that introduces the element of sacredness into the disposal of
our time.
v, 10, 1 J . The first precept regards the Sabbatical year.
" Six years " of sowing and reaping are to be followed by a
seventh year, in which men are to rest from sowing, and leave
off' gathering in that which grows of itself. The spontaneous
growth is to be for the needy and for the beast of the field.
The same rule is to apply to the vineyard and the oliveyard.
This is one of the most distinctive institutions of a theocratic
state. No merely human legislator could venture to enact a
law suspending the cultivation of the soil for a year, because
he has not the power to secure the subject from the famine
that might thereby ensue. It is otherwise, however, with the
Author of all things, who can command an extraordinary fer-
tility in the previous year that will sustain his people for two
years (Lev. xxv. 20-22). The scriptural use of the number
seven in sacred things is to be deduced not from the division
of the natural month into four periods of seven days, which is
not exact in itself, nor from the seven planets, from which
some nations have derived distinctive names for the daj^s of
the week, but from the six days of creative work and the
seventh daj'- of rest, with which the present order of things
was introduced. This historical fact the Scripture records, and
makes the base of a weekly commemoration. The other fancies
of a later age it does not recognise, and must not be forced to
accept. In that great event God came into immediate and
EXODUS XXIII. 10-19. 255
manifest contact with the heavens and the eartli, reconstituted
tlie system of physical things, clothed the dry land witli vege-
tation, and peojiled it with animated nature. On this occa-
sion, for the fir.st time, a rational inhabitant was placed upon
the earth. The cycle of seven days during which this creative
process was completed and celebrated imparted an association
of sacredness to the nuniber seven.
The Sabbatical year, which is here mentioned for the first
time, is also called the year of release. In this year — 1. the
land was to be left uncultivated, and its spontaneous growth
made common to the servile, the })oor, the stranger, and the
wild animals. Several remarkable effects would follow from
the honest carrj'ing out of this arrangement. The spirit of
avarice would be kept in constant and effectual check. The
opposite feelings of compassion, charity, benevolence, and
brotherly kindness would be brought into play. The original
equality of all men in point of biith and right would rise to
the surface of iiuman observation. The habits of prudence
and economy would be cherished, as the produce of six years
must be so husbanded as to serve for seven years. A profound
and practical sense of dependence upon the Lord of provi-
dence would be awakened in the breast (Lev. xxv. 2-8, Joseph.
Antiq. iii. 1 2, 3), This institution thus harmonises with the
Sabbath in breaking down the nan-ow selfishness of the fallen
nature, and fostering the disinterested kindliness that springs
up in the new heart. 2. A debt owed by a poor man who
had nothing to pay was to be remitted, or at all events not
exacted. This is a natural consequence of the intermission of
cultivation during the seventh year. He that receives no
fruits from the soil is not in a condition to j)ay debt. This
carries the liberality of the affluent brother to its ultimate ex-
tent. The poor man is not to be allowed to perish though he
have nothing to pay (Deut. xv. 1 , 2). S. On this year, during
the feast of tabernacles, the law was to be read aloud in the
audience of all the people. On this Sabbath-year it was
appropriate that the great principles of morality should be
solemnly presented to the minds of the people. The septen-
nial Sabbath thus bore a complete analogy to the hebdomadal,
Avhich was to be celebrated by a holy leisure for the offices of
public worship.
256 LAWS EEGARDING SET TIMES.
V. 12, 13. The seventh day sabbath is here introduced in
its relation to civic rights. The cattle, the servile, and the
stranger are to be partakers in this rest. v. 13. And in all
that I have said to you, be circvbmspect. This admonition
appears to refer to the precept concerning the Sabbath. And
'mention not the name of other gods. The import of this in-
junction is to be ascertained from the nature of the enactment
to which it refers. The fourth commandment belongs to that
table which contains our duty to God. It prescribes, more-
over, the day on which religious exercises are to be statedly
observed. It is the only precept in the decalogue which
involves the ordinances of a perpetual worship, and keeps alive
in the breasts of the people the remembrance of God, of his
will and of his grace. Hence it is natural that the people
should be guarded against devoting themselves or any of their
thoughts on this day to any false god. This is therefore not
a separate precept, but an incidental warning in regard to the
special solemnities of the Sabbath.
Some have regarded this verse as a concluding formula of
admonition referring to the preceding part of the chapter and
marking it off from that which follows. But it is remarkable
that the Masoretes have no division whatever at this point
of the text. This plainly indicates that they regarded this
verse merely as the completion of the precept concerning the
Sabbath, and not an independent rule or closing exhortation.
V. 14-17. The next five precepts refer to the annual festi-
vals. The first determines that there shall be three such
festivals in the year. v. 1 5. The second enjoins the feast of
unleavened bread. As 1 commanded thee. The passover or
feast of unleavened bread has been already instituted (xii).
A nd none shall appear before m,e empty. This applies to all the
three festivals, and refers to the obligation of all without ex-
ception to provide the things requisite for the celebration of
each. Freewill-offerings might be presented on such occasions ;
but they are not implied in these words, v. 1 6. The third
relates to the second festival (Lev. xxiii. 15-22 ; Num. xxviii.
26-31; Deut. xvi. 9-12). It wiis called the feast of harvest,
because the ijrain harvest was drawing to a close at the time
of its celebration ; the day of first-fruits, because then the two
loaves made of the new corn were presented (Num. xxviii, 26) ;
bXODTts xxiii. 18, 19. 257
and the feast of iveclcs or Pentecost, because it was kept on the
morrow after the seventh Sabbath from tlie Sabbath of the
feast of unleavened bread (Deut. xvi. 10). The fourth refers
to the third festival (Lev. xxiii. 33-43 ; Num. xxix. ] 2-31) ;
Deut. xvi. 13-15). This is called the feast of in-gathering,
because the fruit harvest was then comj)leted and the whole
produce of the ground gathered in ; and the feast of tabernacles,
because the tabernacling of the people in the wilderness was
then commemorated. These three festivals correspond in the
main with the three elements of salvation : the passover with
the atonement ; the pentecost with the new birth ; and the
feast of ingathering with pardon and its accompanying pleni-
tude of blessings. The pentecost is regarded as the com])letion
of the passover ; and so sanctification invariably accompanies
justification. Mercy flows forth in pardon as the end of which
the atonement and the new birth are the means. So the feast
of ingathering in the beginning of the ancient year is mediated
by the feasts of the passover and of weeks in the beginning
of the new year. v. 1 7. The fifth precept affirms the obliga-
tion of all males to appear at each of the three festivals.
V. 18, The two directions in this verse are united into the
eighth regulation by their common reference to tlie piissover.
TJie blood of Tny sacrifice, of the passover lamb, which was
peculiarly God's sacrifice and pre-eminently the type of the
Messiah (Jo. i. 29). Leavened bread. Leaven is that which
dissolves and corrupts. It is, therefore, a fit emblem of sin
which is to be excluded from the service or the offerings of
God (xii. 1 0). I'he fat of my feast. The paschal lamb was
to be wholly consumed in the evening and no part left till the
morning. This is the rule, whether we understand " the fat
of my feast " to be the best of sacrifices, that is, the passover,-
or, what is more likely, the fat of the paschal lamb, which was
to be offered to the Lord, while the flesh was eaten by the
worshippers.
v. 1 9. This verse contains two regulations. That con-
cerning the first-fi-uits refers to the feast of weeks, when the
two wave loaves, which may be called the first of the first-
fruits of the ground, were offered unto the Lord (Lev. xxiii.
1 7). And next the eastern custom of occasionally seething in
milk here comes into view and lias survived to this day. The
R
258 THE LAWS OF PIETY.
prohibition to seethe a kid in the mothers milk has reference
to all the festivals or set times of the Lord. It appears from
the regulations concerning these (Num. xxviii. 29), that one
kid of the goats for a sin-offering was to be offered in the
beginnings of the months, on each of the seven days of the
feast of unleavened bread, on the day of the first fruits, on
the first and the tenth days of the seventh month and on
each of the eight days of the feast of tabernacles. The flesh
of this kid was to be dressed and eaten by the priests in the
holy place (Lev. vi. 26). Hence the general precept comes in
here that a kid is not to be seethed in its mother's milk.
The dam is the natural mother and nurse of the kid, and the
milk is the natural aliment by which life is sustained. To
employ the milk of the very dam to aid in cooking the kid
for food is a rude violation of the order of nature, and to pro-
hibit such a custom is to cultivate those feelings of considera-
tion and tenderness in the daily routine of our thoughts which
sin tends to quench and moral training is intended to rekindle.
This minute regulation on behalf of right feeling, involves the
great principle that the course of human feeling and conduct
ought in its finest as well as its broadest lines to be broujilit
into harmony with the law of universal benevolence.
VII. THE LAWS OF PIETY.
V. 20-83. It is manifest that the law of moral thought can-
not be spread out into the same distinguishable branches as
that of external action. Accordingly, this passage, which is
marked off in the Masorah, both at the beginning and the
end, as a major section, is not very obviously divisible into
ten rules or judgments. It bears also a temporary aspect,
inasmuch as it treats of matters that come to a termintition
wdien the people are settled in the land of promise. And it
consists very largely of promises, which scarcely enter into
the other sections of this code of civil jurisprudence. Never-
theless, it evidently forms an integral part of the common law
of Israel. It is appropriate and essential that promises should
have a direct or indirect part in " the book of the covenant."
Accordingly, in this conclusion of the civil code, promises are
intermingled with injunctions ; and though some of them are
EXODUS xxiii. 21, 22. 259
terminable, yet tliey prefigure blessings of a liiglier order, aiul
of perpetual duration. And a decade of commands sccmiis to
be here intermingled with a decade of promises.
V. 20-23. This portion contains three commands and threo
promises, v. 20. Behold. This word is frequently used to
introduce an important intimation concerning the future. /
send cm awjel before thee. The angel here ]iromised is very
closely allied with the speaker and sender. He has power to
" pardon transgressions." The reason assigned for this high
prerogative is, " For my name is in his inmost;" my nature
is in his essence. This intimates a substantial identity. We
conclude that the angel here is God manifest in angelic offices
to His people. They are to "beware of him, to hear his
voice, and provoke him not." To " hear his voice," and to "do
all that I speak," appear to be of the same import. All these
phrases corroborate the conclusion that the angel is God.
He is sent before the people for the important purposes of
keeping them in the way, and bringing them to the place
prepared for them. This is the great promise of the passage.
It is in continuance, and at the same time in advance of
former assurances (iii. 8, xiii. 21, 22). It intimates, at the
same time, a certain distance in point of moral condition
between God and His people, which is bridged over by means
of His angel (Gen. xvi. 7).
V. 21. This verse contains three injunctions regarding this
angel. Beware of him. Give reverent heed to him, as the
Supreme God is in him. Hear his voice. Understand and
obey him, as the Lord revealing himself by his word. Pro-
voke him not. Let not your will come into conflict with his
will, as he is the Great Spirit, who is to be worshipped in
sj)irit and in truth.
V. 22. The central command is recapitulated and elucidate.l
in the condition, " If thou indeed hear his voice, and do all
that I speak." This verse presents a second promise, conse-
quent upon the former. Then will I he an enemy unto thine
enemies. This phrase refers to the inward feeling, as the fol-
lowing one does to the outward display of hostility. It is
liere intimated, in general terms, that the Lord and His peo-
ple, while they weie one in feeling and intei-est, have common
enemies in this world.
2G0 THE LAWS OF PIETY.
V. 23. A fuller specification of the end of their journey is
here followed by a third promise. The Aniorite, and the
Hittite, and the Kenaanite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, are
among the twelve tribes to which Keuaan gave rise, eleven
being named after his descendants and one after himself (see
Gen. XV. 19). The Perizzite makes his appearance along with
the Kenaanite in the history of Abraham (Gen. xiii. 7).
These six tribes were the prominent inhabitants of Kenaan in
the time of Moses (iii. 8). The Amorite is now placed first,
as the most prominent in transgression, and the first with
whom the Israelites are to come into contact. And I will
cut them off. This promise is in accordance with a purpose
long .since announced. Four hundred years before, the Lord
had informed Abraham, that " the iniquity of the Amorites
was not yet full" (Gen. xv. 16). This is no arbitraiy pro-
cedure on the part of the Most High Possessor of heaven and
earth. It is an act of retributive justice. What was the
original offence of the Kenaanite, whether it was an early
apostasy from the living God, the ruthless invasion of a pre-
occupied country, and the barbarous oppression of the Shemite
inhabitants, among; whom the knowledge of the true God
still lingered, we are not informed. But we perceive that the
original crime had been aggravated by a course of transgres-
sion which made the nation ripe for a penal extirpation.
V. 24-26. These three verses contain four injunctions and
four promises, v. 24. TJiou sJialt not how down to their gods
nor serve thera. These nations are manifestly idolaters, apos-
tates from the livino- and true God, and therefore ranking
among those that hate him (xx. 5). Their idols will come
under the notice of Israel when they enter the land. The
idea of local or national gods had become familiar to thera in
Egypt. And a superstitious dread of entering into possession,
without propitiating the supposed gods of the land, might
still lurk in their breasts. Hence the reasonableness of this
precept reiterating the prohibition of the second command-
ment. Nor do after their works. These are the works of the
people of the land ; and chief among these, the making and
worshipping of idols, and the licentious vices which accom-
pany the service of their national deities. It is only neces-
sary to reflect, that the principal objects of their worship were
EXODUS xxiir. 23, 24. 261
a male deity, Baal, the sun god, coinciding in attributes with
the Apollo and Jupiter of the Greeks and Romans ; and a
female, Beltis, Ashtoreth, the moon goddess, resembling in her
character and worshii) the Aphrodite or Venus of these
natii)ns, in order to understand the revolting nature of the
bloody and lascivious rites and customs by which the very
name of religion was jMofaned. Human sacrifice and prosti-
tution, in tlie national worship, were sufficient to bury all
moral feeling in the grave of carnality. Tluni shalt utierhj
overthrow them. The people and their gods seem to be here
associated as one great system of evil, to be overwhelmed
with destruction. "Their pillars " are the monumental stones,
connected in a rude uncivilised age with the worship of these
fallen gods.
V. 25. And ye shall serve the Lord your God. This is the
fourth of this group of injunctions, forming the counterpart
of the three that went before. It is followed by the four
promises of this passage. He shall bless thy bread and thy
water. Bread and water, the main elements of subsistence,
stand for all the rest. The divine blessing gives these all
their value to a rational creature. And take away sickness
from the midst of thee. Next to the means of life, is kealth
to enjoy them. Without the latter the former are of no
avail V. 2G. None shall miscarry or be barren in thy kind.
This secures the perpetuation of the race. The number of thy
days will I falfil. Length of life in peace and prosperity is
here ensured to the ftiitliful nation. The sum of all earthly
prosperity here described, is at the same time an earnest and
type of still greater blessings in an advanced stage of exist-
ence. God begins with the present, and will never fail His
confiding people through an endless future.
V. 27-33. This passage adds the remaining triad of pro-
mises and commands. / will send my fear before thee. The
fame of the mighty deeds by which Egypt was humbled in
the dust, and Israel delivered and kept in safety through the
wilderness, would awaken a sense of alarm in the nations who
were living in rebellion against the living God. Discouraged
and troubled in mind, they would make only a feeble effort
at resistance, and ultimately turn theii- backs to the victorious
invader.
262 . THE LAWS OF PIETY.
V. 28-SjO. And I vnll send the hornet before thee. The
hornet is here used collectively for a plague of hornets infest-
ing the laud. This plague is again mentioned (Deut. vii. 20),
and a passing allusion made to its fulfilment (Jos. xxiv. 1 2).
Some suppose this to be a figurative description of certain
cthei-wise unknown calamities that befel these nations in the
war of extermination. But Bochart (Hieroz. iii. p. 40U) has
shown that frogs, mice, and other small animals have been the
means of annoying and banishing whole tribes from their set-
tlements. And the rapid conquest of two such powerful
kinirdoms as those of Sihon and Os;, and the immediate occu-
pation of their cities (Num. xxi. 21-35) by the invaders, are
explained by the fact, that they had been enfeebled and dimi-
nished by a plague such as that here described. There is no
reason whatever, therefore, to retire from the ground of plain
matter of fact, historically recorded, into the region of a dark
figurative unknown, which cannot be filled up even by the
imagination. The Hivite, the Kenaanite, and the Hittite, are
to be the chief sufferers from the plague of hornets. But the
Amorites also were exhausted by their inroads (Jos. xxiv. 1 2),
v. 29, 30. A gradual removal of the former inhabitants is
here ^ntimated, on the ground that the land without occu-
pants would be infested by wild beasts, as was the case at
the time of the exile of the ten tribes (2 Kings xvii. 25). If
the former nations had been instantly exterminated, a people
consisting of 1,600,000 could not have at once occupied the
whole land. Besides, the territory here promised was much
more extensive than the land of Kenaan.
V. 31. The boundaries of the promised land are here indi-
cated. The "wilderness" is that of Etham and Shur. The
" river" is the Phrat. The extent of territory within these
bounds cannot be less than 490 miles by 100, and therefore
four or five times the area of Palestine proper. It is to be
remembered that these promises are here made conditional on
obedience ; and therefore their fulfilment was in some degree
modified b}' the subsequent conduct of the people. And thou
shall drive them out before thee. This is the injunction laid
on Israel as the executioner of the judgment of God.
V. 32. The second injimction is to make no covenant with
the people or their idols.
EXODUS XXIV. 2(53
V. 33. The idolatrous people are to be banished from the
land, that they may not be a temptation to the children of
Lsiaol. The order of thought is ; their dwelling in the land
will be a snare to thee, and thou wilt serve their gods, when
thou hast tolerated themselves and their idolatrous ways.
This com])lctes the book of the covenant in four chapters,
containing the ten commandments for the moral government
of man, and the seventy judgments for the regulation of
civil life.
chaA xxiv. the law accepted.
And to Closes he said, Come up unto the Lord, thou and Aaron,
Nadal) and Abilui, and seventy of tlie eld<n's of Israel ; and wor-ship
yt' afar off. 2 And Mosos alone shall come near tlio Lord, hut tlicy
shall not come near : and the people shall not come up with him. 3
And Moses went and told the people all the words of the Loud and all
the judgments : and all the people answered with one voice, and said,
All the words which the Lord hath spoken will we do. 4 And Mfises
wrote all the Avords of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning,
and built an altar under the mount, and twelve pillars for the twelve
tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the sons of Israel, and
they fjtfered burnt-oHerings, and sacriticed peace-oHerings of oxen to
the Lord. G xind Moses took half of the blood and put in basins ;
and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 And he took the
hook of the covenant, and read in the ears of the people, and they said,
All that the Lord hath spoken will we do and obey. 8 And Moses
took the blood and sitrinkled on all the people ; and said. Behold the
blood of the covenant, wdiich the Lord hath made with you according
to all these wonls.
9 Then went up ^Foses and Aanm, ]Na<lab and Abihu, and seventy
of the elders of Israel. 10 And they saw the God of Israel : and un-
iler his feet as a paved work of sapphire and as the substance of heaven
for purity. 11 And upon the nobles of the sons of Israel he laid not
Iiis hand : and they beheld (_Jod, and ate and drank. § 56.
12 Ami the Lord said unto Closes, Come up to me into the mount
and be there : and I will give thee tables of stone and the law and
the commandment which I have written to teach them. 13 And Moses
rose up and Jo.shua his minister ; ami Moses went up to the mount of
(Jod. 14 And to the elders he said. Sit ye here for us, until W(; come
btck unto you : and behold Aaron mid Ilur are with you; whusuevur
264 THE CLOSING OF THE COVENANT.
hath any matter, let him draw near unto them. 15 And Moses went
up into the mount, and the cloud covered the mount. 16 And the
glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it
six days : and he called unto Moses the seventh day out of the midst
of the cloud. 17 And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like
devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of tlie sons of Israel.
18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and went up into the
mount : and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
19 IT H I '39.
The formal ratification of the covenant between God and
' his peoj)le is the appropriate close of the legislative section
which forms the kernel of the Book of Erodus. The admis-
' sion of Moses and the other representatives of the people into
the presence of God is the natural result of the sealing of the
covenant. These are, accordingly, the two topics of this con-
cluding chapter.
V. 1-8. The closing of the covenant. And to Moses he said.
The words, " and to Moses," being placed first in the original,
are emphatic. This places the following words addressed to
Moses in contrast with the communication begiin in xx. 22,
and addressed to the people. Come up. This indicates an
approach to the mountain in general. ^In the present case, it
includes an ascent of some part of the mountain side. Moses
, and Aaron ascend as the propliet and priest of God ; Nadab
I and Abihu, as the elder sons of Aaron, henceforth to be
associated with him in the priesthood ; the seventy elders as
the representative heads of the people. / The number seventy,
which we might expect to be a round number for seventy-
two, or six out of every tribe, has most probably a historical
reference to the number of souls that constituted the whole
family of Jacob when he came down into Egypt (see on Gen.
xlvi. 27). And worship ye afar off. This shews that they
were not to ascend to the summit of the mountain. Moses
shall come near ; and only the representatives prescribed shall
come at alL
V. 3. And Moses ivent. The call to come up to the mount
is subsequent both in its utterance and in the time of its exe-
cution to the directions given in xx. 22, 26, which imply all
that Moses now proceeds to do. And told the peojyle. The
acceptance of the covenant is to be an intelligent service. A II
EXODUS XXIV. 12-15. 2G5
the ivords of (he Lord. Tliis may refer to all tlie wnrtls con-
tained in the preceding four chapters, or in the twentieth
chapter only. The ten " words," pre-eminently so called,
Moses may have now rehearsed to the people. And all the
jud(jmeids, the seven decades of regulations contained in the
previous three chapters. Will we do. The unanimous assent
of the people is the virtual acceptance of the covenant.
v. 4-8. This passage contains the solemn ratiKcation of the
covenant. And Moses ivrote. All the words of the Lord
now wiitten constitute the Book of the Covenant afterwards
mentioned. Built av altar. This is the first altar erected in
compliance with the precept in xx. 24-. The altar indicates
the presence of God in covenant with his people. The twelve
jnllars, placed probably in a circle round the altar, indicate
the presence of the twelve tribes in this great solemnization
of the covenant. They do not seem to have had a monumen-
tal character, as we hear no more of them.
V. 5. And he sent young men of the sons of Israel. These
youths are not to be fjirther defined as first-born or Levites,
but as fit persons selected by Moses himself, who is the prin-
cipal agent in mediating the covenant, out of a people who
are all a " kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (xix. (i).
They are merely the ministers of Moses, and not the represen-
tatives of the people, who are the seventy elders, and occupy
a different position in this great transaction. Burnt-oferinf/s
and 'peace-offerincjs, types of atonement and thanksgiving
(xx. 24).
V. 6. And Moses took half of the blood. The blood is that
which makes atonement, and thereby lays the foundation for
a covenant of peace. Hence it ratifies the covenant. For
this purpose it is divided into two equal parts. The one is
reserved in basins — the other is sprinkled on the altar. There
it makes propitiation, and in the present instance signifies
concurrence in the covenant.
V. 7. The book of the covenant, which he had just written,
contains the " words " and "judgments " of the previoiis four
chapters. And read. Before, he told or reported ; now, he
solemnly recites. The former assent of the people authorised
the step of solemnizing the covenant. This unanimous con-
266 THE CLOSING OF THE COVENANT.
sent, after a second deliberate hearing, is the formal acceptance
of the covenant.
V. 8. The blood. This is the part reserved in basins. The
blood has here two functions to fulfil — first to make reconci-
liation, and then by its application to determine the parties
reconciled. Its offering on the altar conditionates the cove-
nant ; its application to the people makes them parties to the
covenant. It is the one blood that accomplishes the pacifica-
tion. Hence Moses sprinkles the reserved portion of the
atoning blood on the people, saying, "Behold, the blood of the
covenant, which the Lord hath made." According to cdl these
words. The book of the covenant which Moses had read
contained the terms of the covenant to which they had now
consented.
V. 9-11. The ascent to a certain point in the mountain
side, to which reference was made in the first verse, is now
accomplished. To what point they ascended would be a very
unprofitable enquiry. It is incomparably more important to
mark the fact that now, when the covenant lias received its
solemn and final sanction, the people have access to God.
Hence by their representations they enter into the presence of
God. V. 10. And they saiu the God of Israel. We take
these words in their simple sense. Whatever were the sen-
sible circumstances of the divine presence, they were permitted
to see with the eye of sense. Whatever aspect of God him-
self with face averted from them was presented to them, they
discerned, we may venture to presume, with the eye of the
spirit. Hence they do not say a word of the " similitude of
any figure " of the Divine Being, because they had not seen
any such (xxxiii. 20-23, Dent. iv. 15-19). The God of Israel.
As he was the God of Abraham when alone, the God of Jacob
when the head of a family, so now he is the God of Israel as
a people in covenant with him. A paved ivorh of sapphire.
But the spectators of that heavenly vision can only describe
the outwardly visible glory that came before them. This
phrase is otherwise rendered " a work of the whiteness or
transparency of sapphire." It is not of great importance which
rendering is adopted, as what they saw is only compared with
this, and therefore only distantly illustrated by it. Hut we
prefer the former rendering with Abenezra, because the sap-
phire is of various colours, blue, red, yellow, and white, and
EXODUS XXIV. li'-15. 2G7
the word " work " ('"I'h'J?^) is genonilly connected, not with
colour, hut with the material, the art, or the artificer. A paved
Avork of sapphire is descriptive of a scene of matchless splen-
dour, having the qualities of adamantine solidity, transparence,
and brilliancy. The auhdance of heaven for jmritij. The
sid)stance of heaven is a phrase for the very heaven itself.
Nothing less than the spotless purity and lustre of the skies
above is fit to be conijiared with the inexpressible beauty and
Cfrandeur of that which was beneath the feet of the God of
Israel. With this short sentence ends the description. A
fancy sketch would have been more copious, v. 1 1 . Upon
the nobles of the sons of It<vael he laid not his hand. He did
not consume them with the fire of his holiness, because they
had now with the whole consent of their minds entered into
a covenant of peace with him tinongh the blood of atonement.
They were, therefore, favoured with the vi.sion of the Almighty.
They beheld God. This is the verb generally employed to
denote the vision of the prophet. It denotes attentive and
absorbed contemplation. And ate ami drank.. Notwith-
standing the contemplation of the infinitely holy One, they
continued to discharge the functions of an earthly life. This
is supposed to refer to their partaking of the peace-ofFcrings
on their descent ; but it seems to be merely a proverbial
phrase to denote the continuance of life.
v. Ii2-18. This passage describes the ascent of Moses to the
actual summit of the mount. Come vp. This may be under-
stood to imply that Moses and the others had descended to
partake of the sacrificial feast. At all events, they were still
within reach of any of the people who might have business
Avith them. But Moses was now to ascend farther. And be
there. Abide there for a considerable time. Tables of stone,
slabs or tablets on which the law was written. The law, or
doctrine concerninfj Gud and his ri<dits. 2'he comntandmettt,
the authoritative rule for the conduct of man. The rea.sonable
natui-e of the ten words inscribed on the tables of stone
appears from the fact that they first reveal a doctrine and
then ini[)ose an obligation founded on that doctrine. Which
I have v:rltten. These words were not only spoken V>y the
voice, but written by the finger of God, who herein disjdays
a wondrous caie of his chosen people. To teach them. In the
268 MOSES ASCENDS THE MOUNT.
original we have here the same root that is contained in the
word rendered " law." God's law is a doctrine, a philosophy,
a theology.
V. 1 3. And Moses rose up, from a state of rest and con-
templation. And Joshua his minister. Joshua has already
come before us as captain of the host against Amalek (xvii. 0).
He is described here as the minister, attendant, or adjutant of
Moses. His presence has not been noticed among those who
went up to the mountain. He must have been in attendance
upon Moses. Some suppose he was one of the seventy elders,
but his youth militates against this view. v. 14. Before
leaving them, Moses commanded the elders to await his return
where they were, and pointed out Aai'on and Hur as his repre-
sentatives to the people, v. 15. He now at length ascends
into the mount, accompanied by Joshua alone to the very
verge of the cloud which covered the mount, v. 16. Six days
he waits in the precincts of the cloud, and on the seventh day
he is summoned into the presence of the Majesty on high. If
the giving of the law fell on the sixth of the third month, and
a day be allowed for the ratification of the covenant, the
seventh day after, on which Moses at length ascends into the
mount, will be the fourteenth of the third month, v. 17. The
sons of Israel contemplated with solemn awe the glory of the
Lord displayed on Mount Sinai, which appeared to them as a
vast flame of devouring fire, v, 1 8. Into this flaming mount
Moses, at the call of God, ascended, and abode in that won-
drous scene forty days and forty nights. The stately march
of the narrative throughout this passage corresponds with the
unparalleled grandeur of the occasion.
SECTION v.— THE TABERNACLE.
XIII. PLAN OF THE TABERNACLE. EXODUS XXV.-XXXL
CHAP. XXV. THE ARK, TABLE, AND CANDLESTICK.
2. nonn gift, arrapyji, that which is lifted up or heaved, and
hence denoting specially the heave-offering, whicli got its
name from the manner in which it was heaved up when pre-
sented.
4. npari hay.ivdoi violet or blue, a dark blue obtained from the
niurex, a shell-fish of the coasts of Phcenicia, Laconia, and
north Africa. The dye is originally white, then green, and
lastly a blue purple.
|p3~iN r70ff!vpa red, i^urple, obtained from the purpura, a fish
of Syrian and Peloponnesian shores.
r\]pr\ worm. VB' crimson, from a root signifying to sJiine.
The two words denote the Kermes worm, or the dye obtained
from it. This worm or insect is found on the ilex or hohn
oak in Palestine and the south of Europe,
^^ /Sjffo-os, Jiax, the sheuti of old Egyptian, which was fine
flax, not cotton.
5. tj'nn is variously conjectured to be the badger, the seal,
the dolphin, and the tacasse, a species of antelope found in
Africa, r. nrn he silent, it is said from its hibernation.
6. Db'3 or Db'3 sv)eet smell, spice. D^'? the balsam, by the
insertion of I in the Arabic form of the word. This plant is
common in Palestine.
DVi)p spices, 2^crfames, from the sweet smell.
IG. r\r}]} testimony. "^^V to he fast, fii-m, sure. '^''V'} assure,
attest. *iy ivitness. "i^ fix, airpoint. nnj^ appointed meeting,
regularly constituted assembly.
270 THE ARK, TABLE, AND CANDLESTICK.
17. ni33 iXadT/jpiov, l-Tt'ikiui, propitiatorium, mercy-seat. r. in
Kal, lay on (pitch); in Piel, expiate.
29. i^ipyi? rpvZXiov, a large dish or plate for bread. Those
presented by the princes of Israel weighed each 180 shekels,
or about five pounds troy weight (Num. vii. 1 3).
^3 'pahn, sole. In pi. dulffKai, hoivls or smaller plates for
holding frankincense, which were placed upon the bread.
Each of those pi'esented by the princes weighed ten shekels,
or about four and a half ounces.
nilbip srodiTa, bowls or flagons holding wine for libations.
ni»'i'30 y.xja&oi, cups used in drink-ofierings.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying : 2 Speak unto the sons
of Israel, that they take for me an offering : of every man whose heart
is wilHng ye shall take my offering. 3 And this is the offering which
ye shall take of them ; gold and silver and brass. 4 And blue and
purple and crimson ; and fine linen and goats' hair ; 5 And rams' skins
dyed red, and badgers' skins ; and shittah wood ; 6 Oil for the light ;
spices for the anointing oil and for the incense of perfumes ; 7 Onyx
stones, and stones for the ephod and for tlie breastplate. 8 And they
shall make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9 Accord-
ing to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle and the
pattern of all its instruments, even so shall ye make it. § 59.
10 And they shall make an ark of shittah wood : two cuhits
and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth,
and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And thou shalt overlay
it with pure gctld, within and without shalt thou overlay it :
and thou shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. 12 And
thou shalt cast for it four rings of gold, and put them on its four feet :
and two rings shall be on the one side of it and two rings on the other
side of it. 13 And thou shalt make staves of shittah wood, and over-
lay them with gold. 14 And thou shalt put the staves in the rings
on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark with them. 15 The staves
shall be in the rings of the ark ; they shall not depart from it. 16 And
thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
17 And thou shalt make a mercy- seat of pure gold : two cubits and
a half shall he its length and a cuhit and a half its breadth. 18 And
thou shalt make two cherubim of gold ; of beaten work shalt thou
make them, on the two ends of the mercy-seat. 19 And make one
cherub on the one end and the other cherub on the other end ; out of
the mercy-seat shall ye make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 And
EXODUS XXV. 271
tlio olicrultiin .sh;ill spread out two wings abovo, covpriiifj tho iiicirv.
scat with their wings, and their faces each to the other; toward tho
mercy-seat sljall the faces of the clieruhini he. 21 And thou shalt
])ut the nierey-seat on the ark from ahove : and in tlie ark shidt tliou
jiut the testimony that I shall give thee. 22 And I XVill meet with
thee there, and speak with thee from above the mercy-seat, from be-
tween the two cherubim which are upon tlie ark of the testimony, of
all that I command thee concerning the sons of Israel. ^ 40.
23 And thou sludt make a table of shittah wood : two cubits shall
be its length, and a cubit its breadth, ami a cubit and a half its height.
24 And thou shalt overlay it with i>ure gold, and make for it a crown
of g(dd round about. 25 And thou shalt make for it a border of a
hand-breadth round about, ami make a crown of gold for the border
thereof round about. 2G And thou shalt make for it four rings of
gold ; and put the rings on the four corners of its four feet. 27 Over
against the border shall be the rings for jilaces for the staves to bear
the table. 28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittah wood, and
overlay them with gold ; and the table shall be borne with them.
29 And thou shalt make its dishes, and its bowds, and its flagons, and
its cups, to pour out withal : of pure gold shalt thou make them. 30
And thou shalt set on the table shew bi-ead before me alway. ^ 41.
31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold : of beaten work
shall the candlestick be made ; its block and its shaft, its cups, its
knops and its flowers, shall l)e of the same. 32 And six branches
shall come out of the sides of it ; three branches of the candlestick
out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the
other side. 33 Three almond-shaped cups in one branch, a knop and
a flower ; and three almond-shaped cups in another branch, a knop and
a flower : so for the six branches coming out of the candlestick. 34
And in the candlestick shall be four almond-shaped cups, its knops and
its flowers. 35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the
same, and a knop under tw*o branches of the same, and a knop under
two branches' of the same ; for the six branches coming out of the
candlestick. 30 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same;
all of it shall be one l)eaten piece of pure gold. 37 And thou shalt
nuike the seven lamps thereof; and he shall set up the lamjis there-
of and give light over against it. 38 And its snuflers and its snufl*-
dishes shall be of pure gold. 39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he
make it with all these vessels. 40 And see that thou make them after
their pattern which thou wa.st shown in the mount. § GO.
The substance of the covenant muJe in the previous siclion
272 THE AEK, TABLE, AND CANDLESTICK.
may be conve3'-ed in the formula : " I will take you to me for
a people, and I will be to you a God," (vi. 7, xix. 5, 6, xx. 2)
The natural consequence of this is tlmt he \\'ill take up his
abode among them and enter into all the intercourse of sacred
fellowship with them. For this purpose an abode is to be
prepared for God and provided with the needful furniture.
But inasmuch as the people belong to a fallen race upon whom
the curse of disobedience has descended, a type at least of pro-
pitiation and intercession must form a pai-t of the ceremonial
intercourse between God and his people until the reality of
these priestly functions has at length arrived.
The tabernacle is the home of God among his ransomed
people. It is in general an adumbration of the great primeval
dwelling place of God where he holds converse with the mani-
fold ranks and estates of his rational and righteous creatures.
We are wont to imagine this to be some central place whither
the myriads of the intelligent universe, may convene for the
business of heaven, and for the recreations of hospitable and
friendly intercourse in the heaven of heavens. But we are
not to bind the Omnipresent to this habitual conception of our
minds. For aught we can know there may be as many cen-
tres of home for the supreme as there are spheres of spiritual
beings susceptible of the unutterable joys of the divine home
and presence and converse. Hence there may be a broad
basis of truth in all the varying interpretations which the
prolific imaginations of thoughtful men have put upon this
profoundly interesting portion of scripture. But with a due
regard to the occasion on which the tabernacle was instituted,
the stage at which human knowledge had then arrived, and
the life and freshness of the truth which it shadows forth, it
is best to adhere to the simple idea of a home, where God dwells
on terms of affectionate and familiar intimacy with his re-
deemed and reconciled people. This is the generic conception
of the tabernacle. Yet we should come far short of a correct
apprehension of its nature, if we did not bring out into con-
spicuous prominence its specific difference. It is to be re-
membered as a fact of essential moment that the people among
whom God is here to dwell are undergoing a process of sancti-
fication, which is begun in each individual b}' accepting a
pardon freely bestowed, and a propitiation typically made on
EXODUS XXV. 1-9. 273
liis behalf. Hence the paternal house or heaven, which the
tabernacle represents, is not merely the general home of the
intelligent universe, but the heaven of the redeemed, where
the liamb will be a conspicuous figure, and the psalm of praise
will be the new song of redemi)ti()n, transcending in its revela-
tion of the divine nature the older song of creation. Hence
the whole service of the sanctuary is typical of the higher
blessings of salvation, of the true high priest, of the really
atoning sacrifice, of the heaven of redemption, and of that
spiritual fellowship which the saints will have with the Lord
in glory. It is the flower of the whole economy of grace,
giving fair promise of the fruit in due season. Hence we can
understand the place and space given to the tabernacle in this
book of the exodus. The tabernacle expands and completes
what was represented in brief by the lan)b of the passover.
It sets foi'th the blessinirs which flow from reconciliation. It
is the glorious end to which all the pieliminary steps of the
deliverance and the covenant lead. It occupies a proportion-
ate amplitude of space in the records of God's dealings with his
people. Seven chapters are devoted to the specifications of
the tabernacle, and six to its construction and erection, between
which are three chapters giving an account of a lamentable
act of unbelief and apostasy on the part of the chosen people.
Of the seven chapters of specification three are assigned to
the tabernacle itself, three to the priest of the tabernacle, and
one to the ag-angcments for having the whole carried into
effect in an efficient and irreproachable manner.
The present chapter contains directions concerning the con-
tribution of the materials, and the construction of the ark, the
table, and the candlestick.
V. 1-9. The order for the contribution of materials to con-
struct the tabernacle. An offering is here a gift called by
the name of the heave-offering (xxix. 27). Of every man
whose heart is willing. A forced service is ordy a bodily ser-
vice. A free-will oflfering is alone accej)table to the Searcher
of hearts, v. 3-7. The materials of the offering and of the
tabernacle are all definitely presciibed. There are three
metals ; three colours of animal origin ; two textile fabrics,
the one vegetable, the other animal ; two sorts of skins ; one
species of wood ; oil from the olive ; spices ; onyx stones, and
S
274; THE MATERIALS FOR THE TABERNACLE.
other precious stones twelve in number for setting. Reckon-
ing spices as one class, and precious stones as another, we
have here twice seven kinds of material, of which four are
from the mineral kingdom, four from the vegetable, and six
from the animal. Blue is a purple colour from the murex ;
purple is the red purple obtained from the purpura ; and
crimson the red extracted from the coccus or kermes, sup-
posed by some of the ancients to be a berry, but in reality an
insect adhering to the holm-oak. Fine linen, a product for
which Egypt was celebrated. Rains' shins dyed red. This
cannot be naturally rendered skins of red rams. Badgers
sJcins. The badger is a native of Europe. It is probable that
the animal here intended is different. But whether it be the
seal, dolphin, tacasse, or some other animal, is a matter of con-
jecture. The familiar word badger may be retained with the
understanding that it is used for an unknown animal easily
obtained in the peninsula of Sinai. Shittah wood. This is
the Egyptian and Arabic shant, or acacia, which must have
been large and abundant in the time of Moses. It is now
employed by the Arabs for making charcoal, and is therefore
seldom allowed to attain to a great age. Oil is obtained from
the olive tree, a native of Asia, and abounding in the south of
Europe. Spices. Arabia is celebrated for its spices, which
are here comprehended under a generic term. The precious
stones are afterwards enumerated (xxviii. J 6), and the ephod
and breastplate described (xxviii. 6, 15).
V, 8, 9. A sanctuary. A holy place, where God might
dwell among his people. Its chief distinction was its holiness,
as it was to be among the children of the fall, who were
morally impure. According to all that I shoiu thee. I am
about to show thee the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all
things connected with it. The tabernacle itself was a type of
the dwelling-place of the Most High in the heaven of heavens.
But the pattern of it was the ideal form or plan according to
which it was to be constructed for earthly use. The divine
origin of this plan proves the profound significance of the
tabernacle and all its appurtenances.
It is obvious that there is an analogy between the taber-
nacle service and the ritual of the Egyptians and other Gen-
tiles. But it is equally obvious that the resemblance between
EXODUS XXV. 10-lG. 275
tliem is not the result of servile imitation or simple adoption
oil the part of Moses. It is founded on deeper and more
recondite principles. In the first place, the constitution of the
human race involves a fundamental similitude in the modes
of human worship. This race Avas in its head created after
the image of God in reason, will, and power, and then by an
act of disobedience plunged into the abyss of guilt and sin.
The common reason, though stunned by this fall, will arrive
at certain common principles of religious truth, mingled and dis-
torted, no doubt, by dark and fatal misconceptions. In the next
place, tradition has left indelible traces of primeval facts and
thoughts upon the mind of man, which have entered into
combination with the thousand strange and grotesque vagaries
of a wanton imagination. And lastly, Moses was, in the pro-
vidence of God, learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians of
that day, and equall}^ familiarised with all the experience of
the Midianites in the wilds of Arabia. Through a mind so
trained for twice forty years the Lord was pleased to convey
to his people the written revelation of his will, the fundamen-
tal principles of his law, and the minute specifications of his
worship. These facts are sufficient to account for the origin-
ality and independence of the Mosaic economy, and for the
resemblances and differences which may be traced between it
and the religious institutions of surrounding nations. It is
to be expected, not that the early customs of the Egyptians
and Midianites will throw much light on those of the Israel-
ites, but rather that the latter in their plainly written form
will contribute to the elucidation of the former. And accord-
ingly this expectation has already been in a very signal man-
ner realised. The antifpiities of Eastern nations, from Egypt
to Assyria and Babylonia, are constantly receiving illustration
from the Bible.
V. lO-lG. The ark of the testimony. The ark, like the
tabernacle itself, derives its whole importance from that which
it contains. It is a box or chest of sluttah wood. The shant
of Egypt and Arabia grew to the height of twenty or twmty-
five feet. Its wood was light, durable, and capable of taking
a polish and of resisting damp. The cubit is the length from
the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, and is variously
estimated at a foot and a half and upwards to a foot and three
276 THE MERCY-SEAT.
quarters. It contains two spans, and each span three palms
or handbreadths. The Babylonian cubit, which consisted of
seven palms, seems to have been sometimes employed (2 Chron.
iii. 3, Ezek. xl. 5), but only after the captivity, v. 11. And
thou shalt overlay it. This was not a mei'e gilding, but a
covering of the surface with thin plates of gold, as we infer
from 1 Kings vi, 16, and 2 Chron. iii. 6. The Talmud goes
so far as to conclude that three chests were made, an outer one
of gold plate, a middle one of shittah timber, and an inner one
of gold plate. Ujjon it a crown of gold. This was a border
or cornice of pure gold round the upper edge of the ark,
adorning and at the same time strengthening it for the sup-
port of the mercy-seat. v. 1 2. Four rings or staples of gold
are to be fastened on the two sides or ends of the ark. They
are to be attached to the feet or supports by which the
ark was raised above the level of the floor, v. 13-15. The
staves or poles were of acacia wood overlaid with gold. They
passed through the rings at the ends of the ark, and as these
were attached to the feet the ark was elevated above the
bearers (1 Kings viii. 8). v. 16. Thou shalt init into the ark
the testimony. This testimony is the ten commandments
engraven on the two tables of stone (xxxi. 1 8). These ten
words are the testimony of the Lord to the people concerning
the relation subsisting between them, and the duties conse-
quent thereon. The contents of this cabinet distinguish it
from all heathen chests of a similar kind in which were de-
posited certain symbols of the powers of nature which man
regarded with a superstitious veneration. Here are placed
the two tables, on which are traced in plain and literal char-
acters the great principles of eternal rectitude, not as an object
of worship, but as the basis of all moral dealing in the inter-
course between God and man. There is a significance in the
very order in which the portions of this symbolical structure
are specified. The moral law is the very centre of the whole
system of moral things ; and accordingly this is first defined
and located. The ark in which it is to be deposited is the
first article provided for the house of God.
V. 17-22. The 'mercy seat. The ark is but a part of a
greater whole ; and hence there is rightly no break here in
the Hebrew text. The mercy seat is not the mere covering
EXODUS XXV. 21, 22. 277
of the ark, wliicli had most probably a lid forming a consti-
tuent part of itself It is a separate piece, composing, with
the ark, a unity not so much in outward form, as in inward
design. It is of pure gold, to denote that expiation maintains
the unalterable sanctity of the moral law ; jis everything
must be absolutely perfect which proceeds from or comes into
contact with God. Its length and breadth correspond with
those of the at'k which contains the testimony, as the propi-
tiation must satisfy the law in all its length and breadth.
Two cherabirii. For a description of the cherubim, see on
Gen. iii. 22-24. The cherubim here are symbolic figurations
of those celestial attendants on the divine majesty. They are
to be of gold, as representative of pure and peifect beings. Of
beaten ivork. Tliey are to be formed by the hammer of mal-
leable gold. V. 1 9. Out of the mercy seat shall ye make the
cherubim on its two ends. It appears from this that the
cherubim on the two ends, and the mercy seat, formed one
piece of workmanship, either by being beaten out of one mass,
or by being permanently fastened together into one whole.
The former seems the more natural sense of the words, v. 20.
These figures have wings, spread out so as to oveishadow the
mercy seat; and their faces are towards one another, and
towaids the mercy seat. These cherubic figures had two
wings and only one face. They had the attitude of observant
attention, and guarded with their wings the place of the
divine manifestation, as became the intelligent and potential
ministers of the divine presence. These figures, then, are the
symbolic indication of the Shekinah, or dwelling of God
among men ; an abstiaction which is often applied in Rab-
binical style to the present Deity.
V. 21, 22. The mercy seat on the ark from, above. The mercy
seat, with the attentive overshadowing cherubs, is placed
above the ark which contains the testimony. This arrange-
ment is significant of the intercourse of God with fkllen man,
being founded on the basis of immutable rectitude, through a
propitiation which meets all the demands of the violated
law. And I will meet thee there, appoint a meeting
and meet thee by appointment. Hence the tabernacle is
called the tent of meeting by appointment. And S2^eak with
thee . . . . of all that I command thee concerninj the
278 THE TABLE.
sons of Israel. This is to be the place of revelation. A defi-
nite place is necessary for man, especially in his infantile state,
though not for God, who is omnipresent. The cherubim,
however, are no part of deity, and their figures no semblance
of God. They merely indicate and mark the boundaries of
the place where God manifests His presence.
Hence we perceive, that the ark, mercy seat and cherubim
form one piece of emblematic workmanship, symbolising not
God, but the atonement ; the holiness of God expressed by
the law, and His mercy indicated by His manifested presence
between the cherubim being mediated or brought into har-
mony by the proi)itiation figured by the mercy seat. The
great fundamental principle of reconciliation is mooted here,
to be afterwards developed and illustrated in the other parts
of the tabernacle. From this centre of communication with
God we proceed in this remarkable specification of the parts
of the tabernacle toward the circumference where the commu-
nicating people assemble.
V. 23-30. The table. The table is of acacia, two cubits
lonaf, a cubit broad, and a cubit and a half hioh. It is over-
laid with pure gold. A border rises a handbreadth from the
leaf This seems to be an addition to the table, and not the
upper part of the trestle on which the leaf rests. The edge
of this table, and that of the border upon it, are adorned with
crowns or wreaths of gold, the one of which, therefore, appears
at the top, and the other at the base of the border. Four
rings are attached to the legs over OAjainst the harder, and
therefore beneath the leaf, as keepers for the staves or poles
on which it is to be borne. These staves, like the table, are
to be overlaid with gold.
V. 29. Its dishes were bread-plates, of which two were
placed on the table, containing six cakes each (Lev. xxiv. 5, 6).
These cakes cannot have been ten hand-breadths by five,
according to Jewish tradition, as one dish holding such a cake
would have occupied the whole table, which was only twelve
handbreadths by six. Its howls were smaller vessels for hold-
ing pure frankincense (Lev. xxiv. 7), which were placed upon
the two piles of cakes. Its flagons were large cans or
decanters, in which a supply of wine was kept for pouring
into the cups or smaller vessels used for making libations or
EXODUS XXV. 30. 279
drink-offerings. The drink-ofiering varied from tlic fourth
part to the half of a hiu of ^vine — that is, from a ])int and a
half to three pints, according to the value of the victim
(Num. XV. 1-1:^). The dihhes, flagons, and cups must have
been of such a size that two of each could stand conveniently
on the table. The bread trays might have been five by two
and a half or three handbreadths.
V. 30. SJieiu-breud. The shew-bread was to consist of
twelve cakes, each made of two tenth deals, about three and
a-half quarts of fine flour (Lev. xxiv. 5, G). This is called
shew bread, or bread of the face, because it was on the table
in the Lord's house, and brought God and man face to face on
terms of reconciliation and communion. The table is the
place of paternal and hospitable entertainment. The twelve
cakes correspond in number with the twelve tribes of Israel.
They may be called in one resi)ect the united meat offering
of all the people ; but they have a higher significance when
they are actually partaken of by the piiests in the holy place
(Lev. xxiv. 8, 0). In this respect they represent the abound-
ing and all-sufticing blessings of eternal life, dis[)ensed by God,
as he manifests himself, and dwells among his people. The
priest partaking of the bread represents the fan)ily of God
bountifully and constantly regaled by him at his paternal
board. The tabernacle swells to its true significance as the
type of the heavenly home when God is surrounded by his
intelligent creatures enjoying, each according to the measure
of its capacity, the precious sweets of a susceptible moi-al ex-
istence. This home, however, is here presented in that aspect
which alone is real and at the same time comfortable to the
ransomed sons of a fallen race, the salvation of whom, through
the superabounding grace of God, gives a touching character
to, and sheds a mild lustre on the heaven of man. It has its
table spread with heavenly fare. The dishes are constantly
replenished with bread, and the flagons and cups are not there
without beinfj filled with wine, which was the drink offerinfj
accompanying every sacrifice. Bread and wine are the blood-
less fe:ust after the sacrifice, and are emblematical of all the
blessings of those who are pardoned and accepted as righteous
through the atoning sacrifice on the altar of propitiation (see
on Gen. xiv. 18-20).
280 THE CANDLESTICK.
V, 31-40. The candlestick. This was to be made of pure
gold, beaten with the hammer. Its block, or pedestal ; its
shaft, or stalk ; its cups, its knops, and its floivers, ornaments
on its branching stalks, shall be all of one piece, v. 32. Six
branches come off, two and two from the main shaft, at three
separate points, in the same plane, and curved in the form of
a quadrant, so that the lamps, resting on their extremities, are
all in the same horizontal line with that on the central stalk,
V. 83. Three cups, in the form of an almond nut, were on
each branch. These appear to have been surmounted by a
knop or ball, like the apple of the pomegranate, and a flower
which is not specifically described, v. 34-36. And in the
candlestick, that is, the main shaft, shall be four cups, knops,
and flowers. Under each pair of branches, and under the
central lamp, a cup, knop, and flower : and all these beaten
out of the one mass of gold. v. 37. The seven lamps rest on
the flowers at the extremities of all the stems. He who sets
on the lamps shall place the candlestick with its lamps parallel
to the south side of the tabernacle, so as to throw its whole
radiance on the opposite side where the table is situated, v.
38. The snuff'-tongs and snuff'-dishes explain themselves, v.
.39. The whole is to be made of a talent, about 120 pounds
of gold. Jewish tradition fixes the height of the candlestick
at three cubits, or twice the height of the table. This fits it
for thi'owing light over the table, and is therefore more pro-
bable than the conjecture of Bahr, that its height was a cubit
and a half, or equal to that of the table. The same tradition
estimates the breadth at two cubits, the same as that of the
table. The candlestick was placed on the south side of the
holy place, probably at the middle, opposite the table of shew
bread.
As a piece of furniture, the candlestick evidently serves to
give light to those who are in the tabernacle or home of God.
It is an emblem of spiritual light. The seven-fold light is the
sanctifying efiicacy of the Spirit, as seven is the number of
holiness. The three pieces of furniture already described are
evidently regarded by the divine revealer as forming one whole,
since at the close of their specification Moses is solemnly
admonished in these words : " and see that thou make them
after their pattern, which thou wast shown in the mount."
EXODUS XXVI. 281
Tliis ideal unity rests in tlic sjilvation of the sinner tliat re-
turns to God, wliich consists of i)eacc with God, rej)resentcil
by the mercy seat ; proj)itiation, the benefits of which are set
forth in tlie table, with its bread and wine ; and purification,
which is s3'inbo]ized by the candlestick. The nundier three
ai)pears not only in the mercy seat, with the tables of the law
beneath ami the cherul»im of the divine presence above ; but
also in the ark, the table, and the candlestick. It points to a
trinity of persons in the unity of the godhead.
CHAP. XXVI. THE TABERNACLE.
1. |3tr"P dwelling, abode, habitation, mansion. This con-
sists of the inner curtains or set of curtains, the tabernacle
proper or booth n3p^ and the tent ^'^^ the outer set of curtains
or awning of goats' hair. The two additional coverings of
rams' skins and liadgers' or seals' skins are designed to protect
the inner fabric from the weather.
yy^ a weaver who raises figures in the web. 0^< a plaiter
or wca>'er in general. DpT an embroiderer who works fi</ures
with the needle.
And the tabernaclo thou shalt make with ten curtains of fine linen
twined, and blue, and purple, and crimson; with cherubim of cuiniing
work shalt thou make them. 2 The lenj^^th of one curtain shall bo
eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one cm-tain four cubits : all
the curtains shall have one measure. 3 Five curtains sliall be coupkd
one to another ; and five curtains coupled one to anotlier. 4 And
thou shalt make loops of blue on tlie .selvedge of the first curtain at
the end of the coupling : and so shalt thou make on the selvedge of
the last curtain in the second coupling. 5 Fifty loops shalt thou
make in the first curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge
of the curtain that is in the second coupling : the loops matching one
another. G And thou shalt make fifty taclies of gold, and couple the
curtains one to anothiir with the taches ; and the tabernacle shall be
one.
7 And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair for a tent over tho
tabernacle ; eleven curtains shalt thou make. 8 The length of one
curtain sliall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four
282 THE TABERNACLE.
cubits ; the eleven curtains shall have one measure. 9 And thou shalt
couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves ; and
thou shalt double the sixth curtain in the fore-front of the tent. 10 And
thou shalt make fifty Ioojjs on the selvedge of the one curtain that is
last in the coupling, and fifty loops on the selvedge of the curtain in
the second coupling. 11 And thou shalt make fifty taihes of brass,
and put the taches into the loops, and join the tent, and it shall be one.
12 And the remnant that is over of the curtains of the tent, the half
curtain that is over shall liang over the back of the tabernacle. 13 And
the cubit on this side, and the cubit on that side, that are over in the
length of the curtains of the tent, shall hang over tlie sides of the
tabernacle on this side and on that to cover it. 14 And thou shalt
make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering
of badgers' skins from above. ^ 42.
15 And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittah wood
standing up. 1 6 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit
and a half the breadth of one board. 17 Two tenons shall be to one
board, set alike one to another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards
of the tabernacle. 18 And thou shalt make the boards for the taber-
nacle, twenty boards on the south side southwards. 19 And thou shalt
make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards ; two sockets
under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another
board for its two tenons. 20 And for the second side of the taber-
nacle northwards there shall be twenty boards. 21 And their forty
sockets of silver ; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under
another board. 22 And for the rear of the tabernacle westward thou
shalt make six boards. 23 And two boards shalt thou make for the
the corners of the tabernacle in the rear. 24 And they shall be doubled
beneath, and together they shall be complete at the top for the one
ring : thus shall it be for tlie two of them ; they shall be for the two
corners. 2o And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of sil-
ver sixteen sockets ; two sockets under one board, and two sockets
under another board. 26 And thou shalt make bars of shittah wood,
five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle. 27 And five bars
for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the
boards of the side of the tabernacle to the rear westward. 28 And
the middle bar in the middle of the boards shall reach from end to end.
29 And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings
of gold to be places for the bars ; and thou shalt overlay the bars with
gold. 30 And thou shalt set up the tabernacle according to the fashion
thereof which thou wast shown in the mount. § Gl.
31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and crimson,
and fine linen twined, of cunning work, shalt thou make it with cheru-
bim. 32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittah, over-
EXODUS XXVI. 283
laifl with gold, with their hooks of gohl, upon four sockfts of silver.
33 And thou slialt hang up the vail under tho taches, and shalt bring
ill thitlier within tho vail the ark of tho testimony ; and the vail shall
divido unto you between the holy jjlace and the most holy. 34 And
thou shalt put the mercy-seat upon the ark of the testimony in the
most holy i)laee. 35 And thou shalt set the table without the vail,
and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernaclo
southward ; and thou shalt put the table on the side of the north.
3G And thou shalt make a covering for the door of the tent of blue,
and purple, and crimson, and fine linen twined, wrought with needle-
work. 37 Antl thou shalt make for the covering live pillars of shittah,
and thou shalt overlay thcni with gold, with their hooks of gold ; and
thou shalt cast for them live sockets of brass. § 02.
After laying down the plan of those pieces of domestic
furniture which shadow forth the ultimate form and loftiest
staire of salvation for man, we descend to the habitation in
■which these are to be placed. The tabernacle proper ()ccu]nes
the middle of the three chapters devoted to the material
things. It comes after the things contained as the accessary
after the principal.
V. 1-7. The mansion. The word tabernacle applies chiefly
to the wooden structure ("^SD) originally covered with boughs
and leaves of trees. The mansion is a more genei-al term
referring to its use as an abode. lb has been replaced in our
version by the word tabernacle which is halhiwed in our early
associations and serves the pui-pose of a free rendering suffi-
ciently well. The mansion or abode consists internally of a
pavilion or set often curtains of fine linen thread, interwoven
Avitii threads of blue, purple, and crimson. The spinning of
tlie 3^arn was generally but not exclusively the work of women,
while the weaving was more fiequently done b}' men. These
arts were well known among the Egyptians, as we learn from
their numerous and interesting monuments. Figures of cheru-
bim were raised on the curtains. These were the stated
attendants on the Divine Majesty, and were, therefore, appro-
priate in his symbolic abode, v. 2. The ten curtains covered
a surface of 28 by 40 cubits, v. 3. Ten is the number of
completeness. For convenience five of these were coupled or
stitched together into one piece, and the remaining five into
another, v. 4. For the purpose of connecting these two halves
284 THE TENT.
the outer edges of the two middle curtains are provided with
loops. V. 5. Of these loops there were 50, and therefore 49
intervals in 28 cubits, or 7 intervals in 4 cubits. The distance
between the loops was about 1 0 or ] 2 inches, v. 6. These
loops were conjoined by fifty taches of gold, and the ten cur-
tains were thus formed into one Tnishhan or mansion. This
constitutes the inner curtain, which corresponds to the tapestry
of later times, or to the plastering and papering of our modern
dwellings. It covered the tops, the sides, and the western
end of the tabernacle. The cherubic figures, we may suppose,
were so placed on the cloth that they were upright on the end.
wall of the tabernacle, so that they would appear upright
above and on the sides to an eye placed above the mercy-
seat.
V. 7-15. The tent and its coverings are next described.
Curtains of goats' hair form the usual tent in the East. The
tent ('''7^) is here distinguished from the mishkan. The one
is cast or spread over the other (xl..l9). Eleven curtains
compose the tent. v. 8. They are of the same breadth as the
former curtains, but longer by two cubits, v. 9. One part is
formed by sewing five curtains, the other by sewing six cur-
tains together. Half the breadth of the sixth curtain in this
part of the tent is to be doubled, that is, to hang over the
front of the tabernacle. In this way the seam of the upper
curtains would always be over the middle of the loM^er curtains,
V. 10, 11. The two parts are connected in the same way as
before, v. 12. The tent covers the top, sides, and end of the
tabernacle, and as there is an additional lentrth of four cubits,
the one half of it hangs over in front and the other remains over
in the rear. v. 13. The single curtain is longer by two cubits
than that of the mishkan, and therefore allows a cubit to hang
over on each side. The difference is ne-'dful, because the one
curtain is witliin and the other without the boards of the
tabernacle, v. 1 4. The coverings of red rams' skins and of
badgers' skins afford protection from the rain.
V. 15-80. The wooden framework or tabernacle proper.
After the pliant materials we come to the firm part of the
structure. The shittah, shant or acacia tree, grows to a con-
siderable height. The use of the plural number, however,
admits of one of these boards being composed of more than one
EXODUS XXVI. lG-30. 285
trunk. V. 1 G. Eacli board is ten cubits long and a cubit and
a half broad, that is, at least 15 leet by 2|. As the taber-
nacle was ten cubits wide and six boards, or a bieadth of nine
cubits, seem to coni])lete the end (v. 'I'l), it is probable that
the boards were half a cubit thick at the bottom. It i.s most
likely, however, that, for the sake of liglitness, they tapered
on the outside to a thickness at the top of an eighth of a
cubit. In this way the inside would be vertical, the outside
slightly sloping, the boards would have a more stable posioion
and be sufficiently strong, and some difficulties in the con-
ception of the structure would be removed, v. 1 7. The tenons
seem to form part of the length or height of the boards. They
are "set alike" or symmetrically situated on the ends of the
boards. If they were half a cubit deep, the curtains of the
niishkan, being 28 cubits long, would exactly cover the top of
9 cubits, and the sides being 9.1 cubits each above the socket
or mortise, v, 18. Twenty boards, each a cubit and a half
broad, will form a side wall thirty cubits long. v. 1 9. The
forty sockets of silver either rested on the ground or were
attached to a solid sleeper of wood laid on the ground. The
latter method would give the greater stability to the structure.
V. 20, 21. The north side corresponds to the south, v. 22-25.
The si.v boards seem to close in the west end, which they will
do if the side boards be half a cubit thick at bottom and the
measurement be from outside to outside. The corner boards
are different from the others. If the end wall be placed at
right angles to the side wall so that their vertical boundary
lines coincide, their ends will leave aright angle to be occupied
by the corner boards. Let the base of the corner board be a
square cubit, wanting a square half-cubit on the outer corner,
and let it taper on all its outer sides to a top that shall be
a square eighth of a cubit. It is obvious that this board will
be "doubled" or twinned beneath, as it will have two project-
ing parts at right angles to each other. Its base will be half
a cubit thick, and so correspond with the thickness of the
others. Its breadth will be a cubit every way, and so it will
fill up the void square at the corner, and project half a cubit
in the direction of the side and the end. Being reduced at
the top of the mishkan to a square of an eighth of a cubit, it
will exactly fiU the square at the top and so be "complete."
286 THE TABERNACLE.
One ring or clamp of metal will serve to make it fast to the
adjacent boards of the sides and end. As its breadth, omit-
ting the part that is counted a second time, is a cubit and a
half, it has two tenons like the other boards. This seems to
be an intelligible explanation of this somewhat obscure de-
scription.
V. 26-28. As the middle bar in the middle of the boards
reached from end to end, it is probable that the other bars
were half its length, and hence that three rows of rings or
keepers ran along the sides, one in the middle for the full
length bars, and the other two between this and the extremi-
ties. As the lower ends of the boards were fastened by the
sockets, it is not improbable that the upper ends were in some
way secured, v. 29. It is generally supposed that the bars
were on the outside, and therefore the boards were overlaid
on the outside as well as the inside with gold, as Josephus
asserts. But it is possible tnat the bars were on the inside,
and the boards only overlaid with gold on the inner side.
This would give greater lightness to the boards, and would
afford the greater reason for making the keepers of gold and
overlaying the bars. But the point in question is of little
importance, v. 30. A visible form of the tabernacle was
presented to the mind of Moses on the mount, according to
which it was to be constructed.
V. 31-37. The vails and their pillars are now described.
The first vail was to be of the same material, colour, and
pattern as the interior curtains of the mansion, v. 32. The
pillars would probably be half a cubit in diameter at the base.
If one were placed in contact with each wall, the three equal
spaces would measure two and a third cubits, or about three
and a half feet. v. 33. The vail is to be suspended under the
taches of gold connecting the two halves of the internal cover-
ing. Hence it separates the tabernacle into two parts ; the
most holy place of ten cubits, and the holy place of twenty.
If the pillars were outside the vail, the interior of the most
holy place would be curtained on evevy side. v. 34, 35. The
tabernacle being now divided into its compartments, the posi-
tion of the articles of furniture already made is determined. The
ark of the testimony is to stand at the middle of the M'estern
wall in the most holy place. It is probable that the table
EXODUS XXVII. 287
occupied the middle of the nortli side, and tlie candlestick
that of the south side. We liave already seen that tiie.ie three
articles form a unity of symbolic meaning in themselves apart
from the articles yet to be described (xxv. 40).
V. 3G, 37. The covering or outer vail is of the same mate-
rial and colours as the inner, but it differs in other respects.
The figuration is wrought not by the loom, but by the needle;
and the cherubim are not mentioned. It is possible, however,
that they were raised on the inner, but not on the outer side
of the hanging; as the latter was exposed to rain, and out-
side of the tabernacle or presence-hall of God. As the pillars
had sockets of a less costly metal, it is probable that they were
regarded as external to the tabernacle, and were, therefore,
outside the hanging. If the two extreme pillars stood at the
ends of the sides, the other three divided the east end of the
tabernacle into four openings of fifteen -eighths of a cubit, or
about thirty-four inches each. These pilhirs were adorned
■svith chapiters, and provided with connecting poles or rods on
which the covering was supported by hooks (xxxvi. 38). We
are not informed whether the capitals were surmounted by a
beam or architrave, giving compactness to the whole front of
the tabernacle.
CHAP. XXVII. THE ALTAR AND THE COURT.
And thou shalt make the altar of shittah wood ; five cubits long and
five cubits broad, square shall the altar be ; and the height thoroof
shall be three cubits. 2 And thou shalt make the horns of it upon
the four corners thereof: its horns shall be of the same; and thou shalt
overlay it with brass. 3 And tliou shalt make its bo.xcs to remove its
ashes, and its shovels, and its basins, and its flesli-hooks, and its fire-
pans : all its ves.sels thou shalt make of brass. 4 And thou shalt
make for it a grate, a network of brass ; and thou shalt make on the
net four brazen rings on its four corners. 5 And thou shalt put it
under the border of the altar beneath, and the net shall be unto tlie
half of the altar. G And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves
of shittah wood, and overlay them with brass. 7 And its staves shall
be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the
altar to bear it. Hollow of boards shalt thou make it ; as it was
shown thee in the mount so shall they make it. § 03.
288 THE ALTAR.
9 And thou sTialt make the court of the tabernacle : for the south
side southward shall be hangings for the court of twined fine linen, a
hundred cubits long for the one side. 10 And its pillars twenty, and
their sockets twenty of brass : the hooks of the pillars and their rods
of silver. 11 And likewise for the north side in length shall be hang-
ings a hundred cubits long : and its pillars twenty, and their sockets
twenty of brass ; the hooks of the pillars and their rods of silver.
12 And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings
of fifty cubits. 13 And the breadtli of the court on the east side east-
ward shall be fifty cubits. 14 Fifteen cubits sliall be the hangings for
the one wing : their pillars three and their sockets three. 15 And for
the other wing the hangings shall be fifteen cubits : their pillars three
and their sockets three. 16 And for the gate of the court shall be a
covering of twenty cubits of blue, and purple, and crimson, and twined
fine linen, wrought with the needle : and their pillars four and their
sockets four. 17 All the pillars of the court round about shall be
joined with rods of silver : their hooks shall be of silver and their
sockets of brass. 18 The length of the court shall be a hundi'ed cubits,
and the breadth fifty everywhere : and the height five cubits of twined
fine linen, and their sockets of brass. 19 All the vessels of the taber-
nacle in all the service thereof, and all its pins and the pins of the
court shall be of brass. 20 § § § 64.
20 And thou shalt command the children of Israel, and they shall
bring thee pure olive oil beaten for the light to set up a continual
lamp. 21 In the tent of meeting without the vail, which is before the
testimony, Aaron and his sons, shall order it from evening to morning
before the Lord : a statute for over to their generations from the sons
of Israel § 65.
We now pass into the court of the tabernacle. The chief
object here is the great altar. In the holy of holies we have
the ark of testimony, an adumbration of mercy and truth met
together. In the holy place we find the table and the candle-
stick, the emblems of justification and sanctification. In the
court we come upon the altar, the symbol of propitiation
standing alone in all its solemn impressiveness. This is the
order of things in the histoiy of redemption. The purpose
of mercy is formed in the divine breast. The blessings of
spiritual renovation and heavenly inheritance forthwith begin
to be dispensed. The atonement, through which these legally
come, is made in the fulness of time. Hence we perceive that
EXODUS XXVII. 1-8. 289
the plan of the tahernacle first leads us down hy sensible
stages from God to man.
V. 1-8. The altar. All former appearances of the altar were
occasional : now at lengtli it comes before us as a permanent in-
stitution. Its framework is composed of the shaut, the only
timber employed about the tabernacle. Its liorizontal surface
is a square of five cubits, or seven and a half feet, and its
height three cubits, or four and a half feet. v. 2. Its horns
shall be of the same. We conceive that the angle posts of this
I)rimitive wilderness altar were three cubits high. The horns
were the parts of these posts that projected above the upper
surface of the altar. If they were half a cubit in height, the
table or upper plane of the altar would be three and three
quarters feet from the ground. At this height the ])riest could
perform all his functions with convenience standing on the
ground. The wooden frame is wholly overlaid with plates of
brass, which would preserve it from the weather and the fire,
v. 3. The boxes for removing the ashes, the shovels for trans-
ferring them to the boxes, the basins for sprinkling or pour-
ing the blood, the flesh hooks, and the fire-pans, were to be
made of brass, v. 4, 5. The brazen grate of net-work has
been variously interpreted. Many, including Kurtz and Keil,
understand by the border (23^3) a ledge half a cubit or a cubit
broad going round the altar at half its height, on which the
priest might stand when officiating, and by the grate a nct-
Avork descending from its outer edge to the groimd. But it is
obvious that the whole structure, being thus eight or nine feet
square, with a large quantity of metal, would be too heavy
and cumbrous to be portable. Moreover, the rings for the
bearing poles, being attached to the grate, would be at the
extreme edges of this square, and therefore placed in the most
inconvenient situation either for carrying or preventing a
strain on the article to be carried. Kalisch supposes the bor-
der to be at the top of the altar, and the grate to reach down
to the half height of the altar. But if the grate " reached
down from the border to the middle of the altar," we do not
see how it could " receive whatever might fall from the altar,"
or what other purpose it could serve. And it does not seem
to have been merely an ornament. By " the half of the altar"
v,e understand not half its height, but half its horizontal area.
T
290 THE COURT.
The grate would in that case be a square of nearly five and a
quarter feet in the middle of the area, surrounded by a margin
two and a quarter feet broad. This margin, covered at least
with a thick layer of brass, would be the border (2^??) beneath
the inner edge of which the brazen grate would be fixed to
contain the fire beneath the sacrifice. The fine ashes would
fall through the meshes of the net-work on the ground, to be
removed when convenient. This explanation is so far favoured
by the Sept. that both the border and the grate are rendered
by the scr/^d^a, a hearth. It is to the same extent supported
by Josephus (Ant. III. vii. 8). The grate also thus comes
out to be an essential part of the altar, and a compactness is
given to the whole structure. The four rings seem to be the
keepers for the staves by which the altar was to be carried.
V. 6, 7. The staves are to be put into the rings, and are said
to be on the two sides of the altar. The word for side here
(py^,) means not the mere surface, but the lateral portion of a
thing, and therefore the staves passing through rings attached
to the outer edges of the grate may be fairly said to'be on the
sides of the altar. An article so weighty would have to he
borne on the shoulders of four or eight men. v. 8. The board-
ing may not liave extended beyond two cubits, leaving half a
cubit of the corner posts above for horns, and half a cubit be-
neath for feet. This simple structure would afibrd the lightest,
and therefore fittest form for a portable altar of the given
dimensions. The grate may have been a cubit deep.
V. 9-19. The court. The altar is the principal thing,
secondary to which is the court in which it stands, v. 9-12,
The court is a hundred cubits long from east to west and fifty
cubits broad. The hanging seems to have been a web of fine
linen five cubits broad. This was suspended on silver rods
supported by twenty pillars on each side and ten on the west
end. V. 13-16. On the east side are two wings or shoulders
/Pins^ of fifteen cubits, and a gate of twenty. The pillars are
reckoned by Philo at 56, the corner ones being twice counted.
But in this way the distance between the pillars at the side
would be different from that between those at the end, and
the account of the east end would be unintelligible without
counting the extreme pillars of the gate twice and so having
EXODUS XXVI r. 9-19. 291
eight pillars instead of ten, and two other nneqiial intervals.
All is plain, however, when we accept the sixty pillars. Be-
irinninix at the east end of the north side we attach the hanrr.
ing to the corner pillar but do not count it. After that wo
count twenty pillars for the twenty equal lengths of five cubits
in the one hundred. Beginning again at the north end of
the west side, we do not count the corner one, as it was
counted already, and ten equal lengths bring us to the fifty
cubits of that end with its ten pillars. So we proceed with
the south side. And the south shoulder has three pillars
beside the corner one counted before. The gate has four
beside the extreme one south counted before. And the noitli
shoulder hcis three jtillars including the corner one not counted
at first. V. 1 7. The pillars are provided with hooks on which
the rods that connect them and support the enclosing canvas
rest. The hooks and rods are of silver. We are informed
also that the pillars have chapiters overlaid with silver (xxviii.
1 7.) The sockets in which they are inserted are of brass.
The pillars themselves are usually supposed to be of wood,
though the material is not mentioned in the text. The over-
laying of the chapiters with silver favours this view. v. 1 9.
All the vessels of the tabernacle, with the exceptions already
made, were to be of brass. The pins were for fastening the
tent and its coverings, and probably the pillars of the courts.
The place of the tabernacle we hold to be, not exactly in
the middle of the court, as Josephus may be construed to mean,
but as Philo explains, twenty cubits fiom the west, north, and
south sides of the court. For in this way a perfect square of
fifty cubits is left in front to be occupied by the great altar
and the laver with the company of officials and worshippers,
as we shall see hereafter.
The altar is representative of the earth on which sin has
been committed and propitiation has to be made. Its four
sides also correspond with the four quarters of the world.
Its elevation intimates the lifting up of the sacrifice to the
holy governor by whom it must be exacted. The horns are
emblems of power .and denote the virtue of sacrifice in pro-
curing remission of sin and all its concomitant blessings.
The breadth of the altar is five cubits, that of the court is five
tens of cubits, the half of its length, and the height of the
292 THE OIL FOR THE LAMPS.
pillars of the court is five cubits. These are contrasted with
ten, three and one, the nunrierical factors in the tabernacle.
They adumbrate in their own way the pre-eminence of the
tabernacle, which is the type of heaven (Heb. ix. 24), over the
court which is the figurative semblance of the earth. And the
manifold connections between them, as well as the presence of
the altar in the court, indicate the design that the earth
should eventually become a constituent part of the kingdom
of heaven. We have seen that the ark of the covenant forms
a triad in itself, that the ark, the candlestick, and the table
form another ; and now we notice that the most holy, the
holy place, and the court form a tlnrd.
V. 20, 21. The oil for the lamps. Olive oil. This is
uniformly employed for lights in the sanctuary and for anoint-
ing. It is a vegetable oil and fit for the purpose of signifying
illumination and sanctification. The fat of beasts was em-
ployed to represent propitiation. Pure, taken from the olive
alone. Beaten, obtained from olives, not pressed in a press,
but pounded in a mortar. The latter is said to be a sweeter
finer oil and of a whiter colour. To set up a continual lamiJ,
a lamp that shall burn without interruption, that is, every
night, in the sanctuary. Some suppose, however, that at least
one of the seven lamps on the candlestick was allowed to
bui-n all day, so that a perpetual flame was kept up in the
tabernacle. In the tent of inieeting or appointment. The
tabernacle is here called the tent, because it is viewed from
the exterior, where it was a tent, not from the interior where
it was a mishkan or pavilion. It is designated the tent of
meeting, because at its door or at the gate of its court was the
place for the appointed times of the Lord's meeting with his
j)eop]e. The gate in the east was the customary place of
meeting and transacting business between prince and people.
Hence to this day we have the Ottoman Porte. Without the
vail in the holy place stood the candlestick. Aaron and his
sons were to set the lamps on the candlestick and light them
in the evening, and in the morning clean them and supply
them with fresh oil (xxx. 7, 8 ; Lev. xxiii. 3, 4). A statute
for ever, an institution to be observed as long as the whole
ceremonial economy should remain in force. From the sons
of Israel, to be supplied by them for this sacred use.
EXODUS xxviir. 293
A new synagogue lesson begins with tliese two verses,
whereby their connexion with that which follows is signalised.
They form indeed a transition from the tabernacle to the
])riest of the tiibernacle. The oil for the lamps of the candle-
stick is naturally mentioned here that we may not leave the
tiibernacle without light. The light indeed is emblematic of
the light of Him who is Light, and who enlightens his own
transcendent dwelling place (Rev. xxi. 23). It serves also to
indicate the need of a minister of the tabernacle and so to
prepare the way for the office and array of the high priest.
CHAP. XXVIII. THE ATTIRE OF THE PRIESTS.
4. I^n hreast-'piece. r. he fair or graceful. It is perhaps
connected with |^*n the breast, r. he strong, firm.
liDS epliod, a jacket or shoulder piece, r. draw on, over,
or round.
TV^ rohe, a second tunic, without sleeves, worn under the
ephod, reaching to the knees, r. cover or extend.
nD:)fo onitrc, tiara, r. wind.
IDJ3K girdle, r. hind.
17. Djx aupbiov, a stone of a red colour, the sardiiis or
carnelian.
n^ps ro'rd'(iov, the topaz of Kush (Job xxvii. 10). It is
generally of a yellow colour ; which agrees with von Bohlen's
derivation from the Sanscrit pz7a yellow.
^\??^ a/j^dpaydog. r. fi.ash. It is akin to the emerald.
1 8. ^Qi civdpa^, carbuncle or ruby.
i"2p cu-pupoi;, sapphire, r. scrape, polish.
a7T\1 'las-iTig. r. heat, stHke. Some make this the emerald-
It may be the diamond, a.s others take it.
1 9. DK? }jy{jpiov, a kind of hyacinth.
iat? a^uTTig, agate, a compound of quartz, chalcedony, car-
nelian, jasper, and other ingredients.
nopnx a/j.sdvaro;. T. dream. It was supposed to have the
power of causing dreams.
294 THE ATTIRE OF THE PRIESTS.
20. tJ'''^'nn Yj>\)6o\i&(j<;. A gem of Tarsbisli or Tartessus in
Spain.
Dnb* oi-ug, as the Sept. elsewhere gives. It is of a pale colour
like the human nail.
nsc';^ 7affT/g. r. shine, he smooth. A stone of a bright
green colour.
22. n^723 a bordering or connecting, r. border. Others
render it a twisting or wreathing.
80. D''T'^ lights. D''Sn perfections, rights.
And thou bring near for thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with
him, from among the sons of Israel, to act as priests unto me ; Aaron,
Nadah and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. 2 And thou
shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for
beauty. 3 And thou shalt speak unto all the wise of heart, whom I have
filled with the spirit of wisdom ; and they shall make Aaron's garments
to consecrate him to act as priest unto me. 4 And these are the gar-
ments which they shall make ; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe,
and a chequered coat, a mitre and a girdle : and they shall make holy
garments for Aaron thy brother, and for his sons to act as priests unto
me. 5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple and crimson,
and fine linen. ^ 43.
6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, blue and purple, crimson
and twined fine linen, with cunning work. 7 Tt shall have two
shoulder straps joining it ; at the two edges thereof shall it be joined.
8 And the belt for fastening it, which is upon it, according to the
work thereof, shall be of the same ; of gold, of blue and purple and
crimson and twined fine linen. 9 And thou shalt take two onyx
stones, and grave on them the names of the sons of Israel. 10 Six of
their names on the one stone, and the names of the other six on the
second stone, according to their birth. 1 1 With the work of an en-
graver in stone, the engravings of a signet, shalt thou grave the two
stones with the names of the sons of Israel : inclosed in ouches of gold
shalt thou make them. 12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon
the shoulders of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the sons of
Israel : and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his
two shoulders for a memorial. § 66.
13 And thou shalt make ouches of gold. 14 And two chains of
pure gold, attaching shalt thou make them of wreathen work, and thou
shalt fasten the wreathen chains on the ouches. § 67.
15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning
EXODUS XXVIII. 295
■work ; after the work of the cphod shalt thou mako it : of golil, of
bhie, ami purple, and crimson, and twined fine linen, shalt thfiu make
it. 16 It shall be square, doubled : a span shall be its length, and a
6j)an shall be its breadth. 17 And thou shalt set in it settings of
stone, four rows of stones ; a row of sardius, toj)az, and emerald shall
l)e the hrst row. 18 And the second row a carbuncle, a sapphire, and
a diamond. 19 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
20 And the fourth row a chrysolite, and an onyx, and a jasper ; they
shall be mounted with gold in their settings. 21 And the stones shall
be with the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, jujcording to their
names ; with the engravings of a signet each with its name shall they
be for the twelve tribes. 22 And thou shalt make upon the breast-
plate attaching chains of wreathen work, of pure gold. 23 And thou
shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and put the two
rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 2-1 And thou shalt put the
two cords of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. 25
And the other two ends of the two cords thou shalt fasten on the two
ouches, and put them on the shoulders of the cphod, in front of it. 26
And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and put them upon the two
ends of the breastplate, on the border thereof, which is on the side of
the ephod inward. 27 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and
put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod beneath, in the iront of
it, over against the joining thereof, above the belt of the ei)hod. 28
And they shall bind the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the
ephod with a lace of blue, to be upon the belt of the ephod, that the
breastplate be not looseil from the ephod. 29 And Aaron shall bear
the names of the sons of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon
his heart, when he goeth into the holy place, for a memorial before the
Lord continually. 30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate the
Urini and the Tummin ; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart when
he goeth in before the Lord : and Aaron .shall bear the judgment of
tlie sons of Israel upon his heart before the Lono continually. § G8.
31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32
And there shall be a hole for the head in the midst thereof: it shall
have a binding round the hole of it of woven work, as it were the hole
of a habergeon, that it be not rent. 33 And thou shalt make upon
the hem of it pomegranates of blue, and purple, and crimson, round
about the hem thereof : and bells of gold between them round alntut.
34 A bell of gold and a pomegranate, a bell of gold and a pomegranate
upon the hem of the robe round about. 35 And it shall be upon
Aaron to minister : and his sound shall be heard when he goeth into
the holy place before the Louu, and when he comcth out, and he shall
not die. 8 09.
290 THE ATTIRE OF THE PRIEST.
36 And thou slialt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it with
the engravings of a signet, holiness to the Lord. 37 And thou shalt
put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be upon the mitre ; upon the fore
front of the mitre shall it be. 38 And it shall be upon Aaron's fore-
head, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, Avhich the
sons of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts : and it shall be
upon his forehead continually, that they may be accepted before the
Lord.
39 And thou shalt weave in figures the coat of linen, and thou
shalt make a mitre of linen, and thou shalt make a girdle of needle-
work.
40 And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt
make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them for glory
and beauty. 41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother,
and his sons with him ; and thou shalt anoint them, and fill their
hand, and sanctify them, and they shall be priests unto me. 42 And
make for them linen breeches to cover the flesh of nakedness ; from
the loins even imto the thighs shall they be. 53 And they shall be
upon Aaron and upon his sons, when they go into the tent of meet-
ings, or when they draw nigh to the altar to minister in the holy place ;
and they shall not bear iniquity or die : a statute for ever to him and
to his seed after him. § 70
As soon as we arrive at the altar we feel the need of the
priest who is to officiate thereat. The priest stands at the
middle point between God and man in this description.
Hitherto we have come forth from God to man. Witli the
priest we shall presently return from man to God. From God
the priest comes to man, authorized to invite the sinner to
return with penitence, confession, and faith, to God, and to
make the propitiatory sacrifice for all who return. From man
he returns to God, having made propitiation, to make pre-
vailing intercession for all whom he represents. His generic
character then is to be the mediator between God and man,
authorized on the one hand, and accepted on the other. His
specific difference is that, inasmuch as man is sinful, he has to
make the expiation that satisfies for sin, and renders his
mediation effectual. Tiie present chapter enjoins the calling
and clothinsr of Aaron and his sons in official robes. The
garments of the priests are so minutely specified, not because
the outer covering is of an}^ importance in itself, provided it
EXODUS XXVIII. 1-5. 297
be only decent nnd comely, but because it is intended to be
syuibolic of the various duties which the piiest has to per-
form. This design comes out again and again in the descrip-
tion, and cfives an instructive siojnilicance to matters whicli
would otherwise have been left to the taste of the individual.
Teaching by figures was peculiarly appropriate in the infantile
state of the world, when men had their very ideas yet to
form, and oral instruction and literary education were open
to a very few,
V. 1-5. The call to the priesthood, and the general enume-
ration of the priestly garments. And ihoiL Moses has been
hitherto the plenipotentiary of heaven, including all offices
and powers in himself To him then all commands are
iysued. Bring near for thee. For thy part bring near unto
me. From among the sons of Israel, who are all in a larger
sense, " unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation "
(xix. G). To be priests unto me. The term ]*}? (Kohen) is
sometimes applied to a civil officer, bearing the same relation
to the king that the priest does to the king of kings (2 Sara,
viii. 18, XX. 26, 1 Kings iv. 8, 1 Chr. xviii. 17). Hence it
originally means a mediator, advocate, or intercessor appointed
by the sovereign. The element of sin in the case of man in-
volves the office of expiation in an efficacious mediator, and
this is the priest strictly so called, v. 2. Holy garments.
Holy because divinely prescribed, and having a holy signifi-
cance. They figured the righteousness which is the outward
garb of a soul loyal to God. For glory and for beauty.
Glory is the outshining of intrinsic excellence. Beauty is
that pleasing characteristic which distinguishes the glorious
from the shameful. For evil has its sensible outgoing of
shame and ugliness. The inward cannot but have its corre-
sponding outward show to an all-penetrating eye. The high-
est of all excellence is moral rectitude, the glory and beauty
of wliich are shadowed forth by the priestly garments. 2.
Tlie wise of heart. The heart is the term for the whole
mental faculties in the metaphorical usage of Hebrew speech.
Tlte spirit of iviadom here is that pre-eminent mechanical
skill, which is competent to conceive and realise the design
in hand. v. 4, 5. Six parts of the sacerdotal attire are here
enumerated, three of which are peculiar to the high priest —
298 THE EPHOD.
the breastplate, the ephod, and the robe. The other three are
common with him to the other priests — the chequered coat,
the mitre, and the girdle, with this difference, that in
place of the mitre, the common priest has the bonnet or
turban (v. 40). The number three is conspicuous here, as in
the structure of the tabernacle. The doubling of this number
in the high priest's attire indicates his pre-eminence in priestly
rank. The materials of which they are to consist are the
same that were used in making the inner curtains of the
sanctuary.
V. 6-1 4. The ephod. The materials and workmanship of
the ephod and the curtains of the mishkan are the same, with
the exception of the cherubim, v. 7, 8. A patient considera-
tion of the description of the ephod leads to the conclusion
that it was a shoulder-piece Q'^uf/,!; Sept.) or single lappet
covering the back and reaching under the arm. This was
kept in its place by two contrivances : First, two shoulder-
straps extending from the upper part behind were attached to
the side pieces under the arms that came out in front immedi-
ately above the waist-band : Secondly, the belt along the
lower part of the ephod went round the waist, and so fastened
it on. The Rabbins, indeed, and many commentators after
them, hold that there were two lappets, each a cubit in
length, one in front and one behind, connected by two
shoulder-straps. But this is against the text, and against
Josephus, who expressly states that the ephod left the breast
uncovered (Antiq. iii. 7, 5). The lappet, straps, and belt, were
all of the same materials, and apparently of the same piece.
The gold was beaten into thin plates, and cut into wires in
oi'der to be interwoven with the blue, and purple, and scarlet,
and fine linen (xxxix. 8). v. 9-12. Tivo onyx stones are to be
set in ouches of gold on the shoulders of the ephod. The
names of the sons of Israel are to be engraven, six on each
stone, according to their birth. The names of the elder six
sons, according to Josephus, were on the right shoulder, and
those of the other six on the left. The probable arrange-
ment is — Reuben, Simon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad,
Asher, Issakar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin. These stones are
to be sto7ies of memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord.
The engraven names, like all writings, perpetuate the remem-
EXODUS XXVIII, G-1 4. 209
brance of the persons or tliinf^s named. This, therefore,
intimates that the descendants of Israel are on the
memory of the high priest when he appears before the Lord.
And the direction concerning these names indicates that in all
this tlie God of mercy has Israel in perpetual remembrance.
The office of the high priest has a twofold aspect, as he is the
j)lenipotentiary of heaven to man, and as he is the propitiator
of heaven for man. The badge of official authority was car-
ried on the shoulder. Hence the ephod with its onyx-stones
sliadows forth on the one hand the authority of the high
priest as appointed of God to his high office. On the other
liand, the bearing of the names on the shoulder indicates the
propitiatory power of the high priest's office. The shoulder is
the scat of bearing power. And bearing the names of the
sons of Israel is a forcible Hebrew symbol for saving them by
an interposition, which prevails in virtue of a proper atone-
ment. By a familiar expansion of the figures, the high
priest appears as the shepherd (Gen. xlix. 24) who bears the
lanjbs on his shoulders. He thus becomes the significant type
of the great High Priest, whose everlasting arms are under-
neath his people. The onyx-stones are two, simply because
the shoulders are two on which the people are borne. The
names are in a group upon these stones to indicate that the
one atonement is made for the whole body of the ffxithful.
v. J 3, 1 4. These two verses stand by themselves in the
original text, and form the transiticm from the description of
the ephod to that of the breast-plate. The ouches of [/old
seem to be those in which the onyx-stones are set. Attach-
ing. The word 0^^533 is very obscure. The meaning, "twisted,"
now generally given to it, is implied in the following word.
It appears to refer to the use made of the chains. They were
formed not of rings, but of gold threads twisted in the man-
ner of a cord. These are fostened on the ouches, and serve to
suspend the breast- piece, and form a close connexion between
it and the onyx-stoucs.
V. 15-30. The breast-plate of judgment, /.oyiTov rr,; xpIsiu;
(v. 30) is not a plate strictly so called, but a piece of figured
stufiT like the ephod ; which, when doubled, forme<l a square
of a span, or about nine inches each way. v. 1 7. Thou .^halt
set in it settinns of btonc. The twelve stones were to be set
300 THE BREAST-PLATE.
in gold (v. 20). The settings may have been separate, but it
is much more likely that they were connected in a square
frame of gold which was attaclied to the variegated cloth of
the breast-plate, as the settings of the onyx-stones to the
shoulder-straps of the ephod. The names of the twelve sons
of Israel were to be engraven on these stones. The probable
equivalents of the Hebrew names of these stones are given in
the version. It is of no importance to ascertain the precise
nature of each stone, as the particular name engraven on each
is not specified. It suffices to know that the characters of
the tribes were as different as those of the stones, v. 22-25.
The wreathen or twisted chains before mentioned in connexion
with the ephod (v. 15), are here introduced in their relation
to the breast-plate. They are hooked on two rings attached
to the upper corners of the breast-plate, while their other
ends are fastened, as already stated, to the ouches on the
shoulders of the ephod. v. 26-28. The breast-plate, thus
suspended, is to be kept in its place by a lace tying a ring on
each of its two lower corners to a corresponding ring on
each 'of the lower ends of the shoulder-straps above the
belt of the ephod. v. 26. The two rings of the breast-plate
are to be placed on the border of it, on the farther or lower
side of the ephod, imuard; that is, on the side next the ephod.
V. 27. The two rings of the ephod are to match them underneath
on the ends of the shoulder-straps, which are continued down
to the belt, in the front of it, on the borders of it which come
under the arms to meet the breast-piece, which overlaps it,
and covers the space left in front. Over against the joining
thereof, the joining of the shoulder-strap with the side and
with the belt of the ephod.
v. 29. The breast-plate itself, filling up the space of a span
on the breast between the two shoulder-straps, and attached
thereto above and below, is to be regarded as the complement
of the ephod. As the breast-piece was two spans or a cubit
deep, so Josephus informs us (iii. 7, 5) that the ephod was of
the depth of a cubit, and so extended as far below the belt
behind as the breast-plate itself before. Being part of a com-
mon whole, they share in a common significance. The names
on the breast-plate, in common with those on the ephod, serve
for a memorial of Israel before the Lord (v. 12). As the
EXODTTS XXVIII. 30. 301
heart, in its ethical sense, is the scat of intellectual and moral
faculty, the bre^xst-plate on the heart is the emblem of oracu-
lar and judicial utterance. Hence it is called the bieast-plate
of judgment, and in the Sept. Xoyim rrn x^Ishd;, the oracle of
judgment. In this respect the high priest appears as the
authoritative and inspired spokesman of Him who is the God
of truth and the Judge of all the earth. On the other hand,
the bearing of the names of the sons of Israel on his heart is
a symbol of intercession, the second half of the priestly medi-
ation for the children of God. As each name is now on a
sep.arate stone, so every individual believer in Him who has
made the all-covering atonement, has a special place in that
all-prevailing intercession which is continually going on at
the throne of grace.
V. 30. The Urini and the Tummim. And thou shalt put
into the hreast-plate. The breast-piece itself is a piece of
elaborately finished cloth (v. 1 5). The symmetrical set of
precious stones mounted in gold, whether separate or in a
common frame, had to be constructed apart, and then placed
vj'dhin the compass of (p^) the breast-plate, and attached to it
in the ordinaiy way. This is expressed, not before, but now
in the words above quoted. This being so, the Urim and
Tummim are the twelve precious stones mounted in gold,
which are now put in the breast-plate. And they shall be
upon Aaroris heart when he goeth in before the Lord. These
significant stones shall be on the breast of the high priest
when he goes in to intercede, or essays to consult the Lord
for Israel or a son of Israel.
And Aaron shall bear the judgment of the sons of Israel
upon his heart before the Lord continually. A judgment is
a decision or sentence according to law or rioht. Now the
right of those who are actually guilty, and therefore obnox-
ious to the penalty of the law, resides not in themselves, but
in their high priest, who gives satisfaction for the offence, and
fulfils the requirements of the law on their behalf. Hence
Aaron is said to bear the judgment of the sons of Israel when
he prosecutes their cause before the Lord on the merits of his
official compliance with the law in their stead. And he is
said to bear the judgment of the sons of Israel when the Urim
and Tummim are upon his heart, simply because these words
302 THE URIM AND TUMMIM.
are a significant name for the set of precious stones on whicli
their names are engraven. The precious stones, distinct from,
yet bearing the names of the sons of Israel, appear to stand
for him who has been ah-eady described as " the Stone of
Israel" (Gen. xlix. 24), or more precisely to point out certain
of his leading qualities, either in their unity, as the onyx on
the shoulder, or in their diversity, as the twelve stones on the
breast-plate. These qualities are expressed by the terms
the Urim and the Tummim, the Lights and the Eights,
rendered by the Sept. rj^i/ briXooaiv -/.al riiv dXyjhiav. Hence the
importance of this highly significant emblem for determining
the spiritual meaning of the breast-plate. Now the two lead-
ing qualities of a precious stone are brilliance and hardness.
For the latter some may incline to substitute perfection, purity,
or freedom from any flaw. The stones of the breast-plate,
then, are naturally called the Lights in respect of their bril-
liance, and the Eights (perfections or purities) in respect of their
hardness (or perfection). These two qualities in the stone
represent the light and the right that are in the high priest
for the enlightenment and the reconciliation of those who come
to God by him. He exercises the functions of teaching and
sacrificing, as the type and shadow of a greater than himself
The Lord above is the o-reat Illuminator of the darkened soul
by his quickening Spirit (Gen. i. 8, viii. 3, xii. 7, xlviii. 1 5),
and at the same time the great Vindicator from the evil con-
sequent on sin (Gen. xlviii. 16) by a righteousness not then
fully manifested to the infant Church. The deep import of
the Urim and the Tummim, however, already dawned upon
the early believer, when he witnessed the high priest clothed
with the divinely-instituted breast-plate, making an ofiering
on the altar, accepted by fire, for the sins of the people, and
returning oracular answers from God to the reverent enquirer;
and when he felt within himself the new-born emotions of
faith and repentance towards God, and of that peace of con-
science which arises from the confidence that an atonement
has been made and accepted on his behalf It pleased the
Lord to indicate the light and right which he vouchsafed to
his people by the precious stones on the breast-plate of the
high priest, but it was not his pleasure that these should re-
side in the stones as a charm in an amulet. Hence, though
EXODUS XXVI 1 1. 31-35. 303
it was ordained tliat the high priest shoidd be clothed in the
ephud and brea.st-phate wlien the Lord was consulted through
him, yet the divine response was not always either withheld
in the absence of the breast- plate, or granted when it was pre-
sent. The Lord had various ways of communicating know-
ledge to the high priest, by an audible voice, and by other
means which we cannot precisely define. But we have no
ground whatever for the inncy that he conveyed verbal mes-
sages to the high priest by illuminating or raising up certain
letters on the stones. The four letters, n, D, V, p, do not occur
on the stones. And besides, no possible advantage can aiiso
fiom this gratuitous conjecture, as there is no scarcity of pos-
sible ways in which the oracular respon-se may have been
given. Here it becomes us to observe the rational, intelli-
gible, and open meaning of this most significjint part of the
sacerdotal attire. There is nothing concealed : no idolatrous,
mystical or magical object or image, such as the Teraj^him
(Spencer, Legg. Ritual, III. iii. 2), or three ancient stones, one
for the affirmative, one for the negative, and a third for nei-
ther (^lichaelis, ]\[os. R. i. 52), or diamond dice (Zullig) ; no-
thing like the golden figure of the Goddess of Truth (Thmei)
worn by the chief judge of Egypt (Diod, Sic, i. 48, 75) ; but
simply a series of precious stones worn openly on the breast,
with the names of the twelve sons of Israel engraven in j)lain
letters on them for a memorial. These are called Urim and
Tummim, Lights and Rights, in reference to the high func-
tions of pro})hetic revelation and priestly intercession which
were exercised by the high priest for the benefit of the people,
v. 31-35. The robe of the ephod. This phrase implies
that the robe belonged to the ephod ; and hence the three
pieces, the breast-plate, the ephod, and the robe, were re-
garded as one whole. The robe is to be entirely of blue. It
is a close-fitting garment, having an aperture for the head, and
slits, we must understand, for the arms. It was without
seam, being entirely woven even to the hem or binding round
the neck. It reached to the knee, being longer than the ephod,
and shorter than the chequered coat. v. 33-35. Upon tlie
skirt of it were to be pomegranates of blue, and j)urple, and
crimson, alternating with bells of gold. Aaron is to wear this
robe when he ministers ; and thus his sound shall be heard
304 THE HOLY CROWN.
when he goeth into the holy place and when he cometh out,
that he die not. This robe is a type of that which preserves
from death. Now we know that disobedience is the cause of
death, and of course obedience is the safeo-uard ao^ainst it
(Gen. xvi. 1 7). The robe, then, is a symbol of that righteous-
ness which is the only security of eternal life. Without this
robe, then, the high priest may not appear in the pi'esence of
God on pain of death. The sound manifests to Aaron and to
all concerned that the mail of proof has been put on, and the
dread of death is removed. It is not "probable that the people
in general were so near as to hear the tiidvling of these bells,
and therefore we cannot suppose that the actual hearing of the
sound during the ministration of the high priest within the
sanctuary was intended to convey any intimation to them.
This view of the robe confirms the import of the ephod and
breast-plate that are connected with it. The conjoint indica-
tion of the threefold whole is that the high priest is appointed
by God to bear the sins of the people, to intercede on their
behalf, to reveal to them the truth of God, and to appear in a
perfect righteousness as their representative,
V. 36-38. The crown of holiness (xxxix. 80). Before pro-
ceeding to the parts of the priestly attire, which are common
to all priests, the significant crown of holiness is to be added
to what has gone before. This consists of a plate of pure gold
attached to the mitre by a lace of blue, so that it may rest on
the forehead. On this plate is engraven the phrase, Holiness
TO THE Lord. By the names of the sons of Israel on the pre-
cious stones, Aaron was marked out as the representative of
the people. By the sentence on the diadem, he is signalised
as the representative of God. In him is typified that intrin-
sic holiness on account of which alone the people can be
accepted. By this holiness alone can he be quaUfied to under-
take the cause of the people, and so " bear the iniquity of their
holy things," that they may be accepted before the Lord.
It is notable that in the significance of the ephod and the
breastplate, the bearing of the people is mentioned, and in the
explanation of the crown the bearing of their sins is brought
forward. The reason of this seems to be that in the former
case the power and wisdom of the mediator are regarded, in
the latter his holiness is made prominent. It is also worthy
EXODUS XXVIII. 3G-38. 305
of remark that in the epliod tlie priestly office is obvious, in
the breastplate the prophetic conies into view, and in the crowu
of holiness the kingly makes its appearance, while at the same
time the priestly discloses itself throughout.
V. 39. In one verse the three i)ieces of dress that are com-
mon to all the priests are sunnnarily described. Tlie coat of linen
is to be checkered or figured in the loom. It was worn above
the shirt, provided with sleeves, and reaching to the feet. It was
probably an emblem of moral purity. The milre was of tlie
same material, and seems to have been wrapped round the
head like a turban. On the front of it was attached the
golden plate described in the previous verses. The bonnet
was used by the ordinary priest in place of the mitre. The
girdle was also of linen, embroidered with the needle. Josephus
says that it was four lingers wide, wound twice round the
body, and tied in front, the ends hanging down to the feet.
Maimonides asserts that it was three fingers wide and thirty-two
cubits long. It forms a very ornamental part of Eastern
dress,
V. 40-43. The dress of the other priests consisted of coats,
girdles, and bonnets. For glory and beauty (v. 2). Garments
of splendid appearance and pleasing to the eye become the
incomparable dignity of the priestly office, v. 41. The chap-
ter now closes as it began, with directions to put these gar-
ments upon Aaron and his sons, to anoint them, to fill their
hand and sanctify them, that they may minister to the Lord
in the priests' office. The filling of the hands is the placing
of the prescribed sacrifices in their hands, in the offiiring uf
which they are not only sanctified for, but instituted into
their office. The Levitical priests had to offer for themselves,
as they were but fallen men like their fellow-worshippers, and
therefore but types and shadows of a true and perfect priest
to come. v. 42. The breeches are mentioned apart, because
they do not belong to the official dress of the priest, but are
prescribed for the sake of decenc}''. The organs of excretion
are called the flesh of nakedness, because their exposure is the
exposure of a defilement connected with decay and death, and
indicative of that moral defilement which brought death into
the world of mankind. These parts are to be specially con-
cealed in those who are to be types of moral purity when they
U
806 THE CONSECRATION OF THE PRIESTS.
approach the tent of meeting or the altar. The " statute for
ever " may be regarded as applying to the whole of the regu-
lations concerning dress.
Tradition records that the old garments of the priests were
unravelled and made into wicks for the lamps at the feast of
tabernacles.
CHAP. XXIX. THE CONSECRATION OF THE PRIESTS.
24. HDlJn a wave-offering, r. wave to and fro.
2 '7. T\iyr\T\ a lieave-offering. r. be high.
And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them
to act as priests unto me : take one young bullock and two rams with-
out blemish. 2 And unleavened bread, and unleavened cakes tem-
pered with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil ; of wheaten
flour shalt thou make them. 3 And thou shalt put them into one
basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two
rams. 4 And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of
the tent of meeting ; and shall wash them with water. 5 And thou
shalt take the garments, and clothe Aaron with the coat and the robe
of the ephod and the ephod and the breastplate ; and gird him with
the belt of the ephod. 6 And thou shalt set the mitre upon his head,
and put the holy crown upon the mitre. 7 And thou shalt take the
anointing oil and pour it upon his head and anoint him. 8 And
his sons thou shalt bring and clothe them with coats. 9 And thou
shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and bind on them
bonnets : and the priestly office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute :
and thou shalt fill the hand of Aaron and the hand of his sons. 10
And thou shalt bring the bullock before the tent of meeting ; and
Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.
1 1 And thou shalt kill the bullock before the Lord, at the door of the
tent of meeting. 12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock
and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all
the blood at the bottom of the altar. 13 And thou shalt take all the
fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the
two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the
altar. 14 And the flesh of the bullock and his skin and his dung
shalt thou burn with fire without the camp : it is a sin-offering. 15
EXODUS XXIX, 307
And thou slialt take the one ram ; and Aaron and his sons shall lay
their hands upon the head of the ram. IG And thou shall slay the
ram, and thou shalt take his blood and sprinkle upon the altar round
about. 17 And tliou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash his inwards
and his legs, an<l put them on his pieces and on bis head. 18 And
thou shalt burn the whole ram on the altar ; it is a burnt-offering unto
the Loud, a sweet savour, an offering by fire unto the Lord. 19 And
thou shalt take the other ram ; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their
liands upon the head of the ram. 20 And thou shalt kill the ram
and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron
and upon the tip of the right ear of his 8ou.s, and upon the thumb of
their right hand and upon the great toe of their right foot ; and thou
ehalt sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about. 21 And thou
shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil,
and sprinkle it upon Aaron and upon his garments and upon his sons
and upon his sons' garments with him ; and he shall })e hallowed and
his garments and bis sons and his sons' garments with him. 22 And
thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that
C(»vereth the inwards, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys
and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is the
ram of consecration. 23 And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled
bread and one wafer, out of the basket of unleavened bread that is
before the Lord. 24 And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron
and in the hands of liis sons ; and thou shalt wave them lor a wave-
offering before the Lord. 25 And thou shalt take them out of their
hands, and burn them up on the altar for a burnt-offering, for a sweet
savour before the Lord : it is an offering by fire unto the Lord. 26
And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of consecration which is
Aaron's and wave it for a wave-offering before the Lord : and it shall
be thy part. 27 And thou shalt hallow the breast of the Avave-ofTer-
ing, and the shoulder of the heave-offering, which is waved and which
is heaved up, of the ram of consecration, of that which is to Aaron and
to his sons. 28 And it shall be Aaron's and his .sons' by statute for
ever from the sons of Israel ; for it is a heave-offering : and a heave-
offering shall it be from the sons of Israel of the sacrifices of their
peace-offerings, their heave-offering unto the Lord.
29 And the holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after liim,
to anoint them therein and to fill their hands in them. 30 Seven days
shall the priest after him of his sons put them on, when he cometh
into the tent of "meeting to minister in the sanctuary. 31 And thou
shalt take the ram of consecration, and seethe his llesh in a holy place.
32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the
bread that is in the basket, at the door of the tent of meeting. 33
808 THE CONSECRATION OF THE PRIESTS.
And they shall eat those things wherewith atonement was made, to fill
their hands and hallow them : and a stranger shall not eat thereof, for
they are holy. 34 iVnd if there remain any of the flesh of consecration
and of the bread until the morning, then thou shalt burn the remain-
der with fire : it shall not be eaten, for it is holy. 35 And thus shalt
thou do unto Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have com-
manded thee : seven days shalt thou fill their hand. 36 And thou
shalt offer every day a bullock of sin-offering for atonement : and
thou shalt purge the altar, when thou makest atonement upon it, and
thou shalt anoint it to hallow it. 37 Seven days shalt thou make
atonement upon the altar, and hallow it : and the altar shall be most
holy ; whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy. § 71
38 And this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar ; two
lambs of the firet year day by day continually. 39 The one lamb
thou shalt offer in the morning and the other lamb thou shalt offer
between the evenings. 40 And a tenth deal of flour mingled with
the fourth of a bin of beaten oil, and for a drink-offering the fourth of
a bin of wine for the one lamb. 41 And the other lamb thou shalt
offer between the evenings, and shalt do thereto according to the meat-
offering of the morning and according to the drink-offering thereof, for
a sweet savour, an offering by fire unto the Lord. W^A continual
burnt-offering throughout j'our generations at the door of the tent of
meeting before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak there unto
thee. 43 And there I will meet with tlie sons of Israel ; and it shall
be hallowed by my glory. 44 And I will hallow the tent of meeting
and the altar: and Aaron and his sons will I hallow to act as priests
to me. 45 And I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their
God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that
brought them forth out of the land of Mizraim, that I might dwell
among them : I am the Lord their God. ^ 44.
Having given specific directions concerning the official attire
of the priests, the sacred writer proceeds to settle the mode
of their consecration or solemn induction into ofiice.
V. 1-28. The form of consecration. In this solemn process
Moses by special appointment of heaven is to act the part of
priest and consecrator and so lay the foundation of the Aaronic
priesthood. To consecrate the priests is to halloiu theon to act
as iwiests unto the Lord. It consists of three chief parts : I,
anointing them ; 2, making atonement for them by sacrifice ;
8, causing them to perform a part of their ofiice, in earnest
and in token of the performance of the whole thenceforward
EXODUS XXIX. 1-28. 309
with full authority. All this is precodcd hy three ]>reliminary
arraiigenients. v. 1-3. First, the bringing forward of the
articles for sacrifice. The offering consists in its fullest form
of three parts ; the animal or proper saci"ifice, in which the
blood that makes atonement was shed, the meat-oflering, and
the drink-offering. In these two the thanksgiving and self-
devotion of the offerer aie jointly expressed ; and hence the
meat-offering only is sometimes employed, as in the present
instance, to denote this state of mind. The three animals for
sacrifice are a young bullock and two ram.s. Wifhovt blemish.
This outward freedom from fault is symbolic of that intrinsic
integrity or perfection which must belong to the real sacrifice
for sin. Three kinds of bread made of wheaten flour are
employed for the meat offering. Bread baked in the usual
manner ; cakes mingled with oil, a kind of short bread, per-
forated, as its name indicates ; and wafers with oil spread upon,
them. These indicate the fulness and variety of the feelings
and duties acknowledged. They are all unleavened in token of
the sincerity of the worshipper. They are put into one basket
as beinrj one offering, and are brought forward with the
bullock and the rams.
V. i. The second preliminary is the bringing forward of
Aaron and his sons, the parties to be set apart for office.
Uyito the door of the tent of meeting. The tent has been
already described (xxvi. 7-1 5). It was stretched over the
tabernacle. It is called the tent of meeting, because it is the
appointed place of meeting with God on the part of the high
priest, and also on that of every stated assembly of the people
on solemn occasions (v. 42, 43. See on xii. 3). At the door
of the tent means in a circle, the circumference of which touches
the door, be the same more or less according to the number
constituting the meeting. It is obvious that a door ten cubits
wide and a gate to the court of twenty cubits will allow a
wide scope for the phrase at the door of the tent of meeting.
And shalt icash them ivith water. At the time when this
direction would be carried into execution the laver (xxx. 17-
21) would have been constructed and placed between the altar
and the door of the tent (xl. 11, 12), say twenty-five feet
fiom each. Hence Aaron and his sons were at the door of
the tent of meeting, when they were twenty-five feet from the
310 THE FORM OF CONSECRATION.
entrance. The washing with water is one of the figures for
personal cleansing or sanctification, while the sprinkling with
blood shed at the altar was typical of legal cleansing or justi-
fication.
V. 5, G. The investiture is the third preliminary. The
coat is first put on over the shirt, then the robe, then the
ephod and breastplate, with the belt of the ephod, and lastly,
the mitre, with the crown of holiness on the head. We have
already seen the typical significance of the articles of dress.
Aaron being now present in his official attire, and accom-
panied with the offerings, the consecration or solemn ordina-
tion is to take place.
V. 7. The first part of the proper ordination is the anoint-
ing. The composition of the anointing oil is afterwards ])re-
scribed (xxx. 22-25). The mode of application is pouring
upon the head. He thus becomes a mashiach, a representa-
tive of the great Messiah. The anointing denotes qualification
for oflSce by the enlightening and sanctifying operation of the
Spirit of the Lord.
V. 8, 9. The sons of Aaron are now brought forward.
Their investiture is summed up in the direction to clothe them
with coats. And then girdles are put on Aaron and his sons.
It appears from this that the girdle was put over the belt of
the ephod. The bonnets are bound on their heads, and must
therefore be furnished with ties for this purpose. The priestly
office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute. The priesthood,
in its virtue and effect, is absolutely perpetual. In its present
form, it lasts as long as the Levitical economy, And thou
shalt Jill the hand. After the qualification, comes naturally
the institution, described as the filling of the hands with the
instruments of office that they may be used in some initial ser-
vice. But in proceeding to this we meet with the propitiation
or atoning sacrifice, by which they become recti in curia,
right in point of law.
V. 10-28. The second part is the removal of legal disquali-
fication by a series of sacrifices. The first is the sin-offering
(v. 10-14). Here is the direct recognition of sin in the in-
tended officials, and therefore of the need of an atonement.
The bullock is to be brought before the tent of meeting.
Aaron and his sons are to put their hands on its head in token
EXODUS XXIX. 1 5-28. 311
that their sins are laid on it. This symholic action takes
place in all the offerings (v. 15, 10). Moses is to slay the
animal in the presence of the Lord. He is to sprinkle of the
blood upon the horns of the altar, and pour the rest at its
base. It is the blood, which is the life, that makes atone-
ment. All the fat covering the inwards, the caul or midriff,
the kidneys and their fat, are to be burnt upon the altar.
The fat is the best, and this is to be consumed on the altar,
as a satisfaction to justice beyond the mere ])rivation of life.
The remainder of the sin-offering is to be carried without the
camp, as an unclean thing, and there consumed with fire, to
indicate that that in which sin resides must be given over to
destruction. Such is the awful, yet hopeful significance of the
sin-offering.
V. 15-18. Next is the burnt-offering. The victim is in
this case wholly burnt on the altar, to denote that a full pro-
pitiation is to be made for guilt. The blood of the one rara
is to be sprinkled on the altar round about. Its body is then
to be cut in pieces, perhaps into quarters, the inwards and
legs to be washed, and laid upon the pieces and the head on
the altar. The burnt-offering is as old as Noah's day (Gen.
viii. 20). The offering of the whole victim on the altar gives
prominence to the idea of a complete substitution of one for
another. It is a sweet savour, because it scents the air with
the flavour of savoury meat, and thereby vividly expresses
how pleasing to the Almighty is the satisfaction to justice
which opens the way to remission and restoration. It is an
offering hy fire, because this brings to view the utter destruc-
tion that awaits every thing tainted with sin.
V. 19-28. The third is the rara of consecration. Touching
the body with the blood figures tlie application of that which
expiates to the person purged from guilt. The ear is the
organ of hearing, and therefore understanding and willing.
The hands and the feet are the two great organs of nearer and
more distant outward act. All these channels of true obedi-
ence needed propitiation. The sprinkling of the blood upon
the altar noted to whom the expiation was made. v. 21.
This was followed by a remarkable sprinkling of the persons
and garments of the priests with both the blood upon the
altar and the anointing oil, to symbolize at the same time the
312 THE FORM OF CONSECRATION.
outward and legal, and the inward and moral purification
which was essentiiil to the priestly office.
V. 22-25. The filling of the hands here begins. This simple
but significant act is the third and crowning part of the induction
of the priests into ofiice. The fat and fatty parts of the ram,
with one of each kind of cakes in the basket, are taken by
Moses. The rump. This is the tail of the sheep, which in
the broad-tailed species often weighed twenty pounds, con-
sisting chiefly of fat, and was so valuable that a little cart
was sometimes placed under it to preserve the fat, and relieve
the animal, v. 24. All these are to be |>wi in the hands of
Aaron and his sons. From a comparison of the present pas-
sage with others in the trial of jealousy and the institute of
the Nazarite (Num. v. 18, vi. 19), it appears that to put an
ofiering into the hands of the offerer is to cause him thereby
to take a part in the offering and in all its consequences.
The significance of this taking in hand depends on the nature
of the offering in question. Here it is the ram filling the
hand (v. 22). Aaron and his sons, then, here take the first
step in offering, and are thereby initiated in the priestly
office. But Moses is further du-ected to wave them for a
wave offering, while they are in the hands of the priests.
This seems to be accomplished by Moses placing his hands
beneath those of the priests, and convejnng to them a motion
to and fro. Waving is explained by Maimonides and Rashi
to be a going and coming ; that is, a going towards the altar
in token of dedication to the Lord, and a coming again
towards the priest in token of transference to the priest as
his share. This, however, does not suit the present case, in
which the things waved are afterwards consumed on the altar.
Later rabbins describe it as a movement towards the four
quarters of heaven, to denote a consecj'ation to the omni-
present God. But the horizontal movement probably indi-
cates equality of rank, while heaving, a vertical movement,
points to superiority and inferiority of rank. On this suppo-
sition, while either movement may denote an active part in
the sacred service, waving may shadow forth the communion
of the worshippers with one another, and heaving the com-
munion of the worshipper with the Being worshipped. In the
present case, the waving will indicate the communion of Aaron
EXODUS XXIX. 2G-29. .313
niul Ins sons witli Moses in the act of sacrifice. After the
waving Moses is to take the things waved out of their liands
and burn them upon the altar. As the ram is here paren-
thetically called "the ram of filling" of the hand, it is mani-
fest that this is the first act of that official initiation which is
continued through the seven days of consecration (v. 35).
V. 2G-28. The part of the sacrifice usually assigned to the
priest. The first victim offered on this occa.sion is a sin-
offering, the second a burnt-ofFeiing. After sin has been expi-
ated, and complete satisfaction made, reconciliation and com-
munion with God naturally follow. Hence the third victim,
the ram of consecration, is of the nature of a peace-offering, in
which the worshipper, still acknowledging his need of atone-
ment, yet advances to the end of all i)roj)itiation, peace with
God, communion with Him, and all the joy of salvation.
Hence the peace-offering included a feast upon a sacrifice,
shadowing forth the communion of the worshippers with God.
The priests were partakers in this communion ; and accord-
ingly the wave-breast was assigned to them, and the heave-
shoulder to him who officiated on the occasion (Lev. vii. 32-
84;). Here, then, the breast of the ram of consecration is
assigned to Moses, who for the present sums up the whole
priesthood in himself. He is to wave it for a wave-offering,
in token of his communion with the offerers in the blessings
of peace and privilege, v. 27. He is to Judlow, or set apart
to a sacred use, the shoulder of the heave-ofFerin<j-. The
heave-shoulder was to be the share of him who transacted the
deed of atonement and fellowship with God, in offering up
the fat of the peace-offering unto the Lord (Lev. vii. 33). It
was taken or heaved up in token of its being offered to God,
by whom it is assigned to his representative among men. v.
28. This is the heave-offering out of the peace-offerings of the
sons of Israel, by a perpetual statute (xxv. 2).
V. 20-37. Additional directions concerning the ordination
of the liigh priest. The successor of Aaron shall put on the
official dress of his father at his consecration, and wear it
during the seven days of institution, v. 31-31'. The .solemn
feast of the consecration. The flesh of the ram of consecration
is /o be seethed in a holy place, namely in some part of the
court of the tabernacle. Aaron and his sons are then to cat
314 THE CONTINUAL BURNT-OFFERING.
it, with the bread in the basket, at the door of the tent of
meeting. These are the remainder of the things whereivith
atonement ivas made to fill their hands, and set them apart
for their sacred service. They are therefore holy, and to be
used only by the priests, who are holy. For the same reason,
any part that remains till the morning is to be consumed with
fire. V. 35-37. The filling of their hand is to continue seven
days. Seven is the number of sacredness, and is therefore
connected with this most holy transaction. Nothing can
transcend the moment of that which typifies the atonement
between erring man and his Maker. Every day a bullock of
sin-offering for atonement is to ascend the altar, which is to
be itself purged thereby. It is also to be anointed, and thus
completely hallowed. Whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be
holy. This is capable of two meanings. He that is to touch
the altar must be holy. Or that which, in the way of ofier-
ing, toucheth the altar, which is not only the medium of pro-
pitiation, but is now made most holy, becomes thereby holy,
as the altar sanctifies the gift (Matt, xxiii. I'J). Both are
true ; but the latter seems most in keeping with the context
here and in xxx. 29.
v. 38-46. The continual burnt-offering, and the resulting
communion of God with his people. When the order of the
priesthood has been instituted, the daily sacrifice can be
celebrated. Two lambs of the first year, the one in the
morning, the other between the evenings fxii. 6). v. 40, 41,
The meat offering is to be the tenth of an ephah of flour
mingled with the fourth of a hin of beaten oil. The omer,
or tenth of the ephah, was above three pints, or the daily
allowance of one person. A handful of the flour and oil was
offered on the altar, and the remainder fell to the priest (Lev,
ii,, 2, 3). The fourth of a hin, about one pint (xii. 36). The
drink-offering is to be the fourth of a hin of wine. It was
poured out about the altar in the holy place. (Num. xxviii.
7, Joseph. Ant. iii. 9, 4).
V, 42-46, The continual burnt-offering is to be presented
at the door of the tent of meeting. The altar was probably
thirty -three and a third cubits, or about fifty feet from the
door. The tent of meeting is so called, because there the
Lord will meet with Moses to speak with him. After the
EXODUS XXIX. 88-4G. 315
sacrifice of propitiation comes the reconciliation and coni-
mmiion with God, wliicli is here simply and beautifully
expressed hy his meeting and conversing with Moses, the
representative of the people. v. 43. The intercourse is
extended to the sons of Israel, of course through the high
}>riest. The ])lace of meeting is to be hallowed by the glory
of the Divine presence (v. 44). The tent of meeting, tho
altar, and tho priests, are to partake alike of this sacred
character, v. 45, 4G. God will dwell among them and be
their God, and by all their past exj)erience shall the people
know that he is ilie Lord Uwir God, the self-existent Author of
all being, who is Eternal and Almighty, and who has deigned
to have mercy on them, and adopt them to be his people; and
in pursuance of this gracious determination has hroujltt theiti
forth out of the land of Mizraim, that he might dwell among
them. To this glad announcement of his grace, he sets the
seal of promise and assurance by adding, / am the Lord their
God. These specifications of the tabernacle service are no
mere dry detail, but a record of heavenly life and promise.
CHAP. XXX. THE REMAINING ARTICLES FOR THE TABERNACLE.
23. "io Myrrh, an aromatic plant of Arabia, li^^ "io flow-
ing or liquid myrrh, r. fioui
pD3ip y.ind/MUfji.ov, Cinnamon is of the best quality in Ceylon.
r. perhaps n^P reed.
^}_P xaXa/xog grows in Arabia and India.
24. ^"^p of the same class with ^^^P cassia, r. split.
34. c;tj3 oTaxTTi a gum spontaneously distilling from the
myrrh-plant. Others take it to be storax, a plant growing in
Syria, Arabia, and other countries, which yields a fragrant gum.
r. drop.
rhn:^ oi>u^ onycha, the crustaceous covering of the shells of
the trochus and conus. r. scrape of.
n33^n p/aXCanj, the gum of the stagonitis growing in Arabia,
Syria, and Abyssinia, r. fat or milky.
816 REMAINING FURNITURE OF THE TABERNACLE.
nyn? xiZavog, frankincense, the native place of which is
Arabia Felix, r. he white.
And thou shalt make an altar to hurn incense upon ; of shittah •wood
shalt thou make it. 2 A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a
cubit the breadth thereof; square shall it be; and two cubits shall be
the height thereof : its horns shall be of the same. 3 And thou shalt
overlay it with pure gold, its top, and its sides round about, and its
horns : and thou shalt make for it a croAvn of gold around about.
4 And two golden rings shalt thou make for it under the crown of it
on the two flanks thereof ; on the two sides of it shalt thou make
them : and they shall be places for the staves to bear it withal.
5 And thou shalt make the staves of shittah- wood, and overlay them
with gold. 6 And thou shalt set it before the vail that is by
the ark of the testimony, before the mercy-seat that is over
the testimony, where I will meet with thee. 7 And Aaron shall burn
thereon incense of spices : every morning, when he dresseth the lamps,
shall he burn it. 8 And when Aaron setteth up the lamps between
the evenings, he shall burn it : a perpetual incense before the Lord
throughout your generations. 9 Ye shall burn upon it no strange
incense, nor burnt-offering, nor meat-oft'ering ; neither shall ye pour
drink-offering thereon. 10 And Aaron shall make an atonement upon
the horns of it once in a year : with the blood of the sin-oflfering of
atonement once in the year shall he make atonement upon it through-
out your generations ; it is most holy unto the Lord. 2 1 . T[*[f ^ 45.
11 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 12 When thou
takest the sum of the sons of Israel who are numbered, then shall they
give each a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when they are
numbered ; and there shall be no plague among them when they are
numbered. 13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among
the numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary : the
shekel is twenty gerahs ; half a shekel is the offering unto the Lord.
14 Every one that passeth among the numbered, from twenty years
old and above, shall give the offering unto the Lord. 15 Tlie rich
shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel,
when they give the offering unto the Lord to make atonement for
their souls. 16 And thou shalt take the money of atonement from
the sons of Israel, and shalt give it for the service of the tent of meet-
ing ; and it shall be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord
to make atonement for your souls. ^ 46.
17 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 18 Thou shalt also
make a laver of brass, and its stand of brass, to wash withal : and thou
shalt set it between the tent of meeting and the altar ; and thou shalt
EXODUS XXX. 317
put wator therein. 19 And Aaron and his sons shall wash thorcnut
their hands and their feet. 20 When they go into the tent of nieet-
inf:^, tliey shall wash with water, and shall not die : or when they come
near to the altar to minister, to burn an offei'ing hy fire unto the Lord.
21 So they shall wash their hands and tlieir feet, and not die : and it
shall be to them a statute for ever, to him and to liis seed throughout
their generations. 1[ 47.
22 And tlio Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 23 And thou take
for thee principal spices, of i)ure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of
sweet cinnamon half so much, two hundred and fifty, and of sweet
calamus two hundred and fifty, 24 And of cassia five hundred, after
the shekel of tlie sanctuary, and of olive oil a bin. 25 And thou shalt
make it an oil of holy ointment, a perfume compounded after the ai-t
of the perfumer : it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26 And thou shalt
anoint with it the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony,
27 And the table and all its vessels, and the candlestick and its vessels,
and the altar of incense, 28 And the altar of burnt-offering and all
its vessels, and the laver and its base. 29 And thou shalt hallow
them, and they shall be most holy : whatsoever toucheth them shall
be holy. 30 And Aaron and his sons thou shalt anoint, and hallow
them to act as priests unto me. 31 And thou shalt speak unto tho
sons of Israel, saying, This shall be a holy anointing oil unto rao
throughout your generations. 32 Upon man's flesh shall it not bo
j)Oured ; nor shall ye make any like it in its proportion : holy is it,
holy shall it be unto you. 33 Whosoever compoundeth any like it,
or whosoever putteth of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut oil' from
his people. § 72.
34 An(l the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee spices, stacte,
and onycha, and galbanum ; spices with pure frankincense : part by
part shall there be. 35 And thou shalt make it an incense, a perfume,
the work of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 30 And thou shalfc
beat of it fine, and put of it before tho testimony in the tent of meet-
ing Avhere I will meet with thee : it shall be unto you most holj^
37 And the incense which thou shalt make in its proportion ye shall
not make for yourselves : it shall be for you holy unto the Lord.
38 Whosoever shall make like unto it to smell thereto, shall even be
cut off from his people.
We have already hinted at the order oKserved in this spe-
cification of the tabernacle and its appurtenances. The author of
this remarkable document proceeds from God to man; from tho
centre, the ark of the testimony and the holy of holies, to the
circumference, the altar of sacrifice and the court (xxv.-xxvii).
318 THE ALTAR OF INCENSE.
He next determines the official attire, mode of consecration, and
stated functions of the priests (xxviii., xxix.) And then in a
closing chapter he returns with the high priest from man to
God, from the altar of sacrifice to the altar of incense, adding
certain things' of essential moment that occur on this blessed
return. The starting-point is the altar of propitiation, then
the laver of purification, and lastly the altar of praise, includ-
ing confession, adoration, prayei', and thanksgiving. Parallel
with the two latter are the ointment of sanctification, with
which all things are to be hallowed, and the incense of sup-
plication, which is to be presented before the mercy-seat. The
progress and regress here are the prophecy and the history of
salvation. First God comes forth to man with the mighty
purpose of mercy in his heart and on his lips for four thou-
sand years. Then the Great High Priest makes atonement,
and returns to the Father to send forth the spirit of sanctifi-
cation, and to make intercession for all who accept his media-
tion. So the awakened sinner finds the atonement for sin
and the cleansing of the heart to be on the way to the
Father.
V, 1-10. The altar of incense. It is called an altar, a place
of slaughtering for sacrifice, though no such offering was to
be made on it, to intimate that all acceptable worship or ser-
vice is only through an atonement previously made. It there-
fore presupposes, and is itself a monument of the altar of
burnt-offering. To hum incense upon. Incense in regard to
the priest is only the merit of obedience for another, and to
burn it is to make intercession for that other. In regard to
the general worshipper, the off*ering of incense symbolises
every act of prayer, thanksgiving, or obedience, which is
accepted through the intercession of the high priest. For the
propitiation has already been made on the altar of sacrifice,
and the sanctification has been shadowed forth by the laver.
And the redeemed and regenerate man, now filled with the
Spirit of adoption, loves to speak and to walk with his
heavenly Father, v. 1-5. The altar is made of the same wood
as the other parts of the tabernacle. It is overlaid with gold,
and so is in keeping with the table, and stands in close rela-
tion with the candlestick and the ark of the covenant. It is
adorned with a crown of gold, like the table and the ark. It
EXODUS XXX. 1-10. 819
is furnished with rings and staves, with wliich it may be
moved from place to ])laee. v. G. It is to he placed before the
vail that hangs before the ark of the testimony, he/ore tlte
onercy-seat, with which it stands in intimate correspondence
of meaning. Both presuppose an atonement made and accepted ;
and over the mercy-scat is the presence of God merciful and
gracious, and at the altar of incense is the high priest present-
iug the ransomed peo))lc, that they and their service may be
accepted. Hence the addition, ichere I luill meet xoitk thee.
In accordance with this intimate connexion, the altar of incense
was probabl}' placed close to the vail. In this way the candle-
stick, the altar, and the table would stand at the middle
points of the inner side of tb.e holy i)lace, and the altar would
be in closest proximity with the mercy-seat. v. 7-10. Incense
of spices is to be burned on it morning and evening contin-
ually. No strange incense, none but that prepared by divine
a]ipointment (v. 34-38), no burnt-offering, meat-offering, or
drink-ofiering is to be burnt on it. Once every year Aaron
is to make atonement upon the horns of it by sprinkling upon
it with his finger seven times the blood of the sin-offerincr of
atonement, to cleanse it and to hallow it from the uncleanness
of the sons of Israel (Lev. xvi, 1 9). This was directed to be
done also when a sin-offering was to be presented for the hifdi
priest or the congregation (Lev. iv. 7, 18). It is most holy
unto the Lord. This character is ascribed to the inner sanc-
tuary (xxvi. 33), to the altar of burnt-offering (xxix. 37), to
all the furniture of the tabernacle when anointed (xxx. 29), to
all the offerings that were appropriated to the priests, and to
the place in which they were to be eaten (Num. xviii. 9, 10).
In the first of these instances it distinguishes the most holy
from the holy place : in the others it expresses emphatically
the exclusive holiness of that which belongs to God.
V. 11-lG. A regulation is here introduced concerning those
who are to be enrolled as the host of the Lord (Num. i. 3).
Tliey are to give each a ransom for his soul unto the Lord
when they are numbered. Here is the constantly recurring
intimation that all were guilty before God. They cannot,
therefore, be received into his service as the host of the Lord
without a ransom. A plague must fall on the unransomed
soul that was enrolled in the sacred hst. The ransom money
320 ' THE LAYER.
is a bekah, or half shekel. This is directed to be after the
shekel of the sanctuary. The standard is fixed at twenty
gerahs. We have not the means of ascertaining the value of
the coins before the captivity. But the approximate value of
the shekel was 2s. 3d. (xxi. 32). The shekel of the sanctuary
may be one of full weight in contrast with that of commerce,
which may have been of less weight. We have here the fol-
io win cj table of coins or weights :
Gerah or hean.
I Beka (Gen xxi v. 2 2), or half shekel, = 10 gerahs.
Shekel, or weight, = 20 gerahs.
Every one from 20 years old and upwards passed among
the numbered or registered host, and paid the half shekel.
The rich and the poor give alike, because their souls are of
equal value, and the beka is the money of atonement for
each. The offering is to be for the service of the tent of
meeting (xxxviii. 27-31).
v. 17-21. The laver was to be made of brass, and its stand
of the same material (xxxviii. 8). Its place was between
the altar and the door of the tabernacle. If the interval be-
tween the door of the tabernacle and the gate of the court
(see on xxvii. 19) were 50 cubits, or 75 feet, the altar and
the laver may have divided this into three equal spaces of 25
feet. The Talmud supposes the laver to have been placed a
little south of the middle line of the court. This will depend
very much on the degree of importance attached to the laver.
If it be merely a means of cleanliness, it may be set aside.
But if its use be a symbol of sanctification, it will stand in
the same line with the altar. Its purpose is washing, that
Aaron and his sons may wash thereout their hands and their
feet. The phrase thereout indicates that water was taken out
of the laver into a smaller vessel for washing. The washing
itself indicates that the priests were unclean not only by
mingling with the people, but by their own inherent sinful-
ness. The feet and hands with which they go and minister
are to be cleansed, lest they die. Death is the penalty of sin,
and therefore this outward cleansing is an emblem of that in-
ward purity which must characterize him who is to make
EXODUS XXX. 17-21. 321
atonement for the sins of the people. This cleansinj:^ is a
perpetual statute. This is in keeping with its intrinsic im-
portance as the symbol of sanctification.
V. 22-33. The holy anointing oil. This is to be composed
of five ingredients: 500 shekels of pure myrrh, 250 of sweet
cinnamon, 250 of sweet calamus, and 500 of cassia, and a hin,
about 3 (quarts, of olive oil. It is said to be compounded after
the art of the perfumer. It is probable, therefore, as the
Rabbins suppose, that the three spices were soaked in water,
and boiled, and their essence extracted and mingled with the
myrrh and oil. v. 26-30. With the anointing oil are to be
anointed the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the
table, the candlestick, and the altar of incense, the altar of
burnt-offering, the laver, and all their appurtenances. Being
thus anointed, they are hallowed, and are accounted most
holy (v. 10). Aaron and his sons are to be anointed and
consecrated to their priestly office, v. 31-33, This is to be a
standing oil for anointing, not to be used for common purposes,
not to be imitated in ordinary compounds, on pain of excom-
munication (Gen. xvii. 14). The anointing oil is an impres-
sive symbol of sanctifying grace. It is analogous to the water
of the laver, which cleanses. The latter points to the quality
required ; the former to the end contemplated. That which
is dedicated to God must be cleansed from stain.
v. 34-38. The incense. This also contains five simples.
Stacte, onycha, galbanum, frankincense, and salt. Stacte is
the natural dropping of some sweet-scented plant, probably
the storax. Onycha is probably the operculum, claw or lid of
the shell of a strombus, or other fish, emitting a scent,
which, if not agreeable in itself, enhances the sweet odour of
the other ingredients combined with it. Galbanum is the
gum of a species of ferula {/xiru'riov Dioscor.) or stagonite (Pliny),
of a sharp bitter taste, fitted to add to the strength and dura-
tion of the other components. Frankincense is the odori-
ferous resin of a plant that grew in Arabia Felix, and India,
which was frequently used in religious oft'ering.s. Pure, free
from adultciation. Fart by part shall there he, each prepared
apart from the others, or an equal part of each shall enter into
the compound, v. 35. An iiiceoise for burning on the golden
altar. A iierfume diffusing an agreeable fragrance. Tlie
X
322 THE MASTER OF THE WORK.
woo'k of the perfumer, prepared according to the rules of a
well-known art. Salted, as every meat-offering was. Salt is
the emblem of incorruptibility. Pure, free from foreign ad-
mixture. Holy, dedicated to the holy use for which its purity
fits it. V. 36. Beat of it fine, reduce it to a powder, that it
may burn freely. A nd put of it before the testimony, on the
altar of incense, which stood close to the veil that separated
the holy from the most holy place, containing the ark of the
testimony. In the tent of meeting, tuhere I will meet with
thee. Where the Lord meets with the representative of the
people, there is the place of conference, and tlierefore of
prayer, adoration, confession, and inquiry on the one hand ;
and on the other hand of hearing, granting, accepting, and
answering. Incense is accordingly the emblem of prayer and
praise, v. 37, 38. This incense is not to be applied to any
ordinary use, or imitated, on pain of excision.
CHAP. XXXI. THE MASTER OF THE WORK.
1. Pxpva Betsalel. This is usually explained, in the
shadow of God.
^i>' Uri, light.
6. :i5<'^nx Oholiab, tent-father.
'=19?''0^ Achisamak, help-brother.
10. "i^ip separation, distinction, official distinction, r.
separate, escape, remain.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 See, I have called by
name Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah : 3 And
filled him with the Spirit of God, iu wisdom, and in understanding,
and in knowledge, and in all workmanship, 4 To devise designs ; to
work in gold, in silver, and in brass. 5 And in cutting of stones for
setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all workmanship. 6 And
I, behold, I have given unto him Aholiab, son of Ahisamak, of the
tribe of Dan ; and in the heart of every wise-hearted one I have put
wisdom ; and they shall make all that I have commanded thee : 7
The tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy-seat
that is thereupon, and all the vessels of the tent, 8 And the table and
its vessels, and the pure candlestick and all its vessels, and the altar
EXODUS XXXI. 323
of incfinse, 9 And tho altar of Inirnt-ofrorinj^ and all its vessels, and
the laver and its stand, 10 And tlio garments of ollice, and the holy
garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to servo
as priests : 11 And the anointing oil, and the sweet incense for tho
lioly place : according to all that I have commanded thee shall they
do. Tl 47.
12 And the Loud spake unto Moses, saying, 13 And thou speak
\into the sons of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep ; for
it is a sign between me and you for your generations to know that I
am the Lord that halloweth you. 14 And ye shall keep the Sabliath,
for it is holy unto you : he that defileth it shall surely be put to death;
for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from
among his people. 15 Six days shall Avork be done; and in the
seventh is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord : whosoever doeth any
work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death. IG And the
sons of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath in their
generations for a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and
the sons of Israel for ever : for in six days the Lord made heaven and
earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed. § 74.
18 And he gave unto Moses, when he made an end of speaking
with him upon mount Sinai, the two tables of testimony, tables of
stone, written with the linger of God.
The seventh chapter completes the specifications by naming
the chief workman with his second, and assigning to him the
execution of all the works. This is followed by an injunction
concerning the Sabbath : and then the scene is closed by-
handing over to Moses the two tables of the law written with
the finger of God.
V. 1 • 1 1 . The calling of BezaleL / have called hy name,
appointed to ofiice by naming the man. BezaleL The order
of descent is Judah, Parez, Hezron, Kaleb, Hur, Uri, Bcznlel.
(1 Chr. ii. 1-20). Hence Bezalel belongs to the seventh geueni-
tion after Jacob, and it is evident that he was now at man's
estate and may liave been the fatlier of a family. For Kalob,
his great grandfather, is at least three generations before Kak-b
the son of Jephunneh, the companion of Joshna, and probably
of the same generation with Bezalel. Hur, the son of Kaleb,
belongs to the fourth generation from Judah, and is therefore
parallel with Moses and Aaron who are in the third from Levi.
V. 3. Filled him with the Spirit of God. His natural powers
324< THE SABBATH ENFORCED.
are hereby exalted for the works he has to perform. Wisdom
to devise, understanding to apprehend, knoiuledge to explain,
and workmanship to make expert, v. 4, 5. To devise designs,
from a mere verbal explanation. To ivork in the various
materials employed in the tabernacle, v. 6. A companion and
deputy is provided in Aholiab of the tribe of Dan, whose
qualifications are described in xxxviii. 23. And all the wise-
hearted men are required to take part in the work. v. 7-11.
The various works to be executed are now enumerated, v. 1 0,
And the garments of office. The phrase thus rendered occui-s
only in three other places (xxxv. 19, xxxix. 1, 41), in two of
which it is followed by the words, " to minister in the sanc-
tuary." It appears to denote, not the cloths for covering the
furniture (Num. iv. 6-1 4), as they were not strictly for minis-
tering in the sanctuary, nor the inner curtains of the sanctuary,
as they are previously mentioned in xxxix. 40, but the
special parts of official array worn by the high priest to dis-
tinguish him from the others.
V. 12-17. The keeping of the Sabbath is here reinforced,
because it might be supposed that so holy a work as the con-
struction of the tabernacle might supersede the weekly rest.
Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep. They are by no means to
be remitted even on this extraordinary occasion. It is a sign
betiveen me and you. As the Sabbath was a Divine institu-
tion commemorative of that creation in which the progenitor
of the human race came into being, the observance of it by any
remnant of the human family was a token that amidst the
general apostasy they had retained or returned to their allegi-
ance to the God of their being. For your generations. The
commemorative rest is to continue as long as the intelligent
race whose origin it celebrates. To know that I am the Lord
that halloweth you. The people called to his favour and
hallowed to his service know themselves and are known by
others to be his by the Sabbath which they receive, under-
stand, and sacredly observe, v. 14, 15. The civil penalty of
death, as well as the hierarchical one of excision from the
people of God, is attached to its desecration, v. 1 6, 1 7. The
perpetuity of its obligation, and the significance of its obser-
vance are then reiterated. In referring to its origin the sacred
historian employs the remarkable expression, " on the seventh
EXODUS XXXI. 18. 325
clay he rested and was refreshed." The "refreshment" must
be understood in a sense w.nthy of him who " famtctli not
neither is weary." It incUides at all events the pure deli-ht
arising from the consciousness of a design accomplished, and
from The contemplation of the intrinsic excellence of the work.
V. 1 8. At the end of the connnunication made to Moses,
the two tables of stone on which were written the ten com-
mandments by the finger of God. To receive these he was
summoned to appear before the Lord on the mount (xxiv. 12).
The tu'O tables were, when placed side by side, somewhat less
tlian two and a half cubits by one and a half, if they were to
lie beside each other on the bottom (^f the ark (xxv. 1 0). If
they were each a cubit square they might easily contain on
the four surfaces which they present, the G20 letters contained
in the Decalogue, and could be readily carried by Moses. Of
testimony. The ten words contain the testimony of the Lord
rco-ardinc^ the relation of the people to Him and their consc-
quljut obligations (xxv. 1 G). Tables of stone. Stone was the
native material for a monumental inscription. It %\as m
constant use for the purpose among the ancients. Written
with the finger of God. As these ten words were proclamied
by the voice, so they are here said to be written by the finger
of God. But as they heard on that dread occasion " the voice
of words, but saw no similitude," so the engraving on stone
implies no visible finger of God, but only the putting forth
of His power for the production of an authentic and perma-
nent copy of the moral law.
XIV. THE rraST BREACH OF THE COVENANT. XXXII.-XXXIV.
CHAP. XXXII. THE ACT OF APOSTASY.
And the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the
mount, and the people gathered unto Aaron and said unto hun, Up,
make us gods, who shall go before us : for this Mosos, the man that
brou<'ht us up out of the laud of ^li/.raim, we know not what is be-
come of him. 2 And Aaron said unto them, Thick oif the gold rings
which are in the ears of your wives, your sons an<l your daughters, and
bnn<r them unto me. 3 And all the people plucked off the gold rings
326 THE ACT OF APOSTASY.
■which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 4 And he
took them from their hand and formed it with a graving tool, and
made it a molten calf : and they said, These be thy gods, 0 Israel, who
brought thee up out of the land of Mizraim. 5 And Aaron saw it,
and built an altar before it : and Aaron proclaimed and said, A feast
to the Lord to-morrow. 6 And they arose early on the morrow, and
offered burnt- offerings and brought peace-offerings : and the people
sat doAvn to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. ^ 48.
7 And the Lord spake unto Moses, Go, get thee down ; for thy
people, which thou broughtest out of tlie land of Mizraim have done
corruptly. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I
commanded them : they have made them a molten calf and bowed
down to it and sacrificed unto it and said. These be thy gods, 0 Israel,
who have brought thee up out of the land of Mizraim. 9 And the
Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-
necked people. 10 And now let me alone, and my wrath shall wax
hot against them and I will consume them ; and I will make of thee
a great nation. 1 1 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said.
Why, 0 Lord, doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou
hast brought out of the land of Mizraim with great power and with a
mighty hand ? 12 Why should Mizraim speak, saying. For evil he
has brought them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume
them from the face of the ground 1 Turn from thy hot wrath and relent
from the evil against thy people. 13 Eemember Abraham, Isaac and
Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thyself, and spakest
unto them, I Avill multiply your seed as the stars of heaven ; and all
this land of which I have spoken will I give unto your seed, and they
shall inherit it for ever. 14 And the Lord relented from the evil
which he had said he would do unto his people. ^ 49.
15 And Moses turned and went down from the mount, and the two
tables of the testimony in his hand : the tables were written on both
their sides; on this side and on that were they written. 16 And the
tables were the work of God ; and the writing was the writing of God,
graven on the tables. 17 And Joshua heard the voice of the people
as they shouted ; and he said unto Moses, The voice of war is in the
camp. 18 And he said, It is not the voice of the cry for mastery, nor
the voice of the cry for weakness ; the voice of them that sing do I
hear. 19 And it came to pass when he came nigh unto the camp,
then he saw the calf and the dances, and INIoses' anger waxed hot, and
he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
20 And he took the calf Avhich they had made, and burned it in the
fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made
the sons of Israel drink of it. 21 And Moses said unto Aaron, What
EXODUS XXXII. 327
liath this people done unto thee, that thou hast brought a great sia
upon them. 22 And Aaron said, Let not my lord's anj::;or wax hot;
thou knowost the people, that tlicy are set on evil. 23 And they said
unto me, Make us gods, who shall go before us ; for this Moses, the
uian that brouglit us up out of the land of Mizraim, we know not
what is become of him. 24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath
gold, pluck it off; and they gave it me : and I cast it into the fire, and
this calf came out. 25 And Moses saw the people that they were
broken loose, for Aaron had cast them loose for a hissing among their
adversaries. 2G And Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said,
^Vhoevt'r is for the Lord, come unto me ; and all the sons of Levi
gathered unto him. 27 And he said unto them. Thus saith the Loud
God of Israel, Put every man his sword on his thigh, pass and re-
turn from gate to gate in the camp, and slay every man his brother,
and every man his friend, and every man his neighbour. 28 And the
sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses : and there fell of tho
people that day about three thousand men. 29 And Moses said. Fill
your band to-day unto the Lord, that every man may be upon his son
and u[)on his brother, and he may bestow upon you to-day a blessing.
30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto tlio
people. Ye have sinned a great sin : and now I will go to the Lord ;
mayaap I shall make an atonement for your sin. 31 And Moses re-
turiied unto the Lord, and said. Ah, this people have sinned a great
sin, and made them gods of gold. 32 And now, if thou wilt forgive
tlieir sin ; and if not, blot me now out of thy book which thou
hast written. 33 And the Lord said unto Closes, Whosoever hath
sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. 34 And now go
lead the people to the place of which I have spoken unto thee ; behold
my angel shall go before thee : and in the day of my visitation, I will
visit their sin upon them. 35 And the Lord smote the people, be-
cause they made the calf which Aaron made. § 75,
Moses had now been forty days, or little short of six weeks,
absent from the people. Tliis was to him a period of adora-
tion, enquiry, and instruction, and to the people of patience
and probation. The awful voice of the Lord proclaiming in
articulate words the ten commandments from the pillar of lire
on Mount Sinai had struck upon their ears. They had been
so awe-stricken with the scene that they besought their leader
to hear himself the words of the Lord and communicate them
to them, promising instant and unreserved obedience. The
pillar of cloud and fire into which Moses had been received
328 THE GOLDEN CALF.
was still conspicuous on the mount. But still they had be-
come familiar with the sublime spectacle, and the time of their
leader's absence seemed long. The general mass of them at
length gives way to impatience, and Aaron himself, yielding
to their importunity, makes them a golden calf as a sensible
representation of the God whom they still so grossly misap-
pi-ehended. This was a direct violation of the second precept
at least of that decalogue, which had received their voluntary
assent under circumstances of so great solemnity, though they
seem still to have intended to acknowledge and adhere to the
Lord their God. This untoward event warns us against the hasty
conclusion that a whole people bowing before God in a moment
of intense feeling have there and then passed from a fallen to a
renewed state, rendered a unanimous homage to the God of
mercy and salvation, learned the whole scheme of theological
truth, or acquired the habit of intelligent and uniform obe-
dience to the law of eternal rectitude. There has been in all
an incipient intention of allegiance to tiie Lord of heaven, but
only in some had this been the outgoing of a renewed heart,
and only in a few has it been so strong as uniformly to resist
the wayward impulses and lingering habits of the old nature.
Even Aaron is carried away by the general movement. The
few true hearts are weak and mute. This breach is well cal-
culated to impress us with the fact that the true Saviour is
yet to come, and that we are still in the time of types and
shadows.
v. 1-6. The image worship. Moses delayed, literally, put the
expectants to shame by his non-appearance, a word very expres-
sive of the state of mind into which the people had got towards
the end of the forty days. Make us gods. The plural form is
here carried in the syntax, and is therefore retained in the
translation, though the one great object of worship is under-
stood, as when we use the phrase, " the powers above." The
idol which Aaron forms is accordingly a single figure. Who
shall go he/ore us? This implies an impatience of the unac-
countable delay, which in their yet unsubdued dispositions
they could not brook. They must away to that land of pro-
mise which presented in their imagination so bright a contrast
to the bleak and barren wilderness in which they .lay en-
camped. This Moses, with the wand and hand of power,
EXODUS XXXII. 1-11. 329
had heen to tlicra a tangible proof of the divine presence pre-
duding the necessity of a visible symbol. But they know not
ivhat is become of him. He seems to have deserted them.
At all events, lie has been so long absent, that they seem to
have lost confidence in him and respect for him. v. 2, 3.
Aaron demands of them, as part of the material for making
the idol, the rings of gold which were in their ears, apparently
to make them feel tlieir personal responsibility for the step
which they required him to take. They hesitated not to
comply. V. 4. He took the gold trinkets, foiined it, the idol,
with a gi'aving tool, and made it a molten calf. The sacred
historian takes no pleasure in this transaction, and therefore
gives us only a brief and general account of it. It is probable
that the idol was a piece of wood carved into shape, and then
overlaid with the gold, which was obtained by melting down
the ear-rings : and so it became a molten calf. The people
accept this as the similitude of God, who brought them out of
Egypt. The model after which it was formed was no doubt
the bull (either Mnevis of Heliopolis, representing the sun, or
Apis of Memphis, representing Osiris), worshipped, as the peo-
ple were well aware, by the Egyptians, v. 5, G. Aaron, see-
ing their disposition, proceeds to erect an altar and proclaim a
feast to the Lord on the morrow. The intention is to worship
the Lord, though in an unworthy manner. The next day
finds them early engaged in bringing burnt-offerings and peace-
offerings. Of the latter it was the custom to partake, and
after the festal repast they rose up to play. This phrase
includes the wanton license which they had been accustomed
to witness in the abominable rites of the heathen.
V. 7-14. This religious revel had taken place on the fortieth
day of Moses' abode on the mount. He had received the two
tables from the Lord (xxxi. 18), and was therefore prepared
to descend, when he was surprised with the order, " Go, get
thee down, for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the
land of Mizraim, have done corruptly." In the abhorrence
which their idolatrous and licentious worship created, they are
called the people of Moses, and their deliverance is ascribed to
him. The crime they had committed is then briefly and
emphatically described, v. 9, 10. After a pause, in which he
has time to recover somewhat from his consternation of mind,
330 MOSES INTERCEDES FOR THE PEOPLE.
the Lord calls upon Moses, who was no doubt preparing to
make supplication on their behalf, to let Him alone, that He
may consume this stiff-necked people in the fire of His just
wrath, and make of Moses a great nation, v. 11. This strong
and natural expression of righteous indignation does not, how-
ever, forbid, but rather calls forth the beseeching expostulation
of Moses. He urges three reasons why the Lord should
forego the demands of justice in regard to the people. First,
they were His own people, whom He had delivered from
Egypt by great power; secondly, the glory of His wisdom
and goodness would be tarnished in Egypt ; and thirdly. His
promises to their fathers would be neglected. Moses makes,
and could make, no appeal to any mitigating circumstance in
the people themselves. He rises, therefore, at once above
all this to the purpose of God in bringing them out of Egypt,
which was not to destroy but to save ; and that not them-
selves only, but by them the whole race ultimately ; then to
the lesson which was to be read to Egypt, and which would
be unread if Israel were destroyed ; and lastly, to the faith
which was to be kept with the fjithers who had received the
promises, v. ] 4. At the intercession of Moses, the Lord re-
lents. He by whom all events are foreseen, cannot be taken
by surprise or waver in His purpose. His indignation at
moral evil is simply the burning feeling of its intrinsic
demerit, and of the requital which justice demands. His re-
pentance is merely His relenting from the rigid enforcement
of justice, in accordance with His determined purpose to dis-
pense His mercy to returning penitents of the tempted and
fallen race of man.
v. 15-29. After this agitating scene, Moses turns hastily to
descend from the mount. It is carefully noted that the two
tables of the testimony were in his hand ; their preciousness
is indicated by the words of immutable truth which were in-
scribed on both sides of them ; their sacredness by the remem-
brance, that both the forming of the tables and the writing
upon them, was the immediate work of God. v. 17, 18,
Joshua has been waiting for Moses apparently outside the
cloud of the divine presence. He is therefore ignorant of
what is going on in the camp. He supposes it at first to be
the sound of war. After listening farther, Moses remarks that
EXODUS XXXII. 19-21.. 331
it is not the cry of the conqueror or the conquered, but of
those who fire making merry, v. 19, 20. The scene which
was presented when they drew nigli to the camp aroused the
rejrretful indication of Moses. He felt that the solemn cove-
nant with God had been shamefully violated. He cast down
the tables containing the \u)\y and gracious conditions of this
covenant, and broke them before their eyes (Deut, ix. 1 7).
This act expressed with a terrible distinctness the conse-
quence of their infatuated crime. He burned the calf, ground
it to powder, and stravved it on the water, in the brook from
which alone they were suj)plied with drink (Deut. ii. 21).
The stock of the idol, being probably of wood, was burned,
and with the gold reduced to a powder. It is not likely that
the gold was calcined by a chemical process. The drinking
of the water mingled with the ashes of their idol was well
calculated to remind them both that an idol is nothing in the
world, and that they must all reap the bitter fruits of their
common infatuation, v. 21-24. Moses now cxi)ostulates with
Aaron for his highly inexcusable part in this crime. Whdt
Jiafh the people done iinto ihee? What force had they put
upon him ? What was the necessity under which he had
acted ? Aaron's defencre is that the people were set on evil,
and that he yielded to their will. It is plain that he was
guilty of a weak and timid comj)liance with what he knew to
be wrong. And we are informed elsewhere that Moses made
special intercession for him (Deut. ix. 20). v. 25-29. Moses
now turns from Aaron to the people, whom he perceives to be
cast loose from all ri^ht feeling and reverence for God, thrown
into a state of reckless disorder and helpless anarchy, and ex-
])osed as an object of contempt to their adversaries. His
sudden reappearance among them, his stern decisiveness in.
marked contrast with the yielding feebleness of Aaron, the
remembrance of the miracles which he was enabled to perfi)rm,
the significant acts of breaking the tables of covenant and de-
stroying the symbol of their guilt, had arrested their wild
carousal and paralysed their force of resistance. At this criti-
cal moment he summons to him all that are on the Lord's side,
and commands them to gird on the sword, and without respect
of kindred slay every man that stands out in his rebellion.
The sons of Levi, moved among other considerations by a
232 MOSES EESUMES HIS INTERCESSION.
clearer insight and a deeper feeling of what is right, and it
may be by their relationship to Moses, range themselves by
his side, take the sword of execution, and three thousand of
the people (doubtless the turbulent and rebellious) fall by their
hands, v. 29. Fill your hand to-day unto the Lord. Take
your part in that which is due to the Lord, that every man
may he upon or against his nearest relative among the rebels
against the Most High. In a moment of wide-spread treason
against the Supreme Governor, to whom allegiance has been
sworn, it behoves the few bold and loyal men to strike promptly
and resolutely for the cause of truth and order. Such faith-
fulness in the day of treacher}^ wins the blessing from that
Sovereign whom there is no possibility of either deceiving or
resistinof. It need not seem stranire that the Levites met with
no effectual resistance in their stern vindication of the law,
A great number of the people must have disapproved, though
in silence, of the idolatrous proceeding. Many more were
totally indifferent, though they suffered themselves to be led
by the few turbulent and perverse spirits. All these would
shrink away conscience-stricketi before the eye, the hand, and
the word of Moses. Only a few grovelling souls that lusted
after the abominations of the idol- worship in Egypt would re-
main to fall under the swords of those, whose ancestor was so
prompt to avenge the adultery of Shekem (Gen, xxxiv, 25),
V. 30-85. Moses turns from the now trembling people with
the promise that he would intercede for them with the Lord.
It is true that the Lord had relented from his fierce wrath.
But Moses had meanwhile witnessed the deplorable revolt of
the people. And though instant perdition was stayed, yet
he felt that they were not yet fully pardoned or altogether
restored to favour. His mode of intercession is brief, but
forcible. He confesses the enormity of their sin, and then
says. And now, if thou ivilt forgive their sin. This is an
impassioned form of entreaty. It leaves the consequence un-
uttered in the urgency and inexpressible earnestness of de-
sire. We may imagine the unspoken issue to be, that Moses
would count life a blessing. For he immediately adds, And
if not, blot me now out of thy hook ivhich thou hast ivritten.
He feels at the moment that life would be insupportable, if
his people were unforgiven. The book here spoken of is the
EXODUS XXXII. 30-35. 333
book of life. It was even then the custom of every city in a
literary community to keep a list of the burges.ses. The
Israelites were familiar with the custom of keepinj^ a register
of families (Ceu. v. 1). The shoterim or "officers" were em-
ployed in keej)ing these and other registers (v. C). Hence
Moses uses a familiar figure in speaking of God's book (Ps.
Ixix. 29, Dan. xii. I), v. 33, 3-i. The Lord directs Moses to
go and lead the people to the land of promise. He promises
that Ilia angel shall go before him. The angel here spoken of
is that mediating angel of whom we read in Gen. xiv. 7, and
Ex. xxiii. '20, who pos,sesses the attributes and exercises the
prerogatives of the Most High. But at the same time he
adds, In the day of my visitation I iv'dl visit their sin ujwn
them. The fulness of their iniqvuty was not yet come, though
it is foreseen. The intercessor has prevailed, but he has not
yet heard the sentence of full remission, v. 35. No farther
account of this plague or of its nature is given. They made
the calf which Aaron made. Those who cause a thing to be
made are charfreable with the makinir of it.
(,'HAP. XXXIII. THE INTERCESSION OF MOSES.
And the Lord spake unto Mo.ses, depart and go iip hence, thou and
the people which thou hast brought out of the land of Mizraim, unto
the land whiclx I sware unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, Unto
thy seed will I give it. 2 And I will send an angel before thee, and
I will drive out the Kenaanite, the Aniorite, and the Hittite, and the
Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite : 3 Unto a land flowing with
milk and honey ; for I will not go up in the midst of thee, because
thou art a stiff-necked people, lest I consume thee in the way. 4
And the people heard this evil saying, and mourned ; and no man put
on his bravery. 5 And the Lord said unto Moses, say unto the sons
of Israel, Ye are a stiff-necked people ; in one moment were I to go
up in the midst of thee I should destroy thee : and now put off thy
bravery from thee, and I shall know what to do unto thee. G And
the sons of Israel stripped oft" their bravery afar from the mount
Horeb.
7 And Moses took the tent and pitched it for him without the
camp, afar oft' from the camp, anil calletl it the tent of meeting : and
it came to pass that every one that sought the Lord, went out unto th-
334) THE INTERCESSION OF MOSES.
tent of meeting which was without the camjD. 8 And it came to pass
that, when Moses went out unto the tent, all the people rose up, and
stood every man at his tent door : and they looked after Moses, until
he went into the tent. 9 And it came to pass, as Moses went into the
tent, the pillar of cloud came down and stood at the door of the tent :
and he spake with Moses. 10 And all the people saw the pillar of
cloud stand at the tent door : and all the people arose and bowed down
every man in his tent door. 1 1 And the Lord spake unto Moses face
to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend : and he returned to the
camp, and his minister Joshua, son of Nun, a young man, moved not
out of the tent. H 50.
12 And Moses said unto the Lord, Behold, thou sayest unto me,
Bring up this people, and thou hast not let me know whom thou Avilt
send with me : and thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou
hast also found grace in mine eyes. 13 And now, if now I have found
grace in thine eyes, shew me now thy way, and let me know thee, that I
may find grace in thine eyes : and observe that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said. My presence shall go, and I will give thee rest. 15
And he said unto him. If thy presence go not, carry us. not up hence.
1 6 And wherein shall it be known indeed that I and thy people have
found grace in thine eyes, if not in thy going with us 1 and I and thy
people shall be distinguished from all the people that is upon the face
of the ground. II 51.
17 And the Lord said unto Moses, This thing also that thou hast
spoken Avill I do ; for thou hast found grace in mine eyes and I know
thee by name. 18 And he said. Show me now thy glory. 19 And
he said, I will make all my goodness to pass before thee, and I will
proclaim the name of the Lord before thee : and I will be gracious to
whom I will be gracious, and show mercy to whom I will show mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face ; for no man shall see me
and live. 21 And the Lord said, Lo, there is a place by me, and
thou shalt stand upon the rock. 22 And it shall come to pass, while
my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock : and I
will cover thee with my hand while I pass by. 23 And I will take
away my hand, and thou shalt see my back ; but my face shall not be
seen. » 52.
Moses receives a commission to conduct the people to the
land destined for them, with the promise of the divine aid,
but without the divine presence amidst them. He accordingly
removes the tent where the Lord met him out of the camp.
He entreats the Lord to go with him and shew him his glory.
EXODUS XXIII. 1, G. 335
V. 1-G. The commission to Moses again refers to tlie jjeoplc
" whom thou hast brought uj) out of the land of Mizraim."
The Lord does not yet choose to acknowledge them as his
own. They have been separated by a new tiansgression and
they have not yet returned with penitence or borne any fruit
meet for repentance. Nevertheless his promise stands sure.
He will send his angel (xxxii. S-i) before them. But he will
not go in the midst of them, as he had been hitherto doing
and intended to do (xxv. 8), lest he should consume them in
their j)erversity. v. 4-G. This unfavourable message affects
the people with sorrow, and they begin to lay aside all gaiety
in dress. While they are in this state of feeling the Lord
sends a message to them by Moses requiring them to put off
their bravery of apparel, that he may know what to do with
them. This was a strong affirmation of their perversity. In
one moment were I to go -up. If I were to go into the midst
of thee, I must in that moment consume thee. But there is
a hint of mercy in the following words sufficient to encourage
them in their incipient repentance. Afar from the mount
Horeh, retiring from the presence of the Lord to their tents.
v. 7-1 1 . A nd Moses took the tent. The tent here is not the
sanctuary or sacred tent of the Lord, which was not yet con-
structed, nor any temporary dwelling of the Lord, as he only
appeared hitherto in the pillar of cloud and fire, but simply
the tent or pavilion of Moses, in which he officially abode.
This he now pitched outside the camp at some distance, and
called it the tent of meeting, because, like the tabernacle, it
was the place where God met with him. The object of this
removal was to maintain intercourse with the Lord, when he
would no longer manifest himself amidst the people who had
broken the covenant. Moses had not transgressed, and was
still in fellowship with God. He will avail himself of this
privilege to bring about a renewal of friendly relations between
God and the people. The separation had also the effect of
setting before the eyes of the people not only the continued
fellowship of Moses with God, but also their own present
estrangement from him. And now any one who sought the
Lord for counsel, judgment or aid, went out to the tent of
meeting, v. 8. The people stood up with reverent interest
to behold Moses going from the camp to the tent of meeting
836 MOSES REMOVES THE TENT OF MEETING,
to discharge his official functions, v. 9. When Moses was in
the tent the pillar of cloud came down and stood at the tent
door to manifest in the most solemn manner that God was
with Moses. The wondering people bowed down with devout
reverence when they beheld the supernatural signs of the
Divine presence, v. 11. The Lord spake with Moses not by
a voice from heaven, but in the pillar standing at his door,
face to face, as a man speakeih with his friend. He beheld
not the Divine essence (v. 20), but such a vision of his face
as is possible for a man to behold and live. When Moses was
absent from the tent, Joshua his minister took his place.
V. 12-1 6. The mind of Moses is in a state of anxious inquiry,
and he now comes before the Lord to have all his pressing-
perplexities solved. Behold. This is a matter of intense
moment to me. Thou sayest unto 7ne, Bring up this people.
I feel the weight of this charge more than ever, in consequence
of this breach of the newly made and willingly accepted cove-
nant. This has interrupted the happy relation in which the
people stood to thee. I do not yet fully comprehend the new
relation in which they are to stand. 1. Thou speakest of an
angel who is to go before us. And thou hast not let me knoiv
^vhom thou wilt send with me. Who is this angel ? Let me
have some personal knowledge of him, that my mind may be
at ease. Tltou hast said, I know thee by name and thou hast
also found grace in onine eyes. Moses is personally known
to God as one whom he has accepted and appointed to be the
leader of his people. He therefore humbly prays to be in-
formed how this angel stands to God and to himself. Much
peace and comfort will result to him from this knowledge. 2.
The way in which this people are henceforth to be dealt with
he desires to understand. They have been heedless and per-
verse. They may be so again. He wants to penetrate more
thoroughly into the great principle on which their salvation
rests with certainty amidst the uncertainty of their wills.
Shew me thy luay of salvation, of deliverance and guidance for
this people to the promised end. And let me know thee. For
all is in thee, the angel guide, the certain way. That I may
find grace in thine eyes, present, constant, everlasting grace.
3. Another word of thine has perplexed me. Thou callest the
people mine, whom I have brought up. But observe that this
EXODUS xxxiii. 17-23. 337
nation is thy 'people. That is the plain undeniable truth, far
transcending my merely ministerial part in their redemjition.
I beseech thee to look at this and acknowledge it. Such is
this ■wondrous prayer of faith springing up from the heart of
Moses.
V. 14-lG. A single clear and cheerin']' sentence encourajres
o o o
Moses. My lyresence shall rjo, I loill give thee rest. My face
or presence is of the same import as myself. Hence it is
simply added, I will give thee rest. The angel then is the
angel of his presence (Isa. Ixiii. 9j, in whom is his name (xxiii.
20), that is, the Lord himself in angelic office and presence.
Moses seizes on the precious word. If thy in'cseiice go not,
cavity us not up hence. It is not a mere angel, but Jehovah,
the angel of the covenant (Mai. iii. 1), whom he desires to have
with him. This is the only incontestable evidence that they
had found favour with God. / and thy people. He now
associates himself with the people, and the peojJe with God.
The presence of the Lord distinguishes them from all the
people on the whole earth.
V. 17-23. The Lord now fully concedes the earnest request
of Moses. He will rjo with them. He acknowled<j:es them
to be his people. The only other thing that remained on the
mind of Closes was the " way " of the Lord regarding mercy
and truth, righteousness and peace. To show mercy and yet
do justly ; to magnify grace and holiness at the same time ;
to bestow a per})etuity of blessing on a people wavering now
and again into disobedience, was a problem that seemed to
task the highest intelligence, to transcend the ordinary ways
of Providence, ajid call into exercise some inner and higher
reaches of the Etern;U mind. Moved by a wish to do his duty
with intelligence, Moses ardently desires some insight into
this profound mystery, and he feels that it touches the very
centre of the Divine nature, and involves the sublimest mani-
festations of his glory. Hence his last and grandest jietition.
Shoiv me noiu thy glory, is the fitting close to his ])rcvailing
intercession. It is also granted as far ;is man is capable here
of receiving such a boon, v, 19. All my goodness. The
goodness of God, his moral character, is the perfection of his
glory. The name of the Lord. The name is the manifest
and revealed nature. The Lord is Jehovah, the Creator of
Y
338 THE COVENANT RENEWED,
all tilings, the Keeper of covenant, the Performer of promise.
/ ivill have been gracious to whom I will he grctcious. Here is
discriminating and determinate grace. It is discriminating ;
some are taken and others left. It is determinate ; the chosen
are kept from the evil for ever. This sentence is reiterated
in other words. It solves some of Moses' difficulties. What-
ever may befal, a remnant will be saved, v. 20. Thou canst
not see my face. This separate sentence is emphatic and
essential. My face is my direct immediate intrinsic self The
essential power of God is irresistible ; the essential wisdom
inscrutable, to the creature. The essential holiness of the
Almighty and All-wise is insupportable to that which is
tainted with guilt. Hence man shall not see him and live.
V. 21-23. My hach is ray averted, mediate, extrinsic self,
visible to man in my works, my word, and my personal
manifestations to my people. The place near the Lord where
Moses was to stand, the clift of the rock in which he was to
be put, the hand which was to cover him while the Lord in
his glory passed by, and to be taken away that he might see
the Lord when his face was averted, are the simple elements
of a real scene, in which the Lord conveyed to the sense and
the reason of Moses, the deep things of his glorious grace in a
manner which was exactly adapted to the capacity of the
inquirer. Whether the clift of the rock was the grotto under
the ruined mosque on the top of Jebel Musa, it is not worth
while to inquire.
CHAP. XXXIV. THE COVENANT RENEWED.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like
the former : and I will write upon the tables the words that were on
tlie former tables, which thou brakest. 2 And be ready in the morn-
ing : and come up in the morning unto Mount Sinai, and present
thyself there to me on the top of the mount. 3 And no man shall
come up with thee, nor let any man be seen in all the mount : nor let
the flocks or herds feed before this mount. 4 And he hewed two
tables of stone lUce the former, and Moses rose up early in the morn-
ing and went up into Mount Sinai, as the Lord commanded him : and
he took in his hand the two tables of stone.
5 And the Loud came down in the cloud, and stood with him
EXODUS XXXIV. 339
there : ami he proclaimed the name of tlie Lord. G And the Lord
passfid by before his face, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God,
merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in mercy and truth :
7 Ki-eping mercy for tliousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression
and sin : and ho will by no means acquit the guilty, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons and upon the sons' sons, unto
the third and to the fourth generation. And JMoses made haste, and
bendeil towards the earth and bowed down. 9 And he said, If now I
have found grace m thine eyes, 0 Lord, let the Lord now go in the
midst of us : for it is a stiff-necked people, and thou wilt pardon our
iui(piity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance. 10 And
he said, Lo, I make a covenant ; before all thy peojjle I will do
marvels, which have not been enacted in all the earth nor in all the
nations : and all the people among which thou art shall see the work
of tlie Lord ; for it is a terrible thing that I will do with tliee.
11 Ob.serve thou that which I command thee this day : lo I drive
out before thee the Amorite and the Kenaanite and the Ilittite and
the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 12 Take heed to thy-
self, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitant of the land whither
thou goest, lest it be a snare in the midst of theo. 13 For ye shall
destroy their altars, and break their pillars, and cut down their statues.
14 For thou shalt bow ilown to no other God ; for the Lord, whose
name is Jealous, is a jealous God. 15 Lest thou make a covenant
with the inhabitant of the land, and they go a whoring after their
gods, and sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of
his sacrifice ; 16 And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and
their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a
whoring after their gods. 17 Molten gods thou shalt not make thee.
1 8 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep : seven days thou
shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the set time of
the month Abib : for in the month Abib thou earnest out of Mizraim.
19 All that openeth the womb is mine ; and all thy cattle, the first-
ling of ox or sheep, that is a male. 20 And the firstling of an ass
thou shalt redeem with a lamb ; and if thou redeem it not, then shalt
thou break its neck : all the first-born of thy sons thou shalt redeem,
and none shall appear before me empty. 21 Six days thou shalt
labour, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest : in plowing and
in reaping time thou shalt rest. 22 And thou shalt keep the feast of
weeks, of the first fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering
at the turn of the year. 23 Three times in the year .'<hall all your males
appear before the Lord, the Lord God of Israel. 24 For I will dispos-
sess the nations before thee, and enlarge tiiy border : and no man shaU.
desire thy land, "when thou goest up to appear before the Lord thy
340 THE NEW TABLES HEWN.
God three times in the year. 25 Thou shalt not offer the blood
of thy sacrifice with leaven : and the sacrifice of the passover feast
shall not he left unto the morning. 26 The first of the first-fruits of
thy ground thou shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God :
thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother's milk. § 53.
27 And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words : for
after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and
with Israel. 28 And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty
nights ; he ate not bread nor drank water : and he wrote upon
the tables the words of the covenant, the ten words.
29 And it came to pass when Moses went down from Mount Sinai,
that the two tables of testimony were in Moses' hand when he went
down from the mount ; and Moses knew not that the skin of his face
shone when he talked with him. 30 And Aaron and all the sons of
Israel saw Moses, and lo the skin of his face shone : and they were
afraid to come nigh him. 31 And Moses called them, and Aaron and
all the princes in the assembly returned to him : and Moses talked
with them. 32 And afterward all the sons of Israel came nigh :
and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in
Mount Sinai. 33 And Moses ceased from speaking with them, and
he put a veil upon his face. 34 And when Moses went in before the
Lord to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out : and
he came out and spake unto the sons of Israel that which he
was commanded. 35 And the sons of Israel saw the face of Moses,
that the skin of Moses' face shone : and Moses put the veil upon his
face again, until he went in to speak with him.
The order is now given to Moses to return to the mount,
when the Lord proclaims himself the God of mercy and jus-
tice, and renews the covenant with certain injunctions suit-
able to the occasion.
V. 1-4. Heiv thee. The former tables were made by God
himself. As they had been broken by Moses in the outburst
of his righteous indignation against the idolatry of the people,
the Lord directs him to prepare a second set of tables, on
which he promises to write a second copy of the law, v. 3.
And no man shall come up ivith thee. On the former occa-
sion the elders, with Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, accompanied
him a certain way up the mount, and Joshua, apparently, to
the edge of the cloud that was on the top. But no man went
with him into the cloud, and, as in the case of the lawgiving
EXODUS xxxrv. Sil
(xix. J 2), ncltlier the people nor the cattle were permitted to
appeiir on the mount.
V. o-lO. When Moses went up with the new tables the
Lord vouchsafes to come down and meet with him. In ful-
filment of his promise he proclaims before him the name of
the Lord. Tlte Lord, the Creator and covenant-keeper. This
name is here rendered emphatic by being rej)cated. God, the
Eternal and Almighty. Then follow seven significant charac-
teristics,, three pairs referring to his mercy, and a single one
afiirming his justice. Merciftd and gracious, disposed to re-
lieve suffering and dispense happiness. Long suffer iiuj and
abundant in mercy and truth, having long patience and much
kindness and truthfulness in store for the penitent. The
former pair speaks of the general tendency, the latter of the
long duration and vast plenitude of the divine compassion and
constancy. This serves to calm the solicitude of Moses, brood-
ing in sadness on the recent perversity of the people. Keep-
ing mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgres-
sion, a)id sin. This speaks at length not of disposition or its
amount, but of the certain and final application of mercy and
forgiveness to all generations of those who seek it with peni-
tence. Sin is moral aberration ; transgression involves breach
of trust ; and iniquity implies perversity of conduct. The last
appears the most aggravated ; yet all these forms of sin he
may and will forgive the returning penitent. Yet at the same
time the proclamation runs, he tvlll by no means acquit. And
as a special case of the unalterable principle of rectitude, he
visits the iniquity of the impenitent, even though it descend
to the son from the father (xx. 5). In the case of those for-
given, the guilt that cannot be acquitted falls on the head of a
voluntary and accepted substitute. The i)erplexity of Moses
is now so far solved, that he sees mercy secured and perpe-
tuated in some to all generations, while others will obstinately
refuse it and inevitably perish. He can now repose in tran-
quil confidence on the purpose of him who keeps mercy for a
thousand generations of them that love him (xx. G). This
purpose determines the perpetuity of the Church on earth,
though many from time to time fall away. He does not tell
us, he could not convey in words, what he saw when the
Lord passed by. But he records for our comfort the sublime
342 INSTRUCTIONS REPEATED.
proclamation which he heard, containing the substance of that
revelation which was then made to him of the glory of God.
Filled with wonder and solemn awe, he made haste, bent his
head and bowed his body in profoundest reverence.
V. 9, 10. Moses now repeats his already effectual interces-
sion. 0 Lord. He addresses God now as the moral
Governor and Judge, to whom it pertains to dispense pardon.
For it is a stiff-necked jpeople. The for here applies not to
the first clause only, but to the whole sentence following. It
is a stiff-necked people whom thou wilt pardon and make
thine inheritance. Therefore go with us. Our iniquity and
our sin. Moses here identifies himself with the people, and
entreats forgiveness for the common guilt of all. His con-
duct in this whole transaction is actuated by motives purely
benign, v. 10. The covenant is now restored. It is to be
celebrated by marvels of unparalleled power. Enacted,
effected by no less than creative power. The whole people
will behold the work of the Lord, which will be terrible in
its judgments upon the adversaries.
V. 11-26. Here a series of admonitions suitable to the
occasion is repeated and enforced, v. 11-16. No treaty is to
be made with the old inhabitants of the land, as it would in-
volve a compliance or a temptation to comply with their
idolatrous customs (xxiii. 28, 24). The list of nations here
given differs from that in iii. 8, by giving the first place to
the Amorites, with whom the people are to come first in con-
tact (xxiii. 23). Lest it he a, snare in the midst of thee, in-
sinuating a new kind of apostasy from thy own God. Their
pillars, the monumental stones connected with their idols.
Their statues, the wooden posts or rudely carved figures of
Astarte, the female moon deity of the Kenaanites. Whose
name is Jealous. The figure of marriage, applied to the
covenant relation of God and His people (xx. 5), is now carried
a step farther. The worship of idols or false gods is described
as fornication or adultery, a term peculiarly appropriate to
rites that were grossly licentious in themselves, as well as
acts of high treason against the only true God. Intermarriage
with these votaries of idolatry and uncleanness is expressly
forbidden.
v. 17-26. Molten gods (xx. 28) are again emphatically pro-
EXODUS XXXIV. 27, 28. 313
hibitofl. Tlie feast of unleavened bread (xii.), the sanctifica-
tion of the first-born (xiii.), the observance of the Sabbath
(xvi.), tlie otlier annual festivals (xxiii. 10-19) are then called
to mind, and their observance reinforced. As they are con-
nected with leading events in the national history, and are
eminently characteristic of the national worship, the}- are
well fitted to awaken the gi-atitude, and kcej) alive tiic faith
of the ransomed people, v. 24. A promise is given that their
lands will not be coveted or seized, when they are gone to
appear at the great festivals before the Lord. v. 25, 26.
Certain minute but sijjnificant directions are here reiterated.
Leaven, as the emblem of moral corrui)tion, is to be absent
from their offei'ings. The passover lamb, as the type of
atonement, is to be all necessary, as well as all-sufficient for
its immediate use. The firet of the fii-st- fruits is to be dedi-
cated to the Lord, as the beginning and earnest of all that we
have. The mother's milk, that which is given with maternal
kindness for nourishment, is not to be coldly turned into a
means of destruction. These four secondary regulations, con-
stantly whispering in our ears that the service of God must
be sincere, prompt, entire, and tender, are well calculated to
cultivate in the soul a growing abhorrence of idolatry, with
all its inherent and attendant abominations.
V. 27, 28. Write ihoii these wwds, evidently the record of
this interview and all that was said on the occasion ; as he
wrote the book of the original covenant (xxiv. 4-7). These
are to be on record, as the special conditions of the civil part
of the covenant. Foi'ty days and forty nights. Tlie de-
scendants of Israel left Eg}'pt on tlie fifteenth of the first
month (xii.) On the first of the third month (xix. 1) they
reached the wilderness of Sinai, and probably on the sixth
the law was proclaimed on the mount. On the seventh the
covenant was ratified, and Moses and the eklers ascended
some part of the mount (xxiv. 4). The seventh da}' after,
apparently, and in that case on the 14th of the third month,
Moses was called and entered into the cloud. Forty days
after, or on the 23d of the fourth month, he descends to wit-
ness the festival in honour of the golden calf The Talmud,
however, places this act of apostasy on the 1 7th of Tammuz,
and therein agrees with many interpreters, who include the six
344) THE TEN WORDS AGAIN WRITTEN.
days during which Moses waited before he was summoned into
the cloud surrounding the divine presence, in the forty days
of his abode on the mount. On the day after (xxxii. 30)
Moses makes intercession for the people, removes the official
tent from the camp, and receives a favourable answer from
the Lord. The next day, apparently (xxxiv. 2) is the first of
the second forty days spent on the mount. Allowing twenty-
nine days and thirty days for the next two months, we arrive
at the 5th of the sixth month, as the day on which he may
have descended the second time. Here, again, Jewish tra-
dition assumes that he ascended on the first of the sixth
month and came down on the tenth of the seventh, which is
the day of atonement. But there seems to be no reason for
allowing an interval of at least thirty-six days to elapse be-
tween the first descent and the second ascent. Nor is there
anything suitable in the people afflicting their souls on the
day of Moses' return from the mount ; and there is certainly
no allusion to the day of atonement in the narrative. And
farther, only five months and a half are left for the construc-
tion of the tabernacle, which was finished within the first
year. Josephus assigns seven months for this undertaking,
which is a short enough period. If Moses came down on the
fifth of the sixth month, we have nearly seven months, and if
his descent was six days earlier, or on the last day of the
fifth month, we have precisely seven months for the construc-
tion of the tabernacle and all its appurtenances. And he
wrote. From the first verse we learn that it was God him-
self who wrote the ten words on the two tables, which Moses
had prepared (Deut. x. 4).
v. 29-35. The glory on the face of Moses. Hoses knew not.
He was not conscious of this appearance in himself, which was
obvious to others. That the shin of his face shone, sent forth
rays of light. The original word signifies to spring forth as
horns, and hence the Vulgate has esse cornutam, and the
painters have drawn Moses with horns. The Lord had passed
by him. He had even stood with him and talked ivith him.
So much of his glory had shone upon the senses and the face
of Moses as mortal man was able to bear. v. 30. This extra-
ordinary lustre struck Aaron and the people with wonder and
apprehension. They were afraid to come nigh him, as one
EXODUS xxxiv.29-35. 345
who still bore the conspicuous marks of his long converse with
God. V. 31, 32. When he called them, however, Aaron and
the princes of the assembly approached, and he conversed with
them. The people then drew nigh, and he gave them in
command all that the Lord had communicated to him. v. 33-
35. When his discourse was finished he iJut a veil on his face.
When his public and official part was performed, he veils the
dazzling lustre of his face, not only in modest reserve, but also
for the convenience and comfort of private intercourse. When,
however, he went in before the Lord, he withdrew the veil
until he had received his commands and delivered them to the
people. Hence it was his custom to resume the veil until he
went in to speak with the Lord. The place of communication
was, we may suppose, the separate tent of meeting, until the
tabernacle was erected. The awe-struck multitude had here
a conspicuous sign before their eyes that Moses was the verit-
able servant of the Most High God, the prime minister of the
old covenant. The shrinking of their gaze from this bor-
rowed splendour demonstrated to them that they were not yet
pi'cpared for the higher manifestations of the divine glory
itself The veil on the face of Moses, like the veil before the
mercy-seat, taught them that the present economy was adapted
to the weakness of their spiritual vision ; while so much of
the brightness shone through as to satisfy their present needs
and capacities, and give them a foreglance and earnest of what
awaited them in the advancing stages of their spiritual train-
ing (2 Cor. iii. 7-18).
Thus ends this sudden outbreak of idolatry and sad inter-
ruption of spiritual prosperity in a new and unexpected dis-
play of the divine mercy vouchsafed on the intercession of
Moses to the chastened and repentant people. The breach
being healed, and the covenant restored with even additional
splendour, the construction of the tabernacle will now pro-
ceed.
346 PKEPARATIONS FOR MAKING THE TABERACLE.
XV. THE TABERNACLE MADE AND SET UP. XXXV.-XL.
CHAP. XXXV. PREPARATIONS FOR MAKING THE TABERNACLE.
22. nn hooh, clasp, ring; used for female ornament, and
for an instrument in the nose of a bull for controlling it.
DTJ a nose or ear-ring (Gen. xxiv. 47 ; xxxv. 4). r. bind
or Icice.
nyatD a finger-rm^. r. dip.
TD^3 little ball, bead, necJclace of beads.
And Moses gathered all the assembly of the sons of Israel, and said
unto them. These are the words which the Lord commanded us to do.
2 Six days shall work he done, and on the seventh day shall he for
you a holy Sabbath of rest to the Lord : whosoever doeth work therein
shall die. 3 Ye shall not kindle a fire in all your dwellings on the
Sabbath day. ^ 54.
4 And Moses spake unto all the assembly of the sons of Israel, say-
ing, This is the word which the Lord hath commanded, saying, 5
Take from among you an offering unto the Lord ; whosoever is willing
of heart shall bring it, an offering of the Lord : gold and silver and
brass ; 6 And blue and purple and crimson ; and fine linen and goats'
hair ; 7 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins ; and shittah
wood ; 8 And oil for the light ; and spices for the anointing oil, and
for the incense of perfumes ; 9 And onyx stones and stones for setting;
for the ephod and for the breastplate. 10 And every one wise of
heart among you shall come and make all that the Lord hath com-
manded. 1 1 The tabernacle, its tent and its covering ; its taches and
its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 12 The ark and its
staves, the mercy-seat, and the vail of covering; 13 The table and its
staves, and all its vessels, and the shew-bread; 14 And the candle-
stick for the light and its vessels and its lamps, and the oil for the
lights ; 15 And the altar of incense and its staves, and the anointing
oil and the incense of jDerfumes, and the cover for the door at the
entrance of the tabernacle; 16 The altar of burnt- offering and the
brazen grate for it, its staves and all its vessels ; the laver and its
stand ; 1 7 The hangings of the court, its pillars and their sockets, and
the cover for the door of the court ; 1 8 The pins of the tabernacle
and the pins of the court and their cords ; 1 9 The garments of office
EXODUS XXXV. 317
to minister in tho sanctuary, tlic holy garnifnts for Aanm tin- priest,
and tlie garments of his sons to serve as priests.
20 And all the assembly of tho sons of Israel went forth from tho
prosenco of Moses. 21 And they came, every man whom his lieart
stirred up ; and every ono whom his spirit made willing brought the
L(.)nD's offering for the work of tho tent of meeting and for all its service
and for the holy garments. 22 And they came the men with tho
women : all tlie willing of heart brought clasps, and ear-rings and rings
and necklaces, all jewels of gold ; and every man made a wave-otlering
of gold unto the Lono. 23 And every man with whom was found
blue and purple and crimson, and fine linen and goats' hair, and rams'
skins dyed red and badgers' skins, brought tlicm. 2\ Every one
making an offering of silver and brass brought the offering of tho Lord:
and every ono with whom was found shittah wood for any work of the
service brought it. 25 And every woman wise of heart span with her
hands : and they brought yarn, blue and purple and crimson and fine
linen. 26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up with wis-
dom span the goats' hair. 27 And the rulers brought onyx-stones
and stones for setting for the ephod and for the breastplate ; 28 And
spice and oil ; for the light and for the anointing oil and for the in-
cense of perfumes. 29 Every man and woman whose heart made them
willing to bring for all the Avork which the Lord commanded to do by
the hand of Closes, the sons of Israel brought a free will-olVering unto
the Lord. ^ 55.
30 And Closes said unto tho sons of Israel, See, the Lord hath
called by name Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of tho tribe of Judah.
31 And filled him with the spirit of God in Avisdom, in understanding,
and in knowledge and in all workmanship ; 32 And to devise designs,
to work in gold and in silver and in brass ; 33 And in cutting of stone
for setting and in carving of wood, to make every work of design. 34
And he hath put it in his heart to teach, both in him and in Aholiab,
son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan. 35 Them hath he filled with
wisdom of heart to do all the work of the artificer, and the designer,
and the embroiderer in blue and in jiurple and in crimson and in fine
linen, and of the weaver ; Avho do every work and devise designs.
Of the remaining six chapters, the first records the offerings
and other preparations for the tabernacle ; the next four, the
progress from the beginning to the end of the work ; and the
last, the actual erection and inaumiration of the liouse of God.
There is little to remark on these chapters, as they are mainly
a detail of the execution of that of which the plan is contained
in chap, xxv.-xxxi.
348 THE SABBATH ENFORCED.
V. 1-3. A preliminary injunction concerning the Sabbath.
Moses begins where the directions concerning the sanctuary
close (xxxi. 12-17). The special precept of this passage is,
" Ye shall not kindle a fire in all your dwellings on the Sab-
bath day." This precludes smith- work and cooking. For
domestic comfort, fire was not a thing of necessity or mercy
in the peninsula of Sinai. In colder regions it is otherwise,
and there the law of necessity or mercy regulates the observ-
ance of the Sabbath.
V. 4-19. The materials required of the people, and the
articles to be made for the sanctuary are here specified. The
former are repeated from xxv. 1-7. v. 10. The luise of heart
are those who possess the natural gift or the acquired training
for the various mechanical arts. v. 11-19. The whole appara-
tus of the sanctuary is here enumerated firom the previous
directions (xxv. 3 0). The garments of ofiice are repeated from
xxxi. 10.
v. 20-29. The contribution of the people. The Lord's offer-
ing (nnnn xxv. 2), that which is lifted up in token of dedica-
tion to the Lord (xxix, 24, 27). v. 22. The rtian with the rvor)yxn.
Both sexes join in this free-will offering. T\i& jeivels of gold
are apparently the offerings of the women. Every man made
a wave-offering. While each female presented her own gold
trinket of whatever kind, the men seem to have made a joint
contribution of gold. This may account for the phrase " made
a wave-offering" (xxix. 24). v. 25. Span with her hands.
This was a feminine employment. Blue, and purple, and
crimson. This implies that the dyeing preceded the spinning.
As the fine linen is distinguished from the coloured stuffs, it
is probable that they were of wool (Num. xix. 6, Heb. ix. 1 9).
V. 29. The sons of Israel. This verse proves that the phrase
may extend, when the occasion requires, to the female as
well as the male descendants of Israel.
v. 30-35. The calling of Bezalel and Aholiab is announced
to the people (xxxi. ]-6).
CHAP. XXXVI. THE TABERNACLE MADE.
And Bezalel and Alioliab, and every wise-hearted man in -whom the
Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to do every work
EXODUS XXXVI. 3 to
of the service of the .sanctuary, sliull do aronrdin;^ tn all that the Loud
hatli comniaiuled. 2 And Moses called Bi'/.ald and Aliolia1)an<l every
wise-hearted man, in whoso heart the Lord liad put wisdom, every one
whom his heart stirred up to draw near to the work to do it. 3 And
they received of Mosos all the oiFcring which the sons of Israel had
brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary to do it : and they
brought unto him yet a free-offering from morning to morning. 4 Then
came all the wise men that were doing the work of the sanctuary, every
man from his work which he was doing. 5 And they spake unto
Mo.ses, saying, The people are bringing much more than enough for the
service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make. G And
Moses commanded, and they issued a proclamation in the camp, say-
ing. Let not man or woman make any more work fur the offering of
the sanctuary. And the people were restrained from bringing. 7 And
their work Avas sufficient for all the work to make it and more. § 77.
8 And all the wise of heart among them that were doing the work
of the tabernacle made ten curtains of twined fine linen, and blue, and
purple, and crimson : with cherubim of cunning work made ho them.
9 The length of one curtain was eight and twenty cubits, and the
breadth of one curtain four cubits : the curtains had all one measure.
10 And he coupled five curtains one unto another ; and five cur-
tains he coupled one unto another. 11 And he made loops of blue
on the selvedge of the first curtain at the end in the coupling : so he
made in the selvedge of the last curtain in the second coupling. 1 2 Fifty
loops made he in the first curtain; and fifty loops made lie in the edge
of the curtain that was in the second coupling ; the loojis matching one
another. 13 And he made fifty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains
one to another with the taches ; and the tabernacle became one. IT 56.
14 And he made curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the taber-
nacle; eleven curtains made he them. 15 The length of one curtain
was thirty cubits, and four cubits the breadth of one curtain ; the
eleven curtains had one measure. IG And he coupled five curtains by
themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17 And he made fifty
loops on the selvedge of the last curtain in the coupling ; and fifty
loops made he on the selvedge of the curtain in the second coupling.
18 And he made fifty taches of brass to couple the tent that it might
be one. 19 And he made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed
red, and a covering of badgers' .skiais from above. § 78.
20 And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittah wood standing
up. 21 Ten cubits was the length of a board, and a cubit and a half
the lireailth of one board. 22 Two tenons were to one board, set
alike one to another : thus he made for all the boards of the tabernacle.
23 And he made the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the
350 THE MANSION MADE.
south side southward. 24 And forty sockets of silver made lie under the
twenty boards ; two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and
two sockets under another board for its two tenons. 25 And for the
other side of the tabernacle northwards he made tAventy boards.
26 And their forty sockets of silver ; two sockets under one board,
and two sockets under another board. 27 And for the rear of the
tabernacle Avestward he made six boards. 28 And two boards made
he for the corners of the tabernacle in the rear. 29 And they were
doubled beneath, and together they were complete at the top for the
one ring ; thus he did for the two of them for the two corners.
30 And there were eight boards, and their sockets of silver were six-
teen sockets ; two sockets each under the one board. 31 And he made
bars of shittah wood, five for the boards of the one side of the taber-
nacle, 32 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the taber-
nacle, and five bai's for the boards of the tabernacle to the rear west-
ward. 33 And he made the middle bar to shoot in the middle of the
boards from end to end. 34 And he overlaid the boards with gold,
and made their rings of gold to be places for the bars ; and he overlaid
the bars with gold.
35 And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and
twined fine linen, of cuiming work made he it with cherubim. 36 And
he made for it four pillars of shittah, and overlaid them with gold, and
their hooks were of gold : and he cast for them four sockets of silver,
37. And he made a cover for the door of the tent of blue, and pur-
ple, and crimson, and twined fine linen, wrought with needlework.
38 And its five pillars and their hooks, and he overlaid their chapiters
and their rods with gold ; and their five sockets were of brass. 11 57.
The commencement of the work and the construction of
the tabernacle are recorded in this chapter, which after the
first section corresponds with chap. xxvi.
V. 1-7. The materials for the work handed over to the
workmen. And Bezalel . . . shall do (p^^]). This verse
is properly the close of the address of Moses to the people, and
should have stood at the end of the previous chapter, v. 2.
He now addresses Bezalel, Aholiab and their men. v. 3-7.
The people bring enough and more than enough for the work,
until they are required to desist. As the spinning and weav-
ing must have begun almost simultaneously with the labours
of the other workmen, they were bringing in wrought materials
for some months after the works began.
EXODUS xxvir. 351
V. 8-38. The construction of tlio tuboraaclo is hero minutely
reported. The full dctuil into which the sacred writer enters
indicates the paramount importance attached to the work.
The narrative be<rins with the tabernacle itself which is the
lartrcst piece of the work. But we may suppose that other
sets of workmen were engaged on the furniture, the court,
and the piiostly dresses. It was necessary also that the
tabernacle should be ready for the sacred utensils as soon as
they were prepared. The sections of this chapter after the
first correspond nearly with those of chap, xxvi.
CHAP. XXXVII. THE FURNITURE IN THE TABERNACLE.
And Bezalel made the ark of shittali wood ; two cubits and a half
the length of it, a cubit and a lialf the breadth of it, and a cubit and a
half tlie lieight of it. 2 And lie overhiid it with piu-e gold within and
without ; and made for it a crown of gold round about. 3 And he
cast for it four rings of gold upon its four feet : and two rings were on
the one side of it and two rings on tlie other side of it. 4 And ho
made staves of shittah wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5 And ho
put the staves in the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. G
And he made a mercy-seat of pure gold ; two cubits and a half the
length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it. 7 And lie made
two cherubiiu of gold ; of beaten work made he them, on the two ends
of the mercy-seat. 8 One cherub on the one end, and another cherub
on the other end ; out of the mercy-.seat made he the cherubim on its
two ends. 9 And the cherubim were spreading out two wings above,
covering the mercy-seat with their wings, and their faces each to the
other ; toward the mercy-seat were the faces of the cherubim. ^58.
10 And he made the table of shittah wood ; two cubits the length
of it, and a cubit the l)rea(lth of it, and a cubit and a half the height
of it. 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made for it a crown
of gold round about. 12 And he made for it a border of a hand
breadth round about, and made a crown of gold for the border thereof
round about. 13 ibid he cast for it four rings of gold ; and ])ut the
rings on tlie four corners of its four feet. 14 Over against the border
were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table. 15 And
ho made the staves of shittah wood, and overlaid them with gold, to
bear the table. IG And he made the vessels which are upon the
table, its dishes, and its bowls, and its llag<jns, and its cups, to pour
out withal, of pure gold. ^ 59.
352 THE COURT AND ITS FURNITURE,
17 And he made the candlestick of pure gold : of beaten work made
lie the candlestick ; its block and its shaft, its cups, its knops and its
flowers, were of the same. 18 And six branches coming out of its
sides ; three branches of the candlestick out the one side, and three
branches of the candlestick out of the other side : 19 Three almond-
shaped cups in one branch, a knop and a flower ; and three almond-
shaped cups in another branch, a knop and a flower : so for the six
branches coming out of the candlestick. 20 And in the candlestick
were four almond-shaped cups, its knops and its flowers. 21 And a
knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches
of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same ; for the six
branches coming out of it. 22 Their knops and their branches were
of the same ; all of it was one beaten piece of pure gold. 23 And he
made its seven lamps, and its snuffers and its snuflf-dishes of pure gold.
24 Of a talent of pure gold made he it and all its vessels. ^ 60.
25 And he made the altar of incense of shittah wood ; a cubit the
length of it, and a cubit the breadth of it, being square, and two cubits
the height of it ; its horns were of the same. 26 And he overlaid
it with pure gold, its top and its sides round about and its horns ; and
he made for it a crown of gold round about. 27 And two rings of
gold made he for it under the crown of it, on the two flanks thereof,
on the two sides of it, for places for the staves to bear it withal. 28
And he made the staves of shittah wood, and overlaid them with gold.
20 And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of per-
fumes, the work of the perfumer. § 79.
This chapter records the making of the ark and mercy
seat, the table, the candlestick, and the altar of incense.
These are all the internal furniture of the tabernacle. It cor-
responds to chap. XXV., wanting the first nine verses, and to v.
1-5, and 22-25 of chap. xxx. The last section is here
summed up in a single verse.
V. 3. And he cast .... iijwn its four feet. The
sense is pregnant here. It is understood that the rings,
when cast, are put upon the feet of the ark. So in
xxxviii. 5.
CHAP. XXXVIII. THE COURT AND ITS FURNITURE.
And he made the altar of burnt-offering of shittah wood; five cubits
the length of it, and five cubits the breadth of it, being square, and
three cubits the height of it. 2 And he made the horns of it on the
EXODUS XXXVIII. 353
fnur corners thereof, the horns thereof of the same : and he overlaid it
Avilli brass. 3 And he made all the vessels of the altar, the boxes,
anil the shovels, and the basins, and the flesh-hooks, and the fire-pans •
all its vessels made he of brass. 4 And he made for the altar a grate
of net-work of brass, under its border beneath unto the half of it. 5
And he cast four rings in the four ends of the grate of brass, to be
j)laces for the staves. 6 And he made the staves of shittah wood,
and overlaid them with brass. 7 And he put the staves in the rings
on the sides of the altar to bear it withal : hollow, of boards made ho
it. § 80.
8 And he made the laver of brass, and its stand of brass, of the
mirrors of the women who attended at the door of the tent of meeting.
§81.
9 And he made the court; for the south side, southward, the hang-
ing of the court of fine linen twined a hundred cubits. 10 Their pil-
lars'twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty ; the hooks of the pil-
lars and their rods of silver. 11 And for the north side a hundred
cubits, their pillars twenty and their sockets of brass twenty ; the
liooks of the pillars and their rods of silver. 12 And for the west
side the hangings were fifty cubits, their pillars ten and their sockets
ten ; the hooks of the pillars and their rods of silver. 13 And for
the east side, eastward, fifty cubits. 14 The hangings fifteen cubits
for the wing; their pillars three and their sockets three. 15 And
for the other wing on this side, and on that side of the court gate, the
hangings were fifteen cubits ; their pillars three and their sockets
three. 16 All the hangings of the court round about were of fine
linen twined 17 And the sockets for the pillars were of brass, the
liooks of the pillars and their rods of silver, and the overlaying of
their chapiters of silver : and all the pillars of the court were joined
with rods of silver. 18 And the covering of the court gate was
wrought with needlework of blue and purple and crimson and fine
linen tmued : and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in
the breadth five cubits, matching the hangings of the court. 19 And
their pillars lour, and their sockets of brass four ; their hooks of silver,
and the overlaying of their chapiters and their rods of silver. 20 And
all the pins for the tabernacle and for the court round about were of
brass. 23 § § § 82.
21 These are the accounts of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the
testimony, that was counted at the word of Moses, the service of the
Levites by the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. 22 And
Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that
the Lord commanded Moses. 23 And with him Aholiab, son of
Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, an artificer and designer, and an
Z
354 THE FURNITURE OF THE COURT.
embroiderer in blue and in purple and in crimson and in fine linen.
24 All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the
sanctuary, even the gold of the offering, was nine and twenty talents,
and seven hundred and thirty shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary.
25 And the silver of those who were numbered of the assembly was
a hundred talents, and a thousand and seven hundred and five and
seventy shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. 26 A beka for the
poll, the half shekel by the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one
passing into the numbered from twenty years old and upward, for six
hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. 27
And the hundred talents of silver went for casting the sockets of the
sanctuary and the sockets of the vail ; a hundred sockets for a hundred
talents, a talent for a socket. 28 And of the thousand and seven
hundred and five and seventy shekels made he hooks for the pillars,
and overlaid their chapiters, and rodded them. 29 And the brass of
the wave-offering was seventy talents and two thousand and four hun-
dred shekels. 30 And with it he made the sockets for the door of
the tent of meeting, and the brazen altar and the brazen grate for it,
and all the vessels of the altar ; 31 And the sockets of the court
round about and the sockets of the court gate; and all the pins of
the tabernacle and all the pins of the court round about.
This chapter describes the construction of the altar of burnt-
offering, the laver and the court in which they were placed,
and ends with an account of the metals employed in the work.
V. 1-20 correspond with chap, xxvii. 1-8, xxx. 18, and
xxvii. 9-18.
V. 21-31. This passage refers to xxx. 11-16, and xxvii. 19.
It is an account of the metals required for the sanctuary.
That luas counted refers directly to the tabernacle, concerning
which the account was kept. By the hand of Moses, at his
order. The service of. This reckoning was the business of
the Levites under the superintendence of Ithamar. v. 25, 26.
The silver' of those that ivere numbered, of the assembly. The
order given in xxx. 11-16, including the payment of a beka
for eveiy male fi'om twenty years old and upwards, had been
so far executed, probably on the day of atonement. The sum
of the class numbered is 603,550. This was an important
part of the service of the Levites (v. 21). This census was
completed by the examination of the documents and the draw-
ing up of an authenticated register about half a year after,
EXODUS XXXVIII. 21, 31. 355
of which Avc liavc an account in the first chapters of Numbere.
V. 27, -8. From these verses it appears that a talent wjis ecpial
to 3000 shekels. Reckoning the shekel at 220 grains, we
find tliat the gold amounts to nearly 3350 pounds troy
weight, the silver to nearly 11,52G pounds, and the Lrass to
nearly 8112 pounds.
The Israelites had left Egypt the year in which they made
this contribution for the coi»struction of the tabernacle.
Though many of them were employed in servile labours, yet
the people tus a whole must have been possessed of consider-
able wealth. To this the Egyptians made a considerable
accession at their departure. The sum here contributed is
moderate in comparison with the enormous treasures amassed
by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Arabians, and the
Egyptians themselves.
CHAP. XXXIX. THE PRIESTLY GAIUVIENTS.
And of the blue, and the purple, and the crimson tliey made gar-
ments of office to minister in the sanctuary : and they made the holy
garments for Aaron, as the Lord commanded Moses. 1[ Gl.
2 And lie made tlie ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, and crimson,
and ihio linen twined. 3 And tliey beat out thin plates of gold, and
cut threads to work in amid the Idue, and the purple, and the crim-
son, and tlic fine linen twined, with cunning work. 4 Shoulder-straps
made they for it joining it ; at the two edges thereof was it joined.
6 And the belt for fastening it, that was upon it, was of tlie same,
according to the work thereof; gold, blue, and purple, and crimson, and
fine linen : as the Lord commanded Moses. § 83.
G And they wrought onyx stones enclosed in ouches of gold, en-
graven, like the engravings of a signet, witli the names of the sons of
Israel. 7 And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, to bo
stones of memorial for the suns of Israel, as the Lord commanded
Moses. ^ G2.
8 And he made the breastplate of cunning wmk, like the work of
the ephod ; of gold, blue, and purple, and crimson, and twined fine
linen. 9 It was square ; double made they the breastplate ; a span
its length, and a span its breadth, being doubled. 10 And they sot
in it four rows of stone, a row of sardius, topaz, and emerald, the first
row. 1 1 And the second row, a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a diamond.
356 THE PRIESTLY GARMENTS.
12 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. 13 And
the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper, inclosed in ouches
of gold in their settings. 14 And the stones were engraven with
the names of the sons of Israel, these are twelve according to their
names, with the engravings of a signet, each with its name for the
twelve tribes. 1 5 And they made on the breastplate attaching chains
of wreathen work, of pure gold. 16 And they made two ouches of gold,
and two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two ends of the
breastplate. 17 And they put the two cords of gold upon the two
rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 18 And the two ends of the
two cords they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoul-
ders of the ephod in front of it. 19 And they made two rings of gold,
and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the border of it,
which was on the farther side of the ephod inward. 20 And they
made tAvo rings of gold and put them on the two shoulder-straps of the
ephod beneath in the front of it, over against the joining thereof, above
the belt of the ephod. 21 And they bound the. breastplate by its
rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue to be upon the
belt of the ephod, that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod ; as
the Lord commanded Moses. ^ 63.
22 And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
23 And the hole of the robe was in the midst of it, as the hole of a
habergeon ; a binding was on the hole of it around, that it might not
be rent. 24 And they made upon the hem of the robe pomegranates
of blue and purple, and crimson twined. 25 And they made bells of
pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates, upon the hem
of the robe around between the pomegranates. 26 A bell and a
pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, on the hem of the robe around,
to minister therein ; as the Lord commanded Moses. § 84.
27 And they made the coats of fine linen, of woven work, for Aaron
and for his sons ; 28 And the mitre of fine linen and the goodly
bonnets of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine linen twined : 29
And the girdle of fine linen twined, and blue and purple and crimson,
of needle-work ; as the Lord commanded Moses. § 85.
30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and
wrote upon it a writing like the engravings of a signet. Holiness to
THE Lord. 31 And they put upon it a lace of blue to fasten it on the
mitre above ; as the Lord commanded Moses. § 86.
32 Then was finished all the service of the tabernacle of the tent
of meeting : and the sons of Israel did according to all that the Lord
commanded Moses, so did they. ^ 64.
33 And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its
vessels ; its taches, its boards, its bars and its pillars and its sockets :
EXODUS XL. 357
34 And tlic covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the coverinj,' of
badgers' skins, and the vail of covering ; 35 The ark of the testimony
and tlie staves tliereof and tlie mercy-scat ; 3G TIk; table, all its ves-
sels and the shew-bread ; 37 The pure candlestick, the lamps thereof
the lamps of the ordering, and all its vessels, and the oil for the light;
35 And the altar of gold, and the anointing oil, and the incense of
perfumes, and the cover for the tent door ; 39 The altar of brass, and
its grate of brass, its staves and all its vessels, the laver and its stand ;
40 The hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the cover
for the court gate, its cords and its pins ; and all the vessels of the
service of tlu; tabernacle for the tent of meeting : 41 The garments
of office to minister in the sanctuary ; the holy garments for Aaron the
priest, and the garments of his sons to serve as priests therein.
42 According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did the sons of
Israel all the service. 43 And Moses saw all the work, and, lo, they
liad done it, as the Lord had commanded, so had they done : and
Moses blessed them. ^ G5.
This chapter contains the making of the priestly attire, the
ephod, the breast-plate, the robe, tlie coats, the mitre and bon-
net, the girdle and the plate of the holy crown ; and the
presenting of the whole to Moses for inspection and approval.
V. l-3i2. The articles of dress are here no doubt arranged
in the order of manufacture.
V. 33-43. The finished articles are enumerated in detail.
V. 8G. And the sluiv-hreud. This is included here as an ac-
companiment of the table for which all the requisite materials
were provided, v. 37. So "the oil for the light" was ready.
V. 38. Tlie anointing oil and the incense of perfumes had also
been compounded by the perfumer, v. 43. This verse reminds
us of Gen. i. 31. And Moses blessed them in token of his
approval of the manner in which they had executed the work.
CHAP. XL. THE TABERNACLE SET UP.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 On the first day of the
first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3
And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the
ark with the vail. 4 And thou shalt bring in the table and arrange the
order thereof; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick and set up the
lamps thereof. 5 And thou shalt set the altar of gold for incense
358 THE TABERNACLE SET UP.
tefore the arlc of tlie testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the
tabernacle. 7 And thou shalt set the altar of burnt-offering before the
door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 7 And thou shalt set the
laver between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water therein.
8 And thou shalt set up the court around, and put the cover at the
court gate. 9 And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the
tabernacle and all that is therein : and shalt hallow it and all its
vessels, and it shall be holy. 10 And thou shalt anoint the altar of
burnt-oflfering and all its vessels ; and thou shalt hallow the altar, and
the altar shall be most holy. 1 1 And thou shalt anoint the laver and
its stand, and. hallow it. 12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons
unto the door of the tent of meeting, and wash them with water. 1 3
And thou shalt clothe Aaron with the holy garments ; and shalt anoint
him and hallow him. and he shall serve me as priest. 14 And thou
shalt bring his sons and clothe them with coats ; 15 And thou shalt
anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, and they shall serve m.e
as priests : and their anointing shall be to them a perpetual priesthood
for their generations. 16 And Moses did according to all that the
Lord commanded him, so did he. § 87
17 And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the
first day of the month, that the tabernacle was setup. 18 And Moses
set up the tabernacle, and fastened its sockets, and set on the boards
thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and set up its pillars. 19 And
he spread the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the
tent upon it above ; as the Lord commanded Moses. § 88.
20 And he took and put the testimony in the ark, and set the staves
on the ark ; and. put the mercy-seat upon the ark above. 21 And he
brought the ark into the tabernacle, and put on the vail of covering
and covered the ark of testimony ; as the Lord commanded Moses.
§89.
22 And he set the table in the tent of meeting on the side of the
tabernacle northward, without the vail. 23 And he laid in order upon
it the bread before the Lord ; as the Lord commanded Moses. § 90.
24 And he set the candlestick in the tent of meeting over against
the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward. 25 And he set up
the lamps before the Lord ; as the Lord commanded Moses. § 91.
26 And he set the altar of gold in the tent of meeting -before the
vail. 27 And burnt on it incense of perfumes ; as the Lord com-
manded Moses. § 92.
28 And he put the cover of the door on the tabernacle. 29 And
the altar of burnt ofiering set he at the door of the tabernacle of the
tent of meeting ; and offered upon it the burnt-oflfering and the meat-
oflfering ; as the Lord commanded Moses. § 93.
EXODUS XL. 1-22. 35 D
30 And lie sot the laver between the tent of nieotinf,' and tlie altar,
and put water therein for washing. 31 And Moses and Aaron and
his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereout ; 32 When
they go into the tent of meeting, and when they draw near to the altar,
they wash ; as the Lord commanded Moses. § Ui.
33 And he set up the court around the tabernacle and the altar ;
and put on the cover of the court gate : and Moses finished the
work. ^ 5G.
34 And the cloud covered the tent of meeting ; and the glory of
the Loud lilled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter
the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of
the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 And when the cloud was lifted up
from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel set out in all their journeys.
37 And if the cloud was not lifted up, then they did not set out
till the day when it was lifted up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was
upon the tabernacle by day, and the fire was on it by night, in the
eyes of all the house of Israel in all their journeys.
This chapter contains the setting up of the tabernacle, in-
cluding the commencement of the prescribed services ; and the
manifestation of the divine presence and grace in the sanctuary.
V. 1-1 G. The command is issued for the rearing of the
tabernacle, and the anointing of it and all its vessels and
ministers, v. 9-15. This anointing is to signify the hallowing
or setting of them apart to a holy use. Everything here has
been tainted with the presence of sin. The sinner must be
sanctified in order to be received again into the fellowship of
his maker. The great agent of sanctification is the Holy
Si>irit. His purifying work is here typified by the anointing
with oil.
V. 17-22. We have then an orderly detail of the execution
of the first part of this command, v. 17-19. The date of the
rearing of the tabernacle is the first day of the first month of
the second year (see on xxxiv. 28). v. 20, 21. After the
rearing of the tabernacle, the testimony, that is, the two tables
of stone with the ten commandments engraven on them, is
placed in the ark, and the ark with the mercy-seat in the
most holy place, v. 22, 23. The table is placed on tlie north
side of the holy place probably at the middle of the wall.
The shew bread is set in order upon it. v. 24, 25. The
candlestick occupies the corresponding place on the sout^ side.
360 THE TABERNACLE SET UP.
Its lamps are set on. v. 26, 27. The altar of gold is placed
before the vail at the middle points. The incense is kindled
upon it. V. 28, 29. The altar of brass in the middle between
the two sides, say twenty-five feet from the gate of the court.
The burnt-offering and the meat-offering are offered upon it.
V. 30-32. The laver we may suppose to be twenty-five feet
from the altar, and from the door of the tent of meeting. 8hall
wash, will have washed whenever they proceed to the altar
or the sanctuary, v, 32. Wash. This expresses the rule and
custom of those engaged in the service of the tabernacle, v.
33. The whole is completed by the erection of the court. We
observe in the rearing up of the tabernacle that every part of
the ritual service is declared to be commenced, as the cor-
responding part of the furniture is put in its place, the bread
laid on the table, the lighted lamps set on the candlestick,
the incense kindled on the altar of gold, and the appropriate
offerings made on the altar of brass. This may mean either that
these acts were done on the instant or in the due course of events.
In the absence of any reason to the contrary we may presume
the former to be the fact. In this case the setting up of the
service corresponds with the history of salvation. The ark
with its inclosed testimony, mercy-seat and overshadowing
cherubim, indicates the purpose of salvation in the mind of
the present Deity. The bread, the light, and the incense
shadow forth the actual blessings and privileges of the saved
on account of the atonement yet to be made. The altar of
brass and the laver are the emblems of atonement and
renewal eventually accomplished in the history of mankind.
The process for the individual is now reversed. When the
burnt-offering and meat-offering have ascended the altar, the
atonement has been typically made and accepted. When the
priest cleanses himself at the laver the internal holiness is
symbolised. Then follows the intercession represented by the
incense on the golden altar. After that the full communion
of holiness and blessing. And lastly the union with God is
sealed for ever.
V. 34-38. Then follows an event of solemn import, which
is best expressed in the sim])le language of the text. Moses
was not able. In the first overwhelming display of the divine
glory, the tabernacle was not to be approached by man. The
KXdDIS XI,. !jf;i
after proceedings, however, are not here recorded. We have
to wait for them till we reach the subsequent books. Thi.s
manifestation of the divine glory indicates the acceptance of
the tabernacle and of the worship that is now commenced in
it. V. 36. When ike cJond was lifted tip. This intiniat<!.s
that from this time forward the cloud continued resting on the
tabernacle. The lifting of it u]) wjis the signal of departure.
The cloud by day and the iire by night wore conspicuous be-
fore the eyes of " all the house of Israel in all their journeys."
Young and old, male and female, the numbered and marshalled
host and the wandering clans tending their flocks and herd.s,
were alike spectators of this wondrous sign ofHhe divine pre-
sence, of the central encampment of their race, and of their
perfect security under the divine protection. With this beau-
tiful thought and cheerino; fact the sacred writer closes his
account of an act which is the consummation of the exodus.
Some circumstances antecedent to the rearing of the taber-
nacle, and many inseparably connected with it, have yet to be
recorded. But the fine taste of the narrator taught him that
the descent of the divine glory npon the erected tabernacle
was the fitting conclusion of this stage of his unparalleled
narrative.
The nations of the earth are no longer visibly one on the
momentous question of allegiance to God. The holy nation
has publicly come out from the world. The great body of
mankind has become gradually more and more estranged from
the true and living God. Four hundred and thirty years ago,
Abraham has been called to separate himself from his father's
home and land in pre])aration for this sad event. And now,
when the process of human ungodliness is come to a head, a
little nation sprung from him stands forth as a witness for
God, a light in the midst of darkness, and a salt that is yet to
preserve the earth. This little people is itself the type and
germ of all coming stages of the kingdom of God on earth.
Cradled in persecution, it yet escapes to the wilderness, and is
fed with manna from the sky, and water from the rock, by the
omnipotent word of God. Its conscience is awakened by the
promulgation of the moral law, and then led from the (Uspair
of guilt to the calmness of peace with Cxod through the sym-
bolic propitiation of the tabernacle. In the infancy of its
362
THE TABERNACLE SET IIP.
mind it is wisely and kindly trained by the use of appropriate
vsymbols to grasp the transcendent thoughts of mercy and
truth, of I'ighteousness and peace, of atonement, of redemption
and regeneration. The roots of bitterness again and again
burst through the soil and shoot up into a baneful luxuriance.
Nevertheless, the planting of the Lord has taken root, and has
been growing and gathering strength again after many storms
and amidst many thorns through all the course of time. If
Genesis tells of that first disobedience that brought death into
the world of mankind. Exodus speaks with cheering hope of
that suffering but surviving obedience that brings eternal life
to the returning penitent. These two books, then, contain
the pith and marrow of the ancient gospel ; Leviticus and
Numbers being subsidiary, and Deuteronomy a recapitulation.
From the death of Joseph, the last event in Genesis, to the
rearing of the tabernacle, is an interval of about 140 years,
as may be gathered from the following table : —
Interval.
Age.
Event.
Death.
30
175
2078
2183
CO
180
2108
2288
91
147
2168
2315
39
110
2259
2369
(71)
2298
(59)
2369
(80)
2428
2508
Auraham called, to Isaac's birth,
Isaac born, to Jacob's birth, . .
Jacob born, to Joseph's birth, .
Joseph born, to Jacob's descent,
Jacob's descent into Egypt, . .
Joseph's death,
Moses born,
Exodus,
Date of call of Abraham,
From call to Exodus,
2078
430
Date of Exodus,
2508
^
TlRNBri,!. AMI .SI'KARS HKIXII-.RS, Kl>INni!RCH.
In Demy Sc.»., I'rirr KM 0,/.
A CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL
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ON TUK
BOOK OF GENESIS,
WITH A NEW TRANSLATION,
JAMES G. MURPHY, LL.D.; T.C.D.
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— Daily lietnetii.
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